GROWTH EMBRACES RISK...A.K.A. FAITH

GROWTH EMBRACES RISK…A.K.A. FAITH

In the end, it is far more costly to take a risk and do something, than to be ultra-careful and ultra-conservative and ultimately opt to do nothing.  The former decision is founded in faith; the latter is rooted in anxiety and fear.  President John F. Kennedy wrote, “There are risks and costs to action.  But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.”  President Theodore Roosevelt remarked (in a quote often erroneously accredited to President Kennedy), “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Jesus Christ set forth a parable to elaborate on the danger of procrastination, which is simply the product of fear.  He spoke of three people who received varying talents: five, two and one.  The first two stewards were commended for cultivating their gifts, i.e. utilizing them wisely so that they (and their lord) would receive an expected return on investment.  The man who received one talent not only devalued it, but he foolishly hid it in the earth, opting to do nothing with the great opportunity which had been afforded him.  At the return of his lord, this steward’s report was so revealing and tragic: “I was afraid, and went and hid they talent in the earth…”  Because this man took no risks, he received no positive reward.  His lord ultimately described him as “an unprofitable servant” and he was dispatched post-haste into perdition. (Matthew 25:14:30)

The following story is rather reminiscent of Jesus’ parable of the talents.

Two seeds lay side by side in the fertile soil.

The first seed said, “I want to grow!  I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth's crust above me.  I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring.  I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning dew on my petals!”

And so she grew...

The second seed said, “Hmmmm.  If I send my roots into the ground below, I don’t know what I will encounter in the dark.  If I push my way through the hard soil above me, I may damage my delicate sprouts.  What if I let my buds open up and a snail tries to eat them?  If I were to open my blossoms, a small child may pull me out of the ground.  No, it is much better for me to wait until it is safe.”

And so she waited...

In the early spring, a yard hen scratching around in the ground for food found this waiting seed and promptly ate it.

There is a terribly high cost for delay.  Think about it, sisters and brothers, and be continually blessed!

WHY I AM THANKFUL...EVERY DAY

WHY I AM THANKFUL…EVERY DAY

Today we celebrate the American national holiday known as “Thanksgiving Day.”  This commemoration was launched unofficially by a group of Pilgrims who left England on September 6, 1620.  After a rather rough two-month sea voyage, they landed at the site that would later be designated as Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Due to the extreme harshness of their first winter in The New World (and a profound lack of preparation), one-half of these settlers died by the spring of 1621. 

Nevertheless, they were blessed to receive the skillful assistance of Native Americans, who helped them to plant crops and prepare adequately for their second winter.  With profound gratitude to God for an overflowing harvest, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast, commencing December 13, 1621.  The governor of the fledgling Massachusetts Colony dispatched four men who hunted for enough fowl and deer to feed everyone.  The Native Americans celebrated alongside, with a large aggregation led by King Massasoit and ninety men.  Pilgrim Edward Winslow recorded the colonial proclamation of that day, which stated that “by the goodness of God…we are far from want.” 

President Abraham Lincoln officially inaugurated Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday in 1863, midway through the American Civil War.  Today in the USA, Thanksgiving has become the most traveled day of the year.  Multiplied millions take to the airways and highways to share a festive family day centered on food and fellowship, with the traditional turkey at the heart of the culinary feast.

It has often been said that, for Christians, every day should be a day of thanksgiving.  The Word of God clearly agrees and admonishes the believer, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) 

In that thankful frame of mind, please allow me to share a few things for which I am eternally grateful to our God.  Words cannot describe how much I treasure God’s grace and mercy, reflected in the life, suffering, death and resurrection of His only begotten Son.  Jesus, I thank you for living and dying (and living again) for me.  And I am grateful for the gift of exceptional and Godly parents, who raised ten children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and with sufficient capacities to succeed in this world system, and beyond.  I thank God for the siblings that I dearly love (four sisters and five brothers) and the fact that all of us, save one, are yet in the land of the living.

I am so grateful, Lord, for my phenomenal wife, my gifted children, my twelve ‘sainted’ grandchildren (who can do no wrong), and for one adorable great-granddaughter.  I am highly favored and truly blessed.

Thank You, Lord, for a reasonable portion of health and strength.  Thank You for the use and activity of my limbs.  Thank You for the ability to speak, to hear, to feel, to smell and to see.  Thank You for our lovely home, our cars, our clothes, our income and our ability to meet our financial obligations.

Thank You for the significant Kingdom ministry that you have assigned to my wife and I.  Thank You for giving us compassion and a burden for souls.  Thank You for endowing us with the will, energy and resources to do our part in fulfilling The Great Commission via global missions.  Thank You for the fruit of the Spirit.  Thank You for the gifts of the Spirit.  Thank You for a solid education, for the ability to think, to reflect, to evaluate and to make sound judgments.  Thank You for the ability to write with clarity and creativity and the anointing to teach and proclaim your Word with simplicity and sincerity.

Thank You for your encouragement, direction and instruction in righteousness.  Thank You for allowing me to be called by Your Name – a Christian, one of Your People.  Thank You for “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (I Timothy 3:15)  Thank You for your limitless love and your infinite kindness.  Thank You for picking me up whenever I fall.  Thank You for Your blood that cleanses me, your Spirit that teaches me, your Word that strengthens me and your people who edify me.

Thank You for all the things that I have been through (pluses and minuses), the experiences that have shaped me and positioned me for serving others.  Thank You that I am still standing.  I am so grateful, Lord, and I thank YOU…in all things…and for all things.  JESUS, what a WONDER You are!  THANK YOU!!!  Sisters and brothers, on this Thanksgiving Day, and every day, be eternally grateful and be continually blessed!

