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Text Box: WHAT DOES "MARANATHA" MEAN?

"Maranatha" itself is an ancient Hebrew-Aramaic word that meant alternatively, "the Lord is coming soon," or "Oh, Lord, Come Soon." It was part of the Jewish congregational prayers in the first century. It occurs in the New Testament in 1 Cor. 16:22 (the Aramaic word is transliterated into Greek letters in the text). The word came into English as a transliteration as well.

Text Box: Pastor Terry’s theme verse – Isaiah 41:13
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Introduction Isaiah 41:13 is theme verse because God give it to me when I first start ministry 40 years ago. It contains wonderful promises and blessings for us, like most of the verses in this chapter. Isaiah 41 is a chapter where the Lord rebukes the enemies of His people, where the Lord challenges the idolaters for making useless images for worship, and where He promises a new period of divine protection and blessing. The Lord actually promises three types of action on behalf of His servants: He will take hold of your right hand… He speaks to you, saying, “Do not fear”… He will help you… Three is a Biblical number representing the operation of the Trinity. HOLD YOUR RIGHT HAND – The Hebrew word used here for “hold” comes from a root that means, “to make firm or strong.” The expression in the original language of “holding your right hand” almost always refers to God leading us and guiding us in the right way to go. We need the Lord’s guidance and direction in every decision that faces us. We see only in part and we know only in part. (1 Cor. 13:12). The Lord sees all things, even what He has planned for our future, and He will hold your right hand and guide you – if you will follow Him. (See also Ps. 32:8-9). As it says in Psalm 73: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.” (Ps 73:23-24) When the Lord hold us by our right hand, and we follow his counsel (his revelation), he leads us safely to Eternity (“afterward you will take me into glory”). The Lord promises repeatedly in Scripture to lead us by the right hand. “Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:10). The other result of the Lord “holding your hand” is that He will use you to advance God’s project. "I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.” (Isaiah 42:6). This refers to evangelism and the growth of the Lord’s Work. Similarly, when the Lord wanted to remove the Babylonian Empire and restore the Israelites from exile to their Promised Land, He prophesied: "This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut.” (Isaiah 45:1) As the Lord leads us by the right hand, he promises to bring us on the path to Eternity, and to use us in bringing others as well. WHO SAYS TO YOU, DO NOT FEAR - The second promise in this verse is that the Lord will speak to us, encouraging us to have courage and not give in to fear. We all face many situations in this world that make us feel afraid or worried. The Lord often instructs his servants in the Scriptures not to worry or be afraid. Sometimes fear can even lead to disobedience or failure on our part – people are afraid they will not find happiness (or will have to make sacrifices) if they obey the Lord, or are afraid they will not be able to persevere to the end, or are afraid of what others will think of them. In these situations, the Lord often speaks to His servants, through the Word and through spiritual gifts, to remind us that He will take care of us if we are faithful and obey. Such revelation strengthens and sustains us. This is the promise we find here in Isaiah 41:13 – not just another reminder that we should not fear, but a promise that the Lord will speak to us in our time of need and give us comfort and strength, dispelling our fears when we need it the most. This is the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. He constantly brings us the revelation from eternity so that we will have strength to carry on and complete the Work the Lord has entrusted to us. I WILL HELP YOU – As seen above, the Lord promises to lead us and guide us (“take hold of your right hand”), and to speak to us with words of encouragement and comfort when we need it. The third promise is that He will help you. We do not have to do everything by our own strength and efforts. The Lord Himself helps us. The Lord promises to help you three times in this chapter (v. 10, 13, & 14). God has a commitment to His Project. Those who serve in carrying out His will receive his strength, the power of His Holy Spirit to carry out His Work. We are not alone. As Paul says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong”; because the Lord had told him three times, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." We have these precious promises for every situation we face – the Lord’s guidance (Jesus is the Way to Eternity), the Spirit’s comforting words, and the power of God the Father, working to accomplish His will. God bless you and remember he is always present to hold you by the right hand as you travel through life. Maranatha, J. Wayne Terry Senior Pastor Maranatha Church of God

Text Box: Maranatha Church of God 13700 Stephens Road Warren, MI 48089 Phone: 586-445-2525 Pastor Cell: 586-703-7473