February 5, 2010 at 6:50 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #278: The Promise of Peace and Prosperity for His People
Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of darkness, a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. [The people] have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. For You have shattered their burdensome yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as [You did] on the day of Midian. For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:1-7 (HCSB)
Why did Jesus spend most of his ministry time in Galilee? Why did he spend so much time on the Sea of Galilee? Was Isaiah given a glimpse of God’s plan in this passage? In this prophesy was the hope for God’s people, the remnant that would face the wrath of foreign armies for centuries. Even for a period of time between the Greek (Seleucid, post Alexander the Great – Hellenistic period domination) and the Roman occupation, when the Jews tried to rule themselves in the Maccabean period for about a century, there was bloodshed and fighting for control and domination in the land they lived upon. No doubt by the time of Caesar Augustus, early in the first century, God’s people were wondering if the promise of God’s peacemaker would ever come true. Had Isaiah gotten that message from God wrong? Every time a supposed “messiah” rose up the people found their faith in such men only became a disappointment because life did not change for them. By the time of Jesus’ birth, the Jews as they were now known (Romans term for the people of Judea – the former land of Judah) were bring ruled by a non-Jew – Herod the Great (he was actually an Idumean, from the land of Esau). The irony of the people who have their lineage through Jacob, named by God as Israel; versus their king is from the people of Idumea who have their lineage tied to Esau, Jacob’s brother. [Read Genesis 25-36] In this historical setting of ironies and ongoing domination, God would fulfill His promise of making His presence known through the introduction of His anointed “Prince of Peace” who would rule over His people, and yet his reign and kingdom would prosper and grow and have no end this time. And this time God Himself would make sure this kingdom would prevail and prosper. But, Jesus never was given the chance on earth to actually reign over His people. They, through the arrogant religious leader’s jealousy and fear, crucified Him. So how did God accomplish His promise that was given in this passage?
The rest of the story occurs on the other side of the Cross and the grave, because God the Father reached down and resurrected Jesus from the tomb to set Him on the throne next to Him so that His power now would reign and protect His people from beyond the grave and beyond the powers of this world. Jesus empowered His Church through God’s Spirit to know Him, go for Him, and to grow for Him. The rest of the story in history is how the Church (the body of Christ) – though not perfect because it is made of men – has survived and thrived since its humble beginnings in Jerusalem shortly after the original disciples huddled together wondering if they run for their own safety or wait for God’s Spirit to fill them with the power to launch the Church that Christ wanted them to build. Well, we know they by faith did exactly that and the rest is history.
The question remains for us, are we church building – kingdom expanding disciples who know Him, are going for Him, and are growing personally and helping in growing His kingdom, or just pretending to trust God’s Word. Are we living according to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word – or still like so many in history filtering everything we do through our will, ways and wisdom?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” [He said, “ is what] you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8 (HCSB)
February 4, 2010 at 6:44 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #277: Why Can Life Seem So Dark and Gloomy?
Here I am with the children the Lord has given me to be signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts who dwells on Mount Zion. When they say to you, “Consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people consult their God? [Should they consult] the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them. They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness. Isaiah 8:18-22 (HCSB)
In our lives we often lose our focus on the important issues of life and we lose the light that lights the path in our life. Darkness reigns supreme because we no longer can understand what is happening to us and to our loved ones. That darkness turns to distress and our path becomes nothing but an uncertain, gloomy way to travel. When that happens many of us feel helpless and we attack anyone we can blame for our feelings of despair and desperation, even God! Some people will consult even the “dead” spirits in the occult world for answers, but as the passage proclaims, “what benefit can the dead be for the living?” Our only hope lies in recognizing our hope to return to the light of God’s Word. According to the psalmist, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”
Psalms 119:105 (HCSB) There is no “dawn”, no hope for tomorrow in all other sources of truth and understanding that we may seek in lieu of facing up to our Lord and Savior.
Why do bad things happen to good people? That is a difficult question to answer because God does allow it to happen. God allows His people to experience times of trials, testing and even tribulation, but not to despair in, but to strengthen our relationship with in by faith. Where there is no strain, there is no gain! As we walk in the face of difficult and dark and uncertain times, if we choose God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word, He will be faithful to guide and protect you through those uncertain and dark days, and a new day will dawn to reveal a stronger faith resides within you that bonds you to God stronger then before. Only the truly faithful remnant survived the trying days of Israel and Judah during the period of Isaiah and the decades that followed. Only the truly faithful remnant huddled in the upper room of a home in Jerusalem in the days that followed the crucifixion of Christ, the Son of God. Where there seems to be no hope, God is there to restore all hope and shed light upon our path that seems so dark and gloomy, but you must not dwell on the problem but seek the solution to see the light.
