Bible Ballistics: BBs #116 A Christmas Fortnight-God With Us!!!

The season of Christmas is upon us and I’ll be sharing a “Christmas Fortnight” again this year but with a twist. I’ll be sharing my take on Christmas in each article, but instead of writing a short article each day of the fortnight (2 weeks), I’ll be sharing on the regular days plus Christmas Day, and that will equate to a fortnight! I hope this will be a blessing, as well as be informative for each of us.

We’ll begin with a simple passage from Matthew 1:21-23:

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

The Promise of the Messiah!!!

He shall be called Jesus!!

He shall save His people from their sins!!

He fulfilled the promise!!

He was born of a virgin!!

He shall be called Emmanuel!!

Jesus came to Redeem us from SIN!! Sin is the issue—we are all sinners, and Jesus came that we might be saved from our sin! ‘God with us’—here to redeem sinful man. Do you know HIM? If not, He’s here for YOU!! Look to the Cross!!

Bible Ballistics: God Has Our Days—All of Them?? Vol. 5 #04

Are you wondering about what will happen tomorrow? We all do from time to time. Sometimes we fret and stress over tomorrow, when there is only one who knows about tomorrow, and that is God. So what do we do with days of trials, or days of crises and sorrow? How do we know how to live our days to the fullest, when we are running on empty? Only with God’s help can we live life to the full every day, and the Psalmist reminds us where we can find the answers!!!

Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Ask the God who wants us to live each day wisely.

James 1:5, “ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

With God’s help, we can live and value the life that He has given to each of us, no matter where we are or what circumstances may surround us. God has made each of us for His glory and our good. Again the Psalmist addresses this very thing, when he reminds us that we are God’s creation and that acknowledging Him, as such, we can really value life because we know the giver of Life. That while God is God and I am not, I can trust Him with all I have because He cares for me!!!

Psalm 100:3, “Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 139:14-16, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

Before we were born, God knew where each of us would be today!!! Where are YOU?   Guess who knows?

Verse 16 in the NASB says,

“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.”

God numbers our days before we even have them. He even tells us that our lives are more important than sparrows, and that the “very hairs of your head are all numbered”. But are we making good use of our days? Some of us may not have as many hairs to count, but if we are still breathing we are of value to God. He has a purpose for our lives and He is working on, in and through us today. You are of great value to GOD!!! God is faithfully caring for His own and we don’t have to fear those who are against God and therefore, us!!

Matthew 10:28-31, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

My focus and confidence can be in God–not the enemy of my soul, or man. When I belong to Jesus and am in the center of HIS will then I am in the safest place in the world. I don’t have to envy others—their lives or their possessions– I can be content in Jesus and walk in power and victory!

Acts 4:11-13 says of Jesus, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” While they didn’t like what they heard they had to acknowledge that these ‘uneducated’ men had been with JESUS!!

What about you and me? What do people notice about us?

That we are a fan of a particular sports team?

That we have an accent from a particular region of the world or country?

That we hold to a particular political persuasion?

Or do they notice that we have undeniably “been with Jesus”?

Am I willing to walk so closely with Jesus that His life is seen in me in all that I do and say? That is my prayer!! How about you? And when we are walking so closely with Jesus we can know our days are in HIS hands. Two passages sum it all up for us today:

Hebrews 13:5-6, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Conversation=lifestyle)

Psalm 118:4-6, “Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever. 5 I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” Even more importantly we are on the “Lord’s side”!!!

Food for thought. Have a blessed week living for Jesus and trusting the outcome to HIM!!!

 

 

 

 

Bible Ballistics: BBs #115    A Life of Praise!!!

I’d like us to continue in the vein of Praise today, as we listen to ‘black Friday’ chatter all day today. It doesn’t matter:

what day it is—

what circumstances prevail—

what trial blows your way—

what confusion seems to reign–

 what issues you are facing—

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!!! He still REIGNS!!!

Rest in His presence today. We truly can thank and praise Him in all things. Here is the rest of the passage that we looked at in Revelation 5.

Revelation 5:11-13, “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

So??? Here’s our shot for today!!

He is worthy of our praise, every moment of every day.

Every knee will bow before Him one day—

will you choose today to bow before HIM with praise

and let Him have all your –

 days—

circumstances—

trials—

confusion–

 issues!!!

Rest in HIM and trust to HIS grace and power. He is at work in YOU and ME:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:28-29,

He’s still working on me– In ‘all things’!!!

