Trevor S. Ferguson
September 18, 2010
Does serving God guarantee worldly prosperity?
The short answer to this question is NO! But then comes all the other questions: Why? Why not? Does it pay to put all that effort into serving God?
Understanding this requires that we separate ourselves from the common world view of prosperity.
Paul instructs us that if we have food and clothing we should be content! God does promise that he will supply all or needs. So the person who is serving God should have adequate food, clothing and a place to live. This may not be good enough by the world's standards but this is the the base that God guarantees. With these basic / physiological needs met we should be content! More is possible and I would say quite likely, but it is not guaranteed. We note that many of God's leading servants had great wealth, e.g. Job and Abraham, but many others did not. John the Baptist, for example, lived in the desert with clothing made of camel's hair and ate locust and wild honey. He had food, clothing and a place to live! We have no indication that he was unhappy! Elijah while in the desert was fed by ravens and then by a widow. Again he had food clothing and a place to live! By and large he was happy.
The question we should then ask is whether the person who is serving God but lacks earthly goods is happy and content in their situation. The second question is whether they are walking in purpose and using the things that God had provided for them. God has promised to provide our basic needs. The rest is dependent on our circumstances and our efforts. If we make use of all the opportunities God sends our way we will have good success. Sometimes our circumstances may make this difficult, but God will bless our efforts.
If persons however are content with food, shelter and clothing, let us not seek to apply the world's standards and begin to think that God is not blessing them. Some of these persons have far greater peace that many with wealth!
(Note that this post is a response to a comment on the reflected "REASONS TO SERVE THE LORD" posted on July 1, 2010. You can see the original post here: http://spiritualreflectionsjamaica.blogspot.com/2010/07/reasons-to-serve-lord.html)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Spiritual Rest : Response to a Question
Trevor S. Ferguson
September 18, 2010
Spiritual rest refers to the inner peace we have from knowing our sins are forgiven and that we are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a rest from sin (the compulsion to sin, the domination of the sinful nature).
When we receive the new birth experience we enter into that spiritual rest. We may be still physically stressed, this we will have to work out by proper life planning and stress management.
Sometimes as Christians we may lack the inner peace that comes from spiritual rest. This may be because we have not maintained our relationship with Christ or that we have failed to recognize the fact we have been forgiven of our sins. When we find ourselves in this situation we must check to ensure that there are no unconfessed sins in our life and that we are accepting Christ's forgiveness for all the sins we have committed in the past. This should bring us inner peace.
It is also important that we do not spend time worrying about the cares of this life. This is in fact disobedience to Jesus' expressed commands and will certainly rob us of inner peace.
If we have received the new birth and are living by the words of God we should be having spiritual rest!
(Note that this is a response to a question to the Reflection "SPIRITUAL REST" posted on August 23, 2010; You can see the original post here: http://spiritualreflectionsjamaica.blogspot.com/2010/08/spiritual-rest.html)
September 18, 2010
Spiritual rest refers to the inner peace we have from knowing our sins are forgiven and that we are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a rest from sin (the compulsion to sin, the domination of the sinful nature).
When we receive the new birth experience we enter into that spiritual rest. We may be still physically stressed, this we will have to work out by proper life planning and stress management.
Sometimes as Christians we may lack the inner peace that comes from spiritual rest. This may be because we have not maintained our relationship with Christ or that we have failed to recognize the fact we have been forgiven of our sins. When we find ourselves in this situation we must check to ensure that there are no unconfessed sins in our life and that we are accepting Christ's forgiveness for all the sins we have committed in the past. This should bring us inner peace.
It is also important that we do not spend time worrying about the cares of this life. This is in fact disobedience to Jesus' expressed commands and will certainly rob us of inner peace.
If we have received the new birth and are living by the words of God we should be having spiritual rest!
(Note that this is a response to a question to the Reflection "SPIRITUAL REST" posted on August 23, 2010; You can see the original post here: http://spiritualreflectionsjamaica.blogspot.com/2010/08/spiritual-rest.html)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Jesus is the Source of My Help
Trevor S. Ferguson
September 11, 2010
Psalms 121:1-2 (KJV)
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Daniel 4:28-32 (KJV)
28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Exposition
Psalm 121 is a well known and often quoted psalm. It is believed to have been said by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem and hence its designation as a song of ascents or song of degrees. Many scholars believe that verse 1 is better translated as two questions: Shall I lift up my eyes to the hills? Where does my help come from? The psalmist probably found himself in a spot of trouble and sought to determine where he should go for help? So he asks himself the question: Shall I look to the hills? Can I hide myself in this mountainous terrain? Will these mountains offer me sufficient protection from the enemy? Can these mountains defend me? As he searched within himself for the answer, his spirit spoke from within: No! I will not put my trust in these mountains but I will put my trust in God. He is the source of my help. In fact he is the maker of these hills; he is the creator of heaven and earth. He is the only one on whom I can depend. He is the only one who cannot fail. He is the only sure foundation.
