Come And See What The Lord Has Done

 Psalm 66

When something exciting has happened in someone’s life, one of the first things that they often do is to tell others about it.  It doesn’t even have to be extraordinarily earth special, maybe a new car or new furniture for the house, but they call their friends over to take a look.  However, if it is especially wonderful, such as a child now being able to walk following a surgery, they will definitely want others to come and see.  Our psalm today is just such a call.  The psalmist is sending out a call to everyone to come and see what the Lord has done for him, for all of us.

Our psalmist is eager to tell everyone what the Lord has done, not only for him, but for the whole nation.  When someone has done something nice, something special for us, we like to tell others.  We eagerly tell others what nice gifts we received on our birthday or other holidays.  A newly married woman often tells her friends what nice things her husband does for her.  We share with others when we find a good doctor, or even a good car mechanic or hair salon.  So why are we hesitant to share with others what wonderful things the Lord God has done for us?  “Come and see” the psalmist tells us in verse 5.  Look at the many wonderful things God has done for all of us.  Later in the psalm he says “Come and hear”, listen to what God has done for me (vs. 16).  “I will declare what He has done for my soul”.  He wants to share his testimony with others about what God has done for him, how Jesus saved him and rescued his soul.

Sometimes we aren’t always eager to share with others about the Lord when we are going through a difficult time.  The psalmist acknowledges this, as he, along with the whole nation, have also gone through trying times (vs. 10-12).  Rather than looking at these trials in a negative light, he sees them as God refining him just as silver is refined.  In order to have a quality piece of silver or gold, the piece must be refined in order to remove impurities.  That process involves heating the piece to extremely high temperatures in order for the impurities to separate and be removed.  If the gold or silver could talk, they might say they don’t like this process!  It hurts!  But it’s necessary in order to have a quality piece.

God allows us to undergo times of testing to toughen and improve our spiritual muscles and endurance.  Just as fire refines silver and gold, trials also refine our character.  God teaches us to rely on Him, and purifies us to be holy so that we become more like Christ.  He is refining us through our toughest moments.  These refining trials can bring us wisdom, and help us discern truth from falsehood.  They can also give us the discipline to do what we know is right.

The silver or gold is not left in the fire forever.  Just so, even though we go through some very difficult times throughout our life, God does not leave us in them.  He brings us through and into a place of rich fulfillment, a place of abundance (vs. 12).  If we walk with the Lord, staying close by His side, abiding with Him and learning what He wants to teach us, we will find rich blessings.

Another thing our psalmist shares with us is the importance of keeping our promises to the Lord (vs. 13-14).  Often people make a promise to God, a bargain, that if He gets them out of a problem, or answers a prayer, they vow to do something for Him.  However, frequently that vow or promise is quickly forgotten.  Our psalmist made a vow, and now he is ready to carry it out.  Be careful to follow through on whatever we promise to God.

Another reason one might be hesitant to share with others about God, is that they may not be seeing a lot of answered prayer in their lives.  The psalmist speaks about this as he closes our psalm in verses 18-19.  If we refuse to confess and repent of a cherished sin, we place a wall between us and God.  If we refuse to confess sin, despite the Holy Spirit’s conviction, we hinder our own prayers.  God blesses obedience, not stubbornness and sin.  The remedy for this is to confess our sins and stop clinging to them.  When we do, God will hear our prayers.

As we conclude our psalm for this week, let’s remember to trust the Lord as we go through the refining fires in our life, to also be careful to keep the promises we make to Him, and to keep from hindering our prayers with unconfessed sin.  Then let us urge our friends and relatives to come and see, come and hear what the Lord has done for us.

An Effective Witness

 Acts 8:26-40

One of the very last things that the Lord Jesus said before He ascended back into Heaven was that He wanted His followers to go into all the world and bring His message of salvation to the lost (Matthew 28:18-20).  This Great Commission was not just for the early years of the Church, but is still our marching orders for today.  In our Scripture passage for today we will read about Philip and his obedience to witness to a man from Ethiopia who was returning home from a visit to Jerusalem.  As we read the account from the Book of Acts, let's observe the method that Philip used in witnessing, comparing it with some other, usually less effective, methods used by people today.

