September 30
One of the loveliest of the Psalmist’s assertions of the love of God for His people is quoted by Luke in Acts 2:25. Here he says of David, “I keep the Lord ever before me. Because He is close by my side, I will not be afraid, for nothing can harm me.” We who love the Lord today may trust in His tender, keeping power over us.
As Isaiah stated in Chapter 50, verse 7 of the book that bears his name, “The Lord God helps me, so I will not be ashamed. I will be determined and I know I will never be put to shame.” Isaiah endured his trials, but he knew the heart of God. He believed, as we may steadfastly believe, we will not be disappointed in the level of the Lord’s help.
What force motivated these men who took quill in hand to write to the world of the infinite love the Author of creation, the God of the universe and all who dwell in it? What is it that so inspired them to hope beyond the futile expectations the pagan religions around them taught them to anticipate? Why were they willing to lay down their lives to share their conviction? The only viable answer to that question is, ‘God’s love is the reason.’
When believers contemplate that their Savior left His mansion in glory to dwell with them in time, they must be struck by the depth and power of His love. They must be resolute within themselves that they will, as Jesus said quoting the Commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your strength,” for their love is the one thing they may give Him that He doesn’t already possess.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Stand!
September 29
Sometimes we feel abandoned. We feel forsaken. We are sure that our sins have separated us from God and He has lost His patience with us. When we feel this way, we are wrong; we are profoundly in error. When we persuade ourselves to believe God has abandoned us to our ‘self,’ we are succumbing to the lie of the enemy.
Paul, who persecuted and assented to the murder of believers in Christ, has assured us that “NOTHING can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord…” Romans 8:38. The apostle who was guilty of grievous sin knew first-hand the cleansing power of the blood of Christ to forgive all our sin.
Our own feelings, the people who make themselves judge and jury over us, the accuser of the brethren himself, may attempt to persuade us that we are guilty beyond cleansing, but that is a lie from the pit of hell. The Word tells us that our feelings are deceptive above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). We know from the example of Job that those pompous in their own righteousness accused him falsely. Yet we allow ourselves to be badgered by the slings and arrows that are hurled against us! Why do we succumb to this torment?
We must refute the lies of the accuser, whether they come from men or from the enemy or whether they come from our own mind! We must stand, as did David, the adulterer, the murderer, the law-breaker, who in spite of all his failure was still a man after God’s own heart! We must say with him, “I am close to God and that is good! The Lord God is my protection. I will declare all He has done for me” Psalm 73:28. “He is kind and forgiving and has great love for those who call to Him” Psalm 86:5. Like David, we must know His goodness to us depends upon HIM, not upon our worthiness in our own eyes.
Sometimes we feel abandoned. We feel forsaken. We are sure that our sins have separated us from God and He has lost His patience with us. When we feel this way, we are wrong; we are profoundly in error. When we persuade ourselves to believe God has abandoned us to our ‘self,’ we are succumbing to the lie of the enemy.
Paul, who persecuted and assented to the murder of believers in Christ, has assured us that “NOTHING can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord…” Romans 8:38. The apostle who was guilty of grievous sin knew first-hand the cleansing power of the blood of Christ to forgive all our sin.
Our own feelings, the people who make themselves judge and jury over us, the accuser of the brethren himself, may attempt to persuade us that we are guilty beyond cleansing, but that is a lie from the pit of hell. The Word tells us that our feelings are deceptive above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). We know from the example of Job that those pompous in their own righteousness accused him falsely. Yet we allow ourselves to be badgered by the slings and arrows that are hurled against us! Why do we succumb to this torment?
We must refute the lies of the accuser, whether they come from men or from the enemy or whether they come from our own mind! We must stand, as did David, the adulterer, the murderer, the law-breaker, who in spite of all his failure was still a man after God’s own heart! We must say with him, “I am close to God and that is good! The Lord God is my protection. I will declare all He has done for me” Psalm 73:28. “He is kind and forgiving and has great love for those who call to Him” Psalm 86:5. Like David, we must know His goodness to us depends upon HIM, not upon our worthiness in our own eyes.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Every Day
September 28
At the time we need Him the most, we are disinclined to sense the presence of the abiding Christ. This is nowhere more graphically conveyed than in the precious “Footprints” with which we are all familiar. Here, the weary sojourner through life’s trials calls out to Jesus regarding his footprints in the sands of time.
He says to the Lord, “I see how You’ve walked with me, but I note that at those times when I needed You the most, there is just one set of footprints. In my desperate hour, You abandoned me! Why did You forsake me at the time of my greatest need?”
Jesus responds, “I did not leave you during your hour of trial, My child. You see just one set of footprints at the times of your profoundest challenges in life because when you were walking through periods of great distress, I carried you.”
And, so He has. Jesus promised that He will NEVER fail or forsake His people (Hebrews 13:5). The proclamation of David in Psalm 68:19 is forever true, “Praise the Lord God our Savior, who helps us every day.”
At the time we need Him the most, we are disinclined to sense the presence of the abiding Christ. This is nowhere more graphically conveyed than in the precious “Footprints” with which we are all familiar. Here, the weary sojourner through life’s trials calls out to Jesus regarding his footprints in the sands of time.
He says to the Lord, “I see how You’ve walked with me, but I note that at those times when I needed You the most, there is just one set of footprints. In my desperate hour, You abandoned me! Why did You forsake me at the time of my greatest need?”
Jesus responds, “I did not leave you during your hour of trial, My child. You see just one set of footprints at the times of your profoundest challenges in life because when you were walking through periods of great distress, I carried you.”
And, so He has. Jesus promised that He will NEVER fail or forsake His people (Hebrews 13:5). The proclamation of David in Psalm 68:19 is forever true, “Praise the Lord God our Savior, who helps us every day.”
Thursday, September 27, 2012
At God's Appointed Time
September 27
We are rapidly approaching the date, December 21, 2012, that many believe will see the termination of life on Planet Earth. Those who expect the world to end at that time base their dire projection upon the fact that an ancient Mayan calendar concludes on that date.
One might ask, ‘If the last recorded date of an instrument of calculating time indicates the termination of all things, then why hasn’t December 31st of the Gregorian Calendar resulted in disaster?’ It concludes yearly! As it happens, the ancient Mayans aren’t the only ones to have predicted a catastrophic conclusion of time at the end of this year.
Other ancient cultures have as well. Some religions have a ‘hands-on’ approach to the end times. They feel they can usher in Earth’s closing events by their bellicose actions. This is why many are concerned about the nation of Iran. If this war-mongering country succeeds in producing nuclear weapons, they appear intent upon using them to hasten the return of their ‘twelfth madhi, who is expected to come at a time of upheaval.’
Christians, too, anticipate the return of Jesus—first to rapture away the faithful, then to rule and reign over a world that will be restored to His original purposes—but in the meantime, believers in Christ are content to leave the timing with Him. They say, as did Paul in Romans 14:8, “If we live we are the Lord’s and if we die, we are the Lord’s. Living or dying, we belong to Christ.” He will come at God's appointed time.
We are rapidly approaching the date, December 21, 2012, that many believe will see the termination of life on Planet Earth. Those who expect the world to end at that time base their dire projection upon the fact that an ancient Mayan calendar concludes on that date.
One might ask, ‘If the last recorded date of an instrument of calculating time indicates the termination of all things, then why hasn’t December 31st of the Gregorian Calendar resulted in disaster?’ It concludes yearly! As it happens, the ancient Mayans aren’t the only ones to have predicted a catastrophic conclusion of time at the end of this year.
Other ancient cultures have as well. Some religions have a ‘hands-on’ approach to the end times. They feel they can usher in Earth’s closing events by their bellicose actions. This is why many are concerned about the nation of Iran. If this war-mongering country succeeds in producing nuclear weapons, they appear intent upon using them to hasten the return of their ‘twelfth madhi, who is expected to come at a time of upheaval.’
Christians, too, anticipate the return of Jesus—first to rapture away the faithful, then to rule and reign over a world that will be restored to His original purposes—but in the meantime, believers in Christ are content to leave the timing with Him. They say, as did Paul in Romans 14:8, “If we live we are the Lord’s and if we die, we are the Lord’s. Living or dying, we belong to Christ.” He will come at God's appointed time.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Set in Stone
September 26
Some things are set in stone. The archaeological record for example, is a message to us from time immemorial that affirms to us many significant facts about the planet where we make our home. Though we cannot begin to presume we have interpreted its entire message correctly, surely some of it is accurately understood by those who study it.
When we deign to grasp the magnitude of the far-off galaxies that swirl in space in distant proximity to ours, we can speculate about just how far away they are, and how many planets are included in them, and how conducive they might be to life as we know it, but until man has actually set his foot on one of them, we cannot know with certainty.
