Protection by God – Psalm 37:32-33

God Protects The Righteous

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the
wicked or let them be condemned when brought
to trial.

Treacherous Traps

Does it ever feel like evil people want you dead?  They probably do.  David expressed this feeling in this passage.  Saul’s men were told to find him and kill him.  David was on the run for many years.  Throughout history, there has been great effort and expense put forward to stifle the truth.

Saul of Tarsus was one such person.  He received authorization to put to death any Christians he found.  Stephen was stoned to death under Saul’s supervision.  The people who are doing this need to be prayed over in the same way that both Christ and Stephen prayed for them:

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

In a world that is growing darker with evil by the moment, we must remember that the darkness hates the light, and will do anything it can to extinguish the light.  And while this is a terrible tragedy that is occurring, we must remember one thing:  God is sovereign.

Powerful Protection

God is also holy and just.  He is our fortress, our strong tower.  The righteous run to Him, and He protects them.  David stresses here that God will not allow all of His righteous to be in the power of the wicked; He will deliver us from the wicked.  He delivered David from Goliath; Peter from the Romans; Daniel from the lions; Paul from those who vowed to fast until Paul was dead.  There are many other examples of this.

Also remember that sometimes God delivers us when He allows the wicked to overcome us.  Many were crucified, beheaded, tortured to death, and suffered greatly at the hands of the wicked.  Yet God delivered them in death to Jesus, where they now wait patiently until the return of Jesus Christ in glory.  God delivered Jesus from the hands of His accusers in a trial of travesty that resulted in His death on a cross.  But God used that to bring more glory to Himself through the resurrection.  Regardless of whether you are delivered in this life or the next, God WILL deliver you through it.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I trusting God to deliver me through my trials?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You and only You can deliver me from those who seek my destruction.  Remember me this day, Lord God, and provide me with Your peace that defies all understanding.  Help me to endure the indignities of slander, libel, abuse, and if needed, even death itself.  Strengthen me that I would be able to endure, and to praise You throughout all of it.  Regardless of the loss that I have in this life, nothing compares to the riches I have gained in being found in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Guard my heart so that I will not become embittered at the ones who seek my destruction, and lay traps before me.  Vindicate me, Oh God, in the presence of my enemies, and forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.  Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Spiritual Development with God – 1 John 2:12-14 (NASB)

Everyone Is In A Different Stage Of Spiritual Development

12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Past and Present

John reaches out to three groups of believers in both the present tense (first part) and the past tense (latter part).  He is writing to remind them of their spiritual state and growth in Christ.  This may be due to the growth that has occurred in the church, and John wishes to remind those from where they came and where they are now.  He reminds them in both tenses of essentially the same thing for each stage of spiritual development.  He does this to encourage them in their spiritual growth.

Children in Christ

John first mentions the children – the babes in Christ.  He reminds them that their sins are forgiven.  As we throw off the grave-clothes of our old lives, and emerge freed from their restrictive effect upon our spiritual movement, we need to continually remember that we have been forgiven our sins.

The devil and his minions would continually remind us of the past, and try to get us focus on what was rather than on what is – that we are free in Christ.  Young babes in Christ must be reminded that God has forgiven them their sins for two reasons:

  1. We should no longer act in the way that we used to
  2. Now that we are free, we are capable of experentially knowing the Father through participating in His character as we walk with Him

Fine Fathers

John next addresses the more mature followers in Christ – the fathers.  In both tenses, he reminds them of their spiritual maturity in that they know the character of the living God.  Indeed, they have participated in His character and walk in it.  As they walk in God’s character, God reveals more of Himself to them so that they can walk even closer.

This is important to remember as we mature in Christ.  We are to be encouraged to seek out and experience God’s character more and more each day.  And we should remember that we have overcome the first two stages of spiritual development:

  • Childhood – learning to walk
  • Adolescence – overcoming obstacles through strength and discernment

Adolescent Achievers

John finally addresses those who spiritual development is in a state of great spiritual flux.  These are disciples who are learning to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.  They have successfully learned to resist the temptations placed before them, and are about to embark on the more difficult journey of greater spiritual maturity.

John reminds this group in both tenses that they have overcome the evil one.  That is no small thing.  The Holy Spirit is the one who empowers us to walk with God.  This group has been commended for yielding their lives in holy obedience to God’s word and development in discernment so that they can overcome the devil.  They are beginning to mature, but are not yet walking in full maturity.

Just as young men take on more responsibility and find out who they are as men, so these disciples are finding out who they are in Christ.  They are being proven as faithful and worthy, and will soon discover their place and purpose among the family of believers that they are attached to at present.  Sometimes, there is no substitute for experience that difficulty in life can present.  And once they are trained by it, they will bear much fruit in maturity.

 A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Where am I in my spiritual growth development?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, it is You who have graciously given me the opportunity to walk with Your Son, Jesus Christ, in holiness and obedience.  Without His sacrificial blood, I would still be lost in my sins.  For this I am eternally grateful – that although You are completely just, You have shown me mercy and grace.  Please extend your mercy and grace to all who do not yet know You.  Woo them to You as You have done with me.  Strengthen me in my walk with You that I would mature and be complete, lacking in nothing.  Help me as I walk to further grow spiritually and to be dependent on You completely without reservation.  Help me to be fully obedient to Your Holy Spirit.  Help me to die to self, pick up my cross daily, and follow You.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Character of God – Matthew 28:11-15

God Does Not Deceive

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Honor in Honesty

The guards who had witnessed the angels opening the tomb that held our savior first did the right thing: they told the truth to the chief priests.  This is interesting, insofar as they were Roman soldiers, and should have reported this to their commanding officer.  While the Bible doesn’t say why they went to the chief priests first, it is a fairly goo assumption that the presence and power of angels at the tomb both enthralled and frightened them. It is most likely that they sought to understand what they had experienced, and sought out the experts in this area, the chief priests.  God does not like deception, but honors those who tell the truth.  The guards, fearing for their lives, went to the priests first and did what was right: they told the truth.  And what an interesting story came out of that meeting.

Paid to Perjure

Imagine the surprise of the guards who went to the chief priests of the Jews with their story.  Imagine being told that you were believed, but that you needed to cover up the truth.  Not only that, but a large bribe was provided to ensure that you perjured yourself.  And not only were you asked to perjure yourself, you were told that you needed to admit that you had failed to complete your duties (in this case, sleeping on the job)?  This was unconscionable, and could have caused the soldiers to lose their lives.

Not only were they asked to falsify their account, they were asked to say that they were incompetent, and that a bunch of unarmed fishermen were able to somehow overcome them to be able to steal away the body.  Although corruption may have been occurring, it was coming from the very highest ranked people who were charged with teaching and modelling God’s law – the chief priests.  Jesus rightly called them a brood of vipers, and whitewashed tombs with dead men’s bones inside.

Corrupted Collusion

The soldiers were promised that if the report of their false story were to come up to the governor, they would satisfy him as well.  Imagine being a soldier and being told that your Commander-in-Chief would be bought off.  Perhaps it was the money or the disgrace, but the soldiers did what was asked of them.  And Paul rightly condemned this type of behavior:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness

Jesus said that these people were of their father, the devil, and that they spoke his native tongue – lying:

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I honoring God with my speech?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have shown us Your character is perfect through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Help me to remember this when I am placed in difficult circumstances and asked to do what is wrong.  Give me the courage to stand up for the truth, and to accept whatever consequences come from it.  Guard my heart as I stand for You.  Prepare me to be a holy vessel, set apart from sin and dedicated to You.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

The Love of God – Luke 6:32-36

God Is Love

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Love the Lost

Jesus has set the standard for love.  When we were still sinners, He allowed Himself to be impaled upon the cross for our sins.  It wasn’t the nails that kept Jesus on the cross – it was His love for us.  Nothing and no one could have kept Jesus on the cross if He didn’t want to be there.  He told us in His word that he could have called upon twelve legions of angels to come to His aid if need be.

The love of God is a recurring theme throughout all of scripture.  The Israelites have repeatedly ignored the laws that God has given them in His covenant to them, yet God has promised to redeem them.  Though they suffered much, God still protects them today from their enemies.  In the due course of time, and to the glory and praise of God, He has brought them together and gave them back their country after millennia of being dispersed.

God loved Adam when he sinned, and sacrificed an animal for his sins as well as to give him and Eve covering for their bodies.  God gave us the perfect covering for our sins in the blood of Jesus Christ, which acts as a robe of righteousness and washes away our sins.  God it the one who continually provides for us, even and especially when we act wickedly towards Him.  God seeks out the lost not because they came to Him first, but because He loves them.

God gives us His resources to use, knowing that at some time, we may abuse them, or use them in a way that does not honor Him.  God is gracious in this time and time again, generation after generation.  God’s continuous act of giving all of us access to His sunshine and rain shows that God loves all of us.

We have been provided much from God.  When we use our resources to just help one another, and don’t help the wicked and evil among us, we are not properly bearing the image of God.  It seems counter-intuitive to help the wicked, for we know that they greatly want us to fail.  They will use every means at their disposal to destroy our character through (false) accusations, take what isn’t theirs, and attempt to force us to do their bidding through governmental force when we no longer respond to accusations of hatred and bigotry.  They deny God (as we once did), and do the same things to Him (as they think they can).  Yet God still seeks them (and us) out.

We need to remember that God is calling all to repentance.  We need to reach out to our enemies to try to reconcile with them, within the limits of the laws of God.  God seeks to destroy His enemies by making them His friends.  And should they refuse His initial attempts, He shows them even more mercy.  But even God has limits.  And anyone who refuses to respond to the love of God will receive His judgment and punishment.

Magnificently Merciful

God is full of mercy and grace.  His mercies renew every morning.  God has compassion upon us because He loves us.  Jesus knows how difficult it can be walking with flesh on.  God has been so merciful, that He has tolerated the systematic slaughter of more than fifty million babies alone in the United States of America to the god of abortion.  Anyone of lesser character would be so angry that they might utterly destroy such a callous, unfeeling, murderous, ungrateful, and rebellious people.  Yet God continues to show all of us mercy.  We need to remember His mercy when our enemies need our help.  God also promises a great reward for this.  And while He doesn’t elaborate, I believe that the great reward is the ability to experience His character, and draw closer to Him.  For when we experience His character and draw close, we become more like Him.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I loving my enemies with compassion, mercy, and assistance?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You show us mercy, compassion, and love each and every day.  Help me, Father, to experience Your character in a more personal way every day.  Show me how to love my enemies.  Help me to see them the way that You see them, and to react in a way that correctly displays Your character to all that watch.  Show them Your love through my love, compassion, and mercy.  Grant them peace and prosperity.  Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training with God -James 3:7-10

How Can Salt Water Come Out Of A Fresh Water Spring?

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Triumphantly Tamed

Man has indeed tamed many beasts – those that roam the Earth, fly above the Earth, and swim in the waters of the Earth.  God has given man the mandate to rule over all living creatures of the Earth.  And man has been somewhat successful in his attempts at this.  James notes this to make a comparison to man’s utter failure at one very important aspect of control – his own tongue.

Terrible Tamers

Mankind is terrible at taming the tongue.  Very few have complete reign over their tongue.  The Bible tells us that out of our mouth is the overflow of our hearts.  Good men bring good things stored up out of their mouth, and evil men bring evil things.  And since no one is inherently righteous, we bring up evil things out of the storehouse of our hearts.  Very few people are able to say the right things when placed under great adversity.  We should remember that, and hold our tongues, for we will be acquitted or condemned by what we say.

Praise and Profanity

In the same way, James reminds us that we bring forth out of our mouths both praise and cursing.  While this sounds normal to us, it is anything but normal.  God ALWAYS brings forth good things out of His mouth.  Even His judgments are good and righteous.  Yet we as humans bring forth both good and evil.  How is this possible?

Disturbing Dilemma

James asks that question: how can we bring forth both praise and cursing out of our mouths?  We are not to be double-minded.  Before we knew God, we were bringing forth evil out of our mouths.  Our sin nature had us in bondage.  But now that we have been redeemed, and God has placed a new heart within us, we should only be bringing good things out of our mouths.  Praise should always be on our lips, not cursing.

How can a good tree bring forth both good and bad fruit?  It cannot.  It should not.  We must always remember that as God’s image-bearers, we are responsible for showing the world the Father, reflecting the Son, just as Jesus reflected the Father.  When we bring both praise and curses out of our mouth, we are not bearing the image of God properly.  Make the choice: ensure that the words from our mouths are in alignment with God’s character.  We have the choice, and should exercise it in the most holy of ways.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I bringing forth praise and/or cursing from my mouth?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have given us freedom from the bondage of the slavery of sin.  Thank You Father for the very precious gift of the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Help me to remember Your holiness as I struggle with frustration and the temptations of evil to do and say what is counter to Your character.  Strengthen me to choose to do the right things and say the right words, that You would be glorified.  Unite my heart with Yours that I would bring praise from my mouth and not cursing.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Mercy of God – James 2:12-13

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Precedent of Privilege

The law that gives freedom is mercy.  Mercy overrides judgment, and provides the vehicle through which God can have compassion on us.  God’s holiness demands that we be punished, but God’s mercy is the velvet glove over the proverbial iron hand.  God’s word says that His mercies renew every morning.  God can have compassion on us through His mercy.

Conviction without Clemency

Because mercy is a character trait of God, we are expected to display it as His image-bearers.  James tells us that when we are without mercy, we will be shown God’s judgment without the tempering action of His mercy.  That should be very sobering to us.  No matter what anyone does to us or to our loved ones – physical, emotional, financial, sexual, or any other kind of assault, the act of sinning is far more egregious to God than what was done to us by men.  We must keep in mind that God displays His character to us as we experience His character through the way we live our lives.  When we show mercy to others, God gives us a better appreciation for and understanding of His merciful nature.

Grander Grace

Isn’t it wonderful that mercy triumphs over judgment?  Without mercy, the first time anyone sinned they would be immediately thrown into Hell.  The human race would have ended before it had begun, with Adam’s immediate incarceration in the lake of fire (Eve was just deceived – Adam was the one who sinned).  We greatly desire justice, but should also desire mercy for others.  We cry out to God to show us mercy.  Why should we not extend the same courtesy to others that we ourselves desire from God?

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Is my first inclination to desire mercy or judgment for those who have wronged me?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I am grateful that You have shown me mercy in the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, for my sins through His death and resurrection.  Help me to have the same attitude towards mercy that You have, that I might show mercy to others when they have wronged me.  I recognize that mercy does not excuse their behavior, but provided a loving outreach to them so that they can have a change of heart about what they are doing.  I recognize the pain that I will have since justice has not been fully meted out, but I greatly desire to better understand Your merciful nature as I do my best to live out Your character in my daily life.  Strengthen me in this, for my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training with God – John 8:31-38

Adhere To The Teachings Of Jesus Christ

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 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?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

Disciples are Devoted

The term “Christian” has been used for over a thousand years to refer to people who say they believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Originally, people referred to the followers of Jesus as chrestos, or “the kind ones.”  They were gentle and humble of heart.  Just after the crucifixion of Jesus, His followers did amazing things.  They would go down by the river to retrieve children that were tossed away by their parents and raise them as their own.  When plagues came to the cities, everyone fled, but the chrestos rushed in to provide relief and help, often to their own peril.

The term “Christian” was, at that time, a derogatory pejorative.  However, a more proper term for those who believe Jesus would be “disciple”.  Anyone can claim the title “Christian”, because all it means is that someone believes Jesus is the Son of God.  Even the demons believe, and shudder.  A disciple, on the other hand, would be expected to follow in their master’s footsteps, copying everything that their master did.  They were obedient to their master’s teachings, and not only professed to believe, but lived out their lives in a manner worthy of their master.  They were not merely claiming intellectual ascent to their master’s ideas and ways, they practiced them in such a way that they were indistinguishable from them, to the best of their ability.

Truth Triumphs

In a world where our leaders (and even leaders nearly two thousand years ago) would exclaim, “What is truth?“, we live in a time where culture embraces the idea that truth is relative to the person, and that there is no such thing as an absolute.  Rather, culture teaches that the end justifies the means, and whatever means necessary are not only valid but are required to ensure the desired outcome for anything that we do.

Jesus monumentally stated that when we know the truth, it will set us free.  And when we are set free by the Son, we are free indeed.  Sin keeps us in bondage to itself.  It is only by throwing off the yoke of sin and placing the yoke of Christ upon our shoulders that we are able to act freely.  This comes at a great price, as people scorn, persecute, and often execute those who do this.

Monumental Misunderstanding

The Jews that Jesus was talking to had claimed that they had never been slaves of anyone.  In their eyes, they had always been under the care and protection of the Lord God Almighty. It was He who was sovereign, and so if any difficulty came in the form of being scattered and sold as slaves, it was at the providence of God that it occurred.  Esther declared that they had been the slaves of others, but it did not bother them:

“For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

Even she has admitted that they were sold into slavery, yet in their minds, they were the children of God, and merely being disciplined.

Slavery in Sin

Sin entraps those who choose it in a terrible, invisible prison of slavery.  Once we sin, we have become its slave.  Each and every time we say yes to sin, we become more inured to its effects.  Our thinking becomes clouded, and we being to justify what we are doing.  We are unaware of the hardening of our hearts, and the destruction of our souls.  King David went down this path when he raped Bathsheba.  He began a terrible string of errors to cover his sin that eventually led to the murder of Bathsheba’s husband.  Only a public rebuke by God through the prophet Nathan was able to get him to realize the extent of his sin.

Sin whispers that it is too late, and there is no recovery.  We often believe the lies and become its slave for a time.  But thanks be to God for His Son, Jesus Christ, who has overcome sin, the world, and Satan.  We have repentance through His blood and access to the throne of God to repent and again throw off the yoke of slavery that we bear in sin.

Phenomenal Freedom

Jesus Christ tells us that if the Son sets us free, we are free indeed.  The sacrifice for sin in the precious, sinless blood of the lamb of God was the final, complete, and unconditional payment for our sin in full.  In that blood, we are declared righteous by God; and once exonerated (pardoned), the crime can no longer be held against us.  When we are freed by Jesus from our sin, for all sins past, present, and future, no one can lay a charge against the elect of God – they have been declared sin-free.

We must now live out the freedom that Christ paid so dearly for with His blood in our daily lives as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God.  It is through obedience to the teachings of our master that we the bondage and slavery of sin are shrugged off as we walk in the truth that sets us free.  For when we no longer walk in darkness but in the light, we are freed from the slavery that the absence of light perpetuates, for the darkness hates the light; the light has freed the captives.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Is there anything in our lives that is holding us in darkness and keeping us as its slave?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have freed me from the bondage and slavery of sin, and I thank and praise You for Your sacrifice.  Thank You for showing me the light of the world, and the eternal truth that is Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Help me, Father, to walk in the light as I willingly give myself to You fully so that Your purposes may be displayed in me.  Transform me with Your word through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Help me to walk in truth, and to free myself from the slavery of sin.  I cannot serve two masters, and willingly choose You.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Grace of God – John 1:14-18

God Is Full Of Grace

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Glorious Grace

Since before time began, God was the embodiment of grace.  Before any matter ever existed, grace had always been and was perfected invested in the Lord God Almighty.  Knowing all that would ever transpire, it took God grace to bring it into existence, knowing the pain and hardship that would follow.  God’s grace, as a key part of His perfect and defining character, would be fully on display with the fall of humanity into sin, and the subsequent restoration of man through the life, death, and resurrection of none less than the Son of the Living God.

Angels seek to look into these things, for they have not been the recipient of God’s grace.  As the recipients of such a magnificent and glorious aspect of the character of God, we too should look into His grace throughout time since God sacrificed an animal for the sin of Adam, and gave a final sacrifice for sin through Jesus Christ.

First and Foremost

As an archetype, Jesus was and will always be the first and foremost in everything, for He was the one who, through His voice, brought all of creation into existence.  John the Baptist recognized this, and declared Jesus (his cousin) to be before him, even though John the Baptist was born first into a physical body ,and preached repentance and holiness in preparation for the grace that was to become ours through the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was not the first person to be awakened from his sleep in death (for more information, read up on the lives and deeds Elijah and Elisha in 1 & 2 Kings), but was the first to be transformed through His resurrection into His post-resurrection, perfected human form.  Christ was perfect and sinless, and therefore deserves to be the first in all.  He has rightly received the title King of Kings and Lord of Lords, for He and He alone did all that the Father desired of Him without ever sinning once.

Grace is Greater

Moses was entrusted with the Law of God, and through him came the other rules through which man may live in relationship with each other and with God.  The law is not grace, but rather a perfect litmus test to show us that everyone who was born as the seed of Adam is in need of God’s grace.  The law merely points out our need – grace fulfills the need.  And it is through the perfect grace of God that we are saved, and not by our own hands, that no one may boast.

Grace is like Bernoulli’s principle and the Law of God like gravity.  Gravity is a power force, but Bernoulli’s principle provides a stronger force to overcome it.  Grace overcomes the law, and as such is much more powerful.  As we set our eyes upon the the beauty of the One who is the embodiment of grace, we should remember that grace triumphs over the law as it is more powerful.

Radical Relationship

John briefly mentions in this passage the relationship between the Son and the Father, indicating that it Jesus is in the closest relationship with the Father.  It is through this amazing relationship that the sacrifice of Jesus that we are able to reap the benefit of God’s grace.  Even now, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding in prayer for us.  And the glory and the power of grace is being poured out from Heaven upon all who are the recipients of the imputed righteousness of Christ through the incredible relationship that exists between the Father and the Son.

This relationship is so powerful, that we are given the right to become God’s children through adoption.  God is not our foster parent; He is our adoptive Father, fully embracing us as His very own children, to participate in His glory and grace and riches.  For God owns all that He has created, and seeks to share His wealth with His children as an inheritance that is unequaled.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I growing in my relationship with others as in the same way that God seeks to deepen my relationship with Him?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have prepared everything in advance, and know all things before they happen.  You have foreseen my failures, and still love me and seek after me.  I thank You for your patience, kindness, mercy and grace.  Strengthen me when I fall, and help me to get back up immediately so that I can continue on this arduous journey of life that becomes more difficult with every passing second.  The time of the coming of Your Son approaches rapidly, and I seek to be prepared so that when He arrives, You will find Your house in order, and all that You have requested of me will have been accomplished.  Forgive me for my sins, and grant me Your mercy and grace, of which I need more of every moment that I grow in You, for as You reveal Yourself to me, I realize more and more just how far I am from the embodiment of holiness that is Your perfect character.  This I ask in Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Holiness of God – Matthew 21:12-13

Do Not Profane What Is Holy

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.'”

Righteous Rebuke

Jesus was not a wimp.  He was gentle and humble of heart.  But when He saw that His Father’s temple courtyard was being used in a manner that was disrespectful and counter to its intended purpose – to provide a space where the people could come to worship His Father, He reacted.  He overturned the money tables and benches of people who changed a place of worship into a place of profit.

To be clear, it is not that Jesus was against people making a profit with their labor.  It was the use of something holy in a profane way that was so egregious to Him.  They had taken a place that was meant for worship and defiled it by selling their wares.  God was to be glorified in this place, and yet the sellers of merchandise dared to use what was dedicated to God to line their own pockets.  God is genuinely jealous of what is His.  He will not allow us to prostitute ourselves to sin when we have been dedicated to His purpose.

Practice Prayer

Jesus had informed the ones who had defiled His Father’s house that they had maligned what God had declared was holy – set apart to him and set apart from the world.  The merchants did not care that the temple was to be used for prayer – for holy communication between man and God.  They only saw the opportunity to make some money providing the service of the easy availability of sacrificial animals to those who would come and worship.

We would do well to remember that we are now the temple of God.  And we are not just the temple courtyard; our bodies are the naos of God – the holy of holies.  God has declared us to be holy through the righteousness of Christ.  It behooves us to use our bodies in a manner that befits its station and purpose.  Otherwise, we will be responsible for defiling what God has made holy.

Design Destroyed

Not only were the merchants impeding the worship of God by their very presence with their wares, they were taking what was holy and making it worldly through their practices.  They had no regard for the things of God nor His holiness.  In making the temple courts their marketplace, they turned what was to be honoring God into profit.  Not only that, they would often have dishonest scales, robbing the people, and charging prices that were absurd for goods.  Rather than even offer their merchandise at a fair price, they sold their items at great cost.  The cost of convenience was steep.

We should be wary of those who seek to profit by using what God has declared as holy to line their own pockets.  And while the workman is worthy of his wages, it is not right to peddle the word of God for the purpose of profit.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I using my body as a temple of God or for some other purpose?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You delight in Your children, and greatly desire for us to seek You in prayer.  Help me to separate myself from the world, and draw close to You.  Keep me from the desires that would use my body in such a way that it would profane Your name.  Guard me against the desires of the world, the flesh, and the devil, that I would reflect Your glory for all to behold.  Watch over me this day, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Grace of God – 1 Peter 1:13-16

Set Your Hope On The Grace Of God

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 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.”

Grace of God

Most of the established denominational churches that profess to follow Christ stress the grace and mercy of God.  We are in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace, for without it, we would be subject to His judgement.  God goes to great lengths to remind us that it is only by His mercy and grace that we are permitted to be alive, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Grace is very important to remember and dwell upon, for in our time of need (which is every second of every day), we need to rely upon God’s character – both mercy and grace – to carry us throughout the day.  It is comforting to know that God is so generous with us because the other aspect of His nature – holiness – should give us great pause in how we view His grace and mercy.

The modern church often times stresses the grace and mercy of God as a way of living without the proper balance of the other portion of His character – holiness.  And while we are aware that God is holy, when we solely rely upon His grace and mercy without considering His holiness and righteousness, we do both God and ourselves a disservice.

We are told to fear God (reverentially and humbly view Him through the lens of love since He is, by definition, the embodiment of holiness).  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  It is foolishness to embrace God’s grace and mercy without embracing God’s holiness as well.

Eschew Evil

In order to embrace God’s holiness, we must first recognize that holiness is the abject hatred, scorn, and revulsion of evil.  It is only through despising evil that we can remove ourselves from its very strong call even after being freed from its bondage.  As beings with a predisposition towards sin, we are naturally attracted to and can easily embrace that which offends Almighty God.  It is only after understanding God’s viewpoint of sin that we are able to align ourselves and identify with God’s position on it.

Without a profound revelation of how much God abhors evil, we won’t be able to view it in the same way that God does.  And God understands that since we are predisposed towards sin, He offers us grace and mercy.  It is only through His grace and mercy that we can be forgiven such great offense towards God.  Until we are broken by our sin, we will eagerly embrace grace and mercy without the singular revulsion toward that which God so deeply despises.

Wholly Holy

As image-bearers of God, we have a sacred obligation to do that which we were created to do: to display the glory and holiness of God.  As recipients of grace and mercy, we are given the tools to do this.  Christ has broken the very strong hold that sin exerts in the lives of those who accept the free gift of God through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.  In receiving this wonderful gift, we are not to abuse God’s grace and mercy:

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Living life completely dependent upon God’s grace and mercy without taking into account our own actions is to abuse God’s leniency.  As we submit our lives to the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus Christ did, we will find that we more greatly desire the holiness of God and obedience to His word as we seek to distance ourselves from that which offends God.  It is through the discipline of submission and obedience that we participate in the character of God, as Jesus modeled for us when He walked the Earth two thousand years ago.  As disciples of Christ, it behooves us to carefully consider our every action, word, and thought, that we would better emulate the character of the One that created us in order to reflect His love – the balance between grace, mercy, and holiness.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I seeking the holiness of God to the same extent that I see His grace and mercy?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I thank You for all that You have done to free me from the bondage of sin.  Thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, that I may live.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy when I fail to be who You created me to be.  Help me to submit myself to You so that I can live in the manner in which You have chosen for me to live before the foundation of the world.  Guard me and guide me in all my ways.  May I live solely to please You as I seek to walk with Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Help me to be the disciple that You so very much want me to be.  Help me always to remember that You are holy, and to not abuse Your grace and mercy.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Worshiping God – Deuteronomy 13:1-5

Worship God And No One Nor Anything Else

1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.

False Foreknowledge

Not every sign and wonder comes from God.  In the time of the end, Satan will try to deceive with false signs and wonders.  It should not surprise us to know that Satan tries to copy what God does in order to try to get people to worship him.  God specifically tells us that He allows this in order to test us.

Troubling Test

It is troubling to think that God would allow false signs and wonders to appear, for we associate these things with the working of the Lord God Almighty.  But God wants to show us where we are.  He already knows the condition of our hearts, but we often don’t know because we are busy, or compromised in some way.  Think about poor Aaron just after Moses had gone up the mountain to speak with God.  The people demanded that he create a God for them that they could worship.  Moses had been gone for so long (a month can seem like an eternity…), they thought he was dead.  Aaron capitulated, and made them the golden calf.

God tests us in many ways.  He allows difficult circumstances to occur in our lives so that we will make a choice – hold fast to what God has said, or react to the pressures around us and do what is expedient.  We may fail these tests, but we must constantly strive to hold fast to the word of the living God.

Chase Christ

God tells us that we must follow Him and not other Gods.  Only the Lord God Almighty is worthy of our praise.  Satan seeks this worship for himself, and will do anything that God permits him to do to try to convince us to either worship him or someone/something other than God.  We must be vigilant in this, because we were created to worship, and we will worship someone or something.

Obedience to God is crucial to the life of the disciple of Christ.  Without obedience, we will be easily caught up on sin and have our lives, careers, and reputations harmed by the pitfalls that Satan plans for us to encounter.  It is bad enough to be persecuted for following Christ in faith.  It is far worse when those who are respected and looked up to fall from public trust due to moral failure.

Sovereign Sentence

God does not take kindly to those who claim to speak for Him and do not.  God has authorized and issued the sentence for all who would dare invoke His name without His permission.  They are to be put to death.  While this may seem harsh, it is a just penalty for trying to lead others down a path of unrighteousness.  Jesus declared,

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Exterminate Evil

It is only through obedience that we are able to exterminate evil from our presence.  We must say no to sin and temptation in order to overcome.  Otherwise, we will become victims of the snares that have been placed before us.  If we allow evil in our midst – to permit the active participation of people who claim to be disciples of Christ (colloquially but only anecdotally now called Christians) within the church, we will allow leaven into the dough.  And once leaven enters the dough, it will leaven the whole lump.  The Corinthian church did this, and tolerated an evil that even those who did not know Christ would not tolerate – incest.