As he reflected he probably remembered the words of the 20th psalm: Some trust in chariots and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright. We must remember today that numbers, ammunition, military power or technology cannot guarantee victory in any fight. If we are to experience long standing victory, we must put our trust in God. We must have moral authority, a righteous foundation and act justly in our execution of military might. History has shown us that no army has been able to achieve lasting victory while courting corrupt and unjust practices. Over time in-fighting and power struggles develop ultimately leading to loss of power.
The bible shows us also that it is God who allows rulers to exist and to govern with might and authority. Such rulers must recognize the sovereignty of God for it is through his grace and mercy that they have had the opportunity to rule. Failure to do so can have grave consequences as we saw in the text from Daniel today.
Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon was the greatest ruler of his time. He had conquered most of the countries in the region and brought captives to serve in Babylon. He built a great city, including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon which is listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar however failed to recognize that God was the supreme creator and enabler and thus attributed his success to his own personal power and might. God in His mercy warned Nebuchadnezzar in a dream that he would suffer great humiliation for failing to give honor to him, but Nebuchadnezzar failed to heed the warning.
The bible tells us in Daniel 4 that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. In this dream he saw a tree in the midst of the earth; the tree was extremely tall so that it appeared to reach up to the heavens and was visible throughout the earth. The leaves of the tree were fair and the tree brought forth much fruit. The tree provided food for many. In addition it was shade to the beast of the field and nest to the birds of the air. In the vision he saw a watcher and “a holy one”, presumably an angel, come down from heaven and commanded that the tree be cut down, its branches be broken off and its leaves be shaken off. The birds would no longer make nests in the tree and the beast would no longer find shade under its branches. However the angel commanded that the stump should be left in the ground.
Nebuchadnezzar was understandably puzzled by this dream and called for his wise men to provide the interpretation but they could not. Nebuchadnezzar therefore called for Daniel because he recognized that he was in touch with true God. (As children of God we must always be in a position to provide divine counsel to leaders governments and organizations. When the advisors and consultants are unable to provide answers for our nation’s problems, we must be able to seek God for divine guidance and provide direction for our leaders). When Daniel heard the dream he was astonished and said nothing for a full hour. When he had composed himself he reported that the tree which the king saw in the dream was Nebuchadnezzar himself. As ruler of the Babylonian empire he had grown and become strong; his influence had spread across the then known world. However this power and dominion was not set to continue. In the near future he would be driven from his lofty position, lose his mental capacity and become like unto a beast. He would eat grass like oxen, live out in the open and be wet with dew; his nails would become like claws. This period of insanity would last for seven years.
While the reasons for this judgment was not explicitly stated we can infer from Daniel’s admonition in verse 27 that this was due to his sins and unrighteousness. His kingdom was likely marred by injustice and corruption; hence Daniel admonished that if he changed his behaviour he may this punishment could be delayed. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar partially heeded Daniel’s warning because we are told that a year passed before the judgment declared in the vision came to pass. As humans however we tend to be rather forgetful and at the end of one year Nebuchadnezzar stepped into his palace and decided to take up his old habits. He stood among the officials of the kingdom and began to speak: Is not this great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power and for the honor of MY majesty? While was yet speaking a voice spoke from heaven and judgment was declared. As prophesied by Daniel he lost his sanity, was driven from his throne and dwelt among the beast for seven years.
At the end of these seven years he had learnt his lesson and when his sanity returned he blessed and praised God because he now realized that had dominion over all nations; that he sets up whosoever he will and will not hesitate to bring down those who seek to exalt themselves.
As we reflect on this story today I want to implore us all that we recognize that in all that we do God must get the glory. It is because of him why we exist and outside of him we are nothing. The scriptures declare in Acts 17:28 that “in him we live, and move and have our being”. All glory, honor and praise belong to him and in all our successes we must acknowledge him. Let us not fall in the error of Nebuchadnezzar; let us give glory to God. He is the source of our help!!
