No Boasting

“Not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9)

Suppose when you get to heaven you were to see a group of folks in a heated exchange of words of boasting and bragging about what all they had done to get to heaven. One fellow is boasting of all the Sundays he attended church without missing one time. “If anyone deserves it, I do,” he says. Another brags of how many pairs of shoes he wore out walking from door to door inviting folks to church. “I deserve eternal life,” he says as his chest swells with pride. One after another they speak, boasting of sins they had not committed and boasting of their good deeds they had done.

That is not a sight you will see in heaven because salvation is not earned nor rewarded; it is given to those who will believe the Gospel of the grace of God.

It is good to do those things and practice good moral behavior as a result of being saved and having Christ in your heart. But good deeds, no matter how noble, can never earn for us eternal life. “By grace are you saved through faith…it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Have you accepted your gift?

Saved by Grace

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God… (Ephesians 2:8)

Grace has been defined as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. It has been said that “Mercy” is God not giving us what we do deserve, and “Grace” is God giving us what we don’t deserve.

When we look at the spiritual poverty of mankind without salvation: dead in sin, a sinful walk, led by Satan, behavior in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and by nature the children of wrath, plus we had no hope and were without God. (Ephesians 2:1-3, 12) We did not deserve mercy and desperately needed grace. He gave us both mercy and grace.

An old song says, “Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me, there my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary.

Here is something you should remember: “Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.”

But God

“But God who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Following a list of descriptive sins against us, the Bible shows us how God has handled those charges by saying, “But God, who is rich in mercy…has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus…For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:4,6,8)

So much is covered by the little three letter conjunction, “BUT.” I owed a great debt of sin, BUT Jesus paid it all.  I was destined for eternity in hell, BUT God rescued me. I stood condemned to die, BUT Jesus took my place. I should have been crucified, I should have suffered and died, I should have hung on the cross in disgrace, BUT Jesus, God’s Son, took my place.

On one side of the conjunction, “but,” is our condemnation. On the other side of the conjunction is our salvation. On which side are you?

But He had a Deadly Disease

“Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.” (II Kings 5:1)

Naaman had some outstanding traits and was respected by the king of Syria. He had marvelous potential except for one flaw. He had leprosy. Leprosy in that day was like many forms of cancer in our day, it carried a death sentence with it.

Both leprosy and cancer, while neither is a sin, are descriptive of sin in our lives. If not dealt with, many diseases of the human body will grow until they take the life of the carrier. Sin is so like that. Sin left alone will grow to one’s destruction.

You may be like Naaman with many fine traits and outstanding abilities, but you must deal with your sin. The Bible says,“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)  If you have not done so, I encourage you to confess your sins to Him and accept His gift of eternal life.

Watching the Side-Show

“And sitting down they watched Him there.” (Matthew 27:36)

Wicked men had just nailed the hands and feet of the Son of god to a cross just outside the city of Jerusalem. They had come to this spot and sat down so they would not miss the main attraction. That sounds noble enough, except when you realize the main attraction, or the main event, was designed to forever rid the world of this miracle-working prophet from Galilee.

Many people are attracted to this man of Galilee, this one who called Himself the Son of God, for the “side-show effect.” If He ceases to be the biggest show in town they will drop off and fall away. Others are truly repentant of their sins and they trust Him for salvation. I hope you are in this latter group of people and that you are committed to doing His will and letting Him control your life, whether or not it is the popular thing to do.

The Day After Christmas

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14)

That the birth of Jesus Christ actually happened cannot be denied. Too many verifiable facts attest to His birth that cannot be ignored. Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, then Simeon and then Anna and finally the wise men all beheld the Word made flesh, or God in the flesh.

But, what about today, December 26, and the days following Christmas? What takes place after the Word became flesh is seen in the second part of the verse: “And dwelt among us.” He lived among us. He “pitched His tent” with us. He grew, became a man, taught, preached, worked miracles, was opposed by men, was crucified, died and arose from the grave. Dwelling among us, He taught men how to live, face opposition and how to die. He showed us what God is like.

Today, tomorrow and the days following the celebration of the birth of Jesus, when the Word became flesh, we trust Him to be our Savior and we follow the leading of Him who had His dwelling among us.

Have a Blessed Christmas

…the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us…And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” (Luke 2:15, 20)

In the “Family Circus” cartoon the children were down on the floor playing in front of the TV. A commercial came on and the excited announcer came on the TV and said, “This promises to be the best Christmas ever!” Little Billy responded, “Do you mean even better than the first one?”

The shepherds had to see for themselves what was told them. When they did, they glorified and praised God for what they had heard and seen. Christmas must be experienced first hand. The gift of God’s Son must be received personally. The Bible says, “As many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:12)  One receives the gift of eternal life by faith in God’s Son.

Receive God’s gift to you and have a wonderful Christmas.

Are You Ready for Christmas?

“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger…”(Luke 2:6-7)

As you read these lines on Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas, our text indicates that the first Christmas was happening. It wasn’t always going to be Christmas Eve for Mary, Joseph and Jesus. As you know, it will not always be Christmas Eve for us. Christmas Eve ends and time for preparation is past.

There is excitement in the air as we get ready for the big event, as we make preparation for Christmas. Just as Mary finally gave birth to the Christ Child, just that certainly events for which we have prepared, or in some cases, for which we have not prepared, will come and go.

Death is one of those events. We know it is coming. Have you made preparation?  Another event for which we must prepare is the second coming of Jesus. There are more verses of scripture in the Old Testament prophesying His second coming than there are prophesying His first coming. It won’t always be “preparation time” just as it will not always be Christmas Eve.  Are you prepared?

What’s in a Name?

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the might God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

There are more than one-hundred descriptive names given to Jesus in the Bible. Our text gives us five of these. Those who know Him as their Savior and Lord know Him to be wonderful, and when we are in His presence we experience the wonder of the man, Jesus. The first two, Wonderful and Counselor are just one name in some translations. He truly is a Wonderful Counselor. His counsel is never wrong. He is the Mighty God. He calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee. He raised three people to life, something only God could do. He healed the sick, blind and lame, all things that the Mighty God could and would do. He is the Everlasting Father. In the New Testament He said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

And finally, in this text He is called the Prince of Peace. We do not have peace on earth today because, first of all, not everyone allows Him to rule in their hearts and lives, and second, Satan is alive and well on earth today. When Jesus comes there will be one-thousand years of peace on earth following the tribulation, after Satan is bound in the bottomless pit. You can have perfect peace from this Prince of Peace if you will let Him rule in your life.

This Day

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

(Luke 2:11)

It was night time. Shepherds were watching their sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared. Not only that, the glory of the Lord shined all around them. The shepherds were very afraid. You and I would have been afraid also. Angels are not seen every day, at least, not by common ordinary people. The angel then spoke to calm their fears.

“Unto you is born this day a Savior.” What day is implied by “This Day?”  Could it have been December 25? Perhaps. Or does “This Day” mean April 15? Or is “this day” some other day.  What day was “this day?” The point of “this day” is not some circled number on our calendars. The point is, there was an actual event, the birth of the Son of God, on a day, perhaps known only to God.

The angel’s business was not to immortalize a given day but to engrave in the minds and on the hearts of the shepherds and in our minds and hearts that God became one of us and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. The angel was telling the shepherds the news that the Savior had come.

Will you allow Him to be your Savior?

Trust the Good Shepherd

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8)

An old song says, “Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word…” The shepherds out in the field at night keeping watch over their sheep are part of the story of Jesus.

David, son of Jesse, was a shepherd before he was the king of Israel. David penned the Twenty-Third Psalm in which he stated, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) In John chapter ten Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd and stated that the Good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep.

These men were of the same craft as David, the shepherd boy, the same as Jesus is to us who today are His sheep. It should come as no surprise to us that the angel of the Lord came upon these lowly shepherds and the glory of the Lord shined round about them.

Are you part of the Good Shepherd’s flock? Are you trusting Him with all your heart? Trust the Good Shepherd to care for you.

Make Room for Jesus

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the Inn” (Luke 2:7)

The Bethlehem inn keeper has taken a bad rap through the years.  The decree of Caesar Augustus that a census be taken caused that people must travel to their native home to be registered. There was no way to call ahead to make reservations. There was no credit card to guarantee that one’s room would be waiting for them. It was strictly, “First come, first served.”

The Inn Keeper had no way of knowing Joseph and Mary would be coming from Nazareth, nor that among the people needing rooms there would be a pregnant woman, nor that this baby would be the Son of God. Yes, the inn keeper has taken a bad rap through the years in sermons, plays, musicals and movies.

But, you and I know the story of the Bethlehem birth of the Christ Child. We know who He is, why He came, that He lived a sinless life, died at the hands of wicked men on a Roman Cross and that He was raised from the dead. Knowing all that, have you made room for Jesus in your life? The Inn Keeper could honestly plead ignorance.  You and I cannot.  I encourage you to make room for Jesus in your life.

