January is named after Janus, the god of the doorway; the name
has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for
door (ianua) – January is the door to the year. In ancient Roman
religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions,
thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a
two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past. The concepts
of January and janitor are both based on aspects of Janus (Wikipedia)
IT’S
the time for New Year’s resolutions. A survey of such resolutions shows
that losing weight is right there at the top off the list:
Hebrews
12:1-4 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which
doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is
set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners
against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4 Ye have
not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
The
word weight comes from the Greek: ógkos; gen. ógkou, which occurs only
here in the Bible. It means: A tumor, mass, magnitude, weight, burden,
impediment (Heb_12:1 where the apostle speaks of our Christian course
under the similitude of a race) (Strong's).
The Amplified Version reads thus: Hebrews
12:1-4 THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and
throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so
readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us
run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the
appointed course of the race that is set before us, 2 Looking away
[from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source
of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also
its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy
[of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross,
despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of
the throne of God.(1) 3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners
such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up
and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may
not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in
your minds. 4 You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against
sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring
out your [own] blood.
As a Christian separated, we should examine what may be considered a weight in our life
It
is not an uncommon thing for a runner to strap on weights when in
training. The weight increase the resistance he has to work against
resulting in a buildup of strength and endurance to counter a greater
body mass. It would be extremely foolish and counterproductive, however,
to enter into the actual race with the weights still strapped on. That
would be an invitation to defeat and loss!
The biggest weight
facing the Hebrew Christians was the burden of keeping the ceremonies
and law. It was a legitimate part of the Jewish form of worship, but
with the advent of Christ and the ushering in of the New Covenant it had
all become a shadow. It nevertheless became a weighty encumbrance to
those who were seeking to hold on to both the old and the new.
As
Christians today we may not be facing the problem that these Hebrew
Christians faced but if we look carefully we may very well find that we
have compiled our own set of weights.
The words Lay
aside comes from: apotithemi meaning to put away (literally or
figuratively): - cast off, lay apart (aside, down), put away (off)
(Strong's).
What are some things we should lay aside?
1. THE OLD SELF LIFE WITH ITS FLAWS AND UGLINESS
1
Peter 2:1-3 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so
be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Romans
13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake
out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off
the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let
us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in
chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil
the lusts thereof.
James 1:21-27
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and
receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your
souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a
doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth
what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law
of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but
a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any
man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion
and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless
and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the
world.
Ephesians 4:25-27 Wherefore
putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are
members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun
go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.
2. OUR UNSWERVING ADDICTION TO OUR WAY OF DOING THINGS.
We
are creatures of habit and many times traditions die hard in us. We are
accustomed to doing things our way and when it does not go our way we
are upset, troubled, disturbed and react in anger or violence to the
detriment of those around us.
2 Kings 5:9-12 So Naaman
came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the
house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go
and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee,
and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and
said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and
call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the
place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them,
and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
Jesus refers to tradition in Matthew
15:3-6 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress
the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying,
Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let
him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or
his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by
me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus
have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
We are warned in Colossians
2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not
after Christ.
Remember Forasmuch as ye
know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained
before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times
for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the
dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 1
Peter 1:18-21
3. TIME CONSUMING TRIVIAL AND MEANINGLESS THINGS.
He had everything and more that money could buy everything that his heart desired! Yet hear his words to us from Ecclesiastes
1:1-11 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is
vanity. 3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh
under the sun? 4 One generation passeth away, and another generation
cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 5 The sun also ariseth, and the
sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6 The wind
goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth
about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his
circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full;
unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 8
All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not
satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 The thing
that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is
that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10
Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath
been already of old time, which was before us. 11 There is no
remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of
things that are to come with those that shall come after.
We chase and pursue after things that will in the end be of no use to us:
A anonymous poet once observed:
We squander our HEALTH
In search of Wealth
We scheme and toil and save
Then squander Wealth
In search of Health
And all we get’s a grave.
We live and boast of what we own
We die and only get a stone.
Seriously
though we climb the highest mountains, swim the deepest seas, run the
hardest trail in an effort to brag and boast of our achievements. Our
desire is to do something, achieve something that we can look back to
with a sense of accomplishment and say "I did that!"
Jesus related in Luke 12:15-21 And
he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's
life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain
rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself,
saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my
fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and
build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many
years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto
him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then
whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he
that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
From C T Studd comes these lines...
