August 31
What comes before honor? In man’s play book for success, the answers to that question include, hard work, resolute determination, persistence, aggressive pursuit of the goals desired, willingness to go the extra mile, the insight and intellect to enable ones efforts to exceed the best efforts of the competition.
Successful, powerful people are the ones whose diligence enables them to gain an early lead and to maintain it against stiff competition. Successful people have also been known to break the rules when maintaining them might have resulted in surrendering the edge to someone else.
The forerunner in any contest must of necessity in the ‘dog-eat-dog’ world of commerce, industry, and government be willing to be ruthless if he is to attain the pinnacle of success and to stay there. To achieve the gold ring, to attain the prize, to wear the winner’s crown demands ‘whatever it takes.’
But, that’s not how God sees it. In His play book for success the exact opposite is true. In I Peter 5:6 we are told, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in due time.” This honor cannot be lost in competition, for each man gains it only by humbling himself before Jesus.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
He Humbles Those Who Walk in Pride
August 30
The God we serve is altogether righteous. He is holy. We who abide in a tabernacle of flesh have no point of reference for the totality of the excellence of the Lord Jesus Christ, for we are stained with sin. When we receive Him as Lord and Savior, He cleanses us and gives us His righteousness.
We know we will one day stand holy before His Throne of Judgment and receive the full impact of His merciful salvation. As long as all we have to compare ourselves to is other fallen men, we cannot apprehend the fullness of the grace we have received. But when we see Him, we will know the transformation that’s occurred in us.
Conversely, those who refuse to see and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will on that day have a startling revelation of just how impoverished and lowly they have been while abiding in a tabernacle of flesh. The righteousness they thought they had, the wealth they attained, the power they wielded—all—will fail them in that day.
When the trump sounds, the dead arise and time is no more, we will know the magnitude of the one decision we made that is of eternal consequence—what we do with Jesus. We will either receive the fullness of the blessed salvation He desires to give all mankind or realize the magnitude of Daniel 4:17 which says, “His ways are just and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
The God we serve is altogether righteous. He is holy. We who abide in a tabernacle of flesh have no point of reference for the totality of the excellence of the Lord Jesus Christ, for we are stained with sin. When we receive Him as Lord and Savior, He cleanses us and gives us His righteousness.
We know we will one day stand holy before His Throne of Judgment and receive the full impact of His merciful salvation. As long as all we have to compare ourselves to is other fallen men, we cannot apprehend the fullness of the grace we have received. But when we see Him, we will know the transformation that’s occurred in us.
Conversely, those who refuse to see and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will on that day have a startling revelation of just how impoverished and lowly they have been while abiding in a tabernacle of flesh. The righteousness they thought they had, the wealth they attained, the power they wielded—all—will fail them in that day.
When the trump sounds, the dead arise and time is no more, we will know the magnitude of the one decision we made that is of eternal consequence—what we do with Jesus. We will either receive the fullness of the blessed salvation He desires to give all mankind or realize the magnitude of Daniel 4:17 which says, “His ways are just and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Elevated for a Great, Eternal Fall
August 29
There is no hiding from God, no concealing our path from Him. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are within His radar. Psalm 139:7-9 states this truth beautifully. It begins, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? …Neither the darkness nor the light can hide me from You.”
He sees those hidden things that we do not want to acknowledge about ourselves, those things we attempt to conceal from those who know us. We do not have the Lord fooled by our fine manner and affectations. He knows our heart.
Nations, too, may rage against Him. Leaders may distain the name of Jesus and refuse to honor Him. They may presume that their power and pomp will get them where they want to go, but ultimately, they are headed for a great fall—whether in time or in eternity.
Jeremiah 49:16 says, “You who occupy the mountain summit, though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down!” The man, the nation, the people who elevate themselves above God, above the need for salvation in Jesus, will have a great, eternal fall that cannot be undone.
There is no hiding from God, no concealing our path from Him. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are within His radar. Psalm 139:7-9 states this truth beautifully. It begins, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? …Neither the darkness nor the light can hide me from You.”
He sees those hidden things that we do not want to acknowledge about ourselves, those things we attempt to conceal from those who know us. We do not have the Lord fooled by our fine manner and affectations. He knows our heart.
Nations, too, may rage against Him. Leaders may distain the name of Jesus and refuse to honor Him. They may presume that their power and pomp will get them where they want to go, but ultimately, they are headed for a great fall—whether in time or in eternity.
Jeremiah 49:16 says, “You who occupy the mountain summit, though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down!” The man, the nation, the people who elevate themselves above God, above the need for salvation in Jesus, will have a great, eternal fall that cannot be undone.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Subtle Communication
August 28
We have subtle ways of communication with those who are close to us. We give our little ‘cues.’ Husbands convey to wives, for example, ‘I’m ready to go home.’ Our kids understand ‘the look’ that means, ‘My patience with your antics is wearing thin.’
Jesus did, too. He often spoke to His disciples in parables, but, they often didn’t ‘get it’ when He unveiled spiritual truth to them. Oh, yes, He’d explain His point, but He really wanted them to be more tuned in to Him than they were, to grasp what He was saying simply because they knew Him and understood His subtle communication.
An incident occurred in Matthew 16:6-12 where Jesus told His followers, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees…” Their presumption was that He was speaking of bread rising and they were confused. In verse 8, He had to clarify Himself when He said, “Ye of little faith! Why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?”
He wanted them to apprehend the deep truth that we, too, must grasp—there is false doctrine, there is subtle distortion of truth that we must discern and reject. We cannot allow ourselves to be sucked in by what the masses believe. We cannot be among those who are willing to walk the broad path to destruction but must keep our feet on the narrow way of Christ and His Truth (Matthew 7:13, 14).
We have subtle ways of communication with those who are close to us. We give our little ‘cues.’ Husbands convey to wives, for example, ‘I’m ready to go home.’ Our kids understand ‘the look’ that means, ‘My patience with your antics is wearing thin.’
Jesus did, too. He often spoke to His disciples in parables, but, they often didn’t ‘get it’ when He unveiled spiritual truth to them. Oh, yes, He’d explain His point, but He really wanted them to be more tuned in to Him than they were, to grasp what He was saying simply because they knew Him and understood His subtle communication.
An incident occurred in Matthew 16:6-12 where Jesus told His followers, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees…” Their presumption was that He was speaking of bread rising and they were confused. In verse 8, He had to clarify Himself when He said, “Ye of little faith! Why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?”
He wanted them to apprehend the deep truth that we, too, must grasp—there is false doctrine, there is subtle distortion of truth that we must discern and reject. We cannot allow ourselves to be sucked in by what the masses believe. We cannot be among those who are willing to walk the broad path to destruction but must keep our feet on the narrow way of Christ and His Truth (Matthew 7:13, 14).
Friday, August 27, 2010
Sole Possessor
August 27
We like to think that we’re ‘self-sufficient.’ We don’t like to be ‘beholdin’ to anyone’—and toward that end, we struggle and work and sometimes connive and contrive in order that we might show ourselves to be superior to those who may be vying for the ends we wish to attain.
In the business world, we resent anyone who tries to beat us at our own game. In the area of courtship, we demand exclusivity. We want our kids to be the best because they are a reflection of our parenting. We want our yards to look nice because they present us to passers-by.
Image is everything. We want ours to be stellar. If we feel we lack any good thing that those in our peer group may possess, we cannot rest until we have acquired it also. The one area in which we often fall short is in the spiritual realm. This happens essentially because we don’t make the spirit our priority. Another reason is that we cannot earn spiritual capital.
All we can do is rely on Jesus to give it to us—and we don’t like to be beholdin’ to anyone! If we expect to gain it on our own, we’re mistaken. His Word affirms, “My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19. We can’t gain it alone. We can have eternal treasure at will, but we must accept it from Jesus, for He is the sole possessor of it
We like to think that we’re ‘self-sufficient.’ We don’t like to be ‘beholdin’ to anyone’—and toward that end, we struggle and work and sometimes connive and contrive in order that we might show ourselves to be superior to those who may be vying for the ends we wish to attain.
In the business world, we resent anyone who tries to beat us at our own game. In the area of courtship, we demand exclusivity. We want our kids to be the best because they are a reflection of our parenting. We want our yards to look nice because they present us to passers-by.
Image is everything. We want ours to be stellar. If we feel we lack any good thing that those in our peer group may possess, we cannot rest until we have acquired it also. The one area in which we often fall short is in the spiritual realm. This happens essentially because we don’t make the spirit our priority. Another reason is that we cannot earn spiritual capital.
All we can do is rely on Jesus to give it to us—and we don’t like to be beholdin’ to anyone! If we expect to gain it on our own, we’re mistaken. His Word affirms, “My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19. We can’t gain it alone. We can have eternal treasure at will, but we must accept it from Jesus, for He is the sole possessor of it
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Our Great Stumbling Block
August 26
Most of us don’t wish to bear a cross of any sort. We want life to be filled with ease and plenty. We want our labor to result in great reward and we want our efforts to be recognized and esteemed. If we were in charge of life, there would never be a challenge to threaten the attainment of our desired goals.
If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that ‘the flesh’ is very important to us. We know that we are not to consume ourselves with what we eat or where we live or what we wear, but honesty demands that we acknowledge our preoccupation with these very temporal things.
The Word states clearly that, “The one who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life” Galatians 6:8. But, for the most part, we are indifferent to that reality. We want to sow to the flesh and we want the comforts for our flesh that result from doing so.
We are rather like Wimpy in the Popeye saga whose philosophy was, ‘I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.’ If there is a cost to our fleshly preoccupation, it cannot be too high if our wants and desires are satisfied. We gladly defer eternal life in order to glean the rewards of the world. Our flesh is our great stumbling block.
Most of us don’t wish to bear a cross of any sort. We want life to be filled with ease and plenty. We want our labor to result in great reward and we want our efforts to be recognized and esteemed. If we were in charge of life, there would never be a challenge to threaten the attainment of our desired goals.
If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that ‘the flesh’ is very important to us. We know that we are not to consume ourselves with what we eat or where we live or what we wear, but honesty demands that we acknowledge our preoccupation with these very temporal things.
The Word states clearly that, “The one who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life” Galatians 6:8. But, for the most part, we are indifferent to that reality. We want to sow to the flesh and we want the comforts for our flesh that result from doing so.
We are rather like Wimpy in the Popeye saga whose philosophy was, ‘I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.’ If there is a cost to our fleshly preoccupation, it cannot be too high if our wants and desires are satisfied. We gladly defer eternal life in order to glean the rewards of the world. Our flesh is our great stumbling block.
Take Up Your Cross And Follow
August 26
Salvation is a free gift from the God who loves us. Our sin separated us from Him so He bridged the great gulf of sin between us and Him in the only way possible. Oh, yes, man has invented countless ways to reach God. Man is ingenious in that endeavor, in fact. But none of his methods work.
The most brilliant contrivances of mankind cannot begin to narrow the chasm that keeps fallen creation from the Creator. We may give of our resources to the betterment of mankind, we may strive to lift our fallen brothers when they plunge into the pit of sin, but nothing we do makes an eternal difference.
Though we may give a hand up to those who have plummeted into all manner of sin and shame, we cannot do the one thing that is needful for their salvation. Only Jesus can do that. He bore the cruel Roman lash upon His back, He carried the cross. He hung between heaven and earth.
Jesus bled and died to set us free from sin and He says in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Grace and mercy are extended to us so we can take His cross of faith and lay our burden of sin at His feet.
Salvation is a free gift from the God who loves us. Our sin separated us from Him so He bridged the great gulf of sin between us and Him in the only way possible. Oh, yes, man has invented countless ways to reach God. Man is ingenious in that endeavor, in fact. But none of his methods work.
The most brilliant contrivances of mankind cannot begin to narrow the chasm that keeps fallen creation from the Creator. We may give of our resources to the betterment of mankind, we may strive to lift our fallen brothers when they plunge into the pit of sin, but nothing we do makes an eternal difference.
Though we may give a hand up to those who have plummeted into all manner of sin and shame, we cannot do the one thing that is needful for their salvation. Only Jesus can do that. He bore the cruel Roman lash upon His back, He carried the cross. He hung between heaven and earth.
Jesus bled and died to set us free from sin and He says in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Grace and mercy are extended to us so we can take His cross of faith and lay our burden of sin at His feet.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
He Bridged the Gulf
August 25
Salvation is a free gift from the God who loves us. Our sin separated us from Him so He bridged the great gulf of sin between us and Him in the only way possible. Oh, yes, man has invented countless ways to reach God. Man is ingenious in that endeavor, in fact. But none of his methods work.
The most brilliant contrivances of mankind cannot begin to narrow the chasm that keeps fallen creation from the Creator. We may give of our resources to the betterment of mankind, we may strive to lift our fallen brothers when they plunge into the pit of sin, but nothing we do makes an eternal difference.
Though we may give a hand up to those who have plummeted into all manner of sin and shame, we cannot do the one thing that is needful for their salvation. Only Jesus can do that. He bore the cruel Roman lash upon His back, He carried the cross. He hung between heaven and earth.
Jesus bled and died to set us free from sin and He says in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Grace and mercy are extended to us so we can take His cross of faith and lay our burden of sin at His feet.
Salvation is a free gift from the God who loves us. Our sin separated us from Him so He bridged the great gulf of sin between us and Him in the only way possible. Oh, yes, man has invented countless ways to reach God. Man is ingenious in that endeavor, in fact. But none of his methods work.
The most brilliant contrivances of mankind cannot begin to narrow the chasm that keeps fallen creation from the Creator. We may give of our resources to the betterment of mankind, we may strive to lift our fallen brothers when they plunge into the pit of sin, but nothing we do makes an eternal difference.
Though we may give a hand up to those who have plummeted into all manner of sin and shame, we cannot do the one thing that is needful for their salvation. Only Jesus can do that. He bore the cruel Roman lash upon His back, He carried the cross. He hung between heaven and earth.
Jesus bled and died to set us free from sin and He says in Luke 9:23, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Grace and mercy are extended to us so we can take His cross of faith and lay our burden of sin at His feet.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Wondrous Love of Heaven
August 24
Love. There have been many poems written with love as their theme. Many a novel has had love as at least one component of the sub plots that have been woven into the tale the author was weaving. Love propels much of our action and much of our conversation in every-day life.
We are captured by the notion we have of what love is. Some of us may not have a clue as to the true nature of love. For some of us, love is oriented totally around our ‘selfhood.’ We cannot begin to fathom the depth and breadth of love for we do not know the One who says, “Love is of God” I John 4:7.
If love is of a certainty, ‘of God,’ then it must follow that any emotion that does not spring from His heart is a mere counterfeit of the true love He extends to those who embrace Jesus to their hearts. If we have allowed the Lord to occupy the throne room of our lives, our heart, the dictates from that chamber will evidence His values, His will, His love.
I Peter 1:8 says, “You love Him, though you have not seen Him, and though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him.” This conveys the reality that the love of Christ does not originate in our understanding, in our ability to ‘see’ His will or His purpose, but in our faith. When we take that wonderful step of salvation, the wondrous love of Heaven flows into us, and flows to others through us.
