Month: December 2020

John 1:1-2,14a ; 3:16 (NKJV)

One of the most memorized verses in the Bible is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This verse confirms God’s eternal love for the crown of His creation even though we are sinners – disobedient and undeserving of His favor. Man’s fall from God’s grace didn’t stop Him from loving us. Oh, how quick we are to stop loving each other with our imperfect, impatient selves! “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Centuries prior to the first Advent of Jesus, prophets foretold of the coming of a Savior born of a virgin who would save all who believed in him from their sins.  It was prophesied that his name would be called Immanuel which is translated, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). In Matthew 1:21 the angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream, saying “you shall call His name Jesus,”literally meaning Savior. We have made promises we didn’t keep, but God did just what He said He’d do. He didn’t leave us wandering aimlessly as lost sheep in the wilderness – helpless and vulnerable to being attached and destroyed by wild animals. Nor has He left us sitting on the porch or the steps waiting for Him to come, and He never showed up.

He was actually here all the time: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1-2, 14a). In Philippians 2:5-8 (paraphrased), even though Jesus Christ, being in the form of God, that is Spirit, did not think it was robbery, being equal with God to leave his home in glory and take on the form of a bondservant to save sinner man. Yes, by the power of the Holy Spirit God entered this world through the womb of a virgin named Mary. “God with us” is prophecy fulfilled. He became fully man and lived in this earthly realm, yet he maintained his nature as fully God. His Love for sinners manifested through the coming of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Who came to give us life everlasting if we believe in. He humbled himself and became obedient to death of the cross. Now we are to humble ourselves and graciously accept the way of Salvation in the name of Jesus, the Savior of the world. He died for all, but only those who believe in Jesus, God’s only begotten Son will not perish but have everlasting life.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV)

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (v. 18). Mary’s engagement to Joseph was a legally binding contract and required a divorce for it to be nullified. Before they came together, the Holy Spirit overshadows her, and she conceives a child. Once Joseph knew of her pregnancy he assumes that she had been unfaithful to him, but being just and righteous, and not wanting to publicly disgrace her, he planned to divorce her quietly. He was in a dilemma; Jewish customs and laws say that Mary could be disgraced or punished, and even Joseph could face humiliation from his peers. Mary would probably bear the brunt of the more harsh criticism from the sisters. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Oops, Mary hadn’t sinned; she had faith and responded to God’s call to carry His only begotten Son for nine months in her womb. Oh, what a privilege!

We make plans, but God can change them to accomplish His purpose. Joseph was thinking about his plans for handling this situation, when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, telling him to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife “for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (v.20) “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (V. 21). Joseph showed great faith and love for Mary and the Lord and obeyed for the angel’s command to take her as his wife. Do we exercise that level of love and faith in the face of humiliation, or do we override the Holy Spirit out of fear of what someone might say?

Joseph exemplified obedience; we should do the same. Verses 22-23: ‘So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah] saying: ²³ Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”’ Matthew 1:24-25say that Joseph awoke from his sleep, and right away responded obediently to the command of the angel of the Lord and took Mary home as his wife. God trusted Joseph; he was self-disciplined and did not know her till she had given birth to her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus; He was the blessing that resulted from a humiliating dilemma, praise God.

Jeremiah 23:3-4

How many of us believe that nothing goes on without God’s foreknowledge and allowance? Yes, God knows beforehand; He’s omniscient; however, because of man’s free-will moral agent status, we choose disobedience or obedience. He is sovereign, and it is His predestined will that we should have eternal life through belief in His son Jesus Christ, but He never forces Himself on us. Disobedience is sin, separation from God; “the wages of sin is death.” Obedience is abiding in the righteousness of God; “the gift of God is eternal life.” The faithless pastors destroyed and scattered God’s people, and on behalf of God Jeremiah pronounced their indictment – “Woe to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture” (23:1)!

After the prophecy of indictment, the Lord promises hope to His neglected people. “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply” (23:3).  God says that He will gather the remnant of His flock out of all the countries “where I have driven them.” He announced punishment on the pastors for destroying and scattering His sheep because of their evil and irresponsible leadership. His people were driven from the safety of their sheepfold, resulting in their dispersion and captivity because of their persistent disobedience. Now God says “where I have driven them” to assure us that nothing happens without His foreknowledge and allowance. After all, He is our Creator, giving Him full ownership of us for His good pleasure. He continues offering them hope of restoration; “I will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.” His chosen people were blessed to be in His favor as we are too.

“I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, says the Lord” (23:4). Because the pastors failed to care for God’s people pre-exile, He promised that when he gathered the destroyed and scattered remnant home again, He would set up shepherds over them who would feed them physically and spiritually. Jeremiah continued the prophecy of the Lord, saying that when He gathered them home they will fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking.  “…for they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing” (Psalm 34:10b). We are His people and have the assurance from God that He will take care of us. How good and gracious our Almighty Father is!

Jeremiah 23:1-2

In chapters 21:11- 22:30, God called repeatedly for justice and threatened judgment, but these corrupt leaders did not heed. After having issued a scathing indictment against Israel’s civic leaders Jeremiah prophesied a scathing indictment against the faithless religious leaders of Israel – the kings, prophets and priests. “Woe are to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord” (23:1). Yes, it was God’s pasture, and His sheep; “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3c) as were the people of Israel. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words renders pastor “a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them), and is used metaphorically of Christian ‘pastors,’ Ephesians 4:11” ; therefore, pastors have the responsibility of not only feeding but of protecting, instructing, leading, encouraging, and etc. When the pastors, or shepherds, of Israel became faithless and corrupt, neglecting God’s people, He was not delighted the least. As God’s shepherds, who were political or spiritual leaders, their responsibility was caring for or overseeing His people, and they had failed.

‘Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” says the Lord’ (23:2, AMP). The ungodly leaders were self-absorbed, corrupt, and negligent of God’s people. He held them responsible for those entrusted to them; therefore, they were condemned to sorrow and misery. They were guilty of scattering God’s flock. Expository paraphrased from Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says that the charge against the leaders was true both literally and spiritually. The people had been driven away from the fold  into exile in distant lands. The wicked rulers neglected God’s people, but He was not negligent and would visit them and attend to the evil of their deeds by reproof and chastisement. “Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:3).

In Genesis 2:15-17 (NRSV, paraphrased) we are told that the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to take care of it. God commanded the man to eat freely of every tree of the garden except of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because in the day that he ate of it he would die. This is God’s first test of man’s obedience. Fast-forward to Genesis 3 and the woman and the serpent, the craftiest animal that the Lord God had made, is having a conversation, but it is filled with half- truths and lies. Eventually the lies led to man’s fall from God’s grace and obedience to shame and disobedience.   As a result, the man, the woman, and the serpent were punished for their part in disobeying God. We must trust God, and trust requires having faith in God and accepting His Word. God promised the serpent in Genesis 3:15 (AMP, paraphrased) that because of his deception of the woman (Eve), He would put enmity, or open hostility, between him and the woman, and between his seed and her seed. He shall [fatally] bruise the serpent’s head, and the serpent shalt [only] bruise his heel. This is God’s prophecy of the coming of His only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind. We must not become lax and let our spiritual antenna down; we must practice being at high alert always. When our spiritual antenna is up, our reception from God is clear of static and interference. We must always be alert; Satan is lurking in the atmosphere waiting for the opportunity to make us his next prey. And we talk about static? We can’t hear the Father because of the static – the noise. Let’s protect ourselves. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6: 11) “…for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11).