JUST A CARPENTER’S SON?

How you perceive Jesus makes all the difference. The world has the idea that He is just another moral teacher or a great prophet of His time. Jesus Himself asked the question: who do you say I am? Do you recognize Him as the “Anointed One”? How we perceive Him is so important for our faith.

“And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

“Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?” (Matthew 13:54-55)

The people in Jesus’ hometown dismissed Him as “Just a carpenter’s son”. They know His mother Marry and His siblings. And given all these, they could not believe that the same Jesus could be anything other than the ordinary young man that grew up in the neighbourhood. Bible records that they lack faith in Him therefor, and because of their lack of faith, they could not receive anything from the “Messiah”.

It was not for lack of willingness or power on Jesus’ part that not many miracles happened, but for lack of faith. “Faith” receives from God, doubt and unbelief cannot! Jesus cares and was willing to “Do mighty works there”, but the Bible records that “they took offense at him”. 

Jesus, in turn, did not get offended by their rejection. In fact He was not surprised they reacted the way they did, commenting rather that, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family” (Matthew 13:57, NLT). Their problem was one of familiarity! And that familiarity bred doubt and unbelief.

As it was then, so it is today: “He didn’t do many miracles there because of their lack of faith”, so will He not do many miracles today where ever lack of faith persists! This is a profound and central spiritual principle. By it we are instructed that no one can hope to see any great move of God in their life without first putting their faith in the Lord Jesus as the One whom the Father sent and by whom He made all things and upholds them.

To receive the peace that Jesus gives, for example, you have to first see Him as He is revealed in the Scriptures, not according to our own opinion of Him. This is He who said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, ESV). Jesus has “peace” to give.

No one can expect to receive anything from Jesus until they accept the testimony of the scriptures concerning Him and trust Him on that basis alone. We can receive His comfort, healing, salvation, and so on because we know Him, not as the carpenter’s son, but according to His works and the testimony of the word of God. Our greatest prayer then must be, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection...” The more we know Him by revelation knowledge and accept Him, the stronger will be our faith in Him, and greater will be the manifestation of His power in our lives!

He did not do many miracles in His hometown in Nazareth because many of the people who really needed Him failed to see beyond His humble family life in the household of Joseph the carpenter. They failed to see Him as the Messiah that the prophets spoke about.

Your faith cannot rise above your knowledge of God. As you read and reflect on the scriptures daily, determine in your heart, therefore, to know Jesus and see Him as He truly is. Look to Him for the grace for each day. Put your trust in Him and let Him minister to every need in your life.

Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, is the Son of the most High God: He is our Lord and Saviour; He is our healer and deliverer. By His strength we can do all things!

THE REAL CHRISTMAS

Over the years, Christmas festivities have been shaped (or reshaped) by several traditions as a result of which many have been left wondering what Christmas truly means. Just as I was writing this article, I saw a newspaper headline that read, “A drink, a doze and a family row: it's the official British Christmas” (Evening Standard, 02/12/09, p.13). Now that can't be right, can it? Is that what Christmas is all about? Well, sadly, to some people, yes.

Some think it has something to do with pagan worship, others think it is just another highly commercialized secular holiday; add to this the debate about the date of the celebration itself and concerns about whether God really sanctions the celebration, what is left is a confusion of meaning and significance. Consequently, there are some in the church who have concluded that it is wrong to celebrate Christmas.

The question therefore is what is Christmas? Is it okay to celebrate Christmas? What is the real significance of such a celebration?

“CHRISTMAS” is a compound word formed from CHRIST (Jesus' title meaning Messiah, Anointed One) and MASS (meaning loosely, religious celebration). That is, Christmas is “Christ's Mass”, “Celebration of Christ”. The celebration commemorates the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”- Isaiah 9:6

Now since there is no command to commemorate Christ’s birth as in the case of His death, it is purely up to the individual believer to make a decision of conscience how to respond. But here is the thing, the Bible neither encourages nor discourages us from celebrating Jesus' birth. So would it be a sin to affirm Christmas? I think not. A clear scriptural principle that must guide you, Christian, in everything that you do or choose not to do can be found in 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

I believe that celebrating Christ in this powerful and symbolic way is, among other things, an endeavour to reach out to the whole world with the same kind of ecstatic joy as the angel expressed on that Holy night when he announced to the shepherds:

“... Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).

