May 7
The days in which we live are evil. Certainly, this assertion could have been made at any time in history, but there seems to be an exacerbation of corruption, a rapid movement toward the acceptance of wickedness, in our time. Perhaps it appears that way because communication is swift—as the saying goes, news travels fast.
It seems we hardly absorb the report of a natural disaster or of an enemy attack upon our troops or a weather related calamity before the news of another is fast on its heels. We have become so inured to the onslaught of unpleasant information that we often put it out of our collective mind because our mind is already on ‘overload.’
How should we react to the unfortunate events that directly impact our world, our culture, our community, and often ourselves? How should we feel about the encroachment of foreign ideologies into our legal system? Or about the fall of the U.S. dollar? Or the thousand other concerns that are beamed into our homes daily?
I Thessalonians 5:21, 22 gives sound advice, “Test everything. Hold fast to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” The world may be ready to succumb to the gross lies and injustices that are being perpetrated but we as believers in Jesus must hold all things before the candle of His absolute, unchanging truth—then hold truth with a secure grip.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Open Hearts and Minds
May 6
The beloved apostle tells us in I John 4:1, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” If that was true in John’s day, it is certainly true in ours.
Indeed, the Roman Empire had a pantheon of gods that were worshiped, and they carried these false deities into the lands they conquered. For the most part, the people under their rule incorporated the worship of the Roman gods into their own religious practices. The people of Israel would not. They clung resolutely to the One true and living God, Jehovah.
When Jesus died on the cross to set men free from sin and from false religious beliefs, the truth He established was embraced by His Jewish followers first and rapidly spread through the empire. Indeed, the Pax Romana is credited with having been used by the Lord to allow His apostles great latitude in traveling throughout the known world to spread Christianity.
Just as those who heard the message at that time found its veracity able to withstand the scrutiny of the microscope of truth, so will we as we ‘test the spirits’ today. We do not want to be deceived in an age of rampant deception. Now as then, the Holy Spirit will “…teach all truth,” John 14:26, if we will allow Him to do so by opening our hearts and our minds to the revelation of everything Jesus came to accomplish in us.
The beloved apostle tells us in I John 4:1, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” If that was true in John’s day, it is certainly true in ours.
Indeed, the Roman Empire had a pantheon of gods that were worshiped, and they carried these false deities into the lands they conquered. For the most part, the people under their rule incorporated the worship of the Roman gods into their own religious practices. The people of Israel would not. They clung resolutely to the One true and living God, Jehovah.
When Jesus died on the cross to set men free from sin and from false religious beliefs, the truth He established was embraced by His Jewish followers first and rapidly spread through the empire. Indeed, the Pax Romana is credited with having been used by the Lord to allow His apostles great latitude in traveling throughout the known world to spread Christianity.
Just as those who heard the message at that time found its veracity able to withstand the scrutiny of the microscope of truth, so will we as we ‘test the spirits’ today. We do not want to be deceived in an age of rampant deception. Now as then, the Holy Spirit will “…teach all truth,” John 14:26, if we will allow Him to do so by opening our hearts and our minds to the revelation of everything Jesus came to accomplish in us.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Falsehood for Truth
May 5
Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone who seemed so absolutely indifferent to what you had to say that you thought you must be communicating in a different language from the one they speak?
Those times of verbal break-down are quite frustrating because we are sure the passion we feel for Christ and His truth must resonate to everyone with whom we share it. We cannot fathom the possibility that they simply aren’t ‘getting it.’
And why don’t they ‘get it’? Why can they remain indifferent to the truth that could transform their lives from mundane to glorious? Why do they cling to the paltry things of Earth that will burn in the heat of His judgment? Why do they prefer the fleeting acquisitions of time to the glorious possessions of eternity? Why won’t they gladly exchange eternal separation from God for abiding with Him forever? I John 4:6 gives us insight into the answer to those perplexing questions.
Here the beloved apostle tells us, “…Whoever knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not hear us. This is how we recognize the difference between the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of falsehood.” When the person with whom we share God’s truth receives it, it is because he has exchanged the spirit of falsehood for the Spirit of truth. It is an exchange that cannot occur unless he desires if, for God will not over-ride any man’s free will.
Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone who seemed so absolutely indifferent to what you had to say that you thought you must be communicating in a different language from the one they speak?
Those times of verbal break-down are quite frustrating because we are sure the passion we feel for Christ and His truth must resonate to everyone with whom we share it. We cannot fathom the possibility that they simply aren’t ‘getting it.’
And why don’t they ‘get it’? Why can they remain indifferent to the truth that could transform their lives from mundane to glorious? Why do they cling to the paltry things of Earth that will burn in the heat of His judgment? Why do they prefer the fleeting acquisitions of time to the glorious possessions of eternity? Why won’t they gladly exchange eternal separation from God for abiding with Him forever? I John 4:6 gives us insight into the answer to those perplexing questions.
Here the beloved apostle tells us, “…Whoever knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not hear us. This is how we recognize the difference between the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of falsehood.” When the person with whom we share God’s truth receives it, it is because he has exchanged the spirit of falsehood for the Spirit of truth. It is an exchange that cannot occur unless he desires if, for God will not over-ride any man’s free will.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
To What Pursuit...?
May 4
We know that temporal knowledge, like anything ‘of the world’ is fleeting at best. Just as fleshly love is a counterfeit of God’s love, just as Earth’s treasure is a counterfeit of Heavenly treasure, so is the knowledge of the world a counterfeit of the true wisdom that comes from the mind of God.
We may spend a lifetime pursuing the world’s imitation, only to discover upon our entry at the portals of Heaven, that we have spent ourselves in vain. A very significant question that we must, therefore, ask ourselves is, “To what pursuit should I devote myself?”
The Word tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy is understanding,” Proverbs 9:10. We glean from this verse the reality that all true wisdom and all worthwhile knowledge begin with our reverential awe of God. Apart from that first building block to the foundation of our life, the whole of it will be unstable.
How then do we attain this wisdom and knowledge for which we seek? Jesus gave us the answer to that in John 16:13 where He said, “When HE, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He knows from God. He will reveal all things to you.” The Holy Spirit is sent to us by God so we will not pursue vain knowledge; rather, that we will learn godly wisdom.
We know that temporal knowledge, like anything ‘of the world’ is fleeting at best. Just as fleshly love is a counterfeit of God’s love, just as Earth’s treasure is a counterfeit of Heavenly treasure, so is the knowledge of the world a counterfeit of the true wisdom that comes from the mind of God.
We may spend a lifetime pursuing the world’s imitation, only to discover upon our entry at the portals of Heaven, that we have spent ourselves in vain. A very significant question that we must, therefore, ask ourselves is, “To what pursuit should I devote myself?”
The Word tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy is understanding,” Proverbs 9:10. We glean from this verse the reality that all true wisdom and all worthwhile knowledge begin with our reverential awe of God. Apart from that first building block to the foundation of our life, the whole of it will be unstable.
How then do we attain this wisdom and knowledge for which we seek? Jesus gave us the answer to that in John 16:13 where He said, “When HE, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He knows from God. He will reveal all things to you.” The Holy Spirit is sent to us by God so we will not pursue vain knowledge; rather, that we will learn godly wisdom.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
If You Found A Bottle...
May 3
If you found a bottle—a lovely antique that was clearly a relic from another age, another culture—and as you began to rub and polish it, an amazing thing happened! A genie emerged! And that genie smiled at you and told you that you could rub the bottle one more time and request anything your heart desired—and it would be granted to you…
What would you ask of the genie? Success in personal relationships? Success in business? Fame? Fortune? Long life? Would one wish be enough to satisfy the longing deep within your heart? Perhaps it would be prudent if the one request were that all requests into the unseen recesses of the future be granted!
Alluring as the tale of the magic bottle and its resident genie with the power to grant wishes might be, it is just that—an alluring tale. Were there any substance to it, most of us would spend a lifetime searching for just such a bottle. And many of us do pursue dreams that are as elusive as the proverbial genie in the bottle.
We do that although we have a promise in the Word of God that speaks to the longings of our hearts in a way that is far better than any fabrication of cultural lore. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The beauty of the promise is that what God gives will be not only your delight to receive but also His delight to grant!
If you found a bottle—a lovely antique that was clearly a relic from another age, another culture—and as you began to rub and polish it, an amazing thing happened! A genie emerged! And that genie smiled at you and told you that you could rub the bottle one more time and request anything your heart desired—and it would be granted to you…
What would you ask of the genie? Success in personal relationships? Success in business? Fame? Fortune? Long life? Would one wish be enough to satisfy the longing deep within your heart? Perhaps it would be prudent if the one request were that all requests into the unseen recesses of the future be granted!
