The great sin of ancient Israel was idolatry. From the Golden Calf to the Asherah Poles, they placed their faith in things created instead of the Creator. Not always, however, did they bow down before something carved or overlaid in gold, sometimes their idolatry was focused on themselves or in an alliance.
Idolatry does not always include a classic graven image. Idolatry occurs anytime man puts faith in the created over the Creator. The created may be something fashioned by hand or something already fashioned like the sun or a tree or an army or money or one's self.
Israel, so often turned to false gods and false friends and a false sense of power. Wherever and whenever they turned apart from Yahweh for help or prosperity, it was idolatry and would lead to their demise: "This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from The Lord" (Jer 17:5).
It is so foolish to turn away from the God of all Creation and toward part off His creation for help for God alone has the power to determine future outcomes. And when we trust in Him, our ultimate future is secure: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jer 17:7-8).
Where do turn first when trouble comes? In what do you place your hopes for the future? Is God the Source of your hope or are you depending on your own ability or the ability of others to secure your future? Our money is imprinted with "In God We Trust." But is it God or is it money we place our trust in? In what or whom do you trust? Jus' Askn.
The request didn't seem that unusual. Disciples today make it all the time and yet, Jesus' response was quick and pointed: "A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah" (Matt 16:4).
I know that I've asked for the Lord to give me a sign, to show me the path, to let me know He was in support of a decision or to let me know that He was there. Would Jesus, therefore, group me with a wicked and adulterous generation?
No, not for asking. But yes, if demanding. The Pharisees and Sadducees who made the request were really demanding proof of Jesus' authority as a test. They were not acting in faith, they were testing the grounds for faith trying to put God on trial.
We could be guilty of the same if we demand God heal our loved one and question His goodness or power if He chooses otherwise. When we insist that He fix our financial failure or repair our failed relationship to get our trust, we are placing personal testimony above the testimony of the Word, the creation and the cross, demanding a sign in order to accept His authority and divine power.
True faith, built upon the evidence of biblical testimony, divine design and personal relationship with the Lord, does not require that God act according to one's desire: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us...But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Dan 3:17-18).
The point? In faith, we ought to present our requests to God and trust that He will do what is right and good, regardless of our desire. Requests made in faith over faith determined by answers. Jus' Sayn.
Remember the childhood retort, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"? The notion taught was that actions, not words, were what was important. But the reality is that words are very important, even greater than actions sometimes.
Consider the actions of the 9/11 Islamic Terrorists - very bad indeed. But now consider the words Hitler spewed in Germany - the terrorists' actions pale compared to the results of his evil propaganda. Millions died because of the power his words held over nationalistic Germany in WWII.
James warns that the tongue is "a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the course of one's life on fire..." (Jam 3:5). Like the rudder on a ship or a bit in a horse's mouth, the tongue, though small, exerts great influence. And, like a single spark of fire that sets a forrest to blaze, the little tongue can consume and destroy people and nations.
It is because of this potential for harm that Jesus warns, "everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken" (Matt 12:36). We so carelessly say things that sometimes caused great injury or leads to harmful misunderstanding. Not considering and therefore not caring about the impact of our words, much evil is fueled by our wagging tongues.
Paul was very clear in admonishing us to weigh our words before speaking: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs..." (Eph 4:29).
Sticks and stones can hurt, even when thrown carelessly about. Words can do tremendous damage, even when not intended or simply idle talk. Words always have impact. Jus' Sayn.
"When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty" (Jer 15:16). Those must have been awfully encouraging words that Jeremiah received from the Lord, words that were precious to him.
They were indeed precious for they came from God himself. Can you imagine receiving a personal phone call or a personally signed letter from the President? Do you think you might tell others about it? Do you suspect you'd save the letter? Of course. Jeremiah's message came from the Heavenly Father
The words were precious to Jeremiah, not because they were encouraging as they spoke of the punishment about to be inflicted upon the People of Israel. But they were words from God to him. It was not what the message contained but who sent the message.
When Gid provides you an answer,mwhT is your response? Are you happy when it what you wanted and upset when it isn't? Or do you rejoice that God would reveal his will to you, provide you guidance or even administer discipline when needed.
Even if the President disagreed with you or denied your request. If he personally sent you a letter, would you disregard it and toss it in the trash or would you not hold in to it as a momento? Ought not the Word of the Lord be held in great value, regardless?
The word of God is always of great value because it comes from the Lord of Heaven and earth. It doesn't have to support our plans to be of value, His name gives it value.
So, let me ask you - do you spend time seeking His Word in prayer, devotional time and Bible study? Do you rejoice when you get an answer, even when it runs counter to your wishes? Jus' Askn.