Yet the God who holds it all in the hollow of His hand has ordained that we are indeed cognizant of one very remarkable truth. Because He loves us, He doesn’t want us to miss it. Because He has gone to such an extraordinary measure to extend this truth to us, Jesus doesn’t want us to dismiss it. Because of its extreme importance, Christ’s mortal enemy has set about to obscure it more than any other truth that can be gleaned from archaeological or scientific or astronomical evidence.
In Acts 2:36, we are told clearly, “…know this truly: God has made Jesus, the Man you nailed to the cross, both Lord and Christ.” This one reality, among all the facts we know with certainty and those we think we know, is set in stone. For time and eternity, the reality of Jesus as our only Savior and Lord is established. Whether men appropriate this truth or dismiss it as unworthy of their acceptance, it is and it will be, changeless through the eons of eternity. It is the one certainty we may cling to when all else is mere presumption.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Eternally Indebted
September 25
The Word of God has a view of the human body that goes beyond its components or its functionality. That is not to suggest God is disinterested in the proper function of the body. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that it is “…by His stripes we are healed.” Jesus bore the cruel Roman ‘Cat of Nine Tails’ on His sinless back; there was a reason He did so.
The Lord desires to supply the entire salvation package to those who believe in His name. That package includes not only salvation, deliverance from sin and death and the grave, but health and wholeness while we traverse this Vale of Tears in our frail tabernacle of flesh that succumbs so readily to the ravages of disease.
Yet, there is more. In I Corinthians 6:19, 20 Paul tells us an amazing fact about the flesh within which we live. Here he says, “You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God, so you do not belong to yourselves. Because you were bought with a price, you should honor God with your bodies.” This is a remarkable concept, particularly to western man.
Western man sees himself as a free entity who owes no man anything. Perhaps he owes no man of his substance or of his soul, but he owes the Lord all of himself. Jesus paid an enormous price to set mankind free from sin. Apart from His sacrifice at Calvary, no one can satisfy God’s holy standard. For this, man is eternally indebted to the One who claimed him and paid the price to own him.
The Word of God has a view of the human body that goes beyond its components or its functionality. That is not to suggest God is disinterested in the proper function of the body. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that it is “…by His stripes we are healed.” Jesus bore the cruel Roman ‘Cat of Nine Tails’ on His sinless back; there was a reason He did so.
The Lord desires to supply the entire salvation package to those who believe in His name. That package includes not only salvation, deliverance from sin and death and the grave, but health and wholeness while we traverse this Vale of Tears in our frail tabernacle of flesh that succumbs so readily to the ravages of disease.
Yet, there is more. In I Corinthians 6:19, 20 Paul tells us an amazing fact about the flesh within which we live. Here he says, “You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God, so you do not belong to yourselves. Because you were bought with a price, you should honor God with your bodies.” This is a remarkable concept, particularly to western man.
Western man sees himself as a free entity who owes no man anything. Perhaps he owes no man of his substance or of his soul, but he owes the Lord all of himself. Jesus paid an enormous price to set mankind free from sin. Apart from His sacrifice at Calvary, no one can satisfy God’s holy standard. For this, man is eternally indebted to the One who claimed him and paid the price to own him.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Beware of Eternal Reduction
September 24
Paul understood the compulsion of man to conform himself to the world around him. He doesn’t want to stand out like the proverbial ‘sore thumb.’ No one wants to be considered as weird or odd or unusual. Except for desiring to achieve greater than ordinary wealth or power in a worldly sense, everyone wants to be ‘normal.’
Even Christians can succumb to the desire for conformity; perhaps because if they stand out too much in the crowd of unbelievers, they will relegate to themselves the greater possibility of persecution. Yet, Paul’s admonition bears scrutiny and application to the lives of those who profess faith in Jesus.
In Romans 12:1, 2, he says, “…since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is your reasonable service. Do not conform yourselves to the likeness of this world but be renewed in your inner man; then you will be able to discern the perfect will of God and be able to please Him.”
Paul understood that there may be great temporal advantage to embracing this system. To do so may avail a man of friendship with the world that empowers him to become wealthy and influential, but if it is done by sacrificing the laying himself at the feet of Jesus, to be used toward His purposes, the exchange will reduce his eternal reward by incalculable measure.
Paul understood the compulsion of man to conform himself to the world around him. He doesn’t want to stand out like the proverbial ‘sore thumb.’ No one wants to be considered as weird or odd or unusual. Except for desiring to achieve greater than ordinary wealth or power in a worldly sense, everyone wants to be ‘normal.’
Even Christians can succumb to the desire for conformity; perhaps because if they stand out too much in the crowd of unbelievers, they will relegate to themselves the greater possibility of persecution. Yet, Paul’s admonition bears scrutiny and application to the lives of those who profess faith in Jesus.
In Romans 12:1, 2, he says, “…since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is your reasonable service. Do not conform yourselves to the likeness of this world but be renewed in your inner man; then you will be able to discern the perfect will of God and be able to please Him.”
Paul understood that there may be great temporal advantage to embracing this system. To do so may avail a man of friendship with the world that empowers him to become wealthy and influential, but if it is done by sacrificing the laying himself at the feet of Jesus, to be used toward His purposes, the exchange will reduce his eternal reward by incalculable measure.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
...With The Entirety Of Your Being
September 23
We cannot ‘compartmentalize’ our Christianity. We cannot be patriotic, tax-paying citizens without being faithful to our marriage vows. We cannot be honorable in marriage without being upright in our business dealings. We cannot indulge a little bit of sin within ourselves and still be accounted righteous.
We must place all our sin under the blood of Jesus. We must live every area of our lives in compliance with His specifications, for as the Word says, if we are guilty of the law in one point, we are guilty of all, as the half-brother of Jesus declared in James 2:10.
As Paul, who expounded doctrine in greater depth than any other contributor to the Bible, said in Romans 6:13-16, “Do not offer parts of your body to serve sin as things to be used in doing evil. Instead, offer yourselves completely to God as people who have died to sin and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used in doing good.
“Sin will not be your master because you are not under the law but under God’s grace. So what should you do? Should you sin because you are under grace, not under the law? NO! You know that when you give yourselves to sin, you are its slave…Rather, honor the Lord with the entirety of your being so you may be right with Him.”
We cannot ‘compartmentalize’ our Christianity. We cannot be patriotic, tax-paying citizens without being faithful to our marriage vows. We cannot be honorable in marriage without being upright in our business dealings. We cannot indulge a little bit of sin within ourselves and still be accounted righteous.
We must place all our sin under the blood of Jesus. We must live every area of our lives in compliance with His specifications, for as the Word says, if we are guilty of the law in one point, we are guilty of all, as the half-brother of Jesus declared in James 2:10.
As Paul, who expounded doctrine in greater depth than any other contributor to the Bible, said in Romans 6:13-16, “Do not offer parts of your body to serve sin as things to be used in doing evil. Instead, offer yourselves completely to God as people who have died to sin and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used in doing good.
“Sin will not be your master because you are not under the law but under God’s grace. So what should you do? Should you sin because you are under grace, not under the law? NO! You know that when you give yourselves to sin, you are its slave…Rather, honor the Lord with the entirety of your being so you may be right with Him.”
Saturday, September 22, 2012
...If He Is Not
September 22
Jesus poses a question to those who followed His ministry that is applicable to us today. In Luke 6:46 we are told that He said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?" Perhaps it is those who profess faith in Him but deny His lordship over their lives by their actions who will hear the stinging words of Matthew 7:23.
In His dissertation in Matthew 7:20-23, the Lord says, “By their fruits you shall know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to Me that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and have we not cast out demons in Your name and done many wonderful works?’…
…and I will say to them, ‘Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.’” ‘Depart from Me’…these are the most horrific words that anyone can hear in time or in eternity. Those of us who think we’re ‘OK’ with God but do not obey His Word will be the most distressful of sinners bound for hell because we deluded ourselves into believing the lie of the enemy that persuaded us to ‘do our own thing.’
Whether unassuming, ordinary people or the power-wielders of the earth, we cannot profess faith in Christ without bowing our knee before Him in obedience to His will. Yes, He has died for us. Yes, His blood has covered our sin, but unless we place our sin under His blood and live our lives in compliance with His law, we will bear our transgressions on that Day of Judgment. Why call Him Lord, if He is not?
Jesus poses a question to those who followed His ministry that is applicable to us today. In Luke 6:46 we are told that He said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?" Perhaps it is those who profess faith in Him but deny His lordship over their lives by their actions who will hear the stinging words of Matthew 7:23.