Love. There have been many poems written with love as their theme. Many a novel has had love as at least one component of the sub plots that have been woven into the tale the author was weaving. Love propels much of our action and much of our conversation in every-day life.
We are captured by the notion we have of what love is. Some of us may not have a clue as to the true nature of love. For some of us, love is oriented totally around our ‘selfhood.’ We cannot begin to fathom the depth and breadth of love for we do not know the One who says, “Love is of God” I John 4:7.
If love is of a certainty, ‘of God,’ then it must follow that any emotion that does not spring from His heart is a mere counterfeit of the true love He extends to those who embrace Jesus to their hearts. If we have allowed the Lord to occupy the throne room of our lives, our heart, the dictates from that chamber will evidence His values, His will, His love.
I Peter 1:8 says, “You love Him, though you have not seen Him, and though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him.” This conveys the reality that the love of Christ does not originate in our understanding, in our ability to ‘see’ His will or His purpose, but in our faith. When we take that wonderful step of salvation, the wondrous love of Heaven flows into us, and flows to others through us.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Forgive Us As We Forgive
August 23
The most familiar prayer ever uttered is the Lord’s Prayer. It has trilled off the lips of prayer warriors and saints and school children (before school prayer was deemed illegal by the ‘wise’ people who make our laws), and it has expressed the heart of the Father to His children as much as the heart of each child to Him.
Though the prayer is brief, it covers the totality of the spectrum of man’s concerns. It first declares the Fatherhood of God, which is pivotal to our understanding of who God is as well as who we are. The relationship expressed in that simple phrase, ‘our Father’ gives us access to Him borne of ‘family.’
Although we know He is in Heaven above while we yet traverse the highways and byways of earth, although we know His name is above all names, yet we know that only when His Kingdom is fully come, shall we see His will completely employed in our lives and throughout the earth. But the most crucial aspect of this simple prayer is found in Luke 11:4
This assertion goes beyond the provision of our daily needs, which is paramount to those who must toil for our bread; it taps the core of our faith—forgiveness! Here Jesus teaches us to pray, ”Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Without our extending that grace to those who offend us, we cannot receive it from our Father, our Savior, our God.
The most familiar prayer ever uttered is the Lord’s Prayer. It has trilled off the lips of prayer warriors and saints and school children (before school prayer was deemed illegal by the ‘wise’ people who make our laws), and it has expressed the heart of the Father to His children as much as the heart of each child to Him.
Though the prayer is brief, it covers the totality of the spectrum of man’s concerns. It first declares the Fatherhood of God, which is pivotal to our understanding of who God is as well as who we are. The relationship expressed in that simple phrase, ‘our Father’ gives us access to Him borne of ‘family.’
Although we know He is in Heaven above while we yet traverse the highways and byways of earth, although we know His name is above all names, yet we know that only when His Kingdom is fully come, shall we see His will completely employed in our lives and throughout the earth. But the most crucial aspect of this simple prayer is found in Luke 11:4
This assertion goes beyond the provision of our daily needs, which is paramount to those who must toil for our bread; it taps the core of our faith—forgiveness! Here Jesus teaches us to pray, ”Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Without our extending that grace to those who offend us, we cannot receive it from our Father, our Savior, our God.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
I Won't Remember
August 22
We have indelible images in our minds of some of the atrocities that have been perpetrated by our fellow man against our fellow man. We think of the pictures that were take during WW II when the death camps where the Nazis exterminated millions of Jews were liberated.
We think of the horrific images of the cruel deaths imposed upon those captured by the Taliban. We think of mass murderers who randomly shoot their unsuspecting victims. We think of those who went to their fiery death on 9/11. And we marvel at man’s inhumanity to man.
Even more astounding than the vile acts that have been perpetrated by ruthless men with hearts of stone is the fact that, were they to turn their eyes upon Jesus, lay their sins at His feet, and ask forgiveness of Him, He would grant it to them. Our loving Lord has imposed no restrictions upon His mercy.
In Hebrews 10:17 the Word assures us, “I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.” He does not qualify His forgiveness. He does not establish a limitation upon the depravity of the acts He is willing to cover by His blood. No matter how vile we are, His mercy covers our sin if we will receive it.
We have indelible images in our minds of some of the atrocities that have been perpetrated by our fellow man against our fellow man. We think of the pictures that were take during WW II when the death camps where the Nazis exterminated millions of Jews were liberated.
We think of the horrific images of the cruel deaths imposed upon those captured by the Taliban. We think of mass murderers who randomly shoot their unsuspecting victims. We think of those who went to their fiery death on 9/11. And we marvel at man’s inhumanity to man.
Even more astounding than the vile acts that have been perpetrated by ruthless men with hearts of stone is the fact that, were they to turn their eyes upon Jesus, lay their sins at His feet, and ask forgiveness of Him, He would grant it to them. Our loving Lord has imposed no restrictions upon His mercy.
In Hebrews 10:17 the Word assures us, “I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.” He does not qualify His forgiveness. He does not establish a limitation upon the depravity of the acts He is willing to cover by His blood. No matter how vile we are, His mercy covers our sin if we will receive it.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Final Unfolding
August 21
God works in concert with Himself. It has been so from the beginning as evidenced by the information we receive in Revelation 13:8 where we are told that the plan of salvation was put in place by our Triune God “…from the foundation of the earth.”
And in Psalm 110:1 we are told that the ultimate plan to defeat the foe of God has been instituted in the heavenlies, for here we are given the information that the Lord affirmed to Himself that His enemies would be made “… Your footstool.”
What we see in all this is the reality that God’s ends are not always immediate. There is often a time lapse between when He declared an outcome and its final unfolding. These truths are written for our encouragement because we often find ourselves ‘on hold’ where our prayers are concerned. Yet, we may know for a certainty that when we pray, we are heard.
When we are imploring the Lord for the souls of the lost, we are anxious to see the result. His Word says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up on that last day” John 6:44. Because we are asking in accordance with His will (I Timothy 2:4), we may be certain that though our wait be long, salvation will come on that day for—it’s HIS plan!
God works in concert with Himself. It has been so from the beginning as evidenced by the information we receive in Revelation 13:8 where we are told that the plan of salvation was put in place by our Triune God “…from the foundation of the earth.”
And in Psalm 110:1 we are told that the ultimate plan to defeat the foe of God has been instituted in the heavenlies, for here we are given the information that the Lord affirmed to Himself that His enemies would be made “… Your footstool.”
What we see in all this is the reality that God’s ends are not always immediate. There is often a time lapse between when He declared an outcome and its final unfolding. These truths are written for our encouragement because we often find ourselves ‘on hold’ where our prayers are concerned. Yet, we may know for a certainty that when we pray, we are heard.
When we are imploring the Lord for the souls of the lost, we are anxious to see the result. His Word says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up on that last day” John 6:44. Because we are asking in accordance with His will (I Timothy 2:4), we may be certain that though our wait be long, salvation will come on that day for—it’s HIS plan!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Does This Offend You?
August 20
Salvation through Jesus Christ is a free gift but many people have great difficulty in accepting it. There are various reasons mankind has turned away in great numbers from the One who claims to be the only way to salvation. Some who do so are proud, smug in their own goodness and feel no need of a savior.
Others find it difficult to apprehend the blood sacrifice that was required of God in the flesh in order to redeem His fallen creation. Indeed, when in John 6: 53-58 Jesus expounded upon His impending death and the communion it would require of those who believe, many walked away (vs 59).
“When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at the idea, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” They were, indeed, the first of many who would find offense in Jesus. Many today express the same discomfiture when His name enters a conversation. We can speak of God without offense. We can speak of religious leaders through the centuries, but when we utter the name of Jesus, the world demands our silence.
The name that trills off the tongue of men of every nation and religion as a curse word, causes those same men to recoil when it is spoken in faith and power. It is the name above every other name, the only name given whereby men must be saved (Acts 4:12). Until a man avails himself of the saving power of that name, he is lost in the quagmire of his best effort to save himself, he is perishing in his sin.
Salvation through Jesus Christ is a free gift but many people have great difficulty in accepting it. There are various reasons mankind has turned away in great numbers from the One who claims to be the only way to salvation. Some who do so are proud, smug in their own goodness and feel no need of a savior.
Others find it difficult to apprehend the blood sacrifice that was required of God in the flesh in order to redeem His fallen creation. Indeed, when in John 6: 53-58 Jesus expounded upon His impending death and the communion it would require of those who believe, many walked away (vs 59).
“When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at the idea, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” They were, indeed, the first of many who would find offense in Jesus. Many today express the same discomfiture when His name enters a conversation. We can speak of God without offense. We can speak of religious leaders through the centuries, but when we utter the name of Jesus, the world demands our silence.
The name that trills off the tongue of men of every nation and religion as a curse word, causes those same men to recoil when it is spoken in faith and power. It is the name above every other name, the only name given whereby men must be saved (Acts 4:12). Until a man avails himself of the saving power of that name, he is lost in the quagmire of his best effort to save himself, he is perishing in his sin.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Let Down Your Nets
August 19
We tend to think of God as being ‘long ago and far away.’ Even God-in-the-flesh, Jesus Christ, walked the earth two thousand years ago. In the day-to-day course of the average life, He does not seem imminent. We trudge through life for the most part, dealing with our problems ourselves, as we encounter them.
But this is not how Jesus, our God and Savior and soon-coming King, wants it to be. He wants us to know that He is ‘there’ for us. One very real scriptural example of the Lord’s desire to meet us at the point of our need occurred when Peter was fishing. He had been on the water all day without catching anything.
When he docked his empty boat, Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets…” Peter argued that he’d been fishing all day and had caught nothing but would set forth again because the Lord said to do so (Luke 5: 4,5). When Peter had followed the leading of Jesus, his nets were filled to overflowing!
In Luke 5: 8 we are told, “When Simon Peter saw that the nets were filled to breaking, he fell at Jesus’ feet and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’” As He did with Peter, Jesus wants to meet us at our point of need; and when He does, we, too, will see ourselves as we are—and see HIM AS HE IS!
We tend to think of God as being ‘long ago and far away.’ Even God-in-the-flesh, Jesus Christ, walked the earth two thousand years ago. In the day-to-day course of the average life, He does not seem imminent. We trudge through life for the most part, dealing with our problems ourselves, as we encounter them.
But this is not how Jesus, our God and Savior and soon-coming King, wants it to be. He wants us to know that He is ‘there’ for us. One very real scriptural example of the Lord’s desire to meet us at the point of our need occurred when Peter was fishing. He had been on the water all day without catching anything.
When he docked his empty boat, Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets…” Peter argued that he’d been fishing all day and had caught nothing but would set forth again because the Lord said to do so (Luke 5: 4,5). When Peter had followed the leading of Jesus, his nets were filled to overflowing!
In Luke 5: 8 we are told, “When Simon Peter saw that the nets were filled to breaking, he fell at Jesus’ feet and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’” As He did with Peter, Jesus wants to meet us at our point of need; and when He does, we, too, will see ourselves as we are—and see HIM AS HE IS!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
...He Can Establish...
August 18
Love and hate are flip sides of the same coin. Our human emotions can ‘turn on’ the proverbial dime. The depth and intensity of one of these powerful emotions can impact the level of the other. If we have loved greatly, we may find ourselves hating irrationally, someone who has disappointed our expectations in love.
Conversely, if we have abhorred someone or something and then find ourselves greatly advantaged by him, our feeling becomes quite the opposite. Human emotions are highly volatile and it requires strength of character to keep them in check.
When we have given our hearts to Christ, surrendered ourselves fully to Him, however, our emotions should also be under the blood of the Lord. We should no longer find ourselves given to emotions that are driven by circumstances or by the actions of people. Our emotions should reflect the steadfast love of Jesus.
The Word states this truth very emphatically in Jude 21 where the brother of our Lord admonishes us to, “Keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.” What we cannot accomplish in ourselves, He can establish in us—for time and for eternity.
Love and hate are flip sides of the same coin. Our human emotions can ‘turn on’ the proverbial dime. The depth and intensity of one of these powerful emotions can impact the level of the other. If we have loved greatly, we may find ourselves hating irrationally, someone who has disappointed our expectations in love.
Conversely, if we have abhorred someone or something and then find ourselves greatly advantaged by him, our feeling becomes quite the opposite. Human emotions are highly volatile and it requires strength of character to keep them in check.
When we have given our hearts to Christ, surrendered ourselves fully to Him, however, our emotions should also be under the blood of the Lord. We should no longer find ourselves given to emotions that are driven by circumstances or by the actions of people. Our emotions should reflect the steadfast love of Jesus.
The Word states this truth very emphatically in Jude 21 where the brother of our Lord admonishes us to, “Keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.” What we cannot accomplish in ourselves, He can establish in us—for time and for eternity.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Reflect--and Be Encouraged
August 17
Depression often springs out of a sense of failure, of frustration in our endeavor to achieve a desired end. Our financial investments are devastated in a deplorable economy and we slump into depression. Our romantic dreams are dashed and we plunge into an emotional pit of despair.
Sometimes the cause of depression is not readily identifiable. Sometimes depression can intrude into an otherwise pleasant, ordinary day. We are engaging in routine pursuits when suddenly, for no perceptible reason, we are overtaken with a sense of heaviness that we recognize as depression.
The syndrome can be diagnosed and treated but often the sufferer continues in his misery for decades without confronting the emotional imbalance that causes depression and triggers it, virtually at will. Besides medication, which often has unpleasant side effects, there is another remedy for this malady.
Psalm 42:6 offers David’s solution. “I am depressed, therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon.” When we are in a difficult place—actual or emotional—if we will but reflect upon the Lord’s help to us in previous times of difficulty, we will be encouraged to trust Him to deliver us again.
Depression often springs out of a sense of failure, of frustration in our endeavor to achieve a desired end. Our financial investments are devastated in a deplorable economy and we slump into depression. Our romantic dreams are dashed and we plunge into an emotional pit of despair.
Sometimes the cause of depression is not readily identifiable. Sometimes depression can intrude into an otherwise pleasant, ordinary day. We are engaging in routine pursuits when suddenly, for no perceptible reason, we are overtaken with a sense of heaviness that we recognize as depression.
The syndrome can be diagnosed and treated but often the sufferer continues in his misery for decades without confronting the emotional imbalance that causes depression and triggers it, virtually at will. Besides medication, which often has unpleasant side effects, there is another remedy for this malady.
Psalm 42:6 offers David’s solution. “I am depressed, therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon.” When we are in a difficult place—actual or emotional—if we will but reflect upon the Lord’s help to us in previous times of difficulty, we will be encouraged to trust Him to deliver us again.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Options
August 16
When God delivers us from sin and spiritual death through the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, He does a thorough job. He does not lift only some of the heavy baggage we have been carrying through life, He takes it all.
His Holy Bible affirms that Jesus stated very clearly, “Cast all your cares upon Me, for I care for you” I Peter 5:7. The question to ourselves then becomes, ‘If Jesus is carrying this burden, why do I feel so weighted down?’
The answer we find to our dilemma is in Lamentations 3:20-21 where we are told of one who had a similar situation—“I continually remember them and have become depressed. Yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope.”
It seems the mindset we have is imposed upon us by –us! What will we choose to think about? On what or whom will we focus? Will we think about our sin and failure or will we focus on Christ and His salvation? Our options are depression or joy; failure or hope, depending upon what we elect to focus our thoughts.