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

Every Roman general who achieved victory in battle was entitled by the Consul and Senators to a celebratory parade called a triumph.  In this gala procession, the combatant general would ride through the city gates on an ornate chariot, followed by lavish displays of the spoils of war and by chained captives of the enemy army. 

The Apostle Paul declared that we (winner-believers) as “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37)  It’s a fascinating assertion which literally begs the question: ‘How is it possible to be MORE than a conqueror in warfare?’  After all, on the battlefield, either you prevail, or you lose.  This is only logical…right?  Well, the Word of faith transcends logic.  Paul’s assertion that winner-believers are MORE than conquerors simply means that we do not have to fight our battles.  Our warfare is decidedly different.  “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal [not natural], but mighty through GOD to the pulling down of strongholds.” (II Corinthians 10:4)  The reason why Roman generals were entitled to such festive occasions was the simple fact that they had become conquerors by virtue of emerging triumphant in battle.  We do not fight at all, at least not in our strength and abilities, because GOD fights for us!  In that sense, we winner-believers are MORE than conquerors.

Ultimately, our praise fights for us.  Praise stems from an attitude of faith that fully embraces God’s Word and, thereby, sees beyond present-day barriers and circumstances.  So we are enabled (by faith) to give thanks before and even during the battle.  Why?  According to Paul, we are motivated to give “thanks unto God” because HE “always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” (II Corinthians 2:14)  Although Satan constantly deploys potential blessing-blockers in our path to abort the blessings of God, we are more than blessed and highly favored since we are “rooted and grounded” by faith “in Christ.” (Ephesians 3:16-20 and Romans 8:39)  Therefore, every winner-believer has this sure testimony: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Because we know in advance the outcome of every battle, we do not have to await any formal celebration of triumph at the end of our present struggles.  Every day and in every situation, notwithstanding our sensory perceptions or our emotions, we spiritually perceive and receive victory.  Therefore we “will bless the Lord at all times.”  (Psalm 34:1)  His praises inhabit both our spirits and our mouths; and, HE always inhabits our praises!  No wonder Paul admonished winner-believers to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)

While we are in the midst of our battle, we must always remember to ask God for strength and wisdom so that we will be able to “endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ,” and so that we will retain faith-knowledge (throughout the conflict) that the battle is not ours, but indeed it is the Lord’s! (II Timothy 2:3 and II Chronicles 20:15)  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!

JESUS CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST (Part III)

JESUS CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST (Part III)

As previously stated, Jesus Christ fulfills three distinct functions to secure our redemption from sin and eternal salvation.  Firstly, Jesus Christ acts on our behalf as Atoner.  Secondly, Jesus Christ acts on our behalf as Mediator.  Thirdly, Jesus Christ acts on our behalf as Advocate.  Previous devotions have explored Christ’s priestly ministry as the Atoner and Mediator for us.  Today, we highlight the indispensable ministry of Jesus Christ as our Advocate.

Jesus Christ is the author of our eternal salvation.  The Word states, “though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9)  The Greek word for salvation employed here is “aitios,” which suggests that a very definite action is taken which causes something else to occur.  This is a splendid portrait of the salvation work of Jesus Christ, i.e. He is both “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)  Grace and truth came to us via the Kingdom message (the gospel) of Jesus Christ, so our faith has its beginning and ending in The Living Word. (Luke 16:16 – John 1:1 – John 1:14)  There can be no doubt that Jesus Christ started it and Jesus Christ will finish it. (Philippians 1:6)

Question: How does Christ fulfill in us what He started (and ended) on Calvary? 

Answer: Christ’s priestly function as Advocate is the gracious method by which He supplies ongoing grace to believers who must “fight the good fight of faith” within a world system that is saturated with sin and sinful practices. (I Timothy 6:12)

According to Dictionary.com, an advocate is “a champion, a proponent, a backer.”  To advocate means “to support in defense of a person” [or] “to plead for or on behalf of another” [or] “to intercede.”  These definitions aptly Christ’s high priestly ministry to believers in the post-conversion phase of our faith.  The Apostle John characterizes it this way:

I John 2:1-3

¹ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Synonyms for Propitiation are “appeasement, accommodation, adjustment, reconciliation, reparation, restoration.” (Thesaurus.com) In order to fully comprehend the meaning of the above scripture, you should substitute each synonym for propitiation within the following scripture.  “Jesus Christ is the _______ for our sins.” (I John 2:2)  Got it?

Christ’s high priestly office of advocacy means that He actually serves as our spiritual attorney.  Jesus Christ is seated at “the right hand of God” to continually represent us, that is, to make adjustments, to make accommodations, to reconcile, to repair and to restore us to divine favor whenever we have “sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 8:34 – Colossians 3:1 – Romans 3:23)  Although we have already attained salvation “by grace…through faith,” we are able to walk in sustained salvation  by virtue of Christ’s ongoing redemptive activity at the right hand of the Father. (Ephesians 2:8) As our Advocate, He stands by us and for us, even in the wake of our sins – but only “if we confess our sins.”  Only then, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

One may rightfully conclude that every believer has been saved, is being saved, and will be saved.  The believer has been saved by virtue of the sacrificial atonement of “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)  The believer is being saved via the process of sanctification, “the washing of water by the Word.” (Ephesians 5:26)  The believer will be saved by a total deliverance from the physical body, which is the sensory medium for experiencing sin and its ill effects. (I John 3:2 and I Corinthians 15:51-54)  JESUS CHRIST IS OUR HIGH PRIEST.  Christ’s effective service as our Atoner, our Mediator and our Advocate accomplishes all three aspects of ‘Operation Salvation.’  Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed!