Has anyone ever moved to a new city? I have a few times in my life and its not my favorite thing. Most of the time before one moves you make a trip to the new city to kind of check it out and find a place to live. Only once have I moved site unseen to a new city. In that case I and a friend (Jeff) had been stationed in south Texas. We where given one weekend to find a place to live. We had two towns to choose from so I went to one and he to the other. When we got back together we told each other all about the town and the places we had found. We chose to move to an apartment in Premont and until the day I moved in I had never been there. Although I had never been there or seen the place I know what it would be like because Jeff had told me all about it. Well guess what? I have at least one more site unseen move to make. That I know of.
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
Philippians 3:20 NIV
That’s right as a Christian I have a home in Heaven and some day I’ll be moving there. If you have placed your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior you also will be moving with me some day. So just as my buddy Jeff told me all about Premont before I got there, I want to take some time and talk about heaven. I hope you enjoy the next week or so as we look at our forever home.
Well for those who have been paying attention you may have noticed that we have a paradox. Well, I should say more correctly that it is a antinomous situation. What is an antinomy? It a term used in logic or a legal context. It is an apparent contradiction between two statements, both obtained by correct reasoning. So here it is, on the one hand the Bible clearly says God chose us to be saved before the creation of the world. Not that because He knows the future and so then He knows who would be saved. No, God picked us from all other people to be saved. Yet on the other hand the Bible also clearly says that Jesus died for everyone and that each person is responsible for his actions and decisions. That God calls all sinners to repent and that “whoever believes” will be saved. God’s sovereign choosing and man’s responsibility in choosing seem to be opposite and irreconcilable truths. And from our limited human perspective these truths are opposite and antinomous. So how do we reconcile them? We can’t, like many other thing about God we must believe. I don’t understand how God created everything from nothing, which we know is impossible. Nothing plus nothing equals nothing. Yet God said Nothing plus God equals everything. The problem is not with God but with us. We are prideful and arrogant believing that we can understand God. And if we can not then we must change what God has said to fit our understanding. This changing is the origins of all false and heretical beliefs. A mystery drives men crazy. Why do you think people love mystery novels? They want to try and figure it out. Instead let us take God at His word, believing both truths completely. We will leave the mystery to God’s understanding. These two truths live in harmony side by side in the Scripture and so we should let them live side by side in our lives.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Did Jesus die for the sins of the world and can anyone be saved? These are two of the interesting questions that come up when people talk about the election of the saints. We have already seen that each and every one of us is personally responsible for our actions and sins. That on the judgment day we will give account for what we have done. So lets take a moment and see what the Bible has to say about the the scope of Jesus death and the call to sinners.
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
1 John 2:2 NIV
Jesus death was price enough to pay for the sins of the whole world. He died for all people in the world and the call to salvation is made to everyone.
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”
Acts 17:30 NIV
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.”
Titus 2:11 NIV
God commands for all people to repent and the offer of salvation is open to all.
In perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible (John 3:16) we see that God loved the world and the invitation is open to, “whosoever” that includes all people in the world. (For more on this see, 2 Cor. 5:14, 1 Tim. 2:6, Isaiah 53:6, Hebrews 2:9, John 3:16, Romans 5:6, Gal. 2:20)
Christ died for all the ungodly people in the world, that includes you and me.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 NIV
So then if Jesus died for everyone, and He did. Then each of us must make a personal decision. Your relationship with God is a matter of your personal choose. Remember Jesus did not come into the world to start a religion. Religions are institutions created by man. Jesus came into the world to create personal relationships with individuals. Jesus wants you to have an intimate and unique relationship with Him. When the Bible tells us that He came to die for the world, its more than just that He came to die for you. I fully believe that if I had been the only sinner in the world Jesus would have come to die just for me. That is how great the Fathers love is for us. It is a precious gift the God has given. What we do with that gift is now in our hands.
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
1 John 2:2 NIV
Yesterday we looked at God’s choosing of the elect before the foundation of the world. So if God chose us what does that mean for things like personal responsibility and free will?
Personal responsibility is closely related to the principal of, “reaping what you sow”. (Gal. 6:7-8) The Bible is full of examples were people are held responsible for their actions and sins. (Gen. 4:7, Joshua 7:14-15, Num. 18:5, 2 Thes. 3:10, I Tim. 5:8)
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
Here and in other places we see that on the day of judgement no one will have an excuse. Each person will be held accountable for the decisions that they make. (Deut. 24:16, Ezekiel 18:20, Matt. 12:37, John 9:41). So then in our lives each person must make their own decision to either except or reject God. We are all free to choose.
So what does it mean to have free will and do we truly have freedom?
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:31-36 NIV
Jesus tells the Jews that if they follow Him they will know truth and be free. The Jews object and claim that they are free people. Remember that Jesus is speaking spiritually but the Jews are thinking earthly. Those who have not chosen Jesus are dead and slaves to sin. Before our regeneration we were all slaves and there was nothing good within us. (John 3:19, Jer. 17:9, Mark 7:21-23)
“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.””
Romans 3:10-12 NIV
So, then do we have freedom? Yes, we are free to chose to do all the evil our hearts desire. We are in bondage to sin and it is all that we know. Sin is our master, the desires of our flesh control us. Even if we do not act out all of our minds desires the thoughts our still within us. It is only after salvation that we can know the truth of our past depravity and then be free. With the power of the Holy Spirit we are free to live new lives. Let us then live in a way that is worth and brings honor and glory to our God
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—”
Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV
Let’s be honest for a moment, if you read this passage closely it brings up a very difficult concept. The idea that God has chosen us then must mean that some people are not chosen. So if we break it down we come to two basic camps. Those in the Calvinism camp are on one side and Arminianism on the other. I’m not going to get deep into the two camps but I will point out some things.
On the one side we can clearly see in scripture that God chose those who would be saved, He did this before the creation in Gen. 1:1. See also John 15:6, Jer. 1:5, 2 Thes. 2:13, John 6:44, 1 Peter 1:1-2. God has chosen us and even beyond that God must draw us to Him or we cannot be saved. (John 6:44). The Bible is clear that we are dead in our sins and that there is nothing good in us. (2 Cor. 2:13, Eph. 2:1, Romans 7:18, Psalms 53:3). Thus, the work of salvation is totally dependent on God. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable. (For what can a dead man do to make himself alive?)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
Our salvation then is totally from the work that Christ did on the cross. If you are depending on any other thing ie. Going to church, being a good person, coming from a Christian home, taking some class at church or doing certain religious acts(like baptism) you are not saved. I will repeat that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable to God.
“We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”
Isaiah 64:6 NLT
Salvation is a gift given to the elect. To some this may seem unfair, they may say what about those who are not chosen. I will address that more in the future but for now let me leave it with this verse.
“Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.””
Romans 9:14-15 NLT
God is just, merciful and fair in all that He does. Yet at the same time His ways are beyond our ways. As humans there are some things about God that we cannot understand. For to be able to do so would mean we where equal to God. Part of faith means that we take God at His word even when we don’t understand all the details. Here is what I know God loves all people in the world and gave His only Son to die for us. (John 3:16)
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—”
Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV
For some unknown reason it seems that I was never chosen first for any team. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that as I was growing up I was a lanky~uncoordinated kid. But, the good news is that on God’s team I was chosen from the beginning. This makes me a citizen of Heaven and a son of the King. It’s quite an honor to be royalty.
It’s amazing that so many of the King’s children spend their lives living as if they were destitute. We forget that we are no longer citizens of earth even if we still live here. Perhaps its time to cut up and throw away my earthly passport. Its hard to have dual allegiances.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Matthew 6:24 NIV
We have been chosen by God to be adopted into His family and are now residents of heaven. We have been blessed with all spiritual blessing. One of the problems that we as Christians often encounter is that we think earthly and God thinks heavenly. We let our concerns for earthly things affect our decisions more than our concern for heavenly things. If we are truly children of the King and we desire to please our Father then should this not effect our decisions? We must remember that this world is no longer our home. We have been chosen by God to be His children.
“Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”” Acts 4:11-12 NIV
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 NIV
An old hymn tells us to, “count our blessings.” How often do we actually do that? When is the last time you listed your blessings? Here Paul tells us in Ephesians that we have, “every spiritual blessing” the word used here for spiritual (pneumatikos) is always used to refer to the Holy Spirit. Thus what we have here is a reference to the source of our blessing, the Holy Spirit. It does not refer to the extent, i.e. not limited to spiritual things. I have come up with a short list of some of our spiritual blessings. These are things we have now, although often times I find myself praying for more. I already have it.
I have found myself praying to be more loving and yet God has poured out His love within me. (Rom. 5:5) He has left His peace with me. (John 14:27) I am also full of His joy and happiness. John (15:11) I can live this way filled with love, joy and peace because He gives me the strength. (Phil. 4:13) God’s divine power has filled me and given me a full measure of all that I need to live a victorious life. (2 Peter 1:3 and Col. 2:10)
So why is this so hard to do? Well its because we are dual citizens, we live our lives with two passports. In my next devotional I will talk more about this duality that we live with.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 NIV
Many people in our world struggle with depression and thoughts of self worth. I my self have had to battle with feeling depressed and down at times. These thought have come to me on occasion as God has lead me through the valley of Cancer. I have found it is impossible to have correct thoughts without God. My sense of worth and thus my internal feelings of joy can only come from a right relationship with God.
In Ephesians Paul tells us that we are, “blessed.” If we focus on the blessing of God it is hard to be down. There is a contrast to be found here. When we praise God we are speaking blessing to God. This utterance of praise is all we can offer for we have nothing good, within us, that we could give to Him. Quite the opposite is true of God. When He blesses it is with action and deeds.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
James 1:17 NIV
He blesses us not due to our goodness for we have none. He blesses us with goodness. God lavishly pours out every good gift. God does so because it is His vary nature. Our Father is the author of all good things. As His children He has blessed us with the greatest gift ever given, His Son. Let’s us lift up our voices in praise and bless the Lord.
I think we all know there are many ways to live our lives. We see people all around us living different ways. Some people live for themselves to get what they can. Others try to live “good lives” doing what they think is right. Jesus made it very clear, when you boil it all down there are just two ways to live. God’s way or our way. If your not sure, just ask yourself, “am I living the way God has told me to live?” If the answer is not. “Yes” then your are not living God’s way.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV
In the book of Proverbs we see the words “path” or “way” used over 100 times. Wisdom is so much more than just a person to love and seek after. Wisdom is a way to live. Wisdom is a path to walk that brings life.
“Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways,”
Proverbs 2:12-13 NIV
Find Wisdom and walk in the ways of Wisdom and she will lead you to the narrow road of which Jesus spoke.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
It is not through human knowledge that we find the right path. It is only through the Lord our Savior that we have any hope of finding the narrow road. As you read through Proverbs look for the use of the words “way” or “path”. Take note of these words for they are given to us a lamp post to light the way. They light the path on which we are to live our lives.
“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.”
Psalm 128:3-4 ESV
Today my nephew came by to say goodbye, as he’s leaving tomorrow to go back to college. After he left I started to cry and gave each of my kids a big hug. You can ask my wife since having cancer I have become a more emotional person. I was always a little stoic before (ok maybe more than a little). So, what has changed?I have. But in particular my priorities have changed. I see each day now as perhaps my last day (although none of us know). But as many days as the Lord gives us we should live for Him. Most of us don’t like thinking about it but the fact is the day will come for each of us unless Christ returns first.
So, then exactly what has changed? Well, my thinking about lots of things. Let me give you a few examples. I’ll be honest before my job was a pretty big thing to me. But now I think jobs are necessary to support my family but a job is never going to be my life again. Same change of thought about lots of other things. Cars, yea need one to get around but does it have to be new and fancy? Nope just reliable. I could go on and on. The point is God has changed what I think is important. So, here is a short list of what I now value. My Savior is important and being about His work matters. My wife is a top priority and being with my kids. Teaching my children God’s ways as we live life together. My family in God is important. Loving and serving all the above matters.
“he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”
Ephesians 1:5 ESV
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”
Ephesians 2:19 ESV
Stop for a moment and tell me what from this earth do you get to take to heaven? My job? No. My car? No. My toys? No. None of this stuff gets to go with us. Only the things that we do for Christ will last. Oh, I personally think one more thing goes to heaven with us, our relationships. So, spend your time building relationships and serving the King.
Am I more emotional today then I was a year ago? Yes I am. And I thank God for it. He has opened my eyes and shown me first hand how fragile life is. Our days here are numbered and so short. Why then do we waste them? When I’m gone what do I want people to remember about me? What do I want my children and wife to remember? Here’s what I want them to remember and say, “I loved God.” Although I am an imperfect and frail man, I want them to recall that I had a heart that longed to serve my Lord. That is the legacy I want to leave. It is also what I want my family to become.
If your priorities are anything else, may I challenge you to reexamine your life. In the end what really matters? Is that where your priorities are? If not today is the day to make changes. Let us all live each day that the Lord has given us for His glory, never looking back pressing always forward.
Wisdom builds a house with seven pillars. This sounds like a good strong house, the pillars would be set on a foundation. It makes me think of the New Testament story about the wise man and the foolish man building their houses. I think we all know this story the wise man built on a firm foundation and the fool built on the sand. When the storms came along only one house stood firm.(Matt. 7:24-27) Jesus tells the crowd that those who hear and are doers of His word are wise. In the same way wisdom calls to the simple. It’s interesting that in chapter one wisdom calls to the simple, mockers and fool’s. Later in chapter 8 she calls only to the simple and fools. The mockers have laughed at the call of wisdom and now wisdom laughs at them. Then in chapter 9 wisdom no longer calls to the fools. The fools wanted nothing to do with the wisdom of God so they no longer hear the call. It is a dangerous thing to reject the call of God in your life.
“Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.””
Proverbs 9:6 NIV
We are told to, “leave our simple ways” what does this mean? Our simple ways are the old patterns and habits of life. Most often this might include old friends.
“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.””
1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV
This can be a difficult thing to do. Yet, as a new creation in Christ we can no longer go in roll in the mud. Our old friends may ridicule us for the changes in our lives. Yet at the same time I am to be a light to the old crowd. This difficult balance is critical verses 7 and 8 tell us that when we shine the light on the fools and mockers they will not like it. We will face rejection and persecution from people who in the past had been our friends. Yet as we walk thru this some of them will notice a change in our lives. They will see something different about us and this difference, this light will point them to the Christ. He will use us to draw them to Himself. The problem with to many Christians is that when the world looks at us they see no difference between us and themselves.
But for those who hear and respond to the call of wisdom will come an increase of wisdom. Our knowledge of God will increase and with this will increase our usefulness. I believe this is true not because we have more knowledge but because as we grow to know God more we become more like His Son. As we grow more like the Son we will be more about the work of our Father. It then tells us that, “through wisdom your days will be many”. This is not a guaranty of long life but I see it as more of a promise for what we do with our days. Hears what I mean, if I live a 100 years but waste them on foolish and selfish living what good has it been. My life has been all about; eat, drink and be merry. This has gained me nothing but death and destruction. But if I live only a few years but spend them serving the Lord then what has it gained me?
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
Proverbs 11:30 KJV
This is the true worth of a life, its not about the amount of days but about the fullness of those days. This then brings life to others. A life they did not have and eternity. Wisdom then does bring a fullness of days for what could be longer then a life that never ends. Let us then be wise and use our time hear on earth for things that matter, things that will last forever.
In Proverbs Chapter 8 we again see wisdoms call. Wisdom takes a prominent position in the city where all can hear her voice. She cries out to all who pass by.
““To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.”
Proverbs 8:4 NIV
The call is to all people. The call is heard by everyone. The knowledge that there is a God is placed within all of us. The very fact that the world exists is evidence of the creator. (Rom. 1:20, Psalm 19:1-2) Within each of us God has placed a conscience even if we do not know God we have a sense of right and wrong.(Romans 2:14-15) In verse 6 Wisdom tells those who listen that her words are trustworthy and then she says her words are true.
“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”
Psalms 19:9 KJV
Those who listen choose true wealth. There is nothing more valuable then finding God.
“for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”
Proverbs 8:11 NIV
Wisdom shows herself to those that seek her and loves those that love her. (Vs. 17). Seek the Lord with you whole heart, let nothing stop you from finding Christ. If you seek you shall find.
““Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 8:32-35 NIV
Those who find wisdom find life, for the Wisdom of God is the fruit of life. It is from Jesus that all life comes. I am not talking about physical life and neither is the author of Proverbs. Obviously those who read Proverbs already have physical life but not all who read are truly alive. Wisdom brings eternal life. Wisdom brings a life overflowing. We are to stay close to wisdom, “watching daily at my doors,” These are the wise they start each day with time in the word. Or perhaps the author of Proverbs would say, “those who sit each morning at my doorstep.” Better than a cup of coffee for your morning ritual is time meeting with the Lord. Wisdom calls to us to turn from our sin and repent. Wisdom calls us to turn to Christ in faith. Those who do so are truly wise. Let us listen to the voice of wisdom and be wise.
Wisdom calls out, she cries with a loud voice. To whom does she call …well there are different groups or classes of people. Let’s look at one such group as seen in chapter one.
“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?” Proverbs 1:22 NIV
This group is made up of lost people, God is merciful and reaches out to the lost. The voice of wisdom calls out. First are the simple, people who will believe almost anything.
“The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.”
Proverbs 14:15 NIV
We see these people all around us, in today’s world the internet is filled with people that espouse differing conspiracies theories. They believe these theories and worse they will find teachers to tickle their ears and will fall victim to various cults and false beliefs.
Next, we see the mockers (or scorners) are wise in their own eyes. How many people do we see today who have laid a claim to science and laugh and mock those who believe the Bible? Wisdom tells them that a day will come when she will laugh at them. (Vs. 26)
Lastly, how foolish these people are not being judged on their IQ but on their stubborn refusal to accept the truth. These people live a life based around materialistic possessions and humanistic pleasures. They have no interest in eternal matters and reject the things of God. Wisdom calls first with an accusation of their wrongdoing. (Vs. 22) Then wisdom gives a call for salvation.
“Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.” Proverbs 1:23 NIV
This is a call by wisdom, an opportunity to repent of wrongdoing and a chance to accept the Wisdom of God by faith. Unfortunately, in this case the simple, mockers and fools refuse to listen. Wisdom tells them what the outcome will be.
“Since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. “Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me,” Proverbs 1:25-28 NIV
These people will reject God and when they do look for Him it will be too late. It is a dangerous thing to reject, when God calls you. God will not always call He will not always be found.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
Isaiah 55:6 NIV
“Today is the day of salvation” from 2 Cor. 6:2. We are never promised tomorrow, we live in this moment and it is all we have. Do not reject the voice of wisdom for a day will come when for one reason or another the voice will no longer be heard. The opportunity will have passed, and the destruction of sinners will be at hand. Our world is full of the simple, mockers and fools. These people can be found all around us in our own neighborhoods. We need to reach and to pray for them. We are to be shining the light of God’s Wisdom into their lives. If we do not, then who will? When wisdom calls let us all heed the call.
Solomon tells us in the first 6 verses why the book of Proverbs was written. Proverbs gives us practical ways to exhibit God’s character in our daily lives. Let’s take a look at some of these ways. In verses 2-6 we find the following. First, “for gaining wisdom and instruction”. The Hebrew word used here for “instruction” has the meaning of discipline or chastening, it is seen in a parent correcting a child to help build their character. God is always working in His children to develop and grow them. Next word is, “understanding” it means to have discernment. To see things and grasp or discern what is truth and what is not. “Prudence” is the ability to take what you have discerned and show, “shrewdness or craftiness” the ability to think through and come up with a wise plan or decision. Prudence goes along with “discretion”, again referring to the ability to devise wise plans. “Knowledge” is from the Hebrew, meaning skilled at something. In Genesis its used to describe a skilled hunter and in I Samuel it refers to someone skilled at musical instruments. The last two words are “learning and counsel”, learning being the concept of our mind acquiring new information. And counsel is the seeking of wise guidance. These words will be found over and over in Proverbs and when put together give us, “Wisdom”.
“for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 1:2-7 NIV
As we read thru Proverbs we should be on the lookout for these words. When we see them let us recall what the word means, this will help our understanding of verses. One more thing I think we should be on the watch for. When we see the phrase, “my son” or we could read it “my daughter” which ever applies to you. When I see this phrase two things come to my mind, first is the role of a godly parent lovingly passing on truths to their children. So for all of us parents let us not neglect our duty to instruct our children.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV
Secondly there is more than just the voice of an earthly parent heard here. As children of God, I hear the very voice of my Father. He calls out to me with loving counsel. His voice calls to us to obtain and store up within our hearts the Wisdom of God. In order for us to do this we must be serious students of God’s word. Not just curious. Many people are curious about what the Bible says. This curiosity does no good until we are willing to become serious with God. We must acknowledge our true condition. We must confess our need for His Son and bow our will to His. The Son is the Wisdom of God and all our journeys began with the acceptance of the Son.
God has called us to live a life of Wisdom, in so doing we will bring glory to our God and King.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 NIV
When we look at the book of Proverbs may I suggest that we can find a key verse in chapter one. This verse sets the tone for the rest of the book. “The fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge,”. What then does it mean to, “fear the Lord”? This phrase is used at least 18 times in Proverbs, it is the acknowledgement within our hearts, that God is Creator, Master and Father. Thus we are the creatures of His creation, the servants which serve and the Children of His family. This fear is a respect such as children should have for their parents, I say should have for in our day it is rarely seen.
One of the reason the family is so important is because the family was to model God’s design of our heavenly family. Our views of our earthly family directly effects our views on God. What I mean is that when we are told that God is our Heavenly Father, we can not help but think of our human family and our earthly father. If that relationship with our earthly father was bad or broken it reflects open how we will view our Heavenly Father. If our earthy relationship was positive we are more likely to view God as good, kind, caring and loving. We as parent are to teach our children to obey us, this then models and prepares our children to obey their Heavenly Father. God made and designed the family, its health is of the utmost importance to our Father.
So then the, “fear of the Lord” should reflect an affectionate reverence, with which we humbly bend our will and submit to our Father’s will. We recognize that living in God’s will is such a sweet and loving experience. In contrast living in our will brings on bitterness and pain. We should revere the Lord living in such a way that we dread the thought of coming up short. We should stand watch and guard our hearts against temptation and weakness less we fall and sin against our Father. For in fact no matter what you may think such thoughts as, I have wronged or hurt such and such person. When in fact your offense was against God. All sin is a direct transgression against our Heavenly Father. Yes, our sins also effect and hurt people in our lives but in the end it is between us and God.
“Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.” Psalms 51:4 NLT
Let us live our lives in such a way that we honor God, with our reverence and holy fear of the Lord God almighty.
“Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-5 NLT
In these verses we see that we are to: Tune, concentrate, cry out, ask for, search and seek then we will understand what it means to fear the Lord. Obviously then this is something for which we must work diligently. But in so doing we will gain knowledge of our God.
The book of Proverbs belongs to the genre of “wisdom literature” along with Job and Ecclesiastes. Thus in Proverbs the major theme is, “wisdom” the words wise or wisdom are used at least 125 times in Proverbs. So then what is wisdom?
Simply put wisdom is knowledge along with obedience. Having knowledge of what is right and wrong is of no benefit if we do not do what is right. Proverbs then is more than just getting knowledge it is also practical and includes application of that knowledge in our lives. The first step to Biblical wisdom is found at the cross.
With out a proper relationship with Christ we have no hope of ever becoming wise. This relationship leads us to acknowledge that God is the Creator and Ruler of all things. This leads us to the affirmation that there is a moral law, outside of human reason and philosophies with which we must guide our lives. To find this wisdom (moral compass) we must first find Christ, ““But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,”
1 Corinthians 1:30 NASB
Jesus is the wisdom of God and to obtain wisdom we must first obtain Jesus. Again and again in Proverbs we are told to get wisdom. To look back now in retrospect we see the author pointing us to Christ. This wisdom is to become a practical part of our lives. It is to guide us in every area of our daily living and as we go thru the book of Proverbs we will see applications to almost everything.
Although Proverbs is a collection of short sayings with a point, they are much more. These proverbs were selected by God to be included in His Word. Therefore, 2 Tim. 3:16-17 tell us that ”All Scripture is” good for: doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction and righteousness.“ So, God uses Proverbs to help us remember Biblical principals. We man not remember what the pastor said on Sunday but we can all recall, “Pride goes be for the fall” or “A gentle answer turns away wrath”. This is a the key point, Proverbs are easy to remember and easy to teach.
One last thing to say about Proverbs. They are not to be taken as promises from God. A Proverb is a generalized statement about what is usually true in life. But, it may not be true in all applications. Proverbs is full of may things we would do or not do to have a full life. If we followed all of these things it is not a promise of a long life, we could step off a curb tomorrow and be killed by a car. But, it is a guide for us to live life wiser. If we did we would greatly cut down on the troubles and problems that we often bring upon ourselves.
We are called by God to be wise, to receive His Son, who is the wisdom of God. To live our lives in a way that brings glory to God. To do this we cannot live as the foolish, but we must take hold of wisdom in our life. We must skillfully apply God’s wisdom and live worthy of our calling.
I believe most of us have read proverbs at one time or another. Written by the wisest man to ever live, King Solomon. Yet if we look at the end of Solomons life, it almost seems that for all of his wisdom, in the end it did him no good. What can we learn from Solomon and from reading the book of Proverbs?
First lets take a quick look at where Solomon got off the track and started to go the wrong way. He took a wrong turn the same place we all do, he did not obey the Lord. This disobedience can be seen in a couple of ways. He did not believe what God had said. God had promised his father David that Solomon’s reign would be a reign of peace and without enemies. (I Chronicle. 22:9) He had rest from all who would be his enemies. Yet in I Kings 4:26 we see that Solomon had built a large army with many chariots and horses. Why? He did not need an army God had promised him peace. He also built many fortified cities. Again, for what purpose? Here Solomon is doubting the protection of God. I wonder how often we are like Solomon and doubt God’s protection in our lives and fail to take God at His word? Lastly and perhaps most importantly Solomon did two more things. He doubted God’s provision by accumulating vast wealth for himself. Good thing none of us try to accumulate money. And he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. These wives were taken to form alliance’s with foreign kings. In Deut. 17:17 God tells the people that a king of Israel should not, “ greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” In the same verse God warns against multiply wives and tells the people what would happen, “Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away:” This is exactly what happened, for all his wisdom Solomon’s heart was turned away from God. I’m sure that Solomon’s fall was not some quick sudden thing. No, like most of us this falling away or as some say, “back slide” was a slow process that took time. If it was a quick event I think we would be more likely to notice. Instead the devil works much more stealthy. Satan knows that if he can bring just a little leven into our lives then mix it with the cares of the word, a busy life, he can slowly leven the whole. We wake up one morning and realize that we have grown distant from our Lord. The warmth of His face has become a memory. Let us always be alert and on the watch for such danger. Unlike Solomon let the wisdom of God fill us and guide us until the day we see Him face to face.
What is a mark of contentment? A mark which should be found in every Christian? It is the sweet quiet stillness within ones heart. This inner calmness should not be confused with a person who seems at peace on the outside but on the inside its a different story. And some of us can fake it on the outside really well. When a person is under pressure there are some who can appear calm without. Yet within only God and the person themself knows the truth. Yes, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but in the end the truth always come out. So also with contentment in the end as the press builds one can see that the truth will always be seen.
Let us make a distinction here for a moment. This life will be full of affliction the reasons for this are many. Yet this fact remains we are all in one of three places. One we are in the middle of the storm. Two we are coming out of the storm. Three we are going into the storm. As as a fallen sinful race it is a fact of life and as Christians we get a bonus of more trouble in this life. Now some of you may take acceptation to that last statement but it is a Biblical truth.
John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Job 14:1“How frail is humanity!How short is life, how full of trouble!
Psalms 34:19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
II Cor. 4:17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
Romans 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
This list could go on but I believe this is enough for now. A great disservice is done by those that teach that the Christian life is supposed to be a life of wealth, health and a lack of troubles Just take one look at the life of our Lord and Savior. His life was full of trouble and in the end death. So, why would we as His servants believe we would be any better. The world hated Him and it will hate us also.
So we know our life will have problems and we know we must live a life of contentment. Does that mean I can’t take my problems to God? If I did would that look like I was being discontent? No, not at all as a matter of fact our Father wants us to lay our problems at His feet.
Psalms 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
I Peter 5:7 Cast all your cares upon him; for he careth for you.
Psalms 68:19 Praise the Lord,who carries our burdens day after day;he is the God who saves us.
Here we clearly have the Lord’s people bringing their problems before their God. The key here is that once I lay my burden down I would be a fool to pick it up again. I have laid it at the feet of Jesus and He is now the one who will carry it each and every day. Thus I can rest in the contentment of my Lord.
Is this life full of troubles? Yes, but that does not trouble me for I have a refuge in the storm, “a very present help in time of trouble, therefore I will; not fear.”
How do we then abide and live this contented life transformed by the vicarious humanity of Christ in all His fullness?
One day I was cleaning the house and I spilled the mop bucket in the kitchen, it made quite a mess as it was a lot of water spilled on the floor. Yet, how much of a mess would have been made, if I took that same bucket and spilled it into the ocean? Yes, that’s right… none at all. One would not even notice the bucket of water when compared to the ocean. So, in this story the kitchen could be seen as representing my view of the world whereas the ocean is God’s view. So often our problem is not the size of our troubles but in reality, it is our view of the problem. Why is this? Because we have the wrong mind. We see things from a human perspective and not from God’s perspective.
Edouard Manet, Rochefort’s Escape, oil on canvas, 1881.
Phil. 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
We are to have the mind of Christ in us. Our will must freely submit to God’s will. I think that too often when we pray, we bring our request before God, yet first we should bring our mind before God. What do I mean by this? We should first pray that my will submits to God’s will. That my mind is melded with God’s mind, that I have God’s will foremost in my mind. Whatever I ask I will receive for if my mind and will is subject and melded with God’s then all that I seek will be in His will.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
To abide means to stay in that close relationship with Christ or we could say to have the same mind as Christ. This closeness or “abiding in” becomes key to our contentment. How could a person expect to be content when they are not close to the source of all peace and contentment? When a person is cold, they stand closer to the fireplace and warm up. Just the same when a person is discontent, they should endeavor to stand closer to their Lord and rest in the contentment of being in His presence.
If our contentment comes from our Lord, then it becomes a direct reflection of our closeness and relationship with our Savior. If you feel discontent in your life it is only because you have walked away from the fireplace. Turn around and walk back to the welcoming warmth of our loving Savior. To enjoy the warmth of the contentment of our Lord we must first freely submit our will to His will such that His will becomes our daily delight.
I must see first to be content. I watched an old TV show the other day and the lead character was blind. He had a friend come over to his house and the friend discovered that all the lights in the house where off. The friend could not see to move around, and the blind man never knew there was a problem. Many times, we are like the blind man. We never even know that there is a problem because we have lived our whole life a certain way.