When God delivers us from sin and spiritual death through the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, He does a thorough job. He does not lift only some of the heavy baggage we have been carrying through life, He takes it all.
His Holy Bible affirms that Jesus stated very clearly, “Cast all your cares upon Me, for I care for you” I Peter 5:7. The question to ourselves then becomes, ‘If Jesus is carrying this burden, why do I feel so weighted down?’
The answer we find to our dilemma is in Lamentations 3:20-21 where we are told of one who had a similar situation—“I continually remember them and have become depressed. Yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope.”
It seems the mindset we have is imposed upon us by –us! What will we choose to think about? On what or whom will we focus? Will we think about our sin and failure or will we focus on Christ and His salvation? Our options are depression or joy; failure or hope, depending upon what we elect to focus our thoughts.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
...They May Forget, But...
August 15
God is love and He loves us. We are at times blind and/or indifferent to God and to His great love for us. Whether by deliberate decision or by blind indifference, we live our lives without grasping the beautiful and amazing gift that the Lord of Creation has bestowed upon His beloved handiwork.
The fact that our sin has not only blinded us to His love but also separated us from Him is lost upon our sensibilities unless and until we allow the Holy Spirit of the Living Christ to stir within us and bring us into the light of His love and sacrifice for us.
When we allow ourselves to drink in that revelation, it becomes the paramount factor of our lives. When we act upon it, we become born again into the Kingdom of the Lord; we become co-heirs with Jesus of God’s eternal Kingdom and all its treasures. And we drink in the beauty of this incomparable love.
And we bask in the wonder of His Word which affirms the depth and magnitude of His love by saying, “Can a woman forget the child at her breast, that she should lack compassion for the child of her womb? They may forget, but I will not forget you” Isaiah 49:15. Surely these words convey His love in a way even the un-surrendered mind can comprehend.
God is love and He loves us. We are at times blind and/or indifferent to God and to His great love for us. Whether by deliberate decision or by blind indifference, we live our lives without grasping the beautiful and amazing gift that the Lord of Creation has bestowed upon His beloved handiwork.
The fact that our sin has not only blinded us to His love but also separated us from Him is lost upon our sensibilities unless and until we allow the Holy Spirit of the Living Christ to stir within us and bring us into the light of His love and sacrifice for us.
When we allow ourselves to drink in that revelation, it becomes the paramount factor of our lives. When we act upon it, we become born again into the Kingdom of the Lord; we become co-heirs with Jesus of God’s eternal Kingdom and all its treasures. And we drink in the beauty of this incomparable love.
And we bask in the wonder of His Word which affirms the depth and magnitude of His love by saying, “Can a woman forget the child at her breast, that she should lack compassion for the child of her womb? They may forget, but I will not forget you” Isaiah 49:15. Surely these words convey His love in a way even the un-surrendered mind can comprehend.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Forgive--and Love
August 14
Each of us has endured some hurt—some indignity—at the hand of another. Perhaps several people have caused us to feel rejected and unlovely. Perhaps they have made us aware that in their estimation, we simply cannot ‘fit in’ and are unworthy of inclusion in their group.
Many of us carry such emotional scars from childhood and adolescence into adulthood and allow ourselves to still writhe under the pain of them. Nobody can tell us that we are suffering for naught or that we are not the sum total of what our high school acquaintances thought of us.
How do we overcome the deep-seated stigma that we impose upon ourselves because of what others leveled upon us when we were young and impressionable? What we must do involves a two step process. First, we must see ourselves as Christ sees us. He thinks we are worth the sacrifice of His own life to save us from our sin and assure our place with Him eternally. Surely, His estimation outweighs the opinion of any mere mortal!
Second, we must recognize the power of forgiveness in our lives. If we will simply forgive those who have harmed us—either knowingly or intentionally—at any point in our lives, we will release ourselves from bondage to the negativity they caused to us. Colossians 3:13, 14 says, “Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. Above all, put on love, for it perfects all things.” When we forgive and love, we are perfected—no matter what the offending party does.
Each of us has endured some hurt—some indignity—at the hand of another. Perhaps several people have caused us to feel rejected and unlovely. Perhaps they have made us aware that in their estimation, we simply cannot ‘fit in’ and are unworthy of inclusion in their group.
Many of us carry such emotional scars from childhood and adolescence into adulthood and allow ourselves to still writhe under the pain of them. Nobody can tell us that we are suffering for naught or that we are not the sum total of what our high school acquaintances thought of us.
How do we overcome the deep-seated stigma that we impose upon ourselves because of what others leveled upon us when we were young and impressionable? What we must do involves a two step process. First, we must see ourselves as Christ sees us. He thinks we are worth the sacrifice of His own life to save us from our sin and assure our place with Him eternally. Surely, His estimation outweighs the opinion of any mere mortal!
Second, we must recognize the power of forgiveness in our lives. If we will simply forgive those who have harmed us—either knowingly or intentionally—at any point in our lives, we will release ourselves from bondage to the negativity they caused to us. Colossians 3:13, 14 says, “Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. Above all, put on love, for it perfects all things.” When we forgive and love, we are perfected—no matter what the offending party does.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks
August 13
There’s an old saying, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’ That sums up our attitude about changing. We tend to identify ourselves in a certain way and, for the most part, are satisfied with who we are. We enjoy our relationships with people, value our accomplishments and admire our personalities.
For we have invested ourselves in our relationships, worked hard to achieve our successes and carefully crafted our personalities to express our inner self to the world as we wish it to know us. We are ‘self-made’ men in many ways beyond professionally and financially.
Our contentment with who we are endures unchallenged—even by the ups and downs of life—until we come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we are introduced to Him, and when He has begun to shine the candle of His Holy Spirit into our hearts, we no longer like what we see, for we see ourselves as He sees us.
When our eyes are opened and we behold ourselves by God’s standard rather than our own, we become discouraged until we realize that He has programmed us for change! II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Anyone in Christ is a new creature! Old things are passed away; all things become new!” We have a fresh start with Jesus and as we conform to His image, we can be truly content with who we are.
There’s an old saying, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’ That sums up our attitude about changing. We tend to identify ourselves in a certain way and, for the most part, are satisfied with who we are. We enjoy our relationships with people, value our accomplishments and admire our personalities.
For we have invested ourselves in our relationships, worked hard to achieve our successes and carefully crafted our personalities to express our inner self to the world as we wish it to know us. We are ‘self-made’ men in many ways beyond professionally and financially.
Our contentment with who we are endures unchallenged—even by the ups and downs of life—until we come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we are introduced to Him, and when He has begun to shine the candle of His Holy Spirit into our hearts, we no longer like what we see, for we see ourselves as He sees us.
When our eyes are opened and we behold ourselves by God’s standard rather than our own, we become discouraged until we realize that He has programmed us for change! II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Anyone in Christ is a new creature! Old things are passed away; all things become new!” We have a fresh start with Jesus and as we conform to His image, we can be truly content with who we are.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Compassionate
August 12
August 12
In the letter attributed to him, the impetuous apostle makes a statement that reveals the extent to which his own thinking—his own spirit—has turned around through the years that he was privileged to walk the dusty roads of Palestine with the Lord Jesus Christ and to behold His risen glory.
Peter’s innate character traits caused him to be highly perceptive, as when he declared to Jesus, “…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God” John 6:69. But he was also the one who took the sword to Malchus’s ear in the garden across the Brook Cedron in John 18:1-10.
Because he was so much like us—the best and worst of intentions and actions rolled into one frail tabernacle of flesh—his journey to spiritual maturity and his advice to us on how to attain it is significant. In I Peter 3:8 and 9, he says, “Be compassionate and humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult but repaying evil with good.”