Throughout the Bible God clearly provides instruction for those difficult and dark days, even the days that point to His ultimate judgment for everyone at death’s darkness – He always says He is the answer, and not even death can conquer Him, He alone is the source of the light in this world and beyond death. He alone is the giver and sustainer of life, in this world and beyond death. So why would we seek to save our life and get some light of truth from anyone or anything else in this world? That was the message of Isaiah to Israel and Judah 3,000 years ago, and it remains the message to us today.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man named John who was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. John 1:1-9 (HCSB)
February 3, 2010 at 6:49 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #276: What You Fear May Cause You to Stumble
For this is what the Lord said to me with great power, to keep me from going the way of this people: Do not call everything an alliance these people say is an alliance. Do not fear what they fear; do not be terrified. You are to regard only the Lord of Hosts as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be held in awe. He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, He will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many will stumble over these; they will fall and be broken; they will be snared and captured. Bind up the testimony. Seal up the instruction among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will wait for Him. Isaiah 8:11-17 (HCSB)
Fear is a natural response God created into our being for our own good. Fear causes us to both stand our ground and fight with extra strength sometimes or sometimes to flee with unusual stamina and speed. Self-preservation is at the root of most of our fears. Fear is the emotion that boosts our levels of adrenalin to handle stressful and dangerous situations. However, often we realize that our fear response is not enough to overcome our fears and we seek help from other sources to help us overcome our fears. And here too God has provided a solution, yet we too often look for our alliances and solutions.
Man has relied upon alliances with others thinking that when you combine forces you have what is needed to prevent your fears from overcoming you. However, most alliances are only deterrents for some fears, but not all. There are fears that will overcome you and you ally, or cause you and your ally to turn on one another in the middle of the battle because in the end everyone seeks self-preservation. Friends turn on friends when their own lives are at risk, or some other selfish motive overrides the alliance. In the passage from Isaiah, the Israel nation tried to think their alliance with Aram (Syria) was sufficient to overcome their fears and they turned against Judah which tried to ally itself with a weakened Egypt, however they all were conquered and destroyed by the Assyrians and the Assyrians later by the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians).
There is only one alliance or relationship that God has made available that is dependable – God Himself! He is the undefeated Champion of all time. God went to Isaiah to share with the people to warn them against relying upon their alliances and false sense of security. Only those who ignored the alliances of men and placed their faith in God for their protection, preservation and provision will never need to fear for their life. All the Lord requires is that you place your fears in His hands and you turn from trying to deal with your fears on your own. God warns our fears will be our own stumbling stones and our solutions to our fears will only crush us if we continue to ignore Him. There is but one genuine “fear” that no man may ever overcome – the fear of losing the Lord’s love and mercy for our life.
Do you seek God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word everyday and does that ease the fears we face each day? Are you in the habit of placing your fears, challenges and doubts before Him, and found that God reveals what we feared was nothing that God could not handle for you? What would have changed in history had Israel and Judah would have repented and turned to the Lord as His people? Instead, they suffered from exile and living in their fears for the rest of history. Their fears even led them to crucify and not recognize the very Son of God when He came to them.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. But Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the law. Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: Look! I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over, and a rock to trip over, yet the one who believes on Him will not be put to shame. Romans 9:30-33 (HCSB)
February 2, 2010 at 6:28 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom # 275: Speeding to the Spoils or the Savior
Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large piece of parchment and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. I have appointed trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.” I was then intimate with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz, for before the boy knows how to call out father or mother, the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried off to the king of Assyria.” The Lord spoke to me again: Because these people rejected the slowly flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoiced with Rezin and the son of Remaliah, the Lord will certainly bring against them the mighty rushing waters of the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will overflow its channels and spill over all its banks. It will pour into Judah, flood over it, and sweep through, reaching up to the neck; and its spreading streams will fill your entire land, Immanuel! Band together, peoples, and be broken; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for war, and be broken; prepare for war, and be broken. Devise a plan; it will fail. Make a prediction; it will not happen. For God is with us. Isaiah 8:1-10 (HCSB)
In this passage Isaiah has been proclaims that the Lord is affirming His justice will come swiftly like a flooding river that the signs should not be ignored. As a sign of His intent Immanuel from the previous passage (7:14) would be named also Maher-shalal-hash-baz, or for us non-Hebrews: Speeding to the Spoils or Plunder. Through the young boy as a sign, the Lord would bring judgment against the Israelites in Samaria and the surrounding region, as well as the land of Judah. The Lord would reveal His presence among His people, and those who have thought they could conspire together and plan evil will fail, because God is with us! The righteous would remain to witness the devastation in the land as a warning and way to bring repentance and restoration.