"He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel" (Ps 103:7). At first blush, it appears that this is a straight-forward synthetic parallalelism where one thought is is spoken twice - that God makes himself known to his people.
But, closer examination shows it to be an antithetical parallelism, where God is revealed differently to Moses than to the people in general. The people bore witness to the deeds of God, they saw his power. But Moses bore witness to the ways of Gid, he came to know him. As recorded in the book of Deuteronomy, there was no one else "like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face" (34:10).
The people of Israel came to know what God could do but Moses came to know God. Moses did't just accepted the blessings or tremble at his disappointment. Moses approached Gid daily and talked with him. Moses had a personal relationship with the Lord, not just an academic or theological knowledge of him.
The difference in Moses and the others was that quality of seeking to know God, spending time talking to him and, in the process, like any two individuals persons, they became friends.
Jesus said, "Come unto me, take my yoke upon you and learn of me" (Matt 11:28). The invitation is to be yoked with him and as you pull together, you learn his ways. In Revelation 3:20, he implores, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Whoever will answer me, I will come in and eat with him." This is an invitation to the intimacy experienced by friends - an invitation to experience God.
Do you? Have you been learning about him or coming to know him? Do you simply study his deeds or do you commune with him? Jus' Askn.
Jesus said something very amazing about Jihn the Baptist: "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist" (Matt 11:11a).
What made it amazing was the line up of biblical giants who came before him. Abraham was the Father of Israel and the model of faithfulness. Noah and his family alone were saved on the entire earth because he was zo righteous and through him the world was repopulated. King David slew the giant and became "a man after God's oh heart." The list goes on.
What was so great in the life of John The Baptist? He is the one who paved the way for the Messiah. Jihn actually point out the Lord and paved the way for Israel to receive him. The others could only look forward to the Messiah, John introduced him to the world.
However, as incredible as it might have sounded that a man with a ministry span of perhaps only six months could be greater than all the kings, priests, prophets and judges of old, what is said next really blows the mind: "yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (11b).
How could you and I possibly be greater than John The Baptist? What could we possibly possess to make us greater than he? Simple. While John could point to tha Messiah, the very Spirit of the Christ lives within us. We are as valued as Christ because he lives within us" ("You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ" (Rom 8:9).
If you are His disciple, you are filled with His Spirit and are, therefore, greater than John and all who came before him. Jus' Sayn.
Jesus was about to step into a perfect storm of pain, suffering and death. He was about to be betrayed, slandered, arrested, tried, beaten, flogged and crucified. And all of that would pale compared to the separation from the Father as a result of the sin and guilt of the world placed upon his shoulders.
The degree of suffering awaiting him was revealed in the fact that, as he prayed, sweat began to form on his forehead and then fall to the ground like drops of blood: "he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:44).
When under extreme pressure, the capillaries in the forehead can actually burst causing blood, mixed with sweat, to pour off one's forehead. Jesus was under that kind of stress and pressure. His path was firmly set and there was no place to go, as Abraham Lincoln once said, "except to his knees."
But from his knees, a power would be released that would rock the gates of hell and shatter the power of sin and death. From his knees he would release the power to bring Satan to his knees. From his knees he would set in motion the events that would cause "every knee [to] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Phil 2:10).
The prayer of Jesus was was not ordinary prayer but it was not prayer limited to the divine. It was prayer that fully focused all Hus energy in one places prayer that was not distracted by other thoughts or secondary concerns. It was prayer that few ever take the time and energy to enter. It is the prayer beginning in the soul of the petitioner and reaching to the Spirit of God.
You and I can reach this level of prayer but we generally don't. I'm not sure it is something we could or would even want to achieve on a regular basis but it is the kind we should strive for and enter into when the stakes are high. Jus' Thinkn.
She was not invited and if you asked the master of the house, she was not welcome and her act of pouring perfume on the guest of honor's feet was not appreciated by anyone - anyone, that is, except for the guest f honor who happened to be the Master do the Unuverse, The Lord Jesus Christ.
While others downplayed what she did and even criticized the waste of perfume, Jesus praised her action saying, "Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her" (Mark 14:9).
It wasn't that what she did, in itself, was so great as the master of the house went to far more trouble and expense than she. It was that, out of the depths of her faith, she gave the best and perhaps all she had to offer. Jesus's words put it simply, "she did what she could" (v. 8).
It is not what we do so much as it is what prompts us to do it and the sacrifice that is called for to accomplish the task. If it costs us little or nothing compared to what we have, it is of little to no worth. And, if you perform it for personal gain, it is of no value to God.
Don't worry about how much you do or how much you spend but rather that, from your faith, you do and/or give what you can. This kind of faith living will be remembered and have impact upon generations to come. Not until Glory will you truly know the value of your act.
