P1 - Embracing Christ-centered rather than man-centered Christian living

James 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

Introduction:
Today's post features the author of James warning his readers to not show favoritism. The word translated "favoritism" connotes courting favor with certain people so as to gain their favor. Quite literally the Greek word underlying this English word literally refers to be a "seeker of the face". Another way we could render this word could be simply avoiding what amounts to "man-centered" or "man-pleasing" Christianity. How can you and I tell when we are concerned more about "seeking the face" or "approval" of people than God? Today's post begins a three part blog series on the subject we will call: Embracing Christ-centered rather than man-centered Christian living.

How avoiding "man-pleasing" Christianity functions in the overall message of James' letter
James' key point in his letter is concerned with "living working faith", as seen in James 2:26 - "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." As James writes to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the regions of Israel and beyond, he communicates to them the type of Christian faith desired by the Lord.  How often in churches today do you see favoritism or "man-pleasing" determining decisions and policies?

Bible teacher R.C Sproul in his study on James refers to this warning on favoritism as "playing politics".  Clearly whenever we try to please one group over another, or whenever we "cave in" to the whims and desires of certain people - we end up being man-centered in our lives and thus our various forms of service to the Lord.  What James is warning us to avoid in this subject of "showing favoritism" is people-pleasing, man centered Christianity.  It is a guarantee: wherever you see man, rather than Jesus Christ being the focal point of all efforts in your personal life or church, somewhere along the way favoritism has reared its ugly head.   

How God regards people ought to be the guide for how we are to approach people
The testimony of scripture is that in all of God's dealings with people, whether they be believer or unbeliever, is the fact that He does not show favoritism.  Passages such as Psalm 89:14 states - "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You."  

God is a fair God.  No one can influence God to adjust standards or pull some strings to accomplish an agenda that would violate His character.  God does what He does for His own glory and purposes. (Isaiah 48:11)  When we turn to the New Testament, time and time again we read of how God does not show favoritism for the sake of anyone. (Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25) 

So as we can see, whenever Christians get caught in the trap of trying to impress people rather than glorifying God, man-centeredness results. Amazingly enough, whenever we make Christ our sole Person for whom we bring pleasure, He will bless our efforts and bring people our way in His own timing and purpose. Tomorrow we will consider the consequences of man-pleasing Christianity and how we can instead embrace Christ-centered Christianity. Today we will close with these words from Jesus Himself - John 12:32  "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

More tomorrow.... 

Thur 4/7 P3 - Embracing Christ-centered rather than man-centered Christian living

James 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God."

Introduction:
The past couple of days have been focused on the important subject: "Embracing Christ-centered rather than man-centered Christianity. In the first installment we considered James' warnings to his readers to avoid "favoritism" and thus "man-pleasing Christianity". Yesterday we looked at what happens when we show partiality to one another from James 2:1-13. We discovered that showing partiality is another way of saying "being a man-pleaser". When Christians get caught in the trap of trying to court favor with men in the place of bringing pleasure to Jesus, less love for Christ, His Word, God's glory and people occurs.

How James and 1 John work together in urging Christians to embrace Christ-centered Christianity
Clearly James is warning his readers to not show preferential treatment in their dealings with one another. Whenever we study warning sections in God's Word, it is God's way of warning us about what not to do. Often it is instructive and helpful to turn to sections that are dealing with the same subject, urging us on what we need to do. Exhortation is a form of communication that urges readers and listeners to perform a certain task, or to increase effort in a practice that they are already doing. Warning sections in scripture urge readers to avoid certain practices or attitudes that can hurt their walk with the Lord. Whenever we are dealing with sin, we need both warning and exhortation. 

The Apostle John gives the antidote to showing favoritism in his short Epistle of 1 John.  In 1 John 4:7-21 we see John painting a picture of a church that is to exercise the Great Command to "love one another". When we speak of "loving one another", human love is not the love we are exercising, but rather God's love. Notice the four outcomes of Christians showing love to one another, and how such outcomes lead believers to embrace Christ-centered Christianity rather than its man-centered counterfeit.