In our lives there are times that God proves His presence in our lives to prepare us for the tough times, the times of trials and tribulation. Bad things can happen to good people, but the Lord promises to be with us even in the midst of the floods of troubles and times of testing. The Lord says it is during these times that His people should turn their hearts to Him, and He will fulfill His covenant promise to preserve, protect and provide our most important needs that serve His purposes. God wants us to turn to Him and trust in Him. His justice and mercy should be our focus, rather than panic and seek manmade plans and schemes to overcome the troubles of this world.
We all have a choice, just as the Israelites long ago: listen and heed the call to repentance and to speed to the protection of the Savior, or to witness the destruction and then speed to the spoils of others, only to find we too have been swept up in the same storms in life.
How do we know how to speed to the Savior in those difficult times? If you have invested in seeking God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word then you will alert to those times that “God is with us” for His greater purposes. We will be sensitive to speeding to Him, and not to the spoils of those caught in the storms of this life. We always have a choice – and every choice has a consequence. In which direction will you race in those tough times?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in the endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort. 2 Cor 1:3-7 (HCSB)
February 1, 2010 at 6:42 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #274: Be Careful What You Ask For
Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz: “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God—from the depths of Sheol to the heights of heaven.” But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.” Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating butter and honey. For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned. The Lord will bring on you, your people, and the house of your father, such a time as has never been since Ephraim separated from Judah—the king of Assyria [is coming].
On that day the Lord will whistle to the fly that is at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bee that is in the land of Assyria. All of them will come and settle in the steep ravines, in the clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes, and in all the water holes.
On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave the head, the hair on the legs, and to remove the beard as well.
On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep, and from the abundant milk they give he will eat butter, for every survivor in the land will eat butter and honey.
And on that day every place where there were 1,000 vines, worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become thorns and briers. A man will go there with bow and arrows because the whole land will be thorns and briers. You will not go to all the hills that were once tilled with a hoe, for fear of the thorns and briers. [Those hills] will be places for oxen to graze and for sheep to trample. Isaiah 7:10-25 (HCSB)
In the midst of this passage is the very often referenced verse that the Apostle Matthew used to point to Jesus as the Messiah that was promised from the days before the exile of the Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem itself. Immanuel, means literally – God with us. Or, from the messianic perspective the, the presence of God’s anointed. Likewise, the term translated as virgin, actually means “young maiden” – so that here a child would be born through the womb of a young virgin girl as a sign to the king of Judah, Ahaz and his people. Within 12 years (the age of accountability in the Jewish mind) the enemies of Northern Israel and their ally, Syria (Aram) would be destroyed and people put into exile. This answered their prayer against these long time enemies, yet God was not done with Judah. The people of Judah had become arrogant and lost their first love for God, and they boasted in their invincibility. So God said He would bring His wrath upon them onto their land as well, and only the faithful remnant would be well cared for, but the land would be changed forever. The pride of the men would be shaved away by the image of having all their masculine hair from their head to their toes shaved. For the men of Judah their beards were their mark of manhood and virility.
God wanted Isaiah to be the messenger of this warning: Be careful what you ask for, and do not believe that I did it because of what you did or what you deserve, because you do not deserve anything better. Later in history in Bethlehem, a child would be born who become like Immanuel, and his name was Jesus. The Jews of the first century Jerusalem had rebuilt their temple and were under the rule of the Romans, and they felt they deserved to be freed from the yoke of the Romans. They wanted a mighty king to give them what they deserved, however when Jesus was not what they envisioned, a great earthly king to orchestrate political change, and he was orchestrating a spiritual change that rivaled the religious leaders, they moved to destroy their rival for the hearts and minds of the people.
