remember Archives – Sonshine's Journal

June 3, 2024June 3, 2024

Remember…

John 16 Three words to remember:

John has written all of these words that we might believe and become overcomers. In John 16 once again John returns to his prologue ideas: Jesus is the Word from the beginning. John used three words repeatedly: truth, love, witness and this chapter adds one more overcomer. John quoted the words of Jesus: I AM the way, the truth, and the life and NO man comes to the Father but through Me.

John used the word truth 45 times. He used the word love 80 times. Jesus called he and his brother Sons of Thunder and they lived by that motto until their deaths. Yet, as John writes, he recalls that the Master “Taught that God is a God of love, that God loved His own Son, that God loved the world, that God is loved by Christ, that Christ loved the disciples, that Christ’s disciples loved Him, that all men should love Christ, that we should love one another, and that love fulfills that law. Love was a critical part of every element of John’s teaching and the dominant theme of his theology.” (Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur pg 116) John was a thunderous defender of the truth and in that sense was a Son of Thunder to the end. John used the word witness nearly 70 times : the witness of John the Baptist, the witness of scripture, the witness of the Father, the witness of Christ, the witness of miracles, the witness of the Holy Spirit and the witness of the apostles. [ibid pg 116]

John 16 teaches us that we are to be overcomers no matter what the world throws at us. We have the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to bring all that Jesus taught to our minds, [Jn 14:26] to empower us against the ruler of the enemy, who has been condemned by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we wander through the OT and NT we come across the many who have overcome: Joseph, Ruth & Naomi, John (the last surviving apostle), Stephen, Paul, Peter and many others.

Jesus reminds us that as an overcomer we have joy that is made full. [Jn 16:24]. Is your joy full today? Are you an overcomer or do you yield to the ways of the enemy?

June 25, 2023June 25, 2023

Like Father, Like Son

1 Kings 15 As the father Jeroboam lived and reigned, so his son Nadab did. Thus the prophecy came true regarding Jeroboam given by Ahijah the Shilonite. Jeroboam had been given a promise from God that his reign would prosper and his sons and the nation of Israel would be honored IF he obeyed God and worshiped God. But, again, as before, the fear of man was his downfall. [Prov 29:25] Jeroboam feared the people would return to Rehoboam and Judah, so he compromised with two golden calves he erected. Secondly, he chose many to be priests that were not Levites.

Compromise is the downfall of righteousness. This is not new. It began in the Garden, and today, we see this fruit in our own country’s leadership. God allows the downfall to happen as a lesson for those who are alive to learn from their mistakes. But we are slow learners and one generation away from purity and holiness. “For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.” [Rom 15:4]

Remember, God allowed all of this “because they did not have faith in God and did not trust his ability to deliver them.” [Ps 78:22] Where is your faith today?

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023

A Promise Made is a Promise Kept

Exodus 4-6 God takes what is imperfect (in our eyes) and uses it for His glory. He wants us to see that it is His glory, not ours. And so we meet Moses as a shepherd who, like many of us, feels like they have failed in this life. They are not waiting for the wonders of God to be revealed; instead, there is no hope for me, a man of uncircumcised lips. We say I am not worthy, just as Isaiah said, and that is true, but God is the potter, and we are the clay to be molded to be used for His glory. Will we let Him mold us?

God is a promise keeper. He made a promise to Abraham, and now it is time to keep that promise. So, God says: I have established my covenant, I have heard, I have remembered (Does God forget?? Unlike us, God does not forget. Go read Isaiah 49:14-16), I will rescue you; I will redeem you, I will take you as My people. Yet, like Moses, we begin “suppose…suppose” with excuse after excuse. No wonder God gets impatient with us!

Where am I/ are you making excuses today? Time to say: No more Moses! No more excuses. Maybe your last week was a week of excuses, but the calendar is changing this week, and we should too. So use us, Lord, in whatever way You desire that Your promises may be revealed.

Photo Credit: Bryan Goff on Unsplash – Author notes

January 3, 2023January 3, 2023

God remembers…do we?

Gen 8-11 God Remembered

Gen 8:1 “But God remembered Noah…” How’s your memory quotient today? Truth; God never slumbers or sleeps, and He remembers! How’s our “remember-er?” Do we remember God as He remembers us? When you go through each day, do you stop and give Him the praise that He remembers, that is recalls who we are? “For he knows what we are made of; he realizes we are made of clay.” [Ps 103:14] And it is because of that, He knows our needs and our wants, and He provides for each.

God remembered not just Noah but all the animals that were with him in the ark. Isn’t it interesting that God’s memory included not just Noah but the animals? How gracious is our God.

Today, stop and take time to thank God that He remembers and ask Him to recharge your memory bank to recall His faithfulness, love, grace, mercy, and lovingkindness. “For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, and your loyalty continually motivates me.” [Ps 26:3]

October 12, 2022October 12, 2022

Read, Rehearse, Remember

Malachi 1-4 The Three “R’s”
Today if you speak to people about church attendance and Bible reading, they often turn up their noses and say, like the Israelites of old, it is useless, and besides that, there are hypocrites in the church. [Mal 3:14] They have a warped view and, like Asaph in Ps 73, see with their physical eyes that it is not the godly who are blessed but those who cut corners. So they ask, why then do I need God? Asaph learned, and Malachi also reminded the Israelites that God, who is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, sees all. He has a book of remembrance of those who are faithful and true. [Mal 3:16] Will your name be there? God challenges them to test him and bring their tithe into His storehouse and see that He will pour out a blessing that is so great it will be beyond their wildest imagination. [Mal 3:10]

People think all they need to do is good works, but Isaiah wrote: our works are like filthy rags. It isn’t just enough to do good works; one must “read” and must “rehearse” His Word over and over, which causes one to “remember” what God has said. God never changes; He is the same today as He was yesterday. [Mal 3:6] His blessings are new every day. [Lam 3:23]

Is your name on the scroll or book of remembrance?

