Archive for December, 2023
Your Supernatural Enabler
Philippians 4: 15 – 20
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” This verse is well-loved and often quoted, but frequently misunderstood and thus misapplied. This verse is not a promise that God will enable believers to do whatever they want whenever they want it.
Jesus equips us for life. The apostle Paul, one of Christ’s choice trophies of redemption, believed this and therefore wrote: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Do you REALLY believe this?
Various translations are all true to the text, but each makes it a bit more understandable. Note these:
“I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives within me” (Phillips).
“I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency” (AMP).
“I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power” (Living Bible).
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” NLT
“I can do everything God asks me to…” Everything? Everything!
The penman Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” This verse explains how he had been able to be content. He said, “I have learned to be content.” Paul had to learn contentment; it isn’t natural to mankind. The only way we can be content is to learn it. We learn it when we come to realize that everything that is worth doing can be done “through the strength of the One who lives within me” (Phillips).
This verse is not a magic incantation that allows anybody to do anything they desire. Some seem to think it is and misapply it. A person not in a saving relationship with Jesus has no claim to it. Jesus is the facilitator for things He wants done by those He wants to do them. We learn to rely on that as a result of having seen Him do it in our life. Conditions that proved to be instructors teaching Paul are noted: “ I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” After these ups and downs then he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Our strength to perform duty and to bear sufferings is in Christ. He enables His people; He strengthens them with strength in their souls.
“I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives within me” (Phillips).
Remember that today, every day, and in all things.
Palms and Cedars
I feel it is not necessary to explain the meaning of words knowing they likely are known by readers, but I do so to aid readers who perhaps don’t know the meaning. For example, a metaphor is one thing conceived as representing another; a symbol. The Bible uses metaphors widely, such as, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” Psalm 92: 12.
To understand the meaning, find the traits of the palm tree and the cedar in the metaphor.
The beautiful palm tree in the Bible era represented victory of the spirit over the flesh. Palm trees are not made of hardwood. Instead, they consist of spongy, fibrous tissue that helps them be flexible. So the righteous should be.
Palm trees are not the grandest or most impressive trees, thus humility is ascribed to them. A kindred attribute is stability.
They were symbolic of life and prosperity. Other qualities of the palm tree that are noteworthy of the righteous are resilience, victory, peace tranquility, inner peace and serenity.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey shortly before His arrest and crucifixion, the people placed palm branches on the road before Him (John 12:12-13; Matthew 21:7-8). The palm branches depicted joy, celebration and welcome to the King.
It’s test time. How many of those qualities do people see in you?
Now the majestic cedars of Lebanon grow to a height of 150 feet and limbs spreading over a circumference of 30 feet. They were a metaphor for the might and grandeur of God.
The righteous Christian, that is, shall grow like the cedars. Applied, this refers to our spiritual growth as having the qualities of the cedars. Metaphorically it speaks of durability, and resilience. They were also symbolic of divine wisdom.
One physical attribute of the cedar was its strength. They were a valued building product throughout the middle east because of their strength. Their wood was used extensively in Solomon’s temple.
In several ancient cultures, cedar wood was used to construct sacred spaces, temples, and religious artifacts, as it was believed to ward off negative energy and provide spiritual protection.
The tree’s natural oils and resins are believed to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and insect-repellent properties. In a spiritual context, these qualities represent the cleansing and purifying aspects of cedar, which can be applied to the mind, body, and soul.
As a strong and resilient tree, cedar symbolizes strength and endurance. The tree’s ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, pests, and diseases exemplifies the idea of spiritual resilience and fortitude.
The spiritual significance of cedar encompasses protection, wisdom, strength, purity, and connection with the divine.
Now get out there and flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
But God
God said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another…” John 13: 34. But God you don’t understand, if you had seen what they did to me you would know why I don’t love them.
The omnipotent all powerful God said, I was with you. You were not at Calvary, if you had seen what they did to my Son you could not have understood why love so great was expressed, and how He could pray, “Father forgive them….”
God said, “… be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4: 32. “But God, you don’t understand, if you had heard what they said about me you would understand why I feel harshly toward them.”
The omniscient, all knowing God said, “I heard what they said. You were not at the mock trial of my Son when they profaned Him, mocked, and ridiculed Him you could not have understood why I forgave them.”
God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you…” Hebrews 13: 5. “But God, you don’t understand what it’s like to feel so all alone.”
The omnipresent, all present God said, “I know how you rely on feelings rather than facts. You were not in Gethsemane with my Son or you would know what being all alone is really like.”
God is ever present with you,“If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” Psalm 139: 8.
God is more than equal to any adversity you have. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” Isaiah 59:1.
God even knows your thoughts. “God already knows our deepest thoughts” Romans 8: 27.