For us, we need to be careful when we are jealous or afraid of conditions in our life and we seek God’s vengeance. What is our motive? If we are asking for the wrong reasons, we stand the risk of God making major changes in our own lives to catch our attention. We should always be careful what we ask God to do for us, and allow God to reveal what is the motive in our heart before we ask God to turn His wrath on others rivaling our lives. We may find ourselves under God’s judgment, and subject to the same response as what we asked our enemies.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.” Matt 7:1-6 (HCSB)
January 29, 2010 at 6:32 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #273: Jealousies Lead to Unsuccessful Conspiracies
This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah: Rezin king of Aram, along with Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, waged war against Jerusalem, but he could not succeed. When it became known to the house of David that Aram had occupied Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in a wind. Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, by the road to the Fuller’s Field. Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or fainthearted because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands, Rezin of Aram, and the son of Remaliah. For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say: Let us go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.” This is what the Lord God says: It will not happen; it will not occur. The head of Aram is Damascus, the head of Damascus is Rezin (within 65 years Ephraim will be shattered to be a people), the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:1-9 (HCSB)
Even in the Lord’s House there can be dissension and controversy that brings conflict and division. Rival groups can rise up a challenge against the legitimacy of a church. However, if the faithful core group remains steadfast and trusts in the Lord, the rival groups will reveal their intentions and they will fail. Competition in the church never has pleasing results, but the Lord’s Kingdom will prevail in the end.
In this historical setting, an allegiance was struck between the northern tribes of Israel, known here as Ephraim or simply Israel, and the Syrian tribes or Aram. In ancient times it was common for kings to form an allegiance for protective purposes, and in this case the Assyrians were the real enemy, but Israel was jealous of Judah and the glory of the temple found in Jerusalem. Aram and Israel were going to bring their armies for selfish reasons against Judah, but they did not count on the Lord breaking up this conspiracy. The Lord sent Isaiah as His messenger to warn Israel of their folly if they continue to pursue their evil plot against Judah. His warning said clearly this: “Remain steadfast in your faith that the Lord is your God and be content in your own land or you will face My wrath and no longer be My people under My protection, and you will suffer.” And history revealed that both Aram and Israel were attacked by the Assyrians and their people exiled into oblivion.
For us, the relevance is this: jealous has no place in God’s Kingdom. The Lord has promised to protect and preserve His faithful people, and if we wander away from that covenant by devising our own conspiracies for selfish reasons, the Lord will intervene to protect and preserve His faithful people. In churches everyday there are struggles for power and control, and people cause dissensions and division among the Lord’s kingdom. However, in the end the Lord does intervene to preserve and protect the faithful from the selfish people. That may not mean that the church remains in the right hands initially. Sometimes the church building becomes the possession of the wrong people, but a building is not God’s church – His people comprise His Church. In God’s timing the righteous remnant will be blessed by the Lord to continue His Kingdom work, while the other faction finds no peace and not the Lord’s presence in their building they call their church. The only owner of a church, no matter who paid for it or built it in their minds, is the Lord, if it is to be the Lord’s House.
Think twice before taking sides in a conflict in God’s House, because the Lord is a jealous God and He will preserve and protect His righteous and faithful people through the jealousies and conspiracies that will come from time to time in His House. God will prevail and a remnant will be preserved.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Knowing their thoughts, He told them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges. If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder. Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters. Luke 11:17-23 (HCSB)
January 28, 2010 at 6:45 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #272: When God Reveals Himself to You…
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, [and] because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth [with it] and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, and your sin is atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Who should I send? Who will go for Us? I said: Here I am. Send me. And He replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive. Dull these people’s minds; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their mind, turn back, and be healed. Then I said, “Until when, Lord?” And He replied: Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, houses are without people, the land is ruined and desolate, and the Lord drives the people far away, leaving great emptiness in the land. Though a tenth will remain in the land, it will be burned again. Like the terebinth or the oak, which leaves a stump when felled, the holy seed is the stump. Isaiah 6:1-13 (HCSB)
Although most of us will never have the amazing experience of being in the presence of the Lord as Isaiah, but we all have the opportunity for the Lord to make His presence known in our lives. And, just like Isaiah, we all will have that moment in time when we tremble because we realize that even the best of us have sins that will be revealed when draw close to God’s holy presence. However, what we will learn is God’s mercy and grace – His loving kindness – has paid the debt for our sin, and He has already cleansed of the penalty, thus any ill-effects of the sin in our life is removed. When genuine conversion occurs there is a definite change in our spiritual DNA that allows us to change our actions and attitudes, and we cease the sinful habits that are in opposition to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word. Our vision has a new focal point to guide us in life.
