July 31
The guy next door whose dog has claimed your yard as his personal ‘relief station’ isn’t your enemy. The spouse who no longer remembers his promise to cherish you as Christ loves the Church isn’t your enemy. The bellicose heads of state who rattle their sabers to the dread of ordinary citizens aren’t the enemy either.
It’s easy to identify the above mentioned people as our adversaries and to strive to devise a retaliatory strategy for the threat they pose to us. But, in so doing, we are tantamount to flailing against the wind, for even if we succeed in besting them, we have not quelled the power of the one who is our true, ultimate enemy.
That enemy, that adversary who is the puppet-master who pulls the strings of all the wicked ones who endeavor to create mischief and mayhem by their actions is satan himself. To him, the scoundrels, the murderers, the thieves, the terrorists, the ruthless heads-of-state are nothing but dupes. They are minions in his evil hand. The enemy of God uses their disillusioned, diabolical proclivities to destroy them and to aggrandize himself.
But, Paul tells us in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush satan under your feet…” The rantings of the dark angel will ultimately come to nothing because he is already a defeated foe. Genesis 3:15 tells us that satan will be crushed under the heel of the coming Savior and that’s exactly what happened at Calvary. Until Jesus returns, however, Paul tells us at the conclusion of verse 20, “…The grace of our Lord Jesus is with you.”
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
In That Moment
July 30
Most of us have waited with bated breath for the outcome to some very significant events in our lives. The arrival of a child comes to mind—will the baby be a boy or a girl? Awaiting the bank’s determination as to whether or not our financial resources qualify us for a loan on a new home is another significant event which requires our patience.
We don’t calmly sit as we await the news. We pace. We phone people we know are supporting us in our venture and allow them to encourage us to ‘stay cool’! Those who are interested in events that are unfolding on the national and international scene keep their i-phones tuned to news as it is reported.
But in the most important arena of life, in the spiritual realm where we will be alive for time and eternity, we needn’t wait anxiously for the assurance that we will abide forever with our God and King in Heaven. No. The beloved Apostle gives us the amazing assurance in which we may rest secure through time as we await our transition to eternity. We may abide in peaceful confidence as our lives unfold.
In I John 5:4, 5, he says, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” While we wait and ponder the outcome of the ordinary events of life, the one matter that matters eternally can be settled—and it is—the moment we lay our lives at Jesus’ feet.
Most of us have waited with bated breath for the outcome to some very significant events in our lives. The arrival of a child comes to mind—will the baby be a boy or a girl? Awaiting the bank’s determination as to whether or not our financial resources qualify us for a loan on a new home is another significant event which requires our patience.
We don’t calmly sit as we await the news. We pace. We phone people we know are supporting us in our venture and allow them to encourage us to ‘stay cool’! Those who are interested in events that are unfolding on the national and international scene keep their i-phones tuned to news as it is reported.
But in the most important arena of life, in the spiritual realm where we will be alive for time and eternity, we needn’t wait anxiously for the assurance that we will abide forever with our God and King in Heaven. No. The beloved Apostle gives us the amazing assurance in which we may rest secure through time as we await our transition to eternity. We may abide in peaceful confidence as our lives unfold.
In I John 5:4, 5, he says, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” While we wait and ponder the outcome of the ordinary events of life, the one matter that matters eternally can be settled—and it is—the moment we lay our lives at Jesus’ feet.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Overcome the World
July 29
The ‘Name-It-And-Claim-It’ branch of Christianity assures the masses that all that is necessary to achieve fortune and have a great life is to place one’s life at the feet of Jesus—and to, “Keep those cards and letters coming.” The proponents of the “Prosperity Gospel” aggrandize their own coffers every time someone falls for their tripe.
And that is not to say Christians can’t be wealthy or can’t wield power in the political arena or can’t be in positions of influence in the classroom or in the boardroom. It is certainly the desire of the Lord that His people be influential in the theater of life, for His Kingdom is furthered when His people command respect and authority.
But it is never His intent that achieving worldly wealth and power becomes the focus of those who profess to love Him and trust Him for their eternal salvation. He wants His people to know that the greatest treasure they can possess is the free gift He’s given them of eternal salvation and the most power they can ever hope to obtain is that which they achieve when they are on their knees.
Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “I have told you these truths so you may have complete peace in Me. Though you may have tribulation in the world, you can be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” Whether blessings come or trials assail, whether riches flow or poverty devours, the man of faith knows his abiding, eternal treasure is worth much more than all else he might ever gain or lose.
The ‘Name-It-And-Claim-It’ branch of Christianity assures the masses that all that is necessary to achieve fortune and have a great life is to place one’s life at the feet of Jesus—and to, “Keep those cards and letters coming.” The proponents of the “Prosperity Gospel” aggrandize their own coffers every time someone falls for their tripe.
And that is not to say Christians can’t be wealthy or can’t wield power in the political arena or can’t be in positions of influence in the classroom or in the boardroom. It is certainly the desire of the Lord that His people be influential in the theater of life, for His Kingdom is furthered when His people command respect and authority.
But it is never His intent that achieving worldly wealth and power becomes the focus of those who profess to love Him and trust Him for their eternal salvation. He wants His people to know that the greatest treasure they can possess is the free gift He’s given them of eternal salvation and the most power they can ever hope to obtain is that which they achieve when they are on their knees.
Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, “I have told you these truths so you may have complete peace in Me. Though you may have tribulation in the world, you can be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” Whether blessings come or trials assail, whether riches flow or poverty devours, the man of faith knows his abiding, eternal treasure is worth much more than all else he might ever gain or lose.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
He Gives Us The Victory
July 28
As any contest proves, there will always be a winner and there will always be a loser in a competition. Whether we’re talking about a classroom spelling bee or a championship play-off game in sports, someone will walk away wearing the winner’s crown and someone will slump away with his head bowed in defeat.
Few of us have the athletic prowess to enable us to compete in professional sports. We aren’t going to be among the trained, toned athletes who win the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup. We won’t be among the wealthy horse breeders whose champions vie for the Triple Crown.
But we can indeed all be winners— eternal winners who succeed in attaining the one prize that assures our place in the ultimate winners’ circle. We can be like Paul who expressed his determination to attain the victory when he said in his letter to the Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
The one prize that is for every individual who was ever born is the salvation that was purchased by Jesus for all mankind at Calvary. By simply receiving His free gift, each of us becomes the recipient of the crown that entitles us to rule and reign with Him (see II Timothy 2:11, 12). We can then exclaim with Paul, “Thanks be to God for He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (I Corinthians 15:57)
As any contest proves, there will always be a winner and there will always be a loser in a competition. Whether we’re talking about a classroom spelling bee or a championship play-off game in sports, someone will walk away wearing the winner’s crown and someone will slump away with his head bowed in defeat.
Few of us have the athletic prowess to enable us to compete in professional sports. We aren’t going to be among the trained, toned athletes who win the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup. We won’t be among the wealthy horse breeders whose champions vie for the Triple Crown.
But we can indeed all be winners— eternal winners who succeed in attaining the one prize that assures our place in the ultimate winners’ circle. We can be like Paul who expressed his determination to attain the victory when he said in his letter to the Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
The one prize that is for every individual who was ever born is the salvation that was purchased by Jesus for all mankind at Calvary. By simply receiving His free gift, each of us becomes the recipient of the crown that entitles us to rule and reign with Him (see II Timothy 2:11, 12). We can then exclaim with Paul, “Thanks be to God for He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (I Corinthians 15:57)
Friday, July 27, 2012
Fulfill Every Word
July 27
Promises are made to be broken. Ask anyone who has ever placed his trust in a lover or scan the history books for evidence of treaties that were abrogated at ‘crunch time.’ Man is not noted for keeping his word. That’s why contracts must be drawn up very carefully; a handshake simply can’t satisfy the demand for integrity in an agreement.
But while we can virtually depend upon man to fail us, while we can be sure beyond the shadow of doubting that ultimately our expectation will be dashed if we expect man to comport himself with unfailing honor, there is One in whom that level of trust may be invested with absolute certainty that He will not fail us.
He is the Holy One of Israel. Joshua expressed the level of trust that we today may yet place in the Lord. When Moses had died, Joshua continued to lead the Israelites through their great time of sojourn through the desert. When his period of leadership had concluded, Joshua addressed the people. The words he said are as true today as they were then:
“…You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the Lord’s good promises to you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled. Not one has been broken,” Joshua 23:14. Though we may not see evidence of the fulfillment of the word in which He has caused us to hope, we may know with certainty that He will ultimately fulfill every word He has spoken regarding time and regarding eternity.
Promises are made to be broken. Ask anyone who has ever placed his trust in a lover or scan the history books for evidence of treaties that were abrogated at ‘crunch time.’ Man is not noted for keeping his word. That’s why contracts must be drawn up very carefully; a handshake simply can’t satisfy the demand for integrity in an agreement.
But while we can virtually depend upon man to fail us, while we can be sure beyond the shadow of doubting that ultimately our expectation will be dashed if we expect man to comport himself with unfailing honor, there is One in whom that level of trust may be invested with absolute certainty that He will not fail us.
