March 10, 2010 at 6:39 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #300: The Tall, Proud, and the Arrogant Establishment
An oracle against Tyre: Wail, ships of Tarshish, for your haven has been destroyed. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus. Mourn inhabitants of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon; your agents have crossed the sea on many waters. Tyre’s revenue was the grain from Shihor—the harvest of the Nile. She was the merchant among the nations. Be ashamed Sidon, the stronghold of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have not been in labor or given birth. I have not raised young men [or] brought up young women.” When the news reaches Egypt, they will be in anguish over the news about Tyre. Cross over to Tarshish; wail, inhabitants of the coastland! Is this your jubilant [city], whose origin was in ancient times, whose feet have taken her to settle far away? Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are the honored ones of the earth? The Lord of Hosts planned it, to desecrate all [its] glorious beauty, to disgrace all the honored ones of the earth…… Wail, ships of Tarshish, because your fortress is destroyed! On that day Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years—the life span of one king. At the end of 70 years, what the song [says] about the prostitute will happen to Tyre: Pick up [your] harp, stroll through the city, prostitute forgotten [by men]. Play skillfully, sing many a song, and you will be thought of again. And at the end of the 70 years, the Lord will restore Tyre and she will go back into business, prostituting herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. But her profits and wages will be dedicated to the Lord. They will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live in the Lord’s presence, to provide them with ample food and sacred clothing. Isaiah 23:1-18 (HCSB)
In the ancient days of the Mediterranean maritime trade industry, the Phoenicians, who had built and firmly established Tyre and Sidon on the eastern coastline region in what is now Lebanon had no rivals. Their ships sailed proudly and boldly all over the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Cyprus, from Sicily to Spain (Tarshish). Along their travels they established colonies every 30 miles so that no ship had to sail more than a day’s distance without putting into port, thus avoiding sailing at night and to have safe harbors during storms. The wealth of the cities of Tyre and Sidon came from their trade activities with all of the great empires of the Near East. The Bible points to the King of Tyre providing the lumber of Lebanon cedars for the building of palace and temple in Solomon’s reign. However, one cannot serve God and money equally, sooner or later you will have to choose one or the other as your first and foremost desire, and in this case Tyre and Sidon protected their trading wealth interests first and foremost. The Lord while doing out punishments during the era of Isaiah certainly did not let Tyre and Sidon go without punishment because they traded and sided equally with enemies and friends equally. They took care of #1 first and avoided conflict to protect their interests.
How many times have I seen in our churches and communities similar attitudes! There are those who have conducted their selfish affairs in the church or community for years because they stayed out of conflict. Their decision to do so had nothing to do with pacifism, but with protecting their interests. They take no sides as long as they can continue controlling what they are interested in being involved in. They are oblivious to issues that clearly have a right and wrong position. Their right and wrong is solely based upon what is right and wrong for them alone.
The Lord clearly says “you are either for me or against me” and we cannot straddle the fence on many issues without offending God’s interests. In the end, the Lord will act as He did with Tyre and Sidon and humble them in an effort to restore them to applying their talents and gifts to the Lord’s interests as well. So I guess be careful that you choose to stand apart from the fray as one of the “tall, proud, and arrogant” seeking to protect your own interest over that of the Lord’s interests. Seek God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word daily as your guide, and submit to His interests and when needed take a stand and God will bless you. Power, possessions, and prestige are not bad, as long as we use them for God’s glory and remember who made them possible.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Then He proceeded to denounce the towns where most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago! But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Matt 11:20-24 (HCSB)
March 9, 2010 at 6:42 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #299: Authority, Responsibility and Accountability Go Hand-in-Hand
The Lord God of Hosts said: “Go to Shebna, that steward who is in charge of the palace, [and say to him:] What are you doing here? Who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here, carving your tomb on the height and cutting a crypt for yourself out of rock? Look, young man! The Lord is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you, wind you up into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will be—a disgrace to the house of your lord. I will remove you from your office; you will be ousted from your position. “On that day I will call for my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority into his hand, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one can close; what he closes, no one can open. I will drive him, like a peg, into a firm place. He will be a throne of honor for his father’s house. They will hang on him the whole burden of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the small vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar. On that day”—the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“the peg that was driven into a firm place will give way, be cut off, and fall, and the load on it will be destroyed.” Indeed, the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 22:15-25 (HCSB)
Being self-serving as a leader will remove you from your position of leadership. Who follows a selfish person for very long? History is full of ego-driven leaders who put their agenda ahead of their people’s needs, and the result is always disaster, and in many cases even rebellion. This story in the Bible is like that. God had placed Shebna in the position of steward over King Hezekiah’s palace (kind of like the President’s Chief of Staff), however he was caught taking care of his own safety before worrying about the people who he was responsible for. So, the Lord replaced him with Eliakim, a more dependable and servant-leader example. The Lord is looking for servant leaders who will stand firm in the face of adversity and use their authority responsibly and accountably. The Lord will honor those kinds of leaders.
