Author: Jim_Sharp

Isaiah 7:14 “Prophecy of Christ’s Birth”

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

As we approach Christmas, I thought it would be fun and interesting for us to study Old Testament  prophecies of the coming of Christ. We start with this verse from Isaiah where Isaiah makes it clear the Messiah would be born of a virgin.  First, keep in mind that Isaiah’s prophecy was made 700 years before the birth of Christ!

Why was the virgin birth significant? Again, I’m not a theologian, and believe me, there are volumes upon volumes written on this subject. But let me give you this to consider:

  1. Jesus is the Son of God. Luke 1:35 -“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
  2. Born with the Spirit of God. Adam and Eve were created by God to be immortal. But when they sinned, their human spirit died and they would perish. God told Adam, “You were made out of the ground. You will return to it when you die.” (Genesis 3:19). Jesus could not be born with the Original Sin lineage of death from Adam. Romans 5:12 – “Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.” Note that sin entered the world because of one man. It was Adam who passed sin to mankind, not Eve.
  3. The unblemished lamb. Jesus came to fulfill the law. The instructions given in Exodus 12:5 for proper sacrifices to God (aka the Law) states, “The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.” The sacrificial lamb must be unblemished. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

1 Timothy 4:12

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

Now let’s study the second part of this verse – “BUT SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE BELIEVERS IN SPEECH, IN CONDUCT, IN LOVE, IN FAITH, AND IN PURITY.”  I’m going to refrain from my commentary and ask for yours. Now to be fair, putting this in the context of Paul’s message, the Apostle Paul was stressing to Timothy that he was now in charge. He was going to lead their movement and he needed to set the example for the believers.

How do these words apply to your life and you walk? Leave a comment!

1 Timothy 4:12

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

Let’s begin with the opening of this verse – “DON’T LET ANYONE LOOK DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG”. Do you remember the phone app that repels mosquitos?  It was a high-frequency sound that emitted from the phone that only ears under 30 could hear. Old guys, like me, can’t hear it. Jentzen Franklin used this at Winterfest a few years ago as an analogy for hearing from God. His point was that God is speaking at a different, more vibrant, wavelength, a different frequency to you as a youth than He is to older adults. He’s revealing dreams, vision and purpose for your life that speaks to you as a youth, where you are in your life journey.

I share this with you because I want you to gain encouragement that although you may be early in your walk with the Lord, it doesn’t mean that the Lord doesn’t hold you in any less value to His kingdom. To the contrary, He is pouring His purpose for your life into you. But you have to be receptive to hearing His will and purpose. So I encourage you, if you are at that place where you are questioning, “What am I going to do with my life? Where am I going to college? Am I going to college?” just take time to be still, submit your requests to God, and let Him guide your path. You may not have it all figured out yet, and that’s okay, neither do us old folks either… But you are important to Him, and you are important to all of us, so don’t be discouraged if someone looks down on you because of your youth. Remember, God has a plan and purpose for your life – Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Don’t let anyone steal your dream, but allow those who know you best and love you the most to provide counsel and guidance for what you want to do with your life.

 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” These were Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4:7. I hope they will be my words at the end of my journey. My prayer is that we pass the torch of faith on to you and that you will embrace the love of Jesus, pouring your trust in Him in whatever you do in this life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p48lRMhLXQ

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t Let Anyone Look Down On You”

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

This is another foundational verse that I hope you will find as encouragement! I get excited every time I read this verse because I have witnessed so many youth, including several of you, who have not let your age be a hindrance to expressing your faith in Christ.

This verse was Paul’s instruction to a young Timothy who he knew would go forth after Paul in leading the early church. What I hope you will take away as we study this verse is that you have more influence on others than you may realize. You can share your faith with another teen in a way that has far more impact than me. You set the example in your actions and in your words. You have the ability to set the bar with your friends on how to conduct yourself.