Without holiness, it will be impossible to see God.  Evil must be removed from our presence.  We need to retrain our desires using the word of God so that we will desire righteousness instead.  Evil cannot be tolerated.  God will not allow it.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Do I permit evil to live and thrive in my life?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You are holy, holy, holy.  You cannot tolerate evil, and have repeatedly told us in Your holy word to rid ourselves of it.  Sin crouches at our door and seeks to devour us.  Keep me safe today, and help me to avoid the pitfalls and traps that have been placed before me.  Rescue me when my adversaries seek to box me in to finish me off.  Help me to overcome all of the attacks and pull of sin and evil that I may follow You in righteousness and holiness.  Give me the wisdom and discernment to recognize when others are trying to lead me away from You to follow false gods.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training with God – 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Seek After God, Not Signs And Wonders Nor Worldly Wisdom

22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Seeking Signs

The Jews would often look for signs in the person who claimed to be a messenger from God.  In the past, God would use signs and wonders to confirm the validity of the prophets’ ministry.  However, many people desired the signs and wonders more than the message.  Jesus rebuked the people who were following Him after he had fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and small fish because they were seeking the gifts of the giver, and not the giver Himself.

Even today, there are Christians who seek after the manifestation of the gifts of God in the form of miracles, signs, and wonders.   They will go to any length to be present when the gifts of the Giver are given to bear witness to the power and glory of God to the unbelieving generation He is trying to reach.  It has been said that signs and wonders should follow Christians, rather than Christians following signs and wonders.  If a disciple of Christ is yielded to God, and is doing His will, God will provide whatever is necessary to bring about the results that He desires.  The disciple won’t need to follow signs and wonders:  God’s power and presence will be present in the disciple’s faithful execution of ministry.

Worldly Wisdom

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  When we seek wisdom, we need to first consult with the One who created the universe, and in whom all things in the universe are held together.  Only God knows the beginning from the end, how the laws of the universe were placed, and why all things that are taking place are doing so.

When we seek worldly wisdom, we eventually put aside the wisdom of God and, believing ourselves to be wise, become fools in His sight:

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

When we seek wisdom only in the creation, and not the creator, we exchange the glory of God for what has been created.  Look at the detrimental effects of Secular Humanism.  Those who engage in this begin to worship human leaders rather than God because they believe that humans are capable of achieving moral and ethical righteousness apart from religion and God.  Paul, seeing this almost two thousand years ago, penned a letter to the Corinthian church.  And even now we are seeing the fulfillment of it.

Sweet Salvation

The message of the cross is a stumbling block to those who seek signs because the miracle has already happened:  God has raised His Son from the dead to everlasting life, and gives the amazing gift of salvation to anyone who believes.  Rather than believe the miracle, the Jews still seek Messiah of God to rescue them from the oppression of their enemies.  Two thousand years ago, it was the oppression by the Romans.  Now, it is the oppression by the fundamental adherents to Islam.  The players keep changing, but the situation is still the same:  Satan, the greatest of deceivers, is always after the chosen ones of God.

For those who are not direct biological descendants of the line of Israel, the message of the cross is foolishness.  After all, in life, everything must be earned or stolen to be gained.  It makes no sense that an all-powerful God could be the embodiment love, and give the gift of salvation freely to any who believe, given the effects that sin has brought upon us.  It appears either too fantastic to them (because they are too busy studying the creation for clues to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything that they are unable to look up to God for answers) or that it is far to simple to be plausible.  God has provided the answers to the big questions in life through His word so that we could focus on living in the present in relationship with Him.

God is Greater

Because God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, He sees and knows everything that ever happened as well as everything that ever will happen.  When we humans look to ourselves or His creation for answers without first going to Him, we come up with the stupidest of conclusions:

  • The Earth is flat.  If you sail far enough across the ocean, you will fall off the world to your death.
  • The Earth sits on a great turtle, who in turn sits on another great turtle, and it is turtles all the way down…
  • There is nothing beyond this life – once we die, we just push up daisies with our dead, decaying flesh.
  • There is no such thing a God who exists outside of the physical universe.  Because man feels the need to worship, we must worship that which we see, because obviously it is the things on the Earth, beneath the Earth, or above the Earth that have power over us.

The wisdom of men is foolishness to God.  And the greatest strength and power of men is mere weakness to the God who, by speaking, caused the universe – including all matter and the laws that the created manner are to follow – to be formed in the first place.  What man cannot explain he mocks.  But be assured of this – God cannot be mocked: a man reaps what he sows.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I seeking God’s wisdom or man’s wisdom in all that I do?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have caused all things to be created and know all things.  Thank You for Your counsel in Your holy word, and for the counsel You have given those who fear Your name.  Help me to always seek Your counsel first before I undertake anything so that Your will would be done, and You would be glorified.  Keep me from the false teaching of the world and the devil so that I would solely and completely trust in You.  Guard my heart and preserve it for the day when Your Son comes in glory.  This I ask in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Sovereignty of God – Job 1:6-12

Nothing Happens In All Of Existence Without The Express Prior Permission And Knowledge Of Almighty God

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Supreme Sovereignty

The Lord God Almighty is the only non-created being ever to exist.  He has existed before time, matter and the angels.  And in that, God and God alone has ultimate sovereignty and authority over all that has been created.  John the apostle tried to show this in the very first verse of his gospel:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The interesting part about translations is that they don’t always capture the full meaning of the original.  In this particular case, the Greek work for “was” is En, and the verb is conjugated as “was continually (with no beginning)”.  This speaks of the eternity of Jesus (who is the Word of God), and of God, with whom He is:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Created Creatures

God reveals something very powerful in this passage.  ALL of the demons, and even Satan himself, are created beings:

  • The devil can be in only one place at a time
  • As a created being, he is subordinate to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  As such, he was required to present himself before God to give an accounting of his activities and whereabouts.

Powerful Praise

When faced with trials and tribulations, we don’t have all of the facts.  In the case of Job, God highly praised him before Satan.  Scripture speaks of our trials in a favorable way:

  • Trials produce perseverance, which makes us complete, lacking in nothing
  • Trials are to be put in the joy column of our spiritual accounting ledger (the Greek word “count” in James 1:2, hEdEsasthe, is an accounting term as well as an imperative command!)
  • Trials are a way that we identify with Jesus, for the student is not greater than the teacher

When faced with trials, we must remember that God may be praising us as well, and the trials can be a testing of that praise.  If so, we should count it as joy, for if God is praising us, we have truly received the highest praise possible.

Allowed Authority

And as we suffer through trials, we must remember that they are sovereignly allowed in our lives.  Nothing happens to any of us without God’s notice or express prior approval.  In this passage, Satan complained to God that he had placed a hedge of protection around Job and his possessions.  It was only until God permitted Satan the authority to harm all that Job had been provided by God that he was able to do anything.

As we are going through our trials, we must remember that God is sovereign, and that nothing escapes His attention.  Additionally, we must remember that He is the one who has sovereignly approved or appointed our trials.  And while these trials may not directly benefit us (with the possible exception to produce perseverance), they will be used to bring glory to God.  And they may well be used to open the eyes of some who, in seeing the sincerity of our faith and trust in God through the most grueling and difficult circumstances, may see that our faith is not in vain.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I remembering that God is with me as He allows the trials of my life to destroy that which keeps me from drawing close to Him?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You are glorious and beautiful to behold.  Help me to remember Your goodness as I am struck down by sickness and foes.  Help me to remember Your sovereignty as You allow unseen spiritual forces to assault and harass me.  Help me to remember Your faithfulness when You allow me to be dragged through the valley of the shadow of death.  Help me to persevere, and praise you as Paul did after he was severely beaten and placed in prison.  In all things, help me to remember that You and You alone have approved these trials.  Help me to not despise Your discipline, though the trials that You have appointed may not end until I am rejoined with You in Heaven.  For You are good in all that You do, Lord God Almighty, and none may lay a charge against You.  In all this, help me to remember Your character, for if man had done this, it would be bearable to be found worthy of suffering disgrace for Your name.  When there is no one who can be identified as being responsible for the trials – no one I can pray for – it is unbearable.  This I ask in Jesus Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training with God – 2 Timothy 2:11-13

Remember These Things

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
if we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

Trustworthy Truism

Paul provides us with a wonderful understanding of the truth of God.  He first states that if we have dies with Christ, we are alive with Him.  For in the association with His death, we are likewise spiritually raised from the dead in Christ.  He was the first, and we are reborn as a result.  Our identity in Christ is not only in His is death but also in his resurrection.  And although the resurrection of our bodies has yet to take place, the resurrection of our spirits has already taken place.

Sovereign State

God has promised that if we endure, we will reign with Him.  We are told to allow perseverance to finish its work so that we will be complete.  This requires endurance through our trials, as this provides us with the necessary perseverance.  God has provided for us the ability to overcome just as Jesus has overcome through yielding ourselves to His Spirit.  It is through His power, strength, patience, and endurance that we will be trained to endure with Him.  This is a necessary part of our training, as it helps us to be prepared for ruling with Him.

Don’t Disown

God says that we should not disown His Son, or we will be disowned.  If we are to properly identify with Christ, we must identify fully with Him through every trial.  Regardless of the pressures and difficulties we face, we must stand strong in our identification with Jesus Christ.  Jesus never recanted nor disowned the Father, even through torture, beatings, false witness against Him, and even through crucifixion.  In a like manner, we too must trust ourselves to God and endure through whatever difficulties await us as we publicly identify with Christ.

Forever Faithful

The good news is, even if we are faithless, God is faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.  As the image-bearers of God, it is our duty – our responsibility – to completely identify with God in thought, word, and actions.  It is through obedience to His word that we show ourselves as being faithful to God.  Jesus did everything that the Father told Him to do.  We need to follow His example if we are to identify with Him.

