Frank in the Swiss Alps, below the ski resort used in a James Bond movie.
—By Frank Becker, May 28, 2020
God is not double minded!
He has but one will, and it is perfect.
The fact that he allows us to violate His will reveals not that he is double-minded, but that he is not a puppeteer or a dictator. We are not robots or puppets or stick men. God breathed life into Adam.
Adam was innocent, but not perfect, for a perfect man would not have fallen. The only perfect man is Jesus Christ. We are as free to fail or triumph as Adam was.
If we receive Christ as Savior, and make him Lord of our lives—then we have the provision to succeed where Adam failed. But if we fail, we have an advocate or attorney with the Father, who intercedes for us—our Lord Jesus.
But God is the perfect disciplinarian—as we see demonstrated throughout his infallible Word—from Genesis to Revelation. To often, our lives seem like a microcosm of the Book of Judges., where every man did what was right in his own eyes. Certainly that seems to be the description of most people today.
How dare we force a test on our Lord, or presume upon some doctrine of security!
We also have a contract—The New Covenant—”the law of love” and “the law of liberty,” and it remains to be seen whether we have entered into it with all our hearts.
It is not the durability of our own hearts, but the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit, Who will see us through the trials of penury and the tests of plenty. Lean not unto your own understanding, but trust in God!”
Three elderly men are at the doctor’s office for a memory test. The doctor asks the first man, “What is three times three?” “Two hundred and eighteen,” comes the reply. The doctor rolls his eyes, looks up at the ceiling, and says to the second man, “It’s your turn. What is three times three?” “Friday,” replies the second man. The doctor shakes his head sadly, then asks the third man, “Okay, your turn. What is three times three?” “Nine,” says the third man. “That’s great!” says the doctor. “How did you get that answer?” “Simple,” he says, “just subtract 218 from Friday.”
INTRODUCTION
God has a call for each of us. Perhaps it is not an audible call. Perhaps it is better a call to the heart and mind. What is His call? It is the call of the PURPOSE of our lives. Let me ask each of you a question: if you were to fill in the blank, what would you write: “The purpose of my life is…”. Perhaps if we look at Jeremiah’s call, and related Scriptures, we will be able to better fill in that blank!
PRAYER
#1 JEREMIAH’S BEGINNING (vs. 1-5)
A. A wise focus – under Josiah’s leadership (vs. 1-3)
Jeremiah observed a godly King Josiah. He saw godly leadership firsthand. King Josiah, as it were, was a spiritual “mentor” to Jeremiah – because Jeremiah certainly saw the difference in the subsequent ungodly kings. I am thankful for the many mentors God has provided in my life, in particular Pastor Herman Underwood at First Baptist, Canton back in 1971. He took me into his home with his wife and 5 kids, and showed me firsthand not only how to walk with the Lord, but how to minister. Almost 30 years later, I co-officiated the funeral of Clarence Jones. Amazingly, in the BIG picture of things, Pastor Jones was Pastor Underwood’s mentor – some 30 years before I came into Pastor Underwood’s picture. If it weren’t for Pastor Jones’ mentoring, who knows where I would be!
But God also raised up godly laymen for me – Carlos Atkyns, for example. He went Home to be with the Lord just a short time after I came to Beaver Meadow. I wish I had spent more time with him – that was a hard lesson to learn too late. But he sure knew what it was to minister, and to care for his community.
Who are your mentors? To whom do you mentor today?
B. An amazing knowledge – under God’s love (vs. 4-5)
These are amazing verses! God showed His eternal love for Jeremiah, and He has done that for us as well. We all should be familiar with such classic passages as Psalm 139, Romans 8, and 1 John 4:19 (“we love Him because He first loved us.”
THE POINT: God has placed people in leadership to equip us to be the people He has designed us to be – for His eternal purpose.
“The purpose of my life is…” governed by the choices I make in who/Who are my advisors.
#2 JEREMIAH’S BLESSING (vs. 6-10)
A. Jeremiah’s humility is mis-guided fear (vs. 6-8). Illus.: Doesn’t Jeremiah sound a LOT like Moses in Exodus 3 and 4? Because Moses – like Jeremiah initially – doubted God’s ability and call through him, he missed out and Aaron became God’s vessel through whom God would speak.
B. Jeremiah’s power is through God’s Word (vs. 9-10) See Jer. 15:16; Romans 10:8-15. Isn’t it amazing – it shouldn’t surprise us, should it? – that the person God uses the most is a person who has an intimacy with God’s Word.
THE POINT: God has given us His Word as His daily, moment by moment, direction in every area of my life.
“The purpose of my life is…”, if it is to have a spiritual purpose, must be in direct agreement with God’s Word.
