God's Everlasting Love

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 

“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

Do you ever get up in the morning feeling out of sorts or a little glum? If so, I have a solution for you. Open your Bible and read. It won’t take you long to put on a new attitude.

The Bible, God’s holy word, is full of His promises and tells of His everlasting love. Why despair? YOU ARE LOVED!

Do you despair because you aren’t yet a child of God? Accept Christ today—don’t delay! Admit that you are a sinner; “for all have sinned…”—Romans 3:23. Believe that Jesus is God’s Son; “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…”—John 3:16. Confess your faith in Jesus; “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”—Romans 10:13.

As Christians we can rejoice with joy unspeakable—1 Peter 1:8; revel in the peace which passes all understanding—Philippians 4:7; enjoy hope in abundance—Romans 15:13; and so much more! Romans 8:31-39 tells us no one can be against us if God is for us; nothing can separate us from the love of Christ; and that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us.

So get up, put on the full armor of God—Ephesians 6:13-17; and prepare to face the day with the assurance that He will never leave us or forsake us, (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5).

God Bless!

Are You Working Faithfully?

The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30

"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Several years ago I had a lady under my supervision that was chronically late for work. When she did arrive, she spent the first 30 minutes of the day in the restroom applying her make-up.

The lady was very attractive and had a pleasing personality but unfortunately the tasks assigned to her were poorly done or not done at all. While there was nothing “on paper” to indicate her ability to successfully complete higher level duties she had the habit of asking me for increased responsibilities on a regular basis.

What about you? How is your work ethic? Do you work faithfully? Are you working to the best of your ability for the Master, Jesus Christ? Are you completing your tasks in such a way that He will say to you, “Well done”? Or will He call you wicked and lazy?

The talents with which we begin our faith journey all differ in variety and amount. Some of us begin in abundance (five talents) and some with less. However, it is not how much we begin with that is relevant, but it is what we do with what we have been given that is so vitally important. What are you doing and what are you accomplishing with what the Master has given you?

The Christian life is one of love and the service to others borne out of that love. You are to “invest” the talents you have been given to add value to the Master’s estate. We aren’t working for our own increase; our reward is found in the pleasure and happiness of helping (increasing) and serving others; our reward is found in the way in which the Master greets us upon His return! Amen.

God Bless!

Joy Unspeakable

These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1:7-8

“How was He revealed to you?” asked Christian.

“One day I saw Him—not with my eyes but with my heart. The Lord Jesus looked down from heaven on me, saying, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.’ And I replied, ‘Lord, I am a very great sinner.’ He answered, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’ And my heart was full of joy, my eyes full of tears, my love running over in the ways of Jesus Christ.” (Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan, Abridged, 2010 Barbour Publishing, Inc., p. 120)

In the above text, Hopeful is describing his salvation experience. It reminded me somewhat of my own experience. Hopeful tells of praying what he calls the “prayer for salvation”, (p. 119); also known as the sinner’s prayer, “many times”.

I, too, prayed this prayer many times in succession. Why? Because, as I think of it now, I was not merely asking God to forgive me and come into my heart to live forever; I was begging Him to do so! I had been burdened with thoughts of conviction for so long that I yearned for the saving grace and release that can only be found through Christ Jesus.

While I eagerly speak of things I feel the Holy Spirit has put into my heart, I don’t talk enough of my own salvation experience. I suppose I don’t feel my own testimony is “dramatic” enough—you see I am fortunate enough to have “grown up” in church. My life has been blessed by a loving, Christian family. But with all these advantages, at the age of 15, I still had not accepted Christ as my personal Savior.

I had fooled myself into believing I was a Christian. I was in church and certainly those around me thought me a Christian. But I wasn’t and I knew it and I was very deeply under the conviction of sin.

In the summer of my 15th year, I was attending a church camp—a typical summer activity for me and my sister. After one of the evening church services that week, I asked my pastor’s wife to pray with me. Even though it was so many years ago, I still remember it as if it were yesterday. And I did literally beg Christ to save me. I will never forget that wonderful feeling of the Holy Spirit coming into my heart and lifting that awful burden of sin!

My pastor recently said, “There are no bad testimonies.” That brought to mind a verse, Jesus Himself speaking says, “I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

As the apostle Peter wrote, “…though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” Amen!