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”
When
we have sung our last song and have spent our last coin and have
breathed our last breath and stand before our God remember “Only what's
done for Christ will last!"
“On the morning of Sept.
11, Jeannie Braca switched on the television to check the weather
report, only to hear that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center.
Jeannie’s husband, Al, worked as a corporate bond trader for Cantor
Fitzgerald. His office was on the 105th floor of Tower One… A week
later, Al’s body was found in the rubble.”
Then reports
trickled in from friends and acquaintances. Some people on the 105th
floor had made a last call or sent a final e-mail to a loved one saying
that “a man” was leading people in prayer. A few referred to Al by name.
The Bracas learned that Al had indeed been ministering to people during
the attack. When he realized that they were all trapped in the building
and would not be able to escape, Al shared the gospel with a group of
50 co-workers and led them in prayer.
This news came as
no surprise to Jeannie. For years, she and Al had been praying for the
salvation of these men and women. According to Jeannie, Al hated his
job; he couldn’t stand the environment. It was a world so completely out
of touch with his Christian values. But he wouldn’t quit. He was
convinced that God wanted him to stay there, to be a light in the
darkness. To that end, Al freely shared his faith with his co-workers,
many of whom sarcastically nicknamed him “The Rev.”
“They mocked him,” Jeannie recalls, “but when horrible things happened in their lives, they always asked Al for prayer.”
He prayed with them and shared the importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
On
Sept. 11, in the midst of the chaos, Al’s family was uppermost on his
mind. Unable to get through on the phone, Al asked an MCI operator to
contact his family. “Tell them that I love them,” he said. It took the
operator more than a month to reach the Bracas, but the message brought
them much-needed comfort.
“The last thing my dad did
involved the two things most important to him?God and his family,” (his
son) Christopher says. “He loved to lead people to Christ. That takes
away a lot of the hurt and the pain.” (Christin Ditchfield, Focus on the
Family magazine)
What can we look forward to in this coming year in our relation to God, man and our service and allegiance?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
THE UNSPEAKABLE GIFT!
2Co 9:15
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
The
word translated unspeakable (anekdiegetos) is used only here in the bible.
Thayer defines
it as the unspeakable, indescribable
James Swanson,
Dictionary of Biblical Languages describes it as indescribable, beyond words
(neb), unspeakable (kjv, asv), inexpressible (rsv), beyond all telling (njb),
beyond all praise (reb)
Spiros
Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary says: Incapable of being
adequately expressed or uttered, unspeakable, inexpressible, unutterable,
ineffable
Though
I am able to speak with the tongues of men and of angels I am yet unable to
explain and describe God's gift that
came wrapped in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The appearance of
the glorified Christ beggars description as John's use of human words fails in
his effort to convey what he saw.
God's
gift came to us wrapped in human flesh, wrapped in Mary's womb, wrapped in
swaddling bands. He was stripped of his clothing and unwrapped on Calvary
releasing His life for all mankind. How can you refuse Him?
In
what way is God's Gift unspeakable?
1. HE IS UNSPEAKABLE IN HIS PRESENTATION
Well
expressed in Mary's question: How shall this be seeing I know not a man? His
Incarnation was in a way totally impossible to man! Luke 1:30-37 And the angel said
unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy
womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He
shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And
he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall
be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her,
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God. 36 And,
behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and
this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
How
indeed? As Paul said: And without controversy great is the mystery
of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of
angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into
glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily. Colossians 2:9
How
can we begin to understand the mystery of God Manifest in the flesh? Looking at
the tiny baby wrapped in swaddling bands lying in a manger can you grasp the
concept...that Almighty Eternal God had integrated Himself within a human baby?
It may be a million times easier to visualize holding all the world's oceans in
a tiny teacup! For in him dwelleth all the
fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Colossians 2:9 Or as the Amplified version renders it: For
in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily
form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. Colossians 2:9 AMP
Yes!
His very coming into the world was in a manner indescribable! Unspeakable in
His presentation! If good things come in small packages then by comparison
there was never a package so small and the thing in it so good! And
the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and
the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35 KJV
Illustration:
The Unspeakable Gift
Long ago, there
ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know
how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in
the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No
one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler.
One time he
visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor
man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited
the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, “I am your king!”
The king thought
the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn’t. Instead he
said, “You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary
place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To
others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!”
