A l l P r a i s e B u l l e t i n

SCRIPTURAL REMINDERS ABOUT GOD

By Chaplain Dave Purdle, Founder, Ministry 9-1-1, Shelby Twp. MI

“But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.” (II Corinthians 1:18)

How do you remind yourself of something? Perhaps you have to remember a doctors appointment with Dr. Summeroff, an event after work, an important meeting, or a task that needs to be performed. Maybe you’re dispatching and you need to remember that Officer Notmyarea has court at 9:30, or Engine 2 is out of service for repair.

I like to put reminders on my cell phone calendar, which give me an audible notification. Sometimes I write it down the dry erase board at home. Or I just do it the old fashioned way and write it down somewhere, perhaps on a sticky note. The older I get, the more reminders I need to have for myself.

It is in September that I think of 9/11/01, a tragic reminder about the terrorist events at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the airplane crash in Pennsylvania. We remember that day and honor the men and women who lost their lives, as well as those -- police, fire, EMS, and 9-1-1 dispatchers -- who responded to the call.

Time to time, we all need a reminder. Using our text verse above as well as other passages in II Corinthians, I want you to see some Scriptural reminders about God.

God is a God of all truth

“For the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (II Corinthians 1:20, cf. v. 18)

Paul was not like the men of the world who say “YES” when they mean “NO.” It is here that Paul teaches us a lasting lesson: the Word of God is trustworthy and all the promises of God find their “YES” in Jesus Christ. One way to translate verse 20 is, “All the promises of God find their yes in Christ, and through Him we say Amen.” In other words, the promises of God are true in Christ. You see He fulfills them and He gives us the faith to claim them. Therefore, God is true as to His nature and He is true to His promises.

God is a God of all comfort

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (II Corinthians 1:3-4; cf. v. 22)

The word “comfort” is used ten times in verses 1-7. Comfort (Gr. paraklesis) is also the word “consolation” in verses 5-7. Literally it means “to call to one’s side.” It is similar to the word Jesus used in John 14:16 for the Spirit (Comforter). It is a joy to know that god stands at our side to help whenever we go through troubles. But this comfort that we receive from God is not simply for our personal relief. It is shared with us that we might be able to help others. We cannot lead others where we have not been ourselves. Paul looked upon his trials as “the sufferings of Christ.” We as Christians should be willing to endure trials, since we know they bring spiritual good to us personally and they bring blessings to others as we share God’s comfort with them.

God is a God of answered prayer

“Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf” (II Corinthians 1:11; cf. John 16:24).

We should pray for ourselves and for one another. Paul had himself a great interest in the throne of grace, ye he desired the help of others’ prayers. Thus, if we help one another by our prayers, we may look forward to an instance of “giving thanks by many” for the answer of prayer.

God is a God of grace and peace

“Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (II Corinthians 1:2).

Grace is God’s free, unmerited favor toward mankind. To those who respond to God’s grace, peace is the result. God’s grace bring peace to the heart. Grace and peace come equally from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God’s love. The fact that grace comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is a definite divine testimony the deity of Christ.

God is a God of all triumph

“Now thanks to unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place…To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (II Corinthians 2:14, 16).

The picture in these two verses is familiar to every Roman in the days of Paul, but not to us as 21st century Christians. Whenever a victorious general returned home from battle, Rome gave him a public parade, not unlike our modern ticket-tape parades. This parade was filled with pomp and glory, and a great deal of incense was burned in honor of the hero. In the parade, soldiers and officers would enjoy glory and praise, but slaves and captives also present would end up in the arena to die fighting the wild beasts. As the victors smelled the incense, they inhaled an aroma of life and joy; but to the captives, the incense was a reminder of their coming death.

In the “Christian parade,” Paul describes, Jesus Christ is the Victor. Through His death on the cross, He has conquered every foe. We Christians ride in that procession with Him, sharing His victory. The Christian, however is the incense (sweet savor of Christ) in this procession as the Spirit spreads the knowledge of Christ in and through our lives. This savor, or perfume, means life to other believers. But to the unbeliever headed for eternal condemnation, it means death. But “who is sufficient for these things?” (v. 16)

Paul answers the question in II Corinthians 3:5: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” To Him are owing all the praise and glory of that good which is done. The best Christians are no more than what the grace of God makes them. Our hands are not sufficient for us, but our sufficiency is of God. His grace is sufficient for us, to furnish us for every good word and work. These are wonderful truths that are good for us to lay in our hearts and to remember daily.

Did you ever hear about the real estate man’s girlfriend who sued him for breach of promise? She expected a lot!

How are the economic conditions affecting your dispatch center? Are you hearing about consolidation, budget cuts, salary and benefit freezes or cuts, unpaid furlough days, or even layoffs? Doing more with less people? More stress than ever? If there is something we can pray about for you, please don’t hesitate to let us know. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

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As a representative of your agency, thank you for allowing us to send this bi-weekly newsletter to you. Please read and enjoy; feel free to pass it along to other dispatchers in your department. Ministry 9-1-1 is a non-profit, volunteer evangelistic and counseling outreach specifically for 9-1-1 telecommunicators. Call or write if we can be of any assistance to you or your agency.

In Christ,

Dave Purdle
Ministry 9-1-1
Email: ministry-911@hotmail.com