Christ and the Seasons of Life

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

In these early days of 2020, I’ve been thinking a lot about this verse. The Lord has brought it to my mind again and again. It’s challenging to look at a verse you’ve known all your life and try to think about it in a new way.

We can begin with a simple question: What was John the Baptist thinking when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease”? I am struck by the little word “must.” The lexicons tell us it means something like, “It is necessary.” The word was used in Matthew 16:21 when Jesus told his disciples that he “must” go to Jerusalem to die and then be raised on the third day. God’s plan requires him to go to Jerusalem and offer himself on the cross. Jesus must die! The word means something similar in this verse:

Jesus must increase.
John the Baptist must decrease.

But what sort of “increase” is John talking about? Jesus was, is, and always will be the Son of God. He is infinitely great, and his greatness fills every inch of space, from the tiniest particle to the farthest galaxy in the most distant corner of the universe.

When John the Baptist says, “He must increase,” he is not speaking of the innate greatness of Jesus. God cannot become greater than himself. But the greatness of Jesus is not always seen on earth. Many deny him, attack him, insult him, and millions more ignore him. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him (John 1:11). He came to his own people, and they rejected him. He came to the world he had made, and the world crucified him. He came to his own family, and many did not believe in him.

His greatness cannot increase, but the recognition of his greatness increases every day. Jesus must increase in his fame and in his influence. He must increase as more and more men and women from every nation follow him. That’s what John the Baptist meant when he said, “He must increase.”

With that as background, let’s think about this verse under three headings: the man, the message, the meaning.
 

The Man

John the Baptist appears in the New Testament like a bright comet streaking across the sky. Coming out of the wilderness, he preaches a message of repentance, and vast crowds from across Israel come to hear him. John was God’s man for that hour of history. He excoriated the religious professionals and called them to a baptism of repentance for their sins. Over time his fame spread, and a group of men began following him from place to place.

Then one day Jesus came to John, asking to be baptized. In that holy moment, the Father spoke from heaven, and a dove descended, representing the Holy Spirit coming in power on the Son of God.

Evidently John continued to preach and gather disciples while Jesus did the same thing. It was inevitable that questions would arise about the two competing movements. We can read about it in John 3:25-26:

Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.”

 
At moments like these, you find out the truth about yourself. Anyone can be happy when he pastors the largest church in town. It’s fun being the “leading pastor” for your town, your city, your county, or your state. It’s a heady experience to be interviewed on the radio because your church is growing so fast. It’s a big deal to speak at the Jerusalem Founders Conference because you’ve built a thriving ministry. When that happens, your fame spreads, you get book deals, you show up on the talk shows, and you might be sought out by presidential candidates who want your support. Nothing wrong with any of that, but it’s easy for fame to go to your head. I am often reminded of Bill Gates’ wry comment, “Success is a lousy teacher. It makes smart people think they can do no wrong.” Far more people are ruined by success than by failure. It’s easy to understand how this happened. John had been there first. For a few months, he had been the only one preaching and baptizing and calling the nation to repentance. Suddenly, here comes Jesus who is doing the same thing, and “everyone is going to him.”
 
If you end up face down in the muck and mire of humiliating defeat, you are bound to ask yourself some hard questions. But who bothers with those questions when the sun is shining, you have money in the bank, and everyone loves you? You’re too busy counting Likes on your Facebook page to worry about those pesky questions.
 
To find out John’s attitude about all this, we can run the clock back to the earliest days of his ministry. Jesus had not yet taken center stage, so the great question in Jerusalem was, “Who is this man called John?” Watch how the story plays out in John 1:19-23:

This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

He didn’t deny it but confessed: “I am not the Messiah.”

“What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”
“I am not,” he said.
“Are you the Prophet?”
“No,” he answered.

“Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”

He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord--just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

 
When the Jews asked John, “Are you the Messiah?” he immediately answered no. When they asked, “Are you the Prophet?” he said no again. Then who is he? John answered by quoting Isaiah 40. He is a voice, that’s all. He cries out in the wilderness and announces the coming of the Messiah.

John the Baptist has a very clear self-image. He knows who he is, and more importantly, he knows who he isn’t. If you know who you are, you don’t have to waste time pretending to be someone else. Once you have a good grasp on God’s calling on your life, you won’t try to fool people into thinking you’re something you’re not.