1. More love, not less love for Jesus. 1 John 4:7-9

John cannot help but to write about Jesus Christ's accomplishments on the cross. Why? Because his exhortation to "love one another" is based off of God's supreme act in the sending of Jesus. As we love one another with respect to Christ's redemptive work on the cross, He and others will become more dearly loved. Loving one another - rather than being partial - yields a greater flow of the love and power of Jesus Christ. When God's power of love flows through His people - the net result is like electricity through a light bulb.

2. More love, not less love for God's glory. 1 John 4:11-12
John writes in 1 John 4:11-12 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us." God's glory is His goodness and name put on display. As we aim to love one another, we are positioned to not only better see God's glory, but to enjoy it. Jesus states in Mark 12:28-34 that the two greatest commandments are to Love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

The command to love my neighbor is directly related to my love for God. Whenever Christians make these two commands central to their life, God's glory in Jesus Christ takes center stage. As Christians sharing this core conviction to come together in unity of heart and mind, the spiritual climate of the church becomes saturated with love and zeal for His glory.

3. More love, not less love for God's Word. 1 John 4:13-19
1 John 4:13-15 states - "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." As the Holy Spirit testifies to your heart and mine about who we are and whose we are, He does so in connection to the scriptures. Where else do we learn that Jesus is the Son of God, or that He first loved us? The scriptures! (1 John 4:16-19) 

Whenever we choose to love one another with God's love, the love for God's word will follow suit, since scripture itself is described as the believer's food. (Job 23:12; 1 Peter 2:1-2) 

The Holy Spirit within the Christian bears witness of the words which He inspired through the writings of the Apostles and writings. It is through the scriptures that faith is born, nourished and enabled to see Jesus Christ. (Luke 24:44; James 1:18)

4. More love, not less love for one another. 1 John 4:20-21
1 John 4:20 reads - "If someone says, 'I love God' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." As we make a concerted effort to love one another without partiality, we will have the supernatural by-product of greater love for God. Conversely, as we aim to make our lives more God-centered - we will have greater love for one another. Why? Because God has so chosen to indwell each Christian by His Spirit. (John 14:17; Ephesians 1:11-14) 

Moreover, Christ purchased His people with His own blood, making them precious due to the price paid for them. (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Again, we cannot separate loving the Lord our God with all our mind, soul and strength from the other great commandment to love our neighbor.

Conclusion - loving one another results in embracing a Christ-centered Christianity
Through John's simple command to "love one another", we find the antidote to the warning James gives concerning showing partiality. As we love one another with God's love, we will end up with Christians who love God and others more than themselves, which in turn makes for Christ-centered churches. May every Christian consider these words and embrace Christ-centered Christianity rather than its man-centered counterfeit. 

A Tour of Proverbs - Why you and I need to study the book of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:1-2 The proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, King of Israel: (2) To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding.

Introduction:
When I was a boy, my family had traveled to visit my uncle. He had a wood stove and had been recovering from a then recent hospital stay. At the time, various people would come to help him out with the chopping of wood and the stacking of it beside his home. While we were there visiting, I thought I would go outside and chop some wood to help him out. The ax that was near the wood pile was particularly weathered – with a cracked wood handle and a rusted ax-head. As I placed the first log on the chopping block – I raised the ax to begin the chopping. To my surprise, the ax suddenly became very light – to which I discovered in the next split second was due to the dislodging of the ax-head from the handle! I panicked. Five seconds later I heard a dull thud about 15 yards behind me. The ax-head landed on the ground and thankfully, no one was outside! The point of this story is to illustrate not only the dangers of a dull ax in chopping wood, but also the dangers of not having God’s wisdom in your life.

Why I have begun reading Proverbs, and why you should too
Recently I began reading through the Book of Proverbs. My motivation for taking up the book of Proverbs is to gain insight into God’s plans and purposes for our lives. Currently, my family and me are making some major decisions and are in a major transition phase of our lives. Whenever I have had those times in my life where I see my situation outstripping my current level of trust in God, Proverbs is one of the Bible books to which I turn. I imagine you who are reading this post today are facing a series of tests and situations that demand a greater need for wisdom. Like me, you want to have “God’s mind” on the given matter at hand. In rehearsing the above illustration about the dull ax and the wood, whenever we face a stack of logs (whether they be challenges, decisions, wrestling with sin, increasing faith in God, raising families, building stronger marriages), we’d best be sure to have a sharp and effective edge to our Christian walk. That is how wisdom in the Hebrew scriptures operates.

