Nov/081
Jesus, Our Wonderful Counselor: Wonderful Counselor, Part 2
The words Wonderful Counselor actually originate from the Hebrew words, pele’ (peh’ leh) ya’ats (yaw-ats’).
Pele’ (peh’-leh) — beyond understanding; too wonderful for words
Ya’ats (yaw-ats’) — to advise; to consult; to guide.
As our Wonderful Counselor, Jesus leads us, guides us, advises us, and consults us in ways beyond our understanding and in ways that words can’t even express.
Our world is full of counselors. Some of them are highly trained to administer guidance. In a culture filled with various challenges, at times we seek someone who can help us navigate through the struggles of life. When seeking out the perfect counselor for our situation, we research all the possibilities in the hope that we can find just the right person who knows our pain and can understand our situation. Most counselors have not personally experienced the specific issue of every one of their patients. However, when looking for a counselor, we look for someone who can understand our pain and situation and can identify with us. Even if we don’t search out a qualified professional to help us, we search for someone in our family, our workplace, or our church family that can identify with us. We think to ourselves, if they haven’t experienced what I’ve experienced, how can they really understand.
Hebrews 4:15-16 — For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Our Wonderful Counselor is able to understand everything we have experienced and are currently experiencing. He sympathizes with our weakness. He understands fully everything through which we are walking. Moreover, He has the perfect solution to our problem. Jesus said that it’s not the healthy that need a doctor; it’s the sick that do (Luke 5:31-31). All of us have areas in our lives where we remain sick. Some of us continue to struggle with fear while others fight depression and heaviness. Some feel the weight of finances that remain out of control while others deal with the ongoing stresses of work or family. Still others fight against the burden of despair and loneliness. No matter where we are on our journey, there are areas where we need a counselor to intervene. If as you’re reading this the thought comes to your mind, “I’m not sick in an area; I don’t need a counselor,” then let me help you — perhaps pride is your struggle! All of us are in need of a counselor, and we have a WONDERFUL one.
Nov/080
What’s in a Name?: Wonderful Counselor, Part 1
For 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 (NKJV)
One of the joys and challenges which come with the being an expectant parent is the daunting task of naming the baby. Parents painstakingly go through the process of selecting just the right name. I can remember Charlene and I going through that long process when finally we found the perfect name that we knew was “it.” You see, with both of us being teachers, there were very few names that didn’t bring back a memory of some student from the past — some of them more than a bit unpleasant! Charlene had a few more years on me so her list of possibilities was a lot shorter than mine. We finally arrived at what we thought was just the perfect name. What we didn’t know was that two women at Living Stones were due to give birth to baby girls and had selected the same name selected for their daughters! We decided three little girls the same age with the same name was a bit too much. So it was back to the proverbial drawing board! I won’t go into all the details from there, but soon after that, God gave us the name for our first daughter, Selah.
So why are parents so consumed with this process? Why all the fuss over a name? Names are important. They help to define who we are and often, who we will become. Names help to give us identity and define our purpose or calling. This is why we researched the meanings of our children’s names carefully. While I love our daughters’ names, and love how they sound, the meaning of their names carry even greater significance.
Like an expectant parent, Isaiah prophesied a coming birth several thousand years ago. However, this wasn’t the typical expectant parents scenario. He prophesied of a child to be born nearly 800 years later. He said “For a child has been born—for us! The gift of a son—for us!” (MESSAGE). And from there instead of saying, “you’ll name him Jesus,” he said His name will mean “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” In the next few weeks we’ll explore each of these name, but in the next few days, we’ll learn about our WONDERFUL COUNSELOR.
Nov/083
Get a MacBook for under $5
For all my friends who’ve been wanting to upgrade to an Apple MacBook, I found an easy and inexpensive way to do so. All you need is a roll of black electric tape and an apple from your frig.
Nov/080
A Cup of Hot Chocolate
I got this sent to me via email today by my uncle. You may have read it before, but if not, it really speaks to what is really important in life.
A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups – porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: “Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you’re drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate.
Nov/083
Are You Living Your Dream?
I just finished reading an interesting blog post from Tony Morgan. In this post he talks about New Spring Church‘s lead pastor, Perry Noble, and a recent staff meeting. At the staff meeting, he challenged his staff with this: “If this isn’t your dream job, resign today.”
The comments that followed on Tony’s blog were mixed. Some loved it; others were apalled. I just love the fact that Perry is so bold as to be willing to lose people on the spot, and he did. I know there are so many things that could be said and so many different angles you could go on this. But purely from a personal viewpoint, I am so blessed to be able to analyze my own life and job and say confidently that I am living my dream. Sure, there are things that I would like to continue to do and see happen, yet, what I am doing is my dream.
Saying this, I realize that there are those reading this that aren’t living their dream. I challenge you with a few things.
- Consider what is your dream. If you could do anything at this very moment and call it a job, what would it be? If you can’t answer this question, I challenge you to really think about it. DREAM! I give you permission!
- Are you doing what is necessary to see the dream from above fulfilled? Even if the “job” that you’re working isn’t your dream, is it a stepping stone to see the dream fulfilled? If you’re in college, you’re probably not living your dream, but the current season prepares you for the fulfillment of your dream. Even then, preparation to see the dream accomplished actually IS living the dream. It’s all in the perspective.
- For some of you, maybe you need to do something as radical as Perry suggested. If you’re not living your dream, resign. That’s a gutsy move, particularly in an economy such as ours right now. If you can accomplish a dream easily and without risk, it isn’t really a dream; it’s a plan.