In our churches we need more Eliakim-like leaders. When personal agendas are the overriding motivation of leaders, chaos and conflict will follow. When leaders see conflict and then bail out on the people because they are only concerned about their well-being then lives will be adversely affected. I know of pastors and deacons and other prominent men and women in the church who found their way into positions of influence only to promote their agenda, and the aftermath was never pretty. I remember being called into the office of a pastor because as a bible-study leader and former pastor myself I had asked about the motives of a special lesson series we were asked to teach to all of the church’s small groups. I found the motive of the timing and purpose questionable, so I made an inquiry. Instead of a discussion when I arrived at the meeting I was challenged and scolded. The pastor pointed to his diploma on the wall as to say “how dare you challenge my authority, I am better qualified to make these decisions.” Needless to say that was the moment that any connection I tried to cling to that he was my pastor was severed. His suggestion to this was to tell me to take a “season” off from my teaching role. Those in the room who witnessed this sat without speaking. I merely stood up and said thank you, I understand. The prayer the pastor uttered to conclude the meeting put a cold chill down my spine. The irony of this meeting was my wife and I did take a leave from the church for three months, and in that time there was a huge church split, hearts were torn, relationships strained, and a fellowship was ripped apart. There were no winners – just a flock of scattered and scarred sheep whose pastor took off with the sheep that would follow him and the rest were left standing in the dark in tears.
What kind of leader do you think the Lord honors? Would you recognize such a godly leader? Are you willing to be to receive the authority, responsibility and accountability that come with the position, realizing the Lord is the ultimate authority and example?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. But He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles dominate them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the One who serves. You are the ones who stood by Me in My trials. I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Luke 22:24-30 (HCSB)
March 8, 2010 at 6:35 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #298: If You Are Going to Sin, You Might as well Be Happy
An oracle against the Valley of Vision: What’s the matter with you? Why have all of you gone up to the rooftops? The noisy city, the jubilant town, is filled with revelry. Your dead did not die by the sword; they were not killed in battle. All your rulers have fled together, captured without a bow. All your fugitives were captured together; they had fled far away. Therefore I said, “Look away from me! Let me weep bitterly! Do not try to comfort me about the destruction of my dear people.” For the Lord God of Hosts had a day of tumult, trampling, and bewilderment in the Valley of Vision—people shouting and crying to the mountains…On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest. You saw that there were many breaches in [the walls of] the city of David. You collected water from the lower pool. You counted the houses of Jerusalem so that you could tear them down to fortify the wall. You made a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider the One who created it long ago. On that day the Lord God of Hosts called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth. But look: joy and gladness, butchering of cattle, slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat, and drinking of wine—“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” The Lord of Hosts has revealed [this] in my hearing: “This sin of yours will never be wiped out.” The Lord God of Hosts has spoken. Isaiah 22:1-14 (HCSB)
I have heard this from people, and probably done it myself – once we resign ourselves to not being able to be disciplined enough to stay committed to living a healthy lifestyle, we not only jump off the wagon, we push it right off the cliff so we can feast in desires without guilt. The words “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” many of us have heard used before, but it is a defeated person’s saying to justify the lifestyle they have committed themselves into living. It is our way of allowing our inner self free to do what it naturally desires to do when no constraints or limits are placed upon it. Of course, somewhere in the morning after we wonder how stupid it was to do what we did, because sooner or later the consequences do catch up to our choices we made.