In the New Testament we find this command from James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” In reflecting upon that command, I find two major sources for acquiring the wisdom of God: first, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30; Colossians 2:3); and second, the Word of God in general and the Book of Proverbs in particular. Certainly the entire 66 books of the Bible are the verbal embodiment of God’s wisdom delivered to His people (Psalm 19:7). For the sake of brevity in our post here, we will deal with Proverbs. So, the question is: how is it that Proverbs delivers wisdom to those who read it?

What Biblical wisdom is, and isn’t
To begin, we mustn’t equate wisdom with intelligence or academic performance. Oftentimes, some of the most intellectually gifted people in the world display little wisdom. Unlike Greek concepts of wisdom that refer to acquisition of knowledge or speculation on abstract ideas, the Hebrew mind understood wisdom as having to do with the “skills needed for living life before God”. In the Book of Proverbs and throughout the Hebrew scriptures (of which the Old Testament was originally composed), three major terms were used to define what was meant by “wisdom”. Bible scholar Gleason Archer in his seminal work: “A Survey of Old Testament Introduction” discusses each of these terms: “Hokma, “wisdom”, the term most frequently used, pertains not so much to the realm of theoretical knowledge or philosophy as to a proper grasp of the basic issues of life…”. Archer then adds further explanation wherein he writes: “and of a relationship of God to man as a moral agent”. The premier example of this word’s usage is found in Proverbs 8.

The second term translated “wisdom” or more so “understanding” in the Bible is the Hebrew term “binah”. Dr. Archer explains the meaning of “binah”: “Binah, understanding, connotes the ability to discern intelligently the difference between sham and reality, between truth and error, between the specious attraction of the moment and the long-range values that truly govern a successful life.” Solomon uses this term in Proverbs 1:2, which the NASB translates as “understanding”. Certainly the first seven chapters of Solomon’s book deal with a father attempting to impart “binah” or “understanding” to his young son.

The third term used to describe wisdom in the Old Testament in general and Proverbs in particular is a Hebrew term translated “discretion” in Proverbs 3:21. Dr. Archer explains the meaning of this term: “tisiyyah, or sound wisdom, efficient wisdom, or, in a derived sense, abiding success. This term conceives of wisdom as an authentic insight into or intuition of, spiritual or psychological truth.”

Whenever we consider these three terms, we can liken the concept of Biblical wisdom to that of a three legged stool. Each term explained above functions as the legs upon which rests the concept and practice of Biblical wisdom. The Book of Proverbs enables the Christian to “sharpen the ax of faith” so-to-speak. Dull axes can hurt when chopping trees or firewood, since more work has to be done and the effort quickly wears the person out. However, with a newly sharpened ax, what was an impossible task suddenly is made quick work. This is what the Book of Proverbs achieves, and why it is included in our Bibles. The Holy Spirit knew God’s people in future generations would need wisdom from on high. Truly if you and I want to have more wisdom, we need to study the Book of Proverbs.

A very brief outline of the Book of Proverbs
Many commentators have noted throughout the centuries that the Book of Proverbs is not as easy to outline as other Bible books, due to the fact that much of its contents are topical in nature. I have found when studying Proverbs, it is helpful to note the many topics and themes one encounters as they read the book. Such an approach can prove helpful when dealing in counseling situations or in aiding oneself in better understanding the practical realities of Christian living. Based upon certain headings that we find in the book, we can discover how the Proverbs are situated into certain “collections”. Let the reader note:

A. The Proverbs of Solomon to his son on relationships and character. Proverbs 1-9

B. The Proverbs of Solomon as they pertain to the general matters of life. Proverbs 10-24

C. The Proverbs of Solomon for Kings and Leaders. Proverbs 25-29

D. More Proverbs that deal with relationships and character. Proverbs 30-31

Closing thoughts

So if you and I want to have more wisdom, we need to study Proverbs. I find it interesting that the book emphasizes the need for God’s wisdom in relationships and character development. How many of us can testify to the ever-increasing need for God’s wisdom in those areas? The oft-times appeal for leadership in our churches and culture and the need for wisdom in the complexities of life are covered in the middle parts of the Book. For reasons such as these, it would be to our benefit to read the Book of Proverbs – one chapter a day. If we do that, we can enjoy renewed faith and increased wisdom in the span of a month.

Jesus Christ is revealed as Prince of Peace in the New Testament

Matthew 4:12 -17 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, he withdrew into Galilee; (13) and leaving Nazareth, he came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. (14) This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: (15) 'the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - (16) the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light has dawned.' (17) From that time Jesus began to preach and say, 'repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'

Introduction :

In yesterday's post we explored the significance and the importance of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace. we looked mainly at Isaiah chapter 9: 1-7. We noted that as the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ shines light into darkness, breaks the yoke of bondage and brings order to chaos. We had also looked briefly at a few New Testament passages that utilize Isaiah's prophecy concerning Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace. 

I felt in today's post needed to explore more specifically how Jesus Christ's designation as "Prince of Peace" is developed in the New Testament. The reader will notice that the opening passage for today's post begins in Matthew chapter 4. I find it interesting that Matthew's gospel uses Isaiah's prophecy as one of the defining texts for describing the meaning of Jesus's public Ministry. This decisively tells us that what Isaiah was writing about in chapter 9 of his book was pointing explicitly to what would be the public Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so with these thoughts in mind I wanted to briefly explore some passages in the New Testament but developed further this thought of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.

1. Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in the four Gospels

In the four Gospels we see various episodes that describe the ways in which Jesus Christ had shone light, broken the yoke of bondage and brought order to chaos in the lives of various people. One example of this is found in the first two verses of Luke chapter 8. The passage describes the various women who had accompanied Jesus and the apostles in the course of his earthly ministry throughout the regions of Galilee and Judea. Luke 8:1-2 states: "soon afterwards, he began going around from one city and village to another proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, (2) and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out." Imagine if you will what it must have been like for Mary - who had been encountered by the Lord Jesus Christ - and the way in which he brought light into her Darkness, delivered her from the Yoke of bondage and brought order into her chaotic world. I can imagine all of those who were associated with Jesus's ministry had powerful testimonies concerning how he is the Prince of Peace had brought peace into their lives.

2. Jesus as Prince of Peace in the book of Acts

As the Apostle Peter was preaching in Acts chapter 10, we read his summary of Jesus' Ministry in verses 36-38 - "The word which he sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) - (37) you yourselves know the things which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed. (38) You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him." 

Peter's description of Jesus ministry not only in the four Gospels but in terms of how his ministry was continuing on through the power of the Holy Spirit in the church, describes Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.

3. Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in the New Testament Letters or Epistles

One of the many examples that we can consider the New Testament letters concerning Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace, is found in Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Romans 5:1 states: "Therefore having been justified by faith,  we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We also find this theme of Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in Ephesians 2:14 "for he himself is our peace who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall." The Apostle Paul is talking about how in Jesus Christ, the Jews and the Gentiles - who by grace through faith believe on him - are brought together as one people of God. 

Paul is alluding to what would have been the dividing wall that existed in the temple in Jerusalem in the first century period.  That wall separated the so-called Court of the Gentiles from the innermost remaining courts wherein only Jews were allowed to enter. In that Temple system there were signs which had written in Greek prohibitions against Gentiles. What Jesus Christ did in effect, was to bring about peace and reconciliation to God. All who place their faith and trust in him can have unlimited access to the Heavenly Father.

We could go on, but just for sake of completion, let the reader consider 1 Peter 2:1-12. In Peter's text we see how Jesus Christ had worked salvation as the Precious Cornerstone in order to rescue his people out of darkness in order to bring them into His marvelous light. Incidentally, the Apostle Peter is alluding to what Isaiah wrote in chapters eight and nine of his prophecies.

4. Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in The Apocalypse of John

When we come to the 19th Chapter of the Book of Revelation, we are witnessing what will be the second coming of Jesus Christ to defeat all of the armies of the world. As the victory of Jesus Christ is without question in Bible prophecy, we understand that when he returns, he will set up his kingdom here on Earth. 

One of the most remarkable statements concerning the uncontestable reign of the Lord Jesus Christ is found in Revelation 19:6 "then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord Our God, the Almighty, reigns."  In so far as Jesus Christ is already the Prince of Peace right now, this fact gives the guarantee of Him continuing on thia role into his future thousand year reign here on Earth, as well as what will be his eternal Kingship over all those who responded to His gospel into eternity.

Closing thoughts

In today's post we briefly surveyed how Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace is developed in the New Testament. We certainly did not cover all the passages. Nevertheless, the Christian is encouraged to not only study these passages, but others that communicate this wonderful truth of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.

The importance of Jesus Christ being the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6-7 "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this."

Jesus - the Prince of Peace

In our church sanctuary there are a series of banners hanging on the wall. The first time I had ever set foot in that beautiful worship space - the banners caught my eye. On each banner is featured a name of Jesus. There are six banners in all - however let not the reader think that there are just six names or ways of referring to Jesus Christ. If one were to survey the scriptures they would discover some 200 names. In today's post we are only going to focus on one of those names - "Prince of Peace". I felt it necessary to offer some thoughts on this particular name ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Isaiah's prophecy is dealing with a desperate situation wherein the people and leadership have utterly failed God morally, nationally and spiritually. They are - as-it-were - between a rock and a hard place. No king can save them. The most feared nation of that era (Assyria) and its monarch (Sennacherib) are predicted to come. What were they do do? They needed their King (Yahweh), and they needed to quit refusing His offer to save them. You and I need the Prince of Peace revealed in this passage. Notice what the Prince of Peace can do for you based upon Isaiah 9:1-7 and other passages:

1. He shines light into darkness. 9:1-3

We could extend the context of this first thought to include Isaiah 8:9-9:3. I won't belabor the context - only to say that it seemed as if all resources of hope and help had been exhausted. The people had really gotten themselves into the proverbial pickle. The spiritual sky was dark. The ground was dry. The soul was shriveling. The lamps were flickering. Despair lurked in the shadows. Then Isaiah blurts out in 9:1 how the "people saw a great light". What is this great light? Matthew 4:12-16 takes this very text and ascribes it to Jesus. 

Jesus shines light into darkness. As Martin Luther's Hymn "A Mighty Fortress is our God states: "The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him, one little word will fell him". Certainly the prince of darkness has his way with the people. All of us born into this world can be described in the same manner (Ephesians 2:1-3). Yet, God's glory is revealed on the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:1-6). He is the Prince of Peace. He shines light into darkness and secondly...

2. He breaks the yoke of bondage. Isaiah 9:4-5

Isaiah writes in Isaiah 9:4-5  "For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire." 

Have you ever been under the yoke of bondage? That is to say, have you ever carried in your heart a secret, a hidden sin? Or perhaps you had to shoulder a pain from childhood that was no fault of your own? The people of Isaiah's day had made covenants and allies with people whom they thought they could trust. One can never broker diplomacy with the kingdom of darkness. Eventually, we grow tired of being tired. 

Whenever we recognize that only God's grace can intervene and that we are too weak to do anything about it - that is when the Prince of Peace's work in our lives is most effective. Isaiah 9:4-5 in effect speaks of the warfare being brought to an end. When Jesus enters the picture, fighting God and conflict within ourselves is quieted. The yoke of bondage is broken and we are set free. As Jesus Himself notes in John 8:36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." So Jesus as the Prince of Peace shines light into darkness; breaks the yoke of bondage and thirdly....