Jus' Sayn.
Among those recorded in Acts 8, who fled Jeeusalem under the persecution led by Saul (later to become the apostle Paul), was Phillip, who went down to Samaria and began preaching the Godpel of Jesus there.
His ministry resulted in "great joy" (v8) as Samaria "accepted the word of God" (v 14). As an evangelist, Phillip was in a gold mine of receptivity. It would be a missionary's dream location.
However, the Spirit had other plans and sent Phillip "preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea" (v 40). But why? Why would the a spirit send him away from such a hub of activity? Because it is not activity but the will of Gid that is important.
The activity that Phillip was a part of originally was because he was in the center of God's will. And that activity, as long as it was God-driven, would continue with or without Phillip. Phillip did not need to be a successful evangelist, he needed to be a faithful disciple.
Because Phillip was a faithful disciple, success as an evangelist followed him whever the Spirit led him. He understood and obeyed the promoting of the Spirit, which allowed God to not only bless him but so many others through him.
So, the focus of the child of is not to get busy but to be still before the Lord as He directs our steps according to His will not ours.
Jus' Sayn.
King David took Uriah's wife to satisfy a lustful urge and then took Uriah's life to cover his sin. But the sin was not covered from the Lord, who sent Nathan the prophet to confront Davis with his sin.
He told David a story about a rich man who took the one lone lamb of his poor neighbor to set a feast for a visitor instead of using one from his own flock. He then asked David what should happen to such a man to which David sad he should be killed. Nathan then said to David, "You are the man."
David was filled with a sense of guilt and acknowledged his sin from which he repented: "Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord .' Nathan replied, 'The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for a the Lord, the son born to you will die'" (2 Sam 12:13-14).
The guilt of his sin was removed but not the consequences. Sin leads to death and destruction. While you may turn from sin, that doesn't mean the outcome set in motion will turn aside from you.
You can be forgiven for murdering but may still end up on Death Row. You may be forgiven of sexual sin but still die from HIV. Asking for forgiveness has to do with your spiritual state not your physical condition.
It is important not to confuse the two and conclude you are not forgiven because a consequence is not set aside. Nor should one count on consequences be necessarily set aside as a result of your forgiveness, except for the eternal consequences.
Forgiveness and consequences are not necessarily linked. In fact, facing the consequences may be a vital part of your growth and development as a disciple of Christ. James said that "trials lead to perseverance, which produces wisdom" (James 1:2-4). Jus' Sayn.
The moon, which has no light of its own, shines very brightly, nonetheless less. It's light is reflected from the sun. The moon does not need to try to convince anyone of its relation to the sun because it is obvious to anyone who takes the time to look.
Likewise, disciples posess no light of their own as Jesus is "the light of the world" (John 8:12). The reason we then are "the light of the world" (Mt 5:4) can only be that we reflect His light. If that is true of you or me, we won't have try to convince anyone - they will know by looking at at.
This was true of the apostles: "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:4). And, Peter clearly implied that the same was true for other disciples when he gave the imperative, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet 3:15).
If you have to convince others that you are truly changed by the Spirit of Christ, you are not truly changed. If you are authentically changed the. Just be authentic and others will take note of the Christ within. When Jesus is seen in you, your life will attract others and you will be invited to share that hope.
If no one is asking about your hope and/or faith, you need to resist trying to convince them and focus on inviting the Lord to change you and "walking in the light" (1 Jn 1:7). Then, as you walk in the light of the Spirit's presence, others will see and they will want to know what it is that you have.
Jus' Sayn.
While there are times we simply do not know or understand what God wants of us in a particular instance, often times we know but simply don't like what we are hearing.
I have know a fair amount of individuals, over the years, that went from church to church and from minister to minister, looking for agreement with their choice to divorce their mate rather than work on the relationship.
I have know others who leave a church when their lifestyle is challenged rather than review their lifestyle choices and consider making some changes. So many want to find agreement with their wants or choices rather than the truth, which may cause them to yield to God's will.
In stark contrast to this desire for personal choice over yielding to God's will stands Abraham, who was asked to sacrifice the beloved son of promise, Isaac. Can you imagine what went through his mind as God gave him the command to sacrifice the son he had waited for all his life, the son who was to be his heir and the one to carry on his lineage?
If Abraham had been like so many others, he would have concluded that He must have been mistaken as Gid would never ask such a thing. He would have reasoned that he had misheard as God only wanted him to be happy. He would have found so e reason to refuse to God's will.