I think hangovers and upset stomachs are God’s sense of humor in play in our lives. And then there is the headache that comes about a month later when the credit card bills come in from the rash pleasure decisions you made – there are consequences for all our choices, even when we have forgiven ourselves for our stupidity. The most recent fearsome choice and consequence scenario I have witnessed are the “pregnancy pacts” that are going around in the high schools. When kids decide it is somehow a cool thing to have kids – they never stop and consult the wisdom of adults before acting out their choices. Sadly, they find out the hard way that the girls are usually the real losers in the deal because the boy admits he is not ready to be a father to a child, but is proud he could father one. The girl finds out she can mother a child, but struggles in being a mother while she still needs a mother to direct her life. Then what about all the people who get drawn into the pact unwillingly: the parents of both kids who have to deal with their kid having a kid. And, last but not least: the innocent child that is born to a young girl, who must raise the baby before she really is ready and able to do so. How sad such a hasty, ill-conceived idea! It is nothing but a “lose-lose” pact of heart-ache for all concerned, yet it is based upon the same idea of “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
If only God’s people in Jerusalem had consulted the Lord of Creation? If only they had trusted in His plan for them and realized God would of protected them from their enemies. How different history would have been! Before we act, just like them long ago, we should always seek God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word… and there will certainly would be far less heartache, headache, and stomachache in our life.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.” Matt 6:5-8 (HCSB)
March 6, 2010 at 10:11 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #296: There is Only One Relationship that can Rescue You!
In the year that the commander-in-chief, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it—during that time the Lord had spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, take off your sackcloth and remove the sandals from your feet,” and he did so, going naked and barefoot—the Lord said, “As My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks, to Egypt’s shame. Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed. And the inhabitants of this coastland will say on that day: Look, this is what has happened to those we relied on and fled to for help to rescue [us] from the king of Assyria! Now, how will we escape?” Isaiah 20:1-6 (HCSB)
Isaiah had the task to share the testimony of events that the Lord orchestrated to say: “Look, this is what has happened to those we relied on and fled to for help to rescue [us] from the king of Assyria! Now, how will we escape?” The king of Assyria represents the trials, tribulation and times of testing that the Lord allows to happen to us to strengthen our reliance upon Him. However, many of us will look to all other alliances in this world to rescue us. Friends, family, and even foreign resources cannot save us from these challenging times. Why? When God acts, His purposes are for us to recognize His love for us. Don’t run from Him during these tough times, but run towards Him and see how He will respond. The Lord’s people in Isaiah’s time paid a big price when they felt God’s ways and His promises for covenant care were not enough to satisfy their concern. We too can feel God is not working fast enough for our liking and we try to resolve the problems we face by seeking another rescuer to come to our help. However, what usually happens? We find only temporary relief and discover soon we have not been rescued as we had hoped, and matters may be worse.
The Lord is not out to get us for His pleasure! We are not His pawns in some gambit that amuses. The Lord is a heavenly Father that loves us and His discipline has but one purpose: restoration of our relationship with Him. That restoration begins when we trust the Lord can and will rescue us out of the tough times. When the rescue comes – our faith in Him has been strengthened as a result. And, our relationship is stronger.
Many are facing really difficult times in our communities, and it is hard for a lot of families to find hope in a weak job market, tight financial era, and when the bills come due, they are finding out their choices that were made when money and job security was prevalent are now having harsh consequences. Government is not the answer! Until our Nation chooses to return back to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word, our government only is a stumbling block that fuels the problems that we all are dealing with. We need to confess our wrong ways and seek God’s blessings again, and then we will find our rescue is near at hand.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. The one who doesn’t love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me. “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful. You have heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe. I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over Me. On the contrary, [I am going away] so that the world may know that I love the Father. Just as the Father commanded Me, so I do. John 14:23-31 (HCSB)
March 5, 2010 at 6:44 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #294: You Cannot Hedge Your Bet by Betting on All the Gods
