I should say at the forefront that this post forces me into certain transparency that I normally do not present. Yet I find it necessary to encourage many that find themselves fighting discouragement and dismay during this upcoming holiday season and other times throughout the year. There are many heavy hearts out there and many that are not certain if they should stay in the fight. I argue that those who are heavy hearted need not only stay in the fight but also fight a bit harder.
Sometimes I reflect to November of 1981. I was a young Marine and not long graduated from Admin School. I was assigned to 3rd Recon in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. My plans for Thanksgiving were to go to church but my supervisors thought otherwise. Being of low rank and the newest member of the unit I was assigned the “duty” for the weekend. It was the first time that I was to celebrate with an M16 strapped across my shoulders while I donned my freshly pressed camouflage uniform. It was all I could do to keep back the tears welling up. I had to stand post and nothing was to change that. So, I kept post. It was just me and an occasional Marine passing by. The hurt and pain seemed insurmountable but I was not allowed to give up. I was not allowed to give in. I had a job to do so I remained and did what was required of me.
The interesting thing is that there came a time when that duty was over. I was no longer to stand that post. Yes, I have had other duties since but never again did I have duty on Thanksgiving Day. The occasion of loneliness also subsided for a time. The sorrow did not last. With this I can say boldly that those of you that may be feeling loneliness and despair that this too will pass. Do not let the occasion of temporary setbacks set the stage for the rest of your life. Jesus has promised that He will be with us that serve Him and that promise has continued from the time He spoke it until now. So, be of good courage! God has not forgotten you and will reward you for your faithfulness.
Regrettably that was not the last time I would be overtaken with loneliness, hurt and pain. You see, I married the wife of my youth and had every intention of being married to her until the end of my life. Unfortunately the woman I adored did not feel the same way. Many things transpired that I still do not understand. Even worse my thirteen year marriage was deemed over after a twenty minute hearing by a judge in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The divorce was unwanted and undeserved yet I was caught in the middle of troubles, hurt and pain that I did not seek. In fact I fought with everything I had to dispel the overtures of our enemy. Alas, my fight was not enough. Even so, God has been good to me in that I have grown in ways that I cannot articulate in this missive.
My point is that I know that many are going through trouble not of their making. Many of you look around your homes and see no one there. The phone does not ring and no one knocks on the door unless you are needed for something. I also know what is like not to watch certain movies because they cause tears to stream down because of the desire to have someone but there is no one. There is no one to talk with and to play with. There is no point in buying a lot of food; it will only go to waste. Going to the movie theatre is just another reminder that you are alone and it is the same reason that restaurants are avoided; it is just too painful to be surrounded by people who are loved by someone and you sit alone.
Be of good cheer my brother. Be of good cheer my sister. God has not forgotten you and he sees you crying in the midnight hour. He knows that you have need of someone in your life and has someone out there just for you. However that person is still being prepared for you and you are being prepared for that person. Meanwhile, keep doing a good work. Hold on to the faith that has brought you to this point. Trust God with your whole heart and lean not to your own understanding.
When the fullness of time has come God will bless you in such a way that you will know that it was no one but God. People will call you blessed because you will be blessed. No, don’t you dare bring harm to yourself. Trust God and hold on to His promise to never leave you nor forsake you. You are not forgotten and you are very much loved. Just stay the course and be of good courage.
I thought I would share the notes to a lesson I taught on the Person of Jesus. All too often Christians lack understanding in our Saviour so it is my hope that some will be stretched a bit by these notes.
Jesus and His Purpose
For
Springs of Refreshing Fellowship Church
1932 Gwynn Oak Ave
Woodlawn, MD 21207
Prepared by:
Elder William James Carter, The 1st
18 April 2013
© The Christian Perspective
Jesus and His Purpose
The Deity of Jesus
Many of those that claim to be Christians today have very little knowledge of who Christ is and His purpose. It is for this reason this lesson will delve into the deity of Christ and His purpose. John 1:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
The first thing that should be noted in this verse is the term “in the beginning.” It is similar term that was used in Genesis 1:1. The term does not refer to the starting point of time rather is refers to the beginning of recorded time. The idea here is that the text is pointing to the eternality of Jesus. It shows that Jesus existed before time was recorded by man. Even more importantly not only did Jesus exist before recorded time but He enjoys a status of pre-existence.