In His dissertation in Matthew 7:20-23, the Lord says, “By their fruits you shall know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to Me that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and have we not cast out demons in Your name and done many wonderful works?’…
…and I will say to them, ‘Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.’” ‘Depart from Me’…these are the most horrific words that anyone can hear in time or in eternity. Those of us who think we’re ‘OK’ with God but do not obey His Word will be the most distressful of sinners bound for hell because we deluded ourselves into believing the lie of the enemy that persuaded us to ‘do our own thing.’
Whether unassuming, ordinary people or the power-wielders of the earth, we cannot profess faith in Christ without bowing our knee before Him in obedience to His will. Yes, He has died for us. Yes, His blood has covered our sin, but unless we place our sin under His blood and live our lives in compliance with His law, we will bear our transgressions on that Day of Judgment. Why call Him Lord, if He is not?
Friday, September 21, 2012
Why?
September 21
How do we recognize believers in Christ? There have been times in the past and there are yet places where open proclamation of faith in Jesus has been met with persecution and even death. We know about the way the Romans tortured Christians. Believers of that time were driven underground for self-preservation and resorted to secret symbols to identify one another.
Enemies of the gospel of Christ and of His name exist in the world today. The Muslim world, which purports itself to be peaceful, has a long history of wreaking havoc upon anyone who will not bow before their god Allah and proclaim Mohammed to be his messenger.
In places like Saudi Arabia it is illegal to wear a cross, let alone to speak the name of Jesus or to preach the gospel of Christ. In Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and other Muslim countries, Christians are imprisoned and/or executed for their faith. The genocide in Somalia is the Muslim attempt to eradicate Christians. Persecution is perhaps more intense today than it has ever been. Yet Christians still proclaim the holy name of Jesus. Why? Why do some believers lay down their lives for His name?
The Word says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. We believe…we are made right with God…we are saved,” Romans 10:9, 10. Because the person who has been touched by Christ knows the Author of the universe, the evil powers of this corrupt world cannot intimidate them! They know that in giving their all for the Lord on earth, they are losing nothing, for HE has given them eternal life.
How do we recognize believers in Christ? There have been times in the past and there are yet places where open proclamation of faith in Jesus has been met with persecution and even death. We know about the way the Romans tortured Christians. Believers of that time were driven underground for self-preservation and resorted to secret symbols to identify one another.
Enemies of the gospel of Christ and of His name exist in the world today. The Muslim world, which purports itself to be peaceful, has a long history of wreaking havoc upon anyone who will not bow before their god Allah and proclaim Mohammed to be his messenger.
In places like Saudi Arabia it is illegal to wear a cross, let alone to speak the name of Jesus or to preach the gospel of Christ. In Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and other Muslim countries, Christians are imprisoned and/or executed for their faith. The genocide in Somalia is the Muslim attempt to eradicate Christians. Persecution is perhaps more intense today than it has ever been. Yet Christians still proclaim the holy name of Jesus. Why? Why do some believers lay down their lives for His name?
The Word says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. We believe…we are made right with God…we are saved,” Romans 10:9, 10. Because the person who has been touched by Christ knows the Author of the universe, the evil powers of this corrupt world cannot intimidate them! They know that in giving their all for the Lord on earth, they are losing nothing, for HE has given them eternal life.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
That Name
September 20
The old song says, “…Jesus, there’s just something about that name.” And there is. There is a reason that name is uttered by men of faith when they are in desperate straits. There is a reason profane men spew that wonderful name like a cuss word when they are angry. From one end of the spectrum of belief to the other, there is uniqueness to the name, Jesus.
The Lord Himself promised, “Ask anything in My name believing, and it shall be done,” John 16:23, 24, 26. There is power in the name of the Holy One who came to absolve men of sin and to enable them to live holy lives. Because of that truth, people who trust in Jesus, lift every prayer before the Throne of God in that holy name.
Philippians 2:9-11 gives further explanation of the power of Jesus’ name. It says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men…” Jesus laid claim to Godhood.
It was neither a presumption nor usurpation on His part to do so. He was; He is, God. But for our sake, He laid aside His deity to become the sinless man who lived the perfect life we are incapable of living—that through His obedience to His own law in our behalf we might be accounted righteous. That name, Jesus, makes us holy and wholly His if we will believe.
The old song says, “…Jesus, there’s just something about that name.” And there is. There is a reason that name is uttered by men of faith when they are in desperate straits. There is a reason profane men spew that wonderful name like a cuss word when they are angry. From one end of the spectrum of belief to the other, there is uniqueness to the name, Jesus.
The Lord Himself promised, “Ask anything in My name believing, and it shall be done,” John 16:23, 24, 26. There is power in the name of the Holy One who came to absolve men of sin and to enable them to live holy lives. Because of that truth, people who trust in Jesus, lift every prayer before the Throne of God in that holy name.
Philippians 2:9-11 gives further explanation of the power of Jesus’ name. It says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men…” Jesus laid claim to Godhood.
It was neither a presumption nor usurpation on His part to do so. He was; He is, God. But for our sake, He laid aside His deity to become the sinless man who lived the perfect life we are incapable of living—that through His obedience to His own law in our behalf we might be accounted righteous. That name, Jesus, makes us holy and wholly His if we will believe.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Life's One Truth
September 19
The complexity of the mind of God is beyond the human ability to grasp. Oh, yes, men with lofty degrees and titles may purport themselves to be the discerners of His truth and wisdom and they may expound their understanding to those of us who do not possess their profound insight, but of a truth, man knows only what God reveals of Himself.
That is evident by the very fact that there are so many misunderstandings of who God is. One needn’t look very far to discover a sincere individual whose grasp of truth is far different from his own. The one beside you on your pew at church may hold views of God and His working among the children of men that differ from yours.
If adherents to the belief system that you espouse can depart from your perception of truth, is it so remarkable that in the entire scheme of things men might look at life and truth from a far different perspective than your own! Yet it is an absolute fact that there is only one absolute truth. Life’s ONE TRUTH is JESUS, who is “the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6. Any other individual who claims that distinction is a liar.
It is through Jesus that, “the Lord saved them, for His own sake, to show His great power,” according to Psalm 106:8. The entire Old Testament lays the groundwork for the coming of Christ who was ordained from the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8) to be the Savior of the world. Let us lay aside all falsehood to embrace JESUS, that ONE ABSOLUTE, IMMUTABLE REALITY OF TIME AND ETERNITY.
The complexity of the mind of God is beyond the human ability to grasp. Oh, yes, men with lofty degrees and titles may purport themselves to be the discerners of His truth and wisdom and they may expound their understanding to those of us who do not possess their profound insight, but of a truth, man knows only what God reveals of Himself.
That is evident by the very fact that there are so many misunderstandings of who God is. One needn’t look very far to discover a sincere individual whose grasp of truth is far different from his own. The one beside you on your pew at church may hold views of God and His working among the children of men that differ from yours.
If adherents to the belief system that you espouse can depart from your perception of truth, is it so remarkable that in the entire scheme of things men might look at life and truth from a far different perspective than your own! Yet it is an absolute fact that there is only one absolute truth. Life’s ONE TRUTH is JESUS, who is “the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6. Any other individual who claims that distinction is a liar.
It is through Jesus that, “the Lord saved them, for His own sake, to show His great power,” according to Psalm 106:8. The entire Old Testament lays the groundwork for the coming of Christ who was ordained from the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8) to be the Savior of the world. Let us lay aside all falsehood to embrace JESUS, that ONE ABSOLUTE, IMMUTABLE REALITY OF TIME AND ETERNITY.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Illumine and Guide
September 18
God’s plan is everlasting; God’s plan is eternal. It was formulated in the realm of the heavenlies before the world began (Revelation 13:8) and it will be the crowning glory of heaven where Jesus Christ shall reign forever (Revelation 1:6). No scheme of man or the devil can thwart it.
Evil men may contrive their schemes to undo the plan of God. Some of them perpetrate their wickedness with the conviction that they serve the purposes of the Almighty in doing so, but they are deceived by the devil himself. They are duped by the evil one into worshiping a false god of bloodshed and lies rather than the Holy One who inhabits eternity.
But we who believe in the mercy and love and salvation of Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, who came to deliver all who will believe from man’s bondage to sin, trust in the words Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:8, 9, “…God gives us strength to suffer for the gospel of Christ, for He saved us and made us His holy people; not because of our goodness but because of His mercy and grace that was given to us by Jesus Christ before time began.” We are well aware that apart from the cleansing blood of our Lord, we are all vile, wicked sinners.
When we see the brutality of men of other persuasions, we know that except for the light of Jesus that shined upon us, we, too, would be perpetrating evil, doing the bidding of the enemy of the God of the ages. May our prayer be that in these last days, when wickedness increases we will become more resolute in our faith, standing against the evil day and allowing our lives to reflect His light that illumines those in darkness and guides them to His Throne of Mercy and Grace where they may receive cleansing from sin, where they may be forgiven.
