July 31
Before long on our journey of faith, it became apparent to us that the road we’d chosen has fewer travelers walking upon it than we’d been accustomed to seeing on our previous path. At times, in fact, it seems we’re virtually alone on the Road of Life. No matter how it seems, however, we know Jesus walks this new path with us.
We shouldn’t be surprised at the scarcity of people along this trail. The Word has pointed out to us that the road to destruction is broad—it is a boulevard, a thoroughfare of travel and business and social activity. The old way found us rubbing elbows with important people and bumping into friends all along the way.
Our new route is a virtual footpath that seems hewn afresh by each one who walks it. There may be indications of the ones who’ve gone before, but most of the time we feel like we’re forging new territory. We try to leave a trail to follow for others who come behind us, but we realize it may be overgrown by the time someone new comes along and he will have to beat down the overgrowth to forge his own way.
We may feel we’ve become lost, that we’ve chosen the wrong road, until we remember the Lord’s own words to us in Matthew 7:13,14. “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be that follow it. But narrow is the road that leads to life, and few there be who find it.” If we’re among the crowd, we’re lost; if we’re among the few, we’re found—found eternally of Christ—who will Himself lead us home.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
July 30
Following after Christ in love is a lofty and lovely endeavor. There is no higher calling to which a person of faith may employ his gifts and resources. At the onset of faith, one is almost compelled to focus on the Lord, to spend himself in the behalf of the work of the Kingdom of Christ. This earnest desire wanes with time.
It is rather like a marriage, to which the life of faith is often compared in both the Old and the New Testaments. At the beginning of the relationship, both parties are desirous of pleasing the other and being devoted forever. But the intensity of passion lessens as time goes on. Being together becomes part of the routine.
Our relationship with the Lord can become routine. We go to church, we teach Sunday school, we’re elected to the board, but it’s all become a part of our routine—much like going to work every day. It’s become a necessary exercise in maintaining our way of life, but it has lost its initial excitement. To overcome this ‘ho-hum’ attitude, believers must employ the passion Jesus desired from His disciples when they followed Him into the garden to pray before His arrest and crucifixion.
In Matthew 26:41 He told them to, “…watch and pray that you enter not into temptation…” He added the caution that we, too, must heed, “…for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” When the joy we experienced initially in our salvation from sin has become the mundane exercise of one more responsibility, we will lose our zeal if we do not heed the Lord’s own formula of being vigilant to overcome the devices of the enemy and being prayerful in our fight against him, knowing only Jesus can overcome his wiles in our behalf and give us victory.
Following after Christ in love is a lofty and lovely endeavor. There is no higher calling to which a person of faith may employ his gifts and resources. At the onset of faith, one is almost compelled to focus on the Lord, to spend himself in the behalf of the work of the Kingdom of Christ. This earnest desire wanes with time.
It is rather like a marriage, to which the life of faith is often compared in both the Old and the New Testaments. At the beginning of the relationship, both parties are desirous of pleasing the other and being devoted forever. But the intensity of passion lessens as time goes on. Being together becomes part of the routine.
Our relationship with the Lord can become routine. We go to church, we teach Sunday school, we’re elected to the board, but it’s all become a part of our routine—much like going to work every day. It’s become a necessary exercise in maintaining our way of life, but it has lost its initial excitement. To overcome this ‘ho-hum’ attitude, believers must employ the passion Jesus desired from His disciples when they followed Him into the garden to pray before His arrest and crucifixion.
In Matthew 26:41 He told them to, “…watch and pray that you enter not into temptation…” He added the caution that we, too, must heed, “…for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” When the joy we experienced initially in our salvation from sin has become the mundane exercise of one more responsibility, we will lose our zeal if we do not heed the Lord’s own formula of being vigilant to overcome the devices of the enemy and being prayerful in our fight against him, knowing only Jesus can overcome his wiles in our behalf and give us victory.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
July 29
In Mark 8:34 Jesus said, “If anyone comes after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me.” He was here dispelling the idea that the Christian walk would be a cake walk. He was here dispelling the idea that in accepting Him as Savior and Lord the believer would become prosperous and care-free.
Some Christians may be wealthy and live lives that evidence God’s blessings upon them, but that is not to be our anticipation upon signing on with Jesus. He makes it very clear that if blessings come, we are not to set our heart upon them. Our heart is to be forever His—exclusively.
But in casting our lot with Him, there will be certain expectations we will endeavor to meet—not because our eternal salvation is contingent upon anything we must do, for He has completed the work—just because our love for the Lord compels us to be like Him. The One unmistakable characteristic that the believer in Christ should evidence more and more as he grows in Him is love. Love is the one fruit of the Spirit that we are told in I Corinthians 13:8 “will never fail.”
In Ephesians 5:2 we are given this directive, “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a slain, fragrant, sacrificial offering to God.” It was love that established the foundation of salvation—Christ slain before the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8). It was love that brought Him from Heavenly glory to the ignominy of the cross. And it is love that will take us from the cross to a lifetime of following after Him no matter what the cost.
In Mark 8:34 Jesus said, “If anyone comes after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me.” He was here dispelling the idea that the Christian walk would be a cake walk. He was here dispelling the idea that in accepting Him as Savior and Lord the believer would become prosperous and care-free.
Some Christians may be wealthy and live lives that evidence God’s blessings upon them, but that is not to be our anticipation upon signing on with Jesus. He makes it very clear that if blessings come, we are not to set our heart upon them. Our heart is to be forever His—exclusively.
But in casting our lot with Him, there will be certain expectations we will endeavor to meet—not because our eternal salvation is contingent upon anything we must do, for He has completed the work—just because our love for the Lord compels us to be like Him. The One unmistakable characteristic that the believer in Christ should evidence more and more as he grows in Him is love. Love is the one fruit of the Spirit that we are told in I Corinthians 13:8 “will never fail.”
In Ephesians 5:2 we are given this directive, “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a slain, fragrant, sacrificial offering to God.” It was love that established the foundation of salvation—Christ slain before the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8). It was love that brought Him from Heavenly glory to the ignominy of the cross. And it is love that will take us from the cross to a lifetime of following after Him no matter what the cost.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
July 28
What is it that causes us most concern? What do we fear? The answers to that question run the gamut of human experience. Some of us fret over the day-to-day matters of paying bills and meeting obligations. Some of us worry about health issues. Some of us agonize over growing threats that loom large over the world—global warming, terrorism, the coarsening of our morals.
Yet, we are admonished in the Word that we not fret and we not fear. We are assured that His perfect love for us casts out all fear. (I John 4:18) When we trust Jesus, we leave the matters that concern us in His capable hands and go about our business of walking in faith.
Yet there is something that even Jesus was cautious against, and if He found Himself in a position to guard against it, we, too, should take a good look at ourselves as regards the matter. In John 6:15 we are told, “Jesus, knowing that they meant to make Him their King, withdrew to the hillside, alone with God” (John 6:15). One proclivity of man that is most difficult to overcome is the ingrained desire to be important, to be recognized as a leader, to be someone of significance.
Jesus knew that all glory in heaven and earth was His, but that it was not to be conferred upon Him by mere men. We, too, must flee the tendency we have to allow others to lift us up. We must labor diligently at the tasks before us, performing them as though we were working for the Lord Himself and allowing HIM to recognize and commend our effort. Rather than the praise of men, we must desire His, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Luke 19:17)
What is it that causes us most concern? What do we fear? The answers to that question run the gamut of human experience. Some of us fret over the day-to-day matters of paying bills and meeting obligations. Some of us worry about health issues. Some of us agonize over growing threats that loom large over the world—global warming, terrorism, the coarsening of our morals.
Yet, we are admonished in the Word that we not fret and we not fear. We are assured that His perfect love for us casts out all fear. (I John 4:18) When we trust Jesus, we leave the matters that concern us in His capable hands and go about our business of walking in faith.
Yet there is something that even Jesus was cautious against, and if He found Himself in a position to guard against it, we, too, should take a good look at ourselves as regards the matter. In John 6:15 we are told, “Jesus, knowing that they meant to make Him their King, withdrew to the hillside, alone with God” (John 6:15). One proclivity of man that is most difficult to overcome is the ingrained desire to be important, to be recognized as a leader, to be someone of significance.
Jesus knew that all glory in heaven and earth was His, but that it was not to be conferred upon Him by mere men. We, too, must flee the tendency we have to allow others to lift us up. We must labor diligently at the tasks before us, performing them as though we were working for the Lord Himself and allowing HIM to recognize and commend our effort. Rather than the praise of men, we must desire His, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Luke 19:17)
Monday, July 27, 2009
July 27
Can we ask too much of God? Can we presume upon His kindness, upon His love, upon His desire to help us when we are beyond helping ourselves? If we read the Scriptures correctly, the answer to all the above is a simple, emphatic ‘NO!”
