Category: Encouragement For The Downcast

[2] “Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a banner and proclaim, conceal it not, and say: ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.’” ~ Jeremiah 50:2

God wasn’t just saying that the He was destroying Babylon, but the source of its power, its god. Not just its main god but the title of their god, so that none might take it up again and raise Babylon to its heights it one was. See, the name Bel was a title. A title that wasn’t unique to Marduk or Merodach. It was formally used by the Sumerians as a title for their chief god Enki, but when Babylon displace Sumer and became the most powerful kingdom at its time, under King Nebuchadnezzar, his god became the Bel. His god took over the title and became the chief god.

God, when He crushes Babylon, will crush the chief god of Babylon and its title. He will destroy it so that none can rise in its place. So that none could rise up and restore Babylon.

Yes, there are other gods. Yes, there are other powers. Yes, they do indeed have power, but they cannot compare to our God. For our God is the God of gods. He is the King of kings. And LORD of lords. He is the Great I Am who puts all into submission under Him. It’s at His feet that all in Heaven, on Earth, and under the earth will bow. He is the LORD God from everlasting to everlasting. He is the Almighty.

Thank You, LORD that You are a good good God. For if You were malevolent who could stand against You? If you were unjust who could right Your wrongs? But You, oh LORD, are a good God. You are just. You are loving. You are kind. You, oh LORD, keep order in the heavens. You, oh LORD, sit on Your throne prepared to judge the gods for their unjust judgment on the earth, coming against Your people. Attacking Your children. You, oh LORD, rule with justice. Thank You LORD for always coming to our aid. Always defending us when we call on Your name. Thank You LORD. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” [3] So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. [4] And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. [5] Then the word of the Lord came to me: [6] “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” ~ Jeremiah 18:1-6

I was just sitting here trying to fix a console I had bought a few months ago that wasn’t working. I had taken it apart. Cleaned it up. Bought a replacement part for it. Still nothing. And so I decided to give it another go tonight and when I tested it, it flashed on the screen and then the screen went black and I got really excited. It wasn’t fixed, but it was closer than it was before.

And as that excitement became more and more noticeable to me, it hit me, this is how God feels about us. See, I didn’t make that system. It’s not even one I had as a child. It’s not even a system I had growing up, but I can’t help but try to fix it. We aren’t just some random system God bought from someone who didn’t want us anymore and now He’s trying to see if He can fix us up and sell us to make a profit.

No, God created us. He formed us in our mother’s womb. He knitted us together. He knows the number of each hair on our head. And when we fail. When we run from Him and make ourselves dirty and it seems unfixable. It seems like we’re too far gone, God is still chasing us down. He leaves the 99 for the 1. He looks for His sheep, and when He finds us, He rejoices. I felt such excitement and joy when I saw that screen flash because I knew I was on the right track. I knew it was getting close. I can only imagine how much joy the LORD feels when we come home to Him. When we fall at His feet and say, here I am LORD, have me. Use me. I am Yours.

Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, we are just dust. But to God, we are clay worth saving. To God, we are His people, and He loves us. Just as a father will always love his wayward child, so does our Heavenly Father always love us. He wants us to come home to Him, and when we do, He reshapes us. He renews us. He forgets our sin, our transgressions, for His own sake. He remembers not our past, but instead, He focuses on now and tomorrow. So, let us do the same.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let The Potter Reshape His Clay.

¹² For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? ~ Ecclesiastes 6:12

Life is a really weird concept when you think about it. Every single one of us is born just to one day die and soon after be forgotten. Very few are remembered throughout the centuries, but the majority are forgotten. Their lives, stories, names, faces are all forgotten. Lost to time. A bleak and depressing understanding of life that makes you ask the question, “What’s the point?”

When we leave life there, it honestly seems very pointless. Purposeless. A speck of dust sailing through the wind. Here one day, gone the next. But that’s not the end of the story. We aren’t just born to die and then one day forgotten. No. We are never forgotten by our Creator. Weare so important to Him that our very hair on our heads is numbered by Him.