But that's not how the story goes: "'Do not lay a hand on the boy,' he said. 'Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son'"(Gen 22:12). Abraham obeyed and because of his faithfulness, the Messiah came to the world through his lineage. What about you? Are you ready to fully yield to God's will? Jus' Askn.
Our IPhone calendars are full of plans. We have our day mapped out, days planned for, weeks and even months out have entries. We are encouraged in business and church growth to have five and ten year plans and some have plans into the next generation.
It all sounds so forward thinking and responsible to forecast and prepare for what you want, where you want and how you plan to get there with everything in place. Except that none of it may ever happen, despite all your plans: "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord ’s purpose that prevails" (Prov 19:21).
I am not suggesting it is wrong to make plans and provisions, but I am saying it is a mistake to make plans without seeking direction from the Lord or considering His will for your life in the making if those plans.
As James says, "Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money .” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that" (Js 4:13-15).
While there are things we want and need in this life, this world is not to be our first priority nor our desire the top of our concerns. Rather, we are to "Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things [that we need] will be added as well " ( Matt 6:33).
Might I suggest that we make plans to follow God's lead and work to build His Kingdom as we live under the shadow of the cross while on this journey through life on planet Earth? Jus' Askn.
It would be impossible to overstate the personal sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. It is hard to imagine the pain and suffering he endured as his flogged body hang from three nails on that wooded torture tree. And the physical pain paled in comparison to the weight of humanity's sin and shame.
But the sacrifice on the cross was not altogether personal. While he bore the pain of the nails and the weight of society's offense, at the foot of the cross stood others whose hearts and souls were pierced that day as well: "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" (John 19:25).
His mother and others who loved him dearly were there as well. Every lash of the whip, every blow of the hammer, every mock from the crowd - these women winced in the inward pain that the other feels as they helplessly stand by and watch the suffering of their son or daughter or husband or wife or.....
This is part of the cost counting Jesus warned us to consider: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters---yes, even their own life---such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27).
As disciples, we are to accept the cross, which is to die to self interests and live for the glory of God. Sometimes that will involve pain and/or loss. And others who love you will suffer with you. We are called to love God enough to allow them to suffer. To spare them of suffering, you would have to disobey the Lord and you may be denying them part of their share in the cross.
Loss is not mitigated by choosing to disobey God, it simply migrates to the cost of sin. Sacrificing for the King brings victory while avoiding loss ends in defeat. Jus' Sayn.
When Jesus taught, "The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law" (Mk 1:22).
That is an interesting revelation as the teachers of the law sat in Moses' seat and were vested with authority, they were the religious leaders of their day and respected as ones with authority. Those who sat at their feet accepted their authority.
But when Jesus taught, the authority with which he spoke revealed their teaching to be empty of true authority. What was that? Was it because only the Christ had true authority? No, because as Jesus sent out his disciples, he would "send them out with authority" (Mt 10:1). God has always vested authority in his people.
The teachers of the law had the authority to teach but they did not use it. Instead, being void of the Spirit of God, "They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules" (Mk 7:7). The difference so readily seen between Jesus and the teachers of the law was the authority of the Spirit.
Paul shines this light on the authority-based, teaching of the apostles, "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words" (1 Cor 2:13).
The teachers of the law, taught from the law as filtered through their own human thinking and desires. Jesus taught as led by the Spirit of God as did his apostles and as will his disciples today. It is important that we are in the Scriptures daily combined with daily prayer and reflection on His Word, asking and listening for the Spirit's direction.
We don't need clever or well thought out notions, we need a word from the Lord, which begins with a searching heart. Jus' Sayn.
When "The Lord turned to [Gideon] and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” (Judges 6:14), he responded in disbelief! saying that he was the least member of the least family of the least tribe of Israel. To say he had an inferiority complex is putting it mildly.
However, as it has been said, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean no one is after you." Gideon did have an esteem issue but he was correct in thinking he could not possibly lead tiny Israel against the mighty Midianite coalition. At least he had been right, up to the moment when God said he could, for while "with man this is impossible,...with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26).
I have often heard Christians say "I can never forgive what he did!" "I can never forget what they said!" "I can never get past what she took from me!" And they were right until some listened t God and invited Him to work in them - then they found the strength to forgive, forget and get over it. Why? Because they finally got off dead center of what they could do and embraced the forward motion of the power of God within.
Although it may seem or even be impossible for you to do a thing, in Christ, all things are possible. As Paul said, He "...is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Eph 3:20). And further affirms, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13).
The impossible for us become possible through us when the power of God's Spirit is moving in and through us. We can do anything God calls us to do by Hus power - forgive the unforgivable, love the in loveable, forget the unforgettable, do the undoable.
Jus' Sayn.