He’s not the Messiah.
He’s not Elijah.
He’s not the Prophet.
 
He’s a voice for God. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
 
God raised up this man, for this ministry, at this moment in history. John knows that, and because he knows it, he can be content with who he is, where he is, and what he is doing.

 

The Message

John knew his days were numbered.

Did he know he would end up with his head on a platter? No, he didn’t know that because God had not revealed that to him. But like the men of Issachar, he understood the times and knew what he should do (see 1 Chronicles 12:32).

Did he know he didn’t have long to live? No, because God hadn’t revealed that either. Soon enough Herod would find a reason to have him thrown into a lonely jail in a remote region on the east side of the Dead Sea. On this day, John the Baptist had no inkling of what was to come. But he saw clearly that the rising of Jesus meant his ministry would soon come to an end.

Did he sense the coming doubts that would fill his mind (Matthew 11:1-6)? That period of gloom happened after he ended up in jail, locked up for speaking the truth to Herod. There he languished for days, weeks, months. Prison time is hard time, and if John gave in to his fears during those lonely days, at least we can say he has lots of company across history. Many a man has doubted in the darkness what he believed in the light. I simply ask, when John made his statement, did he foresee his own doubt? The answer must be no.

What, then, did John know? He knew his ministry was coming to an end. A forerunner in the Bible went ahead of the king, announcing his imminent arrival. He cleared the way for the king to come to his subjects. Without the forerunner, the people would not be prepared when the king came to town.

That means the forerunner was essential but only for a little while. His job came with an expiration date. But the catch is, the forerunner didn’t know the date until it arrived. The moment had come for John the Baptist to exit stage right.

That’s never easy for any of us. Life has its seasons. We’re born, we learn to crawl, then we walk, then we speak, then we begin to make friends, then we go to school, suddenly we are teenagers, but then we go to college, and somewhere along the way, we get our first job. We may fall in love and get married. Soon enough the kids come along, with all the attendant joys and burdens. But kids don’t stay kids forever. For better or worse, they grow up and leave us. We move from job to job, making friends (and perhaps a few enemies) along the way. We make our money; we buy and sell and move around. We have friends who enter and exit our lives. Eventually we retire, and maybe we move to Florida. One day we take a nap but don’t wake up. Such is life for all of us.

John the Baptist understood something that often causes us to struggle. He saw clearly that the major season of his life was ending.

He saw it.
He accepted it.
He didn’t fight against it.

Every job has an expiration date.
Friends come and go.
Dreams don’t last forever.

Gone were the heady days when all Israel flocked to hear him preach in the Judean wilderness. Gone were the scathing sermons, denouncing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Gone were the fantastic days when he and his men would baptize multitudes in the Jordan River.

How could he “decrease” so cheerfully? John himself gives us the answer:

1. He knew that everything he received came from God (John 3:27).
2. He knew he was the “best man” but Jesus was the bridegroom (John 3:28-29).

If you know the source of your power, and if you know who you are, you don’t complain when you must decrease. John wanted Jesus to increase in fame and followers. He wanted more people to follow Jesus even if that meant fewer people followed him.

Consider the morning star that appears in the night sky, heralding the coming sunrise. But when the sun rises, the morning star disappears because it has done its duty. John was a bright star who faded away with the Son of God began to rise like sunlight in the morning.

Did John fail? Not at all. He succeeded in every way. So it is that we all will rise and fall during the course of a lifetime. God only requires that we be faithful like John was faithful. Better to be forgotten because we did God’s will than to be remembered because we didn’t.

We all struggle to let go at times. No one likes to hear, “We don’t need you anymore,” because we all want to feel indispensable. It couldn’t have been easy for John to let go of his fame--and even harder to do it willingly. Most of us grasp and hold on tight when something we value is being taken from us.

I saw a church sign that asked a simple question: “Are we too fond of our own will?” The answer is yes. We are all by nature “fond” of our own will. We like liking what we like.

I have a few things on my mind as I type these words, including some burdens regarding dear friends who need special help from the Lord. I pray he will grant those requests. Plus I have plans for my future and things I want to accomplish. So, yes, I’m “fond” of my own will. But Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). Only one will can be done at a time. Either God calls the shots, or you do. Either he is in control or you are in control. It’s not easy to pray like that because it means giving up control of your own life.