But even should we fail in this, we cannot through our failure show that Jesus is not faithful, for in His very nature He is God, and cannot be unfaithful nor disown Himself.  We can be assured that Jesus will forever be in identify with the Father, so that any failure on our part doesn’t reflect upon His perfect identity with God.  And it is in that identity that God the Father sees us as righteous.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I living out my identity in Christ in complete faithfulness?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, thank You for the faithfulness of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  As Your image-bearer, it is my duty and privilege to identify with Him in all things.  Grant me the strength, endurance, and perseverance to overcome all of the challenges that face me today.  In this world, I face many trials.  But I know that You and You alone are able to get me through them all.  Remember me as the world, the flesh, and the devil place their soul-crushing pressures upon me through physical, emotional, and spiritual difficulties that I may overcome them all.  I know that I can do this in the power and strength of Your Holy Spirit because Jesus has overcome the world.  Thank You for all that You do in my life and in the lives of everyone, for You are not a respecter of persons.  Help me to continue on in humility this day in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Promise of God – Psalm 34:15-16

The Lord Watches Over The Righteous

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.

Willfully Watching

God watches over the righteous.  He keeps his eyes upon them.  He knows our coming and going.  He delights in the righteous, and ensures that their needs are met.  God has said:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Just as a parent carefully keeps their eyes upon their children to ensure that they are OK and are behaving themselves, God keeps His eyes upon His children, the ones made righteous by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.  We can be assured that He is watching us closely.

Longingly Listening

God is attentive to the cries of the righteous.  Just as a parent listens to the cries of a child who is in pain, or who is in need, God listens for them and helps them with their needs.  God loves us in a way that is so far beyond what human parents are able to do, and our parents helped us in our time of need.  We can be assured that God not only listens but has planned a response already for our cries:

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

And God’s answer may be delayed for various reasons.  Demonic activity may impede a response to prayer.  God may be also be waiting for the necessary spiritual development to occur before the answer is provided.  Whatever the reason, God has already provided the answer.  Be patient for its arrival.

Against Antagonists

God turns his face from those who do evil.  No one who does evil should expect assistance from God until they repent.  God is holy, and because of this, He cannot tolerate evil in His presence.  But thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, whose perfect blood provides the means through which God can see us as righteous.

One of the most gruelingly difficult questions for the oppressed is:  why does God allow the wicked to prosper?

You are always righteous, Lord,
when I bring a case before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease?

And we should be consoled with God’s response:

14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.

Delivering Destruction

God will blot the name of the wicked from the Earth.  Their name will not be found in the book of life on the final and terrible day of the return of our Lord.  They will be utterly destroyed.  Regardless of their prosperity here on Earth, their eternal reward will be destruction and eternal separation from God.  And not only will they be separated from God and His holiness, power, and purity, they will be placed in God’s prison, the lake of fire, where they will experience torment for all eternity.  We can be assured that God will mete out justice to those who refused to settle their debt before their case comes before Him, the perfect judge.  Fear not, for God’s anger and wrath will surely destroy the wicked at the appropriate time.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Are we trusting that God is watching over us and is answering our cries, even though it may take decades for His response?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, thank You for Your watchful gaze over me throughout this day and my entire life.  You have been faithful to watch over me and answer my cries for help.  Give me patient endurance when Your answers take an agonizingly long time to fulfill.  Strengthen me in Your silence, for silence feels like abandonment.  Help me to walk the straight and narrow path as my enemies seek to destroy me.  Protect me as demonic forces oppose me in all that I do.  Help me to live by faith and not sight, for You have justified me through the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  This I ask and pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Character of God – Psalm 18:25-27

God Reveals Himself When We Partake In His Character

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

Fully Faithful

God reveals His character as we participate in it.  He has shown that He is faithful in His word.  He has ensured that all of the promises that He has made in through His prophets have or will come to pass.  Prophecies made over twenty-five hundred years ago have only recently come to pass.  The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises, but does so on His timetable in order to bring glory to Himself.

When we are faithful to Him and others, God shows us His faithfulness.  He manifests this aspect of His character in His dealings with us.  He will bring about circumstances in our lives that will cause us to rely upon Him for His help, and then He will show Himself faithful in extricating us from those circumstances.

Beyond Blameless

When we are blameless before God, He shows us that He is blameless as well.  This does not mean that no difficulties will be encountered, but that God does not fail to keep His promises.  God will show the blameless that He is blameless.  In every aspect of God’s character, He shows us more of Himself when we participate in it.  To the merciful He shows mercy.  In every way, God is faithful to reveal His character.

Perfectly Pure

And when we are pure in heart, He reveals even more: for we will see God.  God delights in revealing His character to us.  He greatly desires to be known as He knows us.  And although we will only see in part in this life, He will fully reveal Himself in the coming eternity.  God is greatly desiring us to know Him better in this life.  We should take every opportunity to experience His character through our actions and words to others.  For it is only in the experiential knowledge of His character do we truly begin to know and see His character more fully.

Helping the Humble

Jesus said that he was gentle and humble in heart.  God helped Jesus through every trial and tribulation that He faced.  He provided Jesus with food and other provisions as were required.  God provided Jesus with power and wisdom.  In all things, God helps the humble in heart.  He even lifts us up when we humble ourselves.  Humility is the correct and appropriate manner of behavior before Almighty God.  Jesus has shown us how to behave before God, and being God, revealed the Father to us fully.  If you are having difficulties, humble yourself before God.

Shrewdly Subdue

And for the proud and devious, God has a different aspect of character to reveal – His holy righteous judgement and, eventually, wrath.  God gives us every opportunity to humble ourselves before Him.  Whether that was a prophet declaring the coming wrath of God, His holy word speaking to us, and/or the occasional terror that comes through our enemies overcoming us, God gives us the opportunity.  And when we do not heed His merciful and gracious promptings,  He is forced by His character to do what is necessary.

And while mercy and grace triumph over justice, it is justice that must be meted out when we refuse to obey.  God will be shrewd with those who are devious, and eventually thwart their plans.  For some He will allow them to greatly prosper and literally get away with murder here on Earth.  But they will be lulled into a false security, for when they are required to give an accounting of themselves before His great throne of justice on that final and terrible day, they will only then realize the terrible end that they have reaped according to what they have sown.  Remember that God is faithful in all things, even if His timing is not our own.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I participating in God’s character through experiential knowledge of it?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You reveal Yourself to us both through Your word and Your character.  You always seek to help us so that we would know You better.  Remember me this day, and help me to participate in Your character in a greater way.  Help me to experience Your character as I put it into practice in my daily life.  Help me to be faithful, blameless, pure, merciful, gentle, and humble in heart.  May each of these qualities be found in my character as I interact with others.  Forgive me for my many sins, and show me how to live this way.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Judgement of God – Psalm 9:19-20

God’s Judgement Is Upon Us

19 Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, Lord;
let the nations know they are only mortal.

Just Judgement

God is just, and He will not allow a nation to continue in iniquity without bringing judgement in a swift manner.  Throughout all time, God has judged nations and eventually destroyed them when they refused to repent.   No nation or kingdom has gone on forever without being judged by God.

In just a short period of time, less than two and a half centuries, the United States of America is being judged.  Since God is the one who judges, He first sends warnings to the nations to repent.  Jonah was sent to Nineveh.  The prophets were sent to Israel.  God has been faithful in giving the nations the opportunity to repent.  And when they do not, He begins to throw warning shots across their bows.

Total Terror

For the United States, there were two World Trade Center bombings.  The first failed, and the second succeeded.  The people in the US, after the second bombing, filled churches seeking God, for God had put terror into their hearts.  They began to seek God.  But like Nineveh, the people very quickly abandoned their fear when God relented, and went right back to what they were doing.

Solomon was right when he declared that there was nothing new under the sun.  People behave the same today as they did thousands of years ago.  Millennia of experience is lost upon us because of the curse of sin.  And even with the full and complete revelation of God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ, people still turn a blind eye to what they have been shown.  The hearts of men easily forget, and need to be reminded that God is holy.

Righteous Reminder

God sends us reminders that we are only mortal.  Our perception of time lures us into a false understanding of our mortality.  It is only when we are faced with death, or watch another face it, that we begin to contemplate our own mortality.  So God gives us reminders that we are but a wisp of smoke, a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow.  We are only promised today.  We need to remember that at any time, God may demand an accounting of our lives and bring us home to Him.  That is why it is all the more important as time grows short that we yield ourselves to His Spirit so that we may be found doing what the master has commanded us to do.  Let us walk by faith and not sight, for the just shall live by faith.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I walking by faith in the path that God has chosen for me?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I thank You for the many reminders to provide in Your Word that You are holy and are to be feared and revered.  Father, help me to honor you in all that I think, say, and do, that others would praise Your holy name.  I seek to walk with You, and greatly desire to do Your will.  Regardless of how other behave, remember me in my walk that You would be glorified.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training with God – 1 John 4:1-3

Test The Spirits

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

Timely Test

Paul praised the Bereans for their willingness to research what He was saying in Scripture to verify the veracity of his claims.  We too should test those who claim to be from God, to see if they really are from God.  And the Apostle John has provided us with a litmus test: everyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.  We must remember that the enemy is a liar and seeks to lead us astray.

We are to use discernment when we meet new people, and vet them to make sure that they are truly disciples of Christ before we believe what they say.  Even Atheists have memorized scripture and twisted it to their own means.  In these dark times, it is more important than ever to be careful in what we believe and in whom we believe.

Recognition to Remember

We must surely recognize that if anyone claims to be of God, but does not believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, they are not from God, and are preaching heresy.  For it is only through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ that we are freed from the bondage of sin and made righteous in God’s eyes.  Any other gospel is a false gospel, and should be avoided.

God has given us this so that we can use discernment in our dealings with others as they claim to be from God and yet are wolves in sheep’s clothing.  They seek to lead the elect of God away from the truth, because they believe that their version of the scriptures is true.  In these dark times, we must be vigilant to ensure that we are not misled into heresy.  We need to diligently comb through Scripture to ensure that what we hear is truth.  And in this, the whole counsel of God must be consulted to ensure that we are not misled.