As our passage opens, Philip was involved in a very successful evangelistic ministry in Samaria.  In the middle of that God called him away to go to a road that led out of Jerusalem, heading south into a desert region.  Philip obeyed God, despite having to leave a very effective preaching ministry to head to what would seem an empty nowhere.  Yet there he met a man who was ready to hear and accept the Gospel.  Philip would have only a brief moment to witness to this man as he headed back home, so it was important to make effective use of that time and properly witness. There are several methods of witnessing that are used today with varying results, and some that bring zero results.

One method that is employed by some churches and Christians is to go door to door or approach random people and tell them about Jesus, often giving them a Gospel tract.  That brings mixed results.  Sometimes people are open to the message, especially if a careful, Biblical explanation of salvation is given.  Many Gospel tracts are well written and can be very effective in leading someone to the Lord when read.  However, the short-coming of this method is that there is often little or no follow-up, and once someone gets saved, unless they make their way to a good, Bible-preaching church, there is little spiritual growth.

There is the “intellectual approach”.  This is where they sit down with other people and discuss world religions, philosophies, nature, etc.  There is little or no mention of Jesus, certainly no mention of one’s need of salvation.  They want to keep it all intellectual and not wanting to possibly offend anyone.  For them being sophisticated and intellectual is more important than telling the message of Jesus.  The discussions may be interesting, but the one problem is that no one ever gets saved!  Jesus told us to bring His message to others, not just have philosophical discussions.

A third approach is the mute approach or lifestyle approach, which is probably the most popular among many today, but is equally not effective.  It is being a silent witness, letting one’s life be a witness.  However, how many people who do this have ever had a neighbor or co-worker come up to them and say that they have been observing what a good and upstanding person they are and want to become a Christian because of their good behavior?  I don’t think that ever happens.  People practice this method perhaps because they are afraid or unsure of themselves in actually talking about the Gospel, or unfortunately maybe they are too lazy.  Or again, they may not want to offend anyone.  People who follow this method have swallowed a lie of Satan.  No one gets saved!  The Scriptures say that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17).  We are to speak, to preach, the Gospel.

Philip’s approach was a one-on-one approach.  He was available to God, and went when God called.  He was also led by the Spirit.  God prompted him and he approached the man.  When we are in prayer for someone we know who is lost, the Holy Spirit will open up opportunities for us to witness.  Philip also used a good approach when speaking to the man.  He didn’t just barge in and clobber the man with the Bible.  Philip used tactfulness and was sensitive throughout his conversation.  And very importantly, Philip was specific.  He didn’t get sidetracked with vague conversations about philosophy.  He used only the Bible, and spoke only about Jesus.  Philip wasn’t worried that he might offend the man.  When the man accepted Jesus as his Savior, Philip followed through with baptism.

It is just as important today as it ever was to bring the Gospel message of Jesus to the world.  However, it is important that we are careful in how we bring this message, as we want to be effective.  The intellectual and the silent approaches bring zero results, and can’t really be said that it is bringing the message of the Gospel to others.  Let’s follow the lead of Philip and be ready to always bring the message of Jesus to others.

A Sheep In God's Fold

John 10:11-16 

Some people go through life feeling like they are anonymous, that no one knows them, cares about them, knows their name, or that they even exist.  They feel like they don’t belong, that they are nothing, just an unknown face in the crowd.   Maybe that might describe you, perhaps some of the time, or maybe even all of the time.  In our Scripture passage today from the Gospel of John we read about Jesus and one of the most well known Names that He has, the Good Shepherd, and how He knows each and every one of the sheep of His flock.  Let’s take a look at this familiar passage.

Jesus was speaking, teaching His disciples and the people who have gathered around Him, when He gave what has become one of the better known titles that He is known by - the Good Shepherd.  Today’s population has become much more urban than in the days of Jesus, but in His day people would have been very familiar with shepherds and their role.  The shepherd would guide the flocks of sheep out into the fields to graze.  They would need to know the area, whether there was any danger around.  They needed to know if there were any plants which would make the sheep sick, if there were any ravines or hidden holes in the ground which a careless sheep might fall into or trip over and break a bone.  The shepherd needed to keep a careful eye on the sheep to see that none of them wandered off and became lost, and most importantly to keep alert for wild and dangerous predators.  Jesus has called Himself the Good Shepherd, as He cares for His flock in just such a way.