This reiterates Christ’s own admonition that we turn the other cheek to those who smite us (Matthew 5:39) and evidences the transformed thinking that Peter had after seeing the risen Lord. Perhaps the most striking word in the passage is ‘compassionate,’ for it requires the heart of Jesus to feel that tender emotion toward one who is our persecutor. Only HE can thus change our hearts.
August 12
In the letter attributed to him, the impetuous apostle makes a statement that reveals the extent to which his own thinking—his own spirit—has turned around through the years that he was privileged to walk the dusty roads of Palestine with the Lord Jesus Christ and to behold His risen glory.
Peter’s innate character traits caused him to be highly perceptive, as when he declared to Jesus, “…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God” John 6:69. But he was also the one who took the sword to Malchus’s ear in the garden across the Brook Cedron in John 18:1-10.
Because he was so much like us—the best and worst of intentions and actions rolled into one frail tabernacle of flesh—his journey to spiritual maturity and his advice to us on how to attain it is significant. In I Peter 3:8 and 9, he says, “Be compassionate and humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult but repaying evil with good.”
This reiterates Christ’s own admonition that we turn the other cheek to those who smite us (Matthew 5:39) and evidences the transformed thinking that Peter had after seeing the risen Lord. Perhaps the most striking word in the passage is ‘compassionate,’ for it requires the heart of Jesus to feel that tender emotion toward one who is our persecutor. Only HE can thus change our hearts.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Claim It All!
August 11
Delicious food. Beautiful clothing. Exquisite jewelry. Extensive travel. World acclaim. A few of the things that come to mind when we think of blessings we enjoy, or would like to have, include the above. Most of them revolve around having first attained wealth. We equate money with acquiring life’s good things.
Indeed, if we are assessing the advantages of a life by the world’s value system, that is absolutely correct. We look upon those who have achieved fame and fortune, power and prestige and we think we see a life that abounds in God’s blessings. But HE has a different standard.
It may be that the person who appears to be 'low man' on life’s totem pole is the one who is actually living the full, rich life we should desire. That blessed life does not require that we be wealthy. Money is not a factor in the attainment of the Lord’s finest gifts. The inestimable treasure God desires us to possess has nothing to do with our spending power.
In Ephesians 1:3 we are told, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.” Although we may receive the trappings of a successful life, unless we have also claimed the spiritual treasures that are ours through Jesus, we are of all men most miserable, for we are eternal paupers.
Delicious food. Beautiful clothing. Exquisite jewelry. Extensive travel. World acclaim. A few of the things that come to mind when we think of blessings we enjoy, or would like to have, include the above. Most of them revolve around having first attained wealth. We equate money with acquiring life’s good things.
Indeed, if we are assessing the advantages of a life by the world’s value system, that is absolutely correct. We look upon those who have achieved fame and fortune, power and prestige and we think we see a life that abounds in God’s blessings. But HE has a different standard.
It may be that the person who appears to be 'low man' on life’s totem pole is the one who is actually living the full, rich life we should desire. That blessed life does not require that we be wealthy. Money is not a factor in the attainment of the Lord’s finest gifts. The inestimable treasure God desires us to possess has nothing to do with our spending power.
In Ephesians 1:3 we are told, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.” Although we may receive the trappings of a successful life, unless we have also claimed the spiritual treasures that are ours through Jesus, we are of all men most miserable, for we are eternal paupers.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Our Honor
We have all been put off by allegations of impropriety that have dogged the heels of prominent ministry leaders. From stories of frequenting houses of ill repute, to traveling abroad with illicit lovers, to imbibing for too much from the fruit of the vine, to improper bookkeeping of the monies entrusted to them, they have disappointed those who trusted them.
On the other hand are those of profound faith--those who serve the lord anticipating and receiving no reward for their efforts--who tend to be harsh in their evaluation of themselves. They are inclined to suspect that were they only a little more fervent in their prayers, a little bolder in their outreach, they would accomplish more for Christ's Kingdom.
They fall into the pattern observed in Isaiah 6:5 where the prophet says, "Woe is me, for I am undone! I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips." Here, Isaiah is not only chastising himself, but taking upon himself the sins of his people!
Believers in Christ must not fall into either trap! We must recognize that it is not our goodness that has given us the right to serve or to prosper in serving! It is His good pleasure by which we further the purposes of His Kingdom--it is because we are under the blood of Jesus that we have the honor to serve Him honorably.
On the other hand are those of profound faith--those who serve the lord anticipating and receiving no reward for their efforts--who tend to be harsh in their evaluation of themselves. They are inclined to suspect that were they only a little more fervent in their prayers, a little bolder in their outreach, they would accomplish more for Christ's Kingdom.
They fall into the pattern observed in Isaiah 6:5 where the prophet says, "Woe is me, for I am undone! I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips." Here, Isaiah is not only chastising himself, but taking upon himself the sins of his people!
Believers in Christ must not fall into either trap! We must recognize that it is not our goodness that has given us the right to serve or to prosper in serving! It is His good pleasure by which we further the purposes of His Kingdom--it is because we are under the blood of Jesus that we have the honor to serve Him honorably.
Monday, August 9, 2010
You Shall Have a Song
August 9
God understands the stigma that dogs the heels of some of His people. He knows that many live under the shadow of persecution – even torture and death-because of their faith in the name of His Son Jesus. He knows that life is not always easy for those who follow the path of salvation.
But He has a word for the oppressed. In Psalm 74:21 the psalmist says, “Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. ”When the pressure of serving under the heel of the boot of the evil one becomes more than the believer can bear, God would lift him up with these words!
Our loving Father reaches out with words of love and hope and encouragement. He tells the oppressed that they need not turn away from Him; they need not allow the appearance of the enemy’s victory over their lives to daunt them or to dissuade them from their course! No! They may press on!
And they need not go forward with feet dragging and heads downcast! They may stay the course, singing songs of praise to the Lord as they go! And why would they sing? Because they stand on the promise, “You shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept, and gladness of heart” Isaiah 30:29.
God understands the stigma that dogs the heels of some of His people. He knows that many live under the shadow of persecution – even torture and death-because of their faith in the name of His Son Jesus. He knows that life is not always easy for those who follow the path of salvation.
But He has a word for the oppressed. In Psalm 74:21 the psalmist says, “Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. ”When the pressure of serving under the heel of the boot of the evil one becomes more than the believer can bear, God would lift him up with these words!
Our loving Father reaches out with words of love and hope and encouragement. He tells the oppressed that they need not turn away from Him; they need not allow the appearance of the enemy’s victory over their lives to daunt them or to dissuade them from their course! No! They may press on!
And they need not go forward with feet dragging and heads downcast! They may stay the course, singing songs of praise to the Lord as they go! And why would they sing? Because they stand on the promise, “You shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept, and gladness of heart” Isaiah 30:29.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Covered
August 8
Who hasn’t occasionally committed the ‘little white lie’? From fudging on an income tax document to pilfering a quote or two for a term paper, many have succumbed to the lure of the convenient departure from absolute truth in order to attempt to facilitate ones ends through duplicity.
Even the great heroes of the faith have lied to save their own skin. Who can forget Abraham who when traveling through Egypt with his beautiful wife Sarah told pharaoh that she was his sister. Why? Pharaoh wanted to marry her and Abraham realized he might be murdered if pharaoh didn’t get what he wanted.
God allowed pharaoh to be warned of Abraham’s duplicity in a dream so Sarah was spared the ordeal that would have faced her if the arrangement had been consummated. In Proverbs 12:22, the Word tells us that “Lying lips are detestable to the Lord, but faithful people are His delight.” Abraham failed God miserably in the truth-telling department.
