by Emmett Smith

Continuing with last week's passage from Isaiah, not only is Christ wonderful, He's a counselor. Isaiah 11:2 also says, "And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD". The word translated counselor means to advise, to deliberate or to resolve. That's an interesting definition. His advice is the best available. It's plentifully available within the pages of the Bible. He Himself is always available through the avenue of prayer, and no appointment is necessary. However, there's more to it than that.

Those who seek His counsel and heed it are among the happiest, most joyful people in this world (John 15:10,11). Those who accept contrary council are headed for trouble. Examples and precepts abound throughout the New Testament. But there's more to that definition. In addition to advice, there are also the elements of deliberation and resolve. He was present in the beginning, and the statement "let us make man" tells us the entire Godhead were involved in the creation. Imagine the deliberations of that council as the creation progressed!

And that council still exists. Jesus intercedes for us in the Father's presence (Hebrews 7:25). He is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). And the Holy Spirit enhances our prayers as He intercedes as well. So there are deliberations around the throne as a result of our prayers! Of course this assumes we are submissive to His will. The unfortunate aspect of this is that those who reject His counsel and rebel against His will are also going to come up on the Council's agenda.

Acts chapter 17 records Paul's sermon to the Athenians at Mar's Hill. In his conclusion, Paul pointed out that God would no longer overlook men's ignorance, but that "all men everywhere" are now commanded to repent. And the reason for the need of repentance is specifically stated as the appointed day of judgement. And that judgement will be "by that man whom He hath ordained", namely Jesus.

Revelation chapter 6 records a vision of men's response to those events, as a cross section of human society all say to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" The answer to that last question is simple. Only those who have received His counsel and valued it above that of all others.

by Phil Sanders

After surveying hundreds of converts, preachers, and transferred church members, Thomas Rainer discovered these important factors as to why people become church members:

90% rated the preacher and his preaching as the number one reason. 88% said defined and proclaimed doctrine. 49% rated friendliness. 42% said other varied issues. 41% said, "Someone from the church witnessed to me." 38% said family members attended there. 37% sensed an atmosphere of God's presence. 25% had a friendship with a member. 25% said Bible classes were a major factor. 25% cited the children's ministry. 12% said other ministries or groups. 11% said worship style was important. 7% said a convenient location.

Rainer said that the things church members often think are most important are actually least important to those they are trying to reach. He also spent considerable time discussing the importance of preaching and doctrine to those seeking a church.

Unchurched people want a church family that is committed to the Lord and proclaims the message of repentance and conversion rather than a church that teaches everyone is okay. Rainer also found that many churches have adopted strategies aimed at attracting people from other congregations rather than choosing to be involved in saving the lost.

The gospel taught with love and firmness still works!

[Adapted from an article by Bill McDonough, who surveyed Thomas Rainer's book, Surprising Insights from the Unchurched.]

by Emmett Smith

In Isaiah chapter nine, right in the middle of prophecies of doom and destruction for Ephraim and Judah, is found one of the most profound statements about our Lord. The sixth verse reads "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace".

Indeed Christ is wonderful, from many perspectives. It would not be possible to exhaust this line of thought in a single short message. Interestingly, one of the definitions of the word wonderful is "worthy of praise". This brings to mind the heavenly scene in Revelation Chapter 5, where the angels, living creatures and elders, myriads and thousands strong, worship "the Lamb that was slain" proclaiming Him "worthy" of "power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing"!

As the Psalmist said in Psalms 40:5, " Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered". He is praiseworthy for more reasons than can be enumerated! It is not possible to even compile His wonderful works in order. Scientists try to formulate orderly and rational explanations for their observations. But He who is the ultimate source of what is observed can't be formulated.

The more we learn, the more wonderful His works and thoughts seem! Recent breakthroughs in microbiology and genetics have simply reinforced the wonders of His creation. Don't believe what some claim. The human genome is not even beginning to be completely understood. Having supposedly "mapped" the information that controls human cellular growth (how completely that's been done is open to dispute) we still are light years from understanding what that information means. The quantity of information governing the smallest and simplest organisms would fill a set of encyclopedias!

Yes, He is wonderful. And "the lamb that was slain", who was present in council during creation, without whom was not any thing made that was made, became a willing sacrifice for our sins! If that's not wonderful, then nothing is!

by Emmett Smith

"And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone." So spoke the disguised prophet of God to Ahab (1 Kings 20:40) after Ben-Hadad had been spared. God had allowed Ahab's tiny army to defeat Ben-Hadad and his fellow Syrians to prove His superiority over their idols. And Ahab treated with the Syrians and let them go! What was Ahab thinking? Here was a God-given opportunity to destroy the Syrian enemy, and Ahab made a deal with them. And not a very good one at that.

So God's prophet started toward Ahab by asking a neighbor "in the word of the Lord" to "smite" him, thus making him appear wounded in battle. When the neighbor refused what the text called "the voice of the Lord" he was killed by a lion, and another man wounded the prophet as he requested. So the prophet waited by the roadside, disguised as a wounded, dispirited combatant, until Ahab came by.

And what he told Ahab was, essentially, "I was entrusted with a prisoner of war, but I became "busy here and there" and let him escape. On pain of death, he had been charged with a prisoner, but had placed other priorities first. Ahab's judgement was simple and direct - you yourself have decided your fate.

Then the prophet revealed himself to Ahab and told him that God's judgement was on him for doing essentially the same thing with Ben-Hadad. And Ahab went home in a different mood than he had been in, "heavy and displeased". I suppose Ahab was "busy here and there" trying to look sophisticated to the Syrian enemy, rather than being responsible and eliminating a serious threat to Israel.

How often do we treat with the enemy? How often are we "busy here and there", too busy, too distracted, to properly place our priorities? In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus talked about those who hear the word, (Mark 4:19 WEY) "but worldly cares and the deceitfulness of wealth and the excessive pursuit of other objects come in and stifle the Message, and it becomes unfruitful".

What's treasure to you? What are your priorities? How "busy" are you? Think about it.

It has all happened before. And, if the Lord awaits His coming, it will all happen again. But it is happening now, the accommodation of God’s church with the agenda of the world. And to those of us resisting the current trend towards compromise with the world, it is unlike any conflict we have faced in our lifetime.

We sound this warning knowing full well that we will be misrepresented and knowing full well that our message will be misconstrued. Distortion of reality is always a defense when vested interests are challenged.

Remember, this tactic was used by Ahab against Elijah. The prophet’s answer serves our purposes well in the current conflict:

"When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, 'Is it you, you troubler of Israel?' And he answered, 'I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.'" 1 Kings 18:17-18 (ESV)

Ahab accused Elijah of being a troublemaker in Israel because he would not "get with the program," as the old saying goes. The prophet would not unite behind Ahab’s evil agenda of false religion.

Elijah, however, countered this misinformation by turning the accusation back on Ahab. The king, not the prophet, was the troubler of Israel. The fault of broken fellowship rests with those who abandon the Lord’s way to follow religion of their own design.