You too, can have joy unspeakable in your life today, this moment, by accepting Christ as your Savior. Admit that you are a sinner; “for all have sinned…”—Romans 3:23. Believe that Jesus is God’s Son; “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…”—John 3:16. Confess your faith in Jesus; “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”—Romans 10:13.

There are no magic words to recite. Just go to Christ in heart-felt prayer, confessing you are a sinner and your need for a Savior. Invite Him into your life; He’s waiting for you. Amen.

God Bless!

Are You Going? Are You Telling?

Isaiah 6 tells of Isaiah’s call to be a prophet of God. Isaiah 6:8 is an oft repeated verse:

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

As Isaiah was sent to declare the word of the Lord, the apostle Paul tells of his calling in Romans 1:1 like this:

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God”.

As believers in Christ Jesus, we, too, are, “separated to the gospel of God” and we have been given a commandment to go:

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Are you going? Are you speaking the good news to others? Are you recognizable as a child of God; a joint-heir with Christ?

Do you find yourself “dropping” the name of Jesus whenever possible? Or do you behave in such a way others would be surprised to know you consider yourself a Christian?

Paul said,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” Romans 1:16a.

You don’t sit on good news; you spread it! What kind of family member or friend withholds good news?? Get out there! Spread the word!

Be an Isaiah, saying, “Here am I Lord, send me!” Be like Paul, separated to the gospel and unashamed. Let others know they too can be a part of the family of God and can share in the good news of Jesus!

Godspeed and God Bless!

Successful Living

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:33-34

What is your personal definition of success? If you define success in worldly terms you no doubt include within your definition the word self-sufficiency or at least some variation of that word. Sarah Young, in her book Jesus Calling, has written, “The truth is that self-sufficiency is a myth perpetuated by pride and temporary success.”

This serves to remind us of how differently “the world” and “the Way” define success. The world values self-reliance and independence. However, the Bible teaches us to look to God for all our needs; to be obedient to His word and His way.

The only way we can truly “take hold of our destiny” is by letting go of our own dreams and aspirations and totally devote ourselves to God. Settle the question of your future today by accepting Christ as your savior if you haven’t already done so and by committing your life fully to God by saying, “I want for my life whatever God wants for me.”

Blessed Lord, I give myself fully to You; to walk in Your way. Remove from my heart foolish pride and vain-glory that I may live in Your strength alone. I will praise Your precious name forevermore. Amen.

God Bless!

Seeking Intimacy through Prayer

As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. Psalm 42:1

What is prayer? Simply said, prayer is communication with God. Why we pray is not a question so simply answered. People pray for many reasons. However, praising God and seeking a closer relationship with Him through prayer should be a priority.

When we want to know someone better, we talk with them. It certainly follows that communication with God in prayer is a way to get to know Him better.

I challenge you to use heartfelt, sincere prayer as a way to learn more about God’s character, His will and His way. If you have an intense desire to feel the presence of God in your life, don’t neglect spending time with Him in prayer. You will find this an invaluable asset in your walk of faith.

Having an ongoing dialog with God should be as natural to you as having an ongoing dialog with your friends. Matthew 7:7 tells us to keep asking, keep searching, and keep knocking and the door will be opened to us.

God Bless!

Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. Proverbs 21:23

The Bible has a lot to say about the tongue. And why shouldn’t it? For the tongue has the power of life or death; it can build up or it can destroy. With the tongue we reveal the truth of what is on our mind and in our heart.

By our tongues we give define the nature of our character. If you want to know what kind of person I am; what I hold to be true; what I value; my moral standards; whom I love, etc.; listen to what I have to say. It does not take long to reveal the truth of one’s beliefs if you take the time to listen.

If you count the number of scriptures relating to the tongue (good or bad), the book of Psalm has the most to say about the tongue. The book of Proverbs returns a close second in the total number of verses referencing the tongue. However, the book of James has devoted an entire chapter (James 3) to the discussion of the tongue.

James begins in chapter 3, verse 2, by saying we must keep our whole body in check. He continues in verse 5 by saying that even though the tongue is small, it is powerful and is able to cause great damage. In verse 6, James completes this thought by designating the tongue, “a world of evil among the parts of the body”!

Not to worry; James does not leave us feeling hopeless; he begins to speak of the wisdom we obtain when we have a personal relationship with God, our Heavenly Father:

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18

James continues in chapter 4 by telling us if we submit ourselves to God, He will take care of us (and our frequently troