Why The Wonder Of Christmas? Dr. David Jeremiah
May You All Have A Blessed Christmas Enjoying It’s Wonder!
SIH’s Think On These Things: Isaiah 9:6 g
“and his name shall be called… The Prince Of Peace”
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Since this time of year has been set aside by the world to remember the birth of Jesus, I thought it would be good for us to take some time to consider Jesus, His person and His workings on our behalf. For the next few brief devotions we will take a look at Isaiah 9:6 and see what we can learn about Jesus. By God’s grace, this time in the Word will be a daily reminder for us to keep Jesus in the center of our holiday season.
For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at Isaiah 9:6 – “and his name shall be called… The Prince Of Peace”
TRUTH OF CHRIST EXPLAINED:
“And his name shall be called… The Prince Of Peace”, Christ is the One who bestows and controls peace…
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
His works on our behalf secures our peace with God…
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)
He also secures peace within ourselves, even in the midst of life’s storms…
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
What a wonderful blessing it is to know that we can find absolute, permanent peace in the One who has overcome the world….
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
SUMMARY:
In the phrase “and his name shall be called… The Prince of peace” we can see that with the coming of Jesus, we have the coming of genuine peace into the world. Let’s glorify and honor the One who has brought peace to man…
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13-14)
We will return to our daily devotionals from Proverbs on December 26th.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
Christ And His Father Are One!
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: …and his name shall be called …The everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6)
For The SIH Devotional On This Subject:
SIH’s Think On These Things: Isaiah 9:6f
“and his name shall be called… The everlasting Father”
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Since this time of year has been set aside by the world to remember the birth of Jesus, I thought it would be good for us to take some time to consider Jesus, His person and His workings on our behalf. For the next few brief devotions we will take a look at Isaiah 9:6 and see what we can learn about Jesus. By God’s grace, this time in the Word will be a daily reminder for us to keep Jesus in the center of our holiday season.
For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at Isaiah 9:6 – “and his name shall be called… The everlasting Father”
TRUTH OF CHRIST EXPLAINED:
“And his name shall be called… The everlasting Father”, Christ is the eternal God. Last time, we saw that it was affirmed several times in the Scriptures that Jesus was Almighty God.
Please note: Although Jesus is not the first person of the Godhead, he is the same God as the first person of the Godhead. Therefore, He is said to be “the everlasting Father” in this passage.
This is just like when Jesus said “I and my Father are one”, He was not calling Himself the first person of the Godhead. He was simply affirming that He was the same God as the Father [Jehovah God].
Now, in this title for Jesus, we find that, as God, He is eternal in nature.
This means that our Lord existed in eternity past and was active in the creation of all things…
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:12-17)
This means that Jesus exists now and is at the right hand of the Father, ruling over all and making intercession for His people…
“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places], Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:20-23)
“Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)
This also means that Christ will be with His people throughout eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth…
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:10-11)
Christ’s possession of an eternal divine nature was clearly declared when He described Himself as the “I AM”, a name reserved for Jehovah God that declares His ever-existent nature…
“They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am [he]. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am [he]: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:” (John 18:5-8)
SUMMARY:
In the phrase “and his name shall be called… The everlasting Father” we can see that this same Jesus was, is and will be existent throughout eternity, securing our salvation.
As we prepare our minds and hearts to remember the birth of Christ, let’s keep in mind, we are preparing to celebrate the coming of the eternal God to secure the salvation of His people…
“What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? [It is] God that justifieth. Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:31-37)
We will return to our daily devotionals from Proverbs on December 26th.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
Just As Christ Came Out Of Egypt…. He Brought Us Out Of Our Sin…
Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.“
This Old Testament prophecy found in Hosea is clearly applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Matthew…
Matthew 2:14-15 – “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.”’
For the SIH Bible Study On This Subject:
Out Of Egypt I have Called My Son
(His three-fold deliverance so that we might be saved)
Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.“
This Old Testament prophecy found in Hosea is clearly applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Matthew…
Matthew 2:14-15 – “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.”’