July 21, 2022July 21, 2022

Ponderings from the Wisest Man

Eccl 1-3 Solomon spent much of his time musing over many topics and came away thinking that all this striving is futile, fleeting, and incomprehensible (J.MacArthur). Yet Solomon kept going back to his drawing board with this phrase “I said in my heart; I searched in my heart; and I turned my heart.” That is where we all have to go as we wander this life; go back to the source, the heart of the matter. And when he did that, he concluded that God has set eternity in man’s heart. He drew two conclusions: serving God is our highest calling, and God has made everything beautiful in its time.

So what to do? If you want to be wise and if you want to understand God’s ways, ask Him. James 1:5 “But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.” Remember, “God is the Father of Lights and bestows good gifts to His children.” [Matt 7:7]

June 11, 2021June 11, 2021

What will people remember?

2 Chron 2-3, 1Kings 5-6 There is a church in a city in Florida that has sat for years untended and unfinished. Whoever was in charge did not seek peace, and today the courts are in control with no resolution. Recalling that image and the backstory is so unlike the story before us today.

David’s life and all he had done sent a powerful message to King Hiram of Tyre. Although a pagan king, he noted that the God of Israel was the God of the heavens. David’s life had left a powerful message that those who seek the Lord will be blessed and be a blessing to others. Although David was a man of war, he sought peace with his people and those nations surrounding him. James’ words come to mind: “And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” [Jam 3:18]. That is the backstory of how God prepared for the new Temple and how God opened the doors of heaven to bless Solomon with materials and men to build it.

There is a life lesson here for us. God uses men to do the work, but first, He prepares the heart. We may not be the one who sees the fruit of our work, but others do. What message will my life leave for those who will follow me?

June 11, 2016

“I Saw That,” God!

hebrews 4 god sees all2 There have been some really terrifying and horrible things happening lately both near and far. That is because although we live in an earthly environment with earthly values, man fails to consider that this is not our end—eternity is. Due to technology, we are witness to the atrocities facing many of our holy brethren, to quote Hebrews. Our hearts scream “why” and “how” can this be happening. We fail to realize that this is not a new phenomenon. As far back as Cain killing his brother Abel we have seen that men have a mindset that they are invincible. That is why Cain felt empowered to kill. What he did not consider is that as we saw in Hebrews 4, nothing is hidden from the Lord God Almighty. All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him who is holy righteous and is omnipotent. Cain soon found out, as many who have this warped mindset, there will be an accounting. That is why we can boldly state as the psalmist: no matter what man considers his “just” action against me, we can ask: “what can mere man do to me?
Jesus reminded us of this principle: Mat 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

We know and trust that God will set the record straight one day.

Men distort what we say in an effort to confuse. Their thoughts are evil, and like Cain, they take the advantage to attack and sometimes even wait to take our lives. Sometimes they are even successful in that attempt. That is why we must remember that although they think “The Lord does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed. [Psa 94:7] they will find out that they are the fool because God will not be mocked, for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. [Gal 6]

January 17, 2014

Storing up God’s Word

The idea of “storing up” is found both in Prov vs 1 “ My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands within you,” and in Prov vs 7 “He stores up effective counsel for the upright,”

What might be some reasons that we would need to store up God’s Word and when would God take from his storehouse to counsel his own? Some ideas come to mind: keeping us in strong in times of spiritual famine, keeping us alert and ready to fend off the evil one just as Jesus did in his temptation.

David wrote: Psa 119:11 In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you.

God prepared Amos for such a time of spiritual famine: Amo 8:11 Be certain of this, the time is coming,” says the sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land – not a shortage of food or water but an end to divine revelation!

Joseph is a prime example of someone who faced a “famine” of the Word. Sold into slavery, unjustly imprisoned all Joseph had to glean was his faith in God at a time when he had nothing else. Listen to his words: “So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” It was then that Joseph drew out of his storehouse of knowledge, his understanding of God, the words he had been taught and was able to withstand the temptation of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph drew out of his storehouse of counsel that he had learned in a time of plenty at the feet of Jacob.

Think of Daniel and his three friends, taken captive to Babylon. Surely the words of Amos were true. There was no temple, no priests to teach them, and it was a time of spiritual famine. But, listen to Daniel: “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself” and “We won’t find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it is in connection with the law of his God.” Both times Daniel drew out of God’s storehouse the counsel he needed because he had stored it up in a time of plenty.

Both Joseph and Daniel are examples of men who stored up God’s Word and when the trial came God took from his storehouse and brought it to their minds just as Jesus promised Mat 10:19 Whenever they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, for what you should say will be given to you at that time. And Joh 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, …will cause you to remember everything I said to you.

This would be a perfect time as we are just 17 days into the New Year to start memorizing God’s Word so that you are prepared. We never know when we may enter a time of spiritual famine, or be tempted by the evil one. We need to store up God’s Word so we are armored for the battle: “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” [Eph 6]