The good shepherd is in contrast to a hired hand, a hireling, who only cares for himself, and not the sheep (vs. 12-13).  The hireling represents religious leaders who will perform their duties in good times, but do not truly care for their flock.  When times get tough they flee.  The hireling also tends the sheep for money.  The Good Shepherd cares for His sheep for love.  False teachers and false prophets do not have any such commitment.

Jesus described how He, as the Good Shepherd, would give His life for the sheep (vs. 11, 15).  This is a reference to Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross.  A good and loving shepherd will take risks for the sheep under his care, especially when he has to come up against a dangerous wolf or bear.  Do you know someone who would be willing to lay down their life for you?  Perhaps a spouse or a parent might, but that isn’t always the case.  Like I described at the beginning, there are some who go through life so alone and feeling unloved, never believing that anyone would love them, let alone die for them.  Yet that is exactly what Jesus, as our Good Shepherd, did (vs. 15).  As John 3:16 says, God loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us, so that if we accept Him as our Savior, we might be able to spend eternity with Him.

Another trait of a caring shepherd is that they know their sheep well.  They know exactly how many they have, and very often they have named each of their sheep.  They keep track of them, and will notice right away when one of them goes missing.  Because of the love and care they have for each individual sheep, when one wanders off and gets into danger, the shepherd will go in search of them, sometimes at a risk (Luke 15:3-7).  Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, bringing them into His fold (Luke 19:10).

The shepherd knows the name of each of his sheep, and the sheep knows their shepherd and his voice.  Likewise, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, knows each and everyone of His children.  He knows our name, and cares deeply for every believer.  Jesus, our Good Shepherd, comes when we call, just as a shepherd comes when the sheep start bleating.  Jesus will walk with us through the dangers, like a caring shepherd does with his flock.  He hears our cries and will lead us to safety.  Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and because of His loving care, we will have all that we need (Psalm 23:1).  He promises to always be with us, and to keep watch like a shepherd caring for his sheep.

For those who feel like no one knows or cares about them, I point to the Lord Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd.  If the Savior knows our name, we are certainly loved (vs. 14).  Life is not meaningless.  Turn to Jesus, accept Him as your Savior, and come into His fold.

A Family Resemblance

 I John 3:1-8

In many families we frequently see a family likeness.  We see this, not only with physical resemblance, but we can also see it by one’s actions or one’s behavior.  Family members often will speak a lot like each other, will respond or act like their parents or other family members.  Perhaps you see that in yourself, that you physically resemble your parents or siblings, or that your children are taking after some of yours or your spouse’s behavior, and hopefully that would make you proud.  How about the children of God?  In our Scripture for today from the Apostle John’s first epistle, we read that this should also be the case.

Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior are God’s children (vs. 1).  We are no longer the lost orphans that we once were.  Jesus found us as lost sheep.  He searched for us as a lost coin (Luke 15:1-10).  There are two spiritual fathers in this world - Yahweh and Satan.  Those who are born again through the Blood of Jesus Christ are the children of God (John 1:12).  Those who reject Jesus as their Savior have chosen Satan (John 8:42-45).

Knowing we are God’s children should encourage us to live as Jesus did.  Our behavior, our nature and lifestyle, should be like our Savior’s.  Because of this, the world doesn’t know us, we are not the world’s kind anymore.  We are truly pilgrims, sojourners, and strangers in this world (Hebrews 11:13; I Peter 1:1; I Peter 2:11).

The moment a person accepts Jesus as their Savior, they become a child of God.  Throughout our life the Holy Spirit is working in our life, conforming us into the image of Christ (II Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29).  This won’t be completed until Jesus returns (vs. 2).  As we grow as Christians, we should desire to be more like Jesus (vs. 3).  It is a false belief from the devil that we have to be like the world in order to win others to Christ.  Jesus never compromised in order to reach people.  He stayed true to God’s Word, and then let the people choose who they would follow, Him or the devil.  As Christians, we need to stand for holiness, no matter the cost, no matter whether we are scorned, hated, or have loss of money or property.