But that did not negate God’s intent to use him and his wife Sarah to establish a nation. We who also are inclined to fail God, even in our abysmal attempts to be obedient to His Word, must take heart, recognizing that our failures, like Abraham’s, are covered by the mercy and grace of the Lord. And unlike Abraham, we have the full knowledge of salvation—purchased by Jesus’ blood.
Who hasn’t occasionally committed the ‘little white lie’? From fudging on an income tax document to pilfering a quote or two for a term paper, many have succumbed to the lure of the convenient departure from absolute truth in order to attempt to facilitate ones ends through duplicity.
Even the great heroes of the faith have lied to save their own skin. Who can forget Abraham who when traveling through Egypt with his beautiful wife Sarah told pharaoh that she was his sister. Why? Pharaoh wanted to marry her and Abraham realized he might be murdered if pharaoh didn’t get what he wanted.
God allowed pharaoh to be warned of Abraham’s duplicity in a dream so Sarah was spared the ordeal that would have faced her if the arrangement had been consummated. In Proverbs 12:22, the Word tells us that “Lying lips are detestable to the Lord, but faithful people are His delight.” Abraham failed God miserably in the truth-telling department.
But that did not negate God’s intent to use him and his wife Sarah to establish a nation. We who also are inclined to fail God, even in our abysmal attempts to be obedient to His Word, must take heart, recognizing that our failures, like Abraham’s, are covered by the mercy and grace of the Lord. And unlike Abraham, we have the full knowledge of salvation—purchased by Jesus’ blood.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
No Respecter of Persons
August 7
Rahab is an unlikely candidate to be the heroine of a Bible story. Rahab is an unlikely candidate to be an ancestress of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). But, she is both. Rahab was a harlot. God is no respecter of persons.
When the Israelite spies were sent to check out the city of Jericho, they would have been caught at their task except for the intervention of Rahab who hid them in order that they might successfully complete their mission. When they left Jericho, they assured her that when they returned to conquer the city, she and her family would be spared.
Hebrews 11:31 reiterates the story and affirms, “Rahab, the harlot received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.” God has always placed a premium on obedience. If we are caught between a rock and a hard place in our lives, we, like Rahab, must err on the side of obedience to God’s will.
The reputation of the Israelites had preceded them. Rahab knew that they had conquered many of the occupants of the land and were adding victory after victory to their renown. She recognized that she would be advantaged by being part of God’s team. We should recognize that also and align ourselves with Him.
Rahab is an unlikely candidate to be the heroine of a Bible story. Rahab is an unlikely candidate to be an ancestress of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). But, she is both. Rahab was a harlot. God is no respecter of persons.
When the Israelite spies were sent to check out the city of Jericho, they would have been caught at their task except for the intervention of Rahab who hid them in order that they might successfully complete their mission. When they left Jericho, they assured her that when they returned to conquer the city, she and her family would be spared.
Hebrews 11:31 reiterates the story and affirms, “Rahab, the harlot received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.” God has always placed a premium on obedience. If we are caught between a rock and a hard place in our lives, we, like Rahab, must err on the side of obedience to God’s will.
The reputation of the Israelites had preceded them. Rahab knew that they had conquered many of the occupants of the land and were adding victory after victory to their renown. She recognized that she would be advantaged by being part of God’s team. We should recognize that also and align ourselves with Him.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Jesus--All in All
August 6
I contemplate a time in eternity when all mysteries shall be revealed. It will be a mere twinkling of time when all of life’s perplexities that have so eluded our understanding will be made plain before us. The reality is that from our eternal vantage point, we won’t care, but I think God will tie up the loose ends for us.
On that day, when nothing will matter except what we have done with Christ, I can imagine that our greatest victories in time will seem as nothing by comparison to the total joy and wonder of being in the presence of Jesus, our Almighty God, King and Savior.
I wonder how differently we will see our trials and our victories. Perhaps the burden of the trials will be no longer felt and the joy of our victories will be heightened. When we have focused all on Jesus and nothing on ourselves, our vantage point will be elevated to His heavenly perspective.
We will see with the clarity of the pure eyes of eternity what seemed to be of such magnitude while we were in time. When we see the walls of our Jericho that “fell after being encircled for seven days,” (Hebrews 11:30) or after 70 years, the trial will seem as nothing. Jesus, the inheritance He gives, will be all-in-all.
I contemplate a time in eternity when all mysteries shall be revealed. It will be a mere twinkling of time when all of life’s perplexities that have so eluded our understanding will be made plain before us. The reality is that from our eternal vantage point, we won’t care, but I think God will tie up the loose ends for us.
On that day, when nothing will matter except what we have done with Christ, I can imagine that our greatest victories in time will seem as nothing by comparison to the total joy and wonder of being in the presence of Jesus, our Almighty God, King and Savior.
I wonder how differently we will see our trials and our victories. Perhaps the burden of the trials will be no longer felt and the joy of our victories will be heightened. When we have focused all on Jesus and nothing on ourselves, our vantage point will be elevated to His heavenly perspective.
We will see with the clarity of the pure eyes of eternity what seemed to be of such magnitude while we were in time. When we see the walls of our Jericho that “fell after being encircled for seven days,” (Hebrews 11:30) or after 70 years, the trial will seem as nothing. Jesus, the inheritance He gives, will be all-in-all.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Written on a Scroll
August 5
We, those of us who are mature in the faith, have a responsibility to pass our faith to those who come after us. Just as parents endeavor to save and invest money for their children’s futures, so they must assure that the spiritual treasure they possess will be wisely invested in the lives of their children.
There is nothing of value that we have that we do not wish our children to receive from us. If we could, we would make their path smooth and comfortable. If we could, we would spare them all disappointment and failure. Sometimes, however, it is disappointment and failure that are the harbinger of success.
It is toward the end of understanding the role that our own achievements and short-falls have played in shaping our lives and how they enabled us to acquire the good things the Lord has provided by His hand that the Lord instructed Moses to chronicle the ups and downs of his leadership over Israel for his young prodigy Joshua.
In Exodus 17:14 He said, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua.” Moses was required to write the events of his ministry to the people of God for all posterity to know, and to speak it to Joshua so he would understand the workings of God and how to implement them in his life and ministry. We must do the same for the young ones in our charge.
We, those of us who are mature in the faith, have a responsibility to pass our faith to those who come after us. Just as parents endeavor to save and invest money for their children’s futures, so they must assure that the spiritual treasure they possess will be wisely invested in the lives of their children.
There is nothing of value that we have that we do not wish our children to receive from us. If we could, we would make their path smooth and comfortable. If we could, we would spare them all disappointment and failure. Sometimes, however, it is disappointment and failure that are the harbinger of success.
It is toward the end of understanding the role that our own achievements and short-falls have played in shaping our lives and how they enabled us to acquire the good things the Lord has provided by His hand that the Lord instructed Moses to chronicle the ups and downs of his leadership over Israel for his young prodigy Joshua.
In Exodus 17:14 He said, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua.” Moses was required to write the events of his ministry to the people of God for all posterity to know, and to speak it to Joshua so he would understand the workings of God and how to implement them in his life and ministry. We must do the same for the young ones in our charge.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Holy Boldness!
August 4
One of the surest ways to incur the disfavor of the unbelievers around you is to invoke the name of Jesus. That name, which is above all names, the only name ‘given under heaven whereby men might be saved’ (Acts 4:12) has a polarizing ability that virtually nothing else has.
Today, in our land, which was founded on Biblical principles and the great preponderance of whose fathers were dedicated Christians, it is against the law to speak the name of Jesus in even a perfunctory prayer at graduation ceremonies or in the public arena.