But you aren’t really in control anyway. It only seems that way.

The happiest people are those who say, “I’ve decided to let go and let God take charge.” So many of us go through life with a clenched fist, trying to control the uncontrollable, trying to mastermind all the circumstances, trying to make our plans work. So we hold tightly to the things we value—our career, our reputation, our happiness, our health, our children, our education, our wealth, our possessions, our mates. We even hold tightly to life itself. But those things we hold so tightly never really belonged to us. They always belonged to God. He loaned them to us, and when the time comes, he will take them back again.

Happy are they who hold lightly what they value greatly.

What are you struggling with today? What are you holding on to so tightly that it almost makes your hands hurt? What is it that you are afraid to yield to God? Whatever it is, you’ll be a lot happier when you finally say, “Your will be done,” and then open your clenched fist.

No one had to tell John to let go. He knew the time had come.
 

The Meaning

If you live long enough, you will both increase and decrease. Recently I read one of those “where are they now” articles about actors who were famous in the 1980s. Some were superstars back then. A few of them still are, but most of the stars of yesterday have faded away into obscurity.

When Doris Day died last year, the obituaries noted that her career began in 1939 as a big band singer. She recorded 650 songs between 1947 and 1967. That’s impressive. She co-starred with Rock Hudson in several movies in the 1950s. Her recording of “Que Sera, Sera” became a big hit. They called her “America’s Sweetheart,” and so she was, at least for a while. But her Wikipedia entry notes that her years of commercial activity ended in 1989, 30 years before her death at 97.

If we live long enough, we will end up the same way. Life has its seasons, and it is a measure of our maturity to understand the seasons and to accept them from the hand of the Lord.

That’s the real meaning of John 3:30. Jesus “increasing” necessarily meant John “decreasing.” John had done his job magnificently as the forerunner, but those days had come and gone. Now that Jesus’ ministry has begun, he no longer needed someone like John the Baptist to prepare the way. Strange as it may sound, John’s success (his “increase”) guaranteed the end of his public ministry (his “decrease”).

John didn’t envy Jesus, even though John’s disciples seemed to have that problem. And who could blame them? Jesus’ increase meant their leader would soon decrease in reputation and magnitude. If everyone flocks to Jesus, who is left to listen to John? No wonder his disciples worried about their future.

But for John there was no worry, no fear, no doubt, and no need to hold on tight to his position. He understood that if his “increase” had been God’s will, then his “decrease” was also God’s will.

We live in a “what have you done lately” kind of world. We all get weighed in the balances of life. Only the best among us can respond with the grace of a John the Baptist. He embraced his “decrease” because of his bedrock faith in the sovereignty of God over the details of life. He knew he had been raised up “for such a time as this,” and when that time was over, he would slip out of the limelight.

His life came to a shocking end when Herod had him beheaded, but even that was part of God’s plan for his life. God used John’s death to convict Herod about the true identity of Jesus (Luke 9:7-9). In a sense, John continued to prepare the way of the Lord in his death as he had in his life.

What a great man.
What a magnificent life.
What a model for us to follow.

Here is the watchword for every pastor: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Here is God’s message to every missionary: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Here is the path forward for every Christian leader: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:30 is John the Baptist’s final public statement. Everything else he says happens during his imprisonment. So if this is his final declaration, we can say, “What a tremendous way to wrap up your public ministry.” No wonder Jesus said that among those born of woman, there has never been any one greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11). His final public statement reveals the secret of his success.

Let everyone who reads these words say, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” How blessed we would be, and how happy our churches would be, and how powerful our impact in the world would be if we took John’s words as our own.
 

Give God the Glory!

If you are “increasing” (and some of us are), give thanks to God, use your fame and fortune for the Kingdom of God, and don’t take credit for your success. Give God the glory. Remember that your “increase” will not last forever. You need not feel ashamed of your blessings, but never take them for granted.

If you are “decreasing” (and some of us are), give thanks to God for that too. The seasons of life come and go, and you never know what tomorrow may bring. Let God use you in your weakness, your doubt, and your uncertainty. You are not less of a Christian because life is hard right now. Ask God to give you an open heart to praise him right where you are.