Once the conversion experience occurs, God does not drop us off back in life, He offers us a role in His kingdom work. And, He does not have to tap us on the shoulder to get us to volunteer to serve, because once we have a vision for the things that pleases the Lord, then we are seeking and alert to ministry and missions opportunities. But, before we run out the door, stop and seek the Lord’s clarity on the mission to be accomplished. We must not assume we know what needs to be accomplished; we need to have the Lord’s direction that clearly identifies the goal for the mission. Although the age of the prophets has ended, every Christian has access to the Lord though Christ’s work, and through prayer and fasting – which in essence means taking time aside from our busy schedule to devote ourselves to allowing the Lord to share His will, ways and wisdom with us.
Will we all have a huge task like Isaiah, most likely not. The Lord may have one specific person in view when He gives you your marching orders, but whether your mission is one person at a time, or much grander in scale, serve the Lord with the same attitude of “no retreat, no reserve, and no regrets”! God is not measuring the amount of work you do, but your willingness to do what He asks of you. In the Lord’s Kingdom, small tasks are as important as the highly visible mega tasks – but He will only ask of you what you can handle for His purposes.
Are you in the position of hearing the Lord’s calling to go for Him today? If not, why not?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. “ I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:23-26 (HCSB)
January 27, 2010 at 6:49 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #271: More Woes To Warn Us About Living Our Lies
Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and [pull] sin along with cart ropes, to those who say: “Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we can see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so that we can know it!” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are fearless at mixing beer, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive he innocent of justice. Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels on the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Hosts, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against His people. He raised His hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised [to strike]. He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look—how quickly and swiftly they come! None of them grows weary or stumbles; no slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose, and no sandal strap broken. Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows strung. Their horses’ hooves are like flint; their [chariot] wheels are like a whirlwind. Their roaring is like a lion’s; they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry [it] off, and no one can rescue [it]. On that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. When one looks at the land, there will be darkness and distress; light will be obscured by clouds. Isaiah 5:18-30 (HCSB)
This passage is a continuation on the warning of the misbehavior that comes in the form of woes from the Lord. However, this is the climax of the warning that the Lord gives us with the gory details of the action He can take in our lives if we continue to ignore the warnings He places in our lives. If we continue to deceive ourselves and the people around us, we will stand in His judgment and face the wrath He will place in our lives.
Who do you know who has grabbed a hold of the cords of deceit as the stronghold of their lives: they call evil good, and dismiss good as evil! These are the same that wait to darkness to expose their evil ways, and hide in the light of day. They thirst for beer and wine and brag upon their feats under its influence. It is the same perversion that leads them to idolize the wicked and guilty, and likewise find fault in the innocent. Ignorance of the Lord will not be their excuse, because the Lord is their Creator as mush as He is our Creator, and the creation of the Creator always can recognize Him. However, the Creator may reject His creation as he or she exists and He has the right to try and redirect or adjust the behavior of the creation back to the ways of justice and righteousness – or ways pleasing to God. God, the Creator, will use whatever means needed to do this, and it may come in the form of times of serious trials and tribulation, such as attacks from even more evil people to serve His purpose. Israel flaunted their selfish and hedonistic ways and the Lord directed the ruthless armies of Assyria upon them, and ten of the twelve tribes of Israel in their Kingdom were conquered and exiled into extinction. Only a remnant of faithful survived this period of terror. For the rest, the survivors were sent into exile and intermarried with the wicked in the land and were never heard from again.
In our lives, if we rebel against God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word, there will be challenges in our future. It will be our Creator’s effort to catch our attention to warn us about the real eternal consequence for continuing to live the lies that pervert truth, goodness, and justice. We cannot call His name, yet choose to live in opposition to what His name represents – that is the unforgiveable lifestyle that will not go unpunished.
God loves us and desires to do everything possible to clutch us and call us one of His own, but you and I must stop living the lie and place our faith in Him and trust Him, and accept His love. Because where there genuine love exists, lies cannot reside!
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:7-9 (HCSB)
January 26, 2010 at 6:41 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #270: Where There are Woes, There are Warnings to Heed!
Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field until there is no more room and you alone are left in the land. In my hearing the Lord of Hosts [has taken an oath]: Indeed, many houses will become desolate, grand and lovely ones without inhabitants. For a ten-acre vineyard will yield only six gallons, and 10 bushels of seed will yield only [one] bushel. Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of beer, who linger into the evening, inflamed by wine. At their feasts they have lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the Lord’s actions, and they do not see the work of His hands. Therefore My people go into exile because they lack knowledge; the dignitaries are starving, and the masses are parched with thirst. Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s dignitaries, her masses, her crowds, and those who carouse in her! Humanity is brought low, man is humbled, and haughty eyes are humbled. But the Lord of Hosts is exalted by His justice, and the holy God is distinguished by righteousness. Lambs will graze as [if in] their own pastures, and strangers will eat [among] the ruins of the rich. Isaiah 5:8-17 (HCSB)
In God’s Word one of the great words of warning that means something important follows is any passage beginning with “Woe”! It means grief or a great distress, or both is about to follow, unless something changes. These passages are offered by God through His messengers, which in the New Testament was His Son, Jesus usually to the leaders and powerful people who were living their lives disregarding the needs of the people around them. And, because God is a God of mercy and compassion He sends a warning to us when we are living a lifestyle that is at high risk to our well-being and affecting the people around us in a negative manner. God will do all He can to get us to change our ways before His judgment brings devastating consequences upon us for our selfish choices we have made in life.
In this passage the people were enjoying a fruitful period and their wealth and health was flourishing, but they selfishly were expanding their possessions at the expense of others. Likewise, their lifestyle choices included consuming beer morning, noon, and night which further numbed their sensitivity to their actions and attitudes, which were having bad effects upon others and them. When arrogance and malevolence are in the air that surrounds the actions and attitudes of someone, others are forced to leave, and others choose to leave, and the result is there is only the arrogant, hard-hearted wealthy person standing alone in his possessions, too numb and ignorant to what he or she has done to realize why everyone has deserted and he or she is all alone. The only one left in their life is the Lord who is preparing to exercise His judgment and then all that will be left will be the ownerless possessions and the empty fields.
However, the Lord always leaves a remnant, and near those empty possessions and unworked fields will they find the safety and security of their own land and all the food they need to eat. The Lord is always faithful to establish justice and righteousness in the land. Therefore, you are either living for Him or living against Him – the choice is yours. Choose the lifestyle you want, but are your choices pleasing to our loving, just and most righteous God. Are you living in the light of God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me. “But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea! Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes.” Matt 18:5-7 (HCSB)
January 25, 2010 at 7:00 am · Filed under FCA, First Baptist Ocala
Words of Wisdom #269: What Kind of Song Will Be Sung About Your Life?
I will sing about the one I love, a song about my loved one’s vineyard: The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even hewed out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes. So now, residents of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between Me and My vineyard. What more could I have done for My vineyard than I did? Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes? Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness. Isaiah 5:1-7 (HCSB)
This passage is referred to as the “Song of the Vineyard” which was about the rebellion of Israel, God’s chosen people. It clearly states that the Lord takes extraordinary measures to prepare our lives to be productive, fruitful people for His glory, but the choice lies within us how fruitful we turn out. However, we must realize that if we are found to be unproductive, the Lord will remove His protection and provisions from your life and allow your life to become a wasteland.
How can we be productive, pleasing to the Lord, our Caretaker? The Lord seeks justice or fairness among all His people, and the Lord desires that His people live among each other according to God’s will, God’s ways, and God’s wisdom according to God’s Word – otherwise known as living rightly before Him. To be deemed righteous is not something we can claim on our own, that is the Lord’s authority. He alone can proclaim we are righteous, and that comes when we have committed our lives to living in the ways that please Him, using Christ as our model and guide. This is not a life of works to please God to win Him over, but our outward testimony to what has taken place within us. When we have surrendered our heart, soul, mind and strength over to loving God, then our outward actions and attitudes reflect the change of ownership inside of us. And, for all who have genuinely surrendered to the care of the Lord, He will build a hedge around our lives, and He will tend to our needs so that we can be fruitful participants in His kingdom. He will keep the thorns and briers out of our life which can choke His Word from our heart. He will make sure the rain continues to come in its due time to allow our lives to bear fruit that please Him for His Kingdom purposes.
How will your song be written? What will the Lord testify about your life? Will it be a joyous song of praise or a dirge (funeral song)? Is the song still being written? God has done His part, He is waiting for you to respond to what He has already done for you. His Son has sacrificed much to make your fruitfulness possible, will you accept God’s offer?
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.” John 15:1-8 (HCSB)
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