We celebrate Christ daily, what can be wrong with having an annual special celebration at Christmas? As long as we do so for the right reasons, the result can only "glorify" God. Indeed, l am convinced that what would dishonour God would be that we failed to take advantage of such an opportunity to highlight the incredible love of God. I believe that we limit God whenever we fail to “remember” His deeds, the birth of Christ inclusive. Failing to use this worldwide opportunity to focus minds on the real meaning of Christmas would be like scoring an own-goal.

Should Christians abandon Christmas because it has been hugely commercialized and tainted by traditions that have nothing to do with Christ? Certainly not! Again, if that were to happen, it would be a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bath water. We should keep the baby but change the water. Let’s keep the heart of the celebration and remove from it those traditions that do not point to the purpose of Christ’s birth! Strip away those offensive traditions that contaminate the real Christmas. Jesus said traditions of men make the word of God ineffectual.

Let us reclaim Christmas, restore its true meaning, re-telling the “good news of great joy” at Christmastime. My purpose in writing this is to encourage you, child of God, to do what you can wherever you are to help restore the true meaning and significance of Christmas.

The real significance of Christmas is not, and cannot be found in the “traditions” we have built into the celebrations but in the “person and purpose” of Christ our Lord only. After the eating and drinking and exchanging of gifts many people around us still do not know the real gift of Christmas!

The real meaning of Christmas is “lost in traditions of men”. During this Christmas, a lot of People will get caught up with “things and traditions”, spending more than they can afford, and in the end rob themselves of the very joy and peace that Christ embodies.

And the real tragedy is that there are many who hope for more than presents this Christmas, but don't even know that the real Christmas gift is Christ. At the heart of Christmas is Christ - God's gift to meet man’s greatest need!

Shine the light of Christ this Christmas! Give a gift that impacts someone's life. Some of the people to whom you traditionally give gifts at Christmas may not need that extra pair of socks, but there is someone somewhere who is in desperate need of the next meal! Think about those who really need help this Christmas.

Jesus said that He came for those who needed His help, not those who don't! (See Mark 2:17). Perhaps, you can agree with some of your friends and families not to buy each other gifts, but to pool that money together and be a blessing to those who can really do with the help.
At Christmastime, we have the greatest global outreach opportunity, an opportunity to tell the story of love, peace, joy and hope for all in practical ways.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” ( Luke 2:13-14).

So, this Christmas, I challenge you to put the heart of the story back in! Christmas has a real and important meaning and a powerful Christian message for our lives today. Let the message of love, joy, peace, and hope resound as we celebrate Christ – the Anointed One!

IT IS WRITTEN...

"And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." (Luke 4:3-4)

Not once, not twice, but three times the devil made a deceptive proposition to our Lord Jesus, and on each occasion the Lord countered with a disarming answer that was prefaced with the words “it is written...” Not being ignorant of the devices and the wiles of the devil, the Lord unhinged his evil strategy with “it is written”! Satan is a liar, a thief and a murderer who has had a long practice in deceiving and destroying lives: your natural wisdom and intelligence is no match. But God has given you a spiritual weapon: His Word! And in accepting the finality of the written Word of God and living in that reality, you set yourself up for a victorious Christian life.

Jesus lived his natural life on earth totally focused on that which is written of Him in the law and prophets (Luke 24:44). He overcame adversities and contradictions, confronted His detractors and doubters, and disarmed the devil by insisting & standing firm on that which is written. Let us do likewise and insist on that which is written. Let us do likewise and stand on that which is written to disarm today's secular gods! It is not so much that we have to say the words "it is written", as knowing that the written Word of God is both our spiritual food and sword. The Word of God is the source of nourishment for your spirit and your secret weapon against the enemy of your soul and against all his strategies, deceptions and tricks. Don’t ignore it!

Let the Word dwell in you richly. Do not let the devil run your life or define your identity neither let people’s opinion and estimation of you determine who you are or should be. God has uniquely and wonderfully made you; He has given you an identity and an inheritance in Christ Jesus. The word that God has spoken concerning you, and “written” in the Holy Scripture is settled in heaven forever. No devil and no man can add to it or take away from it.
Not only do you have a revelation of God's plans and promises for your life through the Word, but by it you also learn about your enemy, his agenda and wicked plans, and about the world you live in. And guess what? It is written “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Word of God is true and final, and nothing can change it. Live in the reality of the Word! Don’t be ashamed to be who God says you are (Romans 1:16). Don’t let anyone make you feel ashamed of your life in Christ: it is an overcoming life, a victorious life.