God’s plan is everlasting; God’s plan is eternal. It was formulated in the realm of the heavenlies before the world began (Revelation 13:8) and it will be the crowning glory of heaven where Jesus Christ shall reign forever (Revelation 1:6). No scheme of man or the devil can thwart it.
Evil men may contrive their schemes to undo the plan of God. Some of them perpetrate their wickedness with the conviction that they serve the purposes of the Almighty in doing so, but they are deceived by the devil himself. They are duped by the evil one into worshiping a false god of bloodshed and lies rather than the Holy One who inhabits eternity.
But we who believe in the mercy and love and salvation of Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, who came to deliver all who will believe from man’s bondage to sin, trust in the words Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:8, 9, “…God gives us strength to suffer for the gospel of Christ, for He saved us and made us His holy people; not because of our goodness but because of His mercy and grace that was given to us by Jesus Christ before time began.” We are well aware that apart from the cleansing blood of our Lord, we are all vile, wicked sinners.
When we see the brutality of men of other persuasions, we know that except for the light of Jesus that shined upon us, we, too, would be perpetrating evil, doing the bidding of the enemy of the God of the ages. May our prayer be that in these last days, when wickedness increases we will become more resolute in our faith, standing against the evil day and allowing our lives to reflect His light that illumines those in darkness and guides them to His Throne of Mercy and Grace where they may receive cleansing from sin, where they may be forgiven.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Washed Clean And Set Free
September 17
There’s an old saying about a young person sowing his or her ‘wild oats.’ It seems that the older generation anticipates that those who follow behind them won’t come to themselves—come to their senses!—until they’ve made their share of foolish mistakes. Perhaps because more seasoned individuals remember so many of their own.
There is often a penalty to be paid for the wild oats that were sown. Because the analogy involves planting, reaping must also be anticipated. The consequences of sowing wild oats is often that when the individual realizes there is a better way to live his life, when he begins sowing worthily into the soil of his life, the good crop must compete with the less desirable harvest.
Many have sown unproductively into their spiritual lives as well as into their natural existence. Often, the two go hand-in-hand. When people are making unwise spiritual choices, they are unlikely to be making viable professional or relational choices either. Yet there is a distinct difference regarding the spiritual seeds that have been sown from those scattered in the carnal area of life.
The Apostle Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone belongs to Christ, he becomes a new creature; old things are done away. All things become new.” The man who gives himself to Jesus is delivered immediately from the spiritual ramifications of his previous wrong choices. His life is washed clean of sin and foibles; he is set free to begin again by sowing the joy of salvation into his life.
There’s an old saying about a young person sowing his or her ‘wild oats.’ It seems that the older generation anticipates that those who follow behind them won’t come to themselves—come to their senses!—until they’ve made their share of foolish mistakes. Perhaps because more seasoned individuals remember so many of their own.
There is often a penalty to be paid for the wild oats that were sown. Because the analogy involves planting, reaping must also be anticipated. The consequences of sowing wild oats is often that when the individual realizes there is a better way to live his life, when he begins sowing worthily into the soil of his life, the good crop must compete with the less desirable harvest.
Many have sown unproductively into their spiritual lives as well as into their natural existence. Often, the two go hand-in-hand. When people are making unwise spiritual choices, they are unlikely to be making viable professional or relational choices either. Yet there is a distinct difference regarding the spiritual seeds that have been sown from those scattered in the carnal area of life.
The Apostle Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone belongs to Christ, he becomes a new creature; old things are done away. All things become new.” The man who gives himself to Jesus is delivered immediately from the spiritual ramifications of his previous wrong choices. His life is washed clean of sin and foibles; he is set free to begin again by sowing the joy of salvation into his life.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
On Bended Knee
September 16
Most of life’s stellar accomplishments are achieved through diligent effort. Most of us recognize that with little application of ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ great achievements are difficult to attain. Not many of us are going to have a stroke of luck that results in great success without great effort.
Statistically, more of us are likely to be struck by lightning than are ever going to win the lottery. The improbability of becoming a person of renown without hard work is negligible. There aren’t many who can claim to be an ‘overnight success.’
This corresponds with the word God spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed Him. He said, “By the sweat of your brow will you eat your bread…” Genesis 3:19. And so it has been from time immemorial. But, there is one area of endeavor for which the Lord has altered His own decree in order that man need not labor to attain it; he cannot work to achieve it.
In Romans 10:9 we are told, “If you speak with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Eternal salvation, is available to anyone who will be believe and proclaim it, knowing, “It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast,” Ephesians 2:8, 9. Life’s true treasure is obtained only on bended knee.
Most of life’s stellar accomplishments are achieved through diligent effort. Most of us recognize that with little application of ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ great achievements are difficult to attain. Not many of us are going to have a stroke of luck that results in great success without great effort.
Statistically, more of us are likely to be struck by lightning than are ever going to win the lottery. The improbability of becoming a person of renown without hard work is negligible. There aren’t many who can claim to be an ‘overnight success.’
This corresponds with the word God spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed Him. He said, “By the sweat of your brow will you eat your bread…” Genesis 3:19. And so it has been from time immemorial. But, there is one area of endeavor for which the Lord has altered His own decree in order that man need not labor to attain it; he cannot work to achieve it.
In Romans 10:9 we are told, “If you speak with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Eternal salvation, is available to anyone who will be believe and proclaim it, knowing, “It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast,” Ephesians 2:8, 9. Life’s true treasure is obtained only on bended knee.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
A Little Help
September 15
People don’t like being told they are beholding to anyone. Somewhat of a tempest in a tea pot occurred recently when a candidate for national office stated matter-of-factly, “If you own a successful business, you didn’t build that yourself.” T.V. pundits challenged the veracity of the observation and perhaps some voters resolved to cast their ballot differently because of it.
However the cards fall in November, the candidate, who currently holds national prominence, proved himself to be out of touch with many voters. This man whose academic and work records are sealed, who has no proof to present before the voters of his own diligence in attaining his lofty position, leaves those who have worked hard and achieved much more convinced than ever that his position is due to manipulation by his handlers more than because of his own merit.
The reality is that most successful people have had a ‘hand up’ somewhere along the line—perhaps more than once in their climb to the top—but without their own resolve, no amount of manipulating the system could result in their rise to the top of the heap in their chosen field of endeavor. If every human effort necessitates some element of assistance, why would we think that our spiritual goals can be attained without help?
Not only has there been someone, somewhere along the way to our salvation who has shared the Word of God with us, and prayed for us to receive His truth, but there is also the investment of God Himself in our discovery of His Eternal Truth! Ephesians 2:8, 9 tells us, “You have been saved by grace through faith; it is the gift of God, not of your own works; therefore, no man has a cause for boasting of his spiritual acumen.”
Friday, September 14, 2012
Pigeon Holed
September 14
Some of us tend to ‘pigeon hole’ people. We categorize them according to their race, skin color, hair color, professional accomplishments, spiritual acumen—you name it, we have a place for them. Some of us have a terrible time accepting anyone who is not like us. We say we aren’t prejudice, but our words and actions betray us.
Important questions to pose to ourselves if we find that we indeed do harbor negative attitudes about people because of the differences among us are, ‘How does Jesus pigeon hole people? How does He categorize us? Do things like skin, eye and hair color matter to Him? Does He distinguish us by the things we’ve accomplished? Does He sort us into categories based on our wealth and possessions?
As we ponder these questions regarding our Lord and Savior we must consider the Biblical evidence before we arrive at a feasible conclusion. The Bible tells us that it is God’s will for all men to be saved (II Peter 3:9). He doesn’t wish for any man who has ever been born to perish.
Because He looks not at outward circumstances but at hearts, only Jesus is able to discern rightly where an individual stands regarding salvation (I Samuel 16:7). In John 6:47 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whoever believes has eternal life.” Our Savior doesn’t pigeon hole us by any factor except by our belief in Him.
Some of us tend to ‘pigeon hole’ people. We categorize them according to their race, skin color, hair color, professional accomplishments, spiritual acumen—you name it, we have a place for them. Some of us have a terrible time accepting anyone who is not like us. We say we aren’t prejudice, but our words and actions betray us.
Important questions to pose to ourselves if we find that we indeed do harbor negative attitudes about people because of the differences among us are, ‘How does Jesus pigeon hole people? How does He categorize us? Do things like skin, eye and hair color matter to Him? Does He distinguish us by the things we’ve accomplished? Does He sort us into categories based on our wealth and possessions?
As we ponder these questions regarding our Lord and Savior we must consider the Biblical evidence before we arrive at a feasible conclusion. The Bible tells us that it is God’s will for all men to be saved (II Peter 3:9). He doesn’t wish for any man who has ever been born to perish.