A major problem with our politicians today is that they will only accept agreement. Any disagreement is taken as an aggressive act of an enemy and is met in kind. No one is listening to the argument, instead they are posturing for battle.
This is true among different interest groups as well. Pro-Choice v Prolife does not try to create a platform for debate and dialog but rathe draw lines of battle. Each side seeks accepts only agreement with their ideals - no disagreement allowed. Neither side seeks to increase understanding, only to increase the rhetoric.
Even among individuals today there is a lack of true dialog as agreement is insisted on to be counted as a friend, any dissimilar thinking is considered an act of treason. Discourse and dialog are reduced to a bi-lateral monologue. It is no wonder we are becoming a nation of the uninformed as we only want to hear what we already believe.
In the church we too often find the same insistence on agreement over clarity. We don't want someone to clarify their position or belief,mew want them to agree with our beliefs. To disagree is to draw a line of seperation.
How sad and how foolish. A national, individual or religious discourse and dialog that presents variant ideas is not a threat but rather an opportunity. It is an opportunity to clarify your beliefs and to have clarity of another's so that informed decisions and positions can be reached. We forget the biblical truth that "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Prov 27:17).
We need to seek understand more than agreement as there might be common ground on which we both can stand that is more tenable than either side's original position. Clarity allows room for growth and it gives rise to truth whether in your position or in the ideals of the other. Either way is better than blind agreement. Jus' Sayn.
I find it interesting that everyone expects a Christmas bonus in companies that still give them, just because they showed up through the year and did their job. People expect merit raises even though they didn't do anything except what they were hired to do. For some, just showing up for work is reason enough to give them special recognition.
The truth of the matter,meow ever, is that just doing what you were hired to do is no reason for bonus pay or merit raises or special recognition. While an employer may choose to give you recognition or a bonus of some kind, the reality is that if you just did what you were paid to do, you were already compensated. Anything beyond that is a gift.
Even some Christians feel that they have somehow obligated God to reward them because they have been regular in church attendance, making their offering, reading their Bibles and helping out now and then in a ministry effort.
Jesus does not agree, instead he says, "When you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10). Doing what you are supposed to do is not reason for special honor.
Jesus was not saying you are lost in this instance, only that you are not worthy of praise or honor for just doing what a servant would be expected to do. Perhaps that is part of the problem - we don't always see outprselves as servants but rather as benefactors, donating and helping out in God's cause.
In our prayers, it sometimes seems like we view God as our servant, expecting Him to do this or that at our call as if He were a cosmic bellhop. I have a one-word response to that idea: Not!
God loves us and he provides for us, not because we deserve it but because he is grace filled. We are not worthy of his blessings, they are gifts. Our response should be one of gratitude that causes us to want to serve him without expectation of anything more. We can't do enough to merit salvation or his blessings. We are unworthy servants but also beloved children and heirs. Jus' Sayn.
After a successful ministry push or outreach campaign, what is our tendency to do next? Often it is to celebrate. We thank everyone for their participation, recount the challenges and the victorious outcome. We give each other a spiritual high-five.
When Jesus was confronted with 5,000 hungry men and only a few fishes and loaves of bread but overcame the impossible circumstance by the power of God to multiply our gifts, he didn't take time to celebrate or rest on his victory. Instead, "After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray" (Mk 6:46).
What Jesus knew is that the Enemy would not let up but rather ratchet up his opposition after such a victory. The disciples went ahead in the boat not knowing they were about to face a storm but Jesus followed later, walking on the water, full of the strength and power of God that comes from a season of prayer. Instead of being afraid and rattled as were the disciples, Jesus climbed into the boat and stilled the storm by God's power.
If Jesus saw the need to retreat after a spiritual victory I. Order to commune with the Father, do you think we ought to do less? Do you not think that the Enemy will try to cause a storm in our lives, which will necessitate strength and power from on high to overcome?
Rather than spend too much time celebrating our victory, do you think perhaps we ought to focus more on thanking the Father and petitioning Him for protection and power to face the upcoming storm as Satan tries to minimize the victory by spiritually wounding the victorious?
Jus' Askn.
We expect our enemies to wound us and our friends to support us. But some times it is just the reverse. Sometimes our enemies are giving us pats on the back and high-fives while our friends are cutting us to the heart.
Certainly there can be times when, by virtue of a common concern, someone who normally doesn't like you can come along side to support your efforts in behalf of a cause in which they believe. For instance, a conservative Republican and a liberal Democrat, might team up to support Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
There can also be times when a friend turns on you or simply, out of anger, sears you with a flurry of heated words because of a misunderstanding or a falling out.
But normally, when an enemy begins to flatter you or seem to be in support of you, there is another shoe to drop or a knife traveling toward your back. And when a friend, conversely, says something that wounds you, there is hand of support and a look of concern attached.
