February 28
People, particularly people of God, have a relentless foe who occupies himself with the on-going pursuit of their undoing. People of faith in Christ are especially beset by this evil entity because they, unlike the rest of the world, have managed to escape his clutches.
The unfortunate reality is that he will not rest with the preponderance of humanity being in his fiendish grip—he wants all of mankind to turn their backs upon the One True and Living God and bow their knee before the throne of the ‘prince and power of the air.’
What is feeble man to do in the face of such a determined and powerful foe? There is ample provision made for humanity to stand strong against the devil’s onslaught. Those who are born again, blood-bathed believers in Christ have the assurance of the Lord’s protection against the evil one. That provision is available to all who will accept it.
Revelation 12:11 says, “They conquered him (satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” The blood of Jesus pays the price for all man’s sin. The covering He supplies is sufficient to deliver every person ever born out of the clutches of the enemy—but every man must confess that deliverance for himself if it is to be effectual for him.
February 29 BONUS The Crucial Difference
Discernment is a very essential sense that one is advantaged greatly to possess. Discernment enables the one who has it to cut through the extraneous and see to the heart of a matter. It is what allows some voters to avoid being ensnared by the craftiness of duplicitous politicians.
It is what provides a woman in the dating arena the ability to sift through what a prospective suitor says so she may see the intent of his heart. It gives an athlete the acuity of mind to know how to position himself on the field of competition in order to prevent his opponent from gaining an advantage over him.
It is essential that we, the consumer, in the marketplace of ideas, have the ability to discern the credible from the incredible, the wise from the foolish, the facts from the fiction where spiritual information is concerned. There has been an influx of false teaching that has turned many from truth to falsehood, even as the Word cautions will happen in the days before Christ returns.
I Thessalonians 2:13 says of God’s unchanging truth, “You welcomed it not as a human message but as it truly is, the message of God which works effectively in you as believers.” When we have given our lives to Christ and the Holy Spirit resides within us, we can discern between the words of man and the wisdom of God—and that discernment makes the crucial difference in our eternal destiny.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
From the Throes to the Throne
February 27
We have a tendency to lapse into ‘pity-party mode’ at great—or slight—provocation. Why? Perhaps part of the reason is that we dread the unknown and part of the reason is that we base our expectation of the future on the worst aspects of our past.
We tend to define ourselves by the worst that’s happened to us and to base our expectations for the future upon the least-optimistic eventuality we can contemplate. We have constructed an emotional/mental ‘prison’ for ourselves and in it we are known by the worst thing we’ve ever done.
We are like David in this regard who, when pursued by an irrational enemy, acknowledged feelings quite comparable to ours. In Psalm 42:5 he said, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me...” We, too, are cast down and disquieted in the inner man. What recourse do we have? The same solution that David identified is available to us.
He goes on to say in this verse, “…Hope in God, for I will yet praise the One who is my Savior and my God.” When we are unable to find any avenue of escape from our tenuous circumstances, we must, look from the throes of despair to the Throne of our God and Savior as did David. We too shall find the Lord to be our escape, our hope!
We have a tendency to lapse into ‘pity-party mode’ at great—or slight—provocation. Why? Perhaps part of the reason is that we dread the unknown and part of the reason is that we base our expectation of the future on the worst aspects of our past.
We tend to define ourselves by the worst that’s happened to us and to base our expectations for the future upon the least-optimistic eventuality we can contemplate. We have constructed an emotional/mental ‘prison’ for ourselves and in it we are known by the worst thing we’ve ever done.
We are like David in this regard who, when pursued by an irrational enemy, acknowledged feelings quite comparable to ours. In Psalm 42:5 he said, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you disquieted within me...” We, too, are cast down and disquieted in the inner man. What recourse do we have? The same solution that David identified is available to us.
He goes on to say in this verse, “…Hope in God, for I will yet praise the One who is my Savior and my God.” When we are unable to find any avenue of escape from our tenuous circumstances, we must, look from the throes of despair to the Throne of our God and Savior as did David. We too shall find the Lord to be our escape, our hope!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Reap Faith's Outcome
February 26
We say we believe in God. We say we believe that Jesus never changes. We say we are confident that the works He performed two thousand years ago can and are still being performed today in response to prayers lifted in faith to His Throne of Mercy and Grace.
We hear about amazing miracles that are occurring in the Third World. We hear about people who walk for days to attend an evangelistic service where remarkable transformations of broken and sick bodies are happening in great numbers. We hear about people coming to faith in Christ, and we marvel.
We are like those who saw His glory in Mark 2:12 where we are told, “As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’” Yet we wonder why we are not seeing these miracles in our churches. Our prayers bounce off the ceiling. We wonder…
…But what have we done to point our lives in the direction of Jesus, the Source of the miraculous? What have we done to invite Him into our situation? Were we to appropriate His Word in faith, to anticipate His transforming touch upon our circumstances, we would not stand amazed when His wonders were performed; we would reap faith’s outcome!