Among Women

“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:28)

If you have been reading my devotionals the last few days you probably correctly concluded that I strongly believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

Our text says that the angel said to Mary, “Blessed art thou among women.” When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was also expecting a child, Elizabeth also greeted Mary by saying, “Blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:42)  Neither of these two greetings says more than blessed art thou AMONG women, not ABOVE women. Nowhere in the Bible is Mary singled out as being “ABOVE” women or above men, for that matter.

The conception was miraculous and the birth was miraculous. But the miraculous conception and birth are not to be confused with the dogma, “The Immaculate Conception.” This doctrine,  propagated by some religions, states that Mary’s soul was preserved free from original sin by divine grace. Some have even held that Mary herself was born of a virgin.

When the Bible says, “All have sinned…(Romans 3:23) the word “all” includes Mary, Joseph, Zacharias, Elizabeth, Billy Graham, the pope and even yours truly. Only of Jesus Christ the Son of God could it be said He was sinless. His divine sinless deity came not from His mother, but from His Father, God.

What’s In It For Me?

“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

Are you surrendered to the will of God? When God speaks do you hear? And do you heed? Mary heard the message from God through the angel Gabriel. There was no argument, no, “Are you sure this message is for me?” There was no quibbling. She never asked, “What’s in it for me?”

“Be it unto me according to thy word.” She was resigned to the will of God. The true servant of God hears the message from God through the spoken Word or by the Holy Spirit and, as it were, signs a blank check, hands it over to God and says, “Lord God, you fill in the amount above my signature.”  Don’t be afraid to trust God with your very life, your future and your family and friends.

Son of the Highest

“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. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:32-33)

Recently I heard a song that said, “Jesus would have still been God even if He had not calmed the raging sea, if He had not healed the lame, if He had not caused blinded eyes to see, even if He had not healed the lame, even if He had not performed a single miracle He would have still been God.” He is great because of who He is, not because of what He does.

He is the Son of the Highest. No earthly father’s children could ever be called the son of the highest. Only the virgin born Son of God is qualified to wear the title, “Son of the Highest.” You and I would be called the son of the meanest, lowest, most sinful,  most defiled, but never the Son of the Highest.

He shall be ruler over all peoples of the earth, both Jew and Gentile. You and I become a part of that Kingdom through the New Birth experience. If you are already part of His kingdom I urge you to let Him be your Ruler, Lord and Master.

Jesus is the Son of God

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called His name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:24-25)

When Joseph awoke he took Mary to be his wife. Matthew is careful to point out that Joseph and Mary did not have marital relations until after the baby was born.

To deny the virgin conception and the virgin birth is to deny the very word of God. One may as well deny the existence of heaven, hell, the cross, the resurrection, any need of salvation and John 3:16 as to deny the virgin birth of Christ. Denying these truths makes the Christian celebration of Christmas a meaningless farce.

Since the birth narratives of Jesus as recorded in the Bible are true, you may put your faith in Him for eternal life, for life here and life here-after.

God With Us

“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, 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 1:22-23)

This is the first of five fulfilled prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. We go back to the days of Ahaz, king of Judah about 742 BC for this prophecy. Isaiah gives this prophecy that a virgin, (not just a young woman) would conceive and bear a Son. (Isaiah 7:14) Not only was the prophecy about the virgin birth, Isaiah also said that the child’s name would be “Immanuel.” Matthew gives the meaning of the name as, “God with us.”

Jesus is the unique Son of God, not the son of Joseph, not the son of an unknown Roman soldier, as some have slanderously stated, but the miraculously conceived and virgin born, Son of God. He is qualified to be your Savior and Lord. Believe on Him for salvation.

Jesus, Name Above All Names

“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)

The name of the child Jesus means “Jehovah saves.” Jesus was a common earthly name. He was known as “Jesus of Nazareth.” It was the name given to Him when Gabriel made his appearance to Mary in Luke chapter one.

He is the sinner’s Savior. We sing in church, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know; fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.” Mothers have called on the name of Jesus when they have seen their sons and daughters go off to war. The mention of the name, “Jesus,” can calm a troubled soul or cause hardened sinners to repent of their sins as they call on that name above every name. One day, at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

That Jesus came into the world to save sinners is what the celebration of Christmas is about. Don’t miss the real reason for the season.

It Was Like This...

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.” (Matthew 1:8-19)

Mary and Joseph were engaged. They were not like some today who live together in the fullest sense of the word before marriage. Mary and Joseph had entered into a contract that was binding on both parties, but they were not married. Couples did not live together nor did they share a bed-room before marriage.

Mary was found to be with child. Joseph knew the baby was not his. What should he do?  Joseph was a good man. He loved Mary. Stoning her for what seemed to be an obvious case of adultery was out of the question. The angel of the Lord came to Joseph and told him the child conceived in Mary was of the Holy Spirit.