Our words, thoughts, actions, legacy are never forgotten by Him. Yes, man may forget us. Our bones one day turned to dust. Our names forgotten and our graves lost, but our souls, if we delight ourselves in the LORD, will forever dwell in the arms of the LORD Most High.

Yes, man will forget us, but the LORD God our Creator, Savior, and friend never will. Therefore, live your life for the one who will never forget you. The one who will never forsake you. The one who loves you like no other.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live For The One Who Remembers.

¹⁰ I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ~ Philippians 4:10-13

In 1914, a woman by the name of Mary Anne Bevan developed a disease called Acromegaly. The condition caused progressive facial and bodily disfigurement due to the overproduction of growth hormone because of a benign tumor on the pituitary gland. This kind of disappointment would set most people back. They would become depressed, repressed, and lock themselves inside their home. Mary Anne, however, was cut from a different cloth.

Mary Anne didn’t let the disease overcome her. She didn’t let the physical or emotional pain keep her down. In order to provide for her family, she entered a “Ugliest Woman” competition and won. She proceeded to work for Barnum and Bailey Circus (as well as other companies) and made around $50,000 (about one million dollars today) and was able to provide for her four children.

In this life, there will be many trials and tribulations. We will experience ups and downs. The enemy will try to take everything from you, but you must overcome. You have to find the strength not give in to the attacks of the enemy. You have to find your strength in Christ Jesus because in Him we can do all things, including overcoming this world and its afflictions.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Find That Overcomer Within.

² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. ~ Isaiah 9:2

In the ancient world, the darkest and longest night of the year, today/tonight, was often marked by offerings and/or sacrifices to the gods in the hope of bringing the sun back with blessings for the next year. December, a month of coldness, long nights, and short days. A time often associated with mourning, because it’s when the crops die, and there is no harvest, is the time the Church celebrates.

The Church celebrates the birth of Christ. The birth of the God-man, Jesus Christ, the very Light of the World. The ancient world mourned, sacrificed, and brought offerings in hope of gaining favor from the gods, some even going as far as to sacrifice humans during this time, but our God shows His love for us by sending His Son as a gift to the whole world in order that we might be saved.

During a time of deep darkness, God came into our world and brought within Him the Light, which is the life of men. We are no longer in darkness. No. We are now dwelling in the Light of the LORD. No matter how dark the world may get, always remember the Light can never be overcome by it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Dwell In The Light.

The Christmas song I find myself playing on repeat this year is I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day. It truly grasps the overwhelming feeling that can sneak up on you this time of year and then builds to the solution “Christ.” The song goes as follows:

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing (Peace on Earth)
Like a choir singing (Peace on Earth)
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep (Peace on Earth, peace on Earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men

Sometimes the darkness feels too dark. It feels too much to overcome. Too much to even handle but there’s the subtle whisper of the Holy Spirit reminding you of the hope of Christ coming into the world and bringing salvation to all people.

Yes, the world is dark and getting darker, but we have the Light of Christ dwelling in us and through us. So, no matter how dark the world may seem, the darkness can never overcome the Light.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Listen To The Bells Ring.

[1] After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem [2] and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” ~ Matthew 2:1-2^NIV

As the beloved Christmas Carol says, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining until He appeared and the soul felt it’s worth.” For thousands of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, mankind was lost without hope and without redemption. We lay, as it were, in our sins hoping for and needing a Savior. Then the good news rang out, a Savior, the King of the Jews is born, and immediately wisemen from the east traveled a great distance to worship Him.

He was born to die for all mankind, and because of this, it’s almost impossible to separate the birth from the crucifixion — God’s most prefect and best Sacrifice.