The pre-existence of Christ lend considerable credibility to His Deity. Jesus removes a little of His veil in John 8:58 with the words:
“Before Abraham was I am.”
This interesting choice of words shows that Jesus not only existed before Abraham but that He remains eternal. At no point does His existence or deity cease to be. The fact that the Jesus remains before Abraham is testament that He continues to exist in eternity past. Only deity can exist in such a fashion as to be in the past and present simultaneously.
The next aspect to be examined is the term “Word.” One partial definition of “Word is: “the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ in the incarnate Word of God”.[1] By this Jesus is personified as being the very image of God. This is what makes the term “Immanuel” significant. Immanuel means “God with us” and the Word being presents the very picture of an ever-present God becomes clear.
Verse one continues by showing that the Word was with God. This is a clear indication of two distinct personalities. Jesus, the Word, existed and continues to exist with God the Father. The term with is not simply positional rather it is relational. It shows an unbreaking union in the Godhead. Additionally this union is not just a strong relationship but that the Godhead is in full agreement insofar as all is concerned. There is no disagreement between the members of the Godhead.
The ending of verse one points not only to the Deity of Jesus but also to the very fact that Jesus is God. He is just as much as God as the Father is. This fact is NOT a form of polytheism rather is shows the multifaceted God mentioned in Genesis 1:1. While we may lack understanding how one God can be present in three Persons we must understand that clarity to the matter will be part of a victorious end to this life.
The incarnation of Jesus is not a coincidental or happenstance matter. God planned this from the time of the fall of man in the Garden. As such many prophecies concerning the virgin birth of Jesus were made throughout the Old Testament. One prominent prophecy is found in Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
This prophecy came to pass as Mary gave birth to the Messiah (Luke 2:6-7). It is important to note that Jesus was conceived while Mary remained a virgin. This is significant because Jesus did not come from the seed and blood of man. Remember that it is the father’s blood that is in offspring. Because Jesus is the Son of God he could not be tainted with the blood of man. This is the reason He had to come through a pure vessel not tainted by man’s sinful blood.
Because of His incarnation many see Jesus as being man only. However that is far from true. However Jesus could not come to earth in the fullness of His glory. He had to lay aside some of His attributes in order to accomplish His task. Philippians 2:7 points to this fact:
“But stripped Himself [of all privileges and [a]rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being” (Amplified Bible).
The term for this action is called “kenosis” which means that Jesus “surrendered no attribute of His Deity, but that He did voluntarily restrict their independent use in keeping with His purpose of living among men and their limitations.”[2] He did not stop being God but emptied Himself by:
Even with this pouring out Jesus remained Devine even though He lived as a man. With this Jesus was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. It is for this reason that Christ has been called the God- Man. It is the union of God and man which is called the hypostatic union. At no time was Jesus less God nor did He ever become less man. He was “Immanuel” or God with us. There are a number of reasons this union is significant but for the sake of this lesson only three will be discussed. Those reasons are that:
Because Jesus was and remains one hundred percent God, while incarnate, He had within Him no ability to sin. Multiple texts point to the sinless life of the God-man. Among them are:
His Purpose
While Jesus performed many works prior to His crucifixion is task at large was really simple. That task was to perform the will of His Father. John 5:30:
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
This statement by Jesus is indicative of the obedience Jesus. It shows His complete and total submission to the Father. Jesus did not come to do anything apart from the Father. Remember that He and the Father are one and as such it is impossible for One to operate without the absolute consent of the Other. But what is the will of the Father? In order to fully understand the will of God there must be an understanding of the nature of man before sin corrupted him. The first man initially:
The fall of man caused a divide that God was not desirous of. From that time He put into action a plan to restore man to his rightful relationship. Part of that plan is put in to play by redemption.
Redemption – To redeem mean to buy back. When man sinned the process of death began. The death was not merely physical death rather the death was separation from God. With this meant that man no longer belonged to God but that God had to pay a price in order to restore man back to his pre-sin state.
I Corinthians 7:23:
“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”
Before redemption man is a servant to not only other men but also to sin. Those who are not redeemed are basically owned by sin because of their service to sin.