2. HE IS UNSPEAKABLE IN HIS PRICE
In
spite of the saying that it's the thought that counts and not the gift or its
price many still asses a gift by it's value. What can we say about the value of
the Gift of God? What value can we put on His gift to us? The Bible says: For
what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26 KJV
If
one soul is so costly that the whole world cannot buy it...then consider that
the Gift of God's Son is able to pay the price for the billions of souls that
have passed their life on earth...and consider that when God decided to give, He
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32 KJV
It is more than
the world’s wealth Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your
vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of
a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1:18-19 KJV
3. HE IS UNSPEAKABLE IN HIS PERSONALITY
The officers answered, Never man spake like this
man. John 7:46
And it came
to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his
doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Mat 7:28-29
And all bare him witness, and wondered at the
gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this
Joseph's son? Luke 4:22
And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath
done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
Mark 7:37
Consider this description and then ponder on
what Christ means to you!
The Incomparable
Christ
He came from the
bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might
put on divinity. He became man that we might become the sons of God. He came
from Heaven, where the rivers never freeze, winds never blow, frosts never
chill the air, and flowers never fade. They never phone for a doctor for there
no one is ever sick. No undertakers and no graveyards for no one ever die - no
one is ever buried.
He was born
contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, reared in obscurity; only
once crossed the boundary of the land of his childhood. He had no wealth or influence
and had neither training nor formal education. His relatives were inconspicuous
and un-influential.
In infancy He
startled a king; in boyhood He puzzled the doctors; in manhood He ruled the
course of nature. He walked upon the billows and hushed the sea to sleep. He
healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services. He
never wrote a book, yet not all the libraries of the country could hold the
books that could be written about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished
the theme of more songs than all the song writers combined. He never founded a
college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He
has. He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He has healed more broken hearts
than the doctors have broken bodies. He never marshaled any army, drafted a
soldier, nor fired a gun, yet no leader ever made more volunteers, who have
under His orders, made more rebels stack arms or surrender without a shot being
fired.
He is the Star
of astronomy. The Rock of geology, the Lion and the Lamb of zoology, the
Harmonizer of all discords and the Healer of all diseases. Great men have come
and gone, yet He lives on. Herod could not kill Him, Satan could not seduce
Him, Death could not destroy Him, the grave could not hold Him.
He laid aside
His purple robe for a peasant's gown. He was rich, yet for our sake He became
poor. How poor? Ask Mary! Ask the Wise Men! He slept in another's manger. He
cruised the lake in another's boat. He rode on another man's ass. He was buried
in another man's tomb. All failed but He never. The ever perfect One - He is
the Chief among ten thousand. He is altogether lovely. He is the Christ, the
Son of the living God.
-- Samuel Porter
Jones
He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of
heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints,
and feared by devils, as the living, personal Christ, our Lord and Saviour!
4. HE IS UNSPEAKABLE IN HIS PURPOSE
He
came to die, to take my place, to minister to me, to love me in spite of what
or who I am!
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28
KJV
Who
can comprehend God dying in our place because He loves us so? Even the
centurion at the crucifixion recognized that he was witnessing something
extraordinary!
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him,
watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they
feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. Matthew 27:54 KJV
Who can understand the agony and suffering as
Christ suffered the gut wrenching, heart tearing separation from His Father
that caused Him to cry out in despair? And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a
loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:46
KJV and yet at the same time we read this in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 KJV 18 And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17 KJV
How can we not love Him who loved us so much? Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are
killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 KJV
A young father,
whose wife had just died, took his daughter on a cruise to begin the recovery
process. As they huddled together on the deck of the ship, the little girl
asked her father, “Daddy, does God love us as much as Mummy did?”
At first, the
man didn’t know quite what to say. But he knew he couldn’t sidestep the
question. Pointing across the water to the distant horizon, he said, “God’s
love reaches farther than you can see in that direction.”
The man then
looked up at the sky, and said, “God’s love is higher than the sky, as well.”
Finally, he pointed down at the ocean and reflected, “It’s deeper than the
ocean, too.”
After hearing
her father speak, the girl responded: “Oh, just think, Daddy. We’re right here
in the middle of all that love.”
Right
there in Christ we are found in the middle of all that love! Right there in
Christ we are wrapped in the warmth of His Love. And like the Apostle Paul I
would also like to say:
For this
cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened
with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and
depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now
unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages,
world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV
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