August 6
Politicians differ regarding their recommendations as to how the economy may be put back on track. Some believe ‘redistribution of wealth’ is the answer. It is their contention that when those who have more share with those who have less, the playing field will be leveled and everyone will have a greater opportunity for success.
One cannot help but observe that these politicians, who are wealthy in their own right, seem far less eager to bestow their own fortunes upon those less advantaged than they. The public coffers are fair game for their schemes, but their own sizable investment portfolios are not.
Countering their schemes are those who strongly feel that prosperity can be restored if entrepreneurs are given freedom from excessive taxes so they can invest without fear of incurring penalties for their success. Without taking sides in this debate, one Biblical principle becomes apparent.
Proverbs 11:14 says, “For lack of guidance a nation falls but wise counsel makes victory sure.” Nations that are on the brink of economic disaster are in desperate need of true wisdom. Leaders who desire recovery for their faltering financial systems must lay aside politics and personal opinions and apply the tried and true methods of success.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
No Scheme of Man
August 5
Man strives for ascendancy. He devotes himself to the course of action he believes will lead him to the goals he desires to attain. Whether by his own genius or by schemes he contrives that he believes will afford him success, he is resolute in his determination to grasp the prize.
Whether in the professional, romantic or political realm, the individual who is driven to achieve greatness will do all it takes to attain his goal. A believer in Christ assesses the efforts of those around him who are not bound by the scruples that his faith requires of him and he perceives himself to be at a disadvantage.
Because he cannot place his desires at the pinnacle of his existence, he feels he is limited in the level of success he can achieve. But his adherence to the principles of the Kingdom of Christ does not impede his progress toward his goals; rather it enhances them. The Bible makes this truth clear. In Proverbs 21:30, 31, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived shares his irrefutable wisdom in the matter.
He says, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse is made ready for battle, but victory rests with our God.” No scheme of man, no weapon of warfare (the war horse was the super weapon of its day) can prevent the person of faith from achieving the goals the Lord our God has ordained to be his. The man who follows Christ knows He will guide him to victory.
Man strives for ascendancy. He devotes himself to the course of action he believes will lead him to the goals he desires to attain. Whether by his own genius or by schemes he contrives that he believes will afford him success, he is resolute in his determination to grasp the prize.
Whether in the professional, romantic or political realm, the individual who is driven to achieve greatness will do all it takes to attain his goal. A believer in Christ assesses the efforts of those around him who are not bound by the scruples that his faith requires of him and he perceives himself to be at a disadvantage.
Because he cannot place his desires at the pinnacle of his existence, he feels he is limited in the level of success he can achieve. But his adherence to the principles of the Kingdom of Christ does not impede his progress toward his goals; rather it enhances them. The Bible makes this truth clear. In Proverbs 21:30, 31, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived shares his irrefutable wisdom in the matter.
He says, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse is made ready for battle, but victory rests with our God.” No scheme of man, no weapon of warfare (the war horse was the super weapon of its day) can prevent the person of faith from achieving the goals the Lord our God has ordained to be his. The man who follows Christ knows He will guide him to victory.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Victory Over Death, Hell, and the Grave!
August 4
The desire for immortality has compelled man to seek life beyond life in. For sheer human indulgence, perhaps the Moslem concept of heaven offers the most persuasive lure to those who are unsure of just which belief system affords the most enticing view of the afterlife.
To those who are unfamiliar with the Islamic perception of what heaven will be like, it is difficult to fathom how viable young men can detonate bombs for the purpose of killing everyone within range—including themselves! Student of even the most rudimentary tenets of Islam know the answer to that perplexing question.
The adherent to shariah law believes that when he has given his life for Islam, he will have assured himself a place in a lush, verdant paradise where he will enjoy the eternal attention of 72 lovely women who will be ever-virgin. They will have silky black hair and inviting brown eyes. Exquisite in face and form they will be unequaled in the art of love.