Alluring as the tale of the magic bottle and its resident genie with the power to grant wishes might be, it is just that—an alluring tale. Were there any substance to it, most of us would spend a lifetime searching for just such a bottle. And many of us do pursue dreams that are as elusive as the proverbial genie in the bottle.
We do that although we have a promise in the Word of God that speaks to the longings of our hearts in a way that is far better than any fabrication of cultural lore. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The beauty of the promise is that what God gives will be not only your delight to receive but also His delight to grant!
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Secret
May 2
There is a secret man needs to discover above all others. It is not the thing for which we most fervently strive, nor is it the thing we believe will accrue the greatest satisfaction and advantage to us, yet it will avail us much if we find it and appropriate it.
In fact, it is probably the one thing we avoid finding most heartily! In Psalm 37:5, the secret is revealed. It says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.” We are far more inclined to commit our way to our goal and to trust in our ability to attain it.
It isn’t that we don’t want the blessings of God upon our endeavors. And we’ll pray for His intervention if it’s needed. It’s simply that whatever we desire to achieve is seen as ‘ours’. We want the credit when it’s brought to a successful conclusion. We want the glory to ourselves.
We can taste the sweet victory and we don’t want to share a bite of it with anyone—not even with the Lord Himself. Committing ourselves to God, to His purposes, to His glory denies us ‘bragging rights.’ When we deny the veracity of the secret, however, the lack of the secret in our lives becomes our bitter downfall.
There is a secret man needs to discover above all others. It is not the thing for which we most fervently strive, nor is it the thing we believe will accrue the greatest satisfaction and advantage to us, yet it will avail us much if we find it and appropriate it.
In fact, it is probably the one thing we avoid finding most heartily! In Psalm 37:5, the secret is revealed. It says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him.” We are far more inclined to commit our way to our goal and to trust in our ability to attain it.
It isn’t that we don’t want the blessings of God upon our endeavors. And we’ll pray for His intervention if it’s needed. It’s simply that whatever we desire to achieve is seen as ‘ours’. We want the credit when it’s brought to a successful conclusion. We want the glory to ourselves.
We can taste the sweet victory and we don’t want to share a bite of it with anyone—not even with the Lord Himself. Committing ourselves to God, to His purposes, to His glory denies us ‘bragging rights.’ When we deny the veracity of the secret, however, the lack of the secret in our lives becomes our bitter downfall.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
We Need His Blessing
May 1
We’ve all heard the old saying that recognizes the futility of ‘the well-laid plans of mice and men.’ We’ve all, at one time or another, been meticulous to the details of our intentions, only to have them come to nothing in spite of our best efforts.
We plot our course precisely and anticipate an outcome that will reward us greatly, only to find ourselves nursing our disappointment—licking wounds of humiliation, salving the pain of defeat.
Some of us never bounce back from these times of frustration. Bitterness becomes the prevalent taste in our mouth and it prevents our ever savoring the sweetness of striving once more for a worthy goal. We resign ourselves to failure. We prefer that status to the possibility of ever having to deal with disappointment again.
We are reminded when we see someone in this condition of the veracity of the Word of God as stated in Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” The truth is, we need His blessing upon our efforts if we are to accomplish anything! In fact, without Jesus, we ultimately fail—even if we succeed.
We’ve all heard the old saying that recognizes the futility of ‘the well-laid plans of mice and men.’ We’ve all, at one time or another, been meticulous to the details of our intentions, only to have them come to nothing in spite of our best efforts.
We plot our course precisely and anticipate an outcome that will reward us greatly, only to find ourselves nursing our disappointment—licking wounds of humiliation, salving the pain of defeat.
Some of us never bounce back from these times of frustration. Bitterness becomes the prevalent taste in our mouth and it prevents our ever savoring the sweetness of striving once more for a worthy goal. We resign ourselves to failure. We prefer that status to the possibility of ever having to deal with disappointment again.
We are reminded when we see someone in this condition of the veracity of the Word of God as stated in Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” The truth is, we need His blessing upon our efforts if we are to accomplish anything! In fact, without Jesus, we ultimately fail—even if we succeed.
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