We say we believe in God. We say we believe that Jesus never changes. We say we are confident that the works He performed two thousand years ago can and are still being performed today in response to prayers lifted in faith to His Throne of Mercy and Grace.
We hear about amazing miracles that are occurring in the Third World. We hear about people who walk for days to attend an evangelistic service where remarkable transformations of broken and sick bodies are happening in great numbers. We hear about people coming to faith in Christ, and we marvel.
We are like those who saw His glory in Mark 2:12 where we are told, “As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’” Yet we wonder why we are not seeing these miracles in our churches. Our prayers bounce off the ceiling. We wonder…
…But what have we done to point our lives in the direction of Jesus, the Source of the miraculous? What have we done to invite Him into our situation? Were we to appropriate His Word in faith, to anticipate His transforming touch upon our circumstances, we would not stand amazed when His wonders were performed; we would reap faith’s outcome!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
20/20 Vision
February 25
The ability to see is not exclusively dependent upon the acuity of our vision. In fact, we may have perfect 20/20 vision and be blind to spiritual truth. Conversely, we may be physically blind but see clearly in the spiritual realm. As precious as the gift of physical sight is, the ability to see spiritual truth is an infinitely greater blessing.
When Jesus moved among us along the shores of the Sea of Tiberius and the dusty streets of Galilee, people flocked to see Him. They had heard of His reputation as a healer and of His spell-binding oratory. In a day without libraries or TV or newspapers, He unquestionably provided a diversion. He alleviated their boredom, if nothing else.
So when He was approached by blind men seeking restoration of their sight in Matthew 9:28, He asked them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” Implicit in the question was the further inquiry, ‘…or are you merely here out of curiosity? Do you come simply because you’ve nothing to lose? Or are you truly stepping out in faith that knows who I am and what I can do?” He still asks us that today.
Oh, perhaps not as directly as He asked of the blind men who approached Him; but He asks by the delay of the answer to our prayers, by the exacerbation of the problem before it relents to the power of believing prayer. He asks because now, as then, He wants us to behold His glory with our spiritual eyes. That cannot happen if we do not first see the problem with eyes of faith in His power.
The ability to see is not exclusively dependent upon the acuity of our vision. In fact, we may have perfect 20/20 vision and be blind to spiritual truth. Conversely, we may be physically blind but see clearly in the spiritual realm. As precious as the gift of physical sight is, the ability to see spiritual truth is an infinitely greater blessing.
When Jesus moved among us along the shores of the Sea of Tiberius and the dusty streets of Galilee, people flocked to see Him. They had heard of His reputation as a healer and of His spell-binding oratory. In a day without libraries or TV or newspapers, He unquestionably provided a diversion. He alleviated their boredom, if nothing else.
So when He was approached by blind men seeking restoration of their sight in Matthew 9:28, He asked them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” Implicit in the question was the further inquiry, ‘…or are you merely here out of curiosity? Do you come simply because you’ve nothing to lose? Or are you truly stepping out in faith that knows who I am and what I can do?” He still asks us that today.
Oh, perhaps not as directly as He asked of the blind men who approached Him; but He asks by the delay of the answer to our prayers, by the exacerbation of the problem before it relents to the power of believing prayer. He asks because now, as then, He wants us to behold His glory with our spiritual eyes. That cannot happen if we do not first see the problem with eyes of faith in His power.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
No Turning Back
February 24
Knowledge can be a wonderful or a dangerous thing. Much effort and many resources have been expended to assure universal quality education. This application of money and dedicated service has resulted in an ever-increasing standard of living for an ever-growing number of people around the world.
Yet it has also resulted in a capability too terrible for words to have been placed in the hands of some of a reprobate mindset who desire to use this knowledge to destroy what is held dear by the preponderance of people on the planet—life itself.
In the spiritual realm, there is a danger of having the knowledge of the good things the Word intends for our edification, up-lifting and salvation. The knowledge of Jesus and His incomparable sacrifice in the behalf of those who believe is the only way to attain heaven as our life’s final destination.
But II Peter 2:21 says, “It would be better if they had never known the way of righteousness than if, after knowing it, they turn back.” God does not take lightly the mishandling of His Truth. Jesus, the Way, the Truth, the Life is given for our eternal blessing. To reject Him after knowing Him is to choose death over life.
Knowledge can be a wonderful or a dangerous thing. Much effort and many resources have been expended to assure universal quality education. This application of money and dedicated service has resulted in an ever-increasing standard of living for an ever-growing number of people around the world.
Yet it has also resulted in a capability too terrible for words to have been placed in the hands of some of a reprobate mindset who desire to use this knowledge to destroy what is held dear by the preponderance of people on the planet—life itself.