A good friend, will tell you the truth, even when it is not welcomed. A good friend will seek your best, even when you are determined to choose the worst. A good friend cares more about you than maintaining the friendship.
Solomon put it this way: "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses" Prov 27:6). In other words, when an enemy speaks well of you, it is prudent to determine what they are up to. And when a friend speaks unflatteringly about you, it is wise to try to determine if their words really did constitute "unnessary roughness."
We don't need agreement so nuch as we need clarity. A clear and honest word, even if painful, is always better than a lie. Jus' Sayn.
The Israelites had been freed from slavery but were subject to the harsh rule of the desert. They were tired and hungry and, most of all, thirsty. They were frustrated and Moses was the object of their consternation.
"Why have you brought us out here to die?" they cried out accussingly. They lamented all the good food they had while in Egypt (you would have thought they had been living in the lap of luxury instead of harsh slavery to hear them tell it).
Moses took their complaining and accusations to the Lord, who directed Moses to speak to a rock,Mahican would pour forth abundant water. Instead of speaking to the rock as directed, Moses, in his frustration with the People, shouted out to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock ?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank" (Num 20:10-11).
Moses, like the Israelites he was frustrated with, lost focus. He directed his attention to the people complaining instead of the Lord providing. This loss of focus and the personal pride tha came out of it cost him entrance into the Promised Land: “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them" (Num 20:12).
Moses isn't alone in this tendency. Don't we often focus on the the people giving us problems and react in kind instead of focusing on God and reacting in kindness, allowing Gid to have the glory while we release our frustration, laying it at His feet? The Bible is clear about "setting our hearts on things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God" (Col 3:1). Maybe we should be too. Jus' Sayn.
In Exodus 33, God told Israel to go on into the Land of Milk and Honey and He would send an angel ahead of them to fight for them but that He would not go with them for they were a stiff neck people.
Moses pleaded stop it the Lord saying, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." (Ex 33:15). Moses knew that the angel could defeat the armies they would face and he was certain of their success in taking possession of the land. But he also knew that success without the presence of the Lord was hollow.
Moses wanted no part of nation building without God's presence for he knew that even a Pharoah could lose all he had apart from God's blessing. He knew that "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain" (Ps 127:1).
Limited or short-term success can be found apart from God. Evil people often seem to be on top of the world. Despite their godlessness, "the arrogant are blessed and evil doers prosper" (Mal 3:15). However, the day comes when God shows "the distinction between the righteous and the wicked" (Mal 3:18).
Although we may find success and prosperity apart from the Lord, what we will not find is His blessings. And in the long run, a branch cannot grow apart from its vine. As Jesus put it, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5).
Success is alluring, prosperity inviting but neither can provide the eternal blessings that are God's alone. At the end of the day, the rich and famous will be poor and nameless occupants of hell unless God dwells in their hearts and gives life to their spirits. Jus' Sayn.
In America, we are wired with the belief in freedom, it is a part the fabric into which we are woven. We tend to equate freedom with the right to do what we want, even if it is to the disapproval of others and to our personal detriment.
We have reached a point in our national history where this notion of personal freedom has eclipsed the need for personal responsibility. Far too many are willing to get what they want on the backs of others, without regarding the impact the exercise of my freedom might have on another, taking no personal responsibility for the harm their freedom might cause another.
In Christ, we are afforded the very freedom upon which this country's ideal of freedom was originally was born. However, in Him, the freedom is very specifically to be exercised within the boundaries of personality to others. While we may the freedom to do any number of things, we are called to consider the impact of a particular exercise of freedom upon another.
Listen to how the apostle Paul expresses our right in light of our responsibility: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others" (1 Cor 10:23-24).
Exercising freedom to do whatever I want without regard to the impact on another is to deny the very foundation of our freedom: Love. It was out of Christ's love for the Father and us that prompted him to say, "Yet not my will but yours be done" (Mark 14:36), which led him to the cross and our freedom from the heavy hand if law and sin.
Freedom to choose - yes. Freedom to be irresponsible - not! Jus' Sayn.
We tend to look at things through the lens of self-interest. We make choices that benefit ourselves. We decide whether or not to help someone else based on how it will impact us. We ask God to bless our interests and activities.
When things don't go our way, when the outcome overrides our input or when God doesn't answer our prayer in the affirmative - we become frustrated, fearful or angry.
If, however, we could learn to look at things from the perspective of God's overarching rule and universal concern, we would realize that we are not the center of the universe and everything cannot and should not be about us.