When we come to the bottom line, we find that the message of John 3:30 is the same for all of us, no matter whether we are “increasing” or “decreasing.” If we believe in Jesus, then our whole goal must be to make him first in all things.

Seasons come and go, but Jesus is Lord now and forever. Hold on to that truth in the months to come. If Christ is magnified in us this year, we will not have lived in vain.

by Pastor Ray Pritchard

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Ted

I Shall See God

In my flesh I shall see God.  Job 19:26 Consider the subject of Job's devout anticipation: "I shall see God." He does not say, "I shall see the saints"—though doubtless that will be untold happiness—but "I shall see God." It is not "I shall see the pearly gates, I shall behold the walls of jasper, I shall gaze upon the crowns of gold," but "I shall see God." This is the sum and substance of heaven; this is the joyful hope of all believers. It is their delight to see Him now in the ordinances by faith. They love to behold Him in communion and in prayer; but there in heaven they shall have an open and unclouded vision, and thus seeing "him as he is,"1 shall be made completely like Him. Likeness to God—what more can we wish for? And a sight of God—what can we desire better? Some read the passage, "Yet I shall see God in my flesh" and find here an allusion to Christ as the Word made flesh, and that glorious beholding of Him that shall be the splendor of the latter days. Whether so or not, it is certain that Christ shall be the object of our eternal vision; nor shall we ever want any joy beyond that of seeing Him. Do not think that this will be a narrow sphere for the mind to dwell in. It is but one source of delight, but that source is infinite. All His attributes shall be subjects for contemplation, and as He is infinite under each aspect, there is no fear of exhaustion. His works, His gifts, His love to us, and His glory in all His purposes and in all His actions, these shall make a theme that will be ever new. The patriarch looked forward to this sight of God as a personal enjoyment. "Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another."2 Take realizing views of heaven's bliss; think what it will be to you. "Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty."3 All earthly brightness fades and darkens as we gaze upon it, but here is a brightness that can never dim, a glory that can never fade—"I shall see God." 1) 1 John 3:2 2) Job 19:27 3) Isaiah 33:17

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon Because each and every one of you are important to me. I want you to see God, not at the Great White Throne Judgement, but at the Bema seat of Christ. I want you to see Him as friend and Savior. Nothing in this world compares to what awaits us when we leave it if we know Him personally. See you next blog, Ted

Does God really choose the base things of this world?

and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

1 Corinthians 1:28(NASB)

There are many occasions in Scripture when God uses simple things or unschooled people... whom the world considers foolish or juvenile, to undertake an assignment and forward His plans and purposes. It was in his letter to the Corinthians that Paul highlights this important issue when he wrote, "God has chosen the base things of the world and the things that are despised... God has chosen the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are".

Corinth was a place that was teeming with citizens of Rome, and other people from different places - both Gentiles and Jews. Many had relocated in Corinth, because of its importance as a commercial city and industrial centre. It had become a bustling town that was strategically situated, for both land and marine trade and travel.

Corinth had a range of intersecting trade routes from across the world and had become a busy centre, with a wide variety of merchants and travellers passing through. Like so many cities in Paul's day, it was replete with pagan practices, depravity, and corruption. There were many temples dedicated to pagan deities... and sexual idolatry and temple prostitution were two of the ungodly habits that flourished within the city gates.

It was in the midst of this den of iniquity that Paul made Corinth his missionary headquarters and started to preach the good news of the gospel of Christ. He ministered in Corinth for about 18 months before moving to Ephesus.

While in Ephesus Paul received some concerning news about the ungodly practices that the Corinthians Church had adopted. Paul was distressed by their fall into carnality, which caused him to write a chastening and corrective letter, exhorting the believers there to stop engaging in such ungodly practices and giving instruction on right thinking and godly living.

Some in the congregation were engaged in some serious sexual misconduct, which was allowed to go unchallenged by the elders there. Others were involved in internal squabbles which resulted in disorderly meetings and presented a poor testimony to unbelievers in the city.

Pagan courts were being used by Christians to sue a brother in Christ! Spiritual gifts were being abused and Paul's apostolic authority and doctrinal teaching had already been challenged and disputed by false teachers and legalists. As a result, Paul found it necessary to address these issues in a letter of correction, as well as defending his position as an apostle of God and a chosen instrument of Christ.

