encourage

Strong Hands 

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1 Samuel 23:16
“Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.”

Things seem to be going from bad to worse for David. Saul’s rage forced him to flee the palace, and live the life of a fugitive. For safety sake, he dwelt in caves to hide from the king and his spies. He and his men came out of hiding at the command of the Lord, and risked their lives to rescue the city of Keilah from Philistine invaders, only to find the citizens of Keilah had sold them out to Saul. It is easy to see why both David and his men could become discouraged by their circumstances.

It is during this dark hour that David receives a visit from his closest friend. This visit will prove to be a source of great strength for David, and a powerful example for all who walk with Christ down through the ages. We read that Jonathan arrived and “strengthened the hands of David.” This figurative term speaks of encouraging him in such a way that David is able to step back into life and prevail over his difficulties. It is vitally important that we learn how to have our own hands, and the hands of others strengthened.

1 Samuel 23:17 “And he said to him, ‘Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.’”

Notice Jonathan did not encourage David by simply painting a rosy picture of life. He did not give the patent “everything will be OK” speech. Platitudes and empty promises of hope are of little value in the real world. Jonathan gave David a true source of strength, reminding him of the promises of God. No matter what his circumstances said, the Word of God promised David would sit upon the throne of Israel. Jonathan brought David back to the unshakable promises of God, which brought strength to his weary soul. No matter what you are facing, you will find great encouragement in the pages of your Bible. Promise after promise is given, to strengthen our hands for the journey we are traveling, as we await the coming of the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

Friends 

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1 Samuel 18:1

“Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

The relationship between David and Jonathan is one of the most beautiful and encouraging in all of Scripture. We find that these two young men met while serving the Lord and furthering His kingdom. Their relationship was built on love, humility, and self-sacrifice. It was this relationship that proved to be a constant source of encouragement to David, and a means by which Jonathan learned to discover God’s plan for his life.

Friendships are essential to a healthy Christian life. Solomon wrote, 

Proverbs 12:26

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

Proverbs 27:17

“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

David’s life was greatly enhanced by the relationship he forged with Jonathan. Like a knife being rubbed against  steel, David’s character was sharpened by Jonathan. The jealous rage of king Saul often beat upon David’s countenance, and it was Jonathan who encouraged and strengthen him. In one of the more revealing passages we read,  

1 Samuel 23:16

“Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.”

Jonathan did this by simply visiting his friend in time of need, and reminding him of the promises of God. This provided David with hope and strength to continue in that which God had called him. 

We would all be better off with a friend like Jonathan, but it is important to keep a few things in mind. First, David and Jonathan met while serving the Lord. The best and healthiest relationships are the ones forged in the service of Christ. The more we dive into “Kingdom work,” the more likely we are to meet others who will provide encouragement to help us keep on with Christ. Second, in a very practical passage, Solomon gives the following advice, 

Proverbs 18:24

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly…”

The secret to establishing good relationships, is to seek to be the friend you desire others to be. We all want a Jonathan in our lives, but perhaps a better approach is to seek to be a Jonathan in the life of others. He laid his life down, and sought to encourage David to become all God had called him to be. 

Pastor Jim 

Parting Words

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Joshua 23:2

“And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: ‘I am old, advanced in age.'”

 

The sun is about to set in the life and ministry of Joshua. After spending years being mentored in ministry by Moses, he ventured out as Israel’s leader. He led the nation as they furthered the kingdom of God, and became established in the land. Now that his time is coming to an end,  Joshua will give his final message to the people he has so faithfully served. His message could be divided into four main points of exhortation that would lead to their continued success. 

 

Joshua 23:6

“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left.”

 

Step one, they needed to read and obey the Scriptures. Clearly, the lifestyle, as well as the daily struggles of an agrarian society of thirty-five hundred years ago, would be drastically different than the challenges we face today. However, regardless of what we face, reading and doing what the Bible says is the secret to success. Set aside a time, daily, to be in the Word. 

 

Joshua 23:8

“But you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.”

 

Step two, cling to the Lord. Clinging implies closeness; it is impossible to cling from a distance. The secret to clinging to Christ is to remove anything from our lives which creates separation. David learned that compromise placed a wedge between him and the Lord. The one who once experienced sweet fellowship with God, found that unconfessed sin put a distance between him and the Lord. If you are hiding some sin, it is time to bring it into the open. Tell the Lord about it, and confide in a trustworthy believer who will pray for you.

 

Joshua 23:11 

“Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God.”