Finally let us look back at Psalm 121 where the psalmist highlights some of the benefits of trusting in God. What can we expect when we recognize that Jesus is the source of our help? I would like to highlight four (4) benefits of looking to Jesus for help:
1.Stability
The psalmist tells us that He will not suffer our foot to be moved.
In another psalm it is said that we should be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters.
When Gods sets you up no power in hell can move you unless God grants the permission
2.Protection
The psalmist declares that the lord is our keeper
He further assures us that this keeper does not slumber or sleep
3.Covering
The Lord will be our shade.
He will protect us from the elements, the by day or the moon by night
4.Preservation
The Lord will preserve us from evil
Unlike Nebuchadnezzar we will not forget an fall back in our evil ways
The scriptures declare that “He that has begun a good work in us is able to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).”
Conclusion
So today we have seen that Jesus is the source of our help. He is the one to whom we should look when we are in trouble. He is the one on whom we can depend for our day to day existence. Today let us look within ourselves and see where we have been looking for help. If we have not put our faith in Jesus Christ, right now is a good time. The promise of salvation is promised to whosoever will. The bible teaches that in order to be saved one must repent of his sins; accept water baptism in the name of Jesus and receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. If you have not yet accepted him today is an opportune time. Don’t mind what others may think or say; this is between you and your maker. Today is the day to make that decision.
September 11, 2010
Psalms 121:1-2 (KJV)
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Daniel 4:28-32 (KJV)
28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Exposition
Psalm 121 is a well known and often quoted psalm. It is believed to have been said by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem and hence its designation as a song of ascents or song of degrees. Many scholars believe that verse 1 is better translated as two questions: Shall I lift up my eyes to the hills? Where does my help come from? The psalmist probably found himself in a spot of trouble and sought to determine where he should go for help? So he asks himself the question: Shall I look to the hills? Can I hide myself in this mountainous terrain? Will these mountains offer me sufficient protection from the enemy? Can these mountains defend me? As he searched within himself for the answer, his spirit spoke from within: No! I will not put my trust in these mountains but I will put my trust in God. He is the source of my help. In fact he is the maker of these hills; he is the creator of heaven and earth. He is the only one on whom I can depend. He is the only one who cannot fail. He is the only sure foundation.
As he reflected he probably remembered the words of the 20th psalm: Some trust in chariots and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright. We must remember today that numbers, ammunition, military power or technology cannot guarantee victory in any fight. If we are to experience long standing victory, we must put our trust in God. We must have moral authority, a righteous foundation and act justly in our execution of military might. History has shown us that no army has been able to achieve lasting victory while courting corrupt and unjust practices. Over time in-fighting and power struggles develop ultimately leading to loss of power.
The bible shows us also that it is God who allows rulers to exist and to govern with might and authority. Such rulers must recognize the sovereignty of God for it is through his grace and mercy that they have had the opportunity to rule. Failure to do so can have grave consequences as we saw in the text from Daniel today.
Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon was the greatest ruler of his time. He had conquered most of the countries in the region and brought captives to serve in Babylon. He built a great city, including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon which is listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar however failed to recognize that God was the supreme creator and enabler and thus attributed his success to his own personal power and might. God in His mercy warned Nebuchadnezzar in a dream that he would suffer great humiliation for failing to give honor to him, but Nebuchadnezzar failed to heed the warning.
The bible tells us in Daniel 4 that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. In this dream he saw a tree in the midst of the earth; the tree was extremely tall so that it appeared to reach up to the heavens and was visible throughout the earth. The leaves of the tree were fair and the tree brought forth much fruit. The tree provided food for many. In addition it was shade to the beast of the field and nest to the birds of the air. In the vision he saw a watcher and “a holy one”, presumably an angel, come down from heaven and commanded that the tree be cut down, its branches be broken off and its leaves be shaken off. The birds would no longer make nests in the tree and the beast would no longer find shade under its branches. However the angel commanded that the stump should be left in the ground.