What if we began to see our activities in the light of divine appointments instead of a personal agenda. What if we began to wonder when asked by a stranger for help, "Why does God have me here with this individual?" "Is this intersection a random meeting or an appointment set by God?
What if every day we began to ask what God might have in store for us as he works for the ultimate good of all his children and all creation? What if we began to pray for His will to be done (Matt 6:10) instead of our own?
Remember WWJD? What would Jesus do? Listen to his words: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19). Jesus would seek out and do his Father's will. He saw everything as a divine appointment.
Jesus was not interested in self-promotion but rather the advancement of the Kingdom of God and the fulfillment of God's will in his life. What would it look like to truly follow him. To look for divine appointments along the way daily? Jus' Askn.
In the ages-long debate of are we saved by grace alone or are works an intergral part, the answer is yes. "For it is by grace through faith you are saved - not by works. This is the gift of God so that no man may boast" (Eph 2:8-9). However, Paul goes on to say, "For we were created by God in Christ Jesus to do the good works he prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph 2:10).
So, how does this make sense that we are saved purely by the grace or gift of God and yet we have have work that is expected of us? Is salvation a free gift or not? Again, the answer is yes. Come again? This is getting confusing. Yes, it can be a bit perplexing, which makes it easier to come down on one side or the other of the debate instead of wrestling for the truth.
Let's take a page of history to illustrate the truth of free gift and necessary works. God gave the Children of Israel the Promised Land but they had to go up and take possession: "See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them" (Deut 1:8).
The gift was free but there was work in taking possession of it. If you were given a wild mustang for free, you would still have to go get it, corral it, break it and take care of it. Ever been given a free puppy or kitten? Do you remember how much work that entailed?
What we are talking about is the combination of the free gift of salvation and the daily work of sanctification. Becoming saved Jesus is free, becoming like him requires much. Our lives must be altered greatly. Our way of thinking, speaking and acting must be transformed. It is a lifetime process of unpacking and taking possession of the gift. But more than worth the effort.
We don't earn it, we receive it. But we can't just own it, we must live it. Therein lies the joing of grace and works. Jus' Sayn.
Moses and Aaron were in the process of following God's direction to bring about Israel's freedom from slavery. The Israelites, however, were not thankful but rather wishing them both harm: "When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us" (Ex 5:20-21).
Their freedom was set in motion but it was not moving smoothly, their were bumps in the road and costs to be paid. Moving past slavery is never easy, the slave master is never predisposed to let you go free. There will always be a cost to pay.
Many want freedom from the slavery of nicotine but find when they quit smoking,dipping or chewing that the cost in terms of discomfort is more than they are willing to pay. A wife may dream of being freed from an abusive husband but wakes up to the reality of the difficulty in going it on her own and settles for a life she hates but has learned to cope with. Dumping a drug addiction, giving up gambling or saying no to overheating are all painful and costly in their own right.
Freedom is never free. Freedom requires we give up that which enslaves us and therein lies the pain and the cost. But also, therein lies the value. To overcome a task master and be free brings peace and fulfillment. There is no way to put a price on freedom, it is invaluable. It is always worth the coat. Jus' Sayn.
Moses was in awe of the Voice from the burning bush that did not burn up. But he was not impressed with His choice of representatives to call His people out of Egypt - Moses.
Moses warned some credentials to present to the people of Israel if he was to go back to them and try again to lead them, so he asked, "What name shall I give them when they ask who is it that is sending you? (ex 3:13). "God said to Moses, 'I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites:‘ I am has sent me to you'" (Ex 3:14).
In other words, God was assuring Moses, telling him I am who I choose to be for you and them. I will be be who you need me to be as I carry out my will through you. I will be your protector, yor provider and your guide. I will be your voice, your authority and your power before Pharoah.
God was not limited in the way the people envisioned gods to be, God was limitless in His power and scope. God could do to and through Moses whatever was needed to bring about success.
When God calls us to ministry,mercenary though we lack confidence in ourselves,mew should have every ciponfidence in Him who can be what ever we need him to be in and through us. God does not have to call the equipped as he will equip the called in whatever ways are necessary
Our answer to God ought always be yes even when our knowledge or skill sets scream, "No way!" Jesus is "the Way" (John 14:6). And we "can do all things through Him who gives us strength" (Phil 4:13).
Jus' Sayn.
If you were taught like I was, growing up, you probably came to believe that God freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage in order to bring them to the Promised Land. It seems to be the general consensus of Christians and Jews today.
Well, the trouble with consensus is that it doesn't make a thing true, it only illustrates how many people accept a certain position spas true. In this case the consensus is anything but correct.
God did not bring Israel out of Egypt to enjoy the Promised Land, instead "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself" (Ex -9:4). God brought them out to the Promised Land so they could know Him as God. He delivered them so that they might have a relationship with Himself.
