Make Known God’s Glorious Deeds

We are called, as the people of God, to publicize and advertise to all of the earth the wonderful, glorious, praiseworthy deeds of God among men.

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! (Ps 105:1 ESV)

Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. (Isa 12:4)

. . . and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel . . . (Eph 6:19)

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— (Ac 2:22)

What should we make known about God? Here are some ideas:

His attributes (personality, nature, behavior)
The blessings of salvation; the advantages of a relationship with the Savior (as outlined in the Bible)
His miracles, signs, and wonders performed for mankind (both in Bible times and since the Gospel was first preached, even up to this current day)
The multitude of God’s mercies (which are new every day)
He is our Intercessor, Advocate and Mediator (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6; 12:24; Isa 55:16; 1 Joh 2:1)

It is a fact that the Lord wants us to broadcast everything that we know about the Lord and about His free gift of salvation. The Lord wants His works, deeds, and miracles to be remembered and to be made public, for His Word says it quite plainly.

He has made His wonderful works to be remembered . . . (Ps 111:4a)

God bless you!

Jesus Shall Stand Upon Earth

This topic is dealing with what is called the End Times; End of Times; the Last Days; or the Final Days. This is a complex and difficult topic, which I don’t typically address. There are different approaches and different conclusions offered by various Bible scholars on this subject.

This article is going to focus on just one facet of this broad and complicated subject. We’ll be contemplating the statement that Jesus shall surely stand upon the earth at some point in the future of mankind.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. (Job 19:25 ESV)

This verse clearly says that our Redeemer (at the last) WILL stand upon the earth.

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. (Zech 14:4)

In this passage, the Bible tells us that one day Jesus will stand upon the Mount of Olives—a very specific location on this earth. This area of the map may serve as a focus for our attention in coming months and years.

For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. (Mic 1:3)

This is a poetic verse from the Bible informing us that Jesus, the Lord, will come from His place (Heaven) and walk upon the “high places” of the earth. When the Bible refers to “high places,” it is referring to places of worship on elevated areas of ground.

The truth is that wherever the Lord Jesus will stand upon the earth shall instantly become a “high place” because Jesus is worthy of all praise, worship, honor, glory, and power forever and ever. (Jude 1:25; Rev 4:11; 5:12)

Jesus is the Savior, Redeemer, and Deliverer sent to earth by God the Father. When He does, indeed, stand upon the earth again, Jesus’ presence will stimulate and provoke uncontrollable worship and praise from all over the earth. (Rev 15:4) All who have served the kingdom of God will rejoice in that day. Glory to God!

Wisdom to Speak

God has promised over and over in the Bible, that when we need to know what to say and how to give an answer for our faith, the Spirit of the Lord shall give us wise words to speak. We need to trust Him to fulfill this promise, and we must place our faith in the Lord in the moment when we are tested.

And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. (Mk 13:11 ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. (2 Sam 23:2)

Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; ¹⁵for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. (Lk 21:14-15, emphasis added)

But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak . . . (Mt 10:19, underlining added)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (Jam 1:5)

When we lack wisdom, the Bible instructs us to ask God for it, and reminds us that He will answer our prayer without criticism but with abundant generosity. Hallelujah!

We need to settle it in our hearts—ahead of time—that God will supply us with wisdom in the midst of any challenging ordeal. Simply ask Him to give you the words to speak. And the wisdom that God gives to us will not be able to be opposed. (Lk 21:15) Glory to God!

Being Far Off

All mankind was, at one time, far off from God. We were far off from His presence, from His righteousness, and from His standards for living. Occasionally, it’s beneficial for us to remember how very far we have come by God’s mercy and grace.

Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) who brought all believers near to God through the reconciliation of the cross. (2 Cor 5:18)

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13 ESV)

All who have made Jesus Christ their Savior and Lord have been brought near to God through the blood of the Lamb. (1 Pet 1:19) Jesus is the Lamb of God. (Joh 1:29, 36)

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. (Ac 2:39)

The gift and promise of salvation is offered to every human being upon the earth—to every race, tribe and nation. The Lord calls all people to salvation, but not everyone accepts His free gift.

. . . and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. (Eph 2:16-17)

Jesus, our Prince of Peace, has put to death every hostility, unfriendliness, and antagonism by preaching peace to all. He has reconciled (reunited) us with our Father God. What an awesome gift from God!

We are no longer far off, but we have been made the children of God. (Joh 1:12; Rom 8:16; 1 Joh 3:1-2) All glory to God most High!

Discouraged Versus Encouraged

Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’ (Deu 1:21)

Discourage means to dishearten; to dash someone’s hopes; to hinder or to restrain. When you discourage someone, you hinder them from a plan or a project that they intended to complete.

