What is God’s definition of prosperity? What is God’s definition of success? We cannot let the world define for us what prosperity and success are. The world’s definition of prosperity and success will center around fulfilling the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are not of the Father. We cannot seek ourselves or raise our children to pursue the worldly prosperity and success because that will end in shipwreck. We need to seek the Lord’s definition of prosperity and success.
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“[4] Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias… [8] And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.” (Matt. 17:4,8)
When Peter, James, and John were blessed to see Jesus on the mount of transfiguration along with Moses and Elijah, of course it was Peter who spoke too hastily when he was afraid. He foolishly said they should make three tabernacles – one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah – equating all three as equals, equating two men to the same level of recognition and prestige as Jesus. After being cast down on their face from bright light and God announcing this was his beloved Son, when they lifted up their eyes again, they saw no man – they no longer saw Moses and Elijah – but they saw Jesus alone. In a similar way, I think much of the Christian denominational world has the same incorrect vision and perspective as Peter here. They see other men as equal or co-participants in eternal salvation along with Jesus. As long as you see any human man (other than the God-man, Jesus Christ) in your view of eternal salvation, you are taking away glory from Jesus Christ and diminishing the gospel of Christ. The remedy for this incorrect perspective is fall on our face and rise up to see the same thing that Peter saw – to see Jesus alone, and not see any man in regard to our eternal salvation. Let us examine scripture and see Jesus alone as the only One in our eternal salvation, no man.
It is vitally important in the kingdom of God that we realize how directly our decisions and actions today affect the future generations of the church. We need to keep the next and future generations of the church in our minds as we are thinking through our decisions today. We are also consistently commanded in scripture to be teaching the next generation God’s word that they would be strong, steadfast, and unmovable in the kingdom of God. We need to have a generational discipleship mindset and a generational kingdom perspective, to be purposeful in equipping the next generation to be the pillar and ground of the truth, that they can then teach their future children properly as well. We will see that scripture even directly connects up to five generations in teaching, so thus we need to ask ourselves today, how will my actions today positively impact the church five generations from now?
“When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.” (Joshua 7:21)
After the amazing victory at Jericho when the walls came tumbling down by the power of God, Joshua didn’t take the small city of Ai very seriously. He sent out some spies to examine the city and evaluate it (which worked well in Jericho). Joshua thought the city was small enough that they could easily take it with taking only 3,000 men, but they got whopped. Why? Ultimately, we find it was because of the sin of Achan. However, there is also a lesson from Joshua here as well. It doesn’t appear he really sought the Lord in how to approach the battle with Ai. He made the logical decision to spy it out, and the logical decision to not take all his whole army since they appeared small and with a weak miliary. He leaned to his own understanding, instead of seeking the Lord’s will. (Prov. 3:5-6) It might be you should defeat them with trumpets and a shout; or it could be by tricking them to run out of the city to pursue you (Josh. 8), which happened after they dealt with the issue of Achan. We should never assume the apparent logical, easy path is the Lord’s will. It might be, but we have to seek and pray for God to guide us, instead of leaning unto our own understanding.
In Jesus’ introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, he describes what we commonly know as The Beatitudes, the blessings upon those who display the attributes of God’s children. To the disciples of Christ, it is very reassuring to know we are in a blessed state if we have a desire for these spiritual things, and also an encouragement to know the kingdom blessings if we are faithful to walk in each of these attributes. However, there is much to be gleaned from considering the opposite side of each of these beatitudes. Blessed primarily means “happy” in this context, so the opposite of that would be “unhappy”. Since we will primarily be discussing the state of God’s children who might not walk in the manner that they ought to, we will primarily describe the opposite state as “unjoyful”, which speaks more of us not laying hold on the joy we ought to have in the abundant life, rather than just unhappy, that is more closely associated with variable circumstances of life.
“Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:” (1 Pet. 2:23)
One of the most challenging things to do in our lives is to follow the example of Jesus Christ when we are reviled, slandered, and bore false witness against. The Savior did not render railing for railing (1 Pet. 3:9), but as a lamb dumb before his shearer, he opened not his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). Instead of defending himself against every false witness, Christ “committed himself to him that judgeth righteously”. We see from Christ, Stephen, and Paul’s examples that false witnesses are a house of cards that will eventually fold in upon themselves. As with Christ, the false witnesses did not agree together and even Pilate could see these were just unfounded lies. If we commend ourselves over to the righteous judgment of the Lord, then he will ensure that the lies of the devil collapse under their own weight and our righteous character is defended.
The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in the ten plagues against Egypt is a very interesting study in the intersection between God’s sovereignty, God’s will, and also man’s responsibility and man’s sin. We are told that God turns the king’s heart whithersoever he will, and this is very clear with Pharaoh. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Prov. 21:1) Who is responsible for the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart – God, Pharaoh, or just the general disposition of stubborn men and the unregenerate in this world? The answer is “Yes”. All three are true.
“Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” (Luke 11:52)
Here in Luke 11, Jesus is in the home of a certain Pharisee who had invited him to dinner (v.37). It appears this must have been a gathering of Jewish religious leadership – Pharisees, scribes, and lawyers – at this dinner. Jesus begins to quite harshly rebuke the Pharisees and scribes, pronouncing woe upon them. Then a lawyer who was in attendance asked, “Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also” (v.45), essentially asking whether he rebuked the lawyers as well, since they had not yet been directly mentioned by name. Then Jesus lays into the lawyers severely as well (v.45-52), culminating in this summary verse in Luke 11:52.
“And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.” (1 Sam. 21:9)
In David’s victory over Goliath, swords are a prominent focal point of the story. When David shows a desire to fight Goliath, Saul offers him his own sword and armor. David does not take Saul’s sword nor armor because he had not proved them (1 Sam. 17:39) but instead relies upon his shepherd’s sling for the battle. Then, when David comes out against Goliath, he publicly declares that the battle is the Lord’s – not fought or won with the weapons of man, such as swords and spears. “45) Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied… 47) And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.” (1 Sam. 17:45-47) When David slew Goliath with just a stone from his sling, scripture makes sure to denote that there was no sword in David’s hand. “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.” (17:50)
“My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” (Psalm 31:15)
When David penned these words, he was either currently in, or reflecting back, on his time on the run from Saul, being persecuted for righteousness’ sake because of Saul’s sin and jealousy. David summarized this perilous period of his life that every day “there is but a step between me and death.” (1 Sam. 20:3) In this passage, David was resting in the truth that all his “times” – the mountain top of slaying Goliath and even hiding in caves with just a step between him and death – were safely held in the hand of God. He knew he could die at any moment, but that fear was eased because he knew his life was held in the hand of God. All our lives are held in God’s hand and sustained and protected by the Lord. It’s in Christ that we “live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17.28)