He is the Holy One of Israel. Joshua expressed the level of trust that we today may yet place in the Lord. When Moses had died, Joshua continued to lead the Israelites through their great time of sojourn through the desert. When his period of leadership had concluded, Joshua addressed the people. The words he said are as true today as they were then:
“…You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the Lord’s good promises to you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled. Not one has been broken,” Joshua 23:14. Though we may not see evidence of the fulfillment of the word in which He has caused us to hope, we may know with certainty that He will ultimately fulfill every word He has spoken regarding time and regarding eternity.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Earth's Only Righteousness
July 26
The laws of man are subject to close scrutiny. The laws of man are prone to be arbitrary at best and dictatorial at worst. The more power invested in man and his institutions of government and religion and morality, the more corrupted they become by their contact with their originator.
Man’s best endeavors of governing himself become prey to fallacious human thinking. Man’s best endeavors at establishing religious tenets become oppressive and demeaning to the human spirit. Man’s best endeavors to be morally upright succumb to his greatest foible—his self-indulgence.
In order to be governed rightly, in order to be free of man’s errant view of law and religion and behavior, there has to be an ultimate Authority upon which governance and faith and human conduct are established. There is only One worthy of having that kind of authority placed in His hands and that One is the true and living God.
Psalm 119:160 says regarding Him, “Your words are true and Your righteous laws are eternal.” The manifestation of His perfect law is seen in the exemplary life of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate as He fulfilled the law during His 33 years among us. The only righteousness on earth is that which is rooted and grounded in Him.
The laws of man are subject to close scrutiny. The laws of man are prone to be arbitrary at best and dictatorial at worst. The more power invested in man and his institutions of government and religion and morality, the more corrupted they become by their contact with their originator.
Man’s best endeavors of governing himself become prey to fallacious human thinking. Man’s best endeavors at establishing religious tenets become oppressive and demeaning to the human spirit. Man’s best endeavors to be morally upright succumb to his greatest foible—his self-indulgence.
In order to be governed rightly, in order to be free of man’s errant view of law and religion and behavior, there has to be an ultimate Authority upon which governance and faith and human conduct are established. There is only One worthy of having that kind of authority placed in His hands and that One is the true and living God.
Psalm 119:160 says regarding Him, “Your words are true and Your righteous laws are eternal.” The manifestation of His perfect law is seen in the exemplary life of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate as He fulfilled the law during His 33 years among us. The only righteousness on earth is that which is rooted and grounded in Him.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Not To Be Compromised...
July 25
Hunting. Fishing. Bartering. Trading. Engaging in commerce. Man has, from his earliest history, found a means of acquiring what he needs and what he desires to have. It is believed that our earliest ancestors were foragers and gathers who were largely self-reliant for their daily existence.
As he became more sophisticated, he began to barter and trade for goods and services. In our modern age, few of us approximate early man in our self-sufficiency. We are totally dependent upon the grocery store for our food, the department store for our clothing, the media for our information, the government for our sustenance.
This is at total variance with the concepts discovered by our forbearers who realized that industry brings rewards and dependence upon others results in abject failure. Those early peoples devoted themselves to hard work and self-sufficiency. They endeavored to devise governments based upon the same proven principles. This was perhaps most true regarding the early settlers of America.
In fact, these stalwarts of the Christian faith founded their earliest documents and those subsequent (investigate the preamble to EVERY state constitution) upon Biblical doctrines such as, “Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding” Proverbs 23:23. They knew that the inerrant Word of God was not to be compromised, sacrificed, or traded away. Would that today’s leaders were as wise as their predecessors.
Hunting. Fishing. Bartering. Trading. Engaging in commerce. Man has, from his earliest history, found a means of acquiring what he needs and what he desires to have. It is believed that our earliest ancestors were foragers and gathers who were largely self-reliant for their daily existence.
As he became more sophisticated, he began to barter and trade for goods and services. In our modern age, few of us approximate early man in our self-sufficiency. We are totally dependent upon the grocery store for our food, the department store for our clothing, the media for our information, the government for our sustenance.
This is at total variance with the concepts discovered by our forbearers who realized that industry brings rewards and dependence upon others results in abject failure. Those early peoples devoted themselves to hard work and self-sufficiency. They endeavored to devise governments based upon the same proven principles. This was perhaps most true regarding the early settlers of America.
In fact, these stalwarts of the Christian faith founded their earliest documents and those subsequent (investigate the preamble to EVERY state constitution) upon Biblical doctrines such as, “Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline, and understanding” Proverbs 23:23. They knew that the inerrant Word of God was not to be compromised, sacrificed, or traded away. Would that today’s leaders were as wise as their predecessors.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
In All Things, Give Thanks
July 24
There are few things that the Bible states unequivocally are God’s will. Above all, He wants “all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth,” I Timothy 2:4. The exorbitant price that Jesus was willing to pay to purchase our salvation and to give us His “unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15) of eternal life are beyond dispute to anyone whose spiritual eyes have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Only those who walk in the darkness of unbelief can question or negate the amazing act on the part of the Creator of the universe in supplying His errant creation with the gift of redemption that washes away man’s awful sin and leaves him clean, righteous and holy, in the eyes of his holy God.
This is addressed clearly in the Old Testament where we are told, “Though your sins be scarlet, they shall be washed white as snow,” Isaiah 1:18, and by Jesus’ words to the woman caught in adultery, “I do not condemn you; go and sin no more,” John 8:11. Another thing that God desires for man is that he have a thankful heart. The believer’s gratitude should transcend the circumstances of life and embrace eternity.
In light of his total regeneration from sin and his delivery from its penalty of death to salvation and its gift of time without end, God commands, “In all things and in all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus,” I Thessalonians 5:18. There is nothing a believer may face in time that should be able to quench his thankfulness—for the real treasure of his life is eternal.
There are few things that the Bible states unequivocally are God’s will. Above all, He wants “all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth,” I Timothy 2:4. The exorbitant price that Jesus was willing to pay to purchase our salvation and to give us His “unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15) of eternal life are beyond dispute to anyone whose spiritual eyes have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
Only those who walk in the darkness of unbelief can question or negate the amazing act on the part of the Creator of the universe in supplying His errant creation with the gift of redemption that washes away man’s awful sin and leaves him clean, righteous and holy, in the eyes of his holy God.
This is addressed clearly in the Old Testament where we are told, “Though your sins be scarlet, they shall be washed white as snow,” Isaiah 1:18, and by Jesus’ words to the woman caught in adultery, “I do not condemn you; go and sin no more,” John 8:11. Another thing that God desires for man is that he have a thankful heart. The believer’s gratitude should transcend the circumstances of life and embrace eternity.
In light of his total regeneration from sin and his delivery from its penalty of death to salvation and its gift of time without end, God commands, “In all things and in all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus,” I Thessalonians 5:18. There is nothing a believer may face in time that should be able to quench his thankfulness—for the real treasure of his life is eternal.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Now and Forever
The tumult in man's spirit is manifested in many ways--through war and rumors of war,through unprovoked violence against the innocent, through his own inner turmoil. In this age of violence and lawlessness, may we anchor ourselves to the One who is our Hope, our Strength, our Joy, our Peace, our Love, our Salvation; and may we say the beautiful words HE gave to us to help us keep our hearts and minds stayed upon Him:
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory both now and forever. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Leap for Joy
July 23
Professional wrestling is phony. Everybody knows that. Thai boxing, on the other hand, leaves no doubt as to the degree of pain the combatants are inflicting on each other. The audience can see the welts and bruises as they arise on the faces and bodies of the opponents.
Some of the trials believers face in life are phony. The enemy of the people of God, “…goes around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” I Peter 5:8. Those who understand the nature of the ‘king of beasts’ tell us that the lion that roars is the old lion who is trying to intimidate his prey. The strong, young lion moves silently upon his victim. So, the devil, the defeated foe, makes much of his assault on the believer and often his assault is smoke and mirrors.
Although some of life’s battles are less formidable, there are others that pose an extreme challenge to the faith and the resolve of those who face them. When confronted with the worst that life and the enemy can throw at him, the child of God must say with the psalmist, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I give thanks to Him.”
Why should believers lift their voices in joy and praise when they are sorely beset with trial? Two reasons come to mind: first, because “the joy of the Lord is his strength,” Nehemiah 8:10 and second, because “the Lord inhabits the praise of His people” Psalm 22:3. When we have His strength and when we abide in His presence through our praise, we are greatly comforted and helped. Our hearts then leap for joy despite our trials.
Professional wrestling is phony. Everybody knows that. Thai boxing, on the other hand, leaves no doubt as to the degree of pain the combatants are inflicting on each other. The audience can see the welts and bruises as they arise on the faces and bodies of the opponents.
Some of the trials believers face in life are phony. The enemy of the people of God, “…goes around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” I Peter 5:8. Those who understand the nature of the ‘king of beasts’ tell us that the lion that roars is the old lion who is trying to intimidate his prey. The strong, young lion moves silently upon his victim. So, the devil, the defeated foe, makes much of his assault on the believer and often his assault is smoke and mirrors.
