Do Not Be Grieved

The people of Israel and Judah had done wrong. God warned them time and again through the prophets. They disregarded the instruction of the prophets and found their civilization demolished while they were deported to a foreign country. The Bible tells the truth about people, including the biblical characters. Seventy years later, Ezra is leading the people of God in worship. The festivals and celebrations of Leviticus 23 were being reinstituted. Reflecting on this new day, the people of God began to weep concerning the sin that brought them sorrow. It didn't stop there. The worship leader began to encourage the repentant. Do not be grieved!

How often we find ourselves mourning over the past. The people of God on the other hand, are not limited by their past. In his encouragement to these worshippers, Ezra declared a truth that is magnificent in its scope and encouraging in its declaration:

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength! Hallelujah! Nehemiah 8:10 declares it so. Thousands of years into their future, the people of God in the 21^st century need to hold on to the truth of Scripture. Do NOT be grieved. Don't let circumstances, trouble, or heartache keep you down. The joy of the Lord is your strength! As the Psalmist so skillfully wrote:

    ⁵    For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

        Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Do not be grieved, the Joy of the Lord is YOUR strength

How to Prosper

It's been 10 years since the turn of the century. Technology continues to advance, the Church is growing around the world, and wars and rumors of wars continue to be a part of everyday life. Today in Church, the message was on "The Practical Teachings of Jesus". The Sermon on the Mt. is a magnificent set of Scriptures which have challenged the Church to live the high standard of Jesus. What is so striking about chapter 6, on which the sermon is based, is that Jesus asks us to do our religious tasks….with the right motives. I don't have any need to re-preach the sermon, yet upon reflection I am being reminded by Scripture that Jesus's definition of prosperity is SO VERY DIFFERENT from ours. Ours is $$ based, there is no question. Jesus said it all in Matthew 6:21 (hint…hold your curser over the Scripture reference will pop up! Cool, huh). The evangelical/Pentecostal wing of Christianity has suffered over the past 30 years concerning what it means to prosper. Just yesterday I saw a chapter title in a book advertisement on how to learn grammar (for students who are studying Hebrew and don't remember their English grammar) that was a play on words….the chapter title? Name it and Claim it! Lol seriously, this book is now available for your purchase at www.zondervan.com

This confusion is due in part to the Church not paying attention to Jesus' definition of prosperity in Matthew 6:21. Prosperity has to do with joy and the abundant life. According to Jesus it means having your eyes on what has eternal value, not temporary value. 400 years before the birth of Jesus, there was someone else who was struggling with the definition of prosperity. Nehemiah had grown up in Persia, the descendent of Jewish parents who were deported from the southern kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Nehemiah 1 records the magnificent prayer that he prayed when God opened up a door of opportunity to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 1:1-11). In the next chapter however, Nehemiah chronicles the trouble that Sanballat, Geshem and Tobiah threw his direction in his lofty task of rebuilding Jerusalem. In the midst of this struggle, Nehemiah records a phrase that gets to our illusive definition. It's not a definition as much as a description. To the threats and accusing questions of his detractors, Nehemiah declares "The God of heaven will make us prosper" (Nehemiah 2:20).

Here is the point. God wants prosperity for His people, as in freedom from guilt, anxiety and worry. Prospering means participating with God in His purposes and discovering the joy of the Lord. We prosper when we set our hearts in the right place and discover the joy of ministry. A lot has changed since 400 BC. One thing has not changed. The God of heaven will make us prosper….as we follow HIS purpose.

Jesus Said to Wait

The disciples learned a lot from Jesus. In fact John said: John 20:30 (ESV)

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; The disciples were able to remember much of what Jesus said and taught because of help from the Holy Spirit. In the book of John, Jesus Himself referred to the person and work of the Holy Spirit after He would ascend back to heaven. (John 16:4-15) What I noticed as I was reading the book of Acts a few years ago intrigued me. Luke records in this book that Jesus gave specific instructions to His disciples, even though He said go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus said to wait. Wait for what? Wait for power. Jesus knew that the disciples would not be able to reach the world without help. He promised to send help, and Help came. Help came in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Here are the words that Lukerecords concerning Jesus' instruction:

⁴ And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

So…what's the point? If Jesus told His disciples, who had heard Him teach so much to wait….for the promise of the Father….which He had taught them about….then what are WE WAITING FOR?

Scripturally, if we are going to follow what the Lord said, we should WAIT until we are endued with power from on high. The power of the Holy Spirit is not optional equipment or an upgrade package. It is absolutely essential for ministry. Consider these Scriptures: Acts 2:1-4, 10:44-46, and then consider Matthew 28:19-20. The task of making disciples REQUIRES the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said "Greater works than these shall you do because I go to my Father"…it's now time.

What are you waiting for?