Romans 6:6:
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Hebrews 9:12
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
I Peter 1:18-19:
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Reconcile – To reconcile a thing is to restore it to a former state. Formally God enjoyed an unhindered relationship with man. There was nothing that could cause a divide other than disobedience. From the time of the fall the Godhead sought to restore that relationship.
II Corinthians 5:18-19:
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
Ephesians 2:15-16:
“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby”
Salvation- Salvation is deliverance from the power of sin. It was sin that caused the divide between man and God and the eradication of the power of sin presents the ability for a restored relationship.
John 3:16-18:
“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.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Acts 4:12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Titus 3:3-6:
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour”
All too often Christianity has been made to succumb to the world it sits in. This is largely because many that count themselves Christians compromise the Word of God to the extent that the Word is nearly nullified simply because of the acquiescing of the leaders of the Church. Much of this acquiescing has been in the form of calling things Christian that far fall from the standards of holiness. Christianity has been maligned to the extent that the word “Christian” has been wrongly placed on nearly everything that the world has to offer. Suffice it to say, however, that just ‘cause they call it Christian don’t make it so.
This is one that is bound to get some fur to flying. Still the area of music must be examined. There are many forms of music available for Christians and non-Christians alike. Yet many choose to place Christianity on music simply by changing the Words of a popular tune. Because of this there are many forms of music purporting to be Christian when all it really is an attempt to change the Christian culture under the guiles of reaching the youth. This has resulted in “Christian” Rock, Punk Rock, Rap, Soul, R & B, Heavy Metal and the list goes on. God does not need the mimicking of stylistic ventures of the world in order to be worshipped. Instead He requires that the Church come out from the world and be separate (II Chronicles 6:17). And while the noted text is an Old Testament reference it holds much relevance today because it presents the idea of holiness which goes far beyond dispensational ideas.
The idea of holiness appears absent even in the matter of the coming Halloween festivities. Many churches will have alternative activities which serve only to promote the diabolical influences of the infamous holiday. There are many that will have a Christian form of Halloween by having congregants dress as Mary, Jesus, Moses and other biblical characters while bobbing for apples and telling not so scary stories. This is far from the pulling away as referenced earlier rather this is kowtowing to influences that should have no say in the Christian realm. Christianity should have no likeness to the rest of the world. In matter of fact the converse is true; Christians should be peculiar be reason of their stand for holiness. This because the people of God are called to be “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (I Peter 2:9). And because Christians are holy then there is no room for calling things Christian that have no likeness of holiness.
And there are hosts of other areas that can be examined insofar as separation is concerned. This idea is encapsulated in just a few words; just ‘cause they call it Christian don’t make it Christian. As such it is prudent that those that seek to hold up the blood stained banner hold it up without wavering. Hold up the standard without concern for reprisal. The unsaved are looking for a difference and that difference cannot be found be calling things Christian that clearly are not.
October, yes this month is set aside as “Clergy Appreciation Month” so I can think of no better time to express thanksgiving and appreciation to those clergymen who have played a part in my life.
To start, it was about fifty years ago that I came into this world. While I have no express remembrance of the day I can say of a certainty that the day was great and wonderful. You see I was named after my maternal grandfather, the late Reverend William James Smith. Yes, this naming of me set the stage for whom and what I am to be. This Baptist pastor gave me a clergyman to look up to. And why not, I bore his name and it appears that name has propelled me into the profession we share. Yes, it was a day that is written in the annals of time that started me on a path, a path most definitely.
But my grandfather, that preacher in my life, was not the only preacher to influence the indelible light within. You see I can and will never forget the pastor of my youth, the pastor called Reverend Waters. Yes, I remember that strong-handed man as he preached and taught. I did not know until years later, much later, that I was his favourite because I took interest in what was said and posed questions to that end. While Reverend Waters is no longer with us his imprint is sure; this preacher, this pastor this clergyman began to point me in a direction, a direction of service for God.
These two were impactful and part of me they will ever be. Yet there is at least one other, another that has grave significance to me. I speak of the one and only Dr. Wayne E. Anderson. Now, here is a man, a preacher, a teacher, a clergyman for sure. It is because of him that I began to work, no not merely with my hands but a work that started from within. Because of him, service was learned and by him, ministry was birthed. Forget him, no way no how. It is because of the boldness of this man that in boldness I learned to stand.