As we continue on in verse 4, there are some people who mistakenly believe that this verse says that a Christian will never commit a sin ever again.  That is not the case, as we all know that each one of us will occasionally do something wrong.  The verb “commit” in Greek conveys the idea of making sin a habitual practice.  All Christians do fall into sin occasionally, but that should not be the unbroken pattern of our life.  There is a difference between committing a sin and continuing to sin.  A Christian who commits a sin will confess and repent of it, as David did.  The unsaved continues to sin without regard.

Jesus Christ came to take away sin (vs. 5), which is one reason why His followers should not practice sin.  To abide in Christ is to be as though dead to sin (vs. 6).  If there is no check against the habitual practice of sin in someone, no desire to turn away from it, then there is no salvation.  The one who habitually lives in sin has never been saved.

Instead of a habitual practice, a desire, a lifestyle of sin, there should be a desire, a practice, a lifestyle of righteousness (vs. 7).  One way to stop a bad habit we wish to be rid of is to replace it with a different habit, a good one.  We should replace that bad habit of sin with a good lifestyle of righteousness, seeking to behave like Jesus.

Sin is of the devil.  Jesus came to destroy the devil’s deeds (vs. 8).  To do the devil’s deeds is to declare allegiance to him and not to Jesus.  The unsaved are under the influence of the devil.  Their lifestyle reflects that.  As we grow as Christians, we should see in our life an incompatibility with sin.  Though we will continue to see sin in our life, and we continue to fall, our desire and aim is to live righteously.  We do not remain in a lifestyle of sin.  Let us see that every day there is more of a likeness, more of a family resemblance to our Lord Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father.

Gratitude

 Psalm 100

Have you ever observed an ungrateful person, whether an adult or a child?  They have so many blessings in their life, so many nice things for which they should be thankful to a parent, to a spouse, or to some other benefactor, yet not a word of gratitude.  They just seem to take all that has come their way for granted, or even worse, they think they are entitled to these many blessings.  It is bad enough to read about such people in a novel or see such behavior in a movie, but when you observe it in actual life, one sometimes just wants to knock a little sense into them.  Ungratefulness is just not pleasant!  In our psalm for this week, we find some words of Scriptures to help us in fleeing from becoming one of those ungrateful individuals.

Psalm 100 is a short, little psalm, but packed with joy, thanksgiving, and praise to God.  It is to Him that we need to show our thanks and gratitude for all the many blessings He has poured upon us throughout our life.  It is true that we get many things throughout our life from others, from our parents, our spouse, from our employers and our friends, and we should show them our gratitude.  However, ultimately everything comes from God, even though He may give them to us through these others.  Our psalmist encourages us to show our gratitude to God through singing (vs. 1-2).  Most people like music of one type or another, as it helps to put us into a good mood.  Hymns of praise and worship can inspire and uplift us to have grateful and thankful hearts to God.

Yahweh is our Creator, and we are His people (vs. 3).  Every breath we breathe is a gift from Him.  God is absolutely perfect and holy.  He, alone, is the standard of all righteousness.  All He does is just and right because God cannot violate His own nature.  God is good, and His mercy will go on forever and ever (vs. 5).  Satan would have us believe that God is distant and angry.  However, that is the opposite of the truth.  God is love itself.  At the core of His being is goodness and love, and that will never change.

Yahweh is our Shepherd, watching over us and providing for all of our needs (vs. 3).  As followers of Jesus, we have an identity.  All who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are His sheep, kept and cared for by the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).  Our Shepherd loves us so much that He laid down His life for us!  When we don’t understand what the Lord is doing, we can trust His heart, and know that He cares for us.

As our psalm continues, God tells us that we are to come into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise (vs. 4).  With most important people one needs an appointment in order to see them, and the more important the person is, the more difficult it is to get an appointment.  Just try getting in to see one’s President or the Queen!  Yet the gates into God’s presence are always open to us.  However, we should always enter with thanksgiving and praise, with shouts of joy and song.  This is because we belong to Him.