Contrast this very sensual paradise with the Christian belief that, “When perishable has been clothed with imperishable and mortal has put on immortality, then will be fulfilled the saying, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory!’” (I Corinthians 15:54) What Jesus offers isn’t a perpetuation of human pleasure; He offers victory over death, hell and the grave!
The desire for immortality has compelled man to seek life beyond life in. For sheer human indulgence, perhaps the Moslem concept of heaven offers the most persuasive lure to those who are unsure of just which belief system affords the most enticing view of the afterlife.
To those who are unfamiliar with the Islamic perception of what heaven will be like, it is difficult to fathom how viable young men can detonate bombs for the purpose of killing everyone within range—including themselves! Student of even the most rudimentary tenets of Islam know the answer to that perplexing question.
The adherent to shariah law believes that when he has given his life for Islam, he will have assured himself a place in a lush, verdant paradise where he will enjoy the eternal attention of 72 lovely women who will be ever-virgin. They will have silky black hair and inviting brown eyes. Exquisite in face and form they will be unequaled in the art of love.
Contrast this very sensual paradise with the Christian belief that, “When perishable has been clothed with imperishable and mortal has put on immortality, then will be fulfilled the saying, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory!’” (I Corinthians 15:54) What Jesus offers isn’t a perpetuation of human pleasure; He offers victory over death, hell and the grave!
Friday, August 3, 2012
More Than Conquerors
August 3
Early believers in Christ suffered much for their faith. Like believers today in some countries where religious freedom is neither accepted nor tolerated, they often endured severe persecution and even death for their belief in the Messiah-ship of Jesus and the salvation attained through His sacrifice.
So these early Jewish believers went forth from Palestine, taking the Gospel “…to the uttermost parts of the earth” Acts 1:8. Of course, they had been told by the risen Lord in the first part of that verse that, “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you shall be My witnesses…”
Though their way was fraught with persecution, especially from the Romans who detested both them and the traditional Jews because they refused to bow the knee to the emperor, they went forward to the lions of the Coliseum and to the chains of the galley ships with His love in their hearts and His gospel on their lips!
They did not flinch from Caligula’s cruel practice of using them as human torches to illumine his orgies! No! They reminded themselves that their cruel and unjust punishment was temporary but their victory was eternal! They trusted Paul’s words, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us” Romans 8:37.
Early believers in Christ suffered much for their faith. Like believers today in some countries where religious freedom is neither accepted nor tolerated, they often endured severe persecution and even death for their belief in the Messiah-ship of Jesus and the salvation attained through His sacrifice.
So these early Jewish believers went forth from Palestine, taking the Gospel “…to the uttermost parts of the earth” Acts 1:8. Of course, they had been told by the risen Lord in the first part of that verse that, “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you shall be My witnesses…”
Though their way was fraught with persecution, especially from the Romans who detested both them and the traditional Jews because they refused to bow the knee to the emperor, they went forward to the lions of the Coliseum and to the chains of the galley ships with His love in their hearts and His gospel on their lips!
They did not flinch from Caligula’s cruel practice of using them as human torches to illumine his orgies! No! They reminded themselves that their cruel and unjust punishment was temporary but their victory was eternal! They trusted Paul’s words, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us” Romans 8:37.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
August 2 Addendum--VICTORY!
August 2 Addendum
Many of the battles we face are not war related, except that there is an on-going war being waged by the forces of the enemy against God and His people and His purposes. That warfare evidences itself in ways that the enemy-strategist plots to use to undermine the faith and effectiveness of the people of God.
God’s arch-foe endeavors to cause the Lord’s prayer-warriors to be so engulfed in their personal battles that they haven’t time to think about praying for the major concerns of salvation for the lost and the setting up of the world stage for the end-times events that loom on the horizon.
The enemy’s strategy involves persecution by unbelievers that reaches an intense degree in lands that are controlled by the force of the evil one. The evil one’s strategy also includes personal attacks that can be against the believer’s physical well-being or emotional stability.
Today, I lift up people of faith in all circumstances where the enemy’s onslaught has come against them! I bind the mischief of the evil one, grind him and his minions to fine powder and scatter them impotent to the wind. I release power into the prayers of the people of Christ!
I command strongholds to topple and captives to be set free. I loose everyone bound in darkness and command that they see the glorious light of Jesus! I command that those who hold believers captive will themselves be set free from the clutches of the evil one so they will become the protectors and defenders of people of faith in Christ.
I pray that those who are bound by sickness and disease and despair will be set free to focus on the beauty of Christ who is boundless in His mercy and in His power. I pray that His power will be released into the lives of believers in a way that exceeds anything they have ever yet known.
I pray shackles will be broken and captives will be set free to love Jesus, to live for Jesus and to extoll the name of Jesus in the beauty of HOLINESS! I pray that when unbelievers look upon people of faith, they will not see the individual; rather, they will see the Lord HIMSELF, standing before them; meeting them at their point of need!
Many of the battles we face are not war related, except that there is an on-going war being waged by the forces of the enemy against God and His people and His purposes. That warfare evidences itself in ways that the enemy-strategist plots to use to undermine the faith and effectiveness of the people of God.
God’s arch-foe endeavors to cause the Lord’s prayer-warriors to be so engulfed in their personal battles that they haven’t time to think about praying for the major concerns of salvation for the lost and the setting up of the world stage for the end-times events that loom on the horizon.
The enemy’s strategy involves persecution by unbelievers that reaches an intense degree in lands that are controlled by the force of the evil one. The evil one’s strategy also includes personal attacks that can be against the believer’s physical well-being or emotional stability.
Today, I lift up people of faith in all circumstances where the enemy’s onslaught has come against them! I bind the mischief of the evil one, grind him and his minions to fine powder and scatter them impotent to the wind. I release power into the prayers of the people of Christ!
I command strongholds to topple and captives to be set free. I loose everyone bound in darkness and command that they see the glorious light of Jesus! I command that those who hold believers captive will themselves be set free from the clutches of the evil one so they will become the protectors and defenders of people of faith in Christ.
I pray that those who are bound by sickness and disease and despair will be set free to focus on the beauty of Christ who is boundless in His mercy and in His power. I pray that His power will be released into the lives of believers in a way that exceeds anything they have ever yet known.
I pray shackles will be broken and captives will be set free to love Jesus, to live for Jesus and to extoll the name of Jesus in the beauty of HOLINESS! I pray that when unbelievers look upon people of faith, they will not see the individual; rather, they will see the Lord HIMSELF, standing before them; meeting them at their point of need!
Ultimate Victory
August 2
The Old Testament is replete with stories of battles. The history of the Jews, God’s chosen people could not be complete without the tales of the enemies they encountered on their way to the Promised Land. In fact, even in our day, their restoration to the ancient land of Palestine which God gave to them involves an on-going contest between them and their Arab neighbors as to whom the land rightfully belongs.
That small piece of real estate, until it was re-established as a Jewish homeland, was virtually a no-man’s land where wandering bands roamed without claiming citizenship to any nearby country. When it was decided after WW II that the Jews needed a safe haven where they could be free from persecution, their arrival to this wasteland provoked an immediate, negative response from those surrounding countries.
Upon their arrival, these diligent and determined Jewish souls set about to thrive and prosper in this inhospitable desert—they literally brought to pass the Biblical prophecy that the land would, “…blossom like the rose” Isaiah 35:1. In order to make that happen, they waged a virtually continuous warfare with not only the elements but also with their bellicose neighbors. Though some of those neighbors live within the borders of Israel and thrive there, most continue to conduct subversive acts against them.
Today’s believer in the Lord, like the Jews, is surrounded by hostile neighbors who are not prospering in their current belief system, yet have no desire to assimilate into the family of faith in Christ. As the believer encounters conflict, he is encouraged by the words of the Beloved Apostle in I John 4:4, “You, dear children, are God’s and you have already overcome, because greater is HE who is in you than he who is in the world.” God promises that though His people may be required to fight, they will ultimately have a great victory.
