NEW SERIES: PART SIX: I WILL, “ RETURN”

I Will Return

John 14:1-6; II Timothy 3:1-5; 4:1-5;

               If I announced this morning that I would be giving every Christian in this Church an expensive gift at the conclusion of the service if they were to stay awake and be alert and active worshippers during the service. I believe this would dramatically change the mood in this Church leading up to its conclusion, especially if the congregation really believed I could give each one an expensive gift! If this was for real, the atmosphere would truly become charged with alert active worshippers because no one would want to miss out on the gift by falling asleep and being disqualified! Anticipation would build as the service came to a close for the reward each would receive! Because of this, there are two dynamics would be noticeable in the service: The anticipated reward would create a desire to do the right things during the service in order to qualify, and then it would create an anticipation for the reward at the end of the service with great joy. This is precisely what knowledge of Jesus' second coming is intended to do for us! Someone once made the following observation: Man's life is made up of twenty years of his mother asking him where he is going, forty years of his wife asking him where he has been and one hour at his funeral when everyone wonders where he is going. 

               The Word of God teaches us that Jesus will return! This should stir in us a righteous lifestyle in the present, and an excitement anticipating the future! The Bible clearly indicates that the last days before Christ returns will be a difficult period of time. There will be a marked sense of human arrogance and unhealthy pride. People will be lovers of pleasures and self much more than lovers of God and what is good. The spirit of the age will be marked by self love. This turning to self instead of God will result in an abundance of sin and a lack of belief in things being ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Each right and wrong will be based on what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ to each person. It will be like it was in the days of Noah when everyone did that which was right in their own eyes! Luke 17:26; History is replete with time periods when people did whatever they personally thought was right. Judges 19:1; 21:25; It will not be an easy time to hold to Biblical standards, but we must! Why does Jesus tell them to ‘not let their hearts be troubled’?  Jesus had just told them that one of them was a traitor, and that He was leaving them and that Peter (their leader) was going to fail.

               In the light of these three depressing announcements Jesus sees the need to offer some encouragement to them. Their hearts were troubled. So what is the cure? They would have to trust in God and in so doing they would also have to trust in Christ! Jesus wishes to indicate to them that there is much more than they know that is coming up. Their understandings of boundaries were not the end, there is much more and it’s all good!

               For centuries Portugal's motto was ‘Nothing More Beyond.’ Their world was limited to the familiar dimensions of the area around the Mediterranean Sea. They believed that to sail beyond the horizon, ‘their border’, would be to drop off the edge of the world. Eventually, voyagers discovered worlds beyond and brought back evidence to substantiate their claims. Decision makers were compelled to alter their motto to read, ‘More Beyond’. Easter assures us there is more beyond the grave. We do not have a chart to guide us, save Jesus Christ; details are sketchy, but our destination is certain. C. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Broadman, 1986), p. 108.

               How do we handle a world we cannot understand, and where the news is often so bad as to leave us feeling hopeless and frustrated? We continue to put our trust in Christ who has everything under control! We continue to trust His Word which tells us we have hope though others do not who reject Him! Jesus tries to restore their perspective with all this bad news! No wonder the ‘Gospel’ means ‘Good News’ and the world needs some good news!  

               Jesus attempts to help them see something wonderful beyond the pall of death that was coming. He explains to them the promise that He is preparing a place for all those who belong to Him, and that in doing so He will come again to us. Death is not the end of life. And the world will not destroy itself either, Christ will return before that happens! The problem of course is whether they grasp this new perspective of Jesus, or if they simply hear what He is saying and still fail to see the truth!  This is too easily done even now among Christians!

               So often we say we believe in the second coming of Christ, but our lifestyle and priorities don't really reflect this perspective! We fail to see correctly the truth before us, like the lady who stepped up on a penny scale to check her weight while her husband stood by. She no sooner got on it and put the penny in when she quickly jumped off as soon as the weight showed! Her husband quickly asked "well, what is the verdict, a little overweight right?" She answered however, "No, No, not overweight at all, but according to the chart I should be 8 inches taller for my weight!" The truth was in front of her but she would not accept it.

               Jesus is not just making an empty promise here, it is meant to encourage them in the face of tough times! So should the doctrine that Jesus is coming back! This is not a cop out, it is what gives us the encouragement to live for today knowing our future is secure. It has very real positive dynamics for the present and is not just a belief of escapism! Jesus promises a permanent dwelling to all those who trust in Him! The great ‘carpenter’ on earth is also building dwelling places in Heaven for all those who belong to Him! This knowledge is meant to offer hope to us in living now, and in the future! Jesus shares this to build their level of expectancy when everything around them goes wrong.