#3 JEREMIAH’S BOASTING (vs. 11-18)
God is giving Jeremiah challenges/tests on His eyesight (vs. 11-14)
God is positioning Jeremiah that his boasting will be only in the Lord, and
so boasting will cause him to stand firm for God (vs. 17-18); Jer. 9:23-24
THE POINT: God has given us new hearts that hunger for His heart, His will, His glory.
“The purpose of my life is…” can only be answered in an honorable way if my boasting is only in the Lord!
CONCLUSION
So how did you do?
“The purpose of my life is…” governed by my advisors, guided by God’s Word, and answered as it is directed only to God’s glory.
If we CAN’T fill in the blank, are we guilty of living AN AIMLESS LIFE?
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11).
The county just north of where I live is known as the nudist capitol of the world. Nearly a hundred years ago a doctor told his patient that he needed more sun on his body and suggested that he become a nudist. He found others to join him founding the National Organization for Naturists which later American Sunbathing Association. Now, the organization has gone nationwide. People flock to nudist clubs and resorts in central Florida buying condos so can they live there full-time.
We come into the world nude. Then things get complicated. Different countries have different ideas about nudity and America’s mixed culture has different ideas, each thinking they are right.
What does the Bible say about nudity?
▪ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25.
▪ You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; Exodus 28:42
▪ Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! Revelation 16:15
The Bible talks little about what to take off, but is unequivocal in what to put on. In 1945, as American troops were fully armed and about to storm the beaches of Iwo Jima, in the departing religious service aboard the Bunker Hill, the chaplain pointed the troops to Ephesians 6:11. Paul tells the Ephesians to put on the whole armor of God, so that one is able to stand against the powers of the devil.
What a great send off into battle, both then and now. We battle against the schemes of the devil every single day. Paul told the citizens of Ephesus to be prepared for battle and to be strong in the power of God. Be fully clothed with the belt of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit.
While people have different ideas about how much clothing to take off, the Bible is unequivocal about what we are to put on. We are to be armed with the Gospel as we go forth to battle each day.
Like the famous credit card advertisement…. Don’t leave home without it!
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border:
I was reading through 1 Chronicles and came upon the passage made famous by Bruce Wilkinson’s bestseller, The Prayer of Jabez. “Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked” (1 Chronicles 4:10).
For God to “enlarge” his “border” meant to increase his territory and influence. Jabez wanted his life to count as fully as possible. But he knew that this was impossible unless the “hand” of God was “with” him to lead, empower, and protect.
Such a prayer may seem audacious, but “God granted what he asked.” It seems that the Lord wants us to seek to be all we can be for His glory and the good of others: We are to “work heartily” in all we do (Colossians 3:23). Are you doing so?
God wants us to “approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10). Are you ready for that day?
Our Father empowers what He expects: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). Are you seeking such empowerment? Jim Denison
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
It is our responsibility to live in the present and make the most of our circumstances—whatever they look like today and whatever they look like tomorrow. We accept the good, we accept the bad, and we make the most of the season right in front of us—regardless of how it looks today or tomorrow. That is our responsibility to ourselves and the constantly changing world around us. The Minimalist
Daphne MacDonald. Though we live in a world of constant consumption, we don’t need much to be happy. The accumulation of stuff costs money and can lead to living outside our means and piling on debt.
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Our first birth gives us physical life; the new birth gives us spiritual life and membership in God’s family. Billy Graham
Heaven may be reached without money or rank or learning. But it is clear as daylight if the words have any meaning that nobody can enter heaven without a new birth. R.C. Ryle
Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather. Dwight L. Moody
Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor, May 24, 2015
“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, Lord?” So He said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a MEMORIAL before God.” (Acts chapter 10).
INTRODUCTION
The origins of the first “Memorial Day” are varied, but one story stands out: “Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. They dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.”
And in 1868, Major General John Logan ordered that the graves of all Civil War dead be decorated (hence, “Decoration Day”) with flowers on May 30. Eventually the last Monday of May was so designated “Memorial Day”.
There are several “memorials” in Scripture. Our passage talks of one which marks a huge transition in Bible times – and perhaps in ours today.
PRAYER
“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, Lord?” So He said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a MEMORIAL before God.” (Acts chapter 10).
INTRODUCTION
The origins of the first “Memorial Day” are varied, but one story stands out: “Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. They dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.”
And in 1868, Major General John Logan ordered that the graves of all Civil War dead be decorated (hence, “Decoration Day”) with flowers on May 30. Eventually the last Monday of May was so designated “Memorial Day”.
There are several “memorials” in Scripture. Our passage talks of one which marks a huge transition in Bible times – and perhaps in ours today.
PRAYER
#1 CORNELIUS—THE REMEMBERED SAINT (Acts 10:1-8)
What does this brief passage tell us about an obscure man named “Cornelius”?