The Old Testament is replete with stories of battles. The history of the Jews, God’s chosen people could not be complete without the tales of the enemies they encountered on their way to the Promised Land. In fact, even in our day, their restoration to the ancient land of Palestine which God gave to them involves an on-going contest between them and their Arab neighbors as to whom the land rightfully belongs.
That small piece of real estate, until it was re-established as a Jewish homeland, was virtually a no-man’s land where wandering bands roamed without claiming citizenship to any nearby country. When it was decided after WW II that the Jews needed a safe haven where they could be free from persecution, their arrival to this wasteland provoked an immediate, negative response from those surrounding countries.
Upon their arrival, these diligent and determined Jewish souls set about to thrive and prosper in this inhospitable desert—they literally brought to pass the Biblical prophecy that the land would, “…blossom like the rose” Isaiah 35:1. In order to make that happen, they waged a virtually continuous warfare with not only the elements but also with their bellicose neighbors. Though some of those neighbors live within the borders of Israel and thrive there, most continue to conduct subversive acts against them.
Today’s believer in the Lord, like the Jews, is surrounded by hostile neighbors who are not prospering in their current belief system, yet have no desire to assimilate into the family of faith in Christ. As the believer encounters conflict, he is encouraged by the words of the Beloved Apostle in I John 4:4, “You, dear children, are God’s and you have already overcome, because greater is HE who is in you than he who is in the world.” God promises that though His people may be required to fight, they will ultimately have a great victory.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
August
Some people yearn for a good fight. You know the type…the guy at work who’s always in competition with you even if you’re not playing the game. He tries to best you at every turn so he’s always looking over your shoulder to see how he can improve on your work as he copies your ideas.
Or it might be the fellow who isn’t content until he’s convinced everyone that his point of view on any given subject is irrefutable. He will argue until everyone concedes that he is right—or actually, until everyone is so tired of being badgered by his arguments that they simply relinquish to him the perceived prize for which he’s vying.
Most of these contests simply aren’t worth the time they take to compete in them. Unless the matter is of some profound consequence, the preferred course is to walk away at the onset. Even if the debate is a spiritual one, if you have posed your position previously, it is hardly worth the expenditure of energy to go through the argument again. Jesus said in Matthew 6:6, “…Cast not your pearls before swine...”
His point was that the wisdom of God is not valued by those who have purposed against it in their hearts; therefore, it’s an exercise in futility to waste your breath attempting again to convince them of the error of their thinking. Ultimately, as David said in Psalm 60:12, “With God we will gain the victory and HE will trample down the enemy.” Our part is to do our part then wait for the Lord to bring the endeavor to His conclusion.
Some people yearn for a good fight. You know the type…the guy at work who’s always in competition with you even if you’re not playing the game. He tries to best you at every turn so he’s always looking over your shoulder to see how he can improve on your work as he copies your ideas.
Or it might be the fellow who isn’t content until he’s convinced everyone that his point of view on any given subject is irrefutable. He will argue until everyone concedes that he is right—or actually, until everyone is so tired of being badgered by his arguments that they simply relinquish to him the perceived prize for which he’s vying.
Most of these contests simply aren’t worth the time they take to compete in them. Unless the matter is of some profound consequence, the preferred course is to walk away at the onset. Even if the debate is a spiritual one, if you have posed your position previously, it is hardly worth the expenditure of energy to go through the argument again. Jesus said in Matthew 6:6, “…Cast not your pearls before swine...”
His point was that the wisdom of God is not valued by those who have purposed against it in their hearts; therefore, it’s an exercise in futility to waste your breath attempting again to convince them of the error of their thinking. Ultimately, as David said in Psalm 60:12, “With God we will gain the victory and HE will trample down the enemy.” Our part is to do our part then wait for the Lord to bring the endeavor to His conclusion.
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