Live long and proser.

Leonard Simon Nimoy

March 26, 1931 ~ February 27, 2015

   I just read that Leonard Nimoy just died. He was a multi talented and well liked man. Of all the creative expressions he was accomplished in, acting, teaching acting, film directing, singing photography, writing poetry, speaking fluent Yiddish, I think he was best known, and will be remembered for his role in “Star Trek”, as Spock. In that role I think he will be remembered as the stoic, mono~tone, extraterrestrial humanoid Vulcan with the Vulcan nerve pinch, his telepathic mind meld, and that infamous Vulcan salute. Did you know Leonard Nimoy created that split finger salute, and it was an extension of his Jewish roots. The inspiration for that salute was due to the Jewish priests in the Old Testament; they gave a similar sign when giving, speaking blessings. 

   So, we have extraterrestrial, telepathy, blessing~ and not just any old blessing given in “Star Trek”, but “Live long and prosper”. Mr. Nimoy directly took this out of the universally known blessing in the Bible, from Numbers 6:24-26.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”’

   I speak no ill~will whatsoever where Mr. Nimoy is concerned, quite the contrary~ I applaud where and how he pulled from scripture to design such a blessing for “Star Trek”. He truly was a multi talented man. My question though is, why is it that such a quasi paranormal, extraterrestrial and telepathic television show would receive so much accolade from its viewers and critics, yet when a Christian that believes God is good, and that His promises of long life and prosperity are available in every area of the Christian’s life are true and real, then comes out and speaks a blessing of living long and prospering this side of Heaven gets called essentially an heretic, and a blab and grab it, or name it and claim it Christian? Just thinking out loud here.

God's glory is His Goodness!

 

   It has been a week since Easter and I am still in awe of the events of that week. Such a good God we serve! He is a great God, the only God with a capital "G", and the only living God. We sing praise and worship choruses that say God is good, and the body of Christ has coined the phrase "God is Good", some adding "and He is good all the time" to that. That  phrase is so true and if you take a minute to think about it, it can just overwhelm you. Get your Bible out and start looking up verses on that and it will put you humbly on your knees before God. Sometimes though, I think we get those little sayings we like to use and use them enough their vitality gives way to mundane colloquialism.

   In a class I am taking the instructor posed this question in an online discussion forum; Romans 2:4, ’The goodness of God leads man to repentance’. Why is this?  As I submitted my response to that forum just now, I thought I would share it here.

Romans 2:4  Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? When I read this verse this pops to mind. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. How true! And like our Diptera insect cohabitants of this planet, we prefer and are attracted to nice, pleasurable, sweetness in our life than we are sour uncomfortable experiences.

Exodus 33:18-19a  18 And Moses said, I beseech You, show me Your glory.  19 And God said, I will make all My goodness pass before you,...

  God did not send Adam and Eve out of the Garden because He was angry with them. When they sinned and fell short of God’s glory they could not stand in the glory of God because it would have killed them. He was protecting them. In Exodus 33 we read how Moses had an intimate relationship with the Lord. They spoke as friends do. Moses asked things of God, and God gave them to him. Moses loved God and asked if he could see His Glory. And what exactly did God say? God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you,...”

   The goodness of God drives evil out! Turn a light bulb on in a dark room and darkness leaves. Jesus shows up and His goodness healed and delivered people. And God says His glory is His goodness. 

   As believers we have the benefit and privilege of living in God’s goodness. But it does not, should never, stop there. In Exodus 33 God wants Israel to have victory and prosper. That has always been His plan. The Israelites were to be a light to the rest of the world. God wanted to manifest His goodness through them so the rest of world would join them. God wants a big family! Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our good works flow out of the fruit of God’s Spirit of goodness in us. When we manifest that fruit to the unsaved world they too are affected by God’s goodness. God’s goodness touches them and evil is driven out. Goodness is our calling card to the unsaved world. Let’s get knocking on the doors of the lost, bring them out with our touch and into the Kingdom of God with His goodness!

   Why does the goodness of God lead to repentance of man? Because in the natural people like pleasure and to do well, and in the spirit goodness is God's glory!! I am just preaching m'self happy, happy here folks!!!

   Grab your Bible, look up those verses on God's goodness and get happy with me!!! Have a good and goodness filled day!

Have a great, good day!

   

   Today is a good day! Why? Because God made it! In Psalm 117 King David uses two little verses to proclaim that all people have every reason to praise the Lord for the great merciful kindness He shows them. God’s mercy is an undeniably great motivator and reason to praise God. His mercy is a result of Who He is, God is love ~ and it is you and I, all mankind, that He loves. In the next chapter, Psalm 118, King David spends twenty~nine verses doing just what he encouraged and exhorted all people to do; he praises God for His everlasting mercy. The word “mercy” in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word “chesed”. In the New Testament we see that word as “grace”, in the Greek “charis”. Both words speak of the kindness, tenderness, unfailing love, underserved blessing and unmerited favor that God gives as a gift to us. The Greek word “charis” comes for the same root “chara” which means “joy” and “to rejoice”. When talking to the church at Philippi, Paul encouraged the Philippians to keep their focus on Jesus. The fruit of keeping our focus on Jesus is joy. So when he tells them in Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things., he knows this is how they will be able to do what he tells them a few verses earlier in Philippians 4:4, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

   Today is a good day! Those of us that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and walk with Him have a rich inheritance that we will enjoy in Heaven and can enjoy here on earth.The world is getting darker and darker and it will continue to do so, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” Proverbs 4:18

   Those things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, good news, virtuous and praiseworthy are of God and in His Word. Take some time today and just ponder the love, mercy and grace of God. Grab your Bible and cup of whatever you would visit with a friend over, and spend some time with the Lord! You will be so glad you did!