When we look at contentment, we sometimes don’t even see our discontent because we have lived our whole life being that way. So then first we must look to where true contentment comes from. God is not only the source of our contentment, but contentment is an attribute of God. God in the strict sense is content with-in Himself. God is fully satisfied and without need, He is all-sufficient. It is fundamental to our understanding of Christian theology that we recognize the truth of God being fully sufficient and needing nothing. Remember that our discontent comes from our needs and wants. God then being self-content is the only source for our contentment.
John 1:16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
Here in John we are told that we have been given, from God in Christ Jesus, full grace. That implies that all the grace we need is ours already. In this grace we are sufficient needing nothing more.
I Cor. 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Then God is our source of sufficiency and thus our contentment, for would God not provide all that we needed? Then we must live the full measure of contentment already given to us. Would God give only a part of a gift? So, what’s the problem, why do we live lives of such discontent? I have already been given a sufficient portion of contentment, enough to abundantly satisfy my soul in every condition.
The reason is simple we do not live godly lives. We live as the blind man, although the light switch has always been in his house he continues to live in darkness, worse than the blind man we have been healed of our blindness yet continue to live in darkness.
I Tim 6:6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.
Godliness and contentment go hand in hand. As we grow closer to God, we live more and more in the grace He gives and will be filled more and more with contentment. It is our duty as Christians to be good stewards filled with godly contentment. We should be skilled in this mystery and regularly exercised in the use of such skill. It is with true contentment that we express glory and praise to our savior which is our due service.
I know for me being content has always been a struggle. Why would it not be? We live in a world system that is designed to make us discontent. All the advertising and commercials are focused on one thing… making us want something. We are consumed with the temptation of a constant option of bigger, better and newer. We live in a world where people are often self-centered, consumerism-driven, in debt, filled with credit cards bills. Why? Because they want something they cannot afford and just can’t seem to live without. Our world flourishes with consumerism more than essentials of being a good neighbor or citizen in our community and society. Watch the news and you will see people protesting and rioting. Why? Because they are discontent with the current system, so then, somebody loots, steals, or kills. They want something they don’t have; they are discontent with what they have or their position in life. Consequently, their lives only produce paralysis and more discontentment, rather than liberation and fulfillment.
Phil. 4:11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
So, for the next few days I will focus on being content as a Christian. May this lift the spirits of the saints in this day we live in. We live in an hour of temptation, a world designed to try the inhabitants of the earth.
Paul said he had, “learned” to be content. So being content is a skill or could be an art. It is a spiritual mystery.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Even Paul himself says that he has, “learned the secret.” The Greek word used here for, “learned the secret” could also be translated, “to initiate into the mysteries.” Paul points out that, “contentment” is to be learned as a great mystery. As Christians we are to train ourselves in the art of being content. Contentment is a great spiritual discipline that must be exercised if we are to become proficient. I hope and pray that over the next few days we can all learn to be as Paul says, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound,” … in all these things he was content in the Lord.
Proverbs 15:30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
Good news is always welcomed. This week I was in Houston for my three-month check-up. I find it hard to believe that its already been three months since I completed my cancer treatments. I will be honest and admit I was a little nervous about the visit, but after three days of tests and Dr. Visits followed by more tests and then even more visits, we got the report. At this time the test does not show any cancer (Praise the Lord), or as my radiation Dr. said, “I do not see anything that concerns me at the moment, but we will keep watching closely.” He is a little stoic but a great Dr. This was indeed good news. I know it was a relief for me, my wife and family. This report was only due to the power of God and in answer to the prayers of His people. I still have a way to go on this road of recovery but with God’s daily healing and your continued prayer God will see me thru.
Proverbs is so right; good news does indeed bring joy and health. I think we often forget how powerful our words can be, more importantly in our homes. When was the last time that you gave a word of encouragement or praise to someone in your family? Saying just the right thing can have an immense impact on your children.
Proverbs 15:23 A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—and how good is a timely word! Yes, the right word at the right moment can impact and change lives. Yet, with the same mouth that we can lift others, we can also destroy. 15:4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
Alexander Ivanov, Archangel Gabriel Struck Zechariah Mute, 1824.
Whatever we say, it is important and wise to heed the psalmist’s injunction: Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips Psalm 141:3. The tongue has the power of life and death,” wrote Solomon Proverbs 18:21. A few verses earlier he cautions, “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame” (verse 13).
I ponder how often our words have suppressed the spirit of someone we say we love. Brothers and sisters let us use our mouths in a way that is pleasing to God. Let us bring our tongue under control and have only words of encouragement and praise. I pray today that God will work in my life and in yours. To lead us on a journey that the way we live and speak will give witness to the truth of God’s word.
Malachi 38 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.
When you think about it, we most likely cheat God in more than just our tithes and offerings. Naught did I say we don’t cheat God in our tithes, I just believe our cheating and craftiness goes beyond that. I will explain in a moment but first let’s probe closely at the rest of this passage.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Photo:DigitalArt
How many of us are like this passage? Here it is the bible says…we will all be rich and prosperous. Well, if only that was what God had in mind. The very next verse does not talk about money falling from heaven, but it does talk about the labor of man being fruitful.
Let’s go move beyond, reflect and examine how we cheat God. What if God did not make us rich as He promised? Did He not bless your life? God has filled our lives with so many blessings, yet because we had our own expectation that God would, or dare I say HAD to work in a certain way i.e. make us healthy, wealthy and prosperous we become disappointed. How ungrateful we have become! Moreover, we cheat God of the glory and praise due to Him for His many blessings in our lives that we His very children forget. We behave so selfishly and have a temper tantrum when our father does not give us what we want. I had a friend whose brother died of cancer, he could not understand why God would let that happen and blamed God for the death of His brother. I do not pretend to understand why God works the way He does, but I know that His ways are so far above mine that I could not comprehend them.
How can we blame God for anything that comes into our life while at the same time we neglect to thank Him for the very breath we take? Is it not God that holds the entire universe together by His very will? Do not rob God of anything that is due Him, tithes, offerings or blessing and praises. It is not for the clay to question the potter as He fashions the vessel. God has never failed me in my life and He never will. Yes, there have been many times when God has moved in a way that I did not understand, some of those ways I still don’t understand to this day and most likely won’t until the day I go home. Yet, in other times, I did not understand in the moment, but God has allowed me to reflect and see how He moved in my life to accomplish His will and at the same time do what was best for me. At the moment, I did not think it was best and yes even on occasion felt exasperated.
This is what I do know, God sent His Son to die for me. What if God never allowed one other good thing to come into my life? Isn’t the salvation of my soul enough to make me eternally grateful? But my God did not stop there, No He has never stopped loving me and is working in my life for what is best. God has filled my life and yours with His blessings. Nothing brings peace more than embracing the will of God and nothing brings destruction more than turning away from the will of God. As the old song goes, “Count your blessing name them one by one. Count your blessing see what God has done.” Our God is worthy of all Honor and Glory and Praise, let us not rob Him of anything that is due to Him.
I don’t know if you ever look back at your life and wonder, why am I still alive? If you haven’t, I’ll admit I have. I think we all have some things in our past that make us say, Thank you God!
The reason you and I are still here is because God in His mercy has found it in His plan to keep us here. Equally, lets reflect on the people of Israel and how they wandered away from God and He flat out tells them, the only reason they are still alive is because He does not change.
Malachi 3:6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.
God had made a promise to their forefathers and He would keep it. He then calls them to repentance. How often we find ourselves just like the Jewish people… off wondering around in a desert. We are as lost as can be; no not spiritually as the unsaved but lost as sheep get lost. Like sheep we are often unaware of the dangers all around us. We happily go along our way enjoying the delicacies of the world all the while surrounded by wolves.
It is only because the Lord calls us that we have any hope. The good Shepard does not just search for the lost sheep He calls to them and they hear His voice and return to the Good Shepard. Now let us hear the voice of our Shepard and return to Him. The shepherd who pursues lives and searches hearts, whose arm is not too short to save, the psalmist confessed, “I have strayed like a lost sheep.” Undoubtedly, the heavens rejoice over the heart that recognizes its need to be found. He is waiting and watching for us to return. Just as the father of the prodigal son was watching for the return of his lost child so is our Father waiting for us to come home. It is an amazing thing that as children of the King we have a heavenly palace that is our home and yet at the same time we so often like the prodigal son choose to live this life “eating with the pigs.”
God has such a better plan for us as His children, do you not know that He has what’s best in store for us and we often turn down the best so that we can dine on the pig slop of the world. His plans are all-encompassing and steadfast.
7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
God does not change, and His promises do not change, He is the Lord of the Armies of Heaven, return to Him and He will return to you. He will never force Himself upon you, so He waits. How long dear brothers and sisters will we keep Him waiting?
Today we will be traveling to Houston since Phil is scheduled for tests this week. It is our first visit back after all his treatments, we are praying that they were effective and for clear scans. We are deeply grateful for the care of the medical teams at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the love of those who cared so faithfully and come alongside in many generous and unexpected ways. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and messages for Phil. They have been a huge blessing to us all.
Thursday, I saw my Dr. and he removed the feeding tube that had been placed in my stomach back in January. It was with mixed excitement that I went home, happy that the tube is out but trepidation that I might need it again and now it’s gone. But I trust in the Lord and know that He has healed me to this point and will continue to do so. It makes me think of other people, when I was in Houston, I would see young children and teenagers with cancer and sometimes you can’t help but think that it’s unfair. At the same time, you look at rich and famous people who seem to live wonderful and wicked lives without consequences. Then we think, “how unfair is that, the wicked go on living a wonderful life and yet I try to serve the Lord and have a life full of troubles?”
“Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words.
“How have we wearied him?” you ask.
By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”
The people of Israel seem to have had a somewhat similar complaint. They went even a step further and call evil, good. Saying that God saw the evil and was, “pleased with them.” They asked where the justice of God is. Let us not fall into the same trap of the devil. Remember Satan’s job is to make bad look good. The devil tries to make the world look tasty and mouthwatering to us, so that we will want just a small taste. Inside we think how refreshing it appears, could I have not just one sip of sin. You see all these other people have their fill of sin and nothing has happened to them.
Don’t be fooled, in Psalms we can find the truth of such thought.
Psalms 73:1 Surely God is good to Israel,to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogantwhen I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from common human burdens;they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to themand drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, “How would God know?Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pureand have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes;when you arise, Lord,you will despise them as fantasies.
Here we can clearly see the justice of God, don’t be envious of the wicked for all they have is today. They live their lives for the moment and then it is gone, they eat, drink and party and well they should for if they do not repent and turn from their sinful ways they will find that they have wasted their lives walking on a slippery path and in the end their destruction will be sudden and terrible. If I may paraphrase the Bible for a moment…What good is it to have a life of pleasure, wealth and fame? To live for one party after another and never seem to have a care in the world. Yet in the end one loses their very soul. What is more precious and valuable than a human’s soul? Let’s not be so foolish as to think that evil people have it so good all the time, what we see on social media is not the whole picture, I can promise you that without Christ in their lives… they truly are not happy. There is a reason they are always running for more, because sin never brings lasting satisfaction. That little taste you were wanting only leaves you thirsty for more. It’s like being shipwreck at sea and taking a little sip of sea water from the ocean. That little sip only makes your thirst for more but it will never quench your thirst.
The truth is that the thirst that resides within the heart of all of us can only be quenched by God. The peace, joy and satisfaction the world seeks can only be found in our Lord. So, don’t be envious of those who do not have God, instead let us seek them out to share the truth of the Gospel. We have what the lost are so desperately seeking, it is only Christ that can fill the void in their lives, let us be the light to the world.
Each one of us will go throughsignificant suffering in our lives. One day, we will all to have to deal with the reality of death. When suffering and when death comes…. who will bear it with us? Who will see us through it?
Jesus will, but only if we ask Him to. He won’t force Himself into our lives, we must invite Him. Then we will have the assurance that we will never be alone in our suffering. More importantly, we will have the assurance that we will spend eternity in a place where suffering will be no more.
Cognitive dissonance is a study of psychology; it is the internal tension that results when our experience doesn’t match our beliefs and values. There are all kinds of explanations of cognitive dissonance. The Bible itself challenges an easy dismissal by giving compelling examples. We will continue in Malachi as it illuminates how easily we can be led astray…
“Malachi 2:11 Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god. 12 As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove him from the tents of Jacob—even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty.
13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
15 Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty.
So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.”
God knew exactly what He was doing when He told us not to marry unbelievers. This act can be seen again and again in the Old Testament leading the people of Israel away from the Lord. Again, the same prohibition was given in the New Testament. Without fail the mixing of Godly with the leaven of the world will always lead to the whole becoming leavened. What does the light have to do with darkness? How can the darkness overcome the light? Yet time and again we see that when we first began to entertain the darkness it will quickly fill our lives. So, God was very clear in all respects we are to abstain from the darkness. Do not be unequally yoked. Here the people had gone even one step further, they had divorced the wives of their youth to go after foreign wives that worshiped idols. In vs. 13 we see them crying and wailing but God would not hear them. Why? It was because they were unrepentant, they had broken a vow that had been made. This vow was not just between the man and his wife it was a vow between God and man. Here was a double betrayal, and still the sin went on. When a man is hurting his wife and betraying her, his prayers to God will not be heard. You cannot live this way and expect God to overlook you breaking of the covenant vow.
As men we are to protect our wives and defend our families. We are to be the, “Godly offspring” of our heavenly Father. We are to always be on guard. First, to watch over our own lives that we do not permit even one drop of leaven into our lives. Second, to be on guard and faithful to protect our wives from all harm. Lastly, to watch over our children and bring them up in the truth of the Lord. Teach your families to avoid the leaven of the world and teach your children to abstain from dating and marrying an unbeliever. The battle we fight is a spiritual battle. It is the old flesh warning against the new spirit that is within. It is only through the truth of God’s word and with the strength of His Spirit that we have any hope of victory. But rest assured, we will have the victory for our Lord has already overcome this world.
Artwork: Georges Rouault, Plate 1, Christ in the Suburbs, oil on canvas, 1920-1922
As I was reading through the Old Testament I came to the last book. Malachi is not only the last book of the Old Testament, but it is most likely the last book written and is then followed by about 400 years of silence. If this book was taken to heart by each of us it can be the most radical change to take place in our thinking. The name Malachi means, “My Messenger” so what was Malachi’s message; lets delve and see how it pertains to us today.
Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 “By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.
8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
Here the prophet brings a message from God. The people of Israel were going about their actions, but their hearts were not in it. They were giving to God what was broken and inferior. God asks if we would give imperfect gifts to your earthly rulers. Do we do the same things in our life? The obvious answer is of course not. Yet, at the same time the people would see God as their Father and Master and yet offer to Him that which is contemptible.
Sadly, we often do the same. We give our best at work, for our boss and give what is left to God. God demands our best, He asks us for the first fruits not the last. We serve our earthly authorities and rulers with more strength and devotion than we give to our Father.
This lack of true devotion to God started right in the church. The priest was the first and the people followed along. So, this is a call to God’s Shepherds to get things right. After they have done this then the people will follow in doing what is right. If you think, well I’m not a Shepherd so I’m off the hook. Well, not so fast…are you a father or mother? Then you are a Shepherd of a small flock. Or, does anyone look up to you, then if you have an influence in anyone’s life you have a responsibility to set the correct example. I could dare say we all influence someone; we may not even know it. I for one have learned that I’m an influence in more people’s lives than I know, as I go through my journey, I hear from people that I did not even think were watching me. These people tell me how I have impacted their lives. So be careful you never know who may be watching.
Give your best to God and honor him. Let the first fruits of your life be set aside for God’s use. Let us give all our strength and life to our Lord. If we call Him Father and Master… does He not deserve our best? This is a great realization that God wants us to learn not just doctrinal facts but also the emotional magnitude of His love.