Although this prophecy is relatively unknown, compared to some of the other OT prophecies concerning Jesus’ first coming to the earth, it is still of great importance to our recognition of Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God sent to the earth.
Let’s take a few short moments and study this wonderful affirmation of Jesus and His role as the Christ, Our Savior and Lord over all.
THE STUDY:
When we look at this prophecy in its context (Hosea 11:1-4), we can see that its main thrust involves a backslidden nation of Israel. Note some of what we are told about the condition of Israel during the times of Haggai’s prophecy….
1) When Israel [was] a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
1. Israel, as a young nation was loved by the Lord
2. Based upon the love of the Lord for Israel, He delivered them from their captivity in the land of Egypt.
2) [As] they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
3. As Egypt beckoned for the Israelites to return to them, the Lord through the 10 plagues, overcame the desire of the Egyptians and brought out the nation of Israel from their midst.
4. However, the Israelites forgetting all the Lord had done for them, turns their back on Him and begins to worship and serve the idols of man.
3) I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
5. Ephraim, the favored son of Joseph, is here a picture of the entire nation of Israel as the favored nation of Jehovah. The Lord took up Israel kindly removing them from captivity and leading them through their wilderness wanderings to the land of promise.
4) I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
6. Jehovah then brought Israel to Himself, forming a strong bond of love with them
7. He removed the yoke of oppression and slavery from off of them
8. He supplied their every need as they traveled to the promised land.
The text following this (Hosea 11:5-7) then explains how this same liberated, loved and protected Israel turned their backs on the Lord and forgot all of his many benefits that were bestowed upon them: “He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return…”
So, when kept in its proper context, we can see that this Old Testament passage is a look back in time to the deliverance of Israel from bondage at the hands of the nation of Egypt and the Lord’s gracious deliverance of Israel.
Now let’s turn to the Matthew 2:13-15 passage where we find this Old Testament text applied to our Lord at His first coming….
…lo, the messenger of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph, saying
The context of this passage centers on a message received by Joseph from an angel sent by God.
Having risen, take to thyself the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt, and be there till I speak to thee;
Joseph is now instructed to take his young son, Jesus, into the land of Egypt and then stay until they are told to depart by the angel.
for Herod is about to seek the young child to destroy him.
The reason for Joseph and his family to flee into Egypt was that Herod was now looking for the young boy seeking to kill Him. Why did Herod desire to kill Jesus? Because Herod had been told by the wise men that the King of the Jews had been born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-3)
And having risen, he took to himself the young child and his mother by night, and turned back in Egypt: And was there till the death of Herod:
Joseph, being faithful to the command of God given through His angel, fled to Egypt with his family. He then stayed in Egypt until the death of Herod.
that it might be completed having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
One of many reasons for this event to take place, was so that the Hosea 11:1 prophecy of Christ might be fulfilled exactly… “Out of Egypt have I called my son”
At this point, many of us are wondering how can it be that a Old Testament account of an historical event (the deliverance of the physical nation of Israel from Egyptian bondage) is now applied to an event that took place 1200-1300 years later?
To understand the answer to this question we must acknowledge the most basic similarity between these two historical events…
In both cases, we have GOD’S LOVE ON DISPLAY AS HE DELIVERED HIS CHOSEN BELOVED FROM HARM…
1. In the case of the Nation of Israel, the Beloved of Jehovah, we find the Lord’s gracious deliverance being shown to them their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt.
2. In the case of our Lord Jesus, the Beloved Son of God, we find His Father delivering Him from the sinful desires of Herod’s heart.
But our lesson does not stop there because, in both deliverances, He was working to bring deliverance to those who are saved, from the bondage of sin and a wicked world.
Stop and think about it….