Although some of life’s battles are less formidable, there are others that pose an extreme challenge to the faith and the resolve of those who face them. When confronted with the worst that life and the enemy can throw at him, the child of God must say with the psalmist, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I give thanks to Him.”
Why should believers lift their voices in joy and praise when they are sorely beset with trial? Two reasons come to mind: first, because “the joy of the Lord is his strength,” Nehemiah 8:10 and second, because “the Lord inhabits the praise of His people” Psalm 22:3. When we have His strength and when we abide in His presence through our praise, we are greatly comforted and helped. Our hearts then leap for joy despite our trials.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Taste and See
July 22
The old saying conveys an undisputable truth: The proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Something may look good, but until it’s tasted, one can’t know for sure if it’s palatable. This concept is applicable to many other issues besides the tasting of food. It applies to politicians and worldviews and religious concepts.
All things must be tested. Elected officials who betray the trust that has been placed in them must be voted out of office. Worldviews that usurp freedom must be brought down. Religious tenets that oppose the truth of the Living, Eternal God must be forsaken.
Virtually all false ways demand adherence to their precepts even as they negate freedom to explore other options. Only the Bible invites, “O, taste and see that the Lord is good…” Psalm 34:8 and goes on to affirm, “…blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” God doesn’t expect man to accept Him sight-unseen. He invites sampling—He gives man permission to stick his finger inro the pudding of faith in Him to see if it’s all He claims it to be.
In I Peter 2:3, the Apostle says, “If you have tasted (you see) that the Lord is gracious.” This reconfirms the word spoken by Jesus Himself in John 8:31, 32, “If you hold to My teaching, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Only when we have indulged the bitter fruit of deception can we fully appreciate the excellent harvest that Truth and Freedom afford to us. May we not grasp an appreciation of them too late.
The old saying conveys an undisputable truth: The proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Something may look good, but until it’s tasted, one can’t know for sure if it’s palatable. This concept is applicable to many other issues besides the tasting of food. It applies to politicians and worldviews and religious concepts.
All things must be tested. Elected officials who betray the trust that has been placed in them must be voted out of office. Worldviews that usurp freedom must be brought down. Religious tenets that oppose the truth of the Living, Eternal God must be forsaken.
Virtually all false ways demand adherence to their precepts even as they negate freedom to explore other options. Only the Bible invites, “O, taste and see that the Lord is good…” Psalm 34:8 and goes on to affirm, “…blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” God doesn’t expect man to accept Him sight-unseen. He invites sampling—He gives man permission to stick his finger inro the pudding of faith in Him to see if it’s all He claims it to be.
In I Peter 2:3, the Apostle says, “If you have tasted (you see) that the Lord is gracious.” This reconfirms the word spoken by Jesus Himself in John 8:31, 32, “If you hold to My teaching, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Only when we have indulged the bitter fruit of deception can we fully appreciate the excellent harvest that Truth and Freedom afford to us. May we not grasp an appreciation of them too late.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Close Association
July 21
We like to be in proximity to the people we love. The bane of modern existence is that families are separated from one another by great distances because parents must travel extensively in order to perform the requirements of their employment or because children grow up and move away to find jobs.
There is a yearning within the bosom of man to enjoy the intimacy of close association with the people who are important to him. Most relationships thrive on such closeness and many inordinate affairs are entered because that sense of relationship is lacking in marriage where one spouse has grown cold.
What can be done to bridge the vast divide between where an individual wants to be and where he is regarding the sense of unity for which he longs? How can he obtain the oneness he desires with those who are part of his closest circle? According to the Bible, he may achieve the intimacy he yearns to have through truth.
David says in Psalm 145:18, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to those who call on Him in truth.” If the Lord draws close to the individual who beseeches Him in truth, surely that individual can depend upon achieving that sense of nearness for which he longs among his associates when he establishes his relationships in truth.
We like to be in proximity to the people we love. The bane of modern existence is that families are separated from one another by great distances because parents must travel extensively in order to perform the requirements of their employment or because children grow up and move away to find jobs.
There is a yearning within the bosom of man to enjoy the intimacy of close association with the people who are important to him. Most relationships thrive on such closeness and many inordinate affairs are entered because that sense of relationship is lacking in marriage where one spouse has grown cold.
What can be done to bridge the vast divide between where an individual wants to be and where he is regarding the sense of unity for which he longs? How can he obtain the oneness he desires with those who are part of his closest circle? According to the Bible, he may achieve the intimacy he yearns to have through truth.
David says in Psalm 145:18, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to those who call on Him in truth.” If the Lord draws close to the individual who beseeches Him in truth, surely that individual can depend upon achieving that sense of nearness for which he longs among his associates when he establishes his relationships in truth.
Friday, July 20, 2012
The Exceptional Path
July 20
The notion of ‘American Exceptionalism’ is debatable. There are some who feel that the United States is just a country like any other—no better, no worse—and it doesn’t have, and has never had, a unique place in history. There are others who are just as firmly convinced that God has had His hand on this nation from its inception and that He has used it to further His purposes.
In the ultimate scheme of things it is perhaps irrelevant which position one espouses, for the only important thing of time or eternity—receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord—must be done on an individual, not a national, basis. Everyone who ever lives and breathes must make the choice to serve or to deny Jesus, and that choice will determine his eternity.
Some people may debate this point as well. There are those who believe there are many paths to God and that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently pursue the tenets of whatever belief system they espouse. Whether they blow themselves up, killing everyone around them as those committed to a one-world-caliphate might do or whether they surrender their lives to Jesus, they are heaven-bound for they are sincere. With this mindset, no belief system is above any other.
But there is One whose exceptionalism will ultimately be proven to both those who attain hell by their sin and those who attain Heaven by His grace, and that One is Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me,” John 14:6. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. To deny Him is to relegate oneself to the eternal pit of separation from God. To embrace Him is to be washed clean of sin and set on the exceptional path that leads to Heaven.
The notion of ‘American Exceptionalism’ is debatable. There are some who feel that the United States is just a country like any other—no better, no worse—and it doesn’t have, and has never had, a unique place in history. There are others who are just as firmly convinced that God has had His hand on this nation from its inception and that He has used it to further His purposes.
In the ultimate scheme of things it is perhaps irrelevant which position one espouses, for the only important thing of time or eternity—receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord—must be done on an individual, not a national, basis. Everyone who ever lives and breathes must make the choice to serve or to deny Jesus, and that choice will determine his eternity.
Some people may debate this point as well. There are those who believe there are many paths to God and that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently pursue the tenets of whatever belief system they espouse. Whether they blow themselves up, killing everyone around them as those committed to a one-world-caliphate might do or whether they surrender their lives to Jesus, they are heaven-bound for they are sincere. With this mindset, no belief system is above any other.
But there is One whose exceptionalism will ultimately be proven to both those who attain hell by their sin and those who attain Heaven by His grace, and that One is Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me,” John 14:6. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. To deny Him is to relegate oneself to the eternal pit of separation from God. To embrace Him is to be washed clean of sin and set on the exceptional path that leads to Heaven.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
God's Moral Compass
July 19
Truth is held in high esteem by people who set their lives by God’s moral compass. Because the Most High God is TRUTH (Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me,”), we value truth, we embrace truth, we endeavor to live in truth.
We desire that our ways please our Living Lord by abiding in His truth because He further stated in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” There is no freedom in this life or in eternity apart from Jesus and the TRUTH that He is. Many endeavor to abide by the doctrines of false gods and men, and they can be discerned by the deception, the fallacy, the untruth that encumbers them.
The words that they speak, though they may be crafted by skilled wordsmiths, though they may be inspiring, optimistic, flattering and uplifting, will ultimately dash the hope of those who trust in them because lies must fail. Only TRUTH, only HE WHO IS TRUTH, abides forever.
Proverbs 16:13 tells us, “Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.” Temporal rulers, may falter in their espousal of truth for they are given to the compromise of truth to further their own ends, but Jesus, the ONE who is TRUTH, establishes in TRUTH the man who sets his compass by Him.
Truth is held in high esteem by people who set their lives by God’s moral compass. Because the Most High God is TRUTH (Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me,”), we value truth, we embrace truth, we endeavor to live in truth.
We desire that our ways please our Living Lord by abiding in His truth because He further stated in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” There is no freedom in this life or in eternity apart from Jesus and the TRUTH that He is. Many endeavor to abide by the doctrines of false gods and men, and they can be discerned by the deception, the fallacy, the untruth that encumbers them.
The words that they speak, though they may be crafted by skilled wordsmiths, though they may be inspiring, optimistic, flattering and uplifting, will ultimately dash the hope of those who trust in them because lies must fail. Only TRUTH, only HE WHO IS TRUTH, abides forever.