It took much faith and courage for Joseph to accept the angel’s explanation, but he accepted it and raised Jesus as his own child. Joseph was part of God’s plan. His plan for you is to allow Jesus to be your Savior and Lord and follow Him in faith and obedience.

“For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37)

God works in impossible situations. Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah, his wife was ninety when their son Isaac was born. Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias, were old and well stricken in years, the Bible says. But they would have a son and he would be called John.

Other impossibilities include the parting of the waters of the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to leave Egypt. Then, there was the ceasing of the flowing of the Jordan River to allow the Israelites to go into Canaan and possess the Promised Land.

When the angel, Gabriel, told Mary, a virgin, that she would have a baby she asked, “How shall this be, since I am a virgin? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit 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 1:34-35)

Are you facing a difficult or impossible situation? Nothing is impossible with God. Surrender everything, even your understanding or lack of understanding of the situation you are facing to God.  If you are facing eternity without ever having been saved, I encourage you to receive Christ Jesus by faith.

Accept the Virgin Birth of Christ by Faith

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26-27)

Some folks find it difficult to believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. They say it is in the realm of impossibilities, that it is too much of a miracle to accept. However, if you believe in God you already accept a miracle, the miracle of God’s existence. God, who has no beginning and no ending, is in the realm of the impossible as far as this world understands.  

God made man of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. (Genesis 2:7) Then He took the man, put him to sleep, removed one of his ribs and from that rib he made a woman. (Genesis 2:21-22) that makes two human beings, neither one having a father or a mother. Then, that man and that woman produced a child in the same manner that you and I were made. That’s three ways human beings have been made. Why not a fourth way? Why should anyone not accept that a virgin could conceive and have a child without an earthly father? Why not, if God is involved?

One of the chief foundations of Christianity is the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the virgin birth He would be just another natural man. I strongly believe in the virgin birth of Christ and encourage you to accept this miracle by faith.

Jesus Can

“And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (Luke 5:12)

Jesus is not a genie in a bottle that comes out and does His miracle of healing when we say the right words or touch Jesus in the right way.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord Jesus to do. The leprous man recognized Jesus’ ability to heal, but faith says, “I trust the Lord to do what is best.” God could have healed Paul the Apostle of his thorn in the flesh but chose not to, saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9)  As it turned out, the Lord chose to cleanse the leprous man of his leprosy, as He did many others of various diseases.

Will you be satisfied with whatever the Lord’s purpose is for you? If Christ will be glorified in your sickness or some other problem, will you trust Him? The song says, “Have thine own way Lord, have thine own way…”

Cast Out More Nets

“...Let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”

 (Luke 5:4-5)

Jesus was sitting in Simon’s boat, teaching the people who were on the shore. Simon was washing his fishing nets. Jesus gave the two pronged command to, first of all, launch out into the deep and second, to let down his nets.

Simon might have thought, “I’m the fisherman here. Jesus is a carpenter and a preacher-teacher.” He complained to Jesus that he had fished all night and had caught nothing.

I call the next scene, “reluctant obedience.” Jesus had said, “Let down your nets.” (plural) Simon responded, “At thy word I will let down the net.” (singular)

Reluctant obedience and half-hearted faith are constant companions. But, Jesus honored it nevertheless, and blessed Simon and his companions with more than a boat-load of fish. What kind of catch would they have had with more nets cast out?

Someone said, “Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.”

Dwelling Safely

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

The late, John Philips, wrote in his commentary on the Psalms that David wrote this psalm during the time that Absalom, his son was seeking to kill him. Absalom even had David’s army at his disposal. What did the king do? He said, “I will lie down and go to sleep because God is watching over me.”

Sometimes trouble crowds in on our lives and we cry out in fear and anxiety wondering what we can do. It is then that total trust in God is needed. With that kind of trust in our God we can lie down in peace and sleep as did King David. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Steadfast Christians

“And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

Jesus had shown Himself to be alive for forty days following His resurrection. He had ascended into heaven while the eleven looked on. Ten days later the celebration of Pentecost came. The young church had been empowered by the coming of the Holy Spirit. About three thousand were baptized and added to the church that day. What a time it must have been.

Our text says that they continued. I have seen helium filled balloons float to the rafters in a large auditorium. After staying there a few days they came floating back down.

The Bible says these newly saved and baptized people continued. It says they continued steadfastly. They never “floated back down” when the new wore off. It was real. It was genuine.  Their lives had been changed. They were new persons.