Because He looks not at outward circumstances but at hearts, only Jesus is able to discern rightly where an individual stands regarding salvation (I Samuel 16:7). In John 6:47 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whoever believes has eternal life.” Our Savior doesn’t pigeon hole us by any factor except by our belief in Him.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Grace
September 13
Grace. It’s that unmerited favor you hope the officer will extend to you when he pulls you over for speeding. Grace. It’s that charity you hope your spouse will extend to you when you’ve forgotten an anniversary. Grace. It’s that aspect of God’s dealing with errant man that enables Him to woo us back when we have failed Him abysmally.
Though we may choose to be gracious when we are offended, we cannot begin to measure the unmerited favor God extends to us by any paltry example of that commodity we may extend to those who hurt us. The Lord who inhabits eternity is without blemish so He can never require grace; He may only extend grace.
Unlike us, He cannot receive, He can only give favor. We understand the necessity for holding grace out to others because we’ve required it ourselves. “But God’s mercy is great and He loves us very much. Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against Him, God gave us new life with Christ. We have been saved by God’s grace,” Ephesians 2:4, 5.
How blessed we are to serve a Holy God who is gracious toward us although we deserve condemnation, who forgives us although we deserve punishment, who loves us although we are unlovely. How blessed we are that Christ has fulfilled every one of God’s laws perfectly and He loves us so much that we receive the benefit of His perfection. Grace.
Grace. It’s that unmerited favor you hope the officer will extend to you when he pulls you over for speeding. Grace. It’s that charity you hope your spouse will extend to you when you’ve forgotten an anniversary. Grace. It’s that aspect of God’s dealing with errant man that enables Him to woo us back when we have failed Him abysmally.
Though we may choose to be gracious when we are offended, we cannot begin to measure the unmerited favor God extends to us by any paltry example of that commodity we may extend to those who hurt us. The Lord who inhabits eternity is without blemish so He can never require grace; He may only extend grace.
Unlike us, He cannot receive, He can only give favor. We understand the necessity for holding grace out to others because we’ve required it ourselves. “But God’s mercy is great and He loves us very much. Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against Him, God gave us new life with Christ. We have been saved by God’s grace,” Ephesians 2:4, 5.
How blessed we are to serve a Holy God who is gracious toward us although we deserve condemnation, who forgives us although we deserve punishment, who loves us although we are unlovely. How blessed we are that Christ has fulfilled every one of God’s laws perfectly and He loves us so much that we receive the benefit of His perfection. Grace.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Our Rags Or His Robe?
September 12
Sometimes people can be too good for their own good. There are people who cannot begin to see themselves as sinners in need of the Savior. They were reared in a belief system, that though well-intentioned, promotes the notion of living sin-free lives in order to please God.
These individuals refrain from commission of overt sin—they don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, they don’t indulge alcohol, they do not engage in casual sex or in premarital sex. They would never steal anything from anyone. They are kind, they are helpful. And unless they’re very careful, they will be very self-righteous.
They will have an opinion of themselves, that though they may not voice it aloud says, “If everyone were as good as I am, Jesus wouldn’t have had to endure the cross.” Sound far-fetched? Perhaps so, but the religious person who sees himself as pious is as precariously close to perdition as is the individual who, indulging every pleasure, counts nothing as sin. No matter on which end of the spectrum one finds himself, he is lost until he recognizes the veracity of Romans 3:22-24.
Here, the Word tells us, “God makes people right with Himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. "This is true for all, because…all have sinned and fallen short of God’s righteous standard. All need His grace which is a free gift to everyone who will receive it. We all need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The last thing any of us should want is to one day stand before our Holy God with just our rags of righteousness to cover us when only Christ’s robe of righteousness will satisfy Him.
Sometimes people can be too good for their own good. There are people who cannot begin to see themselves as sinners in need of the Savior. They were reared in a belief system, that though well-intentioned, promotes the notion of living sin-free lives in order to please God.
These individuals refrain from commission of overt sin—they don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, they don’t indulge alcohol, they do not engage in casual sex or in premarital sex. They would never steal anything from anyone. They are kind, they are helpful. And unless they’re very careful, they will be very self-righteous.
They will have an opinion of themselves, that though they may not voice it aloud says, “If everyone were as good as I am, Jesus wouldn’t have had to endure the cross.” Sound far-fetched? Perhaps so, but the religious person who sees himself as pious is as precariously close to perdition as is the individual who, indulging every pleasure, counts nothing as sin. No matter on which end of the spectrum one finds himself, he is lost until he recognizes the veracity of Romans 3:22-24.
Here, the Word tells us, “God makes people right with Himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. "This is true for all, because…all have sinned and fallen short of God’s righteous standard. All need His grace which is a free gift to everyone who will receive it. We all need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The last thing any of us should want is to one day stand before our Holy God with just our rags of righteousness to cover us when only Christ’s robe of righteousness will satisfy Him.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
ADDENDUM to September 11
(Eleventh Anniversary of 9/11)
Isaiah 14 gives us a picture of what transpired in the heavenlies when Lucifer fell because of his sin of pride. In verse 14, he declares his open rebellion; he says, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.” In these few words he has proclaimed the one thing he desires through all his evil machinations. Lucifer, Satan, the Devil wants the one thing that is God’s alone—the worship of man.
May I suggest that through the religion of Islam, he has attained his goal to a degree and may I suggest that the ultimate aim of Islam—to control the entire earth—is a manifestation of the evil heart of Satan himself. The Bible tells us that Satan comes to “steal, kill, and destroy,” John 10:10, and from its inception, Islam has shared these same characteristics.
A cursory study of the history of Islam cannot but invalidate the assertion that it is a ‘religion of peace.’ Mohammed began his conquest of his neighbors and ruthlessly slew any who defied his religion and his authority. The pages of history are spattered with the blood of those who resisted him.
It has been only when those attacked by Islam prevailed militarily over the ‘worldview machine’ set in motion by Mohammed that Islam rested with the intent to rise another day. With the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, militant Islam was dormant for a time but waiting to rise again.
We have seen that rise in our generation, perhaps beginning with the attack upon the Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and extending to the 9/11 attack upon the United States, and continuing through acts of terrorism today in Israel and elsewhere. The Muslim war on Judaism and Christianity is on-going and extends far beyond the denial of religious freedom within Muslim lands.
We know the Islamic world awaits their Twelfth Madhi, but are we aware of how closely this figure parallels the Biblical Antichrist? Are we aware that the Bible prophecies a great, world-wide conflagration that will pit the forces of Satan against the people of God? As we see Islam on the ascendancy we cannot but be aware that their tactics now, as they have ever been, are bloodshed and conquest and this is the methodology that will be employed by the Madhi in his quest for world domination.
Unlike Christianity, which appeals to the tender heart of a man and implores him to choose forgiveness and love over unforgiveness and hatred; which compels him to allow Jesus to wash away all negative thoughts and actions in His shed blood, Islam propagates the strategy of the evil one which is described in John 10:10.
On this anniversary of 9/11, may believers in Christ resolve to be vigilant because the threat against our faith and our culture will only intensify as the time of the Madhi/Antichrist draws near. Those who have made themselves enemies of the One True God, who hate the Cross of Christ, who deny that God loves man enough to have died for him, and deny the efficaciousness of Jesus’ blood are determined to prevail.
Yet, as Jesus Himself said, “When you see these things…look up and lift up your head, for your redemption draws near” Luke 21:28. Yes, we live in a world of conflict. Yes, the evil one has many adherents who do his bidding and think they do God a favor. Yes, there are perilous days ahead.
But at the same time, many are being drawn into the Arc of Safety. Many are hearing and embracing the Gospel of Christ. The Good News of salvation from hatred and blood lust and sin is touching the hearts of many who have been held captive to the lies of the enemy, so we who believe continue to pray, continue to trust and continue to look toward the Eastern Sky, knowing that JESUS IS COMING SOON; knowing that ultimate victory is His.
Be blessed, people of Christ. The God you serve will not be defeated and YOU are more than conquerors in Him! (Romans 8:37)
Love
Today is the eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the United States. More will be posted later this morning.
September 11
What is love? Most of us think we know. From the earliest age, we sense the warmth and tenderness and solicitous care of our parents, our grandparents, siblings and others who are deeply touched with a strong, sheltering feeling toward babies. We see those sweet babies reflecting the love they receive toward those who give it to them—and toward their puppies and kitties and stuffed animals.
Those who are reared in a cocoon of loving acceptance go boldly forth into other relationships that require an expression of mutual respect, kindness, and to some degree—depending upon the nature of the human interaction—love. Total strangers meet, discover mutual interests and ‘fall in love,’ experience that unique relationship that excludes all others.