When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. (Act 11:23, underscoring added)

. . . that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ . . . (Col 2:2)

Encourage means to embolden; to inspire; to support or assist someone. When you encourage someone, you inspire them. You assist them by expressing your confidence in their ability and their resolve to complete their mission.

As followers of Jesus and children of the living God, let us be channels of blessing on the earth to encourage fellow believers in their faith, and to encourage non-believers to accept the precious gift of salvation offered to them by God, our Father.

The Bible demonstrates in many passages that believers encourage one another in their faith, and it strengthens them. (See Ac 11:23; 16:40; 20:2; Rom 1:12; Eph 6:22; Col 2:2; 4:8; 1 Thes 3:2)

The Word pleads with us in this verse:

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. (1 Thes 5:14 ESV, emphasis added)

Here is another Scripture passage that demonstrates a way to encourage one another:

Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; you will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts . . . (Eph 5:19 ISV) If we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to the Lord—even alone in our quiet time with the Lord—we will encourage and embolden ourselves in our faith. God bless you.

How Can We Overcome?

How can a human being overcome in the manner discussed in the Bible?

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Rev 3:21)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ⁵Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 Joh 5:4-5)

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Rev 12:11 NIV)

Overcome means to conquer, defeat, triumph over, or annihilate. They triumphed over the enemy of our souls, satan.

I believe the key verses that tell us how to overcome are shown above: 1 John 5:4-5 and Revelation 12:11.

Our faith in God, which is a gift from God, is one of our weapons designed to carry us to victory. Our faith in Christ as our Savior, who is the Son of God according to the Word, is a stabilizing factor throughout life. Hold onto this truth and never let it go.

Acknowledging that the blood of the Lamb of God (Jesus) cleanses us from all sin is another tool of victory bestowed upon us by the gift of salvation. Remain mindful of this truth, and thank and praise God for it. It has purchased our righteousness.

The ‘word of our testimony’ is also mentioned as part of our armament against the enemy that will sustain us and transport us to victory. A testimony is a declaration—even evidence—of our life experiences. As we daily state and affirm (1) who we are in Christ Jesus; (b) what we have through Christ; and (c) all of the blessings that we have received through salvation, we deepen and strengthen our roots of faith. As we maintain this continuous testimony, we firmly plant ourselves (our roots) in the realm of victory.

According to Romans 8:37, the Lord has made us MORE than conquerors (winners, victors, overcomers). All overcomers will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus. Glory to God!

The Message of the Cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor 1:18 NIV, underlining and emphasis added)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Rom 1:16, emphasis added)

. . .but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor 1:23-25, emphasis added)

. . . because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. (1 Thes 1:5 ESV, emphasis added)

The message of the cross is sometimes referred to as the:

Gospel of Christ (Rom 1:16)
Good News (1 Thes 3:6)
Power of God (1 Cor 1:23-25)
Wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:23-25)
Resurrection Gospel (1 Cor 15, entire chapter)

What is the message of the cross? It is that God LOVES the world, and desires to be in RELATIONSHIP with each and every one of us. Thanks to this truth, the Father God provided salvation to all mankind through Jesus Christ.

Jesus humbled himself in coming to earth as a newborn baby. He grew up as a normal, human boy and learned the trade of carpentry. He lived a sinless, perfect life serving His heavenly Father. Jesus preached Good News, and demonstrated the love of His heavenly Father by performing signs, wonders, and miracles.

Jesus displayed the need for continuous fellowship with His Father, as well as drawing apart for prayer. He modeled forgiveness, wisdom, and walking in the Spirit for us all.

The symbol of the cross is an icon of grim human suffering and public humiliation. Jesus’ suffering and subsequent death and resurrection are all part of the message of the cross. In the light of Christ’s resurrection, there is restoration of hope, complete joy, and utter triumph. Hallelujah!

Notice that the preaching of this gospel of salvation is always accompanied by the POWER of God.

The message of the cross proves the magnitude of the love that God has for mankind.

My Shield and My Glory

The Scriptures tell us about the depth and blessings of our relationship with our Savior and Redeemer. God tells us that He is our shield (armor, defense, protection) as well as our glory. Any praise, appreciation, exaltation, or credit that we receive in life is thanks to His life and presence within us.

But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. (Ps 3:3 NIV)

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. (Ps 119:114)

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (Gen 15:1 ESV)

In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. (Ps 62:7)

According to these passages from the Bible, God is present in us and with us in these capacities:

He is the One who enables us to lift up our heads without fear or shame,
As our Hiding Place,
As our Reward,
As Savior,
As our Strength, and
As our Refuge.

Glory to God! We have reason to rejoice and to praise and thank our God continuously.

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Month: February 2021