This Scripture reminds me of the story of David and Goliath. Standing at over ten feet tall, this Philistine giant named Goliath, taunted the Israelite army and challenged anyone to man-to-man combat. It tells us for 40 days he would come forward every morning and evening and take his stand against King Saul and his frightened men. But it wasn’t until a young shepherd boy name David overheard Goliath defying the living God… that Goliath was silenced by a sling and a single stone.
Month: November 2018
Acts 5:17-18 ” Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.”
So what exactly were the apostles doing that would land them in jail? It tells us that they were performing many miraculous signs and wonders…healing the sick and tormented…and that many were coming to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were doing good stuff, but they were also persecuted for it. Contention within the Body can degenerate into negative emotions that desire to make war against the good they see others doing…simply because it’s not them performing it. They feel threatened, so they attempt to discount and belittle rather than praising God for what He’s doing. Doing good regardless…it tells us in I Peter 3:17 that we may have to suffer in doing good…and that we shouldn’t become weary in doing it. (Galatians 6:9) I pray we all may have the boldness to continue doing good no matter the cost.
II Kings 4:42-44 ” A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. ‘Give it to the people to eat,’ Elisha said. ‘How can I set this before a hundred men?’ his servant asked. But Elisha answered, ‘Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says; They will eat and have some leftover.’ Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the Word of the Lord.”
This story of Elisha is a foreshadowing of Jesus feeding the 5,000 – ( the only story, other than the Resurrection, that is found in all 4 Gospels). So it must have made quite an impact on the Disciples to witness a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish being multiplied into a huge meal for thousands. Comparing both stories, we see doubt and skepticism on the part of the faithful…people who had observed many miracles, but couldn’t fathom this one. We also see confidence and full trust in God that He would bless over and above. In both cases, there wasn’t just enough, there was plenty to go around…there wasn’t the bare minimum, there was excess to spare. For God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask, (Ephesians 3:20) and He desires to lavish His blessings on us…to the point of overflowing.
Titus 2:11-12 ” For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present Age…”
I Timothy 2:3-4 tells us that God wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. But it also tells us in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” So whether we want to admit it or not – we know what’s right and wrong. God’s unearned and unmerited favor is for all. But when we reject God’s truth, we become estranged from Him, having no excuse except our selfish Will.
Proverbs 29:20 ” Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
It’s a terrible Syndrome that has spread itself across the land, afflicting many a once wise person…it’s called Foot in Mouth Syndrome. It seems that Freedom of Speech has taken an ugly turn…something our forefathers would shutter at. We think it is now quite alright to blurt out the first thing that pops into our head…speaking in haste and then claiming it’s our right to say it. Proverbs 19:2 says, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge.” Over-eagerness without wisdom can only show just how foolish we are to others.
Mark 10:15 ” I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
The first time you heard the Gospel, what filters did it go through in your head? If your background is in Engineering, maybe you applied scientific and mathematical principles. Or if your background is in Liberal Arts, maybe you dissected, examined and scrutinized the message from a different point of view. But if you were like me, in the end, we had to take the Gospel at face value…believing it was the truth, and deliberately and readily receiving it as such. Being receptive to the Gospel demands a leap of faith…of embracing something with child-like faith that we don’t fully understand…but trusting God will show us the way. In the verse before this, Jesus tells the disciples to, “Let the little children come to Me.” We are His little children, and that’s how He expects us to come to Him…filled with child-like faith, confidence, and hope.
Psalm 146:2 ” I will praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”
When we praise the Lord with a heart full of thankfulness…we rise. We rise above our circumstances, we rise above the current pain, and we rise above our negative emotions. But when we just complain to the Lord…we remain. We remain stagnant in the mess around us, and we remain unhappy…wallowing in self-pity. Now that’s not saying we can’t ever complain to the Lord…Jeremiah and Habakkuk did for a few…but in the end they turned their protests into praise. That’s because they looked beyond their griping and grumbling to the bigger picture of gratitude. When we praise, we rise…but when we complain, we remain.
Philippians 2:1-2 ” If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
In other words…if you have the love of Christ within you, demonstrate it! Paul calls us here to be like-minded…the Greek word for this meaning the activity represented involving the will, the affections, and the conscience. This unity involves coming together as a whole in decision-making, with morally right passions, and motives. For being like-minded is thinking the same thing for the good of all, not just a few. Yes, being like-minded takes work on the part of everyone. It calls us to be peacemakers, bridge-builders, and servants to all – for His sake and for His glory.
Ezekiel 37:4 ” Then He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord!’ “
Ezekiel was in a valley covered with the remains of a vast army. As far as he could see, there were skeletons lying in piles. So when God told him to speak to these corpses, Ezekiel probably thought to himself, “You want me to preach to the dead?” In a word, Yes! And God wants us to preach to the dead also! He wants us to speak life and hope into people’s lives that are perishing because of sin. He wants us to share the Message of the Good News of Jesus to those who have never heard it. For anytime we declare the Word of God to the world around us, His Word is set free to work and give life to those listening…even if they seem to be ignoring us! Ezekiel probably thought preaching to the dead would be a total waste of time…but he didn’t realize the life-giving power in God’s Word. And so he watched in amazement as that vast army took a collective breath and rose to its feet.
Philippians 1:27 ” Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
Paul is thought to have written this letter to the Philippians during his first Roman imprisonment. He wanted them to be encouraged whether they ever saw him again or not. Paul especially exhorted them to stand firm in one spirit…something that the modern-day Church should take heed of. When there is infighting, discord, and division, the Church cannot function as it should. For when we are not standing firmly together in unity…contending for the Gospel as one…the message of Salvation through Jesus Christ is lost in the muck and mire and turmoil within the Church walls. Paul reminds the Philippians, and us, to lead our lives in a manner deserving of the Gospel of Peace.
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