1. If God had not delivered the nation of Israel from the Egyptian bondage, you would not have the establishment of the physical nation from whom would come the Messiah, Jesus, the promised “the Lamb Of God who taketh away the sin of the world.”
2. Likewise, if you did not have the Lord Jesus delivered from the clutches of Herod, once again, you would not have Him completing His earthly ministry which was to “save His people from their sins”.
In other words, it is through the loving deliverance of Israel and the deliverance of the Lord Jesus Christ that we find the deliverance of the saved from their sins.
Or to put it another way,…
1. It was through the deliverance of God’s PHYSICAL NATION OF ISRAEL FROM EGYPT that we find the deliverance of His SPIRITUAL NATION FROM A FALLEN SIN-SICK WORLD.
2. It was through the deliverance of His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON FROM HEROD’S GRASP that we find the deliverance of His ADOPTED SONS AND DAUGHTERS FROM SIN’S GRASP.
What a wonderful truth to keep in mind this holiday season. As the Lord delivered the physical Israelites and His Son, Jesus… He had His people in his mind. He not only brought deliverance to them for their sake, but He also worked their deliverance for His people as well! He did all of this so that we might have a Redeemer who would deliver His people from their sins…
20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24) Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:20-25)
26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27) For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28) As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
29) For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.
30) For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31) Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32) For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
(Romans 11:26-32)
Over the holidays, let us praise and honor Him for all He has done for us in working to raise up a Deliverer on the behalf of His people.
One of the greatest ways to bring glory to Him is by telling others about all that He has done for us. We can do this by sharing with them the gospel message of His death, burial and resurrection which brings salvation to those who will come to Him in faith.
Please visit…
Settled In Heaven Ministries Home On The Web: http://www.settledinheaven.org
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Email Us At: settledinheaven@gmail.com
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
What We Can Learn From The Phil Robertson Interview…
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Our Lord Jesus Is The Mighty God!
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:…and his name shall be called…The mighty God” (Isa 9:6)
For The SIH Devotional On This Subject:
Phil Robertson, Sin and The Christmas Season
(Before we begin our study, let me quickly explain that, although I agree with the main thrust of Phil Robertson’s message, I am sorrowful that he presented his message using some crude language that was unnecessary to say the least and harmful to the cause of Christ.
Without knowing the man and his personal life, it is impossible for me to make a judgment about the intent and motivation behind the inappropriate phrases. Based upon his personal testimony, I am trusting that they are the result of his upbringing and environment and not an indication of any malice in his heart towards those of whom he spoke.
Who among us can say that we have never said things that have harmed the cause of Christ and brought sorrow to our hearts? However I do want to take a look at the Biblical principles he was presenting in the interview and the importance of recognizing their application to our nation and world today.)
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-11) – To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted;… He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
The past few days has given us living proof of the truthfulness of this wonderful text of Scripture. How true it is that our Sovereign Lord is in control of the events that take place among men and that He brings these events to pass in His perfect timing, while accomplishing the goals for which they were determined.
The Bible also speaks of this principle in…
(Daniel 2:20-23) – Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter.
Here, we see that our Lord uses the timing of the events of mankind to teach us many of the deep, secret things about Himself and our condition before Him. In other words, He shows us, through His control of the events of mankind, many truths that are very difficult for us to understand and accept as truth.
This principle has come to light this past week as our nation, in the midst of the Christmas season, has witnessed the events surrounding Phil Robertson, A & E network and the world’s response to both of them. I would like us to take a few moments and try to take a Scriptural look at what we can learn from this week’s series of events, and come to understand that these events were perfectly timed by the Lord.
THE STUDY:
First, the Lord has clearly presented to us the truth of the existence and results of sin in our world.
The most controversial of Robertson’s statements involved various types of sin that exist in our world today. The teachings of the Bible confirm the existence of sin, and give us a list of the individual sins that were mentioned by Robertson….
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Secondly, we have clearly displayed the lost world’s blindness to their own sin and the truths of the Word.
As Robertson gave his listing of sins, the appropriate response was for the world to acknowledge that sin exists and be motivated from a Godly sorrow to confess and repent of their sins. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead, we find them denying the existence of some of those sins, justifying their commission and, in doing so, rising up in opposition to these truths of the Word.
(Isaiah 5:20-24) – Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!… Woe unto [them that are] mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, [so] their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
(2 Timothy 3:13-15) – But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them]; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
(Just a side note: this very principle should bring out a spirit of gratitude and praise from the heart of all who have been brought to a Scriptural repentance and trust in Christ. We were all in this condition of spiritual blindness and apart from the gracious intervention of Christ in our lives, we would also be in denial of these truths of God.)
Thirdly, we have presented to us the solution to sin and its effects in the world.
Here is where we begin to see the wonderful timing of our Lord. Although Phil Robertson presented the need for repentance and faith in Christ, it was not included in most of the news accounts of the interview with him. But the Lord has a way of overcoming any obstacle that opposes His will.
What better time for our nation to be presented with its sinfulness and need of repentance than the Christmas season when all mankind have their thoughts pointed towards the coming of Christ to the earth to save lost mankind from the very sins of which Robertson had spoken.
In direct response to the sin of this world we read that ….
(Matthew 1:20-25) – But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
(1 John 4:14) – And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.
(John 3:16-17) – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
It is only during the Christmas season that the lost world has their minds pointed to the truth that God sent His only begotten Son to save His people from their sins. Just as the new reports of Robertson’s interview reveal to the world their sinful condition, so too, the Christmas season is placing on display the One who was given by God to save the world from their sins.
How is this salvation received? It is by placing faith in the person and work of the One who was born in Bethlehem. It is by placing our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who was God manifest in the flesh…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus is the One who came to this world and died on the cross bearing the sins of His people. His body was buried for three days and three nights in the tomb and then He rose again the third day, proving to us all that His payment for sin on the cross was accepted by His Father in heaven…
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4) – Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
As a matter of fact, Christ came and died on the cross to save people from the exact same sins that Robertson was talking about. Notice in the 1 Corinthians 6: passage that gave us a list of the sins Robertson mentioned, we find the concluding verse that says .. “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Christ came to save those who have committed homosexual acts, adulterous acts, and other immoral, perverse acts…. There is no sin so great for which the grace of God cannot grant forgiveness and cleansing.
But if we read this verse closely we find that those of us who have been saved were guilty of these same offenses as well… “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Therefore there is no room for feeling of superiority on our part, nor is there room for boasting. Folks, we were in the very same “boat” as the unsaved that are around us. Apart from God’s grace, we would still be facing an eternity of separation from Him in the Lake of Fire having committed the same sins as they.
That is why we are to use this holiday season (and every season of the year) to humbly share Christ and the forgiveness He offers to the sinful world around us. Let us put down the carnal aspects of the Christmas season and use it as the perfect opportunity to share Christ with those who are in desperate need of Him.
The Lord has graciously given to each one of us the perfect opportunity to address the sinful state of the world and their need of Christ through the use of the news stories about Robertson’s interview and the Christmas season that is upon us.
May we all use these events to bring honor and glory to His name.
For more information about the Bible’s teachings on homosexual relationships: http://wp.me/pU88A-nE
http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH’s Think On These Things: Isaiah 9:6
“and his name shall be called… The mighty God”
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Since this time of year has been set aside by the world to remember the birth of Jesus, I thought it would be good for us to take some time to consider Jesus, His person and His workings on our behalf. For the next few brief devotions we will take a look at Isaiah 9:6 and see what we can learn about Jesus. By God’s grace, this time in the Word will be a daily reminder for us to keep Jesus in the center of our holiday season.