Works cited: Picture by Canna Godeassi (c/o theispot.com)
As I reflect on my life I wonder. Have I been unique? Have I lived my life set apart for God’s purpose? Monday, I left us with the thought we are called by God to be Holy. This holiness is to make us different from the world, we should be unique and set apart for God’s use. But when the world looks at us what do they see? We have been chosen by God to be set apart for His holy work. A few verses that emphasis that thought…
Psalms 4:3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
2 Tim. 1:9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
I Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
When we are saved it is due to God choosing us. God also cleansed us from all our sins and so at that moment the holiness of Christ is imputed open us and yet we still sin. We have a position of holiness that we gain at the moment of our regeneration. But, in the practical everyday life while we are alive in this world, we must actively pursue a life of holiness. God has commanded us to cleanse ourselves of all fleshly defilement, 2 Cor. 7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. This pursuit of holiness is to be our daily goal. We are to work it out with God’s help.
Phil. 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
We are to submit our lives and wills to God on a daily on-going basis. God is working in our lives and we will become holy not through any effort on our part but by the work of God in our lives. It is only for us to yield to God. It is God’s ultimate goal for us to be conformed to the perfect and Holy image of His Son.
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
It is the mark of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we become more holy as we walk along this journey of life. If we are true Christians then our lives will reflect this fact as the world sees us as different, unique and set apart for God’s purpose. Let us pray that we are seen as a light by the world, let us be set apart for God.
Last week I left off talking about being perfect. So, let’s start off this week on the same theme, but today let’s look at what it means to be called, “Holy.” I Peter 1:15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Here we have the command to be Holy for God is Holy. In the Bible we can find many attributes of God and among them is God’s holiness. In fact, there is something special about God and holiness, for it is the only attribute that is used in triplicate to refer to God.
Isa. 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
When things are repeated in the Bible it is worth taking a look at it. The three times relation was a way used to make emphases of a point. So, if we are to be holy as God is holy, we must first look at what it means in the Bible when it says God is holy.
First, the Hebrew word for Holy (hagios) means to be holy, or set apart, to be separate or to consecrate. So, God is set apart, He is unique from all otherness. God is separated from creation and sin. God is what we are to become in regard to separation from sin.
Yet God is much more. He is other than we are as to the essence of His existence, His very nature. He is perfection, all-sufficient, unchangeable, most wise and most holy. Therefore, nothing in the creation, no one in the creation even man created in the image of God compares to God in essential nature. He is incomparable. He is infinite perfection. That is why His name is separate, distinct, and holy. This is a pretty high standard that we are to live up to. I Samuel 2:2 “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” God’s holiness is a reflection of His moral perfection, all that He does is perfect and holy. God’s holiness is seen in His unique separation from all others. We are called to be holy as He is holy. We are to be unique and set apart.
Have you noticed the world is filled with brokenness, fragility, error and guilt coupled with the inherent recognition of imperfection? Wait…what is perfection?
Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Ok, so I have a confession to make… I’m not perfect. Yet, at the same time I am told to be, “Perfect”. Behold we have an advantage in our own broken humanity in a fallen world since we are aware of the ONLY perfect human…Jesus.
Markedly, In Matthew 5:48, Jesus had just finished talking about murder, divorce, adultery and loving your enemies. In each case He had set the bar or standard higher than it had been before. What was the point of all that? To show us how morally bankrupt we are. The point of the law is for us to see that God’s righteous perfection is impossible for us to attain. I will say it one more time, “God tells us to be perfect and at the same time it is impossible”. But, wait Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” And that’s the whole point. With man it is impossible but with God we can have victory.
The law was made to point us to the Savior, for in Jesus alone can we find perfection. We are to live our lives in the power of the Holy Spirit, only then can we ever be what we were called to be. We have been chosen by God to become something new. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Never forget that God chose us and then called us to be perfect, but He did not stop there. He then provided the way for us to be all that He has called us to be. If you find yourself struggling in this area, perhaps it is because you are trying in your own human (sinful flesh). Recognize that’s not the answer, since, the harder we try the harder we will fail. With each failure comes, frustration until we come to a point that we feel like giving up. But giving up is not the answer either… giving in is the answer.
We must give into Christ. What do I mean by this? I mean that we must stop trying in our own power and admit that we cannot do it, then we must confess that only with Christ can we ever become the perfect children of God that we are called to be. To add, if we find ourselves looking at our own pain and suffering, then we must put ourselves next to Christ. Are we accomplishing what Christ did? Which is doing the Father’s will and filling ourselves with a life as Jesus did by giving to the world. If we find ourselves opposite of His then our life will continue to be intertwined with imperfection, dread, and disappointment. He came to fix what was wrong in a world… His brokenness was at our own hands nonetheless, through Him, He came to exemplify all that is right and perfect.
Throughout the world we see more persecution of Christians than any other time in history. In America we have been sequestered from this persecution and in fact you may not even know of the worldwide attack on Christians. I ponder if we have shut ourselves in Christian circles and shut ourselves from the world of need and consequently the chance of suffering for Christ. How are we interacting with the lost, broken and angry that Jesus loves and once wept over?
Matt. 5:10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
Teaching about Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
The time is fast approaching where we as Christians will have to make a choice. Will we be the light or will our salt loose its flavor? So, it will quickly come to this question. Will I stand for God’s truth or not? Will I be willing to call sin for what it is, or will I quietly go into the night? The darkness wants to consume this world, it is only the influence of Christians that holds it at bay.
The day will come when Christians will no longer be in the world, on that day darkness and sin will rule supreme. But until that day comes, we are to be the light and witness what happens when the salt of the kingdom seasons the earth.
With this in mind, being the light comes at a cost. Look at the candle, it will give light to a room, but it must give itself to do so, in the end the candle is consumed by the task of lighting a room. Are we willing in the short time that is left to be consumed for God’s light to be shown for the world to see? Knowing that in shining forth the light the world will hate and attack us. Yes, it’s easy to be a Christian when we sit safely in our pews. What happens when we get out of our seats and stand for God? We were never meant to stay in the church. It was always our mission to go into the world and to stand for truth. So, let us go forth with the power of God’s love. We have the living water that a thirsty world is so desperately searching for in all the wrong places. Let us boldly shine our light into the darkness.
Matt. 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
“He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. So, he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them.”
Psalms 106:10, 13-15 NIV
Today is my son’s birthday and it also happens to be my wedding anniversary. It helps me to remember those days, as they are on the same date. Often, we find that we forget or have trouble remembering important things in our life. For some of us we write dates and events down, so that we do not forget. And so, in the same way we often forget what God has done for us. Here in Psalms we see the psalmist recalling when the people of Israel had forgotten what God had done. God had rescued them from the land of Egypt and had saved them from their enemy. And yet he says, “they soon forgot”. Oftentimes we also forget what God has done for us. God had always been faithful in all things and yet they, “did not wait for his plan to unfold.” In much the same way we also forget God’s faithfulness and do not wait. We try to be the hand of God to make things move and happen. It’s for this very reason that we see throughout the Bible reminders of what God has done. Look in the Old Testament and you will see again and again the retelling of the stories about how God had worked. Even in the New Testament we see how the people are reminded of the past, (see Act. 7 the story of Stephen).
In the same way we should not just read the Bible and teach it to our children, but we should be telling our children how God has worked in our lives. Tell them of the miracles He has done on our behalf. Now if you stop and think for a moment and say, but Philip I don’t have any stories to tell. Well then, I think we have a problem, how can we say we are children of God but then say, “my dad has never done anything for me.” What kind of a father do you have? I can tell you that my Father has looked after me from the time I was a child. (ask me some time how my Father caught a bully on fire so he could not beat me up). Yes, to this very day I can give you story after story of how my God has worked in miraculous ways on my behalf. If God is your father you should have some of your own stories, if not, why not? Have you not asked Him?
For I know He hears when His children call. Or is it that you have just forgotten the great things He has done. A great starting point is with your salvation. Are you not a new and different person then who you where before that point? Start there and tell the stories of God’s love and work in your life to your family. At the same time encourage your family to tell their own stories so that everyone can know and so that we do not forget. Forgetting what God has done is the first step to wandering. Let us ever be faithful, let us never forget what great things He has done.
There have been a few times in my life when I experienced what I would call Righteous Anger. In each of these cases I was working and came across a case where a child or elderly person had been hurt or abused. In those times I was angry at the person who would hurt a defenseless child or older person. So not all anger is sin we know this from Ephesians 4:26 were we are told “In your anger do not sin”. We know that God has gotten angry. Exodus 4:14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses…, Judges 3:8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel… and Jeremiah 51:45 Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives!
Run from the fierce anger of the Lord. In each of these cases God was angry at sin and unbelief. Obviously if God can be angry, then anger is not automatic sin. God has righteous anger; He gets angry with people when they live in sin and refuse to turn from their evil ways. At the same time God is loving and ever so patient with the sinner. (John 3:16, I John 4:8, Romans 2:4)
The first key to righteous anger is that it is directed at sin. Anger must be controlled by patience and love. If your anger is missing any of these things, then it most likely is not righteous anger. To illustrate, in the New Testament we see that Jesus got angry, Mark 3:5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held out his hand, and it was restored! Here Jesus is angry and saddened by the Pharisees and the hardness of their hearts.
Jesus was motivated to do good: a key to our anger. Does the anger move us to do good and help people? Matthew 21:12 Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. Here we see Jesus angry at how the people had misused God’s house and had simply turned it into a business to make money. Here again Jesus is motivated by wrong and puts His energy into action to right the wrong. Hence, if we are moved by righteous anger it should move us into motion to in some way work to correct the wrong and/or help the hurt and defenseless. If we allow the Spirit to control us then when we become angry, we will see that we are motivated to right a wrong, not attack a person.
Let us be moved by love for God and people. Patient in how we express our anger and how we deal with people. We will speak truth in love to help lead people to Christ or if they are Christians to restore their relationship. Righteous anger will lead us to a godly confrontation of evil and sin which stands against God’s word and truth. Righteous anger will work to fix the wrong and restore people in God’s love.
Well, it seems that the more I write about anger the more opportunity I have to practice what I preach; I’m almost tempted to change the subject. Perhaps you have felt the same way as you have read the past couple days about anger.
Let’s not give up hope, God gives us opportunities to practice what we have learned, and the best part is we can have as many retests as we want (or need). One of the joys of learning to deal properly with our anger is that it frees us from the consequences of anger. Anger only leads us to greater sin. Anger will hurt and destroy relationships in our life. Anger in our life can lead others to become angry, not that we are responsible for their sin, but we can contribute (become a stumbling block).
Our anger will lead us to do things that we regret later… Proverbs 14:17 Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated. Yesterday I pointed out that only with God’s help can we overcome anger. We often think that the anger is due to an event or person in our lives, but that’s not true. Anger is an emotion that is in us and the person or thing that causes us to vent is only something that is pressing on the press relief valve. The anger is already within us just waiting to be released.
What can we do?
We must let God help us release all the pressure that has built up within. The best way is thru praying and reading of God’s word. This helps because we are filled with whatever we put inside of ourselves. Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. So, our minds are to dwell on good things, not the hurts of the past. Let your mind be filled with God’s love, let your mind dwell on His word, these things will bring healing and peace. Rom. 8:6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
Whatever we let our minds dwell on will control our destiny. If we think on fleshly things it will lead to death, instead let your mind be filled and controlled by the Spirit. God is the answer to our anger problem, with His help we can have victory.
This victory is not always easy because it requires us to be honest with ourselves before God. It means that we must give Him permission to examine and clean out every area of our heart and mind. It requires a total surrender of our lives to God’s will. If you hold back any part and do not let go, then that area will not be cleaned. The “cancer” that is left no matter how small we think it might be will only grow until it destroys us. I pray today that we let go of our anger and let God heal and restore our peace and joy.
What are we to do with this anger that we feel building up inside of us? Obviously, God wants us to deal with it in a Biblical manner, or He would not have given us: Ephesians 4:26 “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”
Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, so then God has provided a way for us to be angry without sinning. Let’s look at some of the things we can do to manage this emotion. First the verse tells us that we should deal with the anger as soon as possible. Don’t wait and let the spark smolder into a burning, raging fire. Verse 31 of the same chapter tells us to, get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, we must not let it linger in our hearts or minds. We should address the situation in an honest (and controlled) way.
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15.
People are not mind readers and they may not even fully comprehend the offense. We must, in love, address what has occurred. Also, we must stay focused on the issue and not let it become a personal attack. Attack the problem NOT the person.
29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Remember that our flesh is sinful by its very nature and our first impulse may very well be a sinful one. We must speak in love and gentleness.32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Forgive the other person even before you confront the issue. (for help with forgiveness look at what I have written on the topic). These thoughts that we have, i.e. anger in this case must be controlled.
Romans 6:12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires
Job 11:14 Get rid of your sins and leave all iniquity behind you.
2 Cor. 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ
We are to take these thoughts under control and make them obedient to our Lord. This means we cannot dwell on the offense that hurt us, just as God chooses not to remember our sins, we also must choose not to remember how others have sinned against us. Ephesians 4:31 tell us that we cannot even leave a little piece of hurt or anger inside of us, but we must get rid of all of it. Anything you let remain will grow. Do not give opportunity to Satan, don’t open the door even an inch to temptation.
James 1:14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Galatians 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Our victory over anger and all other sins can come only through Christ. Just as He has overcome the world it is in the Spirit that we have strength to overcome. So, brothers and sisters let us walk in the Spirit each day.
“Do not say, “I cannot help having a bad temper.” Friend, you must help it. Pray to God to help you overcome it at once, for either you must kill it, or it will kill you. You cannot carry a bad temper into heaven.” – Charles Spurgeon
As I go through my battle with cancer, I have learned a few things. One of which is that dealing with insurance companies can be frustrating. Last week I had to deal with the insurance and before I was done, I can honestly say I was angry. Yes, I was all worked up and mad as could be. Was this wrong? Is all anger a sin? As always, the answer should be looked for in the Bible. The first place that we see human anger is in Genesis.
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7
Here we see one of the two forms of anger that is found in the Bible. Obviously, this kind of anger was, “bad” as Cain had killed his brother. We have a negative type of anger that is not good for us. I will say right now that the majority of the time that we see anger it is this form that we encounter. This kind of anger is seen all over the world in our lives today. You don’t even have to look for it, it’s all over the news and internet. When you see people looting and rioting, we are seeing uncontrolled anger. When we see the hate and intolerance agar its people filled with anger. How can we tell if our anger is of this first type?
Clue one is what comes out of our mouths… 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” Romans 3:13-14
Next, If the words out of our mouths are hurtful and not lifting up, then most likely our anger is wrong. If it involves personal attacks, it’s wrong. We are told to speak the truth in love, and we are to use our words to build up not tear down. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15. If we are wise, we will control ourselves and control our anger. It is the fool that tears down without any self-control. For many of us we lose all self-control in that moment. We are quick to cut with our mouth and vent all our rage on the object of our frustration. 11 Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. Proverbs 29:11. How will we handle this wrong self-focused anger? Will we be wise and control ourselves or will we back up the truck and dump all over another person? The worst part of the whole thing is that so often the person that we dump on is someone that we profess to love. How can this be, with the same mouth I say I love you and in the next moment I’m venting all my rage and anger all over you?
There is an older gentleman that I know, and I would say that he is filled with love. I cannot ever remember him not being loving and patient with everyone he encounters. He is loved and respected by kids of ages and adults for he loves them all the same. I wonder if people see me in that way. I am afraid of the answer to that question. Loving people can be hard, we all know that. I don’t have to explain to anyone that has contact with others knows that Love is not an easy thing to do.