An oracle against Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt’s idols will tremble before Him, and Egypt’s heart will melt within it. I will provoke Egypt against Egypt; each will fight against his brother and each against his friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. Egypt’s spirit will be disturbed within it, and I will frustrate its plans. Then they will seek idols, ghosts, spirits of the dead, and spiritists. I will deliver Egypt into the hands of harsh masters, and a strong king will rule it. [This is]the declaration of the Lord God of Hosts. (As a result in summary the Scriptures reveal) The waters of the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The channels will stink; they will dwindle, and Egypt’s canals will be parched. Reed and rush will die… [Egypt’s] weavers will be dejected; all her wage earners will be demoralized. Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice! Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you and reveal what the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt. The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of confusion. The leaders] have made Egypt stagger in all she does, as a drunkard staggers in his vomit. On that day Egypt will be like women. She will tremble with fear because of the threatening hand of the Lord of Hosts when He raises it against her. The land of Judah will terrify Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble because of what the Lord of Hosts has planned against it. On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and leader, and he will rescue them. The Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the Lord on that day. They will offer sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing. Then they will return to the Lord and He will hear their prayers and heal them. Isaiah 19:1-25 (HCSB)
From a historical basis, Egypt represented modern society today. There were so many gods in the land, who really knew what they believed, or whether they really believed any of them at all, but were just going through the motions. Egypt was ruled by everyone but Egypt in this biblical era – Libyans, Cushites, Assyrians, Persians, and eventually Greeks (whose last ruler on the thrown was Cleopatra, and we all remember how that ended). All this foreign intervention created plenty of opportunity for syncretistic worship. And when you worship multiple gods to hedge your bet on worshiping the right god by the odds, what god would accept their worship? Well, the Lord, the one true and living God would extend His hand upon Egypt to draw those who would believe to Him during this era. Egypt to this day, although Muslim for the most part, was likewise a center for the Christian community until the spread of Islam in 700 AD. Alexandria was one of the key Christian cities as the early church developed, and was where the Jews of the exile studied their scriptures and the Septuagint Bible was translated from the Hebrew into the Greek language – a great aid to the early Christian church.
How many of us use the secular philosophy of tolerance to allow themselves to water-down their belief in the Lord to allow room to believe in other religions and forms of other gods in our very syncretistic society? God may be using you to learn a lesson about faith, and seeking to use you in a mighty way. Take time to understand why and what you believe in the era of tolerance. Yes, be tolerant of others, but do not allow your own beliefs to falter as a result of that tolerance.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!’ But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness!’ Luke 13:23-27 (HCSB)
March 4, 2010 at 6:29 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #294: More than Israelites are God’s Chosen
Ah! The land of buzzing insect wings beyond the rivers of Cush sends envoys by sea, in reed vessels on the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth–skinned, to a people feared near and far, a powerful nation with a strange language, whose land is divided by rivers. All you inhabitants of the world and you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet sounds, listen! For, the Lord said to me: I will quietly look out from My place, like shimmering heat in sunshine, like a rain cloud in harvest heat. For before the harvest, when the blossoming is over and the blossom becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the shoots with a pruning knife, and tear away and remove the branches. They will all be left for the birds of prey on the hills and for the wild animals of the land. The birds will spend the summer on them, and all the animals, the winter on them. At that time a gift will be brought to the Lord of Hosts from a people tall and smooth-skinned, a people feared near and far, a powerful nation with a strange language, whose land is divided by rivers—to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts. Isaiah 18:1-7 (HCSB)
The one thing that sticks out beginning in the Old Testament and certainly illustrated in the New Testament period is that God was not just focused upon one family lineage as His chosen people. From the early days, God’s chosen people were not determined by blood-line but by devotion and faith in God’s covenant plan for man. From the earliest days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the family that became known as Israel were the focal point but not the only those of the linage of Abraham. Even Abraham in the New Testament was chosen because of his faithful response to God’s calling upon him – not his Sumerian background. Anyone who desired to become a part of the family was adopted by faith. Provisions for foreigners were a part of the Torah’s instructions for even the Passover and the various consecration laws of the early Israelites as they left Egypt.
As is clearly evident in the Bible, but misunderstood in our modern understanding – there is no unique Jewish race of people. The family chosen by God was an eclectic group of people that were centered upon one family line, but servants and foreigners were adopted and accepted along the history of Israel. Israel was truly a nation of many blood-lines who committed themselves by faith to the covenant relationship offered by the one, true living God – Yahweh! To that note, the passage this morning points to the special relationship of the Cushites (Kushites, or people from Nubia in the regions just south of Egypt in Africa). They traded with and adopted much of the culture of Egypt into their unique culture, and certainly were exposed to the Israelites while they were there as well. The Cushites were known for their trade as their main city in the biblical times was the center of the iron trade in Africa. And in those days there was no issue of black versus white skinned peoples, each admired the other and traded and shared with each other.