It is difficult for us to imagine a God who is willing to go the extra mile for us, but indeed, Jesus said that is what we are to do—“If a man asks you to walk a mile with him, walk with him two miles. If he asks for your coat, give him your cloak also.” (Matthew 5:40,41)
If that is what He expects of us and we are frail creatures of a fallen planet, how much more must He, the lofty One who inhabits eternity, extend Himself! Of course, we have the ultimate, conclusive evidence of His selfless, unfailing love at the cross. Calvary demonstrates the love of our Triune God more clearly than anything else we might suggest.
But beyond Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for our eternal salvation, we also have the assurance of His Word in Ephesians 3:20 that assures His concern for us is not only eternal but temporal as well. Here He emphatically states that He, “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think, according to His power at work within us.” He’ll equip us to receive--and to give--all we need!
Can we ask too much of God? Can we presume upon His kindness, upon His love, upon His desire to help us when we are beyond helping ourselves? If we read the Scriptures correctly, the answer to all the above is a simple, emphatic ‘NO!”
It is difficult for us to imagine a God who is willing to go the extra mile for us, but indeed, Jesus said that is what we are to do—“If a man asks you to walk a mile with him, walk with him two miles. If he asks for your coat, give him your cloak also.” (Matthew 5:40,41)
If that is what He expects of us and we are frail creatures of a fallen planet, how much more must He, the lofty One who inhabits eternity, extend Himself! Of course, we have the ultimate, conclusive evidence of His selfless, unfailing love at the cross. Calvary demonstrates the love of our Triune God more clearly than anything else we might suggest.
But beyond Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for our eternal salvation, we also have the assurance of His Word in Ephesians 3:20 that assures His concern for us is not only eternal but temporal as well. Here He emphatically states that He, “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think, according to His power at work within us.” He’ll equip us to receive--and to give--all we need!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
July 26
There is a great advantage to the child whose parents establish firm guidelines of behavior and achievement for the child at an early age. There is an incalculable advantage to the child whose parents apply these same guidelines not only to matters of scholarship and social interaction but also to matters of the spirit.
The child who is diligently instructed in the way he should go from infancy will be the child who does not quickly fall into unproductive habits. People who achieve great success are often those whose earliest nurturing included self-discipline and determination to attain worthwhile goals.
The Word encourages this same discipline in striving for eternal goals. In Psalm 94: 12, 13, it says, “Blessed is the one who You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach from Your law so You may give him power to prosper even in the day of adversity.” The Lord wants to equip the believer for complete victory.
The Lord’s discipline has the same intent as does parental discipline—to prepare the child for success over any and every eventuality. The Lord’s discipline lays the foundation of understanding of Who He is and what He wants from man in order that man might prevail over every circumstance that comes his way.
There is a great advantage to the child whose parents establish firm guidelines of behavior and achievement for the child at an early age. There is an incalculable advantage to the child whose parents apply these same guidelines not only to matters of scholarship and social interaction but also to matters of the spirit.
The child who is diligently instructed in the way he should go from infancy will be the child who does not quickly fall into unproductive habits. People who achieve great success are often those whose earliest nurturing included self-discipline and determination to attain worthwhile goals.
The Word encourages this same discipline in striving for eternal goals. In Psalm 94: 12, 13, it says, “Blessed is the one who You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach from Your law so You may give him power to prosper even in the day of adversity.” The Lord wants to equip the believer for complete victory.
The Lord’s discipline has the same intent as does parental discipline—to prepare the child for success over any and every eventuality. The Lord’s discipline lays the foundation of understanding of Who He is and what He wants from man in order that man might prevail over every circumstance that comes his way.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
July 25
Has the question ever crossed your mind as to why some people seem to have such an unwavering belief in the existence of God while others negate Him? Perhaps we can go further and say that within the minds of those of us who profess faith in the Lord, there are times we doubt; times we waver in our faith.
What causes such fluctuation? Why don’t we always believe with the fervency we once knew? There is an admonition that adjures that we ‘never doubt in the darkness what the Lord has revealed clearly in the light,’ but we do. We doubt Him in the darkness—and we don’t make Him our priority in the light.
Because we don’t seek Him with our fully committed heart, we see Him through ‘foggy faith.’ Sometimes the fog that shrouds us is so thick that we can’t see Him at all. This is 180 degrees apart from what His Word admonishes that we do. In Deuteronomy 4:29 we are given the key to unlock the sense of His presence, to know the assurance of His love.
It gives us the roadmap to unswerving faith. It says, “If you will seek the Lord your God, you will find Him—if you search for Him with all your heart and soul and mind.” Our Heavenly Father wants us to be diligent in our pursuit of Him. He does not want to be an addendum to our lives. We will find Him when our whole life is about seeking Him.
Has the question ever crossed your mind as to why some people seem to have such an unwavering belief in the existence of God while others negate Him? Perhaps we can go further and say that within the minds of those of us who profess faith in the Lord, there are times we doubt; times we waver in our faith.
What causes such fluctuation? Why don’t we always believe with the fervency we once knew? There is an admonition that adjures that we ‘never doubt in the darkness what the Lord has revealed clearly in the light,’ but we do. We doubt Him in the darkness—and we don’t make Him our priority in the light.
Because we don’t seek Him with our fully committed heart, we see Him through ‘foggy faith.’ Sometimes the fog that shrouds us is so thick that we can’t see Him at all. This is 180 degrees apart from what His Word admonishes that we do. In Deuteronomy 4:29 we are given the key to unlock the sense of His presence, to know the assurance of His love.
It gives us the roadmap to unswerving faith. It says, “If you will seek the Lord your God, you will find Him—if you search for Him with all your heart and soul and mind.” Our Heavenly Father wants us to be diligent in our pursuit of Him. He does not want to be an addendum to our lives. We will find Him when our whole life is about seeking Him.
Friday, July 24, 2009
July 24
God expects our thanks, even when we can’t seem to fathom any reason on earth to feel thankful. This is essentially because we tend to be thankful for the transitory things of life rather than the unchanging, unspeakable Gift of eternal life that Jesus has purchased for us—to be thankful for God Himself.
We mean to be thankful, but because it is our circumstances that prompt or prevent our thankfulness, we are often without any gratitude in our hearts to lift in praise before the Throne of our Savior and King. This is at total variance with the admonition found in the Word.
I Thessalonians 5:16-19 says, “Rejoice and be glad continually and pray without ceasing, letting your hearts be thankful to God in everything; for this is the will of God for those of you who are in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Holy Spirit.” A few relevant aspects of thankfulness are pointed out here, and none of them are possible without the help of His Spirit. Thankfulness is prompted by joy in Him and prayer is to be continual.
Keeping our focus heavenward is a requisite to the joy that compels the prayer that keeps our line of communication with the Lord open. When we have obeyed in this admonition, accomplished only as we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, sincere gratitude to the Lord Jesus will follow. He dwells in our praise and there is power in praise, so it is to our great advantage to avail ourselves of the wonder of His might unleashed in our behalf through thanksgiving and praise.
God expects our thanks, even when we can’t seem to fathom any reason on earth to feel thankful. This is essentially because we tend to be thankful for the transitory things of life rather than the unchanging, unspeakable Gift of eternal life that Jesus has purchased for us—to be thankful for God Himself.
We mean to be thankful, but because it is our circumstances that prompt or prevent our thankfulness, we are often without any gratitude in our hearts to lift in praise before the Throne of our Savior and King. This is at total variance with the admonition found in the Word.
I Thessalonians 5:16-19 says, “Rejoice and be glad continually and pray without ceasing, letting your hearts be thankful to God in everything; for this is the will of God for those of you who are in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Holy Spirit.” A few relevant aspects of thankfulness are pointed out here, and none of them are possible without the help of His Spirit. Thankfulness is prompted by joy in Him and prayer is to be continual.
Keeping our focus heavenward is a requisite to the joy that compels the prayer that keeps our line of communication with the Lord open. When we have obeyed in this admonition, accomplished only as we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, sincere gratitude to the Lord Jesus will follow. He dwells in our praise and there is power in praise, so it is to our great advantage to avail ourselves of the wonder of His might unleashed in our behalf through thanksgiving and praise.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
July 23
Distractions can devastate determination. Have you ever been the runner in a hundred yard dash who looked over his shoulder to assess the competition and thereby lost your lead? Have you ever been the executive who stepped from the negotiating table to take an important call only to discover that in your absence someone else had clinched the deal?
Even when we think our priorities are in order, we can be momentarily distracted from our goal—a sufficient time to find the circumstances have been fatally altered against our purposes in a fleeting nanosecond. What can we do when we are torn between two? When we know our full attention is required in a matter but something of equal importance compels our focus elsewhere?
