Blessed Be the Name: Part 2

Throughout the rest of December, I'm blogging about the beautiful name of Jesus. The verse we're considering this Advent season is the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:6, written 700 years before Jesus birth:

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;

and the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

The Messiah's "name" consists of a four-fold designation, the first of which is "Wonderful Counselor." This name literally translates “a wonder of a counselor.” But what does it mean? Let’s break it down into its two parts.

“Wonderful.” The first is the word “wonderful.” The Hebrew word pala indicates “something uncommon or out of the ordinary.” It reflects “a phenomenon lying outside the realm of human explanation; that which is separated from the normal course of events; some-things which cannot be explained.”

The same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 139:6, which reads, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” It is something miraculous. The problem is, we tend to have a low view of the miraculous. A high-school student comes out of a classroom holding her exam paper which bears a mark in the nineties--and so she exclaims to her friend, “This is a miracle! I didn’t think I was anywhere near ready for that test.” Or a guy asks a girl out on a date, and when she responds in the affirmative, he thinks to himself, “She actually said `Yes’ -- it’s a miracle!”

In reality, however, these things are not miracles. They can all be explained, though some may take a little more effort to explain than others.

A real wonder is something beyond human explanation. And the prophet Isaiah declared that the coming Child and Son would be a wonder. This not only describes what He does, but who He is. He is wonderful! A wonderful what?

“Counselor.” The second part of this compound description of the coming Messiah is “Counselor.” In its historical Hebrew usage, the word is used to picture a king giving counsel to his people. For instance, the prophet Micah declared the dilemma of the captives in Babylon this way: “Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished?” (4:9).

Long before the Christ-child was born, Isaiah foretold that God was planning to send a Counselor for the broken-hearted of the world. In our study of First Corinthians, we read in 1 Corinthians 1:30 that Christ “became for us wisdom from God.” When you take all that we know about Christ, it adds up to a marvelous truth--He is the God who is, and who is called, a “Wonder of a Counselor.”

What is the significance of “Wonderful Counselor” to believers today? How does this “Wonder of a Counselor” give us help? How does He impart unto us His wisdom, and how should we seek it? Through the Word of God. The Old Testament is His story. The New Testament Gospels are the record of His conversations with the people of His day, who had needs not altogether different from ours. The letters of the rest of the New Testament represent the practical application of His teaching to life. The Lord guides us through His written Word. “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). “Thy testimonies are my delight; They are my counselors” (Ps. 119:24).

• God guides us through prayer. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (Jam. 1:5).
• God guides us through people. Proverbs 11:14 says there is safety in a multitude of good counselors. The wise person listens to the advice of other godly, mature Christians.
• God guides us through our circumstances. C. S. Lewis is the one who perceptively wrote: “God speaks to us in our pleasures and shouts to us in our pain.”

Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” God sees what you’re going through, and He uses life’s circumstances to lead you along the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Christ, however, is able to give us the needed direction for life. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on yur own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” How thankful we should be that Isaiah spoke of a “Wonderful Counselor.”

Do you regard Jesus as such? Is He your Counselor?

Blessed Be the Name: Part 1

“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet made this question famous. These two teenagers fall in love before learning that they bear the names of rival families. Romeo and Juliet would sooner deny their own family name than abandon their love for one another.

In other settings, the family name would be more important. Several years ago, business deals were conducted and agreed upon by a gentleman’s word and a handshake. As a man was faithful in keeping his promises and paying his creditors, he furthered his credibility and testimony of integrity in the community. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be more desired than great riches.”

Yes, names are important, particularly in Scripture. Nowhere is this more significant than in Matthew 1:21, where we read words attributed to an angelic messenger speaking to Joseph in regard to Mary: “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” The name Jesus means “Jehovah our Savior.” It is the New Testament equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua, Yeshua, or Hoshea. While others wore these names in honor to God, Jesus bore His name as an expression of the Savior-God that the New Testament says He was.

It is the name by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

It is the name that sets the tone for everything a Christian does. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Col. 3:17).

It is the name at which every knee shall bow. The apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11).

It is quite clear, however, that many people have ignored or dismissed altogether the tremendous significance of Jesus’ name. In the days of His childhood, Jesus’ neighbors knew Him as nothing more than the son of Joseph the carpenter. In our generation, many of our neighbors know Jesus only as an expression of anger, alar, or profanity. Many more have only a casual understanding of the scores of additional names given to Him in the Bible.

Throughout this Christmas season, I'll be blogging about the beautiful name of Jesus. Specifically, I want to consider the four designations that appear in Isaiah's prophecy nearly 700 years before Jesus' birth:

Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;

and the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

- Isaiah 9:6 -

As we consider these divine designations over the next few weeks, keep in mind that while others use aliases to veil their true identity, the Scriptures use many names for the Son of God in order to display His glory to the world He came to save!