But, do we know what love is? The reality is that the world has a counterfeit for every good thing God desires us to enjoy. There is also a counterfeit for love. We can see it touted in Hollywood movies and through the lives of famous people who go from one sexual affair to another without regard to commitment. We see it in parents who take pride in their children’s accomplishments but who don’t have quality time to spend with them. We see it in children who flagrantly disdain the wishes of the parents who want the best for them even as their cherished offspring pursue another way.
The only opportunity anyone has of experiencing real love is to have a relationship with Christ. The Word tells us explicitly that “…God is love,” I John 4:8. We know the ultimate act of love was Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross to wash us clean from sin as clearly stated in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life.” When we appropriate that matchless love for ourselves, we begin to understand what love is and become able to truly give love.
September 11
What is love? Most of us think we know. From the earliest age, we sense the warmth and tenderness and solicitous care of our parents, our grandparents, siblings and others who are deeply touched with a strong, sheltering feeling toward babies. We see those sweet babies reflecting the love they receive toward those who give it to them—and toward their puppies and kitties and stuffed animals.
Those who are reared in a cocoon of loving acceptance go boldly forth into other relationships that require an expression of mutual respect, kindness, and to some degree—depending upon the nature of the human interaction—love. Total strangers meet, discover mutual interests and ‘fall in love,’ experience that unique relationship that excludes all others.
But, do we know what love is? The reality is that the world has a counterfeit for every good thing God desires us to enjoy. There is also a counterfeit for love. We can see it touted in Hollywood movies and through the lives of famous people who go from one sexual affair to another without regard to commitment. We see it in parents who take pride in their children’s accomplishments but who don’t have quality time to spend with them. We see it in children who flagrantly disdain the wishes of the parents who want the best for them even as their cherished offspring pursue another way.
The only opportunity anyone has of experiencing real love is to have a relationship with Christ. The Word tells us explicitly that “…God is love,” I John 4:8. We know the ultimate act of love was Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross to wash us clean from sin as clearly stated in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life.” When we appropriate that matchless love for ourselves, we begin to understand what love is and become able to truly give love.
Monday, September 10, 2012
astor Youcef Nadarkhani
Today we rejoice because our brother in Christ who has been in bonds for his faith has been released in Iran. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was set free on Saturday. He had been sentenced to death because he would not recant his faith in Jesus.
Lord Jesus, we praise You because Your word is indeed true, "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed," John 8:36.
Let us continue to lift in prayer our brothers who are still in chains because they love the Lord Jesus and refuse to deny Him before men, even when their freedom, their very lives become at risk because they won't deny Him.
Lord Jesus, we praise You because Your word is indeed true, "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed," John 8:36.
Let us continue to lift in prayer our brothers who are still in chains because they love the Lord Jesus and refuse to deny Him before men, even when their freedom, their very lives become at risk because they won't deny Him.
Cleansed
September 10
Jesus came to earth to establish the law of God. He is the only person who has ever fulfilled the law in its entirety. None of us, though we may aspire to be righteous, have ever been able to do that. Had it been possible for us to comply with the perfect law of our perfect God, each of us would have been responsible to do so without His help.
But we couldn’t. We can’t. We never will, as long as we are in this tabernacle of flesh. We are tarnished by the original sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Though we may not possess the physical characteristics they had—were they white or brown or yellow or red-skinned? Did they have blue or brown or green eyes? Was their hair straight or curly, dark or light or red? We don’t know. It’s irrelevant.
But we do know that they passed along to us their proclivity to sin. We lapse into transgression simply by virtue of our living and breathing. Sin is our nature and we are true to it! We surrender ourselves to lies, to envy, to gossip, to unkindness. Even if we endeavor to obey the ‘letter of the law,’ we fail to live the ‘law of love.’ Because we cannot keep the law in its entirety, we are guilty of it totally.
To hate is to do murder. To envy is to steal. To lust is to commit adultery. Our hearts condemn us; however, because of our Savior Jesus Christ, God does not. The Word assures us that, “The Son of Man came to find lost people and to save them,” Luke 19:10. He excludes no one. All who are willing to lay their sin at His feet are cleansed by Jesus sacrifice of love.
Jesus came to earth to establish the law of God. He is the only person who has ever fulfilled the law in its entirety. None of us, though we may aspire to be righteous, have ever been able to do that. Had it been possible for us to comply with the perfect law of our perfect God, each of us would have been responsible to do so without His help.
But we couldn’t. We can’t. We never will, as long as we are in this tabernacle of flesh. We are tarnished by the original sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Though we may not possess the physical characteristics they had—were they white or brown or yellow or red-skinned? Did they have blue or brown or green eyes? Was their hair straight or curly, dark or light or red? We don’t know. It’s irrelevant.
But we do know that they passed along to us their proclivity to sin. We lapse into transgression simply by virtue of our living and breathing. Sin is our nature and we are true to it! We surrender ourselves to lies, to envy, to gossip, to unkindness. Even if we endeavor to obey the ‘letter of the law,’ we fail to live the ‘law of love.’ Because we cannot keep the law in its entirety, we are guilty of it totally.
To hate is to do murder. To envy is to steal. To lust is to commit adultery. Our hearts condemn us; however, because of our Savior Jesus Christ, God does not. The Word assures us that, “The Son of Man came to find lost people and to save them,” Luke 19:10. He excludes no one. All who are willing to lay their sin at His feet are cleansed by Jesus sacrifice of love.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
The Power of His Assurance
September 9
People of faith come together at church services to worship and praise the Lord, to be admonished in the eternal truth of His Word as it is set forth in the Bible. We are led into His presence by worship leaders and preachers who have presumably tapped into Him in a profound way that will enable them to lead His sheep into His presence.
And these services are beautiful, for the sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit of the Living and True God is profound. Sometimes the entire congregation is touched in such a mighty way that all the worshipers are ushered into the Throne Room of Mercy and Grace. Sometimes, one in the crowd is deeply touched at a point of need.
In any case, there is a sense of being fully alive when brought into His presence. There is a sense of being totally secure in the Holy One who inhabits eternity when one is lavished with that taste of Heaven. At that time, Luke 1:46-49 comes alive in us as it did in Mary at the Annunciation when she said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…for He that is mighty has done great things, and holy is His name!”
Though Mary didn’t have any idea how she would become the mother of the Messiah, she knew the God she trusted through a lifetime of worship to Him was in total charge of the situation. When His people today enter into the place of bowing their hearts and minds and wills before Him, they, too feel the power of His assurance that the answers they need will be supplied in God’s way, in God’s time. Once a worshiper is in the presence of the Holy One, all doubt is dispelled.
People of faith come together at church services to worship and praise the Lord, to be admonished in the eternal truth of His Word as it is set forth in the Bible. We are led into His presence by worship leaders and preachers who have presumably tapped into Him in a profound way that will enable them to lead His sheep into His presence.
And these services are beautiful, for the sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit of the Living and True God is profound. Sometimes the entire congregation is touched in such a mighty way that all the worshipers are ushered into the Throne Room of Mercy and Grace. Sometimes, one in the crowd is deeply touched at a point of need.
In any case, there is a sense of being fully alive when brought into His presence. There is a sense of being totally secure in the Holy One who inhabits eternity when one is lavished with that taste of Heaven. At that time, Luke 1:46-49 comes alive in us as it did in Mary at the Annunciation when she said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…for He that is mighty has done great things, and holy is His name!”
Though Mary didn’t have any idea how she would become the mother of the Messiah, she knew the God she trusted through a lifetime of worship to Him was in total charge of the situation. When His people today enter into the place of bowing their hearts and minds and wills before Him, they, too feel the power of His assurance that the answers they need will be supplied in God’s way, in God’s time. Once a worshiper is in the presence of the Holy One, all doubt is dispelled.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
They Gave Everything--Why?
September 8
Some people think Jesus and the early followers of Christ perpetrated the world’s most pervasive scam on believers. Those people are convinced that there isn’t any truth to the claims of Christ, that He is neither the Jewish Messiah or the Savior of the world. The best they will give Him is that he was a good story teller, a gentle soul whose kindness drew people to Himself.
The brilliant Christian apologist, Josh McDowell says those individuals can’t possibly be right. McDowell states emphatically that if Jesus is not the Son of God, the sinless Savior of mankind that He represented Himself to be, then He is either a lunatic or a liar, neither of which would be worthy of any admiration, let alone praise or worship.
One question to ponder when determining your own conclusion as to exactly who Jesus is must be, “Why would each of the apostles (but John who died in exile on Patmos) be willing to be put to a cruel death because they refused to renounce their faith? Why have people through the 2000 years since the inception of Christianity been willing to sacrifice comfort and fortune in order to share the gospel with those who haven’t heard it if the salvation message isn’t true?