Obviously, this is leading to the importance of staying focused. Without evading the question of what actually should receive the focus of our attention when more than one matter of importance requires it, let me state the obvious. Keep your eyes on Jesus. No, this isn’t an evasion of the question, this is its answer. The Word affirms the importance of making Him our continual point of reference. In
Matthew 17:1-8 the disciples had just seen Jesus transfigured before their eyes.
They had seen Moses and Elias and they were confused. They didn’t know where to look because so much compelled their attention. Impetuous Peter suggested building a tabernacle to each of these giants. But, “When they raised their eyes (for they feared to look upon such an array of heavenly light), they saw no one but Jesus.” They realized only HE had the right to the glory in which they had stood. With their eyes on Him, they were bathed in all they needed to see--you can be, too.
Distractions can devastate determination. Have you ever been the runner in a hundred yard dash who looked over his shoulder to assess the competition and thereby lost your lead? Have you ever been the executive who stepped from the negotiating table to take an important call only to discover that in your absence someone else had clinched the deal?
Even when we think our priorities are in order, we can be momentarily distracted from our goal—a sufficient time to find the circumstances have been fatally altered against our purposes in a fleeting nanosecond. What can we do when we are torn between two? When we know our full attention is required in a matter but something of equal importance compels our focus elsewhere?
Obviously, this is leading to the importance of staying focused. Without evading the question of what actually should receive the focus of our attention when more than one matter of importance requires it, let me state the obvious. Keep your eyes on Jesus. No, this isn’t an evasion of the question, this is its answer. The Word affirms the importance of making Him our continual point of reference. In
Matthew 17:1-8 the disciples had just seen Jesus transfigured before their eyes.
They had seen Moses and Elias and they were confused. They didn’t know where to look because so much compelled their attention. Impetuous Peter suggested building a tabernacle to each of these giants. But, “When they raised their eyes (for they feared to look upon such an array of heavenly light), they saw no one but Jesus.” They realized only HE had the right to the glory in which they had stood. With their eyes on Him, they were bathed in all they needed to see--you can be, too.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 22
How is the believer in Christ to be appropriately attired? Oh, yes, there are some rules of dress that are best observed—modesty being foremost in the suggestions He gives regarding how we adorn ourselves. But beyond the fads of fashion that are subject to change, there are accoutrements to be worn by the child of the Living God.
In Colossians 3:12-14 we are told that as the elect of God who are holy and beloved, we should be garbed in mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Part of our heavenly attire should include forgiveness, as Christ has forgiven us.
Beyond these items that should cloak us as we present ourselves before others is the one non-negotiable item of attire—and that is love. It is love that is the bond of perfection—the belt that perfects our heavenly outfit as does a fine finishing accessory to earthly clothing.
If we will adorn ourselves with the Lord’s raiment we will be His lovely representatives among those whose attire sets off their own best features, for people dress to flatter their good points and camouflage their weak ones. When clothed in God’s garments, however, we will show forth the beauty of Jesus.
How is the believer in Christ to be appropriately attired? Oh, yes, there are some rules of dress that are best observed—modesty being foremost in the suggestions He gives regarding how we adorn ourselves. But beyond the fads of fashion that are subject to change, there are accoutrements to be worn by the child of the Living God.
In Colossians 3:12-14 we are told that as the elect of God who are holy and beloved, we should be garbed in mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Part of our heavenly attire should include forgiveness, as Christ has forgiven us.
Beyond these items that should cloak us as we present ourselves before others is the one non-negotiable item of attire—and that is love. It is love that is the bond of perfection—the belt that perfects our heavenly outfit as does a fine finishing accessory to earthly clothing.
If we will adorn ourselves with the Lord’s raiment we will be His lovely representatives among those whose attire sets off their own best features, for people dress to flatter their good points and camouflage their weak ones. When clothed in God’s garments, however, we will show forth the beauty of Jesus.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
July 21
I Thessalonians 4:1 lays out a very clear directive from the Apostle Paul to the believers whom he’s addressing in his letter. He admonishes them, “We beseech you, brothers and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God so you may abound more and more.”
This is a weighty verse of scripture. Paul uses powerful language here. The word ‘beseech’ does not convey a mere request but an earnest supplication that includes begging. The word ‘exhort’ means to urge strongly, even to warn. And Paul’s beseeching and exhortation do not come merely under his own auspice, but in the authority of the Lord!
Paul’s urgent message to the Thessalonians (and to us) is that we walk as he walked—not after the flesh to satisfy our human desires but after the things of the Spirit in order that we may please God. The reward of that walk is that we will abound. Will we abound in the things of life that once so captured our fancy?
Perhaps. But if we do, we shall not count them as our prize. We shall hold the treasures of life that may accrue to us quite loosely. We shall use them to further the work of Christ who lays up for us abounding treasures in His eternal coffers, and those treasures will never diminish. They will spend forever.
I Thessalonians 4:1 lays out a very clear directive from the Apostle Paul to the believers whom he’s addressing in his letter. He admonishes them, “We beseech you, brothers and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God so you may abound more and more.”
This is a weighty verse of scripture. Paul uses powerful language here. The word ‘beseech’ does not convey a mere request but an earnest supplication that includes begging. The word ‘exhort’ means to urge strongly, even to warn. And Paul’s beseeching and exhortation do not come merely under his own auspice, but in the authority of the Lord!
Paul’s urgent message to the Thessalonians (and to us) is that we walk as he walked—not after the flesh to satisfy our human desires but after the things of the Spirit in order that we may please God. The reward of that walk is that we will abound. Will we abound in the things of life that once so captured our fancy?
Perhaps. But if we do, we shall not count them as our prize. We shall hold the treasures of life that may accrue to us quite loosely. We shall use them to further the work of Christ who lays up for us abounding treasures in His eternal coffers, and those treasures will never diminish. They will spend forever.
Monday, July 20, 2009
July 20
Paul’s cry is our own—“Oh, wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24) We frustrate ourselves endlessly with our failed attempts to please ourselves—and throw our hands up in total despair at our inability to please God.
To sin is so easy. To overcome our proclivity to sin is so futile. What can we do? How can we hope to attain the smile of Heaven when we are helpless in the face of the lures of the flesh? The Apostle John—the only one to live into old age and to die a natural death—supplied the remedy for our dilemma.
In I John 2:1,2, he says, “If anyone should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, and He is Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, but not for our sins alone, but for the sins of the whole world.” Pleasing God is not about us. It’s about Jesus. Of Jesus, the Father has said, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.” (Matthew 17:5)
What none of us can to do because we are weak and subject to the snare of sin, we can appropriate by hearing Jesus and claiming what He has said He’ll do for us. He has lived the sinless life we cannot live, He has washed us clean of sin in His own shed blood, and He has promised that He will ever be our Advocate with the Father—He is the holy, sinless One who defends us before our Holy God.
Paul’s cry is our own—“Oh, wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24) We frustrate ourselves endlessly with our failed attempts to please ourselves—and throw our hands up in total despair at our inability to please God.
To sin is so easy. To overcome our proclivity to sin is so futile. What can we do? How can we hope to attain the smile of Heaven when we are helpless in the face of the lures of the flesh? The Apostle John—the only one to live into old age and to die a natural death—supplied the remedy for our dilemma.
In I John 2:1,2, he says, “If anyone should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, and He is Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, but not for our sins alone, but for the sins of the whole world.” Pleasing God is not about us. It’s about Jesus. Of Jesus, the Father has said, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.” (Matthew 17:5)
What none of us can to do because we are weak and subject to the snare of sin, we can appropriate by hearing Jesus and claiming what He has said He’ll do for us. He has lived the sinless life we cannot live, He has washed us clean of sin in His own shed blood, and He has promised that He will ever be our Advocate with the Father—He is the holy, sinless One who defends us before our Holy God.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
July 19
Psalm 92:12 has a remarkable word of encouragement to the believer. It says, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Throughout the Middle East, palm trees are among the only lush vegetation. They grow in an adverse climate where little plant life thrives.
The cedars that grow in the mountainous country of Lebanon are noted for their stately splendor. Believers are supposed to be like these trees—thriving, even in less-than-optimum circumstances and standing tall and noble. They are to be above the fray and beyond the common.
How can they be, when they are subject to like passions as others? How can they be strong and noble when the winds of life assail them and the dust and drought of those winds have choked out others? Like the palm, they must have a deep tap root that goes in search of ground water. The believer must tap into Christ, our Living Water.
When we do, then we, like the palm will wear a crown of victory! We will be like the cedars of Lebanon that stand strong and emit a lovely fragrance, even when the mountains are rugged and the winds are averse. Christ, our strength, supplies all we need when we tap into the soil of His grace and reach heavenward for the power of His truth.
Psalm 92:12 has a remarkable word of encouragement to the believer. It says, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Throughout the Middle East, palm trees are among the only lush vegetation. They grow in an adverse climate where little plant life thrives.