But my days in Hawaii would not last forever. It was deemed that I would return to my roots of Baltimore. And in doing so I found myself working with another dear clergyman, one raising the standard called Bishop Johnny C. Carrington, Sr. This man, this man of good report, saw reason in me to work in the clergy. And so it was with his great insight that I would be furthered into my plight. This plight, you see, is not a negative one, rather a plight to do a work that few will ever do. And because of that plight I hold to my word, that I will preach the Word of God until I can no more. And because of the Bishop ministry in me is a ministry all can see.
But by destiny it seems that I had to move again. More travels found me under yet another clergyman, this one Pastor William Riley. A man, a good man, as unorthodox as he was, saw more reason to further the work within me. No longer would I be Minister Carter but Elder Carter am I. Not because I am so worthy but because of the worth seen in me. Yes, we worked together in more than one way but this preacher, this teacher, this man of God did more than just give me papers; he gave me reason to continue the work started in me.
And back to Baltimore, I have come. And with Bishop Carrington, I am again. This time things are quite different. The Bishop is no longer just a good preaching, teaching man but now he is my mentor, my mentor showing me what the pastorate should be. Yes, he is giving, and he rebukes too. Still, he is a clergyman without whom my work would never do.
And while this ode is a memoir of sorts I simply want to say to those bearing me great influence, thank you for all that you have said and done. The years have not all be the best but because of the clergymen in my life, I look forward to the rest. And while I could not name all that have influenced me over the years of time I want the clergy everywhere to know that I am seasoned well because you took time, time to spend on me. So, to those of you that remain and can read these words please know that my love for you is true.
God bless you servants of God.
It seems that everywhere we turn there is one squabble after another. This is evident in the United States today as there are more fights than can be repeated here. There are fights against and for homosexuality, abortion, capital punishment, immigration and many more subjects. A major fight taking place even as these words are being penned is taking place in the United States Capital in respect to the financing of the country. There are some that that argue that the Affordable Healthcare Act is anything but affordable while it heavily taxes the people while intruding into their personal lives. These are the ones that are standing and fighting for what they see as right and lawful.
But fighting is no new thing in this country. Recall, for instance, the Revolutionary War. After that was the Civil war and then the fight for the rights of the Constitution to be equally applied to all citizens without regard to skin tone. Each of these fights was hard and many lives were lost because the fight was not for mere ideology rather the fights were for freedom. That freedom was to be recognized in the unabridged worship of God, the right to be free in a free land and the right to be free in the fundamental democratic processes. Of course there were objections yet the tireless fighting of those that stood for right prevailed over oppressive governments and Godless people.
Such is the case for Christians today. We are being attacked from every angle for every reason. Christians are told that they are bigots and hate mongers merely because they have chosen to stand on the Word of God without compromise. Even worse some Christians are being killed and otherwise abused and tortured throughout the world for no other reason than the fact that they are Christians. Despite this Christians are not called to a life of apathetic acquiescing rather we are called to stand in the face of the petulant oppressors that seek only the demise of the righteous.
Paul had similar problems. He had to fight and contend with some that chose to ignore the Word of God and oppress not only Paul but also others that chose to follow God. In this vein Paul found reason to encourage Timothy. There was unrighteousness going on at every hand pulling from the faithful teachings of Christ. With this Paul encouraged Timothy in I Timothy 6:12 with the words “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” This fight meant that Timothy was not to give in to the immorality of the day rather he was to stand and hold up the blood-stained banner with all boldness and confidence.
As such I argue strongly that those of us that name the Name of Jesus to strap on our instruments of war as described in Ephesians 6:12-17 which reads, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Nobody said the fight would be easy neither is there any indication that there will be no casualties. Still the fight is for freedom for by freedom we live and without freedom we die. We must fight because freedom, on many fronts, is on the brink of collapse. This is something that is the antitheses to the Constitution and more importantly the Word of God. Yes, we must lay down the clothing of apathetic acquiescing and put on war clothes so that we can be prepared to fight the fight.
Time For Real Change
preachercarter 