For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at Isaiah 9:6 – “and his name shall be called… The mighty God”
TRUTH OF CHRIST EXPLAINED:
“and his name shall be called… The mighty God” In this name of Christ we find the clear declaration that our Lord is not simply a “good man” or “a very dedicated prophet of God”. No not at all. In this text we find that Jesus is God Himself! This principle was established long before the birth of Christ by the prophet Isaiah…
“Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour.” (Isaiah 43:10-11)
This fact was reaffirmed many times in the Word. Some of those were by Christ, Himself:
“But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:17-18)
Some were by God:
“But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” (Hebrews 1:8-12)
It is this same God that came to us in the Bethlehem manger…
“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)
SUMMARY:
In the phrase “and his name shall be called… The mighty God” we can see that this same Jesus is Almighty God.
As we prepare our minds and hearts to remember the birth of Christ, let’s keep in mind, it is God revealing Himself to us through the person of Jesus, the living Word….
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2, 14)
We will return to our daily devotionals from Proverbs on December 26th.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
Jesus Gives Perfect Instruction That Is Always For Our Good…
“and his name shall be called … Counsellor” (Isaiah 9:6)
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
A New Daily Devotional Series Begins January 2, 2014…
The new daily devotional series will be a verse by verse look at Ephesians that will center on the gracious blessings we have received from the Lord.
For an encouraging way to start your day please click on the following link for “Reflections Of His Grace”!
https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/category/sih-lesson-types/sih-tott/
(all devotional lessons will be posted by 6:00 AM each morning.)
SIH’s Think On These Things: Isaiah 9:6d
“and his name shall be called… Counsellor”
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Since this time of year has been set aside by the world to remember the birth of Jesus, I thought it would be good for us to take some time to consider Jesus, His person and His workings on our behalf. For the next few brief devotions we will take a look at Isaiah 9:6 and see what we can learn about Jesus. By God’s grace, this time in the Word will be a daily reminder for us to keep Jesus in the center of our holiday season.
For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at Isaiah 9:6 – “and his name shall be called… Counsellor”
TRUTH OF CHRIST EXPLAINED:
In the phrase“and his name shall be called…Counsellor” , we find that Jesus is the One to whom we are to look for advice, counsel and leadership of life…
“That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2-3)
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)
Why is Christ the source of all wisdom and knowledge? It is because He reveals God’s mind to man as the living Word of God…
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. [That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-5,9-14)
In His absence, the Lord has left us with His written Word, the Bible, as today’s source of wisdom and knowledge as we continue to look to Him for advice and counsel …
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them]; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
SUMMARY:
In the phrase “and his name shall be called… Counsellor” we can see that this same Jesus, the Word, God Himself, through His person and work revealed to us the very wisdom and knowledge of God. He is our Supreme Counsellor to whom we can look for our every need.
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
May we all keep the Jesus our Great Counsellor in our minds this holiday season; having joyful hearts knowing that we can always go to Him for leadership and wisdom, no matter what situation we may be facing in life.
We will return to our daily devotionals from Proverbs on December 26th.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
Jesus And His Work Causes Great Wonder Upon All!
“and his name shall be called Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6c)
For The SIH Devotional On This Subject:
John MacArthur’s Take On The Observance Of Christmas…
Since this issue always comes up this time of year, I thought I would share Bro MacArthur’s take on the subject. I do basically agree with his stand on this. If you would like to read my posting on this subject please click the following link:
http://wp.me/pU88A-1Oh
SIH’s Think On These Things: Isaiah 9:6c
“and his name shall be called Wonderful”
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Since this time of year has been set aside by the world to remember the birth of Jesus, I thought it would be good for us to take some time to consider Jesus, His person and His workings on our behalf. For the next few brief devotions we will take a look at Isaiah 9:6 and see what we can learn about Jesus. By God’s grace, this time in the Word will be a daily reminder for us to keep Jesus in the center of our holiday season.
For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at Isaiah 9:6 – “and his name shall be called Wonderful”
TRUTH OF CHRIST EXPLAINED:
“and his name shall be called Wonderful” , this phrase helps us to understand that Jesus is a miracle of God. He is One that is set apart from all others by His miraculous physical birth.