Christianity isn’t a faith that has been propagated by war and conquest. It has been proliferated by the sacrifice and the love that its proponents have evidenced toward those they strove to reach with its tenets. As the beloved apostle said in I John 4:14, “We have seen and can testify that the Father sent His son to be the Savior of the world.” In the days of the apostles, and still today, men are compelled to share with those who do not yet know Jesus how wonderfully their lives can be transformed by His love and His salvation.
Some people think Jesus and the early followers of Christ perpetrated the world’s most pervasive scam on believers. Those people are convinced that there isn’t any truth to the claims of Christ, that He is neither the Jewish Messiah or the Savior of the world. The best they will give Him is that he was a good story teller, a gentle soul whose kindness drew people to Himself.
The brilliant Christian apologist, Josh McDowell says those individuals can’t possibly be right. McDowell states emphatically that if Jesus is not the Son of God, the sinless Savior of mankind that He represented Himself to be, then He is either a lunatic or a liar, neither of which would be worthy of any admiration, let alone praise or worship.
One question to ponder when determining your own conclusion as to exactly who Jesus is must be, “Why would each of the apostles (but John who died in exile on Patmos) be willing to be put to a cruel death because they refused to renounce their faith? Why have people through the 2000 years since the inception of Christianity been willing to sacrifice comfort and fortune in order to share the gospel with those who haven’t heard it if the salvation message isn’t true?
Christianity isn’t a faith that has been propagated by war and conquest. It has been proliferated by the sacrifice and the love that its proponents have evidenced toward those they strove to reach with its tenets. As the beloved apostle said in I John 4:14, “We have seen and can testify that the Father sent His son to be the Savior of the world.” In the days of the apostles, and still today, men are compelled to share with those who do not yet know Jesus how wonderfully their lives can be transformed by His love and His salvation.
Friday, September 7, 2012
OOPs! Sorry!
I apologize for posting today's blog so late. I have had a cold and am sluggish--apparently in mind as well as in body.
I pray you find it at the precise moment the Lord has ordained you to see it--and that He uses it to bless you abundantly.
As always, this comes in His love and with prayers.
I pray you find it at the precise moment the Lord has ordained you to see it--and that He uses it to bless you abundantly.
As always, this comes in His love and with prayers.
Life's Great Equalizer
September 7
Jesus is the answer to all life’s questions. He is the full supply for all life’s needs. The story is told of a young woman who questioned the goodness of the Lord when she contemplated the great inequities of life. Perhaps the reader has pondered them, too, for we live in a world that seems anything but ‘fair.’
Some people live in abject poverty. They subsist at a starvation level while others live in nations where thousands of pounds of good food are thrown away each day. If you don’t believe that, visit a U.S. school cafeteria at lunch time. Some men are free to speak their minds. Others are imprisoned for giving a voice to their faith. And the list could go on.
The young woman challenged God, “How can You be fair when some men are so poor and others are so wealthy? When some are so sick and others are vibrant with health? When some die so young while others live long, full lives?” To her amazement, the Lord answered her! He said, “Christ is the equalizer, for with Him as Savior, the poor man is rich; without Him, the rich man is impoverished. With Him, the sick man is whole and without Him, the whole man is dying of the disease of sin. With Him, the dead man is alive eternally but without Him the man who is living is already dead in sin.”
Having Christ as Savior reduces all other factors in life to the inconsequential trappings of time that they are. Having Christ elevates the gift of salvation that He has supplied to the only lofty attainment of time. As Titus 3:5, 6 states, “He saved us because of His mercy, not because of our goodness…He saved us through the washing that made us new through the Holy Spirit. God poured out richly upon us of His Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Savior.” As God told the young woman who questioned Him, the only thing that matters in time or eternity is life’s great equalizer—Jesus.
Jesus is the answer to all life’s questions. He is the full supply for all life’s needs. The story is told of a young woman who questioned the goodness of the Lord when she contemplated the great inequities of life. Perhaps the reader has pondered them, too, for we live in a world that seems anything but ‘fair.’
Some people live in abject poverty. They subsist at a starvation level while others live in nations where thousands of pounds of good food are thrown away each day. If you don’t believe that, visit a U.S. school cafeteria at lunch time. Some men are free to speak their minds. Others are imprisoned for giving a voice to their faith. And the list could go on.
The young woman challenged God, “How can You be fair when some men are so poor and others are so wealthy? When some are so sick and others are vibrant with health? When some die so young while others live long, full lives?” To her amazement, the Lord answered her! He said, “Christ is the equalizer, for with Him as Savior, the poor man is rich; without Him, the rich man is impoverished. With Him, the sick man is whole and without Him, the whole man is dying of the disease of sin. With Him, the dead man is alive eternally but without Him the man who is living is already dead in sin.”
Having Christ as Savior reduces all other factors in life to the inconsequential trappings of time that they are. Having Christ elevates the gift of salvation that He has supplied to the only lofty attainment of time. As Titus 3:5, 6 states, “He saved us because of His mercy, not because of our goodness…He saved us through the washing that made us new through the Holy Spirit. God poured out richly upon us of His Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Savior.” As God told the young woman who questioned Him, the only thing that matters in time or eternity is life’s great equalizer—Jesus.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
God-ordained Refuge
September 6
Although God values industry, although He rewards diligence in man’s labor, He also values rest. God who never grows weary, as is clearly stated in Isaiah 40:28, “Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth faints not, neither is weary…” established an example of rest for man who does tire under his labor.
In Genesis 2:1,2, we are told that God concluded His creation in six days and, He “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because this is the day that He rested from all His work…” We know the One who is never weary does not require a day of rest for Himself, even after the monumental task of creation.
But He does know that man, after the fall, would find himself stooping under the weight of the burden of labor he now must carry. In Hebrews 4:9, 10, Paul states, “There remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.”
That gift of rest that the Lord programmed into His plan for His errant creation enables the believer to enter into this God-ordained refuge from the demands of the work-a-day-world and to find the rest he needs to go on to the next day’s tasks. God’s example of resting on the seventh day affords us the justification to lay our burdens down.
Although God values industry, although He rewards diligence in man’s labor, He also values rest. God who never grows weary, as is clearly stated in Isaiah 40:28, “Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth faints not, neither is weary…” established an example of rest for man who does tire under his labor.
In Genesis 2:1,2, we are told that God concluded His creation in six days and, He “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because this is the day that He rested from all His work…” We know the One who is never weary does not require a day of rest for Himself, even after the monumental task of creation.
But He does know that man, after the fall, would find himself stooping under the weight of the burden of labor he now must carry. In Hebrews 4:9, 10, Paul states, “There remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.”
That gift of rest that the Lord programmed into His plan for His errant creation enables the believer to enter into this God-ordained refuge from the demands of the work-a-day-world and to find the rest he needs to go on to the next day’s tasks. God’s example of resting on the seventh day affords us the justification to lay our burdens down.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The Giver
September 5
Those who work for others subject themselves to an eight hour work day. Overtime is a boon that enables a laborer to enhance his paycheck so he seeks the opportunity to exceed his 40 hour week whenever he gets the chance to do so.
When he works long hours, the old adage comes to mind, ‘A man works from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.’ No doubt many can offer evidence that this is not always the case, but there is an application that is viable in the lives of many individuals. The breadwinner works long days but the homemaker works continually.
According to the scriptures, there is one group of individuals whose diligent efforts exceed both these categories of workers and that group is the entrepreneur. The man who establishes a business must devote himself to its success or it will almost certainly fail. In Ecclesiastes 5:12, Solomon states this truth very clearly. He says, “The sleep of a laborer is sweet…but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.”
When the breadwinner or the homemaker lay their heads on their pillows, they sleep soundly; meanwhile, the financiers are awake—scouring the stock markets of each continent, minding the affairs that maintain their wealth. Those who possess the wealth of salvation needn’t lie awake fretting about maintaining their eternal treasure. It is a free gift that will never be taken from them as long as they believe in Jesus, the Giver.
Those who work for others subject themselves to an eight hour work day. Overtime is a boon that enables a laborer to enhance his paycheck so he seeks the opportunity to exceed his 40 hour week whenever he gets the chance to do so.
When he works long hours, the old adage comes to mind, ‘A man works from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.’ No doubt many can offer evidence that this is not always the case, but there is an application that is viable in the lives of many individuals. The breadwinner works long days but the homemaker works continually.
According to the scriptures, there is one group of individuals whose diligent efforts exceed both these categories of workers and that group is the entrepreneur. The man who establishes a business must devote himself to its success or it will almost certainly fail. In Ecclesiastes 5:12, Solomon states this truth very clearly. He says, “The sleep of a laborer is sweet…but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.”