In the spiritual realm, there is a danger of having the knowledge of the good things the Word intends for our edification, up-lifting and salvation. The knowledge of Jesus and His incomparable sacrifice in the behalf of those who believe is the only way to attain heaven as our life’s final destination.
But II Peter 2:21 says, “It would be better if they had never known the way of righteousness than if, after knowing it, they turn back.” God does not take lightly the mishandling of His Truth. Jesus, the Way, the Truth, the Life is given for our eternal blessing. To reject Him after knowing Him is to choose death over life.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Life's Runway
February 23
High fashion. Changing styles. Rail thin runway models. K-Mart mock-ups of expensive attire. Clothing. It has become much more than Adam and Eve’s covering for their shame when their disobedience to God cost them their innocence in the Garden of Eden.
It can be an expression of taste and is also a reflection of budget. What we wear and how we accessorize it makes a statement about who we are and conveys that assessment of ourselves to everyone who sees us. Fine attire and expensive jewels shout to the world that we are affluent. Ordinary clothing declares our more humble means.
In ancient Israel, clothing had another purpose. The articles to be worn by the priests and by non-clergy had great significance and were applied judiciously to the accouterments worn to not only perform religious duties but also to evidence strict adherence to God’s laws. God, who knows man’s proclivity to dismiss the heavenly, set the riband as a reminder that he is to obey Him.
Numbers 15:39 specifies, “Tassels for you to look at will serve as reminders to you of all the Lord’s commands that you shall obey them.” These tassels tied the corners of a garment and hung as blue ribbons. The color signified heaven, of which they were to be ever mindful and reminded them of God, to whom they owed complete obedience—concepts not evident on today’s runway of life.
High fashion. Changing styles. Rail thin runway models. K-Mart mock-ups of expensive attire. Clothing. It has become much more than Adam and Eve’s covering for their shame when their disobedience to God cost them their innocence in the Garden of Eden.
It can be an expression of taste and is also a reflection of budget. What we wear and how we accessorize it makes a statement about who we are and conveys that assessment of ourselves to everyone who sees us. Fine attire and expensive jewels shout to the world that we are affluent. Ordinary clothing declares our more humble means.
In ancient Israel, clothing had another purpose. The articles to be worn by the priests and by non-clergy had great significance and were applied judiciously to the accouterments worn to not only perform religious duties but also to evidence strict adherence to God’s laws. God, who knows man’s proclivity to dismiss the heavenly, set the riband as a reminder that he is to obey Him.
Numbers 15:39 specifies, “Tassels for you to look at will serve as reminders to you of all the Lord’s commands that you shall obey them.” These tassels tied the corners of a garment and hung as blue ribbons. The color signified heaven, of which they were to be ever mindful and reminded them of God, to whom they owed complete obedience—concepts not evident on today’s runway of life.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Seeing As He Sees
February 22
“The Word of God is swift and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing the soul and spirit…discerning the intents of the heart” Hebrews 4:12. The Bible is alive, for it is the utterance of the Living God. Here it tells us that it will pierce us to the very core of who we are.
It will divide between the thoughts and intents of the soulish or natural man within us and of the spiritual man within each of us. It will reveal the hidden things in our heart. For it is not until we see ourselves as we are—see the hidden things God sees—that we can recognize our need for Jesus as our Savior.
As long as we think we’re good people, as long as we compare ourselves to other fallen members of the human family, we can rationalize away our foibles, justify our sins and polish our visage sufficiently that we may fool others and we may fool ourselves into thinking we’re decent and deserve God’s eternal reward. But doing so is not wise (II Corinthians 10:12).
However, when we see as God sees, when we measure ourselves not by the standard of other sinners but by the immutable Word of God, we will fall on our knees before Him to seek His mercy, His cleansing. When we have done this, then we will let His message “ring out …in every place we go…” so others may know and believe and be reconciled to our Holy God. (I Thessalonians 1:8).
“The Word of God is swift and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing the soul and spirit…discerning the intents of the heart” Hebrews 4:12. The Bible is alive, for it is the utterance of the Living God. Here it tells us that it will pierce us to the very core of who we are.
It will divide between the thoughts and intents of the soulish or natural man within us and of the spiritual man within each of us. It will reveal the hidden things in our heart. For it is not until we see ourselves as we are—see the hidden things God sees—that we can recognize our need for Jesus as our Savior.
As long as we think we’re good people, as long as we compare ourselves to other fallen members of the human family, we can rationalize away our foibles, justify our sins and polish our visage sufficiently that we may fool others and we may fool ourselves into thinking we’re decent and deserve God’s eternal reward. But doing so is not wise (II Corinthians 10:12).
However, when we see as God sees, when we measure ourselves not by the standard of other sinners but by the immutable Word of God, we will fall on our knees before Him to seek His mercy, His cleansing. When we have done this, then we will let His message “ring out …in every place we go…” so others may know and believe and be reconciled to our Holy God. (I Thessalonians 1:8).
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