righteous Archives – Sonshine's Journal

June 8, 2024June 8, 2024

Whom do you worship?

Hebrews 1 The author of Hebrews is unknown but his words resonate from centuries long ago; Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all. He is to be worshipped and not angels. Angels are ministering spirits to all those who have inherited salvation “But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!”[Heb 1:6].

He makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire,” but of the Son he says,“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.” [Heb 1:7-8]

Today take time to worship the One who is the Son of God and not angels.

October 2, 2023October 2, 2023

Decisions, Decisions

Matthew 1 How would you respond if you had heard the news of your fiancee’s pregnancy and you knew it was not from you? Joseph was obviously very distressed as he was a man of integrity. Matthew records these words about him: “a righteous man,..he did not want to disgrace her,” He took these words to heart but did not act unrighteously as that would be against his character. We can learn much from Joseph, just as his namesake in the book of Genesis. Both men reveal that time spent pondering leads to righteous decision-making, and Joseph did just that. Matthew records that he contemplated what to do so as not to disgrace Mary. Do we model our thinking and actions after Joseph? Do we take time to stop and consider the other person, or do we hastily decide? Joseph did the right thing. It was during his time of contemplation that God spoke to him about how to respond righteously and the understanding he should take. It was after that, and only after that, Joseph took Mary as his betrothed to be his wife.

I cannot imagine being in the position of either Mary or Joseph. God’s ways are not our ways, so says Isaiah. [Is 55:8-9] Take time today to consider and to contemplate your decisions.

November 12, 2021November 12, 2021

One Man’s Gift

Mark 15, Matthew 27 As the holidays approach, we begin to think and consider a gift for those we love. What would our gift be?

Joseph of Arimathea needed Pilate’s permission to remove the crucified Jesus from the cross. Then he and Nicodemus prepared his body for burial and transported it to Joseph’s tomb, which was new and had never been used, thus fulfilling the prophecy: “His grave was assigned with wicked men; Yet He was with a rich man in His death.” [Is 53:9]

Joseph was a secret believer, as was Nicodemus. Yet, they took courage and sought to bury Jesus properly. What a precious gift for our Savior. He was disparaged by those he came to serve, but he was honored by a wealthy man and his tomb in death. Those who wore the robes of religious piety were not willing to be defiled; they would not stoop to enter the governor’s residence so they would not be ceremonially defiled, yet were ready to break the sixth commandment: “you shall not murder.” [Ex 20:13; John 18:28]

One man’s gift and his name will live on in eternity as one of the righteous, but one man’s evil words will live on as testimony as a dishonor until he sees Jesus in the clouds. [John 11:50; Matt 26:64]

Which man and which gift do you think gave God pleasure? What will my gift be?

August 13, 2016

Judging—yes or no?

romans 2 mercy of god2 How often have we heard this phrase: you are judging. Yet, if truth be known we all judge. We judge which foods we want to eat based on likes and dislikes. We judge ideas by choosing truth from error. But, to judge another’s heart is for God alone for He is impartial. God knows which of the two kinds of people will stand before him one day: self-righteous sinner or repentant saved (saint) and he doesn’t really care if they are Jew or Gentile!

God sees the self-righteous person whose attitude is reflected in their judging of others while ignoring self-judgment first. The saved has a righteous attitude that recognizes one thing: it was God’s kindness that led him/her to repentance and therefore he has no need to judge for that is God’s prerogative . The sinner has failed to realize that he/she is without excuse when they judge someone else. For on whatever grounds they judge another, they condemn themselves, because they who judge practice the same things. [Rom 2:2 paraphrase]. Paul in writing to the Romans reminds them of this when he writes about their attitude: “you have contempt for the wealth of [God’s] kindness, forbearance, and patience,”

Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and a publican reveals this mindset. One day two men went up to the temple to pray. A confident Pharisee stood praying, thanking God for his accumulation of good works all the while judging others. In sharp contrast, the publican would not even look up to heaven and sought the mercy of God. Only one went home justified and it was NOT the Pharisee. He who has ears to hear learn this: “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” [Luke 18]

Like the publican we should be entreating God’s mercy so we can sing “thank you Lord for saving my soul, thank you Lord for making me whole
” for salvation is His work alone.

August 24, 2015

Pearls and Faithful People

Prov 20:6 “Many people profess their loyalty, but a faithful person – who can find?” They are like the pearl of great price. They are “a righteous man who walks in his integrity…” [vs 7]. To find these faithful ones we must be willing to search with “the ear that hears and the eye that sees—the Lord has made them both.” We must be discerning because many are they that are duplicitous or hypocritical.