Just prior to the Assyrian period, the Cushites, under an ambitious king (Piankhi), conquered Egypt when it had been ruled by the Libyians. The Cushites restored the Egyptian culture until the Assyrians conquered Egypt and the Cushites retreated back to their Nubian lands. With them traveled a love for the living God, and ultimately as history would reveal, Ethiopia, as Cush would become known as in history became the seat of Jewish and Christian communities while the rest of Africa in the period of 700-1500 AD became growingly Muslim. God used the ancient Cushites and later the Ethiopian people to preserve and prosper His church in Africa. Today, many ancient Christian and Jewish writings have been discovered among the ancient sites in this region of modern Africa, giving us a better understanding of the biblical and post-biblical period.
How does this apply to us? Consider this: God has a much broader plan for us than we can comprehend and we should not be quick to exclude anyone from the opportunity to become a part of the Church family. God has an inclusion plan, not an exclusion plan. You never know who God is intentionally introducing to you who may have a unique place in God’s history with man. Think on it. Never bypass God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word and you will realize a blessing.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech. There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, the multitude came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own languages the magnificent acts of God.” And they were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?” But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!” Acts 2:4-13 (HCSB)
March 3, 2010 at 6:40 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #293: Even the Nations Forget Who Made Them Possible!
Ah! The roar of many peoples—they roar like the roaring of the seas. The raging of the nations—they rage like the raging of mighty waters. The nations rage like the raging of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills and like dead thistles before a gale. In the evening—sudden terror! Before morning—it is gone! This is the fate of those who plunder us and the lot of those who ravage us. Isaiah 17:12-14 (HCSB)
Is there anything that happens in this world that God is not behind in some fashion? Even “sin” which he abhors, He allows because it is in of itself a product of our free will that God has allowed us to exercise. Likewise, our rise to become a mighty nation is as a result of God’s blessing or in some cases His permission for His purposes. Nations exist because God allows them to exist. Yet consider all the many nations that have come and gone over the history of mankind. Which of these nations has survived the test of time? Rome fell to its enemies after about 1000 years of its existence. Egypt today is not the Ancient Egypt along the Nile River. Ancient Egypt as a nation lasted about 2,000 years before it became the victim and slave of other conquering nations. China has the longest claim but it has not gone unscathed in history either and modern China has little connection to its original state. And, America is but an infant in comparison - 1776 to 2010 is but 244 short infant years! We are still trying to determine who we are and what our destiny will be. The great countries of Europe – England, France, Spain and Germany are all infants as well. England and France are the oldest nations but are both well under the age of 700-800 years old as a nation. Germany is still trying to figure out who they are as a nation being only a united nation 150 years or so ago, but in constant turmoil and conflict ever since as well.
And, then there is Israel. Israel today is not the Israel we know from the biblical account. Modern Israel is man’s attempt to reconcile all the harm that was done to the Jews in Europe over the many centuries so England set aside Palestine lands they controlled and gave it to the Israelites as an appeasement offering 60 years ago, and the residents of the lands have been fighting with the new immigrants of the lands ever since. Funny, the Jews lost their lands and their great city of Jerusalem between 70 and 134 AD as the Christian church was getting established, and they were sent into exile (again!). We believe in the Christian community that somehow the Jews must be in place before the Rapture can take place. So it begs the questions: what is our motive for the establishment of the modern Israel and our defiant defense of their right to occupy the land? Is it God’s will or our interests somehow we are serving? Are we trying to appease God somehow by restoring Israel? Will this effort only cause the next cataclysmic war to break out in that part of the world where we battle over religious rights of Jews, Christians and Muslims? Does that seem like God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word?
Nations have roared throughout the millennia of mankind, but none have existed without the consent of God and their actions have been blessed or cursed by God as history reveals. Once any nation, just like any one of us as well, rise up and claim we are great and choose to go about doing our will and walk in our ways, and guide ourselves by our own wisdom, denying the necessity of God’s Word, WATCH OUT! History declares God will silence and humble the roar of even the mighty nations. Think about it…
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of birth pains. “Then they will hand you over for persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come. Matt 24:4-14 (HCSB)
February 26, 2010 at 6:19 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #292: “On That Day” is too late!