In an attempt to justify his apostolic authority and the gospel he taught. Paul pointed out that God uses foolish things of the world to confound the wise and weak things to dumbfound the strong. He uses things like the cross of Christ and Paul's own ministry in order to humiliate those that are wise in their own eyes. God chooses the weak things of the world, to bring down the powerful and Paul contrasted the clever oratory skills of his critics with the simplicity of the pure gospel he taught.

In His wisdom, the Lord uses things that are insignificant and people who are despised, to carry out his plans and purposes. God is able to take things that are viewed as nothing... in order to topple those that consider themselves superior! The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "And God deliberately selected and chose to use things in the world that are lowborn... things that are insignificant. God chooses to use those that are branded as useless and treated with contempt. He even uses things that are of absolutely no value whatsoever, so that He might depose the proud and bring their arguments to nothing".

We read in Psalm 2 that God sits in the heavens and laughs at the pompous piety and arrogant attitude of fallen man who rails against the Lord and His Anointed. What a comfort to know that God in His grace, takes the base things of the world and chooses those that are despised to bring to nothing those that view themselves as important!

Human wisdom and philosophical thinking may be coveted by the world and celebrated by fallen man, but the gospel exposes this attitude as foolish and futile. Human wisdom is the antithesis of godly wisdom and in this verse Paul's quoted from Isaiah, who said, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise". Paul was not suggesting that God will not save the wealthy man or intelligent person, for His goodness and grace embraces all, but how important that we get our priorities right and put JESUS as the central focus of our lives.  

What a reminder that God is not influenced by the debating skills, intellectual capacities, business acumen or human wisdom of the wise. Such people are insignificant in His eyes. But the Lord values the man who is humble of heart and ever looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that I am accepted in the Beloved and my salvation does not depend on my debating skills, intellectual capacities, business acumen or human wisdom. I pray that I may develop an attitude of heart that trusts in You implicitly, and looks to Jesus, day by day. Thank You that You take the base things of the world and people that are insignificant in eyes of the proud, and use them for Your greater glory. Use me I pray and help me to walk humbly before You all the days of my life  - this I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. 

Knowing Jesus is the first step to true wisdom!

Ted

How Faith Grows

 But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:10

Before the first Sunday morning service at Harvest Christian Fellowship, we have a time of prayer and worship with our volunteers. One morning we asked some of them to share what they were thankful to God for.

I was very surprised by one woman’s answer. She said, “I’m thankful to God that I’m going through a trial.”

What? Who says that? She did. And she went on to say, “Job says, ‘When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.’”

Now there’s someone who understands why God allows trials in her life.

Do you want your faith to grow? I hate to break this to you, but if you said yes, then you just said, “Lord, I want some trials.”

We want our faith to grow in the sunshine and the good times. And it does to some degree. But real faith grows in the valleys when the storm clouds are forming, when things are not making sense. And why does it grow? Because we hang on to God.

We hang on to God because we have nowhere else to go. And that is not a bad place to be, by the way. Sometimes we’ll have lapses of faith, and as a result, we think we’ve failed. But everyone has lapses of faith. Everyone. So just come to God with as much faith as you have.

Also, faith doesn’t mean that we check our brains at the door. Christians use logic. Christians think things through. Most importantly, Christians think things through biblically.

Faith is not opposed to reason, but sometimes it’s opposed to feelings and appearances. That means we refuse to let our emotions rule us. We refuse to let circumstances rule us. Instead, we resolve to have faith, regardless of circumstances.

Faith is not the absence of thinking. Faith is focused on thinking on God’s Word!

Pastor Greg Laurie

My blog concerning the New Year to come...

Ted

Renew Your Strength Through God

Renew Your Strength Through God

Let the peoples renew their strength.

 Isaiah 41:1

All things on earth need to be renewed. No created thing continues by itself. "You renew the face of the ground,"1 was the psalmist's utterance.

Even the trees, which wear not themselves with care, nor shorten their lives with labor, must drink of the rain of heaven and draw from the hidden treasures of the soil. The cedars of Lebanon, which God has planted, only live because day by day they are full of sap freshly drawn from the earth. Neither can man's life be sustained without renewal from God. As it is necessary to repair the body by the frequent meal, so we must repair the soul by feeding upon the Book of God, or by listening to the preached Word, or by the soul-fattening table of the ordinances.

