Category Archives: Joy To The World?

Jeremiah Wasn’t A Bullfrog!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #423

29 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Choose You This Day!, Compassion, Confidence, Jeremiah Wasn't A Bullfrog !, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Joy To The World?, No Sin No Need?, Perseverance, SIN, The Only Way, The Word

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #423  Jeremiah Wasn’t A Bullfrog!!!

 

I know my schedule has been off lately, but with technical issues and personal issues, it’s been a bit of a challenge to stay on track recently; but hopefully, we have all the techno things taken care of, and the other issues are getting better. So I just wanted to share a thought with you this morning, and while it may seem a little strange, it really reflects how I am feeling going into the New Year.\

While Jeremiah wasn’t a ‘bullfrog’, he was a great, faithful prophet of God—in fact he is called the weeping prophet because he ministered to the people of Judah for some forty years, with little visible response, because the people of his day thought that they were all “OK”! And I believe that is where we here in the U.S. are, in that same place; and I often relate to Jeremiah and his broken heart for the people that he ministered to. May I ever be as faithful to my calling as Jeremiah was to his, and the passage that I would like to share with you today epitomizes that sense of grief and sorrow that he felt (and I do also) over those around us!

“The harvest is past,

the summer is ended,

and we are not saved.

21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people

am I hurt;

I am black;

astonishment hath taken hold on me.

22 Is there no balm in Gilead;

is there no physician there?

why then is not the health

of the daughter of my people

recovered?”   Jeremiah 8:20-22

Jeremiah asked the rhetorical question that many who follow Jesus are asking today, including me, “why then is not …. my people recovered”? Why isn’t America saved? Why isn’t the world saved? Why is there a “cure” for sin, but most refuse to acknowledge the ‘cure’? Because most are denying the diagnosis—SIN!

And if there is no sin, then there is no need for a redeemer. Jesus Himself, told us that He wouldn’t be popular, and most would reject Him! Even those around Him couldn’t see who He was, because of SIN!

“Enter ye in at the strait gate:

for wide is the gate,

and broad is the way,

that leadeth to destruction,

and many there be

which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate,

and narrow is the way,

which leadeth unto life,

and few there be that find it.”     Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus told us that the “many” would take the popular “broad” way, and only a “few” would take His narrow way—the way of the cross. Why? Jesus gave Nicodemus the answer to that question:

“He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name of the only begotten

Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil

hateth the light,

neither cometh to the light,

lest his deeds should be reproved.”     John 3:18-20

We can choose to trust in Jesus and His substitutionary, atoning, sacrifice for our sin, or we can cling to our sin and take the “broad” way to destruction. You can choose to run with the “bullfrog” named Jeremiah, or you can come to Jesus and receive a “Jeremiah” heart that God can use to reach others. And remember that many whom God calls, He sends out to meet the world with tears of genuine compassion and love. But remember, God’s ways aren’t our ways. Which road will you choose? Who will you follow? May we ever join the Psalmist in understanding that the harvest is worth the planting? Or as I’ve been known to say, ‘The blooms are worth the wait!”

“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

5 They that sow in tears

shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth,

bearing precious seed,

shall doubtless come again

with rejoicing,

bringing his sheaves with him.”    Psalm 126:3-6

Amen and Amen!!!

 

 

 

 

Are We Knowing Or Going??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #421

22 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in 'Tis The Season?, Choose You This Day!, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Joy To The World?, Knowing Or Going?, Salvation, The Only Way, The Word, Worship Him!

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #421 Are We Knowing Or Going???

 

As we approach Christmas Day, I want us to consider an unusual twist on a familiar part of the story of the incarnation and birth of Jesus. The most important part of the truth of Christmas isn’t in the celebrating, or the frou-frou, or even the food and fellowship that we enjoy during our celebrations, but the most important thing is what each person chooses do with Jesus?

Let’s consider two groups of people in this account; one group knew the facts yet had no interest in pursuing them or finding the ‘Newborn King’, the other group followed a star in faith, believing that it would lead them to The King—and they found HIM!

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying,

Where is he that is born King of the Jews?

for we have seen his star in the east,

and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him….he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes ….he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him,

In Bethlehem of Judaea:

for thus it is written by the prophet,….