Here is an example:  The Church of Christ denomination believes that baptism is a requirement for salvation.  Looking at the scriptures from one particular viewpoint, and excluding other scripture, a strong argument can be made for this position.  However, in view of the whole counsel of God, baptism is seen in the same light as communion: it is a privilege given to believers, not a requirement for salvation.  It is a practice to show identification with Christ and not a prerequisite for entry into the kingdom of Heaven.  For if it was a prerequisite, how could Jesus declare the thief on the cross to be with Him in Paradise?  Was he taken down and baptized?  And what about the prophesy of Joel that states:

And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.

In the case of the thief on the cross: he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  In Joel, there is no mention of baptism being required for salvation.  Baptism is a privilege and should be desired by disciples in Christ.  However, it is NOT a requirement for salvation.  For there is no place in scripture that says, “You must be baptized to see the kingdom of God”, or “you must be baptized to be saved.”  Jesus merely says,

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Deadly Danger

The Greek word orthodoxy is made from two root words: ortho, meaning right, and doxy, meaning belief.  We must have right belief.  Right actions without right belief is self-righteousness.  Right belief without right actions is hypocritical.  The spirit of the antichrist (anything opposed to, or different from, Christ) is in the world today, and has been here from at least the time of the Apostle John.  We must guard ourselves from its power and influence.  We can be swayed when we hear things that tickle our ears.  We must rely upon the Holy Spirit of God and the word of God to properly discern these heresies.

That is why it is critical that anyone who claims to be a follower (disciple) of Jesus Christ MUST crack open the Bible, study it, and memorize parts of it to place in our hearts so that we would be better prepared for those who intentionally or misguidedly attempt to introduce anti-Biblical teachings in our lives.  A person who doesn’t know the word of God may be easily led astray.  Guard your heart and mind against the teachings from the spirit of antichrist through diligent study of the Bible and personal prayer with God.  And should anyone deny that Jesus has come in the flesh, recognize who they are and where they are coming from.  Otherwise, you run the risk of derailing your faith.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I taking the necessary time to read and learn the Bible to guard against heresy?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have given us Your word to counsel us and to reveal Yourself to us.  You have admonished us to be vigilant in our faith, and obedient in our practice.  Father, please help me to better learn and understand Your word so that I would not be fooled by anyone who would try to lead me astray.  Keep me faithful to You, and guard my heart against unrighteousness and desires that are not in alignment with Your word.  Help me to get more of Your word from my mind and into my heart that I would live out all that You have commanded me to do.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Divorce with God – Matthew 5:31-32

Let No One Tear Apart What God Has Joined Together

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Divorce is Difficult

Back in the time when Jesus walked upon the Earth, the Jews had a particularly low opinion of the permanence of marriage.  At that time, a man could divorce his wife for just about any reason.  Even if she displeased him in something small or facetious, such as burning the toast, a man could give a woman a certificate of divorce and move on to another wife.

In the United States of America, marriage has been reduced from a covenant to a mere contract.  Covenants were made to be binding in a way that compelled us to consider the agreement as sacred, sworn to by an oath before God. Contracts are merely agreements that any party can cancel at any time by paying the penalty.  There is no loyalty to the contract as people view contracts as disposable.  In the event that something better comes along, you can easily dissolve a contract.

We even have no-fault divorce.  This is a truly heinous dissolution of a covenant relationship that states that some of the parties are just tired of the agreement, even if everyone is keeping their end of the agreement.  By allowing the dissolution of this covenant with nothing more than the desire of one or two of the three parties involved (remember that God is the third party there to approve, empower, protect and provide in this covenant…), we have created a mindset that minimizes the seriousness of the oaths that were taken by all parties in the agreement.

Superior Signification

Jesus came to help us better understand the law, and showed us that there was a deeper connection in this than mere choice.  He indicated that there was no reason whatsoever that two people should dissolve the covenant relationship of marriage except marital infidelity.  Jesus later qualifies this by saying that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of men’s hearts.  As a result, if a man divorces a woman for any reason other than marital infidelity, he was making her an adulterer.  That status and its results would be laid firmly upon his shoulders.  He would bear that burden.

And worse, by doing so, anyone who then married that woman would become an adulterer.  It was as though God did not consider the covenant relationship dissolved, and she was having an unauthorized relationship with another man.  These were serious charges, and the Levitical penalty for adultery was death to both parties.

However, to get to the root of this, we must first understand that this covenant relationship was done in God’s presence for God’s purposes.  The covenant was between one biologically male person (born with XY chromosomes) and one biologically female person (born with XX chromosomes).  Even in this, modern thought in culture has warped the definition of the covenant term “marriage” to be between any two consenting adults (and therefore removing God as the third party).

The good news is, although we can assign different meanings to words, it still doesn’t change what God has created – the marriage covenant and relationship.  Calling a rose a petunia does not make a rose a petunia – it merely clouds the understanding of the meaning of these words as people try to convince other people that they have different meaning.  Marriage is still between a biological man and a biological woman, in a covenant relationship that is made by oaths before God, and is approved and sanctioned by God.  Anything other than this is a perversion of what God has intended, and is neither approved by God nor accepted by God.

God does not join together two men in this relationship, neither does He join together two women in this relationship.  Any attempt to claim that God is approving of this and joins these people together is calling God a liar and impunes the character and nature of God by assigning qualities to God’s character that are false and fictitious.  This is especially grievous for it does so for the purposes of justifying the lusts of people who desire God’s blessing upon their choices when God has clearly indicated that He does not approve of such behavior.

Character Counts

God keeps His word.  Everything that God promises to do He fulfills in His time and His way for His purposes to bring glory to Himself (for which He is more than worthy).  We should do the same.  Compatibility in marriage has more to do with character than it does with how we feel about each other.  We grow compatibility with our spouse as we work on our marriage relationship.  Rather than succumb to the feelings that our spouse is not meeting our expectations, we should instead submit ourselves to our spouse, and pour ourselves out for them as Christ did for us here on Earth, on the cross, and even now at the right hand of God as He prays for us.

Love can conquer anger, misunderstanding, and even betrayal.  It is better to forgive and heal than it is to destroy something that God has created.  God is in the business of restoring that which was broken, defiled, and destroyed.  However, knowing these things now makes us accountable for our actions, and should urge and prompt us to do everything we can to fulfill the covenant relationship that we swore an oath before God and man to uphold.

A Qualifying Question

For those who are married, let’s ask a question:  Am I upholding my part of the covenant relationship that I swore before God to uphold?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I thank You for your word and for providing us with guidance on how to live our lives in holiness and alignment with Your character.  Father, strengthen me in my relationship with others.  Give me the ability to love my family in the same way that You love me.  Strengthen my relationships, and guard my heart against hardness when the relationships are tried and tested.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Warning from God – Revelation 3:14-18

Be On Fire For God

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”

Neither Frost Nor Fire

God sees us as we truly are.  In the last days, there will be a great falling away – a great rebellion.  The fire that was in the church to be holy and set apart for Him will fade.  The church will be in a state of indifference, possibly due to the circumstances that surround them that cry out that there is no hope.  In Christ, there is always hope.  God tells us through James that we should submit ourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.  When we are on fire for God, we are doing everything that we can to submit to God.  We should also resist the devil.  And wait for God to do His part and make the devil flee.

Don’t be lukewarm.  God doesn’t like us lukewarm.  He would rather that we be hot or cold.  Be on fire for the one who saved you, lifted you out of the murky depths, and placed you cleaned up on dry ground.  Submit yourself to the one who is able to strengthen you and provide for you.  And no matter what the devil throws at you, remember that God will not allow you to be snatched from His hand.  You may have to suffer greatly, but He always comes through, even if in death.

Self-Sufficiency

Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.  How true that is!  Material wealth has a way of leading people into a false sense of security that it will provide for their every need.  Money can buy many things, and when we have a lot, we can forget that it is God who is providing everything for us.  In that, we begin to trust in money, and forget the one who gave it to us.  Additionally, we forget to depend upon God for our every morsel of food, for our every breath, and for all things in general.

It is only by following the example of Jesus, in complete submission to the Father, that we are able to overcome our desire or belief that our wealth will provide for us.  When we forget that it is God and not wealth that provides, we become spiritually poor, naked, wretched, and blind.  It is then that we become spiritually impoverished.

Spiritually Sparse

In our spiritual wasteland, we aren’t even aware of our need for God.  But He counsels us to buy from Him Gold refined in Fire.  Only God can provide the spiritual currency that will clothe us from the shame of sin, and blindness of spiritual sight, and the poverty of spiritual darkness.  He is able to provide, for Jesus has died on the cross and paid for it with His blood.  Let us never forget the price that was paid, and where we came from.  The church in the last days will forget for whatever reason, and God will spew them out of His mouth.  Let us not forget:

12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I hot, cold or lukewarm towards God?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have done so much and continue to do so much for us that we cannot conceive the magnitude of Your great mercy and grace.  Forgive me, Father, for my many sins.  Help me to be on fire for You so that I would recognize my condition and further yield myself to You.  Help me to humble myself in Your presence, and lift me up so that I may do all that You would have me to do.  And when You provide physical riches to me, guide me in managing it for Your glory.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Holiness of God – John 3:20-21

Step Into The Light

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Dwelling in Darkness

We who were once evil shunned the light.  And ALL of us were once evil.  Even now, those who are evil try to avoid the light.  They stay as far away from God as possible.  And they not only try to hide what they do from plain sight, they intentionally wait until it is dark so that people cannot see them.  It is not that they just seek spiritual darkness, they seek physical darkness as well.

Full of Fear

Whether we realize it or not, we are filled with fear when we walk in darkness.  People are rightly afraid to bring show their deeds in the light.  How many people would willingly show that they were running a Ponzi scheme?  Or brazenly murder people in front of cameras?  We fear the repercussions of our actions, and rightly so.  God has placed people in authority to punish the evildoers.