How depressed are our graces when means are neglected! What poor starving souls they are who live without the diligent use of the Word of God and secret prayer! If our piety can live without God it is not of divine creating; it is but a dream; for if God had begotten it, it would wait upon Him as the flowers wait upon the dew.

Without constant restoration we are not ready for the perpetual assaults of hell, or the stern afflictions of heaven, or even for the strife within. When the whirlwind shall be loosed, woe to the tree that has not sucked up fresh sap and grasped the rock with many inter-twisted roots.

When tempests arise, woe to the mariners that have not strengthened their mast, nor cast their anchor, nor sought the haven. If we suffer the good to grow weaker, the evil will surely gather strength and struggle desperately for the mastery over us; and as a result a painful desolation and a lamentable disgrace may follow. Let us draw near to the footstool of divine mercy in humble entreaty, and we shall realize the fulfillment of the promise, "They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength."2

1) Psalm 104:30
2) Isaiah 40:31

Pastor Alistair Begg at Truthforlife.org

My blog for the New Year coming...

Ted

I AM GOD...not me HIM!

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.

Genesis 17:1(NASB)

Little by little throughout scripture God gently and gradually unveils His gracious character and His eternal attributes.. first to one person and then to another. To David, God proved Himself to be his Shepherd. To Hagar, God was revealed as the all-seeing One. He became a Banner and Standard to the wandering Israelites in the wilderness and to the frightened Gideon He became Shalom - the Lord is my Peace.

There was one occasion when the Lord revealed Himself to Abraham as his Provider, but in this unique and touching episode, God disclosed Himself to the aging Abraham as: Almighty God (El-Shaddai). 

'EL' adequately speaks of God's tremendous work of creation and the mighty power He displayed during the great deluge of Noah's day. It speaks coherently of His majesty, strength, greatness and power, as further exhibited in the tremendous plagues that ravaged Egypt's fertile plain. And yet the name, ‘El Shadai’, identifies our heavenly Father as the all-sufficient God - the God Who is totally adequate to provide ALL we need according to His riches in mercy.

Insufficient emphasis has been placed on the meaning of the nourishing nature of the word ‘Shadai’ in this astonishing revelation of God. While the word 'EL' signified the strength and power of the great Creator EL-ohim, the word 'Shadai' additionally speaks of tender nourishment; gentle reassurance and the provision of strength that a tiny babe derives from the comforting breast of his mother.

Abraham had been promised the Seed through whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. His advancing years appeared to contradict God's former Word. It seemed impossible that the 90-year-old Sarah and her 100-year-old husband could parent a child, as God had promised some time before. Yet, in this gracious encounter, God reveals Himself to Abraham, in a new and wonderful way - as 'God Almighty' - 'El Shadai' -  the All-Sufficient God. He gently admonished His doubting child while giving Abraham ample reassurance that His Word is true, and would be fulfilled in His time, and His way.

And as it was with Abraham, so it is with all of God's people. The All-sufficiency of God enriches, empowers and provides for all God's children. The precious promise of God's all-embracing sufficiency, is equally relevant today as it was in those dim and distant days, when God called a pagan Gentile, out of  Ur of the Chaldees.. to leave his land, his wealth and his relatives, and go to the land God promised to show him.

The young Abram had obeyed the Lord many years earlier and his faith was already credited to him as righteousness. But many years later, when that same man of faith was ninety-nine years of age, the Lord appeared to him in a new and special way. Abraham was granted further revelation into the essential nature of the God, in Whom he had placed his trust so many years before... for there were still lessons for this man of God to learn. There were many truths that had not yet been disclosed to this man of faith. "I am God Almighty", he was told. "I am El Shaddai - the All-Sufficient One. Walk before Me, and be blameless".

The same Lord nourishes, multiplies and makes abundantly fruitful the seed of faith that is planted in the heart of each of His children. And in the same way, that He overshadowed and stirred the womb of the elderly Sarah and empowered old Abraham to father this child, so God is able and willing to work His all-sufficient grace in the lives of each of His children.