               The future will right all wrongs and anticipation of the future being good can have a very positive effect on the present! I John 3:3; We can face tomorrow with great expectancy! This promise of Christ's is a sure one, you can bet your life on it! To all those who have received Christ, He will receive them one day! We will continue our fellowship together if we are believers in Christ, even past this life. Only those who refuse Him will not be with us. This truth alone should be enough to encourage our witnessing to others, like Phillips Brooks of Boston who became quite ill and would see no visitors. When Robert Ingersoll, the agnostic, heard that his friend was sick, he called at his home and was admitted at once. "I appreciate this very much," said Mr. Ingersoll. "But why do you see me when you deny yourself to your other friends." "It is this way," answered Bishop Brooks. "I feel confident of seeing my other friends in the next world, but this may be my last chance to see you."  Emery Young, in Coronet from The Sermon Builder, February 1982, p. 34.

               Jesus assures the disciples that they know the way to join Him later. Thomas is the first to speak up however and say they don't get it! He explains that they don't know where He is going much less how to get there! But Jesus had clearly told them where He was going, and letting them know that just by trusting in Him they too would find the way there. They don't have to worry about getting lost if they have Christ in their hearts! Eternal things are more long lasting than our material things, does your life reflect this truth? It is said that about two hundred years ago, the tomb of the great conqueror Charlemagne was opened. The sight the workmen saw was startling. There was his body in a sitting position, clothed in the most elaborate of kingly garments, with a scepter in his bony hand. On his knee lay the Holy Scriptures, with a cold, lifeless finger pointing to Mark 8:36: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and loose his own soul?"             We can never get lost on the way to eternity if Christ lives in us and walks with us! Jesus makes it very clear to them the way to Heaven. It is through Him, and Him alone! He is the ‘way’ (the Path), He is the ‘truth’, (the Map), and He is the ‘life’,  (the Energy). No other road goes to Heaven, Jesus said this, not me! Jesus offers no other way into Heaven,  not ‘all roads lead to God’! One cannot think highly of Jesus and disregard the exclusive statements He makes about finding Heaven as a final destination point! If you don't know Christ here and now you won't be welcomed by Him when you cross over in death, or when He returns to receive all who belong to Him. But for those who know Him now, they will have no problem knowing Him in Heaven! For the believer, the trip will be triumphant, hence even death has lost its sting! I Corinthians 15:55;

               Thomas Edison was a scientific genius and an exacting and practical man who didn't casually say anything he didn't believe. Mrs. Edison told about the night Edison was at death's door. Suddenly it was evident that he wanted to say something, so she and the doctor bent down close. This great scientist, with a smile on his face, said, "It is very beautiful over there!" James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 177.

               Heaven for the believer is a real destination point. Death is the terminal that opens the way. Should the trump of God blow one of these days while we are yet alive we shall be caught up to meet Christ in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord! I Thessalonians. 4:16-17; We will be with Christ forever if we have received Him as our Lord and Savior in this life!

               A few hours before Dwight L. Moody died, he caught a glimpse of the glory awaiting him. Awakening from a sleep, he said, "Earth recedes, heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go!" His son who was standing by his bedside said, "No, no father, you are dreaming." "No," said Mr. Moody, "I am not dreaming; I have been within the gates; I have seen the children's faces." A short time elapsed and then, following what seemed to the family to be the death struggle, he spoke again: "This is my triumph; this my coronation day! It is glorious!" A triumphant trip awaits all those who know Christ, do you know Him?

               Jesus will return! If we follow Jesus we can't get lost because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! The more we anticipate His coming, the more passion we will have to live godly today. Are you ready for His coming, and if so, is it impacting how you live now? Christ said, “I WILL”, and He meant it!

NEW SERIES: PART FIVE: I WILL, “POUR OUT MY SPIRIT”

I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT

Isaiah 44:1-3; Acts 2:17-21;

  

Israel discovered over and over again that they could not accomplish God's will without His power and help. For you and I today this is still true! Whenever Israel became wealthy or powerful they became spiritually weak and unfruitful. When they recognized their own weakness and poverty they found a rich outpouring of God's Spirit. What is begun in the Spirit cannot be fulfilled by the flesh! When we try to do in the flesh what the Spirit wants to do for us we end up frustrated and in need of refreshing and starting over. Something like this little fictitious illustration. Several million members of the church are to be recalled because they are not performing properly. Symptoms include frequent missing, lack of power and poor adaptation to rough roads. Regular maintenance should have prevented most of the difficulties. Sadly, many only come for maintenance when a major breakdown has occurred. Because of this lack of maintenance it is difficult for service personnel to attempt to correct the basic problems at these times.  So the recall is under way. Church leaders say that service managers are being trained to deal with the problems. One member who came in for a trial recall a year or so ago was pleased with the results. "It's amazing," she said, "I'm getting much better mileage now. I don't notice the rough spots so much, and I find I have enough power to give others a helping push now and then." Spokespersons said retraining is possible. Service personnel are available around the clock and shops are open seven days a week.