We are caught in the dilemma that confronted the early disciples of Jesus who were confronted by the authorities of their day when they preached salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. When they were confronted and threatened with imprisonment for prosilyting, they stood boldly in the truth!
Like them, we must say as they did in Acts 4:19 when confronted by unbelievers, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide.” They would not deny Christ, even if failure to do so meant prison and death. Neither must we, for life is brief and eternity is forever.
One of the surest ways to incur the disfavor of the unbelievers around you is to invoke the name of Jesus. That name, which is above all names, the only name ‘given under heaven whereby men might be saved’ (Acts 4:12) has a polarizing ability that virtually nothing else has.
Today, in our land, which was founded on Biblical principles and the great preponderance of whose fathers were dedicated Christians, it is against the law to speak the name of Jesus in even a perfunctory prayer at graduation ceremonies or in the public arena.
We are caught in the dilemma that confronted the early disciples of Jesus who were confronted by the authorities of their day when they preached salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. When they were confronted and threatened with imprisonment for prosilyting, they stood boldly in the truth!
Like them, we must say as they did in Acts 4:19 when confronted by unbelievers, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide.” They would not deny Christ, even if failure to do so meant prison and death. Neither must we, for life is brief and eternity is forever.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Esteem the Things of God
August 3
One thing can be discerned rather readily by studying the lives of the fathers of the faith—they were not perfect. Mistakes, foibles, sin—dogged their heels. Yet they were men the Lord counted worthy to found His nation, His chosen people as well as establish the lineage through whom would come Christ our Savior.
We can only stand in awe and wonder at the goodness and mercy of God as it is evidenced in the lives of the patriarchs. We can only stand in humble wonder at the reality that He extends the same mercy and grace to us in even greater magnitude through Jesus’ death on the cross.
In Genesis 27:37, Isaac says something to Esau, the firstborn of his twin sons, “I have made him a master over you. What then can I do for you, my son?” Isaac was deceived into giving the birthright of the firstborn to Jacob the second born and he was seeking to make amends to Esau for his mistake. Isaac could not withdraw the blessing he had pronounced over Jacob and he knew that Jacob’s duplicity would not negate the blessing in the eyes of God.
We, like Isaac, falter and fail in our endeavors to do the ‘right thing,’ to assure that the rules are kept and expectations met; but, like Isaac, we must trust in the all pervasive wisdom and foreknowledge of God when He overrides our good intentions. Rather than a ‘mistake,’ the bestowal of the birthright upon Jacob assured the truth of the ages would be maintained undefiled, for Jacob esteemed the inheritance more than did his brother who sold it for a bowl of soup.
One thing can be discerned rather readily by studying the lives of the fathers of the faith—they were not perfect. Mistakes, foibles, sin—dogged their heels. Yet they were men the Lord counted worthy to found His nation, His chosen people as well as establish the lineage through whom would come Christ our Savior.
We can only stand in awe and wonder at the goodness and mercy of God as it is evidenced in the lives of the patriarchs. We can only stand in humble wonder at the reality that He extends the same mercy and grace to us in even greater magnitude through Jesus’ death on the cross.
In Genesis 27:37, Isaac says something to Esau, the firstborn of his twin sons, “I have made him a master over you. What then can I do for you, my son?” Isaac was deceived into giving the birthright of the firstborn to Jacob the second born and he was seeking to make amends to Esau for his mistake. Isaac could not withdraw the blessing he had pronounced over Jacob and he knew that Jacob’s duplicity would not negate the blessing in the eyes of God.
We, like Isaac, falter and fail in our endeavors to do the ‘right thing,’ to assure that the rules are kept and expectations met; but, like Isaac, we must trust in the all pervasive wisdom and foreknowledge of God when He overrides our good intentions. Rather than a ‘mistake,’ the bestowal of the birthright upon Jacob assured the truth of the ages would be maintained undefiled, for Jacob esteemed the inheritance more than did his brother who sold it for a bowl of soup.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Discernment
August 2
Presumption can lead to complications within our circumstances that cannot be easily resolved. To neglect to balance a checkbook, for example, may lead to writing a check without the funds required to cover the purchase. Penalties and/ or loss of good credit can result.
To place ones trust in an individual who proves unworthy can result in emotional trauma and abject disappointment. Long range implications of relying on the wrong person can be staggering. The Bible gives an example of the ancient Israelites falling for a bill of goods and the high price they paid for their naïveté.
In Joshua, Chapter 9, the people of God encountered what appeared to be a wandering band of itinerants. The Israelites promised to allow them passage to their destination without imposing their military might upon them. When it turned out that the wanderers were really an enemy, they were bound by their oath to allow them to go unhindered—to their own detriment.
In Joshua 9:19 their lament states, “We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.” They knew God would be more displeased by their failure to keep their oath than He was by their neglect to assess their intentions carefully at the onset. We, too, must place all our endeavors before the Lord so He may enable us to discern them rightly.
Presumption can lead to complications within our circumstances that cannot be easily resolved. To neglect to balance a checkbook, for example, may lead to writing a check without the funds required to cover the purchase. Penalties and/ or loss of good credit can result.
To place ones trust in an individual who proves unworthy can result in emotional trauma and abject disappointment. Long range implications of relying on the wrong person can be staggering. The Bible gives an example of the ancient Israelites falling for a bill of goods and the high price they paid for their naïveté.
In Joshua, Chapter 9, the people of God encountered what appeared to be a wandering band of itinerants. The Israelites promised to allow them passage to their destination without imposing their military might upon them. When it turned out that the wanderers were really an enemy, they were bound by their oath to allow them to go unhindered—to their own detriment.
In Joshua 9:19 their lament states, “We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.” They knew God would be more displeased by their failure to keep their oath than He was by their neglect to assess their intentions carefully at the onset. We, too, must place all our endeavors before the Lord so He may enable us to discern them rightly.
August 1
The Word of God tells us that we cannot see life clearly. In fact, it says that we cannot see even ourselves with clarity. In I Corinthians 13:12 we are told that we, “see through a glass darkly…” The mirrors of old were not as clear or as revealing as their modern counterparts.
But even the reflections we see of ourselves today are a ‘mirror image,’ one that is reversed from reality. Left is right and right is left when we view our image in a mirror. In Romans 7:24, Paul cries out in frustration because of his recognition of mankind’s dilemma.
Here he says, “O! Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this bondage of death?” He knew that of himself, of ourselves, none of us can see the reality of who we are—either physically, in a mirror or spiritually. Left to ourselves, man is hopelessly blind to his own need for salvation.
But I Corinthians 13:12 goes on to say that though we cannot see clearly as we are, “...when we have seen Jesus, we will see as He sees, know as He knows—discerning ourselves and others ‘face-to-face.’” Nothing shall be hidden from His people, for when they see Him clearly, they see all things—even self—clearly!
The Word of God tells us that we cannot see life clearly. In fact, it says that we cannot see even ourselves with clarity. In I Corinthians 13:12 we are told that we, “see through a glass darkly…” The mirrors of old were not as clear or as revealing as their modern counterparts.
But even the reflections we see of ourselves today are a ‘mirror image,’ one that is reversed from reality. Left is right and right is left when we view our image in a mirror. In Romans 7:24, Paul cries out in frustration because of his recognition of mankind’s dilemma.
Here he says, “O! Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this bondage of death?” He knew that of himself, of ourselves, none of us can see the reality of who we are—either physically, in a mirror or spiritually. Left to ourselves, man is hopelessly blind to his own need for salvation.
But I Corinthians 13:12 goes on to say that though we cannot see clearly as we are, “...when we have seen Jesus, we will see as He sees, know as He knows—discerning ourselves and others ‘face-to-face.’” Nothing shall be hidden from His people, for when they see Him clearly, they see all things—even self—clearly!
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