Proverbs 16:13 tells us, “Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.” Temporal rulers, may falter in their espousal of truth for they are given to the compromise of truth to further their own ends, but Jesus, the ONE who is TRUTH, establishes in TRUTH the man who sets his compass by Him.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Trust
July 18
People are going to trust in something or someone. They will invest themselves in a politician who promises to take care of them from the cradle to the grave. They will have subsidized housing and food stamps and a government-provided education if they are of a mind to pursue an education.
Of course, if their education equips them to obtain a well-paying job, they will inadvertently have joined the ranks of those citizens who are taxed and thereby become a supplier of all-things-provided-by-the-government for those who choose not to work. The fallacy of such thinking is lost upon individuals whose goal in life is to have ‘something for nothing.’ It is not lost upon the politicians who exploit them.
Misplaced trust is not exclusively given to duplicitous politicians who secure their power through the masses of slavish and gullible citizenry who look to them for their needs to be met. It can also be invested in personal relationships that are demeaning, which take advantage of susceptible people who refuse to recognize that they are being manipulated for the selfish ends of those in whom they have placed their confidence.
And the scenarios where trusts are betrayed can extend well beyond these. What are people to do then? The Bible supplies a wonderful answer in Jeremiah 17:7, 8, where the prophet says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him; he will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear the heat. Its leaves are always green and…it never fails to bear fruit.
People are going to trust in something or someone. They will invest themselves in a politician who promises to take care of them from the cradle to the grave. They will have subsidized housing and food stamps and a government-provided education if they are of a mind to pursue an education.
Of course, if their education equips them to obtain a well-paying job, they will inadvertently have joined the ranks of those citizens who are taxed and thereby become a supplier of all-things-provided-by-the-government for those who choose not to work. The fallacy of such thinking is lost upon individuals whose goal in life is to have ‘something for nothing.’ It is not lost upon the politicians who exploit them.
Misplaced trust is not exclusively given to duplicitous politicians who secure their power through the masses of slavish and gullible citizenry who look to them for their needs to be met. It can also be invested in personal relationships that are demeaning, which take advantage of susceptible people who refuse to recognize that they are being manipulated for the selfish ends of those in whom they have placed their confidence.
And the scenarios where trusts are betrayed can extend well beyond these. What are people to do then? The Bible supplies a wonderful answer in Jeremiah 17:7, 8, where the prophet says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him; he will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear the heat. Its leaves are always green and…it never fails to bear fruit.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
OOPS!
I apologize for the confused ending to today's blog. The 'them' that we must let go would be the allures of time that we cling to so steadfastly in the good times. We must never release our hold on the Lord because He will never release His hold on His people. I must begin to edit more carefully!
Release Them
July 17
Sometimes it is easier to be steadfast in the face of misfortune than it is when life is pleasant and profitable. It is written of Marie Antoinette, who was said to be totally preoccupied with the frivolous trappings of her lofty estate in the years prior to the French Revolution, that when the unthinkable happened, when her country was ravaged by civil strife and bloodshed, that she became a pillar of strength to those around her.
It can be at those times of seeming defeat that man gains his most important victories. When one’s finances are devastated by a disastrous economic downturn, he rises in faith to appropriate the help of God who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills,” Psalm 50:10. One who has nothing of his own easily turns to the Holy One for his daily bread.
The person at the precipice of death, much like Marie Antoinette, finds the Giver of Life to be the center of his life, to be seated on the throne of his heart, when eternity looms before him. It is at such times that Isaiah 26:3, 4 becomes his anchor of hope. It says, “You, O Lord, will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfastly upon You because he trusts You…the Rock eternal.”
We pray calamity will not come; we pray we can, “be strong in faith, giving glory to God,” Romans 4:20, throughout long, happy, healthy lives that find us strong in body, mind and spirit. But, if we succumb to the temptations of the world, if we fail to lift up His holy name in the good times, may we be found clinging to the One who has died to set us free from the world and its allures at that time when we have no choice but to release them from our grasp.
Sometimes it is easier to be steadfast in the face of misfortune than it is when life is pleasant and profitable. It is written of Marie Antoinette, who was said to be totally preoccupied with the frivolous trappings of her lofty estate in the years prior to the French Revolution, that when the unthinkable happened, when her country was ravaged by civil strife and bloodshed, that she became a pillar of strength to those around her.
It can be at those times of seeming defeat that man gains his most important victories. When one’s finances are devastated by a disastrous economic downturn, he rises in faith to appropriate the help of God who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills,” Psalm 50:10. One who has nothing of his own easily turns to the Holy One for his daily bread.
The person at the precipice of death, much like Marie Antoinette, finds the Giver of Life to be the center of his life, to be seated on the throne of his heart, when eternity looms before him. It is at such times that Isaiah 26:3, 4 becomes his anchor of hope. It says, “You, O Lord, will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfastly upon You because he trusts You…the Rock eternal.”
We pray calamity will not come; we pray we can, “be strong in faith, giving glory to God,” Romans 4:20, throughout long, happy, healthy lives that find us strong in body, mind and spirit. But, if we succumb to the temptations of the world, if we fail to lift up His holy name in the good times, may we be found clinging to the One who has died to set us free from the world and its allures at that time when we have no choice but to release them from our grasp.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Faithful and Mighty
July 16
Where are we to turn when the unthinkable happens? What are we to do when the unspoken dread in our spirit that persuades us of impending disaster looms before us? How is the believer to react when he hears of the “…wars and rumors of war…” (Mark 13:7) spoken of by Jesus that would attend the last days before His return?
Should we be generous to give aid to those in far-flung places who are experiencing the “earthquakes and famines and troubles in divers places that are the beginning of sorrows,” (verse 8) or should we hoard whatever resources we may possess in order to ward off the seemingly inevitable as long as possible for ourselves?
What should our reaction be when Jesus’ words in Mark 13:13, “You shall be hated by all men for My name’s sake…” seem to come to fruition, even in the nations where His name was once held in high esteem? At these times of tragedy and loss on a world-wide scale, when we find ourselves to be victims of men’s hatred because we profess Christ, we must remember the conclusion of verse 13 which says, “…but he that shall endure to the end shall be saved.”
Our salvation will come because our God is faithful. He made this glorious promise in Isaiah 32:2, “And a Man shall be as your hiding place from the wind and your covering from the tempest; He shall be your living water in the dry, thirsty place and the great rock in whose shadow you may find respite from the torturous heat.” That Man is Jesus. When the winds of adversity blow and the parched spiritual landscape threatens to destroy men of faith, He shall be found faithful—and mighty to save!
Where are we to turn when the unthinkable happens? What are we to do when the unspoken dread in our spirit that persuades us of impending disaster looms before us? How is the believer to react when he hears of the “…wars and rumors of war…” (Mark 13:7) spoken of by Jesus that would attend the last days before His return?
Should we be generous to give aid to those in far-flung places who are experiencing the “earthquakes and famines and troubles in divers places that are the beginning of sorrows,” (verse 8) or should we hoard whatever resources we may possess in order to ward off the seemingly inevitable as long as possible for ourselves?
What should our reaction be when Jesus’ words in Mark 13:13, “You shall be hated by all men for My name’s sake…” seem to come to fruition, even in the nations where His name was once held in high esteem? At these times of tragedy and loss on a world-wide scale, when we find ourselves to be victims of men’s hatred because we profess Christ, we must remember the conclusion of verse 13 which says, “…but he that shall endure to the end shall be saved.”
Our salvation will come because our God is faithful. He made this glorious promise in Isaiah 32:2, “And a Man shall be as your hiding place from the wind and your covering from the tempest; He shall be your living water in the dry, thirsty place and the great rock in whose shadow you may find respite from the torturous heat.” That Man is Jesus. When the winds of adversity blow and the parched spiritual landscape threatens to destroy men of faith, He shall be found faithful—and mighty to save!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Never Dismayed
July 15
Walled cities were the fortress retreats of the masses in long-ago times. Villagers lived outside the walls of the city where they farmed and conducted trade but when an attack was imminent, they retreated within the walls of the defended citadel. That is where armed soldiers would fight to the death to preserve the integrity of the occupants.
Life sometimes places us in a position where we need a safe haven from the slings and arrows of the enemies who would assail us. We need a shield from the gossip, from the accusations, from the failures (real and perceived) which have dogged our heels and rendered us weary.
Our loving Heavenly Father understands our need for a place of retreat, a place to re-gather ourselves and regain our strength for the fray. We know that few places afford the kind of fortification we require when the onslaught of the evil one would overwhelm us, when minions from hell would converge upon us from every front. Our Protector, our King invites us into His fortification where we shall be safe.
We are told in Isaiah 28:16, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says, ‘I will lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. The one who trusts will never be dismayed.’” That sure Stone on which to build the fortress of our lives is Jesus. He will never fail or forsake those who seek refuge in Him.
Walled cities were the fortress retreats of the masses in long-ago times. Villagers lived outside the walls of the city where they farmed and conducted trade but when an attack was imminent, they retreated within the walls of the defended citadel. That is where armed soldiers would fight to the death to preserve the integrity of the occupants.
Life sometimes places us in a position where we need a safe haven from the slings and arrows of the enemies who would assail us. We need a shield from the gossip, from the accusations, from the failures (real and perceived) which have dogged our heels and rendered us weary.