An oracle against Damascus: Look, Damascus is no longer a city. It has become a ruined heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be [places] for flocks. They will lie down without fear. The fortress disappears from Ephraim, and a kingdom from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites. [This is] the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. On that day the splendor of Jacob will fade, and his healthy body will become emaciated. It will be as if a reaper had gathered standing grain—his arm harvesting the heads of grain—and as if one had gleaned heads of grain in the valley of Rephaim. Only gleanings will be left in Israel, as if an olive tree had been beaten—two or three berries at the very top of the tree, four or five on its fruitful branches. [This is] the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel. On that day people will look to their Maker and will turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars they made with their hands or to the Asherahs and incense altars they made with their fingers. On that day their strong cities will be like the abandoned woods and mountaintops that were abandoned because of the Israelites; there will be desolation. For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and you have failed to remember the rock of your strength; therefore you will plant beautiful plants and set out cuttings from exotic vines. On the day that you plant you will help them to grow, and in the morning you will help your seed to sprout, [but] the harvest will vanish on the day of disease and incurable pain. Isaiah 17:1-11 (HCSB)
During this period of Israel’s history, Isaiah was told to prophesy about the deception and conspiracy of Israel (Samaria) with Aram (Damascus). They had hoped they could continue to walk in their polytheistic ways and live the ways that suited them, and as allies they could hopefully thwart the onslaught the Lord arranged through the Assyrians. However, once the onslaught began and the outcome was clear, the people of Israel turned from their worthless idols and self-made gods that served their needs and they called to the Lord for deliverance. However, the Lord said no to them! They had abandoned Him long ago and served their own interests, and God fully understood the intent of their hearts. These were not repentant souls seeking His covenant. They were people realizing their man-made gods and concocted allegiances and schemes were not going to save them, so they sought the Lord’s protection for their own interests. They did not seek God because they loved Him, but merely realized they needed Him. Thus, the Lord said no to them. He said, you believed you could be fruitful without Me, but now you have realized the folly of your foolishness. Thus, when “That Day” arrives, they learned a “life” altering fact about the Lord…He knows our motives and responds to sincere hearts, not selfish, self-serving hearts!
What about us, the lesson rings true for our lives as well. How many of us only seek God in the tough times and when someone is in great need? How many have erected your own idols and worship your own will, your own ways, and base your actions upon your own wisdom, and never consider God’s will, God’s ways, or God’s wisdom according to God’s Word? You know the truth, but deny the truth in your life by your decisions and actions. However, when life is stacked against you and there is a threat to your life or security, then as a last ditch effort you plea to the Lord. But why should the Lord honor your request? Do you believe God honors all prayers from all people? Do you think His love and grave and mercy are that flexible? Consider the words that the Lord said to Solomon.
Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a temple of sacrifice. If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. My eyes will now be open and My ears attentive to prayer from this place. And I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My name may be there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there at all times. 2 Chron 7:12-16 (HCSB)
Sincerity and humility and true repentance are the signs that the Lord seeks from His people. The Lord does desire to forgive and to respond to, but not when you enter with a give me attitude. “On that day” will it be too late for you? Think about your relationship with the Lord.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.] “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing. Matt 6:9-15 (HCSB)
February 25, 2010 at 6:42 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #291: Knowing Right is not Being Right
An oracle against Moab: Ar in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night. Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night. Dibon went up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails on Nebo and at Medeba. Every head is shaved; every beard is cut off. In its streets they wear sackcloth; on its rooftops and in its public squares everyone wails, falling down and weeping. Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out, and they tremble. My heart cries out over Moab, whose fugitives [flee] as far as Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah; they go up the slope of Luhith weeping; they raise a cry of destruction on the road to Horonaim. The waters of Nimrim are desolate; the grass is withered, the foliage is gone, and the vegetation has vanished. So they carry their wealth and belongings over the Wadi of the Willows. For their cry echoes throughout the territory of Moab. Their wailing reaches Eglaim; their wailing reaches Beer–elim. The waters of Dibon are full of blood, but I will bring on Dibon even more [than this] — a lion for those who escape from Moab, and for the survivors in the land. Isaiah 15:1-9 (HCSB)
This is one of the oracles against the nations that surrounded Judah that were cousins of its residents, but they took advantage of Judah when they stumbled. They were jealous of Judah’s position of the Lord’s protection while they were not, and their jealousy led to conspiracies to pull Judah down. They knew why Judah was under the Lord’s blessings. They knew of the Lord and His covenant teachings, but they failed to enter the covenant.