Brings order to chaos. Isaiah 9:6-7

We of course have been focusing on this one title of Jesus: "Prince of Peace". It is instructive to consider how this title is clustered among several others in Isaiah 9:6-7. In the Hebrew text of Isaiah 9:6 the word translated "name" is singular. Now the reason why this is of particular interest is that there are several names given. Why didn't Isaiah say "names" instead? The unity of the character of the Son is in view. Just as sunlight is all one color (white) composed of seven colors when passed through a prism, the Lord Jesus Christ is truly Divine light passed first through the prophecies of Isaiah and others and then through the taking on of true humanity in the New Testament. 

Now this point is important, since we need a Prince who is able to bring unity and order into what would be otherwise our chaotic world. All of those names of Jesus bespeak of His character, power and goodness that He wished to bestow on His people. Only He can bring order to chaos.

Closing thoughts

Today we considered the title of Jesus: "Prince of Peace". We noted from Isaiah's passage and other texts three truths about Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace:

1. He shines light into darkness

2. He breaks the yoke of bondage

3. He brings order to chaos

How to take the meaning of the Bible back then and relate it to today

Isaiah 9:1-3 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Introduction

It is amazing to think about how old some of the portions of the Bible really are. The above prophecy composed by Isaiah the prophet under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit dates back over 2700 years. When we read the above text, we are reminded of the truth conveyed by 2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." All scripture is - in the words of 2 Timothy - profitable, useful, beneficial. Our responsibility as Christians is to grasp the meaning of the scripture and apply it to our lives. The question is: "how do I take a text written over 2700 years ago and apply it to my life today?"

Consider what is referred to as "The Fallen Condition Focus"

Dr. Bryan Chapell is a homiletics professor at Covenant Theological Seminary that teaches young men to preach the Word of God. In his book "Christ-Centered Preaching", Dr. Chapell uses a key idea that helps preachers and people in the pew in applying God's Word. His method involves what he has termed "The Fallen Condition Focus". The "Fallen Condition Focus" is defined by Chapell as follows: "The Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) is the mutual human condition that contemporary believers share with those for or by whom the text was written that requires the grace of the passage to manifest God's glory in his people."

According to Dr. Chapell, we must ask three questions when approaching a given text of scripture: what is the meaning of this text? what particular problem or issue motivated the writing of this text? what over-arching concerns are shared between the audience of that day and us living in today's world? With these questions comes the awareness of the tension resident in the text in our lives. To put it another way, the people in Isaiah's time were under the threat of a foreign king ravaging their land. Moreover, they had become so compromised in their spiritual condition that they seemed beyond all remedy. I'm sure you and I have felt that way at one time or another - or perhaps that characterizes your circumstances today. 

This tension must be felt and experienced in order for us to appreciate the light of God's grace. The brokenness of the nation of Judah and the failure of her leadership to heed Isaiah's prophecies is nestled in between two great prophecies of Jesus' first coming. The first of these mighty prophecies speaks of His virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14. The second of these great prophecies concerns not only Messiah's birth and first coming, but also His future second coming and kingdom. The mighty grace of God was needed to shine light in an otherwise hopeless and dark situation. In Isaiah's day of 734 b.c, the failures of a nation and its leadership led to ruin, darkness and hopelessness. That was in Isaiah's day. 

How the New Testament takes Isaiah's prophecy and connects it with the beginning of Jesus' ministry

So with this "fallen condition focus", we are concerned with the mutual human condition shared by us and the people of the Bible that requires God's grace to intervene. Isaiah's prophecies were written in 734 b.c. The Gospel of Matthew (50's A.D) takes Isaiah 9:1-3 and applies it to the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Matthew 4:12-17 - "Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Taking the meaning of the Bible back then and applying it today

Now when we consider the similarities of circumstances facing the audience of the first century versus the audience of the seventh century b.c, we can easily take the following questions and apply them to our lives in the 21st century:

1. What is the meaning of the text? Isaiah's prophecy dealt with a people (Judah) who were frightened by a foreign power (Assyria) and who had experienced the spiritual failure of their leadership and themselves. Times were dark and only God could intervene. In Jesus' time we see the nation of Israel frightened by a foreign power (Rome) and whom were led by leadership who failed spiritually. 