            Folks, we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit today as much as the early Church needed it in the beginning! The Word of God teaches us that we need a very close walk with the Lord, and we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives if we are to do and be what God desires.  God has promised us an outpouring of His Spirit and it is for all those who will seek Him.

            First of all, God has given a promise of  His presence Isaiah 44:1-3; Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

            God has purposed to make His presence known to us and to the world. Israel was chosen by God to be an instrument to reveal God's power and love. It was not just to make Israel have less work and an easier lifestyle! God would not leave them without hope, help, or the Holy Spirit! God realized that human strength is not adequate and  He would grant His Spirit to His people so they could always walk the right way.

            It is said that a certain guide lived in the deserts of Arabia who never lost his way. He carried with him a homing pigeon with a very fine cord attached to one of its legs. When in doubt as to which path to take, he threw the bird into the air. The pigeon quickly strained at the cord to fly in the direction of home, and thus led the guide accurately to his goal. Because of this unique practice he was known as "the dove man." So, too, the Holy Spirit, the heavenly Dove, is willing and able to direct us in the narrow way that leads to the more abundant life if in humble self denial we submit to His unerring supervision.

            God calls on Israel's attention to this important issue, He has a plan! Isaiah 44: 2-3; God informs them that it was He who formed them in the womb. He was there at the beginning, and He will be with them in the present and future too! They need not be afraid of what lay ahead of them, He is going to pour out His Holy Spirit on them! Though they are like a dry thirsty land, they will be brought back to life. Not only will God put His Spirit on them, but on their offspring and the future generations. Because they too will need the Spirit of God in order to do and be what God wants. If God is willing to pour out His Spirit on His people then the only real question is whether we see this as a priority or not and are willing to put it as an important need in our life.

            A man had built a prosperous business through determination and hard work and honest dealings. As he advanced in age, he felt concerned about the future of his enterprise because he had no close relatives except three nephews. One day he summoned the three young nephews and said, "I have a problem, and whoever comes up with the best solution will inherit all that I possess." Giving each of them an equal sum of money, he instructed them to buy something that would fill his large office. "Spend no more than I've given you," he directed, "and be sure you're back by sunset." All day long his nephews tried to fulfill their mission. Finally, when the shadows lengthened, they obediently returned to make their report. Their uncle asked to see their purchases. The first dragged a huge bale of straw into the room. When it was untied it made a pile that nearly hid two of the walls. After it was cleared away, the second brought in two large bags of thistledown, which when released filled three-fourths of the room. This was even better than the first. The third nephew stood silent and forlorn. "And what have you to offer?" asked his aged relative. "Uncle, I spent half of my money to feed a hungry child and gave almost all the rest to the church. With the little I had left, I bought these matches and a small candle." Then he lit the candle, and its light filled every corner of the room! The old man realized that here was the noblest of them all. He blessed him for making the best use of his gift and gave him all his possessions.

            Fortunately for Israel and for us today, God does not expect us to live in our own power and strength even though many try to, even some Christians! God was promising more than just a quick fix here, or an emotional experience. He is promising His presence in His people, because God said, “I Promised”!

            Secondly, God has given the power of a proclamation Acts 2:17-18; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

            Even in the last days God says He will pour out a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the Old Covenant, this outpouring of the Holy Spirit will not be confined to a small group of men. It will cross all lines of gender and age! Young and old alike will be used by the Holy Spirit in prophetic ministry and dreaming dreams of what can be done with God's help! It is not an issue that there will be a select group of prophets in these last days. Rather, there will be an outpouring of God's Spirit that will result in proclamation (prophesy) of God's salvation!  God's people won't be just going in circles endlessly; they will be empowered and filled! For this to happen they will have to be filled with God's Spirit. They will have to take their lead from God and not the world that is going nowhere fast, something like these caterpillars in this little illustration! John Henry Fabre, the great French naturalist, conducted a most unusual experiment with some processionary Caterpillars. These caterpillars blindly follow the one in front of them. Hence, the name processionary. John Henry Fabre carefully arranged them in a circle around the rim of a flower pot, so that the lead caterpillar actually touched the last one, making a complete circle. In the center of the flower pot he put pine needles, which is food for the processionary caterpillar. The caterpillars started around this circular flower pot. Around and around they went, hour after hour, day after day, night after night. For seven full days and seven full nights they went around the flower pot. Finally, they dropped dead of starvation and exhaustion. With an abundance of food less than six inches away, they literally starved to death, Because they confused activity with accomplishment. Many Christians make that same mistake.