What are we to do? We know that God is the example and that we are to love as He has loved but there is more to it than just that. If we call on Jesus, our Lord and Savior then perhaps the question is do we mean it. If He is Lord, then that means we are His servants and as such we must obey His commands.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12 NIV and “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV.
So, there is a plan and it is as simple as can be: we are commanded by our Lord to love. Not just any kind of love, but to love as He has loved us. Back to our profession that we are children of God. It is by our love that we show the evidence of our salvation. If you do not have God’s love how can you say you have God in your life. A spring brings forth either good water or bad water but not both. And so, we produce love or not, based upon what’s inside of us. If we have the Lord inside of us, then the fruits of the Spirit should be the result and chief among them is love. It is by our love that the world will know who we are.
It is sad that in today’s world many do not see any difference between us and the world. Why? We are to love even those who do not love us. Yes, that’s right love your enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:43-44 NIV. This command dove tails with forgiveness. We are to love those that have done us wrong and hurt us. And even go a step beyond that…we are to pray for our enemies. So, let the same love be seen in us that is seen in our Lord and Savior. Let us be so filled with love that everyone that encounters us sees Jesus in our lives.
What does love, real love look like? Well that’s easy, just look in the Bible, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT.
Here are some characteristics of real love:
It is patient, so whenever you feel that someone is trying your patience, then you are not loving them with God’s love.
Ever find yourself being harsh with someone, well love is kind, never short or harsh.
There is no room for jealousy in love. Remember jealousy is all about me and what I want, without care for the object of our jealousy.
Love is never about me, so pride and a boastful attitude are not found in love.
And here is a big one, how often do we get into fights with people because we are not getting what we want? Well love never demands its own way but always puts the other person first.
Love does not keep a record of wrongs, how often do we get angry with someone and find ourselves bringing up wrongs and hurts from the past, not only does that show a lack of genuine forgiveness but it shows that we are not loving the other person.
Lastly, love does not give up. Satan is doing everything he can in his power to destroy you and the relationships in your life. Love will withstand and outlast satan’s assaults on these relationships.
Love is always about the other person and as God’s love was about restoring a broken relationship so should our love be about relationships. Our love should be all about loving everyone we encounter. These are the relationships of our life; some are brief encounters and others become lifelong commitments. Just as Jesus loved each person He came in contact with, and no matter how brief that moment with Jesus, He loved them wholeheartedly. We also are to love our families, our neighbors and everyone we come into contact with just as Jesus did.
“A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39 NLT
We have been looking to get a nice used car for my daughter and this experience is turning into a labor of love, or is it a test of my love?? I seem to think the important things are to find a safe, reliable, dependable vehicle. Considerations such as make, model, color or trim level are not a high priority for me. My daughter seems to have a deferring opinion. Makes me wonder if we ever test the limits of God’s love. Well, I for one am grateful that God’s love is not like our love, but should not our love be more like God’s?
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT.
Here are somethings the Bible says about God’s love. First, He loved us before we even existed. He chooses us and made us part of His family, not because there was anything in us worth loving. Second, His love goes on forever, (His faithful love endures forever. Psalms 136) Third, real love is about the other person, not about us. True love gives, it never takes, and it comes at a cost for the one that is loving,
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:10 NLT.
For God the cost of loving us was His only Son. He gave it all for us and yet how often are we unwilling to give an inch for someone else. If God’s love is to be the example of love for us to emulate then it is not going to be easy to love others, it will have a cost for us. The cost may not be our life, it may be our time, understanding, patients or forgiveness. But it will not be easy for true love goes against our human nature. Let us pray that God gives us the strength to have real Biblical love for everyone that comes into our lives.
As I go through this time of dealing with cancer, many things have changed. Just the other day I was thinking about my children and found myself crying and if you ask my wife, she can tell you I am not a crier. But why was I crying? Well for one I was thinking about my love for my children. But when was the last time I cried after thinking about God’s love for me? Just how do we describe God’s love?
Let’s look at some of the qualities of God’s love. First God’s love for us came before anything else, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—” Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV Before God even created the world, He loved us. Now think about that for a second. God’s love for us came before we were even created, before even single person was alive – God loved us. Furthermore, His love will last forever. As humans so often our love comes and goes, it grows and then fades away, but God’s love will never change or come to an end. So, rest assured that unlike us God’s love for you will never end. See Psalms 136 and “Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!” 1 Corinthians 13:8 NLT Love is also the greatest of all things. When you think of its emotions and gifts you consider all the things God has done, i.e. created the world. The greatest of these things is love. God is a God of love and more than just that He is love, God defines what true love is. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV.
God’s love must be more than informing the mind; it must stir the heart with emotion. Before the beginning, He loved us without beginning, from time eternal and He will continue to love us forever without end. God’s love has no beginning and no end, from eternity past until eternity future. May I continue to learn the immensity of Your truth, hear your loving voice and find your splendor each second and moment in my life…Father thank you for you love.
Love is such a difficult topic. We talk about it, sing about it, make movies but it mostly remains in a desired inexperienced realm. Oftentimes there are portrayals of love and the notion of not being able to live with someone is expressed. They would do anything to keep them in your life …isn’t this where crazy stalkers come from? Is that real love? I thought true love was altruistic. I can’t live without you love seems more about me than the other person. So, what gives? We call that love yet, is that Biblical love? Is it even a form of love at all? The answer is kind of, it’s a love for us and herein lies the problem… I will say that without God’s help it is impossible to have true Love.
To love in a pure and altruistic way requires something beyond human ability. “3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.”Ecc. 9:3 NIV. Also see, “9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?Jer. 17:9 NIV. Our own hearts will deceive us, and we willingly believe what our hearts have said. Will not our heart tell us exactly what we want to hear? What we do in our flesh is not love for others, it is only with God’s help that we are able to love. For good things cannot be found in us and true love is good and comes from God, “18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Romans 7:18 NIV.
The first step in having true love is you must be a child of God. If Jesus is not your personal savior, you cannot find true love for others. For God is love and only in Him will we find the love we seek, and only then can we share that love with others. Love is the greatest expression because it is the greatest call in our relationship to God.
Is true love unconditional and non-judgmental? God has unfailing love for us, yet he will ultimately judge us. I want to take some time this week to look at Biblical love. In the interim, I am going to make a quick stop today and talk about a separate but related topic. Without which it is difficult to operate with true Biblical love.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Matthew 7:1-2 NIV
We generally hear that love and judgment are opposites and we are not to be judgmental. Often, people quote parts of Matthew 7:1-2. So, is it unloving to judge people? What does it mean in Matthew? Well, if this is a prohibition against all judgment then we have some problems. I judge things all the time and every day. When I correct my children for doing wrong, have I not made a judgment about their behavior and found it wanting? This does not mean we are not to judge, rather it is a warning, “with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” as you read the rest of the passage you get a fuller picture, (it can be dangerous to pull a verse from the Bible without context).
Simultaneously, in Matt. 7:3-5 “3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” What Jesus was doing here was giving a warning against hypocrisy, make sure that you clean up your own mess before you go trying to fix someone else’s mess. Get yourself right with God then you are ready to help others. Your own problems are most likely bigger and worse than what you think you see wrong with another. So how do we judge rightly?
Look at the fruit. When I look at the behavior of my children I am seeing the fruit of their action and so when we see good fruit we can judge something as good but if we see bad fruit we can just as easily determine something is not good, Matt. 7:15-20. After we have determined that something is not good and we must intervene let us do so with wisdom, not sure how, ask for God’s help, Matt. 7:7-11 and James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.”
Lastly, it must be done in Love, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9 NIV, and “Love does no harm to a neighbor.” Therefore, love is at the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:10 NIV. When I correct my children, it is done out of love for their own good. It is their best that I have in mind when I judge their behavior. It is the same when we help others and it is to be done in love with the goal to see what is best for them.
The Black Eyed Peas had a number one hit, Where is the Love?, in 2003 and its lyrics raised pertinent issues about love in a broken world. The band communicates that if you have never known truth, then you have also never known love. Their moral complaint never progresses and doesn’t find the answer to the question. The word compassion comes from ecclesiastical Latin, is inspired by the Christian faith and used to guide the church’s behavior. Compassion should be followed by an appropriate response and conviction to do something about it. With injustices and if you call it such then you pass moral judgment. If you are compassionate then you must decide to do something about it…. or not. Where is the love?
God longs to shine his light of moral judgment in our hearts. It is not to shame us but to guide us to and transform us into the likeness of Jesus. He did something about it…He came into this world to be broken so we can know wholeness in Him. Let all that we do be seasoned to love others by allowing God’s truth and grace into our lives.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
How are we to forgive? Replace your anger and fear by praying for your enemy. Do not rest or lean on resentment and the natural tendency to just “get even.” Instead desire for God to transform your resentment into love and compassion. The grace of God will enable you to detach yourself from their control and acknowledge that only God can ever bring any transformation into their lives.
We must understand the depth of our own sin in order to understand His sacrifice. We have been forgiven not because of anything we have done; it is a gift and so in the same way we should forgive others not because they have earned it but as a gift.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 NIV
God loved us first and was filled with love for us when He sent his Son to die for our sins. Forgiveness is challenging, always costly and never easy. It is not free…it will have a cost. In our case the cost of our sin was paid for by Jesus. In the case when we forgive others we must be prepared for the cost. This cost may be letting go of what we believe to be our rights to hold others accountable and not let them get away with what they have done.
We must let all these things go and turn it all over to God. We do these things because God has told us to love others, this is to be done as He has loved others. Let love be the defining mark of your life not bitterness. Bitterness and unforgiveness will only lead to suffering in our lives. Love will cover a multitude of sins and lead to God’s peace and joy in our lives.
Forgiveness is to be treasured and to be shared by one another. Stand for truth, respond in grace and choose the gift of forgiveness. Accept a relationship with God the great reconciler and watch your heart change towards others and possibly your enemy’s heart.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”John 13:34 NIV
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”Ephesians 4:32 NIV
We are to forgive on the grounds that God has told us to forgive. If you refuse to forgive others you are doing two things: First, you are disobeying God for He has told us in His word that we are to forgive. Second, when we refuse to forgive, we are setting ourselves up as god, we have decided to hold someone to a higher standard that even we could not live up to. We have said to God that He does not understand, He does not know what they have done or how they do not deserve forgiveness. If a person is to judge it is God who will Judge them, it is not for us to try to hold them accountable. When we have unforgiveness in our lives it is our attempt to make sure they do not, “get off the hook.” The desire to punish those who have hurt us places us in having a sense of moral superiority without allowing grace.
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 NIV
Refusing to forgive, enslaves us to ingratitude, binds us up in rage and/or bitterness and throws away the key to freedom. Forgive others: we are not God and it is not our place to hold people accountable for sin, and second because He has told us to forgive. He has put it in a very clear and strong way, if you want God to forgive you, you must forgive others.
Let God’s love fill you, control you, encounter the freedom that comes from practicing grace-both received and given by forgiving others as God has commanded…it is at the heart of our Christian faith.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”Matthew 6:14-15 NIV
The world is filled with gruesome realities of hate, revenge and destruction. Disturbing regularities of the world and its hurtful wounds may resonate within our hearts, consequently; we may object to forgive people. Hatred and vengeance are a problem of the heart and as mentioned last week…the “heart is deceitful.” Jeremiah 17:9. You might say, “Philip, you just don’t understand, you don’t know what they did, you don’t understand that they are not even sorry for what they have done.” And you would be right… I don’t know or understand any of those things. Yet, when I look at scripture, I cannot find any of those conditions connected to forgiveness. When Christ died for us, we were not sorry for our sins on the contrary we were as depraved as we could be. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6 NIV
“All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Romans 3:12 NIV
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 NIV
God forgave all our sins while we were not seeking forgiveness, we were still living in our sin and rejected God in our lives. He forgave even though there was nothing that we had done to merit any mercy, on the contrary we rejected His very Son and had chosen to remain in sin. If not for His love and calling of us, we would still be filled with broken lives and remain unforgiving sinners.
The heart certainly is a problem and in order to heal the brokenness it must start within ourselves. When we consider forgiving others, you must remember it is not about them. Instead, remember Christ’s words on the cross as his life excruciatingly ebbed away. It is more about the example that God has set for us to live up to. We forgive not because the other person deserves forgiveness but because God has forgiven us, we forgive totally, completely and as often as necessary for this is how love triumphs over hate.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NIV
In Jesus parable, Matthew 18, we have Peter coming up to Jesus asking about forgiveness. He asks how many times we should forgive someone, and Peter seems to think that seven times was a good number. Jesus answer was a shock to Peter and the other disciples. Jesus tells them to forgive, “seventy-seven times.” Jesus was not saying seventy-seven and that’s it. He taught that forgiveness is unlimited, and it cannot be measured by its appropriation. Often, we fail to recognize our own debt and therefore we fail to forgive. The point was, forgive as many times as needed. If we think about it, God does not limit His forgiveness for us, but forgives us of all our sins. We are all in need of forgiveness and to withhold only demonstrates an ingratitude towards the debt we could never repay God.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NIV
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” Ephesians 1:7 NIV
It is clear in these verses and others that God forgives us of all our sins, past, present and future. He is, “faithful and just” and will forgive us of, “all unrighteousness” and this is done in the, “riches of God’s grace.”
Yes, dealing with grievous human offenses is hard and a painful process. During this process we must remember we have been forgiven of all are faults. God does not hold any of our sins against us but has forgiven everything we have done or will ever do. It is this kind of forgiveness that we are to be mindful of when we consider forgiving others. It will free us from a bondage and opens our hearts to enter the very heart of Jesus.
Have you ever wondered what are some of the major struggles that people have…I’m talking about emotional issues? Think about that for a moment. If we are honest, we could probably come up with a pretty good list, but I’m going to throw this one out there and say that a lack of forgiveness is a major issue that people have in their lives. People carry around wounds and hurts from the past, broken relationships and pain. These emotional scars cause much more than just emotional damage and with time they start to cause physical damage to our bodies.
It is in our best interest to learn how to deal with forgiveness issues in our lives. Many of us have carried these burdens for so long that we have become oblivious to the weight that we bear each day.
Would it not be such a relief to lay down that burden at the feet of our savior? Allowing God’s spirit to live within you will enable you to stand up straight – no longer bound by the overwhelming weight that we have been bearing on our own.
Over the next couple of days, I am going to write about, “Forgiveness” and to start it off I am going to ask that today you read a short story that Jesus told to His disciples. This story called a parable is found in Matt. 18:21-35. See you tomorrow.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Have you ever talked with someone about Jesus and they are skeptics or firm believers of other religions? They have asked why you say that Jesus is the only way and how can you trust the Bible. Many other religions say that they are the way and many of these people are very sincere. What gives us the right as Christians to tell all other religions and belief systems in the world that we have the answer and that they are wrong?
Communicating the gospel is just not about communicating the truth. Truth is not always what brings a response to the gospel…it is the Spirit. There are many examples in the gospel where Jesus speaks truth and yet it is rejected. Jesus characteristic of the good news makes it more fascinating as it shows God’s power and the promise of His Spirit. Christ has come among us in a divine and powerful reality of His good news, with the presence of His stories, with His miracles and with His messages of love and forgiveness that are life changing.
“The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” 1Corinthians 4:20
Furthermore, the good news is that this is not our idea, and it is not on my authority or any other Christian’s word that we hold these truths. The fact that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ and that He is the only way is clear in the Bible. Jesus is the only way to forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. If someone objects with this, they are not objecting to what you or I are saying, their objection is with God’s Word.
Why is there only one way? More importantly…Why did God make a way at all, seeing that we do not deserve any of this? The answer is that God in His love and mercy chose to provide a way to restore a broken relationship through a personal relationship with His Son.