One of the ways our Lord is “set apart” from all others by His physical birth to a virgin…
“How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.” (Jeremiah 31:22)
(note: the phrase “a woman shall compass a man” means “a woman will proceed without a man” or “ a woman will have accomplishment without a man”. This is a reference to the virgin birth and the ability of the virgin Mary to conceive and give birth without the intervention of a human male.)
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
This virgin birth was one of many proofs that Jesus was truly the very Son of God…
“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34-35)
SUMMARY:
In the phrase “and his name shall be called Wonderful” we find that our Lord was set apart from all men by His person and work. He was a “wonder” in the eyes of those around Him as He lived a sinless life; as He performed many miraculous works; as He was proclaimed to be God the Son at His baptism and the Transfiguration; and as He was taken up to heaven at His ascension.
But perhaps the greatest cause of wonder in the eyes of others was His virgin birth. This is the wondrous event that we are celebrating during this holiday season.
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
May we all keep the many wonders of Christ in our mind as we go about preparing our hearts to honor Him during this holiday season.
We will return to our daily devotionals from Proverbs on December 26th.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
Jesus Possesses The Authority To Rule Over All Things Eternally
“and the government shall be upon his shoulder:” (Isaiah 9:6b)
For The SIH Devotional On This Subject:
May You Have A Blessed Christmas Season!
I’ll be taking a break from the SIH blog for a few weeks for Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The daily devotions and other weekend postings will be auto-posted for each day. During my time away, I will obviously, be unable to answer your comments or questions.
However, I will be checking my email daily at settledinheaven@gmail.com.
Also as a quick reminder, our Proverbs devotional series will continue beginning December 26th and will finish on December 30th. Our new devotional series “Reflections Of His Grace”, a verse by verse look at Ephesians will begin on January 2nd of 2014.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness in following, commenting and reblogging SIH materials. I am hoping that this year’s postings have been a blessing for you. I am trusting the Lord He will use SIH in the coming year for His honor and glory and to be a blessing to each one of us.
Once again, may the Lord bless each one of you and your families this Christmas season. May Jesus Christ Be Praised In All Things!
SIH’s Think On These Things: Isaiah 9:6b
“and the government shall be upon his shoulder:”
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Since this time of year has been set aside by the world to remember the birth of Jesus, I thought it would be good for us to take some time to consider Jesus, His person and His workings on our behalf. For the next few brief devotions we will take a look at Isaiah 9:6 and see what we can learn about Jesus. By God’s grace, this time in the Word will be a daily reminder for us to keep Jesus in the center of our holiday season.
For our devotion this morning, we will be looking at Isaiah 9:6 – “and the government shall be upon his shoulder”
TRUTH OF CHRIST EXPLAINED:
“and the government shall be upon his shoulder”
In this section of Scripture, we can see a very important truth about our Lord and Savior…
“and the government shall be upon his shoulder” – Upon Jesus would be laid the responsibility to rule. His rule would extend to two areas…
1. He would rule Sovereignly over all of God’s creation
2. He would rule in the hearts of His people
This phrase helps us to understand that:
God the Father delivered to Christ the authority to rule based upon obedience of Christ…
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11)
Because of this the Lord rules over all creation…
“For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him.” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6)
And He also rules over His people and they submit, willfully, to His commands…
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:10-11)
SUMMARY:
In the phrase “and the government shall be upon his shoulder” we find that our Lord Jesus is Ruler over all. As we prepare our hearts for the coming holiday, let us all remember to praise and honor Christ as the Sovereign Ruler over all. He is the One that cannot be overcome by Satan nor the powers of darkness in this world around us. But most importantly, lets be sure that we are willfully in submission to His will for our lives, knowing that He is not only our Savior but He is also our Lord… God blessed forever!
“Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:5)
We will return to our daily devotionals from Proverbs on December 26th.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
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