Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2
Much is being spoken of today on the subject of prosperity. The self-help sections of bookstores are crammed with books teaching us how to become more prosperous or rich. Obviously, prosperity “sells” as it is the major theme of much of today’s preaching. This subject dominates Christian broadcasting programming. But material prosperity is not that which is spoken of by Christ Jesus and the apostles. It is something more precious.
The apostle John was also a prosperity preacher but not in the same vein of today’s materialistic crowd. He desired above all things for his readers to experience prosperity: prosperity of the soul. One is never more rich than when one overflows with prosperous soul. Such a soul flourishes with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithulness, meekness and self-control. Understandably, the soul that prospers is the soul the overflows with happiness and enjoys life each day regardless of the circumstance.
The world cannot offer this type of prosperity nor can materials provide such satisfaction in life although many chase its counterfeit glimmer. Yet, prosperity of the soul is available to all regardless of economic, educational or cultural status. It can be found through Christ and His Word. I am reminded of the words spoken through Joshua before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land as he reminded them, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
Let us all desire being rich in the soul as it is available to all. The world can’t give it and the world can’t take it away.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Never Forsaken
Psalm 22:1-3 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Being forsaken is one of the deepest pains to cut the human soul. The agony of rejection and aloneness pierces deep within the inner being. Our God has promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us, yet the psalmist David, who was a man after God’s own heart, cried out in his feelings of forsakenness. And Jesus, God’s only Son, uttered these same prophetic words as He hung between heaven and hell crying out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” No more painful words have ever been spoken. Has God forgotten His promise or even worse has He been found unfaithful? God forbid. God is faithful. His promise to never to leave us nor forsake us was made to His redeemed children and not to Christ. Jesus was forsaken that we would never be. There will be times in our Christian pilgrimage that we may feel forsaken, but our Heavenly Father is always there. He may even lead us to these deserts of trial. These are times of testing. These dark times are not for us to test God’s faithfulness but for Him to test our faithfulness. Will we still trust Him even when we cannot see Him? Will we say as the psalmist in these tough times, “Yet, You are holy” which confirmed in his spirit “My God can do no wrong.”
Being forsaken is one of the deepest pains to cut the human soul. The agony of rejection and aloneness pierces deep within the inner being. Our God has promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us, yet the psalmist David, who was a man after God’s own heart, cried out in his feelings of forsakenness. And Jesus, God’s only Son, uttered these same prophetic words as He hung between heaven and hell crying out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” No more painful words have ever been spoken. Has God forgotten His promise or even worse has He been found unfaithful? God forbid. God is faithful. His promise to never to leave us nor forsake us was made to His redeemed children and not to Christ. Jesus was forsaken that we would never be. There will be times in our Christian pilgrimage that we may feel forsaken, but our Heavenly Father is always there. He may even lead us to these deserts of trial. These are times of testing. These dark times are not for us to test God’s faithfulness but for Him to test our faithfulness. Will we still trust Him even when we cannot see Him? Will we say as the psalmist in these tough times, “Yet, You are holy” which confirmed in his spirit “My God can do no wrong.”
All Things Are In His Hands
Daniel 8:15,17 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.... 17 … But he said to me, "Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end."
God is God of the past, the present and the future. He knows all things and controls all things. He is the Sovereign Lord of all. Even before the onset of time and creation He decreed a plan for His creation; and He has the wisdom and the power to fulfill that plan. If He is not able, then He cannot be God; but He IS able. He allowed Daniel a glimpse of the future through visions to assure Daniel that He is in control even to the end of the world. This gave Daniel great peace and assurance knowing that He served the Sovereign Lord of all things, even the sitting up and the tearing down of kings were in His hands. Daniel did not need to understand all things. He only needed to understand that God understood and controlled all things. This should also give us great peace and comfort. God is in complete control of all things. He knows our beginning and He already knows our end. Therefore, why should we fret? Time and even the events of time are in His hands and His perfect plans will not falter.