So, let us be thankful that God provided one way for us to receive forgiveness and adoption into His family.
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”John 14:6 NIV
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”Matthew 3:17 NIV
What kind of children are we? Are we like Jesus with whom the Father was well pleased? If not, we should be, for we are to be more like Christ each day. On this day Jesus is formally recognized by God as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world and the Lamb that would take away the sins of the world. His actions are such a small thing; all He really does is get baptized and yet it was not the action that pleased God so much as the attitude. Much can be said about the same things in our life, it is often not so much what we do but the heart attitude that lies behind the action. In this case the simple act and yet it was all God was waiting for, how often is the same true in our lives as our Father waits for us to just do a simple act so that He may proclaim His love and pleasure with us. Let us obey our Lord out of an attitude of love for Him.
Here God affirms His relationship with Jesus, He shows us His love and approval of His Son, these same thoughts and feelings are bound up in the heart of our Father for us. Think of it by the work of His Son and the spirit of adoption we are His children so then let us live in a way that our Father says of us these are my children whom I love and am pleased.
Our treasures are not here; they are with our Father, with “him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” Ephesians 3:20 NIV
“My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.” Psalms 71:15 NIV
I want to take a moment and share something personal. Although I don’t know the reasons that I got cancer I can say without a doubt that God has been with me every step of the way. At each moment He has provided. Let me tell you how. As Elda and I prepared for my time of treatment one of the concerns was the time we would have to be in Houston, how would we do it, how could Elda miss that much work, she would run out of sick days and they would have to doc her pay. We were looking at six weeks in Houston. God movies in the most miraculous ways, I know that the Bible tells us that God can use all things for good, but did I ever really believe that included things that people would see as bad? So, Elda comes to Houston and while we are there all the news can talk about is this virus, corona 19, the next thing you know all the rules are changing and in major ways, so big that if you had asked me just weeks before I would have said it was impossible. To see every school in the country closed, businesses, stores and restaurants. But it did happen, not only did this provide for Elda to be in Houston with me for six weeks without having to use a single sick day or lose any pay. When we came back home to El Paso, she was able to be right there by my side. I was weak and if Elda had returned to work upon our return, I would have been at home alone each day and it would have been difficult for me to care for myself. Instead God made provision for Elda to be right there by my side each day as I have recovered and grown stronger. God has taken a terrible disease and used it in my life for good and to bless me. So, does God use all things for good? Yes! He does so in such a huge way that as the Psalmist says, “I know not how to relate them all.” But if I cannot tell them all I will proclaim all that I can to any that would listen Sometimes God’s blessings come to us in the most unseen ways, so much so that if we are not careful we would miss them. Thank you, Lord, that you are such a great God that you can take even a pandemic and use it for good in the life of one of your children.
“The heart isdeceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”Jeremiah 17:9 KJV
With Scripture we have an insight towards sorting though lies, deception and the truth. Last week I wrote about our words and how we can see what lies hidden within the heart by what comes out of the mouth. The reason this is so true is that the, “The heart is deceitful” that means that our hearts will deceive and lie even to ourselves. Consequently, the heart knows what we want to hear and so it will tell us, and we will believe. Oh, it’s so easy for the heart to lead us astray. Not one of us can truly know our heart. Sadly, the heart and mind work together to complete their wicked ways. The heart knows what we want and will give our mind a reason to work with, the mind then completes the task of justifying our action and within our heart we feel fine, but let us not be so easily persuaded, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind” vs. 10.
God is the one who looks at the motives of the heart and mind. We may easily deceive ourselves but let’s not be fooled…God will not be deceived! For in the end we are not the ones who get to judge our actions and before the Lord there will be no excuses or justifications.
Through the gospel’s assurance we are united with Christ and we are enabled to live lives of sacrificial love and obedience. Confession and repentance are necessary habits to walk closely with Jesus. Do not pretend you are perfect or that we don’t need help… with dependence on God we can surrender our own distractions, failures and sin…Christ is our only hope.
“Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:”Proverbs 31:28 NIV
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day…Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers. I pray that you will be celebrated, feel treasured by our Heavenly Father and that your sacrificial love will be rewarded.
Perhaps there is nothing more special than the love of a son for his mother. We can see a perfect example of this love as Jesus in one of His last acts, and in the depths of His own pain and agony he provides for Mary’s future by having John his beloved disciple take care of her. The depths of this love should be seen by all children for their mothers. In Proverbs 31 we come to vs. 28 and see that the children rise and call their mother blessed. What does this mean for them to arise? We have the obvious, that they stand in respect for their mother and as they call her blessed, they show the depth of the respect they have in their relationship for their mother. Where does this deep relationship of love and respect come from? Well I think it means just more than standing in respect, I think we see the results of a life of love and biblical nurturing from their mother. They have not just stood up but have grown up tall, strong and deeply rooted. Look at Psalms,
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” Psalms 1:3 NIV
These are the children of such a mother, she has invested her life in them, she has made sure they have been planted near the streams of living water and they have grown strong with deep roots. They produce fruit and of this fruit comes blessing from their mouth and actions that bring praises to the work of their mother.
Today I want to take a moment to use my voice and rise up and say blessed is my mother, but more blessed am I that God blessed me with such a wonderful mother. No, son could ask for anything more. Thank you, Mom. I love you.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1 NIV
Have you ever seen how a garden might appear well-kept and calm and when it is stirred many detestable creatures emerge? Of all the things in my life it is perhaps my words and their lurking presence which I am unaware until it restlessly stirs within me that causes many problems. I think about most of the sin in my life and I can find a link between my actions and my tongue. Yes, first my mind thinks of something … isn’t that what God said, whatever is in our heart and minds will come out of our mouth? When stirred look at what comes out of a person’s mouth and you will gain an insight to their hearts. The tongue is such a small part of our body and yet James’s says, “It corrupts the whole body, and is itself set on fire by hell.” James 3:5 Those are some strong words to use about such a small part of our bodies. I think it’s because we do not fully comprehend the amount of damage that the careless use of our tongue can cause, or sometimes we know the damage but in the moment we do not care. For the pressure of life has turned up too much and the steam of our heart is about to come whistling forth. It is then that we see what is inside and it will be our first true look of what lies within. James ask us how both good and bad things can come from the same source? So, if our mouth speaks from what is in the inside then the question is this…what is inside our hearts? Many of us can go around day to day and look pretty good, but let life turn up the heat and then we shall see what it unleashes.
If what is inside of us is good, then what the mouth produces will be good. This then is one of those moments for each of us to reflect on what we produce. When the pressure is on what does our tongue cultivate and what lurks beneath that soil?
“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” James 3:10 NIV
Nowadays, it’s easy to lose sleep and it is exhausting. With the worries of broken communities, pain and suffering, the weight of the world finds an extension into our own lives. Currently, we have a deadly virus, or so we are told; we can’t go to work or school, we must stay safely locked away in our homes. How safe are we? We are told that if we do this or don’t do that it will be a catastrophe. And so, we run around not knowing where we are going or what we are doing precisely. We are living in what may very well be the last days, an incredible time, God is giving a last call, possibly one more change for a revival. And what are we as His children doing? How are we any different than everyone else? Are we losing just as much sleep as the next person, are we busted as stressed out just as everyone else?
Every oppressed heart —love, time, money, tears, depression—let me give you the reassurance– God loves and cares for each one of His children. We should be wise with our decisions and listen to the best advice we can get but after that leave it in the hands of God. In His mercy we must tear down walls even if they were built with good intention. Unless the Lord is in your plan your plan is all in vain. God must be the foundation of any and all decisions. It is He that watches over our country, state, city and every home. If you are missing out on sleep because of stress and anxiety, then let me tell you my children that there is hope. This hope can be found and assessed not through mortal hands but with the beams of the Cross. For we know that God gives refuge and sleep to those He loves, and we know that as one of His children He loves you. So, sleep is there waiting for you, it’s a promise to claim. If you have not had a good night sleep in a while, then tonight I challenge you to turn to this verse and know that a good night sleep comes from the Lord.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.”Psalms 127:1-2 NIV
“Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalms 119:105 NIV
Many times, we think we have a big picture of our lives. I know what I want to be doing, where I should be going and it’s a long way off. How do we keep our eyes on Him while making decisions in God’s redemptive hope and freedom? In Psalms we get some insight on how we are to apply God’s word day-to-day in a step-by-step manner.
In vs. 104 the Psalmist shares how God’s word gives us understanding and thus through study and application we indeed hate the wrong paths in our troubled world. Likewise, vs. 105 reminds us God’s word is a lamp for our feet and light on our path. It’s a flashlight that lights the path in a dark and lost world. With His word we see clear boundaries, our journey home and the dark path-each rock and hole in the way is shown to us to avoid the din of fear, hopelessness and danger. Again, there is but one caveat, just having the word, is like having a flashlight with no batteries, without the power source it is no good to us. So also, with God’s word, just having a copy of the Bible is of no use if we have not hidden His word in our hearts. You see the source of our power comes from God’s word hidden in our hearts. It is only then that God’s word will light up a darkened path so that we can see clearly. Indeed, it will do even more than just that, it will become a lighthouse of hope in a lost and dying world. Let us and our families reflect from the Son shine in our lives that all who encounter us cannot help but see the holiness, righteousness, and goodness of our God.
“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalms 119:9-11 NIV
How do we direct our children on the right path? The path is found in God’s word. Psalm 119. We must teach and impress upon our children the importance of living their life searching for God, and that God is to be found in His word. It can be a difficult task to raise our children. I often times question whether I have the balance right, if I am to strict I could push them away, on the other hand if I am too lenient they will not see the importance of what I am trying to teach them and will wander off. There is a desire to promote a biblical-based and Christ-centered culture of honor, spiritual purity, and holiness. At these times I can only turn to God’s grace and mercy. If my children are to follow God’s commands, then they must obviously know what these commands are. And how can they know them unless they have been taught these commands and made them a part of their lives. If God’s Word is not in the hearts and lives of our children, then how can we believe that our children would live according to God’s Word?
Vs. 11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Without this key all our effort is for naught. We must teach God’s Word to our children; we must ingrain the daily reading of the Word into their lives. We must model the importance of regular memorization of the Word, for how else will our children learn to hide His Word in their hearts. The Lord has blessed us with a great privilege and responsibility, to bring up these children that He has entrusted to us. Lord give us the wisdom, love, strength and patience to raise these children in Your path of purity. Amen.
“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6 NLT
Yesterday I talked about why I wrote these short devotionals and I said it was at first for my children. That brings me to my verse for today. This verse is often used as a promise that parents like to fall back on and in a way, it is but it means so much more To “train up” or “direct your children” goes in line with dedicating your child to the Lord and then spending your life teaching them the Word, (see Deut. 6:4-9). This is a God dependent shepherding of the hearts of our children as they grow. To direct them on the, “right path” Proverbs is full of contrast between the right way, the way of wisdom, God’s way and the wrong way, the way of the fool. Proverbs tells us that foolishness is bound up, or is to be found in the heart of a child; Proverbs 7:7, 22:15, so it makes good sense to train our children in the right path as the right path is not found in their natural inclination. So, although Proverbs 22:6 is not a statement of a hard and fast rule, it implies a promise that if the parents will make intentional training in the way that a child should go (the way of wisdom, or God’s way) this early shaping will have a permanent impact for good on the child’s life. Train your child, pray for your child and always remember in the end they are God’s child first only on loan to us as parents.
“Love the Lord with all of our heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk at along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” Deuteronomy 6:5-9
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1 NIV
Often as I write these short devotionals, I think about why I am writing them. Today in fact I was unsure as to a topic, I was praying that the Spirit would impress upon me a verse and this one in Timothy came to me. I do this for a twofold reason, first I started it for my children. Second, for anyone else that would care to read it. The reason I write this for my children is partially laid out in the verse.
We know that false teachers will come out of the church in the later times. They will teach things that are not in the Bible and how will my children know unless I take time to teach them the truth. These teachers that come out of the church, they will abandon the truth, not that they ever had accepted the truth, oh they had a knowledge in their heads, but it had never made a life changing impact on their hearts. They had heard the truth but never accepted the truth. They will come with deceiving doctrines that will sound so good that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. So, to help safeguard my family and whoever else may read this, I write these posts. I pray that God uses them in your lives each day to strengthen your knowledge of the truth and love for Him that gave the truth.
“Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.”
Psalms 119:49 NIV
Do you have a favorite bible verse? Many of us do, it may be a verse that comforts us in time of trouble. Or very likely it may be one of the promises of God found throughout the Bible. I have found that during different seasons of life our favorite verse may change. When looking at the total number of Bible promises found, you will see estimates in the thousands; a reliable one by Everett R. Storms came to 8810 broken into several categories.
These promises of God are a great source of comfort and here in Psalms we have one verse that calls to all the rest. Here the Psalmist calls to God to remember all His thousands of promises and why. For Your promises have given me hope. Yes, the very thing they were meant to do, for He our loving Father has sprinkled His word with promises for one purpose, to give us hope. Promises to hold tightly in the storm, promises to cling to in the day of trouble, promises of a new dawn in the darkest of night. So, my family search scripture for the promises of God, they are trustworthy and true, you may count on them in times of trouble, and remember what the psalmist said, “for you have given me hope.” These are God’s words given to God’s servants, and as a servant of the Lord I may lay hold of His promise and claim them as my own.
“My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! Wake up, my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.” Psalms 57:7-9 NLT
From where does my confidence come? It comes from the Lord; the Lord is my salvation and my rock. It is because of my God that I can sing. There is something special about waking in the morning with psalms on our lips. Our very breath is a unique part of our creation.
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 NIV
How true it is when people say their very breath comes from the Lord. It is at this point of our creation that God becomes the most intimate with His created being, it is with His very breath that He gives life to humanity. And so, there is something special about how we chose to use our breath, a breath given to us by our God, literally and figuratively. Let us awake early in the morning and with the first breath of the day let us break out in song. A song of confidence to the Lord our creator and redeemer. What greater song of thankfulness and praise among the nations can I give then the song of my redemption. So, let our hearts be set on fire with the dawning of the day, let our theme be a song of praise and redemption a song to be sang in the morning among all the nations.
Lord let me meet you early in the morning with a new song on my lips. Let me sing a song of thanksgiving and a song of praise to Your holy name among all the nations. May the first breath of each day be always given to you in song. Amen.
“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come; the cooing of doves is heard in our land.”Song of Songs 2:11-12 NIV
I remember being in elementary school and having to write a poem for each of the four seasons that have passed. Like seasons our spiritual life also goes thru times. My children you will pass thru winter but don’t be dismayed for after winter’s spiritual defeats comes spring. The rising sun and the emerging spring declare that the heavens will not forget nor forsake you. The warmth of the Son returns, and our heart is warmed with the song of the birds with each renewing day. Let us soak up as much of the refreshing light of spring. Let it melt the cold and hardness of our winter heart. This is the time for our soul to seek closer communion and growth with our Lord. It is the spring in which new growth is to be nurtured. For after the winter pruning of dead growth from our lives let us burst forth with the new life of the spiritual spring. Each of us must go through spiritual seasons in our life, but let now be the season of the spring, the season of renewed growth.
Let us stand and soak in the eternal warmth of the light of the Son.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot… He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2,11
““Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”” Romans 11:35 NIV
Who is our God? He is distinct from all other gods, one of the unique things about Him is His Independence from all other. Or in other words, He gets nothing (derives no aspect of Himself) from any source other than Himself. This can be seen in Acts 17:25 and Romans 11:35, God does not have need from His creation. So, Gods actions are moved by Gods will, Hos. 14:4. He does because it is what He has chosen to do.