 

 

 

 

Bible Ballistics: BBs #114 May Jesus Christ Be Praised!!!

Revelation 4:11 says of the Father: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

And Revelation 5:9-10 says of Jesus the Son: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.”

1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Father, Son and Holy Spirit!!!

Romans 11:36, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.“

Just a few brief comments—It’s all about Jesus!!!

He came to be the Savior of the world!!!

He is the Savior of the world.

He is God.

God is three persons in one—Father, Son and Holy Ghost/Spirit.

So??? Here’s our shot for today.

He is worthy of our praise,

our love,

our devotion,

our loyalty.

What does my life say about what Jesus means to me?

HE IS GOD!

Always was,

still is,

always will be!!!

It’s all about Jesus! Thank HIM!

Bible Ballistics: What Joyfulness??    Vol. 5 #03

We talk a lot about Christians having “JOY” and I’d like us to examine our perspective of real “JOY”. Is there a difference between happiness and ‘joy’, and if there is what is the difference?

Happy: feeling or showing contentment or pleasure….to be satisfied with someone or something…..fortunate and convenient.

Happiness: the state of being happy.

Happiness by definition relates to our circumstances and conditions, and/or those around us. If we have good things going on in our lives and around us, we then can be happy about those things: if not, our happiness can be short-circuited, to say the least.

Joy: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. With its root in Latin and old French meaning ‘rejoice’.

In their basic definitions these two words are similar, but happiness is clearly tied to circumstances and “joy” can be brought about from something other than our outward circumstances. Scripture is replete with examples of the joy of God’s own people, and what kind of joy they can have continually.

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah and Ezra had helped the returning children of Israel to rebuild the city and the temple, and they called the people to hear the ‘Word of the Lord’, portions of the Law of God. When the people heard the Word, they wept because of their own failures, but Nehemiah called them to celebrate God—to remember that God’s ‘JOY’ was their strength!!! Not their circumstances, the difficulty of their plight, the hard task that they had been working to accomplish, but their God’s joy was to be their strength. Their joy in who He was and what HE had done was doing and would do!!! We can go back and see what Jeremiah had to say before they were taken to Babylon.

Jeremiah 15:15-19, “O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. 17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? 19 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”

Jeremiah was amidst people who hated him and hated the message that God had given him. The message he preached for some 40 years had very little positive response, yet he knew his “JOY” was in God and not his circumstances. He had joy, not because of his abundance or lack thereof, but because of whom he belonged to—he belonged to the Lord God!!! He was mocked, alone, pained because of his circumstances but he had the “JOY” of the Lord. Because of his difficulties God gave him instruction in verse 19 that is very special to me:

“19 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.”

God assured Jeremiah that even though he stood alone—he stood with a majority, GOD!!! That if he, and we as well, kept the precious from the vile, God would continue to speak through him. God told him that he didn’t have to appease those who wanted their ‘ears tickled’, but if he stood firm, those who desired truth would come to him. He wasn’t to chase after the ‘mockers’!!! Those who were really seeking truth would know his message, and seek him out. We live in a day of people with itching ears:

2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

And Habakkuk 3:18 says,

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

 

It’s our personal relationship with God that makes the difference!!! Our joy goes beyond circumstance due to our confidence in the God that we serve—

His sovereign control,

His goodness and

His love for us.

 

We don’t have to fear circumstances, because we never face them alone, as Hebrews 13:5-6 says,

 

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

 

God is our confidence and “JOY”. But joy is sometimes hard to practice, for it isn’t always easy in condition, circumstance or demands on our lives. Let’s look at part of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians:

 

Colossians 1:10-13, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

“unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” OUCH!! Patience and longsuffering?? Yes—and I can be thankful in and for all things. (As we see in Ephesians 5:20 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18.) Even as Paul and Silas were able to sing praises to God from a jail cell.

 

Acts 16:25, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”

 

How? Because the ‘JOY of the Lord’ was their strength‘. They had a calling and a mission and they were confident in the God they served. They weren’t in jail by coincidence!!

How about you? What distracts you from the ‘joy of the Lord’? May we be able to live Nehemiah’s call and know that, “the joy of the Lord is your strength”!!! Remember– the source of our confidence isn’t in our circumstances—good or bad, it’s in the sufficiency of our God. He is our joy, no matter the circumstances!!! And we can have that joy when called on to exercise our “patience and longsuffering with joyfulness”. HIS JOY!!!