We are also told to bless God’s Name (vs. 4).  The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians that the Name of Jesus is exalted and above every other name.  He tells us that at the Name of Jesus the knees of all creation will one day bow (Philippians 2:9-11).  Thus, we need to show honor and homage to His Name, recognizing that the Name of Jesus is higher than any other name, and to affirm His power and goodness.

Are we unthankful and ungrateful to the Lord for what He has done for us, for what He provides for us day by day?  Do we praise Him for who He is?   One of the signs of the last days will be ingratitude (II Timothy 3:1-5).  We need to beware of an ungrateful and thankless generation, and cultivate a grateful heart.  Christians should praise God even if we don’t feel like it, when our problems feel overwhelming.  Praising God puts the demons to flight.  If we are going to see God’s glory, thanksgiving and praise is the doorway that will lead us into His throne room.

Judgment On The False Shepherds

 Ezekiel 34:1-10

When we entrust something important into another’s hands for safekeeping or for them to care for it, we expect them to do just that.  We don’t want them to lose the item, or allow it to be broken.  Even more important is if we leave our child or our pet in the care of someone else while we are away.  We expect them to care for the child, feed and clothe them.  A good caregiver, a good parent, doesn’t neglect the child to do only what they want.  This is true also of someone who is in charge of a herd of cattle or flock of sheep.  In Scripture, God often pictures His people as a flock of sheep, and those in charge of their spiritual care as shepherds.   In our Scripture reading today, the Prophet Ezekiel pronounces God’s judgment on those who do not give the proper spiritual care to God’s children.

There are several ways that a shepherd can neglect, misuse, or mistreat the sheep under his care.  When ranchers have a large flock of sheep, they usually will hire shepherds to take care of the flock while out in the fields.  They are to see that the sheep are grazing in good fields, and protect them from predatory animals.  The shepherd is to care for the sheep, not just think about themselves and neglect the flock.  God has spiritual shepherds, both in the days of the Bible and also today, who are to lead, guide, and give spiritual care to His flock.  However, as the Scripture passage today indicates, there are often false shepherds who are harming the God’s flock, and not taking care of them.

What if the shepherds decided to take the sheep for their own personal use and gain?  What if they decided to sell the wool for their own use, or sell the sheep to a butcher and pocket the money?  This was one of the things that God saw the shepherds of His children doing (vs. 2-3).  These were false preachers who fleeced the flock for personal gain, rather than leading them righteously.  In the Old Testament times, many false religious leaders would take the money and sacrifices people brought to the Temple, and keep it for themselves.  We see that today, as well, with pastors and televangelists who urge people to give money to their ministry, only to use it to buy fancy houses, cars, private jets, etc. for themselves.

Shepherds are to see that their flock is properly fed, and to lead them to good and plentiful pastures for them to graze (vs. 8).  A good shepherd makes sure that his flock gets good, wholesome grass, and does not get into anything poisonous or harmful.  This is the same in the spiritual realm.  Pastors are to properly feed their flock.  That means preaching and teaching from God’s Word, the Bible.  They need to feed the people from the Bible, and not mix it in with other worldly philosophies or beliefs from other religions.  False doctrines are like the poisonous plants, and a good and caring pastor/ shepherd will see to it that his flock does not take in something that will harm them.

Another thing that a proper shepherd needs to do is see that his flock is safe from any predatory animals (vs. 5, 8).  They are always on the lookout for wolves, mountain lions, bears, and other animals that go after sheep, and will protect his flock.  They check over the pasture for snakes, and also for holes and gullies that a lamb can fall into and get hurt.  They will go after those predators to keep them away, and kill them if need be.  The shepherd also will take care to keep the sheep safe from anything else that would harm them, and give medical care when they do get hurt (vs. 4).  This should be the case with our spiritual shepherds, as well.  They need to warn their flock of false teachings, and anything spiritually dangerous that Satan sneaks in. They need to encourage their flock to keep away from any temptations and sin that will drag them down and harm them.  When they do get into trouble, they need to be there to help bring them back and care for their spiritual wounds.