Our loving Heavenly Father understands our need for a place of retreat, a place to re-gather ourselves and regain our strength for the fray. We know that few places afford the kind of fortification we require when the onslaught of the evil one would overwhelm us, when minions from hell would converge upon us from every front. Our Protector, our King invites us into His fortification where we shall be safe.
We are told in Isaiah 28:16, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says, ‘I will lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. The one who trusts will never be dismayed.’” That sure Stone on which to build the fortress of our lives is Jesus. He will never fail or forsake those who seek refuge in Him.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
How Can Man Rest?
July 14
Because He loves mankind, the Sovereign Lord of the universe has devised a plan of salvation that was established before time began. In Revelation 14:8, John the Revelator gives us a glimpse into the corridors of Heaven where our Triune God took counsel with Himself regarding His beloved creation, whom He knew would fall into sin.
Here the “beloved disciple” (John 21:20-24) said, “…the Lamb of God (Jesus) has been slain from the foundation of the earth.” Because believers are, “…precious in My sight and have been honorable…” (God says He has) “…loved us,” Isaiah 43:4. He has established a way of escape from the calamity that is swallowing the world into its pit of sin and deception.
How can errant man appropriate the method of deliverance that our Sovereign God has devised for his benefit? What must he do to attain salvation from the ever-worsening free-fall from the truth of God into the quagmire of falsehood? The prophet, in Isaiah 30:15, offers an insight into the plan of escape devised before the world began.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: In repentance and in rest is your salvation; in quietness and in trust is your strength.” How can man rest when everything familiar is changing, when all he’s trusted has failed? He can, through faith, place his trust in Jesus who will give him the victory (I John 5:4).
Friday, July 13, 2012
A Word For Women Enduring Trial
It doesn't seem like it as you're going through an ordeal, but you will be stronger because of it and you will be even more fully equipped to accomplish the tasks the Lord will set before you.
As the refiner's fire purifies gold, so the crucible of trial purifies a woman's spirit and transforms her from a charming ornament into a holy object, suitable to present at the Throne of Jesus for His purposes, for the furtherance of His Kingdom, for the glory of His name.
Your Savior is with you to bless you always.
As the refiner's fire purifies gold, so the crucible of trial purifies a woman's spirit and transforms her from a charming ornament into a holy object, suitable to present at the Throne of Jesus for His purposes, for the furtherance of His Kingdom, for the glory of His name.
Your Savior is with you to bless you always.
Heal Their Land
July 13
Where do we look for our security? Those who became adults in mid to late Twentieth Century America tend to look to our government for security. The United States has been a dominant force for decades and because of the military might of the nation, our citizens have dwelt in a cocoon of safety in spite of wars that rage elsewhere on the planet.
The attack by Moslem terrorists on September 11, 2001 was a wake-up call that alerted America and the world that the Western way of life was under assault by a world view that is intent upon establishing a world-wide Islamic caliphate, but many have either failed to recognize the fact that the attack that day was an opening salvo of Islam’s war for dominance, or have chosen to dismiss it from their minds.
In light of Western man’s seeming oblivion, which sometimes verges on collusion with the goal of the Islamists, what are citizens of America and the Western World to do? If we do nothing, we become complicit in their scheme. In circumstances like this, we feel a sense of helplessness, for we have always trusted our leaders for our protection. One thing we can do as believers in Christ is to appropriate the promise of II Chronicles 7:14, which says, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
If we who call ourselves “Christians” will repent of our sin—not the sins of Hollywood or the sins of the purveyors of smut, or the war-mongers or of unbelievers in general, but OUR sins of faithlessness and indifference and complacency—perhaps our Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) will be our Father again who forgives our disobedience and delivers us from the scourge of false religion! Let us appropriate the truth David penned in Psalm 40:4, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud or turn aside to false gods.”
Where do we look for our security? Those who became adults in mid to late Twentieth Century America tend to look to our government for security. The United States has been a dominant force for decades and because of the military might of the nation, our citizens have dwelt in a cocoon of safety in spite of wars that rage elsewhere on the planet.
The attack by Moslem terrorists on September 11, 2001 was a wake-up call that alerted America and the world that the Western way of life was under assault by a world view that is intent upon establishing a world-wide Islamic caliphate, but many have either failed to recognize the fact that the attack that day was an opening salvo of Islam’s war for dominance, or have chosen to dismiss it from their minds.
In light of Western man’s seeming oblivion, which sometimes verges on collusion with the goal of the Islamists, what are citizens of America and the Western World to do? If we do nothing, we become complicit in their scheme. In circumstances like this, we feel a sense of helplessness, for we have always trusted our leaders for our protection. One thing we can do as believers in Christ is to appropriate the promise of II Chronicles 7:14, which says, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
If we who call ourselves “Christians” will repent of our sin—not the sins of Hollywood or the sins of the purveyors of smut, or the war-mongers or of unbelievers in general, but OUR sins of faithlessness and indifference and complacency—perhaps our Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) will be our Father again who forgives our disobedience and delivers us from the scourge of false religion! Let us appropriate the truth David penned in Psalm 40:4, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud or turn aside to false gods.”
Thursday, July 12, 2012
If
If today were like all the rest in everything but one last thing…
If you began today as usual, arising from slumber to tackle a set of responsibilities at the office, to receive the criticism and the accolades that are regularly placed upon you—to a varying degree on any given day—if your self-evaluation at the end of your day found you essentially content with your professional performance as well as with your comportment of yourself in the interpersonal realm as you lay your head upon your pillow for your night’s rest, if…
If this were your last day on earth and tonight as you sleep the Angel of Death slipped into your room and took the hand of your soul and carried it before the Throne of the Lord of Glory, to the feet of the One True and Living God; if you found yourself standing before Jesus Who Died For Your Sins, would you want to place today at His feet?
When you consider that the Holy Gospel says of God that He is Love (see I John 4:7,8), how well would you fare before Him?
You may protest, “Oh, Mighty Father, I extolled Your virtue before the unbeliever!”
You may cry, “I kept Your law from my youth!”
You may protest, “I put righteousness above all else.”
And He will say, “Get thee from Me. I never knew you.”
For your good works can’t save you. Your righteousness can’t save you. Your condemnation of the sins of others can’t save you.
The only thing that can deliver you in that final hour when you stand before the Holy One who died to set you free from sin is your own cleansing and your willingness to lavish that forgiveness upon everyone around you.
To the degree you rely on the law, the law will judge you.
To the degree you love, you will be loved and forgiven.
Trust Me
July 12
There are some who dispute the deity of Christ. They are willing to allow that He was a brilliant teacher, an excellent moralist, even an anointed prophet, but they dispute the claim that He was the Son of God and a co-equal member of the Triune Personhood of the One True and Living God who saves, heals and resurrects fallen man to life eternal.
Why? The most logical answer to that question is that the finite, human mind has great difficulty in wrapping itself around a concept that is infinite and divine. How can an earth-bound creature of time begin to appropriate the mind of a Being who flung the stars into space and ordained that the planet Earth be uniquely suited to human habitation?
So we excuse the doubts of our fellow sojourners through this Vale of Tears because we understand their struggle with faith. We know how easy it is to lapse into unbelief when our hopes are dashed and our dreams are thwarted. We want God to be the ‘genie in the bottle’ who appears at our command and supplies the fruit of the expectations that are dear to us. When life disappoints us, we feel empty and void.
Even people of faith can lapse into doubt when they cannot see God’s plan of deliverance. But we do have a word of encouragement from Jesus when we face those times of disappointment. In John 14:1 He says, “Trust in God and trust also in Me.” The key word is trust. We must say with Paul in Romans 4:21, “I am fully persuaded that what He has promised, He is able to perform.”
There are some who dispute the deity of Christ. They are willing to allow that He was a brilliant teacher, an excellent moralist, even an anointed prophet, but they dispute the claim that He was the Son of God and a co-equal member of the Triune Personhood of the One True and Living God who saves, heals and resurrects fallen man to life eternal.
Why? The most logical answer to that question is that the finite, human mind has great difficulty in wrapping itself around a concept that is infinite and divine. How can an earth-bound creature of time begin to appropriate the mind of a Being who flung the stars into space and ordained that the planet Earth be uniquely suited to human habitation?
So we excuse the doubts of our fellow sojourners through this Vale of Tears because we understand their struggle with faith. We know how easy it is to lapse into unbelief when our hopes are dashed and our dreams are thwarted. We want God to be the ‘genie in the bottle’ who appears at our command and supplies the fruit of the expectations that are dear to us. When life disappoints us, we feel empty and void.
Even people of faith can lapse into doubt when they cannot see God’s plan of deliverance. But we do have a word of encouragement from Jesus when we face those times of disappointment. In John 14:1 He says, “Trust in God and trust also in Me.” The key word is trust. We must say with Paul in Romans 4:21, “I am fully persuaded that what He has promised, He is able to perform.”
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
To reach me with questions or comments...
e-mail me at:
sandralee_7@hotmail.com
Thank you for your interest in this blog.