            Nearby is the power of God, but those in this world cannot see it. If we follow them we will simply go round and round until we perish in weakness. God has made His power available, but we must receive it! For those who don't follow the world they will find this energy comes from God. God desires to set free the potential of all of us men and women to do His work. As He pours out His Spirit, we will ‘prophesy’, meaning ‘proclaim’ Him and His salvation.

            This certainly is the meaning since the end verse of this paragraph refers to people getting saved!  Acts 2:21; and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. It is not enough to come and sample God's power whenever we feel like it, or to get a little here, and a little there. God's desire is to ‘pour out His Spirit on us’. We are to take all we can get and as much as possible, not just on special occasions.

            A city dweller moved to a farm and bought a cow. Shortly after he did, the cow went dry. When he reported this fact to a neighbor farmer, the farmer expressed surprise. The city man said he was surprised too. "I can't understand it either, for if ever a person was considerate of an animal, I was of that cow. If I didn't need any milk, I didn't milk her.  If I only needed a quart, I only took a quart." The farmer tried to explain that the only way to keep milk flowing is not to take as little as possible from the cow, but to take as much as possible. Is that not also true of the Christian life? Those who only turn to God in need miss the real joy that flows from a daily infilling of His Spirit.

            Obviously God knows our potential when we tap into His power on an ongoing basis and not just sporadically! The power to proclaim Christ and His life and His gospel, requires His Holy Spirit. It would appear we have a choice to participate in this outpouring of His Holy Spirit or try and get by on sporadic experiences! Let Him pour out His Spirit daily on you! A true outpouring of God's Spirit results in proclamation of the Gospel. This is its main focus, not miraculous signs, because miraculous signs follow them that believe. Miraculous signs are not the goal of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they are the results that follow the proclamation or preaching of the Word!

            It is clear in the text here that God's main purpose of pouring out His Spirit is to energize proclamation in power (prophesy). It was not so much fore-telling as it was forth-telling! Energetic and purposeful preaching is the result of any great outpouring of God's Spirit. This has been true of all real revivals, as was true in the book of Acts following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! Immediately after being baptized in the Holy Spirit, Peter senses the crowd's attention to the unusual manifestations of tongues and immediately draws them away from that to preaching to the Gospel! The result of proper focus with this power was that 3,000 were saved! Tongues did not become the issue, Peter made repentance the issue!

            Thirdly, God has given purpose & persuasion Acts 2:19-21; And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Not only will there be an outpouring of God's Spirit on His people. But there will at the same time be an outpouring of darkness and judgment in order to contrast the God of light to the darkness of this world!

            The Spirit of God is preparing the world for the coming of the Lord. This is why we will need an outpouring of God's Spirit in these last days. We will need the power to proclaim the Gospel against the backdrop of a fallen world. With such a sweep of darkness coming we will need more than just clever tactics to reach the lost, or snappy programs, or even well drafted theology. We will need God's power, and conviction and compassion to preach to the perishing! A clearer contrast between the wicked and righteous will begin to reveal itself. This outpouring is there to empower us to do preach the Word, and also available to all who are thirsty! It is tragic that so many don't avail themselves of this outpouring. It is there for all, and there is no reason to be thirsty and unfulfilled! With an outpouring of the Holy Spirit there will be an outpouring of people getting saved!

            We are living in exciting times, a time when God is pouring out His Spirit. The question is, are you availing yourself of this outpouring or, are you just surviving day to day?

            After the Spirit was outpoured on the one hundred and twenty, Peter stood up to address the crowd and explain what the outpouring's purpose was. It is not to have an experience, but, to infuse God's people with power for evangelizing! We don't do God's work in our own power, but "by the Spirit saith the Lord"! Zechariah 4:6;  Here’s the whole verse. It’s a good one to commit to memory! Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, this is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6; 

Pastor Robert Coutts

NEW SERIES: PART FOUR: I WILL, "NOT FORSAKE YOU"

I WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU

Joshua 1:1-9;

               One of the great truths of the Bible that give us comfort is God’s promise to never leave us or forsake us. This promise is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Just the knowledge that God will stand with us can give us the courage to endure anything that comes against us. Our commander in chief, the Lord Jesus Christ, always stands ready to help us. The only time we don't feel His presence is when we drift from Him. If He seems far away, it is not because He has moved from us, it is because we have moved from Him! The knowledge that God is nearby should give us the courage to stand against overwhelming odds!

               President Madison's declaration of war against Great Britain in 1812 was not popular with many Americans, especially when the first year of conflict brought a series of shattering American defeats. New England was in a virtual state of secession; the governor of Vermont ordered the state militia to resign from national service; and in Massachusetts there was talk of negotiating a separate peace with the enemy. After threatening for a year, the British actually attacked the capital in August 1814.While President Madison rode out to the battlefield in an attempt to instill confidence in the untrained troops. The citizens of Washington streamed out of the city into Virginia. Even the militia assigned to protect the White House deserted their posts. But First Lady Dolly Madison refused to budge. Before the White House was burned, Dolly saved her husband's papers, a framed copy of the Declaration of Independence, and a valuable portrait of George Washington. She would leave only at the last minute, and she returned as soon as Madison sent word that the British had left Washington. Dolly’s dramatic rescue of George Washington's portrait silenced her husband's critics and infused the once divided nation with a new spirit. When news of the British burning of the White House spread, people who had been denouncing the war and talking surrender abruptly changed their minds. Confronted by a united, determined people, the British were more than willing to sign a peace treaty six months later.  (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 399.)       The Bible teaches us that God will never forsake us or leave us and it teaches us that as long as we stand by Him and His Word we can have courage to be victorious.

               With Moses dead, Israel was still short of its goal, the promise land. They had learned how to live in the desert, why go on? God didn't want them to stay in a desert however; He had better things in store for them. God needed a person to accept the call to take His people forward! Joshua was the man of choice because He had more for Israel than just desert life! Joshua had a choice. He could exist with things as they were, or follow God and accomplish great things for Him. Joshua was not content to just sit by or exist with present comforts because the call of God to serve was too great. He wished to do something significant for God!

               In attempting to recruit John Sculley, the 38-year-old President of Pepsi-Cola, Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple Computer, issued a tremendous challenge to Sculley. He asked: "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?" What a challenge to all Christians! Are we settling for less than God's best in our lives? (Odyssey, John Sculley, p.90)

               Joshua could have always been second fiddle to Moses, and rested near the promise land with the knowledge of how to live in a desert, but he chose to accept God's challenge to go all the way for God's best! What about us? Are we satisfied living on someone else's sacrifices for God? Are we completely willing to just ‘make sugar water’ for the rest of our lives or do something that will have eternal consequences? Is it enough to just exist and survive as a Christian, or do you want to experience God's best? God makes the call for all Christians to engage in service and sharing the good news. The question remains, have we accepted the call or are we just as happy to exist in a desert?

               God wanted them to move into a land flowing with milk and honey and not just be satisfied with a desert experience and survival but to have this they would have to move forward and not stand still! The journey of faith is not a ‘stand still’  experience!  A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 130.)  Has God called you to speak to a friend, a neighbor, a relative about Christ but you have decided to stay safe in the harbor rather than launch out in faith with the conviction that God may do something great if we do?

               Joshua had to have the conviction that God wasn't done with Israel just because Moses had passed from the scene. It was time to complete the journey for God's people and His new chosen leader. This was no time to kick back and slow down! God's promises to the former generation were still God's promises to the new generation. All they needed was the same conviction that God will make good on all His promises to move forward. God's promises to His disciples and followers of the first century are just as good to us today! Are we convinced that when we do something in faith God will be there to enable us? God always needs a man, a woman or child to have the conviction to move forward. And when they do, then watch what God will do with this!

               God does not ask Joshua to do something without the promise of being there to stand right with him! This is still true today! God will not ask you to do anything without also being there to enable you to do it! Even in the darkest of situations God's presence will give us the edge over those who walk in darkness!

               The late singer and actor Gordon MacRae told this story: It seems that Arnold Palmer was invited to come to a convention of blind golfers. He asked the golfers how they were able to know what direction to hit the ball. One blind golfer explained that the caddy went out ahead of him with a little bell which he would ring as he stood near the hole. The blind golfer would then hit the ball toward the sound of the bell. Arnold asked how well it worked, and the blind golfer said that it worked so well he was willing to take on Arnold Palmer for a round of golf. And just to make it interesting, the blind golfer was willing to bet Palmer ten thousand dollars he could beat him. Well, this just blew Palmer's mind. He pressed him, but the man insisted he was willing to bet that amount on his ability to beat Palmer. So, the deal was struck. Palmer said, "OK. What time do we tee off?" And the blind man said, "10:30 tonight!" 

               (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 274-275).

               While it may seem to the world that we are at a disadvantage, we are the ones in better shape. While the world lives in darkness and can't see its way, we know the presence of God is standing nearby and we can always find our way! God will never waver from His promise to us! Jesus issued the same statement in Matthew 28:20; "and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." God's legacy of faithfulness to those He has called to service shows an unbroken record of power and victory! The God who calls us will always be there beside us. He will never forsake us or leave us! This is God's commitment to us! God had demonstrated this truth to Moses, Joshua's mentor and predecessor. He will do the same for Joshua too! If God's people are going to make it, the leaders must have the courage to encourage them! All of God's people must have courage. We take courage from God first who has promised to be with us. And then we take courage from each other as we challenge each other to walk the walk of faith. We must speak the same thing, ‘God will help us’ if we are to succeed together!

               Even though Moses had been used to move Israel from Egypt to the promise land, Joshua was to be the one to move them into it! It is Christ who spoke that He will bring us into the promised place in eternity, but it is supposed to be our voice now to this world telling them about Christ! We have the same message to give as Christ gave!

               "We shall fight on the beaches... We shall never surrender." Millions were moved by Winston Churchill's now famous speech when it was broadcast on the radio on June 4, 1940. What few realized was that it was not Churchill they were listening to, but an actor named Norman Shelley. Churchill, who had delivered the speech to Parliament earlier in the day, was too busy to repeat it for broadcast, so he asked the BBC to get a substitute. Shelley, a BBC employee who had been heard imitating Churchill's voice, got the job. "Very nice," Churchill said of Shelley's work. (Memories Magazine in Forbes, June 3, 1996, p. 28).

               God's plan with God's man or woman will not fail when it is combined with faith and courage to act! Again God encourages in Joshua courage and strength but gives an interesting condition before He promises success. Obedience! God's promise of success for our lives is not without responsibility on our part! While God promised to be with Joshua and Israel there would still be responsibility on their part also. To obey God's Word! This is where many believers fall short in experiencing God's best in their lives. They forget that they are responsible to keep God's Word in the trials of life. God's promise of never leaving us or forsaking is absolute, but success hinges on obedience on our part! Unlike the promise of His presence, the promise of success was conditional. God was with Israel in the desert, but He wanted them to have success in the promise land too!  God wants us to know both His presence and His power! Too many Christians never lead successful lives in Christ because they fail to be obedient to God's Word! There is only one good way to experiencing God's best in our lives, the road map is the Word of God!

               Many European towns still bear the marks of having been surrounded by walls in the Middle Ages. Streets near these old walls are curved and sometimes come to dead ends. A man stopped a stranger and asked him the way to reach a certain address. The stranger directed him but the inquirer was still a little dubious. "Is that the best way?" he asked. The stranger quickly answered, "It is the only way. If you follow the other turn it will bring you back here." (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Bible Truths Illustrated (Keats Publishing, 1979), p. 22).

               While we are quick to cling to the promises of God to comfort us, we must also be quick to cling to the challenges of the Word of God to correct us! Obedience to the Word of God gives an open door to God's Spirit to work in us unrestrained. Joshua and Israel's obedience would make them invincible against their enemies. Because God would always be with them in the battles! The later stories in the Bible bear this truth out. When Israel was obedient to God's Word they had victory. But when they were disobedient they had failure, even when God was still with them! This is a principle too often missed by Christians today. They are happy to have God's presence in their lives, but live a frustrated life of failure because they don't obey the Word of God! So they live in fear rather than faith! They are constantly discouraged and weak! They have no joy in their lives as a Christian! Why not have both God's presence and power in your life? Their obedience to God's Word would actually be the backdrop to their courage and strength. There would be no obstacles between them and God so they would be at peace even in the midst of war! Those who walk faithfully after God's Word are not nearly as likely to be broken and frightened as those who do not.

               It has been said that a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person who isn't. (Unknown).

               God's presence is powerful to those who hold close the Word of God! We will always be a success when we practice the Word and not just preach it. Because God never forsakes us or His Word! God now once again tells Joshua to have courage, not to be discouraged and to be strong. Because God will always be with him and Israel. They will be invincible with God! They will never be without God's presence! They will never fail as they walk in obedience! What greater comfort can one have than to know God’s promise to always be with us, to never forsake us or leave us? The only way to make distance between you and God is to drift away from Him!  Keep Him close, and be comforted!

               God has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us! This promise however does make a requirement of us if we are to be comforted and strengthened by God's presence. This includes obedience on our part! While salvation comes from His presence, success comes from obedience. The only way to get far from God is for us to drift from Him. When He seems far away it is not because He has moved, but because we have moved! He will never forsake us or leave us. So be strong and courageous as you live out His Word!

Blessings, Pastor Robert Coutts

NEW SERIES: PART THREE: “I WILL” STRENGTHEN YOU

I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU

Isaiah 40:27; - 41:16;

Isaiah 40:27; Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? 28; Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,  fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29; He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.30; Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31; But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isa 41:1; Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. 2; Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? He gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. 3; He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. 4; Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he. 5; The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. 6; They helped everyone his neighbor; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. 7; So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. 8; But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9; Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 10; Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11; Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12; Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13; For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14; Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15; Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16; Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

            Why is it that some Christians find living by faith a powerful positive experience and some do not?  The Bible constantly talks about the joy of salvation, yet so many Christians walk around seemingly without this! Too many Christians live weak struggling lives that are full of sorrow rather than joy....why?