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, …… he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king,

they departed;

and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east,

went before them,

till it came and stood over

where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star,

they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house,

they saw the young child with Mary his mother,

and fell down,

and worshipped him:

and when they had opened their treasures,

they presented unto him gifts;

gold,

and frankincense,

and myrrh.”     Portions of Matthew 2:1-11

When the ‘wise men’ found Him, they worshipped Him and gave Him gifts, expressing their own personal faith in, and love for Jesus and what He had come to bring—salvation to all who would believe. Yet those who knew the facts sat unaffected in Jerusalem, without any interest in going the short six miles, or so, to Bethlehem to see this long-promised Messiah and Savior! These strangers from the east came looking for the Messiah; they were “going without knowing”, much like Abraham. Yet when they came to those who did ‘know the place’, and found out where to go, they continued their quest, while those in the ‘know, didn’t go’! These religious leaders had no interest in finding Israel’s long-promised Messiah! That is amazing to me, yet not so much, for many today respond to Jesus in the same way; they know the facts about Jesus, but have no desire to know HIM personally. What about you?

What have you done with the King? Have you heard all about Him, but have no interest in bowing before Him, or worshipping Him, or loving Him? Or are have you chosen to seek and follow Him in faith and to worship Him in devotion, and obedience out of love and gratitude for the gift of His life given on the cross for our salvation? He knew He was born to die.

I pray that we will all be like the ‘wise men’ and seek the Savior Jesus Christ every day, being a reflection of HIS glory to a world in desperate need of a Savior!!! The choice is yours, but remember there’s a test at the end! May you truly know Him in fullness and truth, and rejoice in this season of celebrating His coming into our world to save and deliver us from our sin.

“And she shall bring forth a son,

and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people

from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

“And the Word was made flesh,

and dwelt among us,

(and we beheld his glory,

the glory as of the only begotten

of the Father,)

full of grace and truth.”     John 1:14

Amen and Amen!!!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!

HE truly IS “Joy To The World”!!!

**And just a ‘heads up’, our Sunday post will feature a guest writer, and I know you’re going to be blessed by what she has to share.**

 

Joy To The _____??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No. 21

18 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by in 'Tis The Season?, Abundant Life In Jesus, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Joy To The World?, Salvation, Sharing Our Faith!, The Only Way, The Word, The Word Or The World?

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 10 No.21 Joy To The ______???

 

One of my favorite Christmas Carols (Hymns and songs pertaining to Christmas) is “Joy To The World” (written by Isaac Watts, a prolific hymn writer who wrote the Carol based on Psalm 98, 96:11-12, and Genesis 3:17-18). Yet I often wonder why so many are less than ‘joyful’, even those who claim to know Jesus and celebrate His birth? Isaac Watts understood that the “joy” must come from knowing Jesus and His Father, God Almighty, and having the assurance that God has provided a way for the salvation of mankind from our sin! Salvation was, is and ever shall be God’s idea; it is God’s perfect provision and God’s desire for all men, women, boys and girls. And that, my friends, is cause for ‘joy’! God’s wants all men to come to Him through His Son, to be born again of the “Spirit of God” and know His love, forgiveness, and receive eternal life through the blood of Jesus. That truly is the “Joy To The World”!

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,

as some men count slackness;

but is longsuffering to us-ward,

not willing that any should perish,

but that all should come to repentance.”   2 Peter 3:9

What joy it ought to stir in our hearts to know and remember that God loves us—loved us first, in fact.

“We love him, because he first loved us.”    1 John 4:19

God loves us and has provided a way for us to know Him and have new life in Jesus Christ, His Son! But without HIM there is no joy! So I’d simply like to spend a few minutes today considering Jesus and what our salvation cost HIM! After all, it’s all about Jesus, right? Or have you and I become so busy that we are consumed with the hustle and bustle that often overtakes the celebration of Jesus, and we fall into the trap of ‘busy-ness’ rather than the “business” of spreading the Good News—that “Joy To The World” is what Jesus came to accomplish!!! And it cost Him His life on the cross of Calvary!!! But praise God He not only died for our sin, but He arose to grant to all who will believe in HIM, forgiveness of sin and eternal victory over sin, death and hell!!! And that, my dear friends, is certainly reason enough to share this “Joy To The World” at every opportunity!

The author of the book of Hebrews shares great insight into the reasons for Jesus’ coming—what we celebrate at Christmas time—the incarnation of God into human flesh and blood. But why? Because only a perfect sacrifice from a perfect man could be the perfect payment for SIN! And sin, my friends, is the issue, even as the angel told Joseph when he was concerned about Mary being pregnant with a child that he knew wasn’t his.