First of all, he was a Gentile. Even by Acts 10, non-Jews were earmarked even by the church as being “untouchable” and “unreachable”. The church needed a fresh awakening to what God could do in any heart.
Hello !!! Does the church need a fresh awakening today to what God can do in any heart? Is there any heart which you have labeled “untouchable” and “unreachable”? Then you better read on!
He was a “saved” man by our terms. Note verse 2 calls him “devout” (that is, “pious, godly”). He “feared God” (that is, he worshipped the one true God). And he was a giver – he proved his love for God by his outward, but invisible, acts. He was a saved man.
And God noticed! The angel came down especially to Cornelius and said, “your prayers and your alms [which nobody else knew about] have come up for a MEMORIAL before God.”
What did the angel mean by “memorial” or a “memorial offering”? The “memorial offering” is that which keeps alive the memory of someone or something. When Jesus at the first communion said, “do this in REMEMBRANCE of Me”, do you know what He was saying? The very same thing! The first communion was a MEMORIAL before God, done to keep alive the memory of the Lord Jesus!
And isn’t it comforting to know that God never forgets people! In Isaiah 49:15 He says, “I will not forget you.” In Psalm 9:18, the psalmist writes, “God will never forget the needy.” And in Psalm 13:1, David prayed, “How long, O Lord, will You forget me forever?”. David felt free to approach God with his complaint!
BUT GOD DOES FORGET SIN!!! Jeremiah 31:34 says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more!”. Wow! And He does that for New Testament believers as well! Aren’t you glad?
Cornelius is at a turning point of church history as stated in the ensuing verses of Acts 10 (vs. 5-8). He was no longer “untouchable” or “unreachable”!!! And soon the whole church would know that God saves sinners – whether Jew or non-Jew! He can saved ANYBODY!
POINT: Is there anyone we as a church have forgotten? Is there anyone you have considered as “untouchable”? Is there anyone you have labeled with the horrendous marker, “God can never reach them!”? They may be the turning point of the ministry of our church, of the ministry of the Lord in our entire village!
#2 PETER – THE TEACHABLE JEW (Acts 10:9ff)
Note in these verses that Peter is taken from the known – God’s design seemingly has been just for the Jews, even in the early church – to the unknown, that His design also includes the whole world!
ILLUSTRATION: I have a box. I am in the box. I can only see what is in the box. I cannot see what is outside the box. Perhaps there is a world out there to which I could make a difference. But as long as I am not outside the box, my world is limited. It is NOT limited by God, but it is limited by ME.
Peter’s world was limited, partially by his cultural prejudices, and partially by his vision of the day. He needed a fresh vision – and God gave him one!
CONCLUSION
Why is this section of Scripture about the “memorial offering” important? Because God is taking Peter – and the then known church – to where God designed when He issued the church’s commanding orders. Remember what they are?
“Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Who is “outside our box” that we are missing out on reaching for God’s glory today?
“How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner. How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!” (Lamentations 4:1-2).
A few months ago, my wife and I descended 1,300 feet below the surface and toured the salt mines outside Krakow, Poland. It was an incredible experience. My most important takeaway I learned was how in the times long ago the price of salt was higher per ounce than the price of gold. Salt was more practical, and much needed for food preservation and many other things. Gold was merely ornamental.
Fast forward to today when the price of gold is nearly $1,700 per ounce, but how quickly that can fade to nothing compared to the price of a loaf of bread. The prophet, Jeremiah, who wrote, Lamentations, saw that hundreds of years ago. The temple, which was overlaid with gold, was in ruins; and the gold was not distinguished from common rubbish.
Recent times have shown us how items were so wanted by people that the shelves were empty and our gold (credit cards and cash) were useless to purchase the depleted items. We all have some “gold” in our lives, but what happens when our gold loses its luster? Our fine gold of our lives become dull! Our gold is our idols.
Pastor Tim Keller so aptly says, “An idol is something we cannot live without. We must have it. Therefore, it drives us to break rules we once honored to harm others, even ourselves, in order to obtain it. Anything in life can serve as an idol, or a counterfeit god, especially the very best things in life. An idol is anything more important to you than God. Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God. Anything you seek to give you what only God can give. Anything so central and essential to your life, that should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living.”
What are some of our gods… financial security, comfort, people, job security, spiritual leaders, living the American dream….? In recent days our lives have been shaken and our lives have changed. It has not all been a pleasurable experience and the jury is still out on what the long term effects will play out. Our lives have changed, but one thing we know is our God has not changed.
He reminds us brokenness that leads to change is not aimless, pain that leads us to trust in God is not pointless and confusion that leads us to God’s throne for answers is not meaningless. In the words of Pastor Ken Whitten, our problem is not the depth of our brokenness. Rather, our problem is the depth of our own self- sufficiency.