Listen to the words of Jesus: “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from brambles. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart.” [Luke 6]

Thus we who would be wise should know this precious truth: “There is gold, and an abundance of rubies, but words of knowledge are like a precious jewel” and it is in Jesus Christ that we can find all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [Col 2] So if we want to find this faithful person we must hide these pearls of wisdom and entrust ourselves to the Illuminating Holy Spirit for revelation.

June 18, 2015

How to Pray for the Wicked

Today as we watch the news our hearts are filled with much sadness by the many atrocities around our world. But God wants us to see that it is at times like this that we must be bold in our prayers for those who are blinded by the enemy and do NOT know the truth so that they may come to the knowledge of who Jesus really is and who God is.

TRUTH: The Holy Word presents the case of the righteous vs the wicked (the ungodly) from Genesis to Revelation that we may be discerning of the ways of Satan.

TRUTH: But there is also another reason and it is so that we may confidently approach God with weeping and praying for their lost souls. We know from history that the words of Paul have come true in more than one century: “fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” The why is clear: “the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.” [Jn 16] because “the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” [2Co 4:4]

TRUTH: We must bow before the Father and pray that their eyes of their heart be enlightened so that they may know the hope that is true and everlasting; that they may come to the knowledge of the true God; that the blindness that Satan has passed over their eyes may be removed and they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn to God and be healed. [John 12].

TRUTH: Beloved we are blessed to know the truth. Be bold before the Father and pray with boldness for the lost.

March 9, 2015

Living Righteously in an Unrighteous World

Jesus challenged us to be a proclaimer of the Good News of the Kingdom which essentially means that we seek to glorify Him that brought us to redemption and salvation. But, practically what does that mean and how is it evidenced? One of the ways we can be a proclaimer is to live righteously in an unrighteous world, a world that defies God and denies His existence. The entire book of Proverbs’ theme is to teach us how walk in the paths of righteousness so that we may glorify God in all that we do, all the time with all we have. Prov 6 is a reminder of what Moses told the Israelites: “I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you take to heart the commandments of the Lord; the curse if you pay no attention to his commandments…” [Deut 11]

Thus the author now reveals to us wise counsel on how to be discerning between good and evil [Heb 5] and how to live that out practically in our conduct and attitudes by listing 7 attitudes and behaviors that the Lord detests. If we mirror the contrasting qualities we are thus proclaiming the Lord to a world that needs to see Him as the leader of our lives and as we live humbly “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.” [Mic 6:8] The author of Proverbs is challenging us to look within and then see what we do with our eyes, our tongue, our hands for this reveals what is in our heart. If we want to be righteous in an unrighteous world we must begin in the heart and let that flow forth in our words and deeds.

February 15, 2014

Are you a Barnabas?

Barnabas, the man who impacted my life. God graciously places people into our lives for many reasons but the most memorable are those who come to us and leave with words of encouragement lasting upon our hearts. Barnabas was such a person. Born in Cyprus and living in Jerusalem, he so touched each life he crossed that he was given the nickname “son of encouragement.” Oh would that be our nickname instead of complainer, thankless or some other.

The dictionary defines encouragement as that which inspires courage or confidence. The early church faced many obstacles such as the distractions of the widow’s needs, the raging anger of Saul of Tarsus, the stoning of Stephen, and more. In spite of all this Barnabas was steady, always ready with a word to give courage to faltering hearts. He so loved the new foundling church that he sold his land and gave the proceeds for the church’s needs. And now in chapter 11 we find that the apostles sent him on a journey to check out the Cypriot believers in Antioch. He was fully prepared with language skills, familial ties, he knew the mannerisms and the ways of these brethren of his so he was the perfect choice. But, there is better reason: Barnabas “was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith,” Stop and think about that for a moment. To be full of the Holy Spirit means that he was demonstrating the Fruit of the Holy Spirit: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” [Gal 5] In addition his faith was his foundation and he lived and walked by this: “The righteous by faith will live.” [Rom 1] “You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works.”[James 2].

It was because of Barnabas living out his faith through the Holy Spirit that many came to know the Lord. Who is the Barnabas in your life? Take time today to let them know, for the Barnabas’ of this world are usually the unassuming quiet behind the scenes people. And how about yourself, could you be a Barnabas to someone today?

December 8, 2013

The Time is Now!!!