The cedars that grow in the mountainous country of Lebanon are noted for their stately splendor. Believers are supposed to be like these trees—thriving, even in less-than-optimum circumstances and standing tall and noble. They are to be above the fray and beyond the common.
How can they be, when they are subject to like passions as others? How can they be strong and noble when the winds of life assail them and the dust and drought of those winds have choked out others? Like the palm, they must have a deep tap root that goes in search of ground water. The believer must tap into Christ, our Living Water.
When we do, then we, like the palm will wear a crown of victory! We will be like the cedars of Lebanon that stand strong and emit a lovely fragrance, even when the mountains are rugged and the winds are averse. Christ, our strength, supplies all we need when we tap into the soil of His grace and reach heavenward for the power of His truth.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
July 18
There is unspeakable joy in serving the Lord by carrying the precious seed of the Truth of Heaven within our heart and by scattering that precious seed into the lives of those around us. We delight in praying that the Lord of the harvest will cause there to be an abundance of reaping from our sowing.
Yet, each of us has experienced the frustration of failure. It is heart wrenching when those with whom we’ve shared our faith dismiss our message of salvation in Christ as irrelevant to their lives. When we have invested ourselves in the eternal well-being of others, their rebuff of our efforts causes us great sorrow.
To what purpose has been our labor? To what gain have the lost been brought through our effort to share with them the joy of our salvation? We hang our heads and weep because of our inability to shed the light of the gospel of Jesus into the darkness of those who know Him not. But the Father has a word for us in our sadness. He has an encouraging future reality that He lovingly interjects into our present gloom.
In Psalm 126:5, 6 we are told, “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy; the one who goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, carrying his sheaves with him.” He tells us that we must not despair when it seems our efforts are futile, for without a doubt, we shall be laden with the fruit of our labors! When He has sent the rain, and the sun has shined upon our seeds, they shall bloom—and we shall have the joy of reaping!
There is unspeakable joy in serving the Lord by carrying the precious seed of the Truth of Heaven within our heart and by scattering that precious seed into the lives of those around us. We delight in praying that the Lord of the harvest will cause there to be an abundance of reaping from our sowing.
Yet, each of us has experienced the frustration of failure. It is heart wrenching when those with whom we’ve shared our faith dismiss our message of salvation in Christ as irrelevant to their lives. When we have invested ourselves in the eternal well-being of others, their rebuff of our efforts causes us great sorrow.
To what purpose has been our labor? To what gain have the lost been brought through our effort to share with them the joy of our salvation? We hang our heads and weep because of our inability to shed the light of the gospel of Jesus into the darkness of those who know Him not. But the Father has a word for us in our sadness. He has an encouraging future reality that He lovingly interjects into our present gloom.
In Psalm 126:5, 6 we are told, “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy; the one who goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, carrying his sheaves with him.” He tells us that we must not despair when it seems our efforts are futile, for without a doubt, we shall be laden with the fruit of our labors! When He has sent the rain, and the sun has shined upon our seeds, they shall bloom—and we shall have the joy of reaping!
Friday, July 17, 2009
July 17
What an amazingly beautiful reality Paul states in His first letter to the Thessalonians. In Chapter 3:7, he says, “Brothers, we were comforted over you in all our afflictions and in all our distress by your faith.” The magnitude of the selfless love conveyed in that statement is astounding.
Paul had undergone every kind of trial imaginable. He had been beaten, he had been shipwrecked, he had traversed from believer group to believer group on foot across much of the Roman Empire in order to reinforce the faith of fledgling believers as well as to plant new churches where none had ever been.
And when he was in the throes of suffering because of his effort, he did not rail at God and ask Him where the reward of his service was! He did not lash out at those for whom he had risked all. He did not indulge self-pity because the fruit of all he had done and had sacrificed of personal esteem and position had rendered him little but pain.
No, Paul instead dwelt upon the comfort he received within himself because of the faith in those for whom he had spent himself. We, were we more like Paul, would also rejoice in the opportunity to seal the faith of others. We would pursue the faithless as relentlessly as he did so that we, like him, could have great joy in the knowledge of their eternal well-being.
What an amazingly beautiful reality Paul states in His first letter to the Thessalonians. In Chapter 3:7, he says, “Brothers, we were comforted over you in all our afflictions and in all our distress by your faith.” The magnitude of the selfless love conveyed in that statement is astounding.
Paul had undergone every kind of trial imaginable. He had been beaten, he had been shipwrecked, he had traversed from believer group to believer group on foot across much of the Roman Empire in order to reinforce the faith of fledgling believers as well as to plant new churches where none had ever been.
And when he was in the throes of suffering because of his effort, he did not rail at God and ask Him where the reward of his service was! He did not lash out at those for whom he had risked all. He did not indulge self-pity because the fruit of all he had done and had sacrificed of personal esteem and position had rendered him little but pain.
No, Paul instead dwelt upon the comfort he received within himself because of the faith in those for whom he had spent himself. We, were we more like Paul, would also rejoice in the opportunity to seal the faith of others. We would pursue the faithless as relentlessly as he did so that we, like him, could have great joy in the knowledge of their eternal well-being.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
July 16
In Nehemiah 8:10 we are told that the joy of the Lord is our strength. How wonderful of our God to fortify us with something that brings us such delight! He did not say that our unswerving faith is our strength or that our resolute determination to follow Him is our strength. He said His joy would be our strength. His joy.
This conveys a wonderful truth. He is Himself willing to impart to us exactly what we need to face the trials of life and the everyday challenges we face. In Habakkuk 3:18, He reveals again the source of this amazing joy that empowers us. Here the Word tells us, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
There may be times in the lives of believers that there is very little in which to take joy. Plans fail. Hopes are disappointed. Friends betray. Loved ones die. Physical bodies waste away. Life tends to peak at a young age and then wane through the relentless assault of encroaching age. But none of these temporal things are addressed here.
The focus of these most encouraging words is the Lord Himself! If we will take joy in Him—if we will appropriate to ourselves the joy He has promised to give us—that joy will see us through the ’many dangers, toils and snares’ (Amazing Grace) of life and usher us home with the joyous anticipation of beholding Him face to face and rejoicing eternally in the mansion He’s prepared for us!
In Nehemiah 8:10 we are told that the joy of the Lord is our strength. How wonderful of our God to fortify us with something that brings us such delight! He did not say that our unswerving faith is our strength or that our resolute determination to follow Him is our strength. He said His joy would be our strength. His joy.
This conveys a wonderful truth. He is Himself willing to impart to us exactly what we need to face the trials of life and the everyday challenges we face. In Habakkuk 3:18, He reveals again the source of this amazing joy that empowers us. Here the Word tells us, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
There may be times in the lives of believers that there is very little in which to take joy. Plans fail. Hopes are disappointed. Friends betray. Loved ones die. Physical bodies waste away. Life tends to peak at a young age and then wane through the relentless assault of encroaching age. But none of these temporal things are addressed here.
The focus of these most encouraging words is the Lord Himself! If we will take joy in Him—if we will appropriate to ourselves the joy He has promised to give us—that joy will see us through the ’many dangers, toils and snares’ (Amazing Grace) of life and usher us home with the joyous anticipation of beholding Him face to face and rejoicing eternally in the mansion He’s prepared for us!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
July 15
We’ve all repeated ourselves for emphasis. When we want to get a point across, one sure-fire method of conveying its importance is to say it again. We may use different words the second or third time, but the intent remains the same—conveying to our listener the absolute assurance that we mean what we’re saying!
God does this, too. The most profound evidence of His desire to get across to His beloved creation the steadfastness of His love and provision for our salvation begins immediately after man’s fall in Genesis, chapter three and continues throughout the scripture until Christ’s final conquest over the enemy of God is proclaimed in the Book of Revelation.
A capsulezed version of the emphasis the Lord has placed upon His absolute intent to be the Savior and Protector of believers is conveyed quite clearly in
II Samuel 22:3 where it says, “God is my Rock; in Him will I take refuge. He is my shield and the Horn of my salvation; He is my stronghold, my Refuge, my Savior. He saves me from evil.”
The Word could not state any more emphatically the intent of our God and King and Father to shield and defend and save to the utmost those who place their trust in Him. When trials assail, when the enemy comes in like a flood against the children of the Living God, even then, the believer may know without doubt that the trial will pass and he will be saved—in time and for eternity!
We’ve all repeated ourselves for emphasis. When we want to get a point across, one sure-fire method of conveying its importance is to say it again. We may use different words the second or third time, but the intent remains the same—conveying to our listener the absolute assurance that we mean what we’re saying!
God does this, too. The most profound evidence of His desire to get across to His beloved creation the steadfastness of His love and provision for our salvation begins immediately after man’s fall in Genesis, chapter three and continues throughout the scripture until Christ’s final conquest over the enemy of God is proclaimed in the Book of Revelation.
A capsulezed version of the emphasis the Lord has placed upon His absolute intent to be the Savior and Protector of believers is conveyed quite clearly in
II Samuel 22:3 where it says, “God is my Rock; in Him will I take refuge. He is my shield and the Horn of my salvation; He is my stronghold, my Refuge, my Savior. He saves me from evil.”
The Word could not state any more emphatically the intent of our God and King and Father to shield and defend and save to the utmost those who place their trust in Him. When trials assail, when the enemy comes in like a flood against the children of the Living God, even then, the believer may know without doubt that the trial will pass and he will be saved—in time and for eternity!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
July 14
If, indeed, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength,” as is declared in Nehemiah 8:10 then it stands to reason that the enemy of your soul will endeavor in every way at his disposal, to steal your joy. It’s a ‘two-fer’ for him. When he gets your joy, he robs you of your strength, too! What a sly rascal!
The evil one wants you to be ineffective in your service to the Kingdom of Christ, to the edification of your children in the nurture and admonition and wisdom of the Lord, and to the strengthening of yourself in the inner man. The enemy of your soul will endeavor to trip you up in your pursuit of any goal that glorifies Christ.
How can the person of faith counter the continual bombardment of his soul and mind and spirit from that unseen place in the heavenlies where powers and principalities dwell and from which the assault against him is orchestrated by the one who came to steal, kill and destroy all who are Christ’s?
The answer, at least in part, is found in II Samuel 22:31 where it says, “As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him." What the man of God cannot do in his own resolve can be accomplished through the One he makes his joy and strength!
If, indeed, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength,” as is declared in Nehemiah 8:10 then it stands to reason that the enemy of your soul will endeavor in every way at his disposal, to steal your joy. It’s a ‘two-fer’ for him. When he gets your joy, he robs you of your strength, too! What a sly rascal!
The evil one wants you to be ineffective in your service to the Kingdom of Christ, to the edification of your children in the nurture and admonition and wisdom of the Lord, and to the strengthening of yourself in the inner man. The enemy of your soul will endeavor to trip you up in your pursuit of any goal that glorifies Christ.
How can the person of faith counter the continual bombardment of his soul and mind and spirit from that unseen place in the heavenlies where powers and principalities dwell and from which the assault against him is orchestrated by the one who came to steal, kill and destroy all who are Christ’s?
The answer, at least in part, is found in II Samuel 22:31 where it says, “As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him." What the man of God cannot do in his own resolve can be accomplished through the One he makes his joy and strength!
Monday, July 13, 2009
July 13
Today’s scripture verse, “Let us exalt triumphantly in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that affliction and hardship produce patience and unswerving endurance.” That’s difficult advice to follow. Our most fervent prayers are often those that ask Him to deliver us from affliction!
Perhaps we’re not quite as interested in achieving ‘patience and unswerving endurance’ as the Lord is in seeing us attain them. Why, perhaps, is His perspective in the matter so far removed from ours? What is it that He sees as an advantage to our suffering that we cannot apprehend?
Derek Prince, the old Twentieth Century Pentecostal preacher, a former Oxford Don who, when he found Jesus, turned the full power of his amazing intellect to knowing and serving the purposes of the Kingdom of Christ said something that helps clear the mystery that surrounds the fact that godly people suffer.
It was, “God will never sacrifice one moment of eternity for all of time.” There is nothing in this life of success or well-being of any sort that compare on any level to the blessings Jesus has prepared for those who love Him. Because of that, He will use the circumstances of our lives to turn our eyes more fully to Him.
Today’s scripture verse, “Let us exalt triumphantly in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that affliction and hardship produce patience and unswerving endurance.” That’s difficult advice to follow. Our most fervent prayers are often those that ask Him to deliver us from affliction!
Perhaps we’re not quite as interested in achieving ‘patience and unswerving endurance’ as the Lord is in seeing us attain them. Why, perhaps, is His perspective in the matter so far removed from ours? What is it that He sees as an advantage to our suffering that we cannot apprehend?
Derek Prince, the old Twentieth Century Pentecostal preacher, a former Oxford Don who, when he found Jesus, turned the full power of his amazing intellect to knowing and serving the purposes of the Kingdom of Christ said something that helps clear the mystery that surrounds the fact that godly people suffer.
It was, “God will never sacrifice one moment of eternity for all of time.” There is nothing in this life of success or well-being of any sort that compare on any level to the blessings Jesus has prepared for those who love Him. Because of that, He will use the circumstances of our lives to turn our eyes more fully to Him.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
July 12
We have established that it is our proclivity to pursue things. We want the effort we place in the job we do to be fruitful in ways that are tangible. We want the inner satisfaction of a job well-done, but as much or more, we want there to be evidence of our success that everyone can see.
If we have Jesus as our Savior, we are trusting that our eternal well-being is secure in His hands. He wants us to extend that same level of trust to Him where temporal things are concerned. How ironic it would be if we place our eternity at His feet but continue to keep the things of time under our own control.
Psalm 21:6 has some comforting advice for those of us who feel we must be in charge of our own worldly accomplishments. These words should give immeasurable peace to our hearts regarding temporal pursuits—“For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence.” Our ability to accrue good things is not dependant upon us!
It is the Lord, the One in Whom is our eternal hope Who also assures our temporal well-being! When the psalmist says that it is ‘You’ who bring blessings forever, he is telling the believer that we can be glad in the Lord. How can we be glad if we don’t trust Him for all we need for time and eternity? He provides. We believe. He provides. It is an endless circle of confidence in the God who is worthy of our complete confidence.
We have established that it is our proclivity to pursue things. We want the effort we place in the job we do to be fruitful in ways that are tangible. We want the inner satisfaction of a job well-done, but as much or more, we want there to be evidence of our success that everyone can see.
If we have Jesus as our Savior, we are trusting that our eternal well-being is secure in His hands. He wants us to extend that same level of trust to Him where temporal things are concerned. How ironic it would be if we place our eternity at His feet but continue to keep the things of time under our own control.
Psalm 21:6 has some comforting advice for those of us who feel we must be in charge of our own worldly accomplishments. These words should give immeasurable peace to our hearts regarding temporal pursuits—“For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence.” Our ability to accrue good things is not dependant upon us!
It is the Lord, the One in Whom is our eternal hope Who also assures our temporal well-being! When the psalmist says that it is ‘You’ who bring blessings forever, he is telling the believer that we can be glad in the Lord. How can we be glad if we don’t trust Him for all we need for time and eternity? He provides. We believe. He provides. It is an endless circle of confidence in the God who is worthy of our complete confidence.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
July 11
Deuteronomy 12:7 draws back the veil that shrouds our eyes and keeps us from beholding the essence of God’s heart and reveals an aspect of Himself that we can hardly fathom. It says, “You shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand…”
This is amazing! This is heady stuff! The Lord says that we who believe shall eat before Him. Our word ‘companion’ reveals a lot about enjoying a meal with someone. Breaking it down, it means, ‘eating bread with friends.’ We eat with friends. Oh, yes, we dine in restaurants where we may not know those around us, but our table companions are our friends.
Our socializing is done with people with whom we’re close and that includes the people with whom we enjoy a repast. Our time is too precious to spend it dining in the company of those with whom we have nothing in common or for whom we have no feelings of respect or affection. That the Lord would eat with us shows us a clear picture of His loving heart for His people.
Beyond being One who joins us in breaking bread, He tells us in the intimacy of our fellowship with Him that we shall have cause to rejoice in all that our hand finds to do. He’s telling us that He intends to bless our labor with success. He knows that quiet fellowship at the table is pleasant, but He also knows much of our time is spent in pursuit of our daily bread. He will bless that pursuit!
Deuteronomy 12:7 draws back the veil that shrouds our eyes and keeps us from beholding the essence of God’s heart and reveals an aspect of Himself that we can hardly fathom. It says, “You shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you put your hand…”
This is amazing! This is heady stuff! The Lord says that we who believe shall eat before Him. Our word ‘companion’ reveals a lot about enjoying a meal with someone. Breaking it down, it means, ‘eating bread with friends.’ We eat with friends. Oh, yes, we dine in restaurants where we may not know those around us, but our table companions are our friends.
Our socializing is done with people with whom we’re close and that includes the people with whom we enjoy a repast. Our time is too precious to spend it dining in the company of those with whom we have nothing in common or for whom we have no feelings of respect or affection. That the Lord would eat with us shows us a clear picture of His loving heart for His people.
Beyond being One who joins us in breaking bread, He tells us in the intimacy of our fellowship with Him that we shall have cause to rejoice in all that our hand finds to do. He’s telling us that He intends to bless our labor with success. He knows that quiet fellowship at the table is pleasant, but He also knows much of our time is spent in pursuit of our daily bread. He will bless that pursuit!