            God has promised to strengthen us, we do not have to live defeated and depressed! The difference between the victorious saint and the defeated one is usually an issue of what we are holding on to. If we are trying to hold on to this world and God for our strength we will find ourselves in a weakened position, but for those who rely on God alone for their strength they will not fall! Isaac Rankin says that just outside his window is a large wire which carries a heavy current of electricity for light and power. It is carefully insulated at every pole and is out of common reach. "However," he says, "if I could lean out far enough to grab it, death would be as swift as a lightning stroke. Yet the doves in my neighborhood suffer no harm when they perch on it. They fly from my windowsill, where I sometimes feed them, and preen in safety and contentment on the cables. The secret is that when they contact that wire, they touch nothing else. My danger would be that should I attempt to reach out and do so, the walls of my house would act as a ground, and the current would turn my body into a channel through which the electricity would flow in damaging power. Because the doves rest wholly upon the wire, they are unharmed. So God would have us seek our safety in complete surrender to His power and love. It is when we reach one hand to Him while still holding fast to some forbidden thing with the other that we are in danger."  

            The Bible teaches us that God desires to strengthen us and that He has promised to do so, all we need to do is trust in Him at all times and not turn away from Him. Though Isaiah is portraying a time of future captivity he is also assuring Israel that God's love for them is not gone nor has God forsaken them. The Jews were tired and weary from captivity. Their focus was distorted because this was all they could see or think about! Their own strength had not rescued them...and they were in the trial of captivity for some time. With their focus off God and on their own weariness they had lost sight of God's promises to help them and strengthen them. This often happens to us too when we are weary...we lose sight of God's love and presence.  But losing sight of it is not the same as losing it....it is still there, we just fail to see it! Too often we are moving through life so fast we don't stop long enough to see Him at work, we lose focus on God! This is why prayer is so helpful to us...it forces us to stop and focus on God instead of constantly being on the move and out of focus! Focus is often the difference between an encouraged saint and a discouraged one!

            Have you ever wondered why a pigeon walks so funny? According to an interesting article in the Detroit Free Press, a pigeon walks the way it does so it can see where it's going. Because it can't adjust its focus as it moves, the pigeon actually has to bring its head to a complete stop between steps in order to refocus.  Head forward, stop; head back, stop. Don't laugh, that's how it goes!

            In our spiritual walk with the Lord we have the same problem as the pigeon. We have a hard time seeing while we're moving. We also need to stop between steps, to refocus on where we are in relation to the World and the will of God. That's not to say we have to stop and pray and meditate about every little decision in life. But certainly our walk with the Lord needs to have built into it a pattern of ‘stops,’ which enable us to see more clearly before moving on. When we aren't looking toward God we are looking at others or self...no wonder we are so limited in our ability then to be upbeat, human flesh is rife with weakness!

            Longfellow could take a worthless piece of paper, write a poem on it, and instantly make it worth thousands of dollars, and it's called genius. Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth millions of dollars, and it's called riches. A mechanic can take material worth only five dollars and make it worth five hundred, and it's called skill. An artist can take a fifty-cent piece of canvas, paint a picture on it, and make it worth thousands of dollars, and it's called art. Jesus Christ can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it in His blood, put His Spirit in it, and make it valuable to God, and that's called sanctification.

            The Lord is in the business of taking rough, raw material and using it and transforming men by His power to be the extension of His work in the world. The flesh has many limits...God has none! The state of our heart indicates the place of our trust! As Isaiah makes clear here, young men can even falter in their own strength, but God gives strength that the flesh does not know! God makes it clear in this section that all the evidence is on His side, He even asks them to convene a court hearing to present the evidence  Isaiah 41:1;

            When God acts, no one can come against Him...and He uses whom He will to do His bidding! Even when a man seems to be succeeding it is because God has ordained it of him. Isaiah shares here how foolish men can be, they will prop up their idols for strength even in the midst of losing! They will encourage each other with nonsense and faith in idols that have no power...and even when their idols fall they will still trust in them and lift them up again and try to nail them down so they will not topple over again! Rather than turn from their foolishness and nonsense, they will embrace it all the more! "The fool has said in his heart 'there is no God' " Psalm. 53:1;