It is not Biblical Christianity to start out, cool off and fade. Be consistent. Be real. Let every day be a new day in Christ Jesus. Keep on keeping on. Have daily fellowship with Him as you read your Bible and pray.

Pray for Us

"Brethren, pray for us.” (I Thessalonians5:25)

I heard a man singing, “I need the prayers of those I love.” Through the years I have come to realize that the greatest single thing  anyone can do for me is to pray for me. As I have thought about it and meditated upon it I realize that if your prayers are the most important thing you can do for me, then the greatest single thing I can do others is to pray for them.

If I drive a hundred miles to visit someone before an early morning surgery I must lift them up to God in prayer or else my visit may mean nothing. When I go to the pulpit to preach it helps to know there are people praying for me.

Paul faced many obstacles and much opposition as do most pastors and preachers who stay true to the Word of God and preach as a dying man to dying men. So, brethren, pray for us. I need the prayers of those I love.

Why Jesus Came into the World

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (I Timothy 1:15)

One of the problems in the world today is that many people have not yet discovered a purpose for their lives. They drift from one place of employment to another, from one set of values to another, from one church to another and from one religion to another. They have no purpose.

When we read the Bible we have no trouble in determining the purpose of Jesus. The purpose of His life, the purpose of His death, and the purpose of His resurrection was to save sinners. When Paul the Apostle made the statement of the purpose of Jesus, found in our text, he referred to himself as the greatest of sinners. Our Lord’s purpose was to save all sinners, from the least to the greatest.

I encourage you to let Him be your Savior.

The Value of Trials

“So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…” (Job 42:12)

Most of us find trials and troubles things to be avoided. We shun the difficult paths and choose the flower strewn ways where the sun is always pleasantly shining, where there are no clouds and all is sweet and comfortable.

Job would have chosen the pleasant way if he had had a choice in the matter. But, he did not have a choice in the road he would travel. On the road he traveled he experienced the loss of his children, the loss of his wealth and the loss of his health.

With his losses came blessings. Look at the text again. God blessed Job. The psalmist said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. (Psalm 119:71)  We learn more and gain more being out in the hot sun working and toiling than sitting under a shade tree whiling away the days.

I Sat Where They Sat

“Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.” (Ezekiel 3:15)

God was preparing Ezekiel to be a watchman over the house of Israel. God directed him to make a visit to the captives in Tel-abib, a part of Babylonia. Part of his preparation was to live among them seven days and to sit where that sat.

The Lord Jesus Christ sat where we sit and identified with us. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14) By leaving the glories of heaven and sitting where we sit in this world of sin, sorrow, pain, war and confusion, He is“touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” (Hebrews 4:15) 

When we are by the bedside of a sick friend or family member, Jesus “sat where we sit.” He understands. When we weep, while on earth, He “sat where we sit.” When we are lonely, He understands because He “sat where we sit.” Trust, love and worship this Great Savior who “sat where we sit.”

Vain Repetitions

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)

During their forty years in the wilderness wanderings the Israelites lived in booths, temporary shelters to protect them from the heat of the day and the cold of the night.

Following the wilderness experience the Feast of Tabernacles was one of the three annual feasts of the children of Israel. It was to commemorate their struggle in the wilderness and God’s provision and protection of them during that time. During the week long observance they quoted or read the forty-second psalm. Over and over again they would repeat, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)

It was upon observing this monotonous repetition that Jesus, who had now arrived for the Feast, made the statement which is our text. It would be Rivers of living water. Rivers, not wet weather spring branches. Not trickles. Rivers, Amazons, Mississippi’s, Niles. Rivers shall flow from within. He was speaking of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was letting us know that there is no magic verse to repeat then and there are none now.  Vain repetitions do not move God. Come to Jesus for satisfaction.

So, What Happened

“For neither did His brethren believe in Him.” (John 7:5)

His half-brothers had grown up with Jesus. There was nothing spectacular about Him in their sight. Perhaps there was some jealousy toward Him because of the attention given to Him. He was as common as an old shoe to them.

His brothers sarcastically encouraged Him to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles and show off His miraculous powers. They could not or would not believe He was the Son of God. He was just too familiar to them.

But something happened. The crucifixion and resurrection always make a difference. Following the ascension of Christ we find the disciples, the women and Mary the mother of Jesus in the upper room with the half-brothers of Jesus. (Acts 1:13-14) On the day of Pentecost we find that same group, with others, being filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4) One of those brothers was Jude, who wrote the epistle that bears his name. The epistle of James was written by another.

If you will accept by faith what Jesus did for you on the cross and surrender your all to Him it will make a world of difference in you also.