Our idols will tarnish and wither away, but God never will.
What are the idols (gold) of your life and how have recent events drawn your focus on Jesus?
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
The Entertainment Test
Here are 10 questions to consider when we turn on the TV, go to a movie, attend a concert, or watch a play:
1. Is what I’m watching lewd and lascivious and appeals to my sinful fleshy desires?
2. Am I looking at a person created in God’s image with pure and honorable intentions?
3. Does this entertainment distract from my pursuit of holiness, righteousness, and godliness?
4. Does this show produce ennobling thoughts or pollute my mind with cheap and tawdry thoughts?
5. Is the allurement of this show vulgar or virtuous?
6. Am I morally stronger from this entertainment, or spiritually weakened?
7. Are the values being presented consistent with my Christian values?
8. Am I allowing myself to be amused by something that is sinful?
9. Would I feel comfortable having Jesus sit with me during this show?
10. When I finish watching, do I feel good about myself or do I feel sleazy?
—Ken Weliever – ThePreachersWord.com
Three ways Jesus responds to fear
One-way Christianity is different from other religions and worldviews centers in Jesus’ redemptive response to fear. Consider three lessons he offers his followers:
1—We should live in the present and trust the future to God.
Jesus taught us, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). This day is the only day there is. Someday there will be a global crisis that seems frightening and unmanageable, but before it accelerates, Jesus will return for us or you or I will go to him. That’s why “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). We are one day closer to eternity than ever before, and we have only today to be ready.
So, live in this day and trust tomorrow to the providence of your Father.
2—Worry is fruitless.
Jesus asks us, “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If you then are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” (Luke 12:25–26).
Worry provides the sense that we are doing something about our fear, but this is an illusion. Rather than worry about the future, we should prepare by doing what we can do and trust God with what we cannot.
3—Our Father is Lord of the universe.
He asks: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore” (Matthew 10:29–31).
Our Father measures the universe with the palm of His hand (Isaiah 40:12). He is on the throne of the world.
Let’s be sure He is on the throne of our hearts today. Jim Denison
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
Hope is for the soul what breathing is for the living organism. Gabriel Marcel
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning is young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. Henry Ford
No matter what rough storm is in your life, if Jesus is in your boat, your boat will not sink. Franklin Graham
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Thomas A. Edison
Everyone and his brother seems to have a “take” on this pandemic, and many of the “experts” seem to reverse themselves frequently. I respect these words of a relative of mine.. —Frank Becker
Endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights that are superior to the Constitution itself: life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
I love that business owners are re-opening, even in defiance of indeterminate decrees (which are themselves often in conflict with the 14th and 10th amendments, to say nothing of 1st and often 2nd amendments). Businesses without customers are not, so I’m also glad people are out there in force to patronize these businesses — everyone is doing what they wish, and, when everyone is looking out for their own interest first,this is how capitalism works best, even if I’m not one of those who has to or chooses to partake. (even though I want to see small restaurants survive, it’s not exactly like I’ve been sending $20 weekly to each of my favorite little restaurants, because I know no one else is, and so it would be a lost cause. Altruism doesn’t really work unless it’s backed up by faith.)
Little restaurants that are in all of our respective communities were on death row. Their margins were slim-to-nil to begin with, so an extended coastal-style shutdown would destroy a lot of little businesses — and, next year, I really want to be able to return to my favorite little restaurants and have a fresh, non-frozen pizza.
Americans are optimistic and we tend to build the future we want to see, or at least we do once we get over the initial shock of whatever the latest disaster is. (We also love to argue, and I love that we have the First Amendment to protect that essential liberty!)
So, I’m personally really excited about the future, even as it’s shown cracks (to me, and hopefully to most people!) in our personal and corporate supply chains. It’s shown where we need to create more resiliency and redundancy (waste isn’t always bad!) It’s shown that we all need to try to make more money to protect our families. It’s demonstrated that Americans really can rise to the moment.
The success of Trump’s blockades with China and EU has proven, not that he’s racist or evil, but — if anything — that he should have implemented those travel bans much sooner, and that America First is not just good military strategy, but good strategy as we interface with the world. That we should not rely on foreign powers for our survival.
And, if people want to get in their cars and drive to their nearest home supply store, more power to them, and I support their essential exercise of freedom! (And when eventually a sizeable percentage of those get sick and do not die, they are another brick in the wall protecting us all from getting sick!)
Good news, too: what happened in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic is NOT happening now. What happened then, and it’s conjectured that this is because of the unique way of dealing with diseases in WWI trenches, is that the most lethal strains survived and actually killed more people.
BUT, what appears to be happening NOW is that the most sick people with the worst strains are going to the hospital, and many of them are actually dying there. (40% of people sick enough to go to the hospital die.)