            When D. L. Moody was conducting evangelistic meetings, he frequently faced hecklers who were in violent disagreement with him. In the final service of one campaign, an usher handed the famous preacher a note as he entered the auditorium. It was actually from an atheist who had been giving Mr. Moody a great deal of trouble. The evangelist, however, supposed that it was an announcement, so he quieted the large audience and prepared to read it. Opening the folded piece of paper he found scrawled in large print only one word: ‘Fool!’ The colorful preacher was equal to the occasion. So DL Moody said, "I have just been handed a memo which contains the single word, 'Fool'.  This is most unusual. I've often heard of those who have written letters and forgotten to sign their names, but this is the first time I've ever heard of anyone who signed his name and then forgot to write the letter!" Taking advantage of the unique situation, Moody promptly changed his sermon text to Psalm 14:1; "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God!"  It is amazing that men and women would rather believe in empty things than believe in God! The times we live in show men and women turning to empty idolatry, the New Age" movement reveals the foolishness of faith in idols!  Shirley MacLaine, who claims to have spent times in past lives as a monk, a Russian ballet dancer, a male court jester, her own daughter's daughter, a harem dancer, a Brazilian voodoo practitioner, a Chinese tai chi artist, a prostitute, an Incan youth in Peru and a Roman guard, says, she has also caused trees to sway, mastered the knowledge of weather control and had the power to communicate with elephants and other animals of the jungle. But it seems the golden girl of the New Age had some trouble communicating with several popular talk show hosts in this life when she appeared on their shows. For instance, after swearing at David Letterman on his show and walking off Letterman’s set, Shirley was told by Oprah Winfrey, "You can't go around telling people you are God. It's a very difficult concept to accept."

            The idols and faith in self won't give adequate strength in the moment of need, if anything they will drain what little strength you still have! Those who serve idols had to give up their gold and silver and supplies Though often in need, they gave away what little they had to gods and goddesses that could give nothing back!

            What a contrast to the God we serve. The God who gives us ‘all things’ we need, and whose strength is offered to us in love! Rather than hate them in captivity, God's love for them had not diminished at all, He has compassion on them. God's discipline in our lives is not a sign of less love, but of great love! God does not ever hate his children, even when we miss the mark His love remains true and He calls us to return.

            A young woman had been seeing a psychiatrist. The doctor had established that she was a wife and mother of three children, and he asked, "Which of your three children do you love the most?" She answered instantly, "I love all three of my children the same." He paused. The answer was almost too quick, and too glib so he decided to probe a bit. "Come, now, you love all three of your children the same?" "Yes, that's right," she said, "I love all of them the same." He said, "Come off it now! It is psychologically impossible for anyone to regard any three human beings exactly the same. If you're not willing to level with me, we'll have to terminate this session." With this the young woman broke down, cried a bit, and said, "All right, I do not love all three of my children the same. When one of my three children is sick, I love that child more. When one of my three children is in pain, or lost, I love that child more. When one of my children is confused, I love that child more. And when one of my children is bad, I don't mean naughty, I mean really bad, I love that child more." Then she added, "Except for those exceptions I do love all three of my children about the same."

            The Christian faith represents a God who knows and loves you just as He knows and loves all other human beings on this planet, but with this addition:  when you are sick or hurting or lost or confused or in pain or depraved, He loves you even more. So, we personalize the message that God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 251.)

            God is trying to reassure Israel that He has not given up on them, and yes, He knows they are weak, but He is strong and will surely strengthen them! Though they are in a weakened condition coming from captivity, God will strengthen them. Jerusalem too was pretty broken down, and it may be that they will be a bit overwhelmed thinking of what lay ahead of them too. The God who chose them from all the other people of the Earth will also strengthen and uphold them now....as He does for us who belong to Him! God's love has a very real and practical manifestation to it, He will strengthen them against their enemies, and to keep them safe.  God's promise of strength is not just some kind of mystical strength that has no real application to life, it is very practical and real! There should be a real difference between Christians and this world in ways that are measurable!

            Writing in The Sunday School Times many years ago, Newman Hall told about a Christian friend who was invited to debate publicly with some men who had no use for the Lord or the church. The believer said, "When you can find me twelve families who were once Christians but by embracing your views have become more virtuous, useful, contented, and happy, I will think it worthwhile to argue with you, and not before." Then he said, "I can find you one hundred families who were once living only for this present world, but who because of Christ have become better husbands and wives, better parents and children, more virtuous, and sober, and happy." Hall concluded, "Yes, let religion be tested by its purifying power."

            We do not face life alone or in our own strength when we belong to God, He is there offering His strength all the time. Notice in verse 14; God refers to them as a ‘worm’ they were considered soft and easy to step on by their enemies, but contrast this with verse 15; In verse 15; God says He will make them from a ‘worm’ to a ‘threshing sledge’, a hardwood club with flint chips in it that can do some serious damage and thresh out the grain! God's strength will make the difference! Paul makes use of this understanding when he stated, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God..." Romans 8:37-39; Because of this we need not fear, we are ‘more than conquerors through Christ’! He promises to strengthen you! Trials and pain can wear down our faith in God being a good God. God however does not change, nor will He abandon us! Those who trust in the strength of this world will not endure, but those who trust in God will see their strength renewed! God will strengthen you. Don't give up too soon! Pastor Robert Coutts. Did you check out the fundraiser? We appreciate your help and support.