In case you missed it yesterday:
WHO SPEAKS FOR ME?
Just who are you to say my faith
No longer fills my heart?
Just who are you to shred the
Truth that set my life apart?
Just who are you to say
The hope on which my life has stood
Is only one of many ways
And each does equal good?
Just who are you to so compare
The Truth that launched man’s hope
With evil, vain philosophies
Of corrupted span and scope?
Just you are you to cast aside
The toil, blood and tears
That forged this land and set it high
Above its godless peers?
Just who are you to say the power
On which this nation stands
Should be revised to set aside
Our shield of God’s own hands?
Just who are you to say we’ve changed
From our first Christian stand
And want some other godless way
To represent our land?
Just who are you to speak for me
In marketplace of man’s vain thought
When my choice is to speak for Christ
By Whose hand is all blessing wrought?
Just who are you to so presume
To end my land’s blessed years,
To wrench it from the hand of Christ,
Exposing it to loss and tears?
Just who are you in arrogance
Throughout the world to claim
The people of America
No longer bless Christ’s name?
You’re no one in the eyes of God
To wrench this nation’s heart
Away from His own loving Hand
Where it’s been from the start!
WHO SPEAKS FOR ME?
Just who are you to say my faith
No longer fills my heart?
Just who are you to shred the
Truth that set my life apart?
Just who are you to say
The hope on which my life has stood
Is only one of many ways
And each does equal good?
Just who are you to so compare
The Truth that launched man’s hope
With evil, vain philosophies
Of corrupted span and scope?
Just you are you to cast aside
The toil, blood and tears
That forged this land and set it high
Above its godless peers?
Just who are you to say the power
On which this nation stands
Should be revised to set aside
Our shield of God’s own hands?
Just who are you to say we’ve changed
From our first Christian stand
And want some other godless way
To represent our land?
Just who are you to speak for me
In marketplace of man’s vain thought
When my choice is to speak for Christ
By Whose hand is all blessing wrought?
Just who are you to so presume
To end my land’s blessed years,
To wrench it from the hand of Christ,
Exposing it to loss and tears?
Just who are you in arrogance
Throughout the world to claim
The people of America
No longer bless Christ’s name?
You’re no one in the eyes of God
To wrench this nation’s heart
Away from His own loving Hand
Where it’s been from the start!
Friday, July 10, 2009
WHO SPEAKS FOR ME?
Just who are you to say my faith
No longer fills my heart?
Just who are you to shred the
Truth that set my life apart?
Just who are you to say
The hope on which my life has stood
Is only one of many ways
And each does equal good?
Just who are you to so compare
The Truth that launched man’s hope
With evil, vain philosophies
Of corrupted span and scope?
Just you are you to cast aside
The toil, blood and tears
That forged this land and set it high
Above its godless peers?
Just who are you to say the power
On which this nation stands
Should be revised to set aside
Our shield of God’s own hands?
Just who are you to say we’ve changed
From our first Christian stand
And want some other godless way
To represent our land?
Just who are you to speak for me
In marketplace of man’s vain thought
When my choice is to speak for Christ
By Whose hand is our blessing’s wrought?
Just who are you to so presume
To end my land’s blessed years,
To wrench it from the hand of Christ,
Exposing it to loss and tears?
Just who are you in arrogance
Throughout the world to claim
The people of America
No longer bless Christ’s name?
You’re no one in the eyes of God
To wrench this nation’s heart
Away from His own loving Hand
Where it’s been from the start!
Just who are you to say my faith
No longer fills my heart?
Just who are you to shred the
Truth that set my life apart?
Just who are you to say
The hope on which my life has stood
Is only one of many ways
And each does equal good?
Just who are you to so compare
The Truth that launched man’s hope
With evil, vain philosophies
Of corrupted span and scope?
Just you are you to cast aside
The toil, blood and tears
That forged this land and set it high
Above its godless peers?
Just who are you to say the power
On which this nation stands
Should be revised to set aside
Our shield of God’s own hands?
Just who are you to say we’ve changed
From our first Christian stand
And want some other godless way
To represent our land?
Just who are you to speak for me
In marketplace of man’s vain thought
When my choice is to speak for Christ
By Whose hand is our blessing’s wrought?
Just who are you to so presume
To end my land’s blessed years,
To wrench it from the hand of Christ,
Exposing it to loss and tears?
Just who are you in arrogance
Throughout the world to claim
The people of America
No longer bless Christ’s name?
You’re no one in the eyes of God
To wrench this nation’s heart
Away from His own loving Hand
Where it’s been from the start!
July 10
One of the most unrealistic aspects of Biblical faith from a natural mind’s perspective is the assertion that we are to maintain it regardless of our circumstances. Faith, like peace, is a difficult commodity to stir up within ourselves when the circumstances confronting us are challenging to our very existence as we desire it to be.
There are times in our lives when we feel so anxious that, if the option were open to us, we would simply hide in our room, pull the covers over our head, and never leave our bed! These are the times when we don’t want to face people; we don’t want to deal with our circumstances; we avoid even thinking about our problems!
Yet even at these times, the Lord has a word of hope for us from His immutable Word of Truth! In Isaiah 55:12 He assures, “You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you with singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” This is an amazing promise.
Here, God is Himself promising to bring you out! He doesn’t simply state that He will bring you forth into victory—NO! He paints a beautiful word picture of how triumphantly He will call you forth! Not only will you rejoice—all nature will rejoice in the victory march you will perform when your circumstances have been brought captive to the perfect will of God for your life!
One of the most unrealistic aspects of Biblical faith from a natural mind’s perspective is the assertion that we are to maintain it regardless of our circumstances. Faith, like peace, is a difficult commodity to stir up within ourselves when the circumstances confronting us are challenging to our very existence as we desire it to be.
There are times in our lives when we feel so anxious that, if the option were open to us, we would simply hide in our room, pull the covers over our head, and never leave our bed! These are the times when we don’t want to face people; we don’t want to deal with our circumstances; we avoid even thinking about our problems!
Yet even at these times, the Lord has a word of hope for us from His immutable Word of Truth! In Isaiah 55:12 He assures, “You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you with singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” This is an amazing promise.
Here, God is Himself promising to bring you out! He doesn’t simply state that He will bring you forth into victory—NO! He paints a beautiful word picture of how triumphantly He will call you forth! Not only will you rejoice—all nature will rejoice in the victory march you will perform when your circumstances have been brought captive to the perfect will of God for your life!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
July 9
Life’s circumstances are constantly changing. Like the waves of the sea, they ebb and flow continually. Sometimes the Sea of Life is silky smooth without a ripple in sight. Sometimes the waves are tumultuous and they break over us with a fury that threatens to drown our hope and our faith in a wash of insurmountable problems.
We who trust the name of Jesus, of course, know He is with us. We understand that dark storms come as do the beautiful sunlit days. We know that He is forever unchanging, no matter how our circumstances may alter, but that does not negate our anxiety when huge waves are breaking over our lives!
Like the disciples of Jesus who cried out in fear when it appeared He did not care that their boat was being battered by the winds and waves (Luke 8:24), so we wail in despair when it seems our plight has gone unnoticed by the Lord. But He has not forsaken us any more than He did them. As He had their storm under control, so He has ours. Why does He allow the storms to progress to the point where they overwhelm our sense of control?
Because He wants us to know we have no control—He does! He controls the storm and in the midst of it He says to us, “The Lord of peace Himself will grant you peace in all times, whatever comes,” (II Thessalonians 3:16) and the best proof of that is the abiding sense of well-being He gives to His own when they are battered by the storms of life. Anyone can feel at peace while on a silky sea, but it takes the assurance of Christ to maintain that peace in adversity.
Life’s circumstances are constantly changing. Like the waves of the sea, they ebb and flow continually. Sometimes the Sea of Life is silky smooth without a ripple in sight. Sometimes the waves are tumultuous and they break over us with a fury that threatens to drown our hope and our faith in a wash of insurmountable problems.
We who trust the name of Jesus, of course, know He is with us. We understand that dark storms come as do the beautiful sunlit days. We know that He is forever unchanging, no matter how our circumstances may alter, but that does not negate our anxiety when huge waves are breaking over our lives!
Like the disciples of Jesus who cried out in fear when it appeared He did not care that their boat was being battered by the winds and waves (Luke 8:24), so we wail in despair when it seems our plight has gone unnoticed by the Lord. But He has not forsaken us any more than He did them. As He had their storm under control, so He has ours. Why does He allow the storms to progress to the point where they overwhelm our sense of control?