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying,

Joseph, thou son of David,

fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife:

for that which is conceived in her

is of the Holy Ghost.

21 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.”   Matthew 1:19-23

God revealed to Joseph that the child Mary was carrying was the promised Messiah—that he would “save his people from their sins”, and the only reason that He could do that was because He was, is and ever shall be “Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”! Jesus was the promised One, the One who would save us from our sins—and only God in the flesh could do that—“Emmanuel…. God with us”! Amen and Amen! I’m so glad that God loved me enough to lay aside the glory of heaven, come and dwell in a woman’s womb for nine months, experience human birth, spend years growing in a body of flesh—He who was, is and ever shall be, GOD! All for you and me! That’s what we see in Hebrews chapter 2, let’s look.

“Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

9 But we see Jesus,

who was made a little lower than the angels

for the suffering of death,

crowned with glory and honour;

that he by the grace of God

should taste death

for every man.

10 For it became him,

for whom are all things,

and by whom are all things,

in bringing many sons unto glory,

to make the captain of their salvation perfect

through sufferings.

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children

are partakers of flesh and blood,

he also himself likewise

took part of the same;

that through death

he might destroy him

that had the power of death,

that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them

who through fear of death

were all their lifetime

subject to bondage.

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels;

but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him

to be made like unto his brethren,

that he might be a merciful

and faithful high priest

in things pertaining to God,

to make reconciliation

for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself hath suffered

being tempted,

he is able to succour them

that are tempted.”   Hebrews 2:8-18

Do you realize that Jesus birth is the epitome of God’s love—giving His Son, the God-Man to live life in a body of flesh that He could not only pay for our sin, but comfort and restore us when we are tempted and fail!!! Even more than that, He can provide us the strength and courage to resist temptation and overcome sin day by day, when we come to His throne for help!

“For we have not an high priest

which cannot be touched

with the feeling of our infirmities;

but was in all points tempted

like as we are,

yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly

unto the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help

in time of need.”    Hebrews 4:15-16

That, my friend is the reason that we can truly sing “Joy To The World”—and you and I are part of the ‘world’ that Jesus came to save. He was born KING, is coming again—as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords–and He won’t come again to a manger, but to a throne. But praise God He did come as the suffering servant to pay for my sin and yours! He is worthy of our worship. Who or what are you worshipping this Christmas season? Does Jesus or the hustle and bustle of the world hold your heart? The “wise men” showed us what we ought to do.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying,

Where is he

that is born King of the Jews?

for we have seen his star

in the east,

and are come to worship him.”    Matthew 2:1-2

They saw a star and came to worship the newborn KING. What are we worshipping today, every day—Jesus or something much less worthy? He is the Savior, yes; but He is Savior because HE IS GOD!!!

“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:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created,

that are in heaven,

and that are in earth,

visible and invisible,

whether they be thrones,

or dominions,

or principalities,

or powers:

all things were created by him,

and for him:

17 And he is before all things,

and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body,

the church:

who is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead;

that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:12-17

Jesus is the creator of the universe! He IS God, God who came to save us, giving His life for ours—for all who will believe and come to Him as the Only Lamb of God, who “takes away the sin of the world”!

So my question for you today is, “Do you have the “Joy” that Jesus gives to those who come to HIM? Or are you painting on a face for the world, trying to cover a broken and empty life inside?” Jesus came that you might have real life, abundant life; won’t you come to Him today? What better time to come to the Savior than at a time when we celebrate His birth, His incarnation (never His coming into existence, but His coming down from heaven to be our Redeemer)! If you know Him, won’t you join me in re-committing to being a reflection of that “Joy To The World” that Isaac Watts wrote about so long ago—HE truly is the Only hope of joy for this lost and dying world, and it’s our job to spread the “Good News”, that Jesus Christ has come to save sinners, “of whom I am chief” (which I say along with Paul!)! Blessing on your week, friends—and remember Jesus came because HE loves YOU!!!

“I am the door:

by me if any man enter in,

he shall be saved,

and shall go in and out,

and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not,

but for to steal,

and to kill,

and to destroy:

I am come that they might have life,

and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd:

the good shepherd giveth his life

for the sheep.” John 10:9-11

He did it all for you and me, and that IS cause to celebrate!! Merry Christmas!!!