So, today, the most prevalent strains seem to actually be the less dangerous strains, and that the more lethal strains are actually fading out and are being crowded out by the weaker strains.
If this keeps going, it will still be far more contagious than the flu, but probably with a death rate (case fatality rate, or, eventually, morbidity rate once we have more data) that is eventually similar to the common flu. Still nothing to sneeze at (uh..) but this is great news any way you slice it.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
In these recent times, we have been introduced to a new word: pandemic. It is usually used to describe the explosion of a medical epidemic, but literally the word means something prevalent over a whole country or the world.
On December 31 last year, China alerted the World Health Organization of several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan, a port city of 11 million people in the central Hubei province. The virus was unknown. Several of those infected worked at the city’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which was shut down on January 1.
The Wuhan coronavirus is thought to have originated in bats, which may have passed the disease to one of a few potential intermediary species, which then passed it to humans from where it rapidly spread around the world infecting nearly two million people and causing death in more than one hundred thousand in nearly 200 countries. The spread took not years, but days.
One of Jesus last instructions was to create another worldwide pandemic, not a medical one, but an evangelical one. He instructed His followers to make disciples of all nations, as He assured them of His continuing presence. There were no newspapers, Internet or TV and radio. His instructions fell on the ears of foot soldiers who spread the Gospel from person to person and town to town.
Beginning with Jesus, the Christianity was spread around the world first by Jesus’ disciples, then by emperors, kings, and missionaries. Through crusades, conquests, and simple word of mouth, Christianity has had a profound influence on the last 2,000 years of world history.
Humanly speaking, the odds were all stacked against it. It was unthinkable that a small, despised movement from a corner of Palestine could move out to become the dominant faith of the mighty Roman Empire, an empire steeped in fiercely defended traditional pagan religions. The spread of the Christian church in its earliest centuries is one of the most amazing phenomena in all of human history. Wave after wave of persecution was unleashed to squash it.
The earliest Christians did not have church buildings. They typically met in homes. They did not have public ceremonies that would introduce them to the public. They had no access to the mass media of their day. So how can we account for their steady and diverse expansion over the first three centuries?
The answer is found in Scripture. The spread of Christianity was through the power of the Holy Spirit and with continued presence of Jesus, both of which continue today. Perhaps an evangelical pandemic is on order.
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
What is success? How do you define it? What are the essentials of success? And how do you know when you’ve achieved success?
Google “success” and you will incredibly get 5,440,000,000 hits in .48 seconds. Go to Amazon and you find there are over 90,000 books written about success. All of these sources are filled with formulas, fundamentals and principles for achieving success in a given area of life.
The world’s standard often measures success on the basis of prosperity, performance, possessions, position, or power. God, however, not only gives His definition of success, but the means by which we can achieve it.
When Moses died, Joshua was designated to become the leader of Israel and assigned the task of conquering Canaan. God issued this stirring and inspiring exhortation to encourage and direct Joshua (Joshua 1:6-9).
Here are God’s five fundamentals to Joshua for spiritual success and prosperity.
1. Be Strong.
2. Be Courageous
3. Stay Focused
4. Meditate on the Word.
5. Do God’s Will.
Let’s return to the fundamentals of our faith. Then our way will be “prosperous,” and we will enjoy “good success.” Ken Weliever, The Preacherman.
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
By owning fewer possessions, we reserve time, money, and energy for the things that matter most. So, take some time to focus on the things you own and what can be removed, today or in the future. The Minimalist
Even in total silence, it’s hard to hear God’s voice over the screaming claims of the world when God tries to pierce our heart, that’s what Satan does. Dwight Short
Hope in your present is fueled by God’s faithfulness in the past. Kelly Knouse
Hope is setting my focus on ultimate restoration, not instant relief. Kelly Knouse
Hope is a gift you receive, not a goal you create. Kelly Knouse
Before we were saved, we were the focus of our lives. Bob Sprinkle
Appreciation is one of the world’s greatest motivators.
“A MOTHER, A DAUGHTER, & JESUS” (Matthew 15:21-28)
Originally preached Mother’s Day May 11, 2014
Retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford
TODAY’S “SPECIAL”: “A Mom Funny”
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, “Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?”
Her mother replied, “Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.”
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, “Momma, how come ALL of grandma’s hairs are white?”