But what happens when evil people get into the positions of power?  They operate openly.  They no longer fear God nor man, as there is no one to restrain them.  The more they get away with, the more brazen they become.  That is why it is incumbent upon all people who live in societies where they have influence in the selection of their leaders to participate in the process and keep the ones who would operate openly in evil from reaching positions of power and authority over them.  Unless the people themselves love the darkness and seek leaders over them who will continue to turn a blind eye to their evil and reward them for what is done in darkness…

Burst into the Brilliance

We need to come to the light.  Regardless of what we are doing, we need to bring our deeds into the light.  This provides us with both accountability by others and by God.  And we have no fear of operating in the light because what we are doing is being done through us by the Spirit of God for the glory of God, the deeds will be seen as being done by God through us.  When we come into the light, God will be rightly glorified and praised.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Is there anything that I am doing right now that is not being done in the light?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have provided us the light of the world in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Help me to bring everything that I am doing into the light, that You may be rightly glorified.  Help me to yield more fully to Your Holy Spirit, that He would work in me and through me to accomplish all that You desire to be done.  May You receive all of the glory, and may Your name be praised because of the work You are doing in me and through me.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training with God – Romans 13:11-12

The Day Is Near

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

 Awake and Alert

Sin is like a blanket that shuts out the light.  It can make us feel tired and feeble, and unaware of its consequences.  We need to awaken from our slumber.  It is not right to sleep during the day, for the day is for working.  In the same way, we need to be aware of the time, so that we will do what we need to do.  Jesus has warned us to be found doing the master’s bidding when He returns:

35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

The time has come to make sure that everything is ready for the master’s return.  We shouldn’t be doing things that are unwise, for Jesus’ return is imminent.

42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Decry Darkness

We were once in darkness, and clothed ourselves with the deeds of darkness.  We spoke the language of darkness, and identified with the darkness.  The light had no place in our lives.  We may not have even liked where we were, but we felt trapped and held in bondage.  If we feel that way now, we need to throw off the deeds of darkness that bind us.

It is unbecoming of God’s people to walk around in darkness.  We are ambassadors to this world, not of this world but in it.  We are the image-bearers of God who have been shown how to properly bear His image and be a light on top of a hill.  We have been given the opportunity to be salt to a bland and tasteless existence without God.  When we walk in darkness, we suppress the truth with wickedness: we deny that God is holy through our very actions and speech.  It is only after we take off the clothing of darkness that we can put on the armor of light.

Amazing Armor

Once we have shaken off the clothing of darkness, we need to put on the armor of light.  Darkness and light don’t mix.  Where light enters into an area, the darkness flees.  That is the power of light – to dispel the darkness.  Light exposes the darkness for what it is, and gives us the ability to see clearly so that we can move intentionally and with purpose toward the direction and goals that become visible to us.  If we forsake the light, we forsake the tool necessary to awaken from slumber and the ability to work.

Let us put on the full armor of God, and when we have done every else, to stand:

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I doing what my master has asked me to do in preparation for His return?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You are light and dispel the darkness around us.  Search me, O God, and see if there is any wrongdoing within me.  Cleanse me of my sin, and show me the path to truth and righteousness, that I would bear Your image in a manner worthy of You to all people.  Help me to be a light on a hill.  Strengthen me as I wade through darkness today that I would not be affected by it, and cleanse me when my feet get dirty.  Remember me, O God, that I would honor and glorify Your name in all things at all times.  Forgive me when I fall short, and restore me in Your presence.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Promises of God – Psalm 145:14-16

The Lord Provides For His People

14 The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

Helping Hands

God promises to never leave us nor forsake us.  And in doing so, He is the lifter of our heads.  He upholds us when we are weak, and carries us when we are weary.  God becomes our strength, and shows us His love.  He ensures that when we stumble, we are able to get back up.  God greatly desires to see us succeed in Him.

Proper Provision

God provides for the needs of the least and the greatest of all His creatures.  He feeds the sparrows in the morning, and feeds us as well.  We can depend upon the Lord God Almighty to provide for our needs in His timing and in His way.  Care should be taken when it seems that God is slow in providing, for it is often a test of trust.  And even should we faint, we can trust in God’s provision of righteousness, for this physical life is fleeting, and we will be in His presence in Eternity.

Desires Delighted

God fulfills the desires of every living creature.  He provides for our deepest desire.  And when we have filled ourselves with the things of this world, He still waits to fulfill the desire for Himself that He has placed in each and every heart.  God calls us to re-evaluate our desires and align them with His heart.  Unlike the instinct of creatures, we can choose what we desire.  And when we desire God and His word, He will fulfill our every desire.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I desiring God above all?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, my heart cries out for You and greatly desires You.  I seek You with all of my heart and strength and soul and mind.  Help me to have more of You and to experience Your character in my everyday life experiences.  Help me to rely completely and solely upon You for all things, for You are the one who provides them all.  Teach me to be patient and to trust You more.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Promise of God – Psalm 100

God’s Love Endures Forever

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Wonderful Worship

One of the best opportunities that God has given us is to worship Him.  Human beings were made to worship.  We will always worship something or someone, whether it is God, ourselves, someone else, or something else.  There is a deep cry within the human heart to worship, and we will worship whether we realize it or not.

God has made us, and we can worship Him in song and praise.  It is only natural that we seek to give Him praise since He is the author of all good things.  Before Adam sinned, God declared that all He had made was good.  We should be grateful for that in song and praise.

Additionally, since God has redeemed us as His people, we can rejoice that we have fellowship with the one who created us.  Jesus has won back what Adam has lost, and in that, we can as children go before His throne with our petitions and praise.  It is a wonderful thing to be able to praise the One who has released us from prison and will gather us home with Him.  We can even reach out to God as Paul and Silas did after being stripped of their clothing and being severely beaten with rods and flogged.  Let nothing interfere with your praise of Almighty God.

God is Good

Regardless of the circumstances going on in the world, God is good.  Many times we question that when terrible circumstances such as loss, injustice, pain, and suffering occur.  However painful these are, they are merely the cost and effects of sin.  Yet still, God is good.  He is unable to be anything else but good.  His character endures forever, for God does not change like we do.  And when devastating circumstances appear in our lives, we can be assured that God has not changed, but merely is allowing us to develop perseverance.  And may it have its effect, that we would be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Lasting Love

God’s love never fails, for God is love.  When we feel abandoned or afraid, we can remember that God is love.  When great and wonderful things are happening in our lives, let us remember that God is love.  For this is immutable – God loved so much He gave his only Son, and that since we have believed upon Him, we have eternal life.  We have been given this promise, and can rejoice in the one who made it for He is faithful.

Forever Faithful

In a world that is giving itself over to moral relativism and secular humanism, we can rejoice that God is faithful.  Every promise He has ever made God will fulfill.  We live such short lives that many times we don’t see the fruit of the promises that God has made.  But even in that, we can look back and see that God is faithfully keeping His promises, just as He promised, at the appointed time that He promised (when provided).  His faithfulness should bolster our faith in Him and give us reason to trust Him through all of the difficulties in life.  Let us remember God’s faithfulness as we go out into the world today and see so many people show their faithlessness in broken promises and outright evil.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Is my heart full of praise and worship for God when I am enduring crushing trials?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I praise and worship You for You are worthy of it and so much more.  May my heart cry out to You for You are good regardless of my circumstances.  In all things, may You be glorified and Your holy name praised.  Help me to praise You when I am downtrodden and it feels like You have forsaken me, for You have promised to never do that.  Help me to patiently wait for You and Your deliverance from my circumstances, for You are always faithful.  Strengthen me in my weakness.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Return of Jesus – Matthew 24:4-14

The Time Of The End Is Imminent

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Diverse Deceivers

Since the time of Christ, there have been many who have claimed to be the Messiah.  Here is a partial list (and this only includes that last few hundred years!).  Even now, people are claiming to be the Messiah, and many are following them.  God’s word is truth, and this has come to pass…

Diverse Disasters

And while one or two signs don’t indicate anything, when all of them are occurring, it is indicative of the diagnosis:

  • Wars and rumors of wars – When are nations not at war with each other, even now?
  • Nation rising against nation – The precursor to wars
  • Kingdom against kingdom – More precursors to wars
  • Famines – Haiti, North Korea, and nations in Africa – The list goes on…
  • Earthquakes – We have better reporting on earthquakes today then ever before, so we are recording more accurately and completely than in the past.  Whether there are more earthquakes now than in the past may not be known, since we have incomplete records for even the recent past (the last century).

Religious Reversal

There is no nation in the (Biblical times) known world in which Christians are not persecuted.  We must recognize that when prophesy was given, that it was based on the knowledge of the  known world at the time that the prophesy was provided.  The hearers would have recognized that during the time of Christ, the known world was basically (in importance and distance from the epicenter, which is Israel-centric):

  • The Middle East
  • Northern Africa
  • Europe
  • Asia

With the proliferation of the “religion of peace” into all of these regions, there is now great persecution of Christians in each of these geographic areas.

Ample Apostasy

Paul indicated that the second coming of Jesus Christ would not occur until the great falling away.  In the known world at that time, there were many plantings by Paul and the early church.  In the Middle East, apart from the country of Israel, publicly declaring that you are a Christian will get you beheaded.  The Christian faith is very vibrant there, as those who chose to accept Christ know that it is only a matter of time before they will be martyred.  Elsewhere in the world, great persecution is occurring for Christians, including genocide in Africa.

But even in that, many are turning from their faith.  Churches in the once vibrant Christian nations in Europe are now being turned into Mosques as attendance dwindles and they are closed.  People are walking away from their faith in the face of post-modernism and secular humanism.  Culture is becoming the dominating change factor in people’s lives.

The moon is designed to reflect the light of the sun.  It has no light in and of itself.  In the same way, Christians reflect the light of Christ.  We are not light, but merely reflect it.  And as Christians turn from the light towards darkness, so the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.

Powerful Preaching

Darkness has arrived, and no one can work.  In the Middle East, in countries ruled by Islam, Christians are unable to reveal Christ to the population in general, because they will be beheaded if they do.  It is impossible to evangelize if you aren’t able to deliver the message of the cross due to immediate and very public death.  Because of this, Jesus has been revealing Himself to people in dreams and visions.  And this is not just in the Middle East – China is experiencing one of the greatest awakenings they have ever had.  There is a great revealing of Christ going on now in areas that traditionally have been kept in the dark about Jesus.  The final awakening is at hand.