Christians today are often under a similar false assumption, held by consensus, that we are called out of the world so that we can go to Heaven and therefore we need to be busy about the task of making our way there by religious activity - especially church attendance and ministry efforts.
Not! He has called us out of the world not to religious activity so that we can make our way to Heaven but rather, He has "called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours" (1 Cor1:2). God sets us free from "Egypt" so that we may be with Him in Kingdom relationship now and forever.
We are not to be making our way to Heaven by doing works. We are called into the Kingdom, which is consummated in Heaven but we are ought to be working now because we are children of Gid, living in the Kingdom, serving our King by treating one another in love and reaching out to the lost and hurting in the world around us.
God calls us into a relationship that begins now and lasts forever. We are not "making it to heaving by works," we are doing the work of the King in Whose Kingdom we already live. Jus' Sayn.
He had spent a lifetime building his business. He remembered as though it were yesterday turning over the first shovel of dirt before the construction began. It had been a vibrant and fulfilling business, one that afforded him a good life and wonderful memories.
Today, he stood and watched as his beloved office building came crashing to the ground. So many memories, so many good time, so many hard fought victories flashed before his eyes as the structure heaved and gave way to the explosion that brought it to a final end.
And he could not have been happier, because his faithful old office building, worn out and worn down by the passage of time and years of productivity, was giving way to a new structure that would carry his business into a new era. The old was gone and the new had come. The passing was not a time of sorrow but of joy.
In my work as an Arkansas Hospice chaplain, I daily sit with with people who, by age or disease, are watching as their bodies are giving way day by day. They know that their old house is passing and about to crumble around them. But most look forward to that passing away with joy. They smile at the prospect of being freed from their old, deteriorating house. They know they have a new and better in the making.
As Paul put it: "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands" (2 Cor 5:1). As Chrstians, our passing is not the end, it is a new beginning - the beginning of our eternal life in Glory with a new and glorified body.
So what else but joy could be found in the passing from an old or diseased body to a new and glorified one? Growing old and gray or giving way to a edge ratio disease process ought not worry the child of God, both are evidence of glory in the making and should produce joy in the passing. Jus' Sayn.
Speaking of evil spirits, we read in 1 John 4:4, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." As Christians, we have the Spirit and the power of the risen Christ within us.
In our struggle "against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12), we have the overcoming power of the presence of Christ, which means that we have nothing to fear from the Evil One or his minions.
How is it then that we so often live in fear? Why do we get so pressed down, feeling that we are under Satan's attack? Why aren't we living bold lives, walking fearlessly in the Spirit? Why aren't we aren't we excitedly engaging the Enemy, knowing that we are invested with overcoming power?
Could it be that we lack the faith that allows us to truly "Let go and let God" have control of our lives, that we shy away from fully trusting in Him? Could it be that we try to operate on our own power instead of embracing the power of Christ within? Could it be a faith problem?
If I walk in fear, how can I truly believe that God is walking with me, ready to protect and provide for me? Is there anything too hard for God? Is there any power to great for Him to overcome? Why should we ever be afraid? Even if we "walk through the valley of the shadow of death" itself, is there reason to fear since He is with us (see Ps 23)?
We have Overcoming Power residing within us. How about we start living like it, stepping out fearlessly and excitedly in faith as we face the worst Satan has to offer with the best God has given? Jus' Askn.
Some people are very grateful for whatever you do for them and want nothing better than to repay your kindness. Others expect something for nothing and are not particularly thankful for what you do for them. It is difficult to give to that second group when you feel they are so undeserving and ungrateful. Why should one even want to help?
Some employers really care about their employees and are ver appreciative of what they do. Others only care about what they can get out of you and have no loyalty whatsoever. We are tempted to put in the minimum, certainly not give our best to someone who would drop us like a hot potato for the bottom line or on a whim. Why would one feel any need to give their best to someone who brings out the worst?
And government officials, who only seem to be interested in self-promotion - what can I say? If they were really servants of the people as they are called to be, we would gladly tally behind them. But who wants to support or show respect to officials who are totally self-serving and would throw you under the bus without a second thought? Why should we even give them the time of day?
The answer in the flesh is "throw the bums out!" But the answer of the Spirit is wholly other, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Col 3:23). Our Lord expects us to serve Him by serving others and when we see it that way, it changes everything.
I am not called to help the ungrateful needy, work for the oppressive boss or respect the shifty politician, I am called to work for The Lord in all I do. I am called to do my best even for the worst because it is for God's glory, not their demands, that I act. It is service to my King and how can that ever be less than my best? Jus' Askn.