Nebuchadnezzar was understandably puzzled by this dream and called for his wise men to provide the interpretation but they could not. Nebuchadnezzar therefore called for Daniel because he recognized that he was in touch with true God. (As children of God we must always be in a position to provide divine counsel to leaders governments and organizations. When the advisors and consultants are unable to provide answers for our nation’s problems, we must be able to seek God for divine guidance and provide direction for our leaders). When Daniel heard the dream he was astonished and said nothing for a full hour. When he had composed himself he reported that the tree which the king saw in the dream was Nebuchadnezzar himself. As ruler of the Babylonian empire he had grown and become strong; his influence had spread across the then known world. However this power and dominion was not set to continue. In the near future he would be driven from his lofty position, lose his mental capacity and become like unto a beast. He would eat grass like oxen, live out in the open and be wet with dew; his nails would become like claws. This period of insanity would last for seven years.
While the reasons for this judgment was not explicitly stated we can infer from Daniel’s admonition in verse 27 that this was due to his sins and unrighteousness. His kingdom was likely marred by injustice and corruption; hence Daniel admonished that if he changed his behaviour he may this punishment could be delayed. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar partially heeded Daniel’s warning because we are told that a year passed before the judgment declared in the vision came to pass. As humans however we tend to be rather forgetful and at the end of one year Nebuchadnezzar stepped into his palace and decided to take up his old habits. He stood among the officials of the kingdom and began to speak: Is not this great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power and for the honor of MY majesty? While was yet speaking a voice spoke from heaven and judgment was declared. As prophesied by Daniel he lost his sanity, was driven from his throne and dwelt among the beast for seven years.
At the end of these seven years he had learnt his lesson and when his sanity returned he blessed and praised God because he now realized that had dominion over all nations; that he sets up whosoever he will and will not hesitate to bring down those who seek to exalt themselves.
As we reflect on this story today I want to implore us all that we recognize that in all that we do God must get the glory. It is because of him why we exist and outside of him we are nothing. The scriptures declare in Acts 17:28 that “in him we live, and move and have our being”. All glory, honor and praise belong to him and in all our successes we must acknowledge him. Let us not fall in the error of Nebuchadnezzar; let us give glory to God. He is the source of our help!!
Finally let us look back at Psalm 121 where the psalmist highlights some of the benefits of trusting in God. What can we expect when we recognize that Jesus is the source of our help? I would like to highlight four (4) benefits of looking to Jesus for help:
1.Stability
The psalmist tells us that He will not suffer our foot to be moved.
In another psalm it is said that we should be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters.
When Gods sets you up no power in hell can move you unless God grants the permission
2.Protection
The psalmist declares that the lord is our keeper
He further assures us that this keeper does not slumber or sleep
3.Covering
The Lord will be our shade.
He will protect us from the elements, the by day or the moon by night
4.Preservation
The Lord will preserve us from evil
Unlike Nebuchadnezzar we will not forget an fall back in our evil ways
The scriptures declare that “He that has begun a good work in us is able to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).”
Conclusion
So today we have seen that Jesus is the source of our help. He is the one to whom we should look when we are in trouble. He is the one on whom we can depend for our day to day existence. Today let us look within ourselves and see where we have been looking for help. If we have not put our faith in Jesus Christ, right now is a good time. The promise of salvation is promised to whosoever will. The bible teaches that in order to be saved one must repent of his sins; accept water baptism in the name of Jesus and receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. If you have not yet accepted him today is an opportune time. Don’t mind what others may think or say; this is between you and your maker. Today is the day to make that decision.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Importance of Fellowship
Trevor S. Ferguson
September 5, 2010
The following points summarize a recent lesson on the importance of fellowship:
Fellowship refers to sharing in harmonious relationships
God desires fellowship with all of us
We enter into fellowship with God through the new birth experience and living holy, committed lives
We must embrace, encourage and facilitate fellowship in the church
We should also build harmonious relationships with non-Christians
We must be careful that we do not embrace or support things that are of, or give glory to the devil
See more details at the following links:
The Importance of Fellowship (Google Doc PDF)
Scriptures of fellowship in the New Testament (Google Doc)
September 5, 2010
The following points summarize a recent lesson on the importance of fellowship:
Fellowship refers to sharing in harmonious relationships
God desires fellowship with all of us
We enter into fellowship with God through the new birth experience and living holy, committed lives
We must embrace, encourage and facilitate fellowship in the church
We should also build harmonious relationships with non-Christians
We must be careful that we do not embrace or support things that are of, or give glory to the devil
See more details at the following links:
The Importance of Fellowship (Google Doc PDF)
Scriptures of fellowship in the New Testament (Google Doc)
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