When I was in high school, I was a “locker hugger”. I was the guy (before backpacks became the norm) who carried all of his books, stacked under one arm, leaning against the lockers as I walked down the hallway so that no one could knock them out of my arm. Yes, I was not the popular, cool guy who walked down the center of the hallway, watching the crowds part before me. I was the guy who just tried to stay out of the way.

As such, I was not an influencer, but was influenced by others. I was a follower, and I was willing to follow anyone, good or bad. You may feel this way at times yourself, but I want to encourage you that you have been given a gift. You have a gift of faith in Christ, and there are “followers” like I was, who are looking for someone like you who will show them this gift of faith in Christ. You, yes you, can change someone’s life. I wish I had met you when I was a teen, as it would have changed my life’s direction for the better. You can do this now with the friends you influence. Remember, Jesus only had twelve disciples, yet from those twelve, they changed the world.

There’s someone in your life that needs you to share your faith. I have been blessed many times now to witness how a youth stepped out and lead a friend to Jesus and it changed the direction of their life. Reflect on these words today, and pray for the Lord to guide your steps towards someone you can have a life-changing impact on by knowing Jesus. You won’t be going alone in this. You have the Holy Spirit to guide you and to give you confidence, and you always have Joe or any of the youth leaders to bounce questions off of if you are certain about how to talk with someone.

 

Philippians 4:6-7 (Final Post)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We finish Philippians 4:6-7 with the final part of Philippians 4:7 – “WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS”. So we looked at the peace of God as transcending all understanding, but how does this also guard our hearts and our minds?

It’s difficult to articulate a feeling. But when we truly start turning over our needs, our struggles, our hopes to God and let Him guide us and navigate us through our decisions and actions, we receive a sense of peace. That peace comes when we finally let go of our own perceived control and realize that He is the one in control. Additionally, we realize that God cares for us and His promises are real. Since God wants to take care of us, He guards our hearts against the anxiety of trying to do it on our own. He protects our minds from drifting into places we do need to go; in other words, God keeps us in check. You’ve maybe heard the phrase, “keep things on the straight and narrow”. God does this when we submit to Him, not as some form of punishment, but as pure love to protect us. We have free will, which God has given us as well, to choose His way or our way. You can freely choose to go off the path and do it all your way… What do you choose?

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING”

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported last year that the number of Americans on antidepressant drugs increased 51% from 1999 to 2012. Nearly 15% of all Americans, or 1 in 5, take some form of antidepressant drug!  That is astonishing to me and should be to you. We have a lot of people struggling with stress and anxiety.

Another way to define anxiety is a simple, four-letter word, FEAR. Fear is a spiritual matter, not just an emotional or psychological matter. Fear is the absence of faith. They cannot coexist. When we place our faith in Jesus, and truly turn over our needs to Him (remember our earlier verse, Proverbs 3:5-6), we live our life in the PEACE OF GOD, which transcends all understanding.

Reflect on these words today. Is it any wonder why so many people are taking antidepressants? Think about another previous verse we studied, Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  A lot of people, including those taking antidepressant drugs, are living in the pattern of the world and are not living in the faith of Jesus Christ. We can do it our way, or we can do it God’s way. Our way, we think we control everything, get the full, head on attack of the world, and thus make bad decisions because we lean on our understanding and then ultimately end up needing to medicate to cope with life… God’s way, we put our whole heart faith in Jesus Christ, we still get the attack of the world, but we have the power of the Lord leading our decisions, gain comfort which transforms all understanding, and have our lives transformed in the process to an abundant and joyful spirit, having no need for medications.

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Today I ask that we reflect on what we have covered thus far, Philippians 4:6 – “DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERY SITUATION, BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD.” As we all prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving, I ask that you take time to really reflect on what you are thankful for. Maybe you are thankful for your family, or thankful for your teachers, or thankful for your friends. Whoever that is, take time to pray for them, and take a moment this Thanksgiving to tell them how much you appreciate them.  But most importantly, thank God! Thank Him and praise Him for all He did and all He is doing in your life. Thank Him for the ultimate rescue mission of love the world has ever known – the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for you and me.