In Jesus' love,
Sandra Lee
sandralee_7@hotmail.com
Thank you for your interest in this blog.
In Jesus' love,
Sandra Lee
Please Pray For The November Election
Perhaps you will join us as we pray for the up-coming U.S. election. Be mindful of the beautiful words of II Chronicles 7:14 as you reflect upon your responsibilities as a voter:
"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and seek My face and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land."
Whether you are a citizen of the U.S. or of some other great nation, I’m sure you recognize the magnitude of importance this election has upon the future of this nation and the world. Let our hearts cry out for the name of Jesus to be exalted.
Until Jesus’ Kingdom manifests itself in every heart of every man, may every man do all he can to further the cause of freedom and may the candidate the Lord has selected for this hour be swept into office by the power of the prayers of His people.
"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and seek My face and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land."
Whether you are a citizen of the U.S. or of some other great nation, I’m sure you recognize the magnitude of importance this election has upon the future of this nation and the world. Let our hearts cry out for the name of Jesus to be exalted.
Until Jesus’ Kingdom manifests itself in every heart of every man, may every man do all he can to further the cause of freedom and may the candidate the Lord has selected for this hour be swept into office by the power of the prayers of His people.
Alliances
July 11
Nations make alliances with other countries in order to assure their assistance if the threat of war materializes into reality. Further, nations align themselves with economic and trade partners in the attempt to maintain mutual prosperity. Individuals select their friends with their potential to be beneficial in various circumstances of life in mind.
Man endeavors to position himself advantageously. Nobody wants to be caught in the throes of a dilemma without the aid of those who will assist him through the rough places of life. Often he realizes too late that he has misplaced his expectation, for those to whom he looks for help often abandon the mission when the time of disaster befalls.
Disappointment in failed alliances, whether international or interpersonal, leaves man with a jaded outlook. Suspicion sits at the bargaining table when treaties are being negotiated and suspicion seeps into dealings between lovers and friends. Without trust at their foundation, treaties and personal relationships go awry. What is man to do? How can he re-establish something as foundational as trust?
How is he to feel when he knows that those with whom he is in league are unworthy of his trust—and that he is unworthy of theirs! David offers the solution in Psalm 118:8 where he says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put trust in men.” Others may fail and forsake a man when he needs them most, but Jesus has promised, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5. Trust only Him.
Nations make alliances with other countries in order to assure their assistance if the threat of war materializes into reality. Further, nations align themselves with economic and trade partners in the attempt to maintain mutual prosperity. Individuals select their friends with their potential to be beneficial in various circumstances of life in mind.
Man endeavors to position himself advantageously. Nobody wants to be caught in the throes of a dilemma without the aid of those who will assist him through the rough places of life. Often he realizes too late that he has misplaced his expectation, for those to whom he looks for help often abandon the mission when the time of disaster befalls.
Disappointment in failed alliances, whether international or interpersonal, leaves man with a jaded outlook. Suspicion sits at the bargaining table when treaties are being negotiated and suspicion seeps into dealings between lovers and friends. Without trust at their foundation, treaties and personal relationships go awry. What is man to do? How can he re-establish something as foundational as trust?
How is he to feel when he knows that those with whom he is in league are unworthy of his trust—and that he is unworthy of theirs! David offers the solution in Psalm 118:8 where he says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put trust in men.” Others may fail and forsake a man when he needs them most, but Jesus has promised, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5. Trust only Him.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
July 10
Some people become quite incensed at the notion of certain individuals gaining entrance to heaven. This is because there are those whose actions warrant the severest consequences, and some of us (because we tend to be quite judgmental), cannot abide the thought that they might attain the gift of salvation.
After all, who wants to meet Genghis Kahn or Adolph Hitler when one enters through the Pearly Gates? Who wants to stand face-to-face with some of the worst criminals in the annals of time upon entering eternity? Who can imagine bowing at the Throne of Mercy and Grace beside someone who had committed atrocities in his lifetime?
The reality is that these ignominious fellows are highly unlikely to have had a desire to lay their sins at the feet of Jesus before they expired, so the free gift of cleansing from the evil they perpetrated is not likely to have been received by them. Their vile hearts were stained by the wickedness that they so gladly enfolded to themselves. Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:8 are unlikely to have any application to them for He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
He did not say, “Blessed are the pure.” No. He knows that none of us are pure. But those who are pure in heart have a hunger for righteousness that cannot be satisfied in any way but through the acceptance of Jesus’ gift of salvation. When we lay our sins at His feet and receive the cleansing His shed blood provides, we are absolved of the sin that renders us unworthy to see God. Those who are pure in heart know their own need for a Savior and pray all men will lay their sins at His cross.
Some people become quite incensed at the notion of certain individuals gaining entrance to heaven. This is because there are those whose actions warrant the severest consequences, and some of us (because we tend to be quite judgmental), cannot abide the thought that they might attain the gift of salvation.
After all, who wants to meet Genghis Kahn or Adolph Hitler when one enters through the Pearly Gates? Who wants to stand face-to-face with some of the worst criminals in the annals of time upon entering eternity? Who can imagine bowing at the Throne of Mercy and Grace beside someone who had committed atrocities in his lifetime?
The reality is that these ignominious fellows are highly unlikely to have had a desire to lay their sins at the feet of Jesus before they expired, so the free gift of cleansing from the evil they perpetrated is not likely to have been received by them. Their vile hearts were stained by the wickedness that they so gladly enfolded to themselves. Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:8 are unlikely to have any application to them for He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
He did not say, “Blessed are the pure.” No. He knows that none of us are pure. But those who are pure in heart have a hunger for righteousness that cannot be satisfied in any way but through the acceptance of Jesus’ gift of salvation. When we lay our sins at His feet and receive the cleansing His shed blood provides, we are absolved of the sin that renders us unworthy to see God. Those who are pure in heart know their own need for a Savior and pray all men will lay their sins at His cross.
Monday, July 9, 2012
His Immutable Law
July 9
We know we can’t earn our salvation. Believers in Christ are fully aware that it is not by our good works or our excellence of character that we are born again into the family of God. The Lord Jesus, who was the only perfect Man to ever walk the earth, said there is but One who is good and that is God (Luke 18:19).
We understand that if we who are encumbered by the weight of sin are to be given entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, it will be because of some force, some action outside of ourselves. Man, from the beginning of time has grasped that understanding. Knowing he is of himself unworthy, he has been compelled to endeavor through some action on his part to present himself more favorably before the Almighty.
Sinful man will deny himself pleasure, will sacrifice that which is most precious, undertake great challenges in order to please the One he knows in his innermost being is far above himself. Man may not know Him, he may not know how to go about pleasing him, but that does not restrain him from trying to appease the Holy One. Jeremiah 17:10 makes a remarkable assertion. Here the prophet tells us...
“The Lord searches the heart of man and examines his mind to reward him according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” There is coming a day of accounting, in which the works of believers will be tried by fire (I Peter 1:7). We know that once we have received the free, unspeakable gift Jesus purchased for us, we are to live our lives in compliance with His will and His immutable law of love.
We know we can’t earn our salvation. Believers in Christ are fully aware that it is not by our good works or our excellence of character that we are born again into the family of God. The Lord Jesus, who was the only perfect Man to ever walk the earth, said there is but One who is good and that is God (Luke 18:19).
We understand that if we who are encumbered by the weight of sin are to be given entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, it will be because of some force, some action outside of ourselves. Man, from the beginning of time has grasped that understanding. Knowing he is of himself unworthy, he has been compelled to endeavor through some action on his part to present himself more favorably before the Almighty.
Sinful man will deny himself pleasure, will sacrifice that which is most precious, undertake great challenges in order to please the One he knows in his innermost being is far above himself. Man may not know Him, he may not know how to go about pleasing him, but that does not restrain him from trying to appease the Holy One. Jeremiah 17:10 makes a remarkable assertion. Here the prophet tells us...
“The Lord searches the heart of man and examines his mind to reward him according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” There is coming a day of accounting, in which the works of believers will be tried by fire (I Peter 1:7). We know that once we have received the free, unspeakable gift Jesus purchased for us, we are to live our lives in compliance with His will and His immutable law of love.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Hope In The Prince Of Peace
July 8
Peace. Such an elusive commodity. World peace. Inner peace. Absence of turmoil and strife and the stress they produce are virtually impossible to achieve. But we try. Uneasy co-existence with people of divergent points of view is attempted between nations and among individuals.
Peace treaties are signed which are often worth little more than the paper they’re written on. Feigned regard is extended between people who really don’t hold one another in esteem. The subterfuge is perpetuated and the uneasy truce conceals cunning schemes and machinations of war.
Yet the Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6,7) has come. He is called, “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. The government has been placed upon His shoulder,” and in fact, the Word tells us that the kingdom He established shall not only increase but it shall never end! How do we reconcile the discrepancy we see between the promise of peace and the existence of strife?