 

Step three might be step one. God created us to be in a love relationship with Himself. Jesus told us the most important of all  commands is to love God. We love Him by placing Him above all else. When my desire is to please God above even my desire to please myself, I am expressing true love and devotion. When we allow other things to stand on the same platform as the Lord, those things will begin to vie for our time, devotion, and obedience. Perhaps it is time to take inventory and remove anything which has been exalted to that place in life which only God should have. 

 

Joshua 24:14

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!”

 

Step four is to serve the Lord. Without a doubt, there is a common denominator in the life of every successful follower of Christ. The common denominator is that they have gone from simply believing, to beginning to serve. This was true of the original followers of Christ, and it is equally as true today. If we want to see our Christian life begin to take off, we need to get involved in regular service. It is there, we will find healthy relationships that will encourage our growth, and where we will find ourselves in daily dependance upon the help of the Lord. 

 

The generation that heard Joshua, continued to follow and serve the Lord. Sadly, his exhortations were lost on the next generation, and they soon began to drift from God and experience defeat in life. 

 

Pastor Jim 

  

 

Busted

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Genesis 38:24
“And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, ‘Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.’ So Judah said, ‘Bring her out and let her be burned!’”

2015/01/img_1350.jpgOur sin always looks worse on someone else.

Judah, after the death of his wife, and in the loneliness of that condition, stumbled in his walk with God, committing fornication with a young woman. While we do not read of his reaction to this, it is highly likely he was ashamed, and at least somewhat remorseful. I can imagine he confessed his failure, and may have even made offerings to God.  A few short months after this  incident, Judah got word that Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law, was pregnant outside of marriage. The same sin he had committed, had been engaged in by Tamar. Whatever his response to his own sin was we cannot be sure, but we do know how he responded to her’s. He was furious, and wanted her to receive the harshest judgment the law would allow.

It seems to me, this is an all too common reaction towards sin. We take the harshest stand we can against the sin of others, and expect the fullest extent of mercy for ourselves. It might do us well to consider what Jesus said regarding our sin and that of others. He declared;

Matthew 7:5
“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus declared, while we should not ignore sins committed by others, we must always take the time to look inward, before we go on a campaign against the sins of others. One of the tragedies of the church is having people rally for causes, while neglecting their own walk with God. Paul gave this simple, yet very helpful, instruction for dealing with the faults in others,

Galatians 6:1
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Pastor Jim

 

The Coming One

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Matthew 11:3
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

2015/01/img_1319.jpgThe circumstances of life often cause us to question God. It is hard sometimes to reconcile what we are going through with who God is; compassionate and good. This happened to John the Baptist. From the words of Jesus, we know John was the greatest man to have ever lived. He was a man that preached the gospel to thousands, the man who pointed the way to Christ, and the man who baptized Christ, Himself. Yet, in our text, we read he was also the man who doubted. Laying in a prison cell, the cold, the dampness, the suffering, all seemed to squeeze his faith and cloud his vision of Christ.

The response of Jesus, to John’s question of doubt, gives us great insight into the solution when we are facing the same dilemma as John.

Matthew 11:4-5 “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.’”

In other words, Jesus answers John’s doubt by reminding him of who Jesus is and what He does. I think the solution in times of difficulty and doubt is to go to the Word and be reminded of all that Jesus is.

Pastor Jim

 

Removing The Speck

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Matthew 7:5
“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2015/01/img_1303.jpgOften, when we know of a Christian friend who is stumbling in their walk with Jesus, we are not sure what to do. They may have gotten involved in an ungodly activity or into a bad relationship, or simply stopped investing into their relationship with Christ. We want to help, but at the same time we fear that saying something will be construed as “judging them.” Jesus gives us, in this passage, a keen insight into how to deal with one another in the body. When you see something amiss in my relationship with Christ, the first place you should look is inward. Is there anything out of place in your relationship with Christ? What you find must be removed. The Biblical way of dealing with personal sin is found in 1John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive . . . and to cleanse…” Once you have “removed the plank,” it is time to look outward to see how you can help me “remove the speck.”

Too often, we neglect helping one another out of fear of judging them. It is important to remember, the Bible exhorts us to do all we can to help one another make it to the end of the race, where we will be welcomed by the loving arms of Jesus.

Galatians 6:1
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Galatians 6:2
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Hebrews 12:12
“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, . . .”

Let’s go out today seeking to do all we can to help one another reach the end of our faith and the salvation of our souls.

Pastor Jim