In our world of change our God is unchanging. In a world of uncertainty our God is always certain and to be counted on. In a world filled with gods that have needs of their followers our God is of Himself having no needs to be meet by His followers. Our God does what He wills for it is who He is, as Nebuchadnezzar said, “He does according to His will…No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”” Dan. 4:35. Our God’s love is not dependent on us, but independent of us and totally dependent on our God who is Independent.
I know that the things I truly love I think of often. When I was away from my wife and kids, I can say I thought of them and prayed for them often. Why is it that they take stage? Because they were on my mind and in my heart. Now let me ask…what do you love most? And does what you say with your mind (what you think of most) match up?
“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”Colossians 3:1b-2 NIV
Our hearts, minds, devotion should also be preoccupied with heaven. For it is there that our King sits in glory and reigns. Our minds should be set on what His mind is set upon. And what things are these? These, “things above” refer to spiritual values. The very things that make up our Lord: love, purity, tenderness, kindness, forgiveness, wisdom and meekness (strength under control). The verse points us to not only think on heaven but to seek heaven with sincerity. As a Christian our whole disposition should be toward heaven, for this is where our deepest affection resides, the one true love of our life can be found here and thus heaven should occupy our hearts and our minds.
Does it ever seem like there is too much pain and suffering? None of us want to face the pain and suffering that will come to us in living our lives. Yet, there are the fundamental realities in life; some call it a trial or tribulation. It could be a struggle with a pattern in our life, some sin that we struggle with and/or haven’t dealt with. Often it seems to be a sin that we are powerless to control, no matter what we do we find ourselves right back in that sin. We encounter darkness, difficult journeys, fatigue and hardships with the present challenge to simply quit.
What we shouldn’t miss is how Jesus is doing something about it and He promised victory and we would be more than conquerors. Jesus observed and experienced our pain, but he didn’t stop there. He said, “But have courage – I have conquered the world.” His life, death and resurrection would change everything. Jesus didn’t try to erase anything when he could’ve and instead, he joins us within it all.
Victories in life…How have we come by these victories? What did we do to gain it? The answer is nothing. The only victory I have is salvation and that is not of me, it is all by Christ. It is the victory of the cross won for me for which I had no part. Just as I went to the cross and placed my trust in Christ for salvation so I must take everything to the cross for victory. Just as the original victory was through, “faith and that not of yourselves”
So, any future victory over sin will be in the same way. I hear so many people as they speak about their battle with some life issue, the truth is the battle with sin was won at the cross. So, what do we do? We come to the cross empty handed just as we did the first time and say to Christ, “Lord I trust you with it and the victory is yours,” for I am more than a conqueror through you. In all things I am victorious in His love, come to the cross empty handed and leave with victory over sin. “Lord, I have trusted You, and Your name is Jesus, for You save Your people from their sins. Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!” Amen.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”Romans 8:37 NIV
“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”Psalms 91:5-6 NIV
My children don’t be afraid of fear’s power and let your hearts be troubled. There are dark valleys in this world and how we dwell in them shapes how we live. You can witness the disposition of the fountains of life or the snares of death in the lives by the choices and actions of people. Be aware, that there is a distinct difference between living motivated by fear and seeking to understand how to guard our hearts and minds in Jesus. Currently, and as an example, there is a growing sense of angst and fear with COVID-19 and we should take all precautions and listen to wise council. Yet, what I speak of is an inward attitude of fear that controls your thoughts and life; this should not be a part of our life. Consequently, I find it interesting that we currently live under the threat of plagues. We are to have no fear of these plagues. Why is this? It is mentioned specifically in following verse – now tell me the Bible is not relevant to our modern world.
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”Psalms 91:2 NIV
I cannot be afraid of these terrors if I turn to God as my fortress, God is my safe place, He is my refuge where I place my trust. If my life is anchored on the rock of my salvation, then how can I be afraid. It never fails that when these thoughts and uncertainties come to me, and they certainly will… they will hit me when I am worn and tired, when I am alone, or in the middle of the night. Then I will turn to my fortress. How? Through prayer and supplication:
Prayer. We live in a time of self-sufficiency and a flawed mind-set. We need Him…pray often.
Listen to God. Take time daily to read the Bible. There is great insight how God acted throughout history, such as, hardships, peace, and plagues. It helps to grow an awareness how He might be working today in the world and in our very own lives.
What joy it should bring us to be able to acknowledge God as our shelter, God as the one who covers us with His wings! In this time of a world filled with terror and fear let us turn to the rock on which we have built our lives, let our hearts, minds and prayers turn at all times to the promises of the Lord our refuge and no harm shall overtake you.
What kind of a friend are you? When people think of you what are you remembered for?
Have you ever heard of the saying, “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You”? — also known as, “The Golden Rule.” What does it mean?
Twenty centuries ago, Jesus talked about The Golden Rule and it is now etched into a mosaic in the United Nations. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…” (Matthew 7:12)
So, what did Jesus say about friendships? He did not say, “Do unto others so that they will do unto you.” It would be self-seeking. Nor did He say, “Do unto others so that they will not do harm to you.” It would be self-defensive. And He definitely did not say “Do unto others who are just like you.” It would be plain self-idolatrous. Jesus teaches us to do for others what we would have them do to us—even if they never give anything in return. That is self-sacrificial.
It is the desire for each of us to have friends, we all want that. Yet, how do you attain and keep good friendships? You must be the kind of person that when others think of you, it brings joy and thanksgiving to their heart. When your friends think of you does it bring them gratitude that they know you or is it dread that comes to their minds?
My children let this thought be on the hearts and minds of your friends when they think of you, may they be glad and thankful that they have you as a friend. May thoughts of your friendship fill them with joy. Be self-sacrificial and be the kind of friend to others that you wish people were to you. That’s right you do it first and then God will bring that other person into your life to be a true friend to you. May your friends thank God that they know you and have you as a friend in their life.
“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3 NIV
It is tough to remain steadfast under trials…I arrived home Sunday night after having to been gone for over 9 weeks. There are so many snares in this world and my fears of my children having run amok appear to have been unfounded. No, it was not a perfect paradise and the teaching process continues to deny ungodliness in this present world. Nevertheless, I’m proud of my kids, what was asked of them was a hard and arduous and they did a great job.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 NIV
In these verses we find half the key to the child parent paradigm, an abundance of books are written on parent-child relationships; yet, the blueprint and absolute truths are found in the Bible. Obey and Honor… I teach my children that there are three parts to obedience. One, you must obey – that’s doing what you are told. Two, honor – doing it with the right heart attitude. Three, timeliness – obeying when you are asked.
Next, we have the promise of, “so that it may go well with you” is a promise of spiritual harmony within the family. And lastly, “may enjoy long life” is a promise to live out the full measure of days as given you by God.
My children if you want to live out a peaceful blessed life then start here. The key to a life of obedience to God begins with the training in the home. Obedience to parents leads to obedience to God as we grow and mature.
Let me close with this, I love you and am so proud to watch you grow into what God has made you to be. No not perfect, but may I come alongside you as your father in those times of trials and give you Godly advice to help with the rest of your life.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7
What amazes you? During the last few months I have been amazed by the outpouring of love that I have seen and experienced. This amazing love has been bestowed on myself and my family. It has come through the love and support of friends and family. I have seen a Christian brother and sister who were without jobs give sacrificially to help financially support my family. I have been amazed as God provided jobs for these people, I believe in response to their faithfulness.
As I was reading the Bible I came across this verse, in 1 John, you can almost hear the amazement in John’s voice. “See what great love” yes, a great love that cannot be explained. A love for which there can be no answer. How can you justify the privilege of being called the children of God? And, yet that is exactly what we are. If you have been washed by the blood of the lamb, then you are a child of God. Yes, God is your Father (this is a major reason Satan wants to destroy the family, if he can change and distort the world’s view of a father then he can lessen the impact of God being our Father) John’s amazement can be felt as he puts word to paper, “and that is what we are!”
We became His children through His lavishly bestowed gift, a love so great it is amazing to think of. Although we are His children, we often times don’t feel like a child of the most high God. The answer is simple we do not live by feelings (sight) but by faith. If God has said something is so, then how we feel is of slight importance. We must decide, will we live in the truth of God’s word?
Lord help each of us to live in faith and truth, and in thanks for the amazing gift you have bestowed on us, the privilege to be sons and daughters of God.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
“When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Exodus 17:12 NIV
When Moses stood on top of the hill with his arms over his head, he was not just a spectator, he was a combatant in the battle. “The Lord is my banner…,” Moses lifted his arms in prayer, he was a prayer warrior. The battle was not won with the physical fight but with the Spiritual conflict. Yes, the battles in our lives often have two aspects, both a physical and spiritual side. We must wrestle with the struggles, battles and sin in our lives. Some of the battle can be seen in public but the majority of our wrestling match must be done in private, while on our knees before the Lord.
It was good for Moses to have friends to assist him as prayer warriors who could come alongside and pray a prayer to the Lord to lift up their brother …people who will bring a stone for additional support. Like Moses let us also set our lives on the Rock of our salvation and trust God even through suffering.
In this verse it never says that Joshua got tired, only that Moses did, the more difficult a spiritual battle the harder it is for our flesh to fight. Spiritual battles require more physical energy than the actual physical part. So, let us cry out in prayer to the Rock of our Salvation for special strength to finish until the sunset of our lives – to the new day dawns – let us battle with steady hands. And until that day when prayer is swallowed up by praise and we open our eyes to a new sun let us call alongside those that will support us both physically and spiritually. Cry out to Jesus to experience the miracle of victory and the intimacy of true worship.
Not only has He promised that He is with us and that He will never forsake us, but He has provided support for us in the form of family, friends, and our church. Only together is victory won…we are to be the body of Christ.
On a good night, if you get away from the city lights and there are no clouds you can see about 2000 stars. It is estimated that there are about 100-400 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Although, scientists do not know for certain and they estimate about two trillion galaxies in our known universe. So, two trillion times 100-400 billion is a number beyond our comprehension. David Block, an astrophysicist, displayed a picture of 100,000,000,000 stars declaring that it would take a person over 2000 years to count those stars. Constellations are made up of stars which, on their own, would be but one small, glowing dot in the darkness. Consequently, it is together that it forms a bigger picture and they tell a more powerful story.
Moreover, here is what we know about the stars. God made all the stars. He is the Maker of heaven and earth which he created for us to worship Him, to reflect the radiance of His glory.
“God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.” Genesis 1:16 NIV
God made and numbered each of the stars and He gave each one a name, and He remembers their names! Each of the stars has a unique name that God knows…How amazing!
“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” Psalms 147:4 NIV
If God can know how many stars exist and their name, then why do we find it so hard to believe that God knows all the details of our lives? He knows all, His power and understanding have no limit. God knows us and cares about the details of our lives.
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.” Psalms 147:5-6 NIV
Remember this, God cares (Luke 12:6-7) He is limitless and nothing is too big for God; thus, all details big or small are the same to Him. And nothing is too big amidst the darkness. Everything is little compared to a God who made the entire universe from nothing. God loves you and cares about all the details in your life. He knows your name and all the things that are going on in your life, family, work and the world.
God gave us an amazing universe that beckons us to look beyond our earthly existence.
As we pray and witness let us lead the lost to the only hope there is for salvation. There is no other way, the gospel is clear and direct. Jesus is the only and true way.
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5 NIV
The Greek word Mesitēs (mediator) is the one person that can intervene between two individuals to restore peace. Jesus is this person, He is the only one, there is no other. It’s only through Jesus that the relationship with God can be restored. Many people have a problem with this single, exclusive claim, made in scripture. They are missing the point. In our world, we want options and choices. The reality is after the fall and looking at how we have traded all to chase after sin, we do not deserve even one way. Yet, in His mercy, He has made a way for us. Instead of grumbling that there is only one way, the lost should rejoice that God provided, “away”. So then as we pray and witness let us lead them to the mediator, the only one that can go between God and man. The only one that can intervene and restore a right relationship with God. We must show them the cross, the empty tomb, and the risen savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1, 3-4 NIV
We are to pray for the lost. The heart of evangelism is to in dwell us. It is this same attitude we find here in 1 Tim. 2, prayers for all people. This pleases God, who wants all people to be saved. You may wonder, but not all people will be saved. If God wants this yet it does not happen, then how can this be? Yes, not all will be saved. God has chosen (the elect) before the foundation of the world. It is a great mystery beyond our human minds. But from our perspective here is the point that matters. Only God knows who are the elect so we are to pray for and take the gospel to everyone. We witness to the lost for one simple reason. Jesus commanded us to do it. God has chosen us as the instruments that He will you to reach the lost. What a joy to know that God chose us for His work. Not until a person responds will we know. (See Matt. 22:14) It then is God’s desire that we witness and pray for the lost. If you have not been, then here’s the call…add the lost to your prayer list.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 KJV
None of us like it, but waiting is great for us. We can learn so much about ourselves and our God when we have to wait. Waiting is a time to worship God and spend time in fellowship with Him. It is then that He is able to renew our strength. If you want to soar in your spiritual life then you must learn to Wait on the Lord. It is in this time of fellowship with Him that He is able to instruct us and lead us into a deeper relationship with Him. This relationship is where our spiritual growth and strength come from. Yes, waiting is hard, at this time many of us are learning like never before. Don’t be bored while you and your family are in isolation, instead use this time productively …WAIT.
I sit here in a hospital room, been here for over a week now. I can text people and I know this whole thing is hard for all of us. I can have zero visitors and I know everyone else is locked down at the same time. I hear from people how hard it is to be trapped in a house all day. Yet, God is using this time in our lives. Is it drawing you closer to Him or are you thinking about yourself, how lonely, isolated or bored you are? Do you think, I dont know how much longer I can go on? Well look at Paul’s life and time in prison. Now he was not isolated for all of this time, some times he had friends. But he was still limited in his movement. In total Paul likely spent 5 to 6 years in prison. God was teaching Paul and us to lean on Him. Think of Paul and the years he spent in prison. We read the Bible and read where he was a prisoner but do we stop to think what that means? To us it’s just a few words in a story to him it was years of his life. Now look at how Paul responded. Do we respond the same way. With Prayer and singing of songs? Do we have a heart of praise?
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25 NIV
“My baby’s dead! My baby’s dead! My baby’s dead!” This is the cacophonous refrain playing from the living room as I am jolted out of slumber by my father. What is this awful sound? Why is my mom screaming?
“Mikey’s dead, son.” Mikey? My dad never called Mike Mikey, but there is no easy way to tell a 5-year-old child that their brother has died. Adding a “y” to the end of his name was about the best he could do to soften the blow. As the reality of the situation sank in, the world began to taste and feel a little different. There had been an irreversible rupture in the cosmos. My brother, Mike, in his senior year of high school, had just been killed in a car accident along with one of his best friends. Jesus did not, so far as we can tell, take the wheel, as the song goes. The wheel stayed on its path to destruction, reminding us all that chaos lurks behind every façade of safety in a broken world. April 28, 1988: The day my mother entered into Mary’s Good Friday passion.
Mom was not the same for a very long time. My father tells me that we would often find her crying alone. By some sort of inner prompting, my 5-year-old self would sit on her lap and hug her, tell her everything would be okay, and that I loved her. These moments were very special and cemented a close bond between mom and me. Sometimes we need someone to mourn with us, sometimes to encourage us, and sometimes both. Christians may take some sort of pride in looking different from the world, but when it comes to death we often look very much the same: afraid.
For centuries, theologians overlooked the question of how Mary might have felt, but debated whether one could use the phrase “God died on the cross.” The most debated portion of the Apostle’s Creed is that portion which affirms that Jesus did, in fact, go to the land of the dead after his death. Jesus died. The Messiah died. God’s chosen one, the Son of God, the Son of Man suffered, died, and was buried. But long before this became a confession that the church would uphold through centuries, plagues, and persecution, Mary was not thinking of doctrines. She was agonizing over the loss of her son. She was present at the crucifixion, one of the few remaining people from his life to see him off. Mary was thinking: my baby is dead. He was alive. Now he is not.