When the breadwinner or the homemaker lay their heads on their pillows, they sleep soundly; meanwhile, the financiers are awake—scouring the stock markets of each continent, minding the affairs that maintain their wealth. Those who possess the wealth of salvation needn’t lie awake fretting about maintaining their eternal treasure. It is a free gift that will never be taken from them as long as they believe in Jesus, the Giver.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Should We Shirk Our Opportunity?
September 4
Diligence is extolled in the scriptures. Whether in business practices or in personal habits, that one thing is credited with success. Any entrepreneur can tell you that without it, a business will fail. Also, any individual who has attained the goals of character and virtue that he desired for himself can attest to the necessity of diligence toward his desired ends.
Some of the early arrivals to colonial America, for example, were people of privilege in England. They did not anticipate that work would be among the things they would be required to do in the untamed land to which they had arrived. They soon discovered that unless they worked, there would be nothing to sustain them!
When they assumed the responsibility for tilling the soil and planting the seeds and reaping the crops, success followed their diligence. They read verses such as, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat,” II Thessalonians 3:10, and realized that God honors and rewards a man’s labors but He disdains indolence.
This concept is set forth in the Old Testament as well. In Proverbs 10:4, Solomon, the world’s wisest man, says, “Diligent hands bring wealth,” and he states again in Proverbs 13:4, “The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” Knowing the Lord rewards our labor, should we shirk our opportunities to perform it well?
Diligence is extolled in the scriptures. Whether in business practices or in personal habits, that one thing is credited with success. Any entrepreneur can tell you that without it, a business will fail. Also, any individual who has attained the goals of character and virtue that he desired for himself can attest to the necessity of diligence toward his desired ends.
Some of the early arrivals to colonial America, for example, were people of privilege in England. They did not anticipate that work would be among the things they would be required to do in the untamed land to which they had arrived. They soon discovered that unless they worked, there would be nothing to sustain them!
When they assumed the responsibility for tilling the soil and planting the seeds and reaping the crops, success followed their diligence. They read verses such as, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat,” II Thessalonians 3:10, and realized that God honors and rewards a man’s labors but He disdains indolence.
This concept is set forth in the Old Testament as well. In Proverbs 10:4, Solomon, the world’s wisest man, says, “Diligent hands bring wealth,” and he states again in Proverbs 13:4, “The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” Knowing the Lord rewards our labor, should we shirk our opportunities to perform it well?
Monday, September 3, 2012
Do We?
September 3
Solomon is said to have been the wisest man who ever lived. This is essentially true of the early part of his life—the part when he fastened his eyes upon the Lord and endeavored to rule justly and fairly. The wisdom he had seemed to flow from God Himself.
That is, until he allowed preoccupation with the pleasures afforded to him by his lavish wealth and lofty position to cloud his vision of God and diminish his wisdom. Solomon ‘lost his edge’ when he took strange women and false religions to his bosom. This phenomenon still occurs today.
The United States is a primary example of what happens to a nation or an individual who has known the blessing of God but has turned its back upon its Great Benefactor. When that sense of oneness with the Lord is lost, resignation sets in. We say with Solomon, “It is good for a man to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his toilsome labor…for his days are few and this is his lot,” Ecclesiastes 5:18.
Do we really want to be like Solomon who convinced himself there was nothing in life but to take fleeting pleasure wherever one may find it? Or do we want to nurture within ourselves the confident expectation that with Christ we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37) who are being refined by life’s trials and prepared for the glories of eternity spent with Jesus!
Solomon is said to have been the wisest man who ever lived. This is essentially true of the early part of his life—the part when he fastened his eyes upon the Lord and endeavored to rule justly and fairly. The wisdom he had seemed to flow from God Himself.
That is, until he allowed preoccupation with the pleasures afforded to him by his lavish wealth and lofty position to cloud his vision of God and diminish his wisdom. Solomon ‘lost his edge’ when he took strange women and false religions to his bosom. This phenomenon still occurs today.
The United States is a primary example of what happens to a nation or an individual who has known the blessing of God but has turned its back upon its Great Benefactor. When that sense of oneness with the Lord is lost, resignation sets in. We say with Solomon, “It is good for a man to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his toilsome labor…for his days are few and this is his lot,” Ecclesiastes 5:18.
Do we really want to be like Solomon who convinced himself there was nothing in life but to take fleeting pleasure wherever one may find it? Or do we want to nurture within ourselves the confident expectation that with Christ we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37) who are being refined by life’s trials and prepared for the glories of eternity spent with Jesus!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Acquire the Will
September 2
Doing what is right isn’t in the nature of man. Oh, we like to think we’re good. We have a grand opinion of ourselves that says we’re generous, compassionate, understanding. Name the virtue. We think it’s ours. But the reality is that we’re good at affecting these qualities—often to camouflage our true attitudes and motives.
The Bible, which is among other things an insightful look into the heart of man, tells us that the heart of man is duplicitous. According to Proverbs 20:17, “The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward, his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”
Speaking lies is rather like biting into cotton candy and finding sand in ones mouth.
A person may lie and scheme to gain an advantage over another—and it may seem to profit him in the short run—but over the long haul, he will undo himself by the very lies that seemed to work to his favor. Ultimately, there is a severe penalty to be paid for resorting to the unsavory tactic of lying to advance ones interests.
In Titus 3:14 we are cautioned, “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” That brief sentence tells the believer that he must acquire the will to do good and that it is ultimately to his advantage to do so.
Doing what is right isn’t in the nature of man. Oh, we like to think we’re good. We have a grand opinion of ourselves that says we’re generous, compassionate, understanding. Name the virtue. We think it’s ours. But the reality is that we’re good at affecting these qualities—often to camouflage our true attitudes and motives.
The Bible, which is among other things an insightful look into the heart of man, tells us that the heart of man is duplicitous. According to Proverbs 20:17, “The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward, his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”
Speaking lies is rather like biting into cotton candy and finding sand in ones mouth.
A person may lie and scheme to gain an advantage over another—and it may seem to profit him in the short run—but over the long haul, he will undo himself by the very lies that seemed to work to his favor. Ultimately, there is a severe penalty to be paid for resorting to the unsavory tactic of lying to advance ones interests.
In Titus 3:14 we are cautioned, “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” That brief sentence tells the believer that he must acquire the will to do good and that it is ultimately to his advantage to do so.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Blessings Follow Faithfulness
September 1
The fire is gone. There’s no passion, no spark, no drive to succeed, to achieve, to go beyond the ordinary. There you have, in just a few words, a prescription for failure. It will work in any sphere where it’s implemented—whether in business, in politics, in marriage—where there is no drive to succeed, success will not be likely to come.
Christians are notorious for feeling guilty for desiring to achieve beyond the ordinary. They don’t think it’s spiritual to strive to make their mark in worldly endeavors. To a degree, they have a viable point. Attaining the same goals that people void of faith in Christ set for themselves should not be the aim of believers in Him.
But ‘the people of the Book’ should be expert at applying the principles of the Bible to the endeavors of life. If they do, they will find success is often a by-product of employing the tenets of the faith toward worldly pursuits. Industriousness, steadfastness of focus, diligent effort—all these are necessary attributes of successful people, and Christians should engage them.
In his letter to believers in Romans 12:11 Paul says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor as you serve the Lord.” Godly men and women should have zest for life and zest for the Kingdom of Christ. The two are not mutually exclusive. As long as the purposes of the Kingdom are served first and served diligently, temporal success can be a witness of the blessings that follow faithfulness.
The fire is gone. There’s no passion, no spark, no drive to succeed, to achieve, to go beyond the ordinary. There you have, in just a few words, a prescription for failure. It will work in any sphere where it’s implemented—whether in business, in politics, in marriage—where there is no drive to succeed, success will not be likely to come.
Christians are notorious for feeling guilty for desiring to achieve beyond the ordinary. They don’t think it’s spiritual to strive to make their mark in worldly endeavors. To a degree, they have a viable point. Attaining the same goals that people void of faith in Christ set for themselves should not be the aim of believers in Him.
But ‘the people of the Book’ should be expert at applying the principles of the Bible to the endeavors of life. If they do, they will find success is often a by-product of employing the tenets of the faith toward worldly pursuits. Industriousness, steadfastness of focus, diligent effort—all these are necessary attributes of successful people, and Christians should engage them.
In his letter to believers in Romans 12:11 Paul says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor as you serve the Lord.” Godly men and women should have zest for life and zest for the Kingdom of Christ. The two are not mutually exclusive. As long as the purposes of the Kingdom are served first and served diligently, temporal success can be a witness of the blessings that follow faithfulness.
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