INTRODUCTION
We will call our text as taking place on “Mother’s Day” – as a mother is mentioned here! Jesus just left “that place” – probably the outskirts of Jerusalem (v. 1) and headed to the area of Tyre and Sidon. He meets a woman, an unnamed mother whose daughter needs help. How does He respond to this needy woman? The lessons should affect us all for the rest of our lives! PRAYER
#1—A DEAFENING PLEA WITH A LOUD REPLY (vs. 21-24)
Tyre and Sidon together, cities of the Philistines, on the coast north of Israel, were longtime enemies of the Jews. In Ezekiel 28 is given one of the most blistering messages ever delivered against a city, much less against a king, identifying him as an instrument of Satan (if not Satan himself). In Genesis 10:15,19 Sidon is identified as a city of the descendants of Cain
The Savior is interrupted in His teachings by a plea from a lady identified only as a “Canaanite woman”, i.e., a woman from Canaan or the Canaan areas. We know this is the area and the people that the Israelites were to wipe out when they crossed the Jordan (How deep was the Jewish hatred for them: Note the lessons of Jacob and Esau (Gen. 28:1-3,6))
Jesus is in the enemy’s territory! In this realm of hatred comes to Him a woman identified as being from that region.
Note:
1. Her deafening plea: she obviously had heard of Jesus, identifying Him as Lord [God!], Son of David [Messiah!], possessor of mercy. Her insights crossed religious borders. But in front of His disciples, was Jesus going to cross those borders, too?
2. Her description of her daughter: no name, demon-possessed, suffering terribly – the very description the Jews have forever given to non-Jews – she admitted was the condition of her daughter [and is the description of all people, Eph. 2:1-3]
3. His disciples’ response: “send her away, she is a bother, an interruption, an irritation to us and our
love for You, our walk with You, our service for You! Send her away!”
Someone once wisely observed: “People are not irritations to ministry. People ARE ministry.” The disciples hadn’t learned that yet!
4. The Lord Jesus response: Silence. Why? He answers His disciples: “I’m sent only to the lost of
Israel.” For 2500 years, that seemed to be the only mission the Jews remembered. He was confronting them with an age old prejudice. But they had forgotten their own Scriptures.
Note Isaiah 49:6, “Indeed He says,‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Simeon quotes this at Jesus’ birth. And Paul quotes it twice in the book of Acts as referring to the Lord Jesus! Jesus’ response was to teach eternal truth to those He was mentoring – and to us – to see people as He does!
#2—A DEVOTED PLEA WITH A QUALIFIED REPLY (vs. 25-26)
A “devoted” plea – this was a plea of worship – she got on her knee and publicly worshipped Jesus! Her devotion was to Him alone! Do you think that could have been said of those disciples with Jesus? Or of us?
Paul said told the Romans that he prayed for them “without ceasing”. He told Timothy that he prayed for him “without ceasing.” He advised the believers at Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing.” She doesn’t give up on her daughter, or on the Savior!
The Savior’s reply: “the bread of the children (Israel) is not to go to the dogs (Gentiles).” He was reminding her – and in particularly the listening disciples – of the long-time understanding of God’s supposed care for people.
QUICK QUESTION – is that ours? Is there ANYONE that you purposefully believe is not worthy of the grace of God? ANYONE?
#3 —A DEPENDENT PLEA WITH A MOVING REPLY (vs. 27-28)
Verse 27 shows where her true dependence lay: she was identified as an enemy, but her heart was in His territory. She belonged to Him.
Verse 28 His moving reply: He identifies her as a woman of faith!
“You have GREAT faith!” The Message: “your faith is something else”
The subsequent action is almost spontaneous and quick:
(1) The silent Savior speaks to her
(2) The rejected woman is acknowledged
(3) The request is granted
(4) The daughter was healed instantly
CONCLUSION
#1 “I have met the enemy and the enemy is us” – are you willing to step in the enemy’s territory to make an impact for eternity?
#2 The disciples wanted the enemy’s woman – a mother of faith – to be sent away: “she is an irritant, a bother to our love for Jesus.” Who do we send away with our disciple-like lack of spiritual eyes?
#3 The Lord Jesus identified her as a mother of great faith. To our mothers today, would He say that of you? To all of us, would He quickly say that we are people of great faith?
#4 The unnamed mother never gave up on behalf of her stricken daughter. When people are indifferent and even in opposition to the gospel we love, do we give up on them?
AREN’T YOU GLAD THE SAVIOR DIDN’T GIVE UP ON US?
“The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. I may get irritated because I have to live with an unusually difficult person. But just think how disagreeable I have been with God! Am I prepared to be identified so closely with the Lord Jesus that His life and His sweetness will be continually poured out through Me? Neither natural love nor God’s divine love will remain and grow in me unless it is nurtured.” OSWALD CHAMBERS
“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.“(Ps 9:9).
“In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God” (Ps 62:7).
“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust” (Ps 91:2).