Next week we'll look at this verse in more depth. In the meantime, why not commit it to memory?

Bringing Christ into the Conversation

God has called each of His children to be an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). As believers, we are to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5). Jesus Himself said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses. . ." (Acts 1:8).

In light of Jesus' instructions and the promise of spiritual empower-ment, the apostle Paul prayed for two things: opportunities to speak, and the boldness to speak as he ought to speak (Eph. 6:19-20). If God answers the first request, He will most certainly answer the second as well. But this requires walking by faith and not by sight. For instance, my guess is that you have often been aware when opportunities have arisen, yet you have lacked the boldness to share the gospel. So you don't say anything. Am I right?

I know I am, because I've been there myself! Yet I've discovered something else, too. If I see a witnessing opportunity as an answer to prayer, and then I begin to speak believing in the power and promises of God, I actually get the boldness once I start to speak - but rarely before then!

I wonder how many times we have missed golden opportunities because upon recognizing them, we have not acted on them in faith, trusting God to overcome our fears by His Spirit. If you have been guilty of this (and I think we all have at times), why not make a fresh start right now to be a faithful witness for Jesus Christ. The Christmas season especially presents many opportunities to witness for our Lord.

"How do I do that?" you may be wondering. Well certainly you want to rely on the Holy Spirit, trusting Him to give you the words to say in any given moment. Keeping that principle in mind, there are some practical ways we can bring Christ into a conversation. Christian author Don Whitney shares ten questions that can help us move from small talk to "big" talk, the biggest subject of all - the Gospel. All of these questions are not original with Whitney but he has found them to be wonderful segways to sharing the Gospel:

1. When you die, if God says to you, 'Why should I let you into Heaven?', what would you say? Are you interested in what the Bible says about your answer?
2. If you were to die tonight, where do you think you would spend eternity? Why? Are you interested in what the Bible says about this?
3. Do you ever thing much about spiritual things?
4. How is God involved in your life?
5. How important is your faith to you?
6. What has been your most meaningful spiritual experience?
7. Do you find that your religious heritage adequately answers your questions about life?
8. Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs? If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it? Well, the Bible says....
9. To you, who is Jesus?
10. I often like to pray for people I meet; how can I pray for you?

How about giving one or more of these questions a try? Remember: ask God for opportunities to share the Gospel and the boldness to share as you ought, then step forward in faith by bringing Christ into the conversation! Who knows? Maybe in days and weeks to come, you'll be able to add a few of your own additional questions to this list!

(For more useful articles on evangelism and other matters related to the Christian life, visit Don Whitney's website at www.spiritualdisciplines.org.)

Put Away the Plastic Forks!

Where have all the biblical preachers gone - those with a true prophetic tone to their preaching? For the last couple of weeks I've been immersed in the first twelve verses of Matthew 3, which present a snapshot of the ministry and message of John the Baptist. In our day of syrupy, sentimental, superficial, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" kind of sermons (oh, and short, too - excuse the alliteration), hard-hitting Gospel preaching is hard to find.

Oh, sure, occasionally you'll come across the stereotypical "hell, fire, and brimstone" preacher who belittles his hearers to build up his own ego and uses his pulpit as a whipping post. I'm not referring to that sort of preaching - a sermon that's "all heat and no light." I'm talking about real Gospel-oriented, Christ-centered, soul-stirring, heart-convicting preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to penetrating people's hearts, there is no substitute for Scripture. "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires" (Hebrews 4:12). What else in the world can do that? Answer: Nothing! As my good friend Steve Lawson, a passionate expositor himself, likes to say to fellow preachers: "Put away the plastic forks, and unsheath your sword!"

Here is a great example of that. Don't focus so much on the graphics, and certainly disregard the typographical errors. Concentrate instead on the preaching. Listen to the words ... the urgent tone ... the voice of authority ... and the plea for repentance. The preacher whose voice you'll hear just retired after 46 years of faithful preaching and pastoral ministry. May we, too, be unwaveringly committed to the uncompromising truth of God's holy word.

"Truth" Video

Thumbs Way Up for "UP"

On Monday evening before dinner, a friend swung by the house to drop off a video that he thought we'd enjoy seeing. It was the latest Disney-Pixar movie, "Up," an animated comedy adventure about a 78-year-old man who ties balloons to his house and flies away, with an 8-year-old stowaway. My friend's timing was perfect. Our older boys had other commitments for the evening, so I snuggled down on the sofa with my ten-year-old son to watch the 90-minute film. Our family had enjoyed previous Pixar productions, so we were anticipating another good film this time around.