Sheep are not very bright animals.  Left on their own they fall prey to predators.  They aren't very good at finding good pastures.  We are the same.  We need good shepherds to help guide us away from harmful spiritual food and from spiritual predators.  Jesus is our Good Shepherd (John 10:1-16), and He has given the role of undershepherd to our Christian leaders.  Ezekiel warned the religious leaders back in his day, and his words from Scripture hold true today for our own religious leaders.  If they fail to care for God’s flock properly, He will bring judgment upon them.

Evidence For The Resurrection

 Luke 24:36-48

Broken hopes, broken dreams, promises left unfulfilled.  They all lay like shattered glass and dishes at the disciples feet.  What was left for their lives but to go back to their former jobs and hope that the religious authorities would not come after them as they had for Jesus.  But wait, hadn’t some of their women come with messages that they had seen an angel who had told them that Jesus was risen from the dead?  And just now a couple who had earlier in the day left Jerusalem to return home came back with words that Jesus had met and spoken with them along their way home.  Could it possibly be true that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, and that all they had earlier believed in about Him was true?  This is where we find the disciples as we open our Gospel reading for this week.

As our Scripture passage begins, two of Jesus’ followers, Cleopas and his companion, had just finished telling the others that Jesus had met them and spoken with them as they had journeyed to their home in the village of Emmaus.  Just as they finished speaking, Jesus appeared to the group gathered together (vs. 36).  Imagine if you were with some of your friends, mourning the death of someone you all loved dearly, and suddenly you see him standing right in front of you!  You might think, as they did, that you were seeing a ghost or spirit of your deceased friend (vs. 37).  Even after the testimony of the women earlier, and now the testimony of two of their fellow disciples, they were having a difficult time truly believing that Jesus had risen.

As we continue to read though, Jesus didn’t chastise them for their doubts.  He gave them reassurance, along with solid, reasonable proof that He was risen (vs. 38-43).  Jesus’ body was not a figment of the imagination.  When a group of over a dozen people are all seeing and hearing the same exact thing, exactly the same way, it is not just imagination or hallucination.  Nor was this a ghost they were seeing.  The disciples were invited to come up and touch His body.  A ghost is not a solid body.  One can see through a ghost, but Jesus had a solid body that they couldn’t see through.  Ghosts don’t eat food, yet Jesus ate a fish dinner, with honey for dessert.  His body, though, was a Resurrection body, as He could suddenly appear and disappear, but He was alive, no longer dead and in the grave.

Another proof that Jesus gave to the disciples gathered that evening, to show that He was, indeed, the risen Savior, was that He showed them His hands and feet (vs. 40).  This was proof that He wasn’t just someone who looked a lot like Jesus, such as perhaps a half-brother or cousin who looked a lot like Him.  Jesus had the nail prints in His hands and feet, proving that He was the crucified Savior, risen from the dead.  Those scars upon the hands and feet of Jesus are very important to believers.  We are engraved as scars on Jesus’ hands.  They are the signs of what He did to pay the price for our salvation from sin.  The scars are a reminder of God’s incredible love for us.  Those scars of love are always before His eyes.

As our Scripture continues, Jesus told them that all which had happened was a fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament (vs. 44).  God always succeeds in carrying out His plans.  Jesus promised to pay for our sins and deliver us from the penalty of death, which is exactly what He did.  Jesus then opened believers’ understanding to comprehend the Scriptures (vs. 45).  The things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the unsaved and lost (I Corinthians 2:14).  It is as if they have blinders upon their eyes and their mind, and do not understand the Word of God, which seems like nonsense to them.  The Lord’s wisdom, which we receive from the Holy Spirit who indwells believers, helps us understand and accept the truth of God’s Word.

Relationship with Jesus Christ carries the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel to others (vs. 47).  Spreading the message of Jesus to others was to start in Jerusalem, and then go forth to all nations.  We, too, are witnesses, and have been entrusted with the mandate to spread the Gospel (vs. 48).  The disciples there that evening did not just sit on this message, and neither should we.  We have a message to bring to the world, a message of hope, a message of how they can have peace with God, salvation from their sins, and an eternity in glory.