In the Old Testament, when Israel conquered, divided and possessed the land of Canaan, God designated six special cities called the “Cities of Refuge.” These cities were a place of safety for the man who accidentally killed another person. It was a place where he could flee and find protection from “the avenger of blood.” The one responsible for the accidental homicide would quickly need a place of sanctuary to escape the dead man’s family who would be pursuing him. Ultimately, the man’s innocence or guilt would be determined by the elders. But in the meantime, until the emotions subsided and tempers cooled, the one seeking asylum was safe in the city of refuge.
The cities of refuge were easily accessible and always available. Their gates were open to all who needed them. They were place of security, shelter and safety– a constant reminder of God’s grace and mercy. No wonder Jehovah is often referred to by the Psalmist as his refuge. The word “refuge” is from a verb that literally means “to flee.” It denotes “a shelter; a rock of refuge.” Inherent in the word is the idea of safety. Care. And protection from danger.
Life is filled with many trials, troubles, temptations and even tragedies. Sickness. Suffering. Death. Divorce. Financial setbacks. All of these trouble us. Or our friends, family or brethren at some time in our lives. Currently, we’re experiencing a crisis as we deal with COVID-19. It has filled many with worry. Fear. Even panic. Sadly, some have even taken their own lives due to the financial fall out as a result. This is a time that calls for calm. Faith. Trust. And reliance on the Lord. We have a place of refuge to which we can seek shelter during this storm.
When life as we know it has been turned upside down, when everything seems to be falling apart, and when the future looks uncertain and even foreboding, we know that our God is a dependable fortress to whom we can flee, find protection and feel safe.
This is something that the secular world has trouble understanding. Vice-President Pence has been ridiculed for his faith and calling for people to pray during this crisis. Mike Lindell, the founder of My Pillow, was unmercifully mocked for his statement of faith at a recent Cornoavirus press conference for encouraging people to pray and read their Bibles.
Faith in God during these stressful times provides comfort, consolation and contentment, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Through prayer, meditation and the promises of scripture our hope lies not in political or scientific solutions, but in the power, providence and protection of the Almighty.
Our God of righteousness. He offers a divine shoulder to lean on. The everlasting arms. We share in divine association and fellowship. He’s our rock and fortress. He lifts us to new heights. And even in tough times we can experience the joy of our salvation.
God is not a spectator in our suffering, but a shelter for those struggling during the severe storms of life. Lean on Him and on Him alone as we travel these pandemic waters.
Contributed by The Preacher Man Ken Weliever THEPREACHERSWORD.com
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
By owning fewer possessions, we reserve time, money, and energy for the things that matter most. So, take some time to focus on the things you own and what can be removed, today or in the future. The Minimalist
— o —
Max Lucado notes: The Jesus of many people is small enough to be contained in an aquarium that fits on a cabinet. He never causes trouble or demands attention. If you want a goldfish bowl of Jesus, steer clear of the real Jesus Christ. He changes everything! No, Jesus doesn’t make you sexy, skinny, or clever. Jesus doesn’t change what you see in the mirror. He changes how you see what you see. He will not be silenced, packaged, or predicted. He is the pastor who chased people out of church. He is the prophet who had a soft spot for crooks and whores. He is the king who washed the grime off the feet of his betrayer. He turned a breadbasket into a buffet and a dead friend into a living one. And most of all, he transformed the tomb into a womb out of which life was born life . . . your life.
— o —
How John Newton found God’s amazing grace:
In 1748, John Newton converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea. He was born in 1725, the son of a ship commander. He went to sea at the age of eleven and eventually became the captain of a slave ship.
He had received religious instruction from his godly mother, but she died when he was a child and he gave up any religious convictions. However, during a violent storm, he called out, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” He believed that God addressed him through the storm and that his grace had begun to work on his life. He called March 10, 1748, his “great deliverance.”
Newton eventually became a disciple of George Whitefield and came to admire John Wesley. He taught himself Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and surrendered to a call to ministry. He eventually wrote 280 hymns for the church, of which the most famous is “Amazing Grace.” He later moved to pastor a church in London, where he influenced William Wilberforce. Though he lost his sight in his later years, he continued preaching until his death in 1807.
The following is on his grave marker. “Once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”
Jesus used a storm to bring his amazing grace to a lost soul, and through him, to the world.
What fears would you trust to that Grace today?
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
When Abraham Lincoln was facing the crisis of a divided nation during the civil war, he was faced with many tough decisions. Often, he was second guessed. Criticized. And even mocked. It’s no wonder he admitted, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”
There are times in our lives when we are confronted with the reality that we are not in control of the world around us. The Minimalist
Even in total silence, it’s hard to hear God’s voice over the screaming claims of the world when God tries to pierce our heart, that’s what Satan does. Dwight Short
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It’s when everything seems to be against you— when you’re out of energy and you don’t want to lead—that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sands of emotion. Richard Gonzmart
We always claim that our families are our number one priority. Yet, how often do we put them on the back burner. The Minimalist.