We receive the promise when we grasp the truth of its spiritual nature. Isaiah 26:3 tells us that God will, “…keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfastly upon Him, for he trusts.” The one who trusts the Living God is not tossed about by winds of adversity and conflict. The believer in Christ is not undone by the duplicity of people or by “wars and rumors of war” (Luke 21:9) for his hope is in the Prince of Peace.
Peace. Such an elusive commodity. World peace. Inner peace. Absence of turmoil and strife and the stress they produce are virtually impossible to achieve. But we try. Uneasy co-existence with people of divergent points of view is attempted between nations and among individuals.
Peace treaties are signed which are often worth little more than the paper they’re written on. Feigned regard is extended between people who really don’t hold one another in esteem. The subterfuge is perpetuated and the uneasy truce conceals cunning schemes and machinations of war.
Yet the Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6,7) has come. He is called, “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. The government has been placed upon His shoulder,” and in fact, the Word tells us that the kingdom He established shall not only increase but it shall never end! How do we reconcile the discrepancy we see between the promise of peace and the existence of strife?
We receive the promise when we grasp the truth of its spiritual nature. Isaiah 26:3 tells us that God will, “…keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfastly upon Him, for he trusts.” The one who trusts the Living God is not tossed about by winds of adversity and conflict. The believer in Christ is not undone by the duplicity of people or by “wars and rumors of war” (Luke 21:9) for his hope is in the Prince of Peace.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Three Lighthouses
July 7
Plans fail. Good intentions go awry. At our best, we are prone to taking the misstep that will derail our expectations and frustrate our goals. Psalm 94:11 states our dilemma quite clearly, “The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows they are futile.” Even for the man who attains temporal success, achievements are temporary.
All that he has acquired, all the power he has wielded, will fall to someone else the moment he breathes his last. Man’s thoughts, man’s plans are subject to the whims of circumstance as well as to his own proclivity to misread opportunity and misjudge the outcome of his endeavors.
Proverbs 12:5 tells us, “The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.” This brief statement is full of sound observation and it is worthy of our appropriation. When we are seeking counsel to determine the way we should go and the goals we should seek, we should not rely entirely upon ourselves but we should seek wise counsel. If someone advises us to enter a scheme that seems too good to be true, we should recognize that it probably is. What, then, are the elements of counsel that we should appropriate?
It is said that there is a treacherous area along the coast of North Carolina where there are three lighthouses. Only when the three lighthouses align as one, may the mariner know he can proceed safely. In life, there are ‘three lighthouses’ to guide us as we navigate life’s tempestuous sea—the counsel of godly people, the Bible which is the Word of God, and the voice of the Holy Spirit within. When these three align, the searcher for truth may accept that he is headed in the right direction to achieve temporal and eternal goals that are godly.
Plans fail. Good intentions go awry. At our best, we are prone to taking the misstep that will derail our expectations and frustrate our goals. Psalm 94:11 states our dilemma quite clearly, “The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows they are futile.” Even for the man who attains temporal success, achievements are temporary.
All that he has acquired, all the power he has wielded, will fall to someone else the moment he breathes his last. Man’s thoughts, man’s plans are subject to the whims of circumstance as well as to his own proclivity to misread opportunity and misjudge the outcome of his endeavors.
Proverbs 12:5 tells us, “The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.” This brief statement is full of sound observation and it is worthy of our appropriation. When we are seeking counsel to determine the way we should go and the goals we should seek, we should not rely entirely upon ourselves but we should seek wise counsel. If someone advises us to enter a scheme that seems too good to be true, we should recognize that it probably is. What, then, are the elements of counsel that we should appropriate?
It is said that there is a treacherous area along the coast of North Carolina where there are three lighthouses. Only when the three lighthouses align as one, may the mariner know he can proceed safely. In life, there are ‘three lighthouses’ to guide us as we navigate life’s tempestuous sea—the counsel of godly people, the Bible which is the Word of God, and the voice of the Holy Spirit within. When these three align, the searcher for truth may accept that he is headed in the right direction to achieve temporal and eternal goals that are godly.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Asserting Our 'Self'
July 6
The Bible tells us in Romans 8:6, “To be carnally minded is death…” Now there’s a disconcerting statement! Because we are ‘in the flesh,’ because we live and move and have our being in these bodies of ours, it is natural to think like flesh-bound creatures. It is natural to be preoccupied with life and love and making a living and preserving all we value.
Yes, it is. From the moment of birth, we are asserting ours ‘self.’ Babies, cute and wonderful though they are, can be quite demanding creatures. If they’re hungry, they cry. If they’re dirty, we must change them. If they’re sleepy, they will project a tyrannical wail through the air waves until we give them a bottle and settle them in for a nap.
Adults may take on the ‘niceties’ of good manners and subtle methods of attaining their purposes, but they still pursue what they want, when they want it with a single eye. Depending upon the cleverness of the individual, he will succeed or fail in his pursuit of all to which he aspires. It’s natural that he make the attempt. But the natural man can never please God and the natural man cannot ultimately please himself.
The above-quoted verse goes on to say, “…but the mind controlled by the Spirit of God is life and peace.” When a man has given himself to the Savior, he is no longer controlled by the demands of the flesh. A man surrendered to Christ needs no longer to attempt to make himself ‘number one.’ The man who has laid his life at the Savior’s feet desires that Jesus be Number One. The surrendered man wants Jesus to be exalted.
The Bible tells us in Romans 8:6, “To be carnally minded is death…” Now there’s a disconcerting statement! Because we are ‘in the flesh,’ because we live and move and have our being in these bodies of ours, it is natural to think like flesh-bound creatures. It is natural to be preoccupied with life and love and making a living and preserving all we value.
Yes, it is. From the moment of birth, we are asserting ours ‘self.’ Babies, cute and wonderful though they are, can be quite demanding creatures. If they’re hungry, they cry. If they’re dirty, we must change them. If they’re sleepy, they will project a tyrannical wail through the air waves until we give them a bottle and settle them in for a nap.
Adults may take on the ‘niceties’ of good manners and subtle methods of attaining their purposes, but they still pursue what they want, when they want it with a single eye. Depending upon the cleverness of the individual, he will succeed or fail in his pursuit of all to which he aspires. It’s natural that he make the attempt. But the natural man can never please God and the natural man cannot ultimately please himself.
The above-quoted verse goes on to say, “…but the mind controlled by the Spirit of God is life and peace.” When a man has given himself to the Savior, he is no longer controlled by the demands of the flesh. A man surrendered to Christ needs no longer to attempt to make himself ‘number one.’ The man who has laid his life at the Savior’s feet desires that Jesus be Number One. The surrendered man wants Jesus to be exalted.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Power Outage
I apologize for being unable to post the blog for July 4 until today and that today's blog is being posted late.
Due to the severe 'inland hurricane,' called a deracho, that struck the east coast and subsequent smaller storms, I have not had access to a computer.
Thank you for your patience. God bless you as you catch up on recent blogs.
Due to the severe 'inland hurricane,' called a deracho, that struck the east coast and subsequent smaller storms, I have not had access to a computer.
Thank you for your patience. God bless you as you catch up on recent blogs.
Adhere to Christian Faith
July 5
How should believers in Christ regard the tenets and doctrines of other religions and worldviews that do not spring from the teachings of the Savior? The policy in America is to be tolerant of all differing belief systems because freedom of religion is clearly stated in the Bill of Rights to be among those that cannot be abrogated.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.
This is a comprehensive list and the free exercise of religion is listed first among them. It was recognized by our founders that doctrines and ceremony may differ among those who espouse Jesus as Lord and Savior, but He was the common link that held most of the religions practiced in the infant nation. While there was a very small representation of the Jewish faith who were among early patriots, the preponderance were believers in Christ.
While they were not all zealots in their religious convictions, most did believe the admonition of Paul in II Corinthians 10:5 which says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Adherence to faith in Him was practiced to one degree or another by all those who valued freedom to the extent of rebelling against the super power of the day in order to attain it.
How should believers in Christ regard the tenets and doctrines of other religions and worldviews that do not spring from the teachings of the Savior? The policy in America is to be tolerant of all differing belief systems because freedom of religion is clearly stated in the Bill of Rights to be among those that cannot be abrogated.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.
This is a comprehensive list and the free exercise of religion is listed first among them. It was recognized by our founders that doctrines and ceremony may differ among those who espouse Jesus as Lord and Savior, but He was the common link that held most of the religions practiced in the infant nation. While there was a very small representation of the Jewish faith who were among early patriots, the preponderance were believers in Christ.
While they were not all zealots in their religious convictions, most did believe the admonition of Paul in II Corinthians 10:5 which says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of God and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Adherence to faith in Him was practiced to one degree or another by all those who valued freedom to the extent of rebelling against the super power of the day in order to attain it.
God Bless America! ~Fourth of July~
July 4 GOD BLESS AMERICA!
May her people EMBRACE CHRIST again! May we who are heirs to the religious truth and political freedom of our Founding Fathers allow their gift to be precious to us again.
Today’s American citizen knows little of his country’s history. There has been a concerted effort on the part of politically correct politicians, educators and text book funders to expunge all evidence of the religious faith of our founders from the awareness of our students. It is desired that they see America as just another country without a God-ordained destiny.