We were not disappointed! Maybe it was the mood I was in, but this seemed to have all the wholesome qualities one would want in a family film. The plot was simple enough for kids to follow, yet enjoyable enough to keep adults engaged. Same case with the humor.

But what I really liked about this movie is that it went beyond humor and cool computer graphics to incorporate the serious and meaningful realities of life. (I want to be careful not to print any spoilers here!) There are some sad moments in the film that touch the hearts of children and adults alike. The characters experience not only adventure, but disappointment; not only fun, but loss. Sentimental ties collide with unexpected circumstances which lead to difficult decisions. These tensions are not only real to each person, but they also create balance in our lives.

What I especially appreciated about the film is its strong affirmation of wholesome family values, i.e. the blessings of lifelong fidelity in marriage, the tragic effects of divorce, the joy and freedom that comes from putting the interests of others above our own. In this film, black is black, and white is white. The lines of morality are not blurred but clear - and, sadly, that seems to be so rare nowadays, even in children's films.

There are few films that, after watching, I can get up off the sofa and say, "Now that was a great movie!" This was one of them. Be sure to get it and watch it with your kids. You'll be glad you did.

Modern-Day Martyr

As most of you know, this past Sunday, November 8, was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. In my morning sermon on Revelation 2:8-11, I alluded to the martyrdoms of the apostles. Hundreds of other accounts throughout church history are recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs, a book that every Christian should read. (You can read it online by clicking here.)

But it occurred to me that despite our religious liberties here in America, every now and then Christians suffer persecution to the point of death. One such incident occurred exactly eight months ago this past Sunday. I blogged on this tragedy back at the time it occurred, and in light of this Sunday's emphasis on the persecuted church, have posted it again today. Here's the original post from March of this year:

Before heading off to prayer meeting last evening, I checked my e-mail and logged on to the Internet. My home page is Fox News, and the cover story was about Fred Winters, a pastor in Illinois who was gunned down in the pulpit while preaching in morning service. You can read all about it here.

I checked out the church website, and from everything I've seen, this pastor was a godly man who was utterly committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the authority of God's Word. He had a great love for the Lord and for people. Supposedly, as the gunman walked down the aisle toward the pastor in the middle of the service, the pastor said to him, "Can I help you?" - something that another pastor on staff did not find surprising at all. Here's the video clip this morning from Fox News:

Yesterday morning started out like just any other Sunday morning for this preacher. He simply got up behind his pulpit and started preaching God's Word to his flock. As a pastor, I am reminded of how important it is for me to "to preach ... as a dying man to dying men" (Richard Baxter). And certainly all of us should pray, as Moses did,

Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

- Psalm 90:12

What are the practical implications of this verse for us as believers? Perhaps they are best stated in the following two resolutions of Jonathan Edwards:

1. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
2. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

By all accounts, Pastor Fred Winters finished well. God help us to do the same.

Here's Lookin' at You, Christians

In the Nov. 7 issue of World magazine, Joel Belz shared some new and rather interesting statistics from the Barna Group on how those in the 16-29 age group perceive evangelicals. Those surveyed were classified as either "Non-Christians" or "Churchgoers." Here's a chart summarizing the results:

What are we to make of these statistics? Well, first of all, we need to define the term "evangelicals." First, Barna considers evangelicals to be "born again Christians" which may be defined as

people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated that they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.

In addition to meeting the born again criteria (described above), evangelicals also meet seven additional conditions, which include:

1. saying that their faith is very important in their life today;
2. believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians;
3. believing that Satan exists;
4. believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works;
5. believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth;
6. asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches;
7. describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.

It should also be mentioned that, according to Barna, being classified as an evangelical is not dependent upon church attendance or the denominational affiliation of the church attended. Also, respondents were not asked to describe themselves as "evangelical."

So keeping all the above criteria in mind, what do you make of the above chart? How do you read these numbers? Are you surprised, pleased, angered, saddened or confused? As we sift through and try to make sense of these statistics, here are - according to Joel Belz - two related questions that thoughtful evangelicals should consider:

When is it that our own clumsiness and klutziness leaves people alienated from the truth that we think should be so attractive? And when is it that the very essence of God's truth drives people away?

As I think through these questions in light of the above statistics, I am reminded of a quote I heard years ago from C. Sumner Wemp, while I was a Bible college student:

If the Gospel is an offense, praise God.

If I'm an offense, that's sin.

So what, in your opinion, are evangelicals in general doing right? What are we doing wrong? Where do we go from here? Please share your thoughts.