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118: 24

Have a great, good day!   

Kindness and Goodness

  Yesterday we took a look at patience. You can hardly talk about any of the fruit of the Spirit without mentioning one or more of the other eight. These are the characteristics of God’s nature and you just can not separate them. In talking about patience we came across kindness. You really can’t say much about kindness without mentioning goodness. So let’s take a look at kindness and goodness today.

  Certainly there are many reasons and benefits for developing the fruit of the Spirit of God in our lives. To do so we must spend time with God and spend time in His Word. We get to know God that way. We learn what His voice sounds like when He talks to us. We grow in our relationship with Him and feel free to share our hearts with Him. We get answers to those things we are searching for. Getting to know God takes our relationship from His being our “Father”, to walking closely with Him as “Abba”, our Dad. We are meant to be conformed into the image of God's Son, and getting to know God better does just that. Also, the fruit of the Spirit are not just nine little personality traits that if developed will make you a more pleasant person. They are powerful forces that when developed, and used, bring victory to the Christian. Think about it. Love never fails. Joy brings us strength to overcome anything. Patience carries faith to the finish line for what you are believing God for, and kindness gives strength to patience. When we are meek, humble, God exalts us. The list of reasons and benefits for developing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives goes on, and on. What I want to bring out and look at here though is the aspect of glorifying God. 

   When we are disciples that means we are a student of Jesus Christ. Strong's Concordance says, "A disciple is a learner, one who follows both the teaching and the teacher." When we are just that disciple, we bear the fruit of the Spirit we are following. When we do that, we are glorifying, God.

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:8

In glorifying God, we are honoring Him, worshipping Him and praising Him. That is what we are created to do. God created us so we could be in an intimate relationship with Him. Having said that let's move on to what we are called to do with that relationship where mankind is concerned. Our primary purpose is to walk with God, not evangelize. God enjoyed His relationship with us before we sinned. God had to go to plan B to reconcile us back, and now we have the opportunity to share that with others.

   In Psalm 34:4, David says, Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. When we are worshipping and praising God we are exalting His name. Since it is not likely that we are ever going to make God any bigger than He already is, we magnify Him like David did ~ by singing so others hear of His goodness and greatness. Magnify means to lift up, to increase, to boast of, to make larger. How do we do that? We show others the kind nature of God by being good to them. Our goodness toward others shows them the kindness of the God we love and serve. 

...for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:20

   You know the old saying, "You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar." It is true. When goodness is developed in us and kindness is shown out of us it often looks like forgiveness.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 

   Strong's Concordance says that kindness is, "Love for mankind, hospitality, human friendship and taking thought of others. Gentleness in dealing with others, benevolence. The word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience." It defines goodness as, "Beneficence, kindness in actual manifestation, virtue equipped for action, a bountiful propensity both to will and to do what is good, intrinsic goodness producing a generosity and a Godlike state or being." Kindness must be developed in us before goodness is shown out of us. Kindness always puts the welfare of others at an utmost priority, and goodness is the generosity shown that benefits them.

   In 2 Samuel 7:27-29 we read where Samuel is praising God for His goodness to David in the covenant God made with David. "For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You. “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.” David had done things that you would think would negate the covenant God made with Him, but God's Words are true and established. He continued to be kind and did so through what Samuel calls goodness. This is probably one of the reasons David  said, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalm 23:6

   In Isaiah 54:8 we read, "With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.” Kindness is the characteristic, the virtue, the nature of God that produces His goodness.

  1 Thessalonians is the earliest letter we know of that Paul wrote.  Paul with Timothy and Silas, had ministered to the Thessalonians for only three Sundays, (Sabbaths), but planted a church there and grounded them deeply in faith. There was much political unrest and hostility toward Paul at that time and persecution was imminent. Being concerned for this young church he wanted to return to them. That was not possible so Paul sent, Timothy. Timothy did come back with a good report of the church and their faith. They in fact were concerned for Paul. In this letter we see a wonderful message of the time Paul ministered to them and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. For our purposes here I want to look at three little verses tucked up in chapter 2.

7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9

Remember, Paul is speaking to the church there at Thessalonica and is concerned about the state they may be in given the political climate against believers. In those verses he is referring to the time he spent with them and though it was hard to come up against the evil around them, he was trying to encourage them to be strong in the might of the Lord. For our purposes regarding kindness producing goodness, lets take a closer look at those three verses. In verse seven Paul talks about how he, Timothy and Silas ministered to them with hearts that were tender, some versions say gentle. He was telling them of the kindness they felt toward those at Thessalonica, Jew and Gentile. In verse eight he goes on to talk about the kindness (affection) they had for them and that they wanted to "impart" the gospel to them. That word "impart" there is the same word used in Luke 3:11 where it says, "give".  Strong's Concordance says, to give, share, impart, distribute, grant. The word implies liberality or generosity, to give with cheerful outflow. Paul goes on to say they devoted, gave, imparted their lives to those at Thessalonica. And in verse 9 he shares the cost of laboring for the gospel. So again we see where kindness preempts goodness shown.

 In the fruit of the Spirit kindness comes before goodness. God is a God of order and I think there is some deliberate placement of how the fruit of the Spirit are listed. We will get to that next week.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  

Galatians 5:22-23

   Developing the kindness of God in our life makes way for His goodness to show out through us. Jesus is the Light that lives in us, and His nature is kind. Our good works are the goodness the world sees that draws them to Jesus. In this, we glorify God!

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.  Matthew 5:14-16