Clara Scott authored the hymn “Open my eyes that I May See”. The first stanza reads as : “Open my eyes, that I may see, glimpses of truth thou hast for me…” As we read Revelation 6 more than ever we need to see with spiritual eyes for the truth within is almost more than one can digest. In reading this chapter one verse keeps coming back to mind: John 3:16 “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It is when we view God’s love in sharp contrast to the hate of Satan, which is sovereignly allowed upon men in this chapter, that we bow the knee and are overwhelmed with gratitude of God’s gift of His Son’s sacrifice on the cross and our salvation.

John 3:16 says that the gift God has for those who will bow the knee is eternal life. However, in this chapter we find that just as the Israel and the religious leaders during the time of Jesus rejected the evidence: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have good news proclaimed to them, so too men in the last stages of the clock of time, men will not cry out to God for His peace, love and salvation but will continue to reject. That is a frightening thought which should drive us to share the good news of salvation to everyone who is divinely brought across our path that they may not have to face the judgment of God.

In Chapter 6, John shows us what God revealed. It will not be His grace but horror upon horror to show men the power of evil and hate in the form of war, famine, death, disease. They respond by calling out to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” In reading this another verse came flooding back to this author: Rom 1:32 “Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die..” Isn’t it ironic that these men fully understand God’s judgment and his wrath but choose mountains and rocks to the path of goodness, love and peace which only God can provide? We stop and ask “why?” Why do men reject God? Again we turn to the words of John: John 3:19 “people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.”

Beloved, if you have not done so I implore you now to open your eyes and allow the Holy Spirit to illumine you and bring God’s love and peace to your heart. It is not too late—but do not delay, we do not know when God will choose to allow the events of chapter 6 to unfold in all of their reality. Keep in mind God’s clock is running down; have you called upon Him?

September 2, 2013

J-Joy O-Others Y-You…that Spells Jesus Joy!

Yes it does spell that word joy but how does one live joyfully, how does one live righteously in a world that is turning upside down day by day?

Throughout history the Bible along with secular history records men/women who willingly chose to live righteously, (ex. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Peter and John, Jesus, Paul) amidst unrighteous leaders and unrighteous governments. How were they able to stand tall, strong and brave? I often wonder if I could do the same? After reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s biography along with the examples from scripture I have come to some conclusions.

First some principles: In Romans 12 Paul gives some basic life principles or life guides as to how to conduct ourselves as we live side by side with our family, our neighbors, our co-workers. Paul furthers this thought in 13: 9 ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ which is the commandment Jesus gave the rich young ruler as well. When we have love for others all of our own personal ideas are tossed aside for we put others ahead of ourselves. It might be helpful to remember this simple equation to keep our priorities straight.

“J –Jesus, O-Others, Y-Yourself = JOY.”

I noted that Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit placed our obligations to government between the obligations to others, [Rom 12:9-21 and Rom 13:8-14], which he followed by admonitions to godly conduct. I don’t think I ever saw that before! Therefore, it behooves that we can surmise that our societal obligations to one another are the guide to how we live in an unrighteous world. When Jesus is first, others are second; we find that ourself falls nicely into the last spot with all humility. Jesus reminded us that when we render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars we can then render unto God the things that are God’s. (Matt 22:21). Thus know God’s Law and then know man’s law. When we follow God’s Law as the primary we can thus obey those that God has allowed and those that are not opposed to the supreme Law.

Our first mandate is to be the best citizen possible by obeying the governmental authorities over us for they are ordained and are in place by the will of God. The second one is found in Rom 12:19 “as much as possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.” The third one is found in 1Tim 2, again written by Paul, “I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people, even for kings and all who are in authority…(why) that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” Lastly, when the government is opposed to the ways of God one must take a stand as Peter and John did in Acts 4 “Peter and John replied, “Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide,” Down through history we have seen men who, like Peter and John as well as many others like Daniel, took a stand and God honored their stand. They chose God’s way over man’s way. The guiding principle is to obey the installed government until such time comes that it dishonors the Law of God given through Moses.

Now the reason why. The world is watching how we act, react, and respond. Our prayer must be that offered by the believers when Peter and John returned: “Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage.” Jesus is our prime example who when reviled did not revile in return. Paul and Jesus lived under monstrous rulers and yet they obeyed and encouraged us to do the same. We are then brought back to this Tit 2:12 “live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” and how Romans began “The righteous will live by faith.”

My conclusion is this: May God grant us wisdom to live righteously this day and the days ahead.