If God has placed a seed in your heart, never doubt that He is All-sufficient to carry it through to its final delivery - for He Who started a good work in you has promised to bring it to completion, by transforming you into the likeness of the Indwelling Seed - the lovely Lord Jesus, in Whom we trust.

My Prayer

Loving Father I recognise Your almighty power and great glory - for the heavens declare its truth and Christ proved it with outstretched arms on Calvary's cross. But You are also my great Provider for which I thank You. Your gracious provision is All-sufficient and I long to serve You faithfully, and to live a blameless life before You. Lord, I know that living blamelessly before You is only possible as You provide the sufficient grace and power through the Holy Spirit's work within. Bring to fruitfulness the seed that You have planted in my heart, that I may live as You desire - this I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Knowing Jesus is the beginning of wisdom!

Ted

The God Of Heaven Instructs Us To Listen To His Son!

Hebrews 4:14 - "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."

Not only is Jesus our Saviour and King, our Prophet and Lord but He has also become our great High Priest. Jesus is God's anointed High Priest, through Whom we have been made fit to approach the grand and awesome throne of the most high God. His high priestly position is a heavenly one, and it is a position that is so much more superior to the earthly Levitical order, which came through Moses.

Christ's high priestly role is a continuous, eternal, spiritual headship. He is our perfect Priest, Who by virtue of His own spotless sacrificial life-blood, which streamed over the heavenly mercy-seat, has once-and-for-all atoned for all our sins - forever and ever, amen.

He was born for this priestly role and anointed as God's great High Priest by the Holy Spirit, Who rested on Him in the likeness of a Dove at His baptism. His exquisite position was further confirmed by the thunderous voice of the Almighty God, saying: This is My Beloved Son - listen to Him.

The Lord Jesus is the ultimate and final Word of God. He is the incarnate Word, Who took upon Himself human flesh, and as our great, heavenly High Priest, He is interceding day and night for the Church, which is His Body. Jesus is the only Mediator between man and God and He is the only One who can defend our case when the accusational finger of the evil one is pointing at you or at me.

There were a succession of men from the earthly Mosaic economy, who functioned as high priest, but none could be compared with Christ Jesus, for all were sinners in need of salvation. He alone was called 'great' and He alone was appointed after the order of Melchisedek - the Kingly-Priest of righteousness and peace, who was honoured by Abraham and is identified as a type of Christ.

He alone rose from the dead and passed through the earthly atmosphere and starry heights into the heaven of heavens. He alone is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high. He no longer officiates in an earthly Temple. His is an eternal Priesthood that is vastly superior to everything that went before.

He is our righteous, kinsman-Redeemer, Who has become our heavenly Mediator. He has been given a Name that is above every name - Jesus Christ the righteous. And we who have trusted in His death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, have been called to hold fast to our confession. We are commanded to stand firm on the witness of the cross - that Jesus is the Son of God; that Jesus is our great High Priest; that Jesus has put away our sin forever by His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection - that JESUS ascended into heaven by passing through the heavens, on our account, and in Whom are the words of eternal life. 

No wonder we are urged by the writer to the Hebrews to HOLD FAST to our confession - to keep a firm grip on our trust in Christ's finished Work; to believe all God has said through His Word; to unreservedly remain firm to His Truth - and to boldly approach the throne of grace. For it is only and ultimately through Jesus, the Son of God - Who is God the Son, that we can find grace to help in time of need, for His grace is sufficient; His office is efficacious and His loving-mercy is everlasting.

YES INDEED - since we DO have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God - let us hold fast our confession. Hallelujah. Praise His holy name. 

My Prayer

Loving heavenly Father, Your plans and purposes for me are staggering. I can scarcely take in that God Himself should come as my Saviour and High Priest, so that I can approach You on Your great and gracious throne of grace. Keep me ever mindful of this amazing privilege. Open my ears to hear Your voice and cleanse my heart to pray into Your will. Have grace on my brothers and sisters in Christ, and have mercy for a lost and dying world, which needs to acknowledge Jesus as 'kinsman-redeemer'.  Hear and answer my prayer, I ask, in the name of Jesus Christ Your only begotten Son, and my great high heavenly priest, AMEN.

Knowing Jesus is the beginning of wisdom!

Ted