As we learned some interesting history about the Mayan civilization this week while on vacation it got me thinking.  Apparently, they (the Mayans) played a sport that was a combination of soccer and basketball, but with vastly different results. The goal was to get a rubber ball into a hoop without using their hands. This game was played by the entire Mayan civilization.

The winners were sacrificed to their pagan gods, because only the best was offered. Jesus, the Redeemer of the world, came to be that Sacrifice for us — the righteous for the unrighteous, the holy for the unholy. There is no better sacrifice. And that is what Christmas is really about, the good news, that the dearest and best Sacrifice has come and because of Jesus, mankind will live forever, at least those who have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. So, as we enjoy our Christmas celebrations, let us never forget that the dearest and the best has come, and now we can have everlasting life in Him because there is no better sacrifice.

Father in heaven, we adore You, LORD Jesus, we lift Your Name in all the earth. We will sing of all You’ve done, and tell of all Your wondrous works, in Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

[20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save His people from their sins.” ~ Matthew 1:20-21

We visited the site of an ancient Mayan ruins today. The tour guide explained that the high priests were buried with a mask made out of jade. The reason was, it was used to purchase their way into paradise. The other Mayans were also buried with pieces of jade for the same reason, to purchase entrance into paradise. But here is what an angel of the LORD who appeared to Joseph in a dream after he considered divorcing Mary when he found out that she was pregnant said.

He told Joseph to name the baby Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. Where the Mayans depended on the green semi-precious stone known as jade to purchase entrance into paradise, Christians depend on the shed blood of Jesus to enter paradise. As the angel said He will save His people from their sins.

No amount of gold, silver, diamonds, or even jade can purchase our way into paradise. Because it’s by faith in the Name of Jesus that we are saved. There is no other Name, and there is no other way, but by Jesus, the Son of God. Because He will save His people from their sins.

Father, thank You for the hope that we have in Jesus. Thank You LORD Jesus for shedding Your blood that I might have an entrance into paradise, Amen.

¹⁴ Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His Name Immanuel. ¹⁵ He shall eat curds and honey when He knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good ~ Isaiah 7:14-15

That is a pretty bold statement by Isaiah, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. First, a virgin cannot conceive. Second, we can only hope, but we cannot predict with any kind of accuracy at all what sex a child will be, whether male or female, and especially more than 700 years in advance. Therefore, that is quite a startling statement/prediction to say the least. So startling that many doubt the validity of the interpretation fueled by the presupposed Jewish understanding of Isaiah 7:14 and say that the word translated as “Virgin”… in the Bible… more naturally means “young woman.” And to be sure, it does. But it is not just any young woman that this word refers to. It refers to a young unmarried woman who is believed and expected to be a virgin since she is unmarried.

The Bible would never presuppose that this young, unmarried woman would have been sexually active. You must agree with that! Therefore, it was not just any young woman, because a young woman could be a married woman with children, and while she is indeed young, this word does not refer to her, since she is married with children and is no longer a virgin. So, because of that, it is true to its definition to translate the word “a virgin,” as the young woman is expected and believed to be a virgin due to her unmarried status.

So, in light of that, to say that Isaiah 7:14 is referring to a specific contemporary event and woman, possibly Isaiah’s wife, rather than a future miraculous birth by the virgin Mary, is ridiculous and misleading, a false diversion to throw confusion on the virgin birth of the Messiah and distract from the truth. So, don’t be afraid to embrace what you have been taught about the virgin birth of Jesus. Jesus had an earthly mother, as He was fully human, but He had no earthly father, as He was also fully God. He was there in the beginning, and He will be here in the end. All things where made through Him, and by Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. He is Creator God.

The long awaited promise has finally come. Jesus is the true and only Redeemer of the world, because in Him was and is the life, and no one can come to the Father except through Him, and that is what He came for, to save His people from their sins. Yes, it was long in coming, but it came: Joy to the world, the LORD is come…

Father thank You for the wonderful Christmas gift called Jesus. Jesus thank You for the wonderful Easter gift of life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.