Perhaps one of the clearest evidences of their effort is the re-telling of the First Thanksgiving in today’s textbooks where it is declared that the celebration was to thank the Indians for their help in establishing a successful colony. In reality, the Indians were invited to the celebration to join in giving thanks to God for His mercy in allowing the Pilgrims to survive a harsh New England winter and their crops to succeed.
Contrary to the popular view, the early settlers and their leaders were not looking merely for economic opportunities but for the ability to worship God freely. Because they were persecuted for their faith in their homeland, they chose to establish themselves in a place where there would be no constraints placed upon them because of their desire to worship after the dictates of their heart.
Religious freedom was the foundation upon which all others were established in America. Those early people believed Jesus when He said, “…the truth shall make you free,” John 8:22, so they built the concepts of government upon the foundation of liberty. They espoused the Christian faith in its various persuasions but they extended religious freedom to all who would arrive on these shores in pursuit of liberty in all its aspects.
May her people EMBRACE CHRIST again! May we who are heirs to the religious truth and political freedom of our Founding Fathers allow their gift to be precious to us again.
Today’s American citizen knows little of his country’s history. There has been a concerted effort on the part of politically correct politicians, educators and text book funders to expunge all evidence of the religious faith of our founders from the awareness of our students. It is desired that they see America as just another country without a God-ordained destiny.
Perhaps one of the clearest evidences of their effort is the re-telling of the First Thanksgiving in today’s textbooks where it is declared that the celebration was to thank the Indians for their help in establishing a successful colony. In reality, the Indians were invited to the celebration to join in giving thanks to God for His mercy in allowing the Pilgrims to survive a harsh New England winter and their crops to succeed.
Contrary to the popular view, the early settlers and their leaders were not looking merely for economic opportunities but for the ability to worship God freely. Because they were persecuted for their faith in their homeland, they chose to establish themselves in a place where there would be no constraints placed upon them because of their desire to worship after the dictates of their heart.
Religious freedom was the foundation upon which all others were established in America. Those early people believed Jesus when He said, “…the truth shall make you free,” John 8:22, so they built the concepts of government upon the foundation of liberty. They espoused the Christian faith in its various persuasions but they extended religious freedom to all who would arrive on these shores in pursuit of liberty in all its aspects.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Sought, Taught, and Lived
July 3
People who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the world’s pulpits, people who leave all they own and all they love behind to go on the mission field, people who write blogs like this one—have one hope in mind in doing so. It is the fervent prayer of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that others will grasp the vision of who He is and what He’s done for them so they, too, will be saved.
The magnitude of that one fervent desire is lost upon many in the Western World today who are of the opinion that all paths lead to heaven, who believe that any ‘sincere’ seeker will be rewarded with eternal bliss. In their estimation, the conclusion reached, the worldview espoused isn’t important in the least—the only thing that matters is that one is searching.
Whether one pursues goals of inner tranquility through Buddhism, or world-wide domination of Islam by adherents to its shariah law, or the Christian manifesto uttered by Christ Himself to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:15), western man today concerns himself little with doctrinal purity or the idea that absolute truth is to be sought, taught and lived.
This is not God’s viewpoint, however. The Western World flourished when it embraced the truth of Christ and strove to scatter seeds of salvation abroad to every nation. There has been no greater progress on Earth than that made when Romans 12:2 was applied—“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so you will be able to test and approve God’s pleasing and perfect will.”
People who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the world’s pulpits, people who leave all they own and all they love behind to go on the mission field, people who write blogs like this one—have one hope in mind in doing so. It is the fervent prayer of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that others will grasp the vision of who He is and what He’s done for them so they, too, will be saved.
The magnitude of that one fervent desire is lost upon many in the Western World today who are of the opinion that all paths lead to heaven, who believe that any ‘sincere’ seeker will be rewarded with eternal bliss. In their estimation, the conclusion reached, the worldview espoused isn’t important in the least—the only thing that matters is that one is searching.
Whether one pursues goals of inner tranquility through Buddhism, or world-wide domination of Islam by adherents to its shariah law, or the Christian manifesto uttered by Christ Himself to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:15), western man today concerns himself little with doctrinal purity or the idea that absolute truth is to be sought, taught and lived.
This is not God’s viewpoint, however. The Western World flourished when it embraced the truth of Christ and strove to scatter seeds of salvation abroad to every nation. There has been no greater progress on Earth than that made when Romans 12:2 was applied—“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so you will be able to test and approve God’s pleasing and perfect will.”
Monday, July 2, 2012
The Theater
July 2
When we talk about ‘the theater, we think of culture and refinement. We think of high-brow people in fine evening clothes attending the opening of new plays. We think of knowledgeable reviewers assessing the quality of not only the playwright’s work but the performances of the actors who are in the cast.
Plays have been the vehicles for the inspiration of great men and innovative ideas, but plays have also been departures into the baser element of the nature of man. As is the case regarding plays and movies and the novels from which they often are derived, so is the ‘theater of the mind.’
The mind of man is capable of devising all manner of thought and from thought springs action; therefore, man is able to act out his thinking in ways that can bring goodness and honor to him as well as in ways that bring about his corruption and ruin. From earliest childhood, the mind of a man is steeped in ideas that will influence him for a lifetime. Therefore the Biblical admonition, “Train up a child in the way he should go…” (Proverbs 22:6) becomes an imperative for every caring parent.
We may endeavor to convince ourselves that our thoughts are our own and they harm no one, but that is not true, for our thoughts come to fruition in our words and in our actions. Therefore, we should follow the admonition of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8 which says, “Whatever things are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable; if there be anything excellent, think of these things.”
When we talk about ‘the theater, we think of culture and refinement. We think of high-brow people in fine evening clothes attending the opening of new plays. We think of knowledgeable reviewers assessing the quality of not only the playwright’s work but the performances of the actors who are in the cast.
Plays have been the vehicles for the inspiration of great men and innovative ideas, but plays have also been departures into the baser element of the nature of man. As is the case regarding plays and movies and the novels from which they often are derived, so is the ‘theater of the mind.’
The mind of man is capable of devising all manner of thought and from thought springs action; therefore, man is able to act out his thinking in ways that can bring goodness and honor to him as well as in ways that bring about his corruption and ruin. From earliest childhood, the mind of a man is steeped in ideas that will influence him for a lifetime. Therefore the Biblical admonition, “Train up a child in the way he should go…” (Proverbs 22:6) becomes an imperative for every caring parent.
We may endeavor to convince ourselves that our thoughts are our own and they harm no one, but that is not true, for our thoughts come to fruition in our words and in our actions. Therefore, we should follow the admonition of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8 which says, “Whatever things are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable; if there be anything excellent, think of these things.”
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Even So, Come...
July 1
The man who is led by the Holy Spirit of the Living and Eternal God will not soon be swayed in his opinion by the ideas of fools. The man who hears and obeys the Word of the Lord as found in the Holy Bible will not suffer vain and profane men. The man who is grounded in truth abides in the wisdom of the Almighty and the babbling of foolish men cannot affect him.
Those who are not aware of truth, those who do not embrace truth are, according to the Lord’s half-brother, “…like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed,” James 1:6. They are, “… double minded men, unstable in all their ways,” James 1:8. When those who are wisest among us evidence this double-mindedness, we are made manifestly aware that there is no hope in the wisdom of men.
We who are espousers of the Christian faith, we who believe in the inerrancy of the Holy Bible, we who know that the Living God who spoke the worlds into being walked among us and redeemed us from our sin are the only ones on this fallen planet who know and embrace the truth that sets men free. We are the only ones who are not corrupted by the fallacious, purported wisdom of men.
As Jesus said in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you all things that are yet to come.” Today, as men and institutions and economies and governments are failing us, the Spirit of Truth is speaking of Christ’s soon return. And believers say with John the Revelator, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” Revelation 22:20.
The man who is led by the Holy Spirit of the Living and Eternal God will not soon be swayed in his opinion by the ideas of fools. The man who hears and obeys the Word of the Lord as found in the Holy Bible will not suffer vain and profane men. The man who is grounded in truth abides in the wisdom of the Almighty and the babbling of foolish men cannot affect him.
Those who are not aware of truth, those who do not embrace truth are, according to the Lord’s half-brother, “…like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed,” James 1:6. They are, “… double minded men, unstable in all their ways,” James 1:8. When those who are wisest among us evidence this double-mindedness, we are made manifestly aware that there is no hope in the wisdom of men.
We who are espousers of the Christian faith, we who believe in the inerrancy of the Holy Bible, we who know that the Living God who spoke the worlds into being walked among us and redeemed us from our sin are the only ones on this fallen planet who know and embrace the truth that sets men free. We are the only ones who are not corrupted by the fallacious, purported wisdom of men.
As Jesus said in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you all things that are yet to come.” Today, as men and institutions and economies and governments are failing us, the Spirit of Truth is speaking of Christ’s soon return. And believers say with John the Revelator, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” Revelation 22:20.
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