Spend less time looking at the horizon and more time enjoying the things immediately around. The Minimalist
Don’t spend so much time thinking about what God could do in your life that you fail to focus on what God is doing in your life. Kelly Knouse
SERIES: “HONOR” Message #5, Originally preached March 18, 2012
Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor
TODAY’S SPECIALS: “Children Are Quick!“
TEACHER: Why are you late?
STUDENT: Class started before I got here.
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn’t have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
TEACHER: Clyde, your composition on ‘My Dog’ is exactly the same as your brother’s. Did you copy his?
CLYDE: No, sir. It’s the same dog.
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher
INTRODUCTION
Today’s message concludes our series on “honoring God”. We have learned that to “honor” means “to give the highest respect.”, “to draw attention to the one (One) you love.”
Today we are going to look at the end of honor – in glory. And when that is offered, that truly will be ETERNAL HONOR.
PRAYER
GOD WILL RECEIVE ETERNAL HONOR BECAUSE:
#1. HE IS CREATOR (Rev. 4:9-11)
“The Jack Frost Syndrome” is eliminated in Heaven. You will have no one exclaiming “Jack Frost is nipping at my nose”, or “Mother Nature is upset”, or “wish you luck!” in Heaven. All honor is to the true Creator!
I came across this song’s original lyrics, as written in 1873 by Lutheran minister, Joseph Seiss:
“Fairest Lord Jesus”
Beautiful Savior, king of creation
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee, truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands,
Robed in the flowers of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
Fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!
SO…If God will receive ETERNAL HONOR because He’s your Creator, we need to heed the warning that the prophet Amos gave: prepare to meet your Creator! (Amos 4:12-13)
#2. HE IS THE LAMB WHO WAS SLAIN (Rev. 5:12-13)
Can we look with John for a minute at the Throne of God in Heaven? Here’s what John wrote:
“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders: and the number of them was
ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,”
[THAT MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE THRONE IN HEAVEN !!!]
John continues. What are those people saying with a LOUD voice?
“Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and HONOR and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12-13)
The Throne in Heaven is the scene of ongoing worship for all eternity. But we shouldn’t be surprised. When was the last time you read from the book of Zechariah? He prophesied a future conversation between the Messiah and Israel,
“And one will say to Him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then He will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends.’” (Zechariah 13:6)
One day, we will worship FACE TO FACE the Lamb Who was slain. But until then, we can worship Him FAITH TO FAITH, if only you have trusted Him as your personal Lord and Savior, the one Who was slain for YOUR sins.
#3. HE IS THE ONLY SAVIOR (Rev 7:9-12)
We shouldn’t be surprised that the the “One on the throne” & the Lamb receive equal worship. Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30)
John once again writes,
“…behold, a great multitude…standing before the Lamb,
Clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
And crying out with a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”
John continues:
[they] “fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying:
‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and HONOR
and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’” (Revelation 7:9-12, in parts)
There will be NO self-sufficiency in Heaven! So why is there any now? Our sufficiency is Jesus alone!
The Lord Jesus will be the center of worship in heaven ALONE! Is He of our hearts today?
#4. HE IS THE ONLY TRUE JUDGE (Rev. 19:1-3)
This is a tough truth. Listen to a portion of this passage:
“I heard a voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and HONOR and power belong to the Lord our God!
For true and righteous are His judgments…’”
In Heaven, there will be no question Who the true Judge is. There will be no unfair judgments. And as a result, ETERNAL HONOR will be brought to our Savior!
The passage goes on to say,
“…and He has avenged…the blood of His servants shed…”
In Heaven, there will be no more opposition to the truth! In Heaven, those of God’s servants whose blood has been shed through martyrdom will be avenged by the True Judge.
And ETERNAL HONOR goes to Him!
#5. HE IS THE ETERNAL KING (Rev. 21:22-26)
Have you read the last couple of chapters of Revelation lately? Listen to some of the descriptions of the Holy City:
No temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its tempe
No need of the sun or of the moon, for the glory of God illuminates…the Lamb is its light.
The kings of the earth bring their glory and HONOR into it
There shall be no night there
[The Kings] shall bring the glory and the HONOR of the nations into it
[The only ones in it are] ONLY those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
Jesus is the Eternal King receiving Eternal HONOR. Have you read Philippians 2:9-11 recently?
“That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow,
Of those in heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth,
And that every tongue should confess that
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD
To the glory of God the Father.”
One wonders how the cults – much less those who “say” they love Jesus – will feel then? How will YOU feel?
CONCLUSION
If He is given ETERNAL HONOR in Heaven, why not give Him ETERNAL HONOR NOW
CLOSE IN PRAYER
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