He is all present, all knowing, and all powerful. Add to that “God is love…” I John 4: 8.
His promise to Jeremiah is relevant in your life, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29: 11. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
If the all present, all knowing, all powerful, all loving God has a plan for you, what flaw could there be in His plan? Why not commit to Him and in loving response resolve to obey Him? It is for your good to do so.
“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…”
Psalms 37: 5 – 7.
The NLT version reads, “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you.” That is a simple act with profound results.
Getting to Know Your True Self
Do you know anyone living behind a mask, that is, they are pretending to be someone or something they are not? They are faking it, and appear to be getting away with it in certain circles. Their make believe life is having such problems as:
Fear is one emotion, fear of being found out, fear of failure, or fear of rejection. Fear has many eyes.
Lloyd Douglas, one of the most popular authors of his time wrote: “If a person harbors any sort of fear, it percolates through all of his thinking, damages his personality and makes him a landlord to a ghost. Fear must be faced and conquered; else it becomes the conqueror.” That alone is reason not to live a lie.
The second emotional factor is self-hatred. Being aware they can’t live up to the expectations of others they begin to grow hatred for themselves. It is defeating and destructive of the pretender. The search for success by the standards held by others is frustrating. Not even God expects a person to be successful, only faithful. Self-hatred tends toward destruction. It may not be self-destruction, but can be by over extension, making obviously bad decisions that are destructive, rejection of virtuous love, or ignoring obvious opportunities.
A third emotion is unresolved anger. The tragedy is the anger might be poured out on the innocent. Criminal acts are often the result. Anger can lead to overstimulation of the thyroid and adrenal glands. Debilitating results may be arthritis, mental disease, vascular disease. These are some of the reasons the Scripture advises that we not let the sun go down on our anger. Deal with it.
Resolve not to keep score. The scorekeeper always wins and in life that isn’t good.
Don’t swear vengeance, God says that is His job. He can do a better job of it.
Spiritual therapy will help. Remember how God has forgiven you and act in a godly manner by doing the same for others.
The fourth emotion resulting from living a pretentious false life is loneliness. One can be lonely without being alone, and alone without being lonely.
One avoidable type of loneliness results when, instead of “being yourself” a role is played that can be corrected by being your true self. This intensifies because people never get to know the true self which becomes loneliness. The persons becomes hostile to self and others. The result of getting on better terms with yourself is you can be on better terms with others.
The prerequisite for getting over loneliness and these other detrimental traits is getting on better terms with God. Shakespear wisely proffered, “Of all knowledge the wise and good seek most to know themselves.”
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9: 23, 24).
What Is the Bible to You?
Early Christians had such loving devotion to Jesus that in the Second Century, Tertullian, an early Christian author, wrote the Roman Emperor:
“We are but of yesterday, and yet already we fill your cities, your islands, your camps, your palaces, your senate, your forum; we have left you only your empty heathen temple.”
When Christ becomes cherishable to us then we will defend the honor of His name, give to further His cause, live consistently by His standard, and sacrifice for His cause. Jesus can cause our phobias to vanish and our faith flourish.
In the Old Testament era Jews would not even speak the name of Jehovah. It was considered too sacred to even be written. Therefore, when written it appeared in the abbreviated equivalent of JHWH in Hebrew.
In the time of Jesus Greek was almost a universal language. When scholars translated the Hebrew name, Jehovah, they used the Greek word “Kurios,” meaning Lord.
When Jesus is called “Lord” the term is the same as used for Jehovah, meaning He is God. In Titus 2: 13, 14, He is spoken of as “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us…”
In Greek when two nouns are connected by the word for “and,” and the first is preceded by an article, and the second isn’t, the second is equal to the first and is a further explanation thereof. Thus, “great God” and “Savior Jesus Christ” are equal.
His cherishableness to them and their closeness to Him let them work from victory not for victory. We must, as they, work not for our victory, but from His victory over life and death.
The Bible is our authority for these and other truths. What is it to you?
You may own a Bible and hold it in your hand. Thus, to you it is a possession.
A deceased friend who lived here in Marietta for years was president of Scripto Pen. He told me that when their ball point pen was first introduced in Africa there was a rush to get them. People would often buy a pen and sell the cap for much more than they paid for the entire pen. The reason was it was a status symbol. Most persons were illiterate and could neither read nor write. However, with just the cap of the pen they could put it on a shirt pocket and make it appear they owned a pen and could write. It gave status, making them appear educated.
Some persons use the Bible in a similar manner. A survey by the Barna Group revealed that most Christians don’t know the four gospels and can’t name five of the Ten Commandments. They don’t really know their Bible, it appears they do. How do you use your Bible?
To some it is merely a possession. Some memorize parts. To them it is a precept. Others live by it. To them it is a practice. What is it to you.?