The story of Ruth in the Old Testament is about her Moabite background, but was exposed to the Lord’s blessings in the face of tragedy and yet she sought to enter the Lord’s covenant, and she was blessed with a righteous husband: Boaz. Their child was Obed, the grandfather of David, the king of Israel. This story of redemption serves as encouragement for all who desire to enter the blessings of the Lord, but His blessings do not occur just because you know of the Lord. We must enter into a genuine relationship with the Lord and seek His redeeming love upon our lives. Just as Ruth experienced we too can change our desires in our life to that of a right life lived under the light of God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word. It is a life that recognizes that we are not perfect, but are made perfect by God’s loving kindness. It is a life that says you cannot claim the benefits or blessings without being right with the Lord also.
The warning here in the passage is this: don’t stand on the outside looking in wondering about how to become like those who are experiencing God’s blessings in their life. Knowing what it takes, desiring it, and likewise, dreaming about it does not make it so. If that is all you are doing you will frustrated and even find yourself jealous that you are not able to enjoy those blessings, and thus often bad-mouthing Christians and looking for their mistakes to justify your status outside of God’s fellowship. The Moabites did exactly that and eventually faced the judgment from God for their actions and attitudes.
What about you? Are you still just an interested, even jealous spectator or are you an active all-in participant? Which one does the Lord pour His blessings upon?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires. Romans 13:11-14 (HCSB)
February 24, 2010 at 6:49 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #290: Arrogance before the Lord will be Humbled
When the Lord gives you rest from your pain, torment, and the hard labor you were forced to do, you will sing this song [of contempt] about the king of Babylon and say: How the oppressor has quieted down, and how the raging has become quiet! The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows. It subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution. All the earth is calm and at rest; people shout with a ringing cry… Sheol below is eager to greet your coming. He stirs up the spirits of the departed for you—all the rulers of the earth. He makes all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones. They all respond to you, saying: “You too have become as weak as we are; you have become like us! Your splendor has been brought down to Sheol, [along with] the music of your harps…Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground. You said to yourself: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the [gods’] assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you will be brought down to Sheol into the deepest regions of the Pit… The offspring of evildoers will never be remembered…“I will rise up against them”—the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and I will cut off from Babylon her reputation, remnant, offspring, and posterity”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will make her a swampland and a region for wild animals, and I will sweep her away with a broom of destruction.”…Isaiah 14:3-32 (HCSB)
Babylon was the home of the Chaldeans and it became known for its beauty and grandeur, but also for its haughty rulers who proclaimed their own greatness. When they plundered Jerusalem and brought back to their lands the wealth of the temple and palace of the Jews with them, they felt they had defied and defeated the God of the Jews as well. However, little did not realize that they had accomplished the bidding of the Lord and that their arrogance and haughtiness would cause them to be humbled quickly as well. The Jews that were taken into exile to Babylonia after Jerusalem was destroyed were not subjects of the Babylonian kings for long. Persia rose up as the new empire and took Babylon while the Babylonians (Chaldeans) were reveling and partying over their plunder. They were blinded by their own images of greatness, and they felt they were better than the gods they conquered. However, this time they were not flaunting themselves before a man-made god, but the God of the Universe, the one true living God, and He would not let their arrogance go without punishment. And as the passage states they were hurled down in defeat and made the same as their captives, captives themselves.
The Lord is a gracious and just God, and though their were lessons to be learned by His chosen people over their own haughty ways, and misguided attitudes, the Lord responds harshly to those who believe they are without judgment and accountability for their actions. The Lord will bring them down and place them in their rightful place with the humblest of all His people. As the wise saying in Proverbs states: “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Prov 16:18 (HCSB)
True greatness in this world never needs to be flaunted. The greatest champions are the most humble of God’s chosen because they know from where their talents and gifts came from. In God’s kingdom, the greatest responsibility comes with the greatest accountability, so beware of wanting to be more than the Lord believes you are able to handle. Be careful that your pride may blind you into believing you are great because of who you are, rather than who you belong…
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” Matt 20:25-28 (HCSB)
Next entries »
2010. Powered by