Our Lord Jesus successfully used the written Word to triumph over the devil. The Lord simply stayed within the confines of the word of God and never gave up this high ground through compromise! He said, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7).

The written word of God is our only source of knowledge of the will of God and this knowledge is empowering. Christianity without revelation knowledge is a very dangerous proposition and has been responsible for much unhappiness and defeat among believers (See Eph 1:16-23). Let the Word be a present reality to you, equipping you to boldly and successfully handle life’s issues. The next time you come up against situations and circumstances that challenge you and seek to put you under pressure don't fret; be still and remind yourself again: it is written...!

Rejoice Child of God, your victory story is “written” and sure. The inability of the gates of hell to prevail over you is written! That “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” is also written! Speak to your situation from the standpoint of your union with Christ and declare: “It is written...!” Use the written Word. It is a spiritual weapon of offence; it is the perfect law of liberty and it is a more sure word of prophecy!

Gracious Father, I thank You for the victory You always give through our Lord Jesus Christ. May your Holy Spirit fill me with the light of Your Word and help me to walk in its fullness daily. Amen!

HOLD ON!

Grace and peace to you by Christ Jesus our Lord!

September, the ninth month of the calendar year, is a month of great spiritual significance. It marks the start of the third and final period of the year and signals a shift in focus from beginning and intermediate periods to ending period.

In this period more than others we are preoccupied with questions about of how the year is progressing with regards to whether we are on track to attaining our expectations and goals. With the shrinking time available to the end of the year an inevitably increasing sense of urgency ensues in our hearts, we can sometimes easily succumb to panic and make costly mistakes which then throws us further off course or we may simply resign helplessly to doing nothing and murmur about how time flies. However, neither panic nor doing nothing is God’s design for the time.

God who we serve and whose we are is a God of time and purpose. I would like to encourage your heart and indeed challenge you with two words the Lord inspired in my heart as I waited on Him concerning this month. It is simply this: “Hold On”! Hold on to God trusting Him, hold on to that which you believed from the beginning concerning 2009, hold on to hope which is the anchor for you life.

I believe that God is releasing a special anointing upon His people at this “time” to see us through this third period of 2009, a year that has so far proven to be the most testing year most of us have ever known. It is a finishing anointing, a consolidating anointing to finish what you started and achieve your goals for this year. "Hold On: you will yet see the goodness of Jehovah"!

Believe God to walk in this fresh anointing that enables you to go the rest of the year with a sound mind, a renewed strength and determination, and precise steps that are ordered by God unto fulfilling purpose.

Let me commend to you a beautifully inspiring passage of scripture in Psalm 27 which says, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living”(NIV).

It is my heartfelt and fervent pray that the LORD will teach you His ways and guide your every step this month. May your faith, the key that unlocks the grace of God, be strengthened to obtain every grace and wisdom you need in this third and final period of 2009, so that you are able to get to where you desire to be in every area of your life by the end of the year.

“Hold On”, the Lord will reward your confidence richly!

TAKE THE LIMITS OFF

"...they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy Oneof Israel" (Psalm 78:41).

God can do anything! He is powerful and His Word will never fail to produce result, yet He will never impose on you. He has given you a free will to choose (Deut 30:19): either to keep Him in mind and permit Him to be involved in your life or to turn away from His plan and purpose and so limit Him.

Sadly, when we limit God we also limit ourselves. Without Him we can never attain our full potential. You may achieve some success but never make the difference you are capable of when you permit God to "work in you both to will and do His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13).

God created you in His own image and He says: "without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). To the person who believes this, He says: "nothing shall be impossible". Daniel made this connection when he spoke of those "who know their God": they will “be strong and do exploits" (Dan 11:32). And, declaring "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", Paul reminds us how significant it is that we sustain this powerful relationship in Christ in which God is free both to work in us, for us and through us.

As you make your way through life there will be times of trials (Psa 77:7-12) or even prosperity (Hos 13:6) when you are tempted through fear or pride to ignore God and limit Him in your life. The challenge for you today is to constantly think right and speak right about God, so that by His unlimited grace you will always be the best you can be no matter what..!

Take the limits off!