God is God of the past, the present and the future. He knows all things and controls all things. He is the Sovereign Lord of all. Even before the onset of time and creation He decreed a plan for His creation; and He has the wisdom and the power to fulfill that plan. If He is not able, then He cannot be God; but He IS able. He allowed Daniel a glimpse of the future through visions to assure Daniel that He is in control even to the end of the world. This gave Daniel great peace and assurance knowing that He served the Sovereign Lord of all things, even the sitting up and the tearing down of kings were in His hands. Daniel did not need to understand all things. He only needed to understand that God understood and controlled all things. This should also give us great peace and comfort. God is in complete control of all things. He knows our beginning and He already knows our end. Therefore, why should we fret? Time and even the events of time are in His hands and His perfect plans will not falter.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Preparing for the Tough Times
Lamentations 3:26-27
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Life is full of trials, heartache and affliction. Some are a result of our own doing, some a result of another’s actions and some are of God’s design with reasons known only to Him (e.g. Job). Growing in age does not lessen the afflictions, and in some cases trials only intensify as with Jeremiah. The question is not “Will I encounter trials and afflictions?” for such is life in a sin corrupted world. The correct questions are “How will I handle trials and afflictions when they call?” “Will I react to difficult times with anxiety, doubt and emotional turmoil?” Or, “Will I respond with patient endurance strengthened by a quiet hope?” The answers to these questions will be closely related to one’s prior conditioning and preparation. Thus the old prophet weeps and muses as he looks over his beloved Jerusalem with a broken heart. Jerusalem, the once proud jewel of Israel with her impenetrable walls and magnificent temple which now laid in shambles, devastated by the judgment of God by the hands of the hated Babylonians. As he looks over such a pitiful carnage the old prophet explains, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth.” As Jeremiah experiences the deep pain of affliction he realizes that it is good for a man to experience the yoke of affliction while he is yet young to prepare him for the afflictions of tomorrow. This will teach him where to place his hope and how to wait quietly on the Lord. These are lessons learned only by experience, but lessons which need to learned so that one can navigate and endure the hardships which life brings. Therefore, let us not run away from pain. The brush fires of today will prepare us for the raging forest fires of tomorrow.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Life is full of trials, heartache and affliction. Some are a result of our own doing, some a result of another’s actions and some are of God’s design with reasons known only to Him (e.g. Job). Growing in age does not lessen the afflictions, and in some cases trials only intensify as with Jeremiah. The question is not “Will I encounter trials and afflictions?” for such is life in a sin corrupted world. The correct questions are “How will I handle trials and afflictions when they call?” “Will I react to difficult times with anxiety, doubt and emotional turmoil?” Or, “Will I respond with patient endurance strengthened by a quiet hope?” The answers to these questions will be closely related to one’s prior conditioning and preparation. Thus the old prophet weeps and muses as he looks over his beloved Jerusalem with a broken heart. Jerusalem, the once proud jewel of Israel with her impenetrable walls and magnificent temple which now laid in shambles, devastated by the judgment of God by the hands of the hated Babylonians. As he looks over such a pitiful carnage the old prophet explains, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth.” As Jeremiah experiences the deep pain of affliction he realizes that it is good for a man to experience the yoke of affliction while he is yet young to prepare him for the afflictions of tomorrow. This will teach him where to place his hope and how to wait quietly on the Lord. These are lessons learned only by experience, but lessons which need to learned so that one can navigate and endure the hardships which life brings. Therefore, let us not run away from pain. The brush fires of today will prepare us for the raging forest fires of tomorrow.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Persistent Requests
Luke 11:8-9 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. NKJV
God is not required to meet our every personal desire anytime we ask. He is not a God on a string waiting to be pulled at our request. Sadly, many view our Lord in this way, yet in this manner we only wish to use God for our purposes. But God is concerned for our personal needs and does respond to those requests. Many times God chooses to wait in the midst of our petitions to test our sincerity. If our request is only for a personal desire of our flesh then soon the desire will change and thus our request. But if our request is for a valid need, then we will persistently make our request known to God as the need continues. This is the type of petition the Lord honors. He desires to meet our needs and the longing of our hearts (not of our flesh). We should present all of our true needs to the Father and be assured that He will hear us.
God is not required to meet our every personal desire anytime we ask. He is not a God on a string waiting to be pulled at our request. Sadly, many view our Lord in this way, yet in this manner we only wish to use God for our purposes. But God is concerned for our personal needs and does respond to those requests. Many times God chooses to wait in the midst of our petitions to test our sincerity. If our request is only for a personal desire of our flesh then soon the desire will change and thus our request. But if our request is for a valid need, then we will persistently make our request known to God as the need continues. This is the type of petition the Lord honors. He desires to meet our needs and the longing of our hearts (not of our flesh). We should present all of our true needs to the Father and be assured that He will hear us.
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