2. What is the prevailing problem or circumstance? 

The people in the first century were in a state of desperation. No new word from God had shone in the land for 400 years. Then, suddenly, Jesus bursts on the scene as God-incarnate, preaching and doing miracles. Amazingly, the prophecy speaks of the general ministry location of Jesus. Think about those times when you and I have felt like we are between a rock and a hard place. Maybe the circumstance was of our own doing, maybe it wasn't. What we need to do in addressing a problem too big for men to handle is to get God involved.

3. What over-arching concerns are shared by the audiences of Isaiah, Matthew and our own?

All three contexts have this tension of being in an impossible situation wherein man can offer no remedy. Jesus is the only answer. We must make sure we're asking the right questions. Both Isaiah 9:1-7 and Matthew 4:12-17 guide us in asking those questions and pointing us to Jesus. Henceforth, when the tide has turned against us, and it seems as if we're going to drown, the circumstances are ripe for God to show up and for us to be ready for His arrival. 

This type of exercise is illustrated for us within the scripture. Thus, we have a method for application. I would urge the reader to get into their Bibles (begin with one of Paul's letters or the Epistle of James) and walk through the method of application we did here today. May the Lord richly bless you the reader.

Thoughts on how your time in God's word and prayer-time relate to one another

Hebrews 4:12 the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Introduction:

I thought we would begin today by meditating on how it is our time in God's Word and our prayer time are related to one another. Most of the following reflections will derive from considerations out of Hebrews 4:12-16 and other Biblical texts. May God be glorified in the following thoughts below on this subject.

Why the Bible and Prayer go hand-in-hand
As you look at the above two passages, they are only separated by four verses, the first being about God's Word and the second concerned with your prayer-life. Why do prayer and the study of God's Word go hand-in-hand? If we had included the verses in between, you would discover that the author is connecting prayer and God's Word together by way of Jesus' High-Priestly ministry. Jesus is the contact point between our prayers to God and our direction from Him. As the Father has sent the Spirit in His name to make clear the scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 2:10-13), He also gives clarity in the realm of our prayer-lives (Romans 8:26-27).

Four types of Prayer
There are over 600 prayers recorded in the Bible, prayer by different sorts of people. In looking at those prayers, we can classify them under four main types and use the acrostic A.C.T.S to aid in our memory of them.

Adoration = This is when I praise and worship God in my prayer-time

Confession = This is when I confess, or fully admit of my sins to God in my prayer-time

Thanksgiving = This is when I thank God for Himself and other things in my prayer-time

Supplication = This refers to how I ask God for things in my prayer-time

Applying the types of prayer to the scriptures
By once again appealing to the little Bible book of 1 John, we can observe how you can combine your prayer life with God's word. I will use 1 John 1:9 as the example, since it is a wonderful promise for every Christian to claim. 1 John 1:9 states - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Now as you look at that passage, you can plug in those four types of prayer, and pray through that passages in the following ways:

-Adoration = Lord, I praise you, I adore you for that fact that through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, I have the right to come to you by faith. I praise you Jesus that you are sufficient and just to forgive me of my sins.

-Confession = Lord, I confess to you my sin this day. I admit I have done wrong in this or that area. I confess Lord that may I should have done this or not done that. Lord, please forgive me.

-Thanksgiving = I'm thankful to you Lord that having confessed my sin to you, by the blood of Jesus Christ, I stand innocent before you. I am so thankful that you and I can walk in fellowship and friendship with one another. I thank you Lord that you cleanse.

-Supplication = I ask Lord that you would enable me to walk by the power of your Grace to embrace my Lord and Savior, and that by your grace I would hate sin. Enable me Lord to flee to your word when I am tempted, and to not rely on myself, but only on you - amen.

Closing thoughts
When you take a verse of scripture, and pray it, it is like adding high octane fuel into the tank of your prayer life. Prayer and scripture reading go hand-in-hand. Both together, combined with meditating on what I read and on what I hear in my prayer time form a three-braided rope that is not easily broken. May the Lord bless you today dear friend - as you live and walk for Jesus in prayer and in the scriptures.