Righteous Return

And after all of these occur, the Son of the Most High God will return.  Many have believed that they were in the end times even during the time of Paul.  We have been in the end times for almost two thousand years.  But the great falling away (rebellion) has only recently occurred.  Prophecy written over two millennia ago – predicting the gathering of the Israelites back into their own land – has come to fruition.  And it was only after this occurred that the great falling away truly began.  Prepare for His arrival, for it is nigh.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I prepared for the imminent return of my Lord and Savior?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You have provided us, through your word, the signs of the world before You send Your Son, Jesus Christ, back to the world.  He will come as a lion this time, for He has already come as the lamb.  Remember Your people, Father, that we would be faithful to the very end.  Help us to overcome the difficulties that we encounter as people fall away from the faith.  Keep us connected to the vine that is Your Son, that we may be nourished by him even during the most severe droughts and trials that come upon us.  Fill us with hope as we endure persecution and death.   Provide for us, and strengthen us for what is to come.  This I ask in the name of Your Most Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Character of God – Psalm 119:89-91

God’s Word Endures Forever

89 Your word, Lord, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures.
91 Your laws endure to this day,
for all things serve you.

Wonderful Word

God’s word endures forever.  His word guides us in our ways.  We can rely on God’s word not changing, for God is truth, and there is no deception in Him.  The steadfast nature of God’s Word helps us to remember that He is faithful as well.  We can depend upon His word to guide us in the way we should go.

The counsel of men is fallible, and can change over time.  God’s word has the perspective of eternity, providing us with a more full understanding of the character and nature of God, as well as understand His righteousness and man’s evil.  The permanence of truth is should be a great comfort to all who seek it and learn from it.

Fully Faithful

God is always faithful.  His faithfulness spans generations, and is eternal.  And even though Heaven and Earth will pass away, God’s faithfulness will not.  God will always keep His word.  When we are tempted to believe that God is not being faithful, we only need to look at the endurance of our planet to remember that God does not change.

Loving Laws

Since God’s word will not pass away, we can always be assured that He will be fulfilling His promises.  God has made us many wonderful promises that He has fulfilled and continues to fulfill today.  His laws guide us in truth and righteousness.  It is only through the law that we recognize our true condition and can turn from sin towards God.  Permanence seems to be forsaken in the world today for the less permanent wants and desires of man.  Nothing in God’s word will pass away until everything is accomplished.  We ignore God’s Holy word at our own peril.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Do I delight in the character of God when I am going through trials?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You do not change like shifting shadows, but are the same yesterday, today, and for eternity.  Help me to remember Your steadfast love as I encounter the many trials I face today.  Strengthen me in the knowledge of Your character and desire to fulfill in Your time all that You have promised.  Keep my heart continually pointed towards Yours as the difficulties of life pull at me, and help me to cry out to You for my every need.  Surround me with Your peace, and guard me in my ways.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

 

Faithfulness to God – Acts 14:19-20

Never Stop Doing What Is Right In The Eyes Of God

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

Difficult Days

Most people have a really bad day every now and again.  But Paul had it a little harder than most people.  Even God said (about Paul’s life):

15 …”Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Paul had some interesting trials to undergo:

23 …I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Most of us have not had to face the threat of death even once for the cause of Christ.  We do not yet know the difficulties that Paul encountered.  But even if that should change, we should take heart; Paul has shown us the way to overcome.  He was stoned near to death at least once.

Faithful Friends

Paul had very good friends.  After he was nearly stoned to death, they surrounded him.  They too could have faced stoning as well.  When a mob begins to act in emotion, it is difficult to dissuade them from their course of action.  Look at the recent mob activity in the United States of America.  Once the mob engages in violence, then comes the fires, and the looting, the beatings of innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It takes faithful friends to join you when the mob turns its full wrath upon you.

Continue to Contend

Most people, facing a near-death experience at the hands of an angry, murderous mob, would “take a hint” and go elsewhere.  Scripture shows us Paul’s reaction: he went right back into the city to preach.  That takes great faith and trust in God.  In speaking about hardship, Paul said:

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Regardless of our circumstances, we should continue to contend for the faith.  God will provide our strength as we are faithful in His service.  We have no fear of this: whatever God calls you to, he will provide the means and resources for you to complete your tasks.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I being faithful even when I experience great trial?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You are faithful in all that You do.  You keep every promise that You make, and do so in perfect timing and in Your methods.  We know that we can count upon You to always be faithful.  Strengthen me this day, Father, that I would show that same faithfulness to You, regardless of my circumstances.  Help me to rely upon You totally and without reservation as trials come into my life.  Help me in my weakness that You would be strong for me.  Carry me when I cannot walk, and protect me from my adversaries.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Blessings Of God – Psalm 25:12-15

The Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning Of Wisdom

12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Complete Counsel

The fear of the Lord will lead one to wisdom.  When we become wise, we follow the counsel of God, for we recognize that God’s counsel is superior to all of the counsel of man.  David said that God’s word was a lamp for his feet and a light to his path.  God instructs those who fear Him in the way that they should go.  Sometimes, that means waiting.  Elijah, after declaring that it would not rain, was sent away by God to a remote location to wait.  We too may need to wait for God’s timing.  In all of this, God provides us with His counsel through His word and His Spirit.  We can be assured that the counsel of God will lead us on the straight and narrow path.

Prosperous Proceedings

David indicates in this Psalm that those who fear the Lord will prosper, and that their descendants will inherit the land.  God not only prospers us spiritually, but also financially and with our relationships.  Children are a heritage from the Lord, and are a blessing from Him.  Regardless of our financial situation, God prospers us in many ways.  Those who are monetarily poor are often rich in faith. Regardless of how the Lord prospers us, He DOES prosper us, and we need to remember His many blessings

Wonderful Wisdom

We can be assured that God greatly desires us to follow Him.  And when we believe Jesus, He makes us His children.  God confides in His children, since we are His friends, rather than just tell the servants what to do.  He greatly desires us to be a part of His life, and part of that is His sovereign plan.  He reveals wonderful things in His word to us so that we can participate in His character.

Fully Free

God desires that we be free from the bondage of sin so that we can follow Him.  When we are free from bondage, we can operate in His light to glorify His name.  When the Son frees us, we are made free indeed!  This is an incredible blessing of God – that we would be free from the clutches of Satan and the bondage of sin.  We should never forget the sacrifice it took to free us.  May we remember God’s blessings and rejoice in them!

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I remembering the blessings of God in all my circumstances?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, You bless us each and every day.  You pour out your grace and mercy upon us.  Help me, Father, to remember Your great generosity as I walk through my struggles today.  Lead me, guide me, and help me to walk beside You as the enemy seeks to destroy me.  Provide for my every need, and help me to count Your many blessings so that I would be encouraged when life seems bleak.  Blessed be Your Name Forever!  Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training With God – John 16:1-4

Be Faithful To The Very End

1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.”

Misled Motives

Many throughout the last two thousand years have been murdering disciples of Christ, believing that they are offering a service to God.  From Saul of Tarsus – who later because Paul – to fundamentalist adherents to the greatest of all deceivers, many believe that ridding the world of the disciples of Christ is the right thing to do.  There are two main reasons why they want to do this:

  • They think that they are offering a service to God (heresy)
  • They greatly disagree with holiness and righteousness, and seek to silence anyone who reminds them that their actions are evil (self-centeredness)

In China, it is open season on believers.  Disciples are being hunted down through genocide in Middle Eastern and African countries.  This is now spreading throughout Europe, and will soon come to the Americas.

Ironic Ignorance

The sad and ironic end of this is that many believe that they are following the one true God, YHWH.  Instead, they show by their actions that they don’t know Him, and never knew Him, since if they knew Him, they would accept what His disciples have to say.  In this, it is necessary to love them with the same love that God loves you.  Pray for them, that the blindness that they have is removed, so that they may see the One True God.

Well Warned

When they come door-to-door looking for disciples of Christ, do not be alarmed, and do not be caught unawares.  Jesus has warned us that this would happen.  Even as the fundamentalist adherents to the greatest of deceivers presses towards the eradication of Jews, the disciples of Christ, and any who would dare not convert to barbarism, remember to keep the faith until death:

14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Do I show fear when I am threatened?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I thank You that You have provided for all my needs.  You give me Your peace that surpasses all understanding.  Help me to stand strong that it would be a witness that You are real.  Strengthen me in my weakness.  Help me to overcome my fears, that should I ever need to stand strong, that I would be able to stand on the solid rock of Christ.  Remember those who falsely accuse me, and persecute me for the sake of the name of Jesus.  This I ask in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?

Combat Training With God – Luke 6:46-49

Practice Makes Perfect

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Lord, Lord

Many call themselves Christians.  Jesus is looking for disciples:

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Anyone can claim to be a Christian.  Many will go out into the world and do “great and mighty things,” but they have failed to understand the cost of discipleship:

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Jesus has asked us to be obedient to his commands:

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Finally, Jesus had the following to say about those who would cry to Him, “Lord, Lord”:

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

Rooted in Rock

Christ is the solid rock of our salvation.  Any who build upon Him builds upon a solid and sturdy foundation.  When we are obedient to Jesus, regardless of the pressures of the world around us, we can overcome and live out the imputed righteousness that Jesus has provided to us through His perfect, shed blood.  This does not mean that everything will go well for us in this world – remember the faithful in Hebrews 11 who were rejected by the world, and yet the world was not worthy of them.  Jesus spoke about this:

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your
reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”

Calamitous Collapse

All who do not build on Jesus Christ are building on ground without a firm foundation.  Nothing that we build on apart from Jesus Christ will stand.  If we go our own ways, and do not yield ourselves to the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit, we will utterly fail.  We may even have approval of those around us, but Jesus had this to say:

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

In all things, we need to be sure we are building upon the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ.

A Qualifying Question

Let’s ask a question:  Am I building upon rock or sand?

A short prayer of preparation:

Father in Heaven, I thank You for Your word, and the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Thank You for Your patience, love, grace, and mercy.  Help me to be obedient to Your word, that I would build upon the solid rock of Jesus. Show me the way in which I should go, and what I should do, that I may honor and glorify You.  Help me to realize when I am going my own way, and to immediately come back to You.  This I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Want more?  Why not try A. B. Simpson or A. W. Tozer?