Because He wants us to know we have no control—He does! He controls the storm and in the midst of it He says to us, “The Lord of peace Himself will grant you peace in all times, whatever comes,” (II Thessalonians 3:16) and the best proof of that is the abiding sense of well-being He gives to His own when they are battered by the storms of life. Anyone can feel at peace while on a silky sea, but it takes the assurance of Christ to maintain that peace in adversity.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
July 8
I Thessalonians 5:23 conveys the concept of Christ’s all-sufficiency for our need for salvation to be supplied. Here it says, “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through, make you pure and wholly consecrated to Himself; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The God of peace Himself sanctifies us. The God of peace Himself makes us pure. The God of peace Himself consecrates us by making us blameless to stand before Christ when He returns. Our salvation is complete in Christ. It needs nothing else.
As long as we feel obligated to contribute to the package, we frustrate ourselves and evidence our total lack of understanding of what Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection entailed. As long as we feel our own righteousness, our own goodness, our own love are necessary components of our salvation, we are seeing through a glass darkly.
But, when we see the totality of what we require through the focused lens of faith in Jesus alone, it is then that we begin to clearly distinguish the full provision that He has supplied. When we take our eyes totally away from our frail self and look full in His wonderful face, it is then that the awe and wonder of what He’s done for us makes us sufficient—because HE is all we need!
I Thessalonians 5:23 conveys the concept of Christ’s all-sufficiency for our need for salvation to be supplied. Here it says, “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through, make you pure and wholly consecrated to Himself; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The God of peace Himself sanctifies us. The God of peace Himself makes us pure. The God of peace Himself consecrates us by making us blameless to stand before Christ when He returns. Our salvation is complete in Christ. It needs nothing else.
As long as we feel obligated to contribute to the package, we frustrate ourselves and evidence our total lack of understanding of what Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection entailed. As long as we feel our own righteousness, our own goodness, our own love are necessary components of our salvation, we are seeing through a glass darkly.
But, when we see the totality of what we require through the focused lens of faith in Jesus alone, it is then that we begin to clearly distinguish the full provision that He has supplied. When we take our eyes totally away from our frail self and look full in His wonderful face, it is then that the awe and wonder of what He’s done for us makes us sufficient—because HE is all we need!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
July 7
We try so hard. Why do we disappoint ourselves so often? If it were our sincere effort alone that could keep us on the path He desires for us, we’d never stumble upon it or stray from it. But in reality, we do stumble and stray—we sometimes wonder from it entirely. We know we’re helpless to follow Him. What can we do?
We come back to this question again and again. Each of our new resolutions results in our recognition of its insufficiency to overcome the dilemma we face. As Paul stated so simply yet eloquently, “The good I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do…O wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me…?” (Romans 7:19-24)
Jude 1:24 offers the solution. It is found in many places in the Word, but He states it succinctly, “He is able to keep you without stumbling or falling, and He is able to present you faultless before the presence of His glory in triumph and joy.” He—Jesus—is the solution to our dilemma.
What none of us can accomplish on our own—living lives that please a holy God—Jesus does in our behalf. The price none of us can pay for the salvation we need has been supplied in full. There is nothing Almighty God requires of us that is not fully supplied by the unspeakable Gift in the nail-scared hand of Jesus.
We try so hard. Why do we disappoint ourselves so often? If it were our sincere effort alone that could keep us on the path He desires for us, we’d never stumble upon it or stray from it. But in reality, we do stumble and stray—we sometimes wonder from it entirely. We know we’re helpless to follow Him. What can we do?
We come back to this question again and again. Each of our new resolutions results in our recognition of its insufficiency to overcome the dilemma we face. As Paul stated so simply yet eloquently, “The good I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do…O wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me…?” (Romans 7:19-24)
Jude 1:24 offers the solution. It is found in many places in the Word, but He states it succinctly, “He is able to keep you without stumbling or falling, and He is able to present you faultless before the presence of His glory in triumph and joy.” He—Jesus—is the solution to our dilemma.
What none of us can accomplish on our own—living lives that please a holy God—Jesus does in our behalf. The price none of us can pay for the salvation we need has been supplied in full. There is nothing Almighty God requires of us that is not fully supplied by the unspeakable Gift in the nail-scared hand of Jesus.
Monday, July 6, 2009
July 6
Hiking mountain trails is an enjoyable pastime for some people. The sense of adventure in doing so is exhilarating and the beauty of this untouched realm of nature is breathtaking. The enjoyment of the climb requires the hiker to carry a weighty backpack—things like food, water, camping equipment necessitate that the one engaging in the trek be in tip-top shape.
At the end of the day’s climb, it is refreshing to simply lay the backpack down, to be free of the forty pound weight that’s been strapped to the hiker’s back. Our journey through life finds us carrying a weighty burden of sin that the Lord Jesus Christ invites us to lay down.
He has carried it to the cross and there is no longer a need for us to carry it, but sometimes we persist in keeping it strapped to our back. Why? Sometimes it’s because we haven’t yet realized that the Lord has carried it for us. Maybe it’s because we think we enjoy it and can’t let it go.
Yet the Word says in Hebrews 12:1,2 that we are to, “…throw off everything that hinders us, the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” He’s carried our backpack so we can climb with unencumbered faith to glory.
Hiking mountain trails is an enjoyable pastime for some people. The sense of adventure in doing so is exhilarating and the beauty of this untouched realm of nature is breathtaking. The enjoyment of the climb requires the hiker to carry a weighty backpack—things like food, water, camping equipment necessitate that the one engaging in the trek be in tip-top shape.
At the end of the day’s climb, it is refreshing to simply lay the backpack down, to be free of the forty pound weight that’s been strapped to the hiker’s back. Our journey through life finds us carrying a weighty burden of sin that the Lord Jesus Christ invites us to lay down.
He has carried it to the cross and there is no longer a need for us to carry it, but sometimes we persist in keeping it strapped to our back. Why? Sometimes it’s because we haven’t yet realized that the Lord has carried it for us. Maybe it’s because we think we enjoy it and can’t let it go.
Yet the Word says in Hebrews 12:1,2 that we are to, “…throw off everything that hinders us, the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” He’s carried our backpack so we can climb with unencumbered faith to glory.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
July 5
Psalm 139:16 shares an amazing insight into God’s perception of the people who are the bright gem in the crown of His creation. It says, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance and in Your book all my days were written before ever they took shape.”
Before you were born, before your were conceived, God knew you and had a perfect plan for your life. His knowledge of you encompasses far more than your hair and eye and skin color, more than the height you would attain or even the successes you would achieve.
In an ultimate sense, God has known who you would be in the inner man and He sent His beloved, only begotten Son Jesus to assure that you would have the opportunity for so much more than mere worldly substance and achievement. It is stated in the Word of God that it is God’s will for all men to be saved (I Timothy 2:3, 4).
He who sees and knows your heart desires that you surrender your heart to the One who endured your punishment for every sin you ever committed so you may receive in exchange for the wage of sin which is death, the unspeakable Gift of salvation that Jesus in His love has purchased for you. May He look into your heart and see Himself dwelling there.
Psalm 139:16 shares an amazing insight into God’s perception of the people who are the bright gem in the crown of His creation. It says, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance and in Your book all my days were written before ever they took shape.”
Before you were born, before your were conceived, God knew you and had a perfect plan for your life. His knowledge of you encompasses far more than your hair and eye and skin color, more than the height you would attain or even the successes you would achieve.
In an ultimate sense, God has known who you would be in the inner man and He sent His beloved, only begotten Son Jesus to assure that you would have the opportunity for so much more than mere worldly substance and achievement. It is stated in the Word of God that it is God’s will for all men to be saved (I Timothy 2:3, 4).
He who sees and knows your heart desires that you surrender your heart to the One who endured your punishment for every sin you ever committed so you may receive in exchange for the wage of sin which is death, the unspeakable Gift of salvation that Jesus in His love has purchased for you. May He look into your heart and see Himself dwelling there.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
July 4
The Fourth of July has been a time of celebration of God’s unique blessing upon and use of the United States of America for over two hundred years. In the year of this writing, 2009, many of us who consider ourselves to be patriotic citizens of our beloved country weep at much of what is being done to change her from godliness and might to godlessness and weakness.
If we could, we would transform America and her citizenry from the baseness that has overtaken her people—those occupying the highest positions of power to those in the lowliest hovels. We know that the transformation that could effect the changes for which we long are those that occur in the hearts of men.
From the loftiest among us to the most humble, America needs a spiritual transformation that can’t come from the upper echelons of earthly power but must come from the King of kings and Lord of lords! It is only Jesus who can make us pure again. If we hope in Him, we can overcome our hopelessness and have true hope!
Psalm 42:5 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him. I shall continually praise Him, the One who is my help.” As we pray for America, for true revival, may the Lord hear the cry of the heart of His people, may He stir among us, may He glorify Himself in our land again.