Good Friday this year comes in the midst of a global crisis. As Christians around the world recall the death of Jesus, it seems fitting to remember that it was a death that resulted in fear and mourning, darkness and uncertainty for all who knew and loved him. The life they imagined with him suddenly ended in an abrupt and deafening silence. Mary no doubt felt her own rupture in the cosmos. No one was thinking of atonement. They were just grieved beyond relief and, perhaps, even beyond belief. They did not have the luxury that many of us have when other people are mourning, that impulse to jump from Good Friday to Easter Sunday with a platitude that gives rest to our own anxiety more than it does the mourner’s. The sufferer sits in reality as if it was nothing but ashes, which is where some of us might be today. All you see, taste, touch, and smell are ashes. C. S. Lewis wrote in A Grief Observed of losing his wife: “The act of living is different all through. Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.”(1)
Annibale Carracci, Pieta, oil on canvas, 1599 – 1600.
The crucifixion of Jesus surely spread an absence over everything. His last dying acts would be replayed in the hearts of those who witnessed it. He screams in agony. He pardons a thief. He asks for the forgiveness of those who tear his flesh and lust for his blood. In a touching moment of gentleness, he asks his beloved disciple to watch over his mother, who was already widowed, a death sentence of its own in that time. Death has a way of revealing who we are and these last acts speaks volumes to the heart of Jesus and the kingdom even in that moment he is concerned with ushering in. We are learning of God’s essential self through his incarnate suffering, and it is a lesson we might lean into in the midst of our own global uncertainty and grief.
For as strange as it might seem to say, there is something meaningful, even necessary, about this God who suffers, a God who reveals something of himself through suffering. Christ comforts those who mourn and suffers as one who has been through it himself. He is the original wounded healer. Theologian John Stott explores this significance in his book on the crucifixion, writing:
“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the one Nietzsche ridiculed as ‘God on the cross.’ In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? […] He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered into our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross that symbolizes divine suffering.”(2)
There will be a time when, like a patient returning from cardiac arrest, the whole universe will be awakened and re-set by Christ, the center, source, and conclusion of reality. This is what we hold on Easter Sunday and it is but a jarring glimpse of God’s hand in making all of creation new. But we are not there yet. On Good Friday, Mary cried out with tears as God cried out with earthquakes. Even for the Father, the knowledge of the Son’s future resurrection did not make divine pain any less severe. My mother cries less, and she, too, can face tomorrow because she knows that Christ lives, but the tears will never completely stop on this side of time.
Good Friday shows us, in case there was any doubt before, that something is wrong with the world, something worth mourning deeply. To say that we should not mourn as those without hope is not the same as saying that we should not mourn. There will be a time when God wipes all of these tears from our eyes. We are not there yet but we can surely take heart in the knowledge that God is close to the brokenhearted.
(1) C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2015), 11. (2) John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2006), 326-27.
35 – it’s just a number but to Elda and me it means so much. It means the last of the radiation treatments… 35/35 and today was that day. Today after seven weeks I had my last radiation treatment.
So, is it over? No, there are months of healing and waiting. Did all the cancer cells get destroyed? Wait. Can I go home? Wait. How long until I recover? Wait. Seven long weeks and the God of the universe says wait. So, I have an option I can wait, it’s the same option we all get. The choice is not to wait but how to wait. It’s a choice we all get in our lives and it’s the hardest one of all. Will my children be all right? Wait. What about my marriage? Wait. Work, bills, health? Wait. So, wait strongly on the Lord, be still and know he is in control, rest in His peace.
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalms 27:14 NLT
-Phil
Last Proton therapy scheduled 4/9/2020 at 9:30 a.m.
And he is done! I thank God for great medical expertise at MD Anderson. We will return to Houston in about 3 months for him to receive PET scans and tests to detect if treatments were successful. But for now, it’s time for Phil to face the pain and the discipline of healing. It’s a long road… I am reminded when Ezekiel asks the question, “Can these dead bones live?” The answer was a resounding “Yes!” as God breathes new life into them.
As Phil mentions above, we must wait upon the Lord. Patience has never been my best virtue, but I know a strong one that sees all, El Roi! He knows tomorrow far better than I do, and I am mercifully and continually reminded of that comforting reality.
Thank you praying and for standing with us. Please continue to pray. This battle is not over, but this battle has already been won—because of Calvary.
Pastor Phil is still in the hospital. Elda is still away from him due to this virus going around that makes it impossible for her to be by his side. Physically, at least.
Often, as you’re going through cancer treatments, things can get really tough – physically, mentally and emotionally. There are times when you feel that if one more thing happens, if one more thing goes wrong…then, that’s it…I can’t take any more…I just can’t bear it. This applies to the patient, and the one caring for, praying for, and serving that patient.
The truth is, cancer or not, we all get weary. We all have burdens we must carry. We all have pain we must endure. We all have sorrow we must bear. We all have fear we must surrender. We all have…
But, because of Jesus, we all also have a hope that anchors us. We all have a peace that surpasses our understanding. We all have a joy that can’t be explained. We all have a love that…hopes all things, believes all things, endures all things.
Because of Jesus, we have a confidence that keeps us walking the road He has prepared for us – even when it’s hard.
So…it’s time to re-grip. It’s time to strengthen our knees. It’s time to tell Jesus all of our problems and then allow Jesus to renew us from the inside out. It’s time to walk the road God has so lovingly prepared for us. Though, to our human eyes it may look dark and treacherous. It may feel unknown, insecure and scary. And, we may be afraid. But, He has promised to mark a straight path for us. He has promised to lead us and go with us. And, He always keeps His promises!
SO…. “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.” Hebrews 12:12-13
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. Psalms 37:7-8 NIV
Be still, we are to wait in peace, and rest before the Lord. Evil people should not be on our minds (we should not worry about them getting ahead) God has said they will not prosper. In the end they will wither like the grass.
To worry (fret) brings only evil. When you worry it will only lead to evil and anger in your own life so don’t do it. When we worry or get angry we are saying to God that we don’t trust you to do what is right. We believe there is justice for the evil and blessing for the righteous. Yet, we must wait on His truth…God does not move at our speed but if God is anything He is just, loving, and faithful. We can trust God to do what is right. ALWAYS.
Good morning my family and friends. I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your support and encouragement the past few weeks. It truly cannot be said how grateful Phil and I are for your love and prayers. Please continue to pray…Phil was hospitalized on Friday night and now requires 24/7 medical attention.
We are blessed to have been able to consult with doctors at the renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Truly God did a miracle in getting Phil here. His doctor feels confident with his proton radiation and chemotherapy treatments. There have been extra precautions with his treatments because of COVID-19 pandemic and no visitors are allowed into the hospital. Through faith I can rely that he is not alone…thank you Jesus! I am so grateful! God has given us more than we can imagine, and I prayerfully look forward to gradually seeing this disease mend.
I have learned through these difficult times what it means to be truly blessed…the Bible always assures us that God is with us. He is our comforter; He is our healer. He is our physician; He is our provider! I can rely that He knows better than I do. I must admit that some days have been painful yet, my heart has been at rest that this is all God’s plan.
Again, thank you for the heartfelt prayers on Phil’s behalf. It has brought a smile on his face, hope to his heart, and given us both more reasons to give thanks to our Savior for His grace and faithfulness in our lives.
`“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—” Ephesians 6:1-2 NIV
This seems simple on the face of it, children do what your parents says, but it is much much, more. And it starts with Dads.
“In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7 NLT
To live with understanding means putting the wife’s deepest physical and emotional needs In the for front. With sensitivity and understanding toward your wife. This comes into play most often in the family with the children. Husbands be sensitive to your wife when dealing with the children. Be mindful of how the children address your wife, would you let any other person talk to your wife in such a way? Then why would you let her on kids disrespect her? It does not matter if the kids agree with her or even think she is right or wrong, as long as it is not illegal or immoral they are to obey. Children this is to be done with Honor. That means obedience done the right way, (attitude) done how it was asked, (obedience) done when it was asked, (timeliness). These three things make up the parts of “children, obey your parents” Perhaps the hardest part is the heart (attitude) and it is the most important. Dad if you are not shepherding your child’s heart you are missing the boat. Its not about blind obedience. It is about living in an understanding way. With the kids and wife. Doing life as a family.
You can not fight error without knowing the truth.
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV
When we put on the whole armor of God we notice that with one exception it is all defensive. Only the sword is an offensive weapon. And what is the sword, it is the Word of God. If you do not know the word you are a soldier without a weapon. The Word has the power to break through strongholds, or fortresses. The Greek word Ochuroma (Fortresses) is also used in two other cases. You see we build a fortresses around ourselves made of human thought and reason. The word can break through these fortresses. We call these thoughts, philosophies, theories, viewpoints, opinions and religions. These fortresses quickly become our prison, just as when an ancient army would attack everyone would go into the fortresses, but now they are trapped inside and far to often they would die trapped inside. Yes, the same word can be used for fortresses, prison and tomb. Unless a Christian comes along with the Word and smashes down the walls entrapping the lost they will die within the fortresses and be lost forever. Demolish their arguments and help them take captive those thoughts and make them subject to Christ as a new believer.
Who wants to be a Super Hero? Well you can, and here’s how.
“The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!”
Psalms 16:3 NLT
God says that if you will live a godly life, make God first in all that you do. If He is your focus, then He says “You Are A Hero.” If God says you are a hero, I think that’s as close as you can come to being a Super Hero. Would you not agree?
Set apart by God in our redemption and sanctification. Set apart by the Holy Spirit to live a life called out and unique among the world. Set apart for a special work What kind of work you may ask? Well, obviously the work of a Super Hero for Christ, for our power does not come from within us but from the power of the Spirit filling and controlling us at all times.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV
Thank you Russell for the help with today’s devotional. Last week I was dismayed, I had been sick all day, stuck at the hospital. I had spent half the day in the car in the a parking lot. Now it was time for my radiation treatment. I wont get into all the details but the treatment did not go well and they had to reset my appointment for the next week. The next day Russell sent me this verse in the morning. “Fear not for I am with thee” these are famous words, but what does it mean. Yes, I know God is with me, He’s God and He’s everywhere right? Oh, it means so much more then just that dear brothers and sisters. He is with you in a special way. He is there by your side in your times of trouble to comfort and strengthen you. You are held in His hand.
For that reason you do not need to fear any enemy, trial, suffering or trouble that may come your way. “With the right hand of my righteousness” Name any place you would rather be than in the right hand of your savior. This is a special place, nothing can harm you in Jesus hand. This is a powerful protection and preservation, this hand will not let you go till you stand in the very presence and grace of our Father. This hand…unfailing hand will see you through till the very end, through all trials and temptations. Amen.
“As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV
What an incredible privilege, the same God I confess as my Lord and master, of whom I am but a humble slave. This same God has proclaimed that I, of all people, am a partner (co-worker) in His work. He has taken me in to be a laborer alongside in the work of salvation. Paul says, “To receive in vain” for not all in the church were real believers. Paul could see the sin in the church and feared that the work, in many lives, had been for nothing. Do not let the sin of the world rob you of God’s favor. For today is the day of God’s salvation. There is urgency to that last statement, if you do not know Jesus as your personal savior today is the day.
So if I may address this last piece. We are in the world but must draw a line of distinction between ourselves and the world. If there is no clear line how do they know. Or if I may be so bold as to say if your Christian life does not offend unbelievers then it is because they see no light coming from you. You have not accepted the challenge to be a co-worker with Christ.
“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Psalms 27:8 NIV
When God calls us to seek His face, let us respond in confidence: “I will seek.” This we can do because we may go boldly before the throne as we have a High Priest that takes us right to the very seat of God. He is the only mediator between God and man, and it is through His work that I can come and seek the face of God. And how do I seek God’s face? With my prayer as a sacrifice.
“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”
Psalms 141:2 NIV
Our prayers rise up before the throne of God as a sweet fragrance, pleasing our Lord. So in our daily lives let us not forget to make time to seek the face of the Lord in our prayers.
“My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Psalms 27:8 NIV
When God calls us to seek His face. Then let us respond in confidence, “I will seek.” This we can do because we may go boldly before the throne as we have a High Priest that takes us right to the very seat of God. He is the only mediator between God and man and it is through His work that I can come and seek the face of God. And how do I seek God’s face, with my prayer as a sacrifice. “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”
Psalms 141:2 NIV
Our prayers rise up before the throne of God as a sweet fragrance pleasing to our Lord. So in our daily lives let us not forget to make time to seek the face of the Lord in our prayers.
“It is: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,”
2 Corinthians 4:13 NIV
Paul proclaims that he has the same Spirit as the Psalmist, vs 13 has a quote from Psalm 116. Paul believes what has been written in scripture and therefore he must speak. Paul found it impossible to believe and not spreed the Gospel. True belief compels a strong, consistent, testimony of the truth. If this is not a characteristic of your life, why? Is your heart weak? Do you lack conviction? Then turn to Jesus, ask and He will give you what lack, Lord I believe help my unbelief. Those who believe cannot help but speak the truth.
Lord give us boldness in our conviction and belief that we may speak your Gospel truth to our world, Amen.
Today as I was waiting my turn to go into radiation treatment I saw a young mother get off the elevator. She was carrying a young baby. I looked at the arms and quickly saw the white arm band on the baby, only patients have the white arm band, and my heart was broken in that instant. I watched as they called the mother and took her in, soon she returned without the child and sat close to me. I went over and said, “Hi” I asked how old her daughter was and she told me one and a half. They had already gone through a surgery, chemo and now 6 weeks of radiation. Her daughters name is Camille. I told her I would pray for Camille and the mother began to open up, she was a Christian and she told me how God had been using Camille in the lives of people all around her. How Dr’s and nurses would ask what was different about this family and this baby. Nurses would look for a reason to come to their room since they could feel something different. If God can use a baby in peoples lives, how much more could he do with us if we would just have the heart and willingness of a child?
“Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”
1 Peter 3:18 NLT
The verses before this one Peter encourages the believers to do what is right even in the face of opposition and/or suffering. Then he points to Jesus suffering for us. Christ suffered once for all time, His death was in contrast to the centuries of animal sacrifice where millions of animals had been killed. He died once for all a perfect sacrifice that would never need to be repeated. It was enough to cover the sins of the world for all time. So surly it is enough to cover all of your and my sins no matter how bad we think we have been, no matter how undeserving we feel we may be, for none of us did right, we where all lost in our sins and He came and found us. He died and saved you to bring you home to heaven. He died a real physical death, and was raised to new life so that we may know that someday we also will be raised to a new life in heaven.
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
2 Corinthians 3:3-6 NIV
The church at Corinth was a testimony to the work and ministry of Paul and his partners. The Spirit of God had changed their hearts. This was the result of the work of Paul. In our daily lives we may not conceder our vocation a ministry, work, school, home, but it is. What fruit do you have to show for your ministry? This change in the Corinthians was written in their hearts, something written is visible to be seen and read, and so the change in them was visible. If you are living your ministry as Paul lived his one should be able to see a written change in the lives of others. This is not from your effort or as Paul says, “competence” but from the power of the Spirit working through you. “Our competence comes from God.” It is He who gives us the skill, power and energy to minister(share) the new covenant. And what is this new covenant, it is Christ, crucified, buried and raised from the dead. Here in only, will man find forgiveness of his sins.
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
What topics do you think you’ll write about?
Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
What topics do you think you’ll write about?
Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
What topics do you think you’ll write about?
Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
Anchor In The Storm 