This is my last post before Thanksgiving. We will resume with Philippians 4:7 next week. I want to thank you! I want to thank you for being a part of this journey with me to explore God’s word. I want to thank you for your heart and your willingness to participate each week at Fuel. It is a blessing to me to watch each of you engage in the discussion, to worship God during our worship time, and to seek Him as you do, and to grow in your faith. All of us as Youth Leaders want your experience at Fuel to not only be a positive part of your week, but we want you to embrace your faith and grow closer to Christ. We know that is not always easy, but I encourage you with the words of Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12 –“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a blessed time!

 

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD.” Now we get to the core of what we should do.

Image result for attitude is everything pick a good one

This is a simplistic but accurate way we should approach each day. We can’t always control our environment or circumstances, but we can control our attitude and how we react to those circumstances. Paul tells the Philippians, and us, that we can overcome the stress and anxiety of life if we will approach God with Thanksgiving and turn it over to Him.

I hope this means something to you. I have learned in my nearly 53 years now that we don’t control much. In fact, we really don’t control anything. However, we do control our attitude and our reaction to things we face. Being thankful to God for everything, even the problems and the burdens we face, develops our character. And speaking from a lot of experience, it makes you humble, and as I have said in previous posts, being humble and dying to self is where the blessings and true joy in life are found…

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Friday we started this verse with focusing on the opening statement – “DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING”. You can say, “Okay, I should not be anxious about anything, but how do I do that?” Today, Paul leads us into the answer – “BUT IN EVERY SITUATION, BY PRAYER AND PETITION”. Paul says that we should be in prayer in every situation, and by doing so, we will ease the stress and the anxiety of the things we face each day.

So my question to you and to all of us, how much time do you spend in prayer each day? Are you praying throughout the day? Are you petitioning, or in other words, requesting the Lord’s guidance and direction during the day? Paul put it another way in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I will leave you with this: Many years ago, I was in a bible study with a group of very successful businessmen in Birmingham. I was way out of my league and felt it a privilege to be able to spend time with these men each week and learn from them. One of them was the Chief Financial Officer of Brasfield & Gorrie Construction Co. Brasfield & Gorrie is an extremely successful, multi-billion dollar construction company who built most of Birmingham and Atlanta’s skyline and built the Georgia Aquarium. He shared something that has always stayed with me; he prayed continuously every day at work. Wow? I thought how could this executive, who was probably in and out of meetings, flying on airplanes, dealing with project deadlines, how could he be praying continuously every day?

He told us that he prayed on the way to work that God would give him wisdom and discernment. He said he prayed before phone calls that he knew might be difficult. He prayed walking to meetings in the office and he prayed in his office when he had moments alone during the day. This floored me. This extremely successful man was continually praying during the day, every day, despite the demands of his schedule.

We studied a previous verse – Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,
and he will guide your paths.” If we submit to Him, He will guide our paths. This executive understands this verse. He wasn’t praying continuously because it made him feel good, or made him sound like a great Christian. No, he prayed continually because it was the linkage to his success. His continual prayer sustained him and kept him properly aligned to the real priorities of his life. I believe it also kept him humble and thankful, because he recognized God was in control, and God was guiding his path.

I hope you will take time to reflect on this today and this week as we study this verse.

Weekend Post “Thought Life”

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

What consumes your thoughts? We’re studying Philippians 4:6-7, but above is the next verse. Why do you think Paul placed these words as his closing words of the Final Exhortations in the letter to Philippi?  I haven’t read any commentary, but this verse spoke to me today. I think it speaks to each of our lives in the challenges we face and the negative influences that the world places in our path. I believe Paul’s audience, the Philippians, faced a harsh life and many daily struggles. We face the same, and I believe our daily thought life needs to focus on the truth, the noble, the things that are right and just, pure, lovely and admirable.

This isn’t an escapist mindset. It is a mindset of putting things in proper perspective and not letting the negative and ugly of the world consume us. What do you think?