The Fourth of July has been a time of celebration of God’s unique blessing upon and use of the United States of America for over two hundred years. In the year of this writing, 2009, many of us who consider ourselves to be patriotic citizens of our beloved country weep at much of what is being done to change her from godliness and might to godlessness and weakness.
If we could, we would transform America and her citizenry from the baseness that has overtaken her people—those occupying the highest positions of power to those in the lowliest hovels. We know that the transformation that could effect the changes for which we long are those that occur in the hearts of men.
From the loftiest among us to the most humble, America needs a spiritual transformation that can’t come from the upper echelons of earthly power but must come from the King of kings and Lord of lords! It is only Jesus who can make us pure again. If we hope in Him, we can overcome our hopelessness and have true hope!
Psalm 42:5 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him. I shall continually praise Him, the One who is my help.” As we pray for America, for true revival, may the Lord hear the cry of the heart of His people, may He stir among us, may He glorify Himself in our land again.
Friday, July 3, 2009
July 3
God’s expectation of us goes far beyond what man requires or what man’s religions require. We are preoccupied with appearances. What will others think of us? How can we present ourselves in order to convey our lofty spiritual status to those around us?
Our religious leaders tend to reinforce this focus on religiosity. Days have been set aside to honor those who’ve gone before us in the faith. Do we attend these services? Are we mindful of church-wide fasts that have been called to promote righteousness?
And that is not to suggest that we should not study the lives of those who’ve gone before us, for they certainly are role models we can follow toward our own spiritual maturity. We should certainly fast to seek the Lord’s face and implore His hand to move in the behalf of people and circumstances about which we pray.
But what is in the deepest recesses of our hearts is the essence of what touches God’s heart and moves His hand in our behalf. Romans 14: 17-19 makes His priorities very clear. It says, “The Kingdom of God is not in eating or drinking but in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Anyone who serves Jesus in this way is pleasing to God.”
God’s expectation of us goes far beyond what man requires or what man’s religions require. We are preoccupied with appearances. What will others think of us? How can we present ourselves in order to convey our lofty spiritual status to those around us?
Our religious leaders tend to reinforce this focus on religiosity. Days have been set aside to honor those who’ve gone before us in the faith. Do we attend these services? Are we mindful of church-wide fasts that have been called to promote righteousness?
And that is not to suggest that we should not study the lives of those who’ve gone before us, for they certainly are role models we can follow toward our own spiritual maturity. We should certainly fast to seek the Lord’s face and implore His hand to move in the behalf of people and circumstances about which we pray.
But what is in the deepest recesses of our hearts is the essence of what touches God’s heart and moves His hand in our behalf. Romans 14: 17-19 makes His priorities very clear. It says, “The Kingdom of God is not in eating or drinking but in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Anyone who serves Jesus in this way is pleasing to God.”
Thursday, July 2, 2009
July 2
There is a cacophony of conflicting sound that is deafening in the age in which we live. Religious systems are affirmed to be peaceful but those who adhere most closely to its tenets wreak havoc wherever they go.
Strident demands are made for choice—but without responsibility. National leaders speak of sharing wealth when they are bankrupt and have nothing to give without first requiring their citizens to hand over their hard-earned resources into the government coffers.
Reason and common sense seem to have been lost in the tumult of trying to sort through the mindlessness that pervades life on this small orb at every level and in every location. But through it all, there is one great clarion call of hope that resonates in every heart that owns Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord!
He has stated emphatically, “My sheep know My voice, and I know them and they follow Me!” (John 10:27) We need never be confused by the noise of false religions, of duplicitous leaders, of the perversion of truth, for Jesus’ words of truth and hope whisper softly to our hearts that HE SHALL ULTIMATELY PREVAIL!
There is a cacophony of conflicting sound that is deafening in the age in which we live. Religious systems are affirmed to be peaceful but those who adhere most closely to its tenets wreak havoc wherever they go.
Strident demands are made for choice—but without responsibility. National leaders speak of sharing wealth when they are bankrupt and have nothing to give without first requiring their citizens to hand over their hard-earned resources into the government coffers.
Reason and common sense seem to have been lost in the tumult of trying to sort through the mindlessness that pervades life on this small orb at every level and in every location. But through it all, there is one great clarion call of hope that resonates in every heart that owns Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord!
He has stated emphatically, “My sheep know My voice, and I know them and they follow Me!” (John 10:27) We need never be confused by the noise of false religions, of duplicitous leaders, of the perversion of truth, for Jesus’ words of truth and hope whisper softly to our hearts that HE SHALL ULTIMATELY PREVAIL!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
July 1
We live in a time when law is dispensed with—with impunity. We seem to have lost our moral compass. Even our government seems like a ‘loose cannon’ that can go off at any moment in any direction. When it rules that those holding a legal debt are given short shrift while unions whose demands have been instrumental in causing bankruptcy to major companies are rewarded, something has gone terribly wrong with our system.
But God’s law is immutable. Though we may ignore it, though we may count it of such little esteem as to dismiss it, it stands forever. In Romans 8:2 we are told, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.” When we see the rule of law plummeting into anarchy before our eyes, that one unchanging law gives us hope on which to stand when everything around us is being shaken.
When governments fail, when economies topple, when leaders fulfill the Biblical prediction that one day they shall, “profess themselves to be wise, but they are fools (Romans 1:22), then we who own Christ, who have laid our lives at His feet, shall know assuredly that the One on whose Word we stand shall not fail us!
We are told that when we see all these things come to pass—wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, falling away from faith in the One True and Living God—it is then we must “look up and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near!” (Luke 21:28), it is then the Spirit of the Law of Life shall preserve us—eternally!
We live in a time when law is dispensed with—with impunity. We seem to have lost our moral compass. Even our government seems like a ‘loose cannon’ that can go off at any moment in any direction. When it rules that those holding a legal debt are given short shrift while unions whose demands have been instrumental in causing bankruptcy to major companies are rewarded, something has gone terribly wrong with our system.
But God’s law is immutable. Though we may ignore it, though we may count it of such little esteem as to dismiss it, it stands forever. In Romans 8:2 we are told, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.” When we see the rule of law plummeting into anarchy before our eyes, that one unchanging law gives us hope on which to stand when everything around us is being shaken.
When governments fail, when economies topple, when leaders fulfill the Biblical prediction that one day they shall, “profess themselves to be wise, but they are fools (Romans 1:22), then we who own Christ, who have laid our lives at His feet, shall know assuredly that the One on whose Word we stand shall not fail us!
We are told that when we see all these things come to pass—wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, falling away from faith in the One True and Living God—it is then we must “look up and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near!” (Luke 21:28), it is then the Spirit of the Law of Life shall preserve us—eternally!
July 1
We live in a time when law is dispensed with—with impunity. We seem to have lost our moral compass. Even our government seems like a ‘loose cannon’ that can go off at any moment in any direction. When it rules that those holding a legal debt are given short shrift while unions whose demands have been instrumental in causing bankruptcy to major companies are rewarded, something has gone terribly wrong with our system.
But God’s law is immutable. Though we may ignore it, though we may count it of such little esteem as to dismiss it, it stands forever. In Romans 8:2 we are told, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.” When we see the rule of law plummeting into anarchy before our eyes, that one unchanging law gives us hope on which to stand when everything around us is being shaken.
When governments fail, when economies topple, when leaders fulfill the Biblical prediction that one day they shall, “profess themselves to be wise, but they are fools (Romans 1:22), then we who own Christ, who have laid our lives at His feet, shall know assuredly that the One on whose Word we stand shall not fail us!
We are told that when we see all these things come to pass—wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, falling away from faith in the One True and Living God—it is then we must “look up and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near!” (Luke 21:28), it is then the Spirit of the Law of Life shall preserve us—eternally!
We live in a time when law is dispensed with—with impunity. We seem to have lost our moral compass. Even our government seems like a ‘loose cannon’ that can go off at any moment in any direction. When it rules that those holding a legal debt are given short shrift while unions whose demands have been instrumental in causing bankruptcy to major companies are rewarded, something has gone terribly wrong with our system.
But God’s law is immutable. Though we may ignore it, though we may count it of such little esteem as to dismiss it, it stands forever. In Romans 8:2 we are told, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death.” When we see the rule of law plummeting into anarchy before our eyes, that one unchanging law gives us hope on which to stand when everything around us is being shaken.
When governments fail, when economies topple, when leaders fulfill the Biblical prediction that one day they shall, “profess themselves to be wise, but they are fools (Romans 1:22), then we who own Christ, who have laid our lives at His feet, shall know assuredly that the One on whose Word we stand shall not fail us!
We are told that when we see all these things come to pass—wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, falling away from faith in the One True and Living God—it is then we must “look up and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near!” (Luke 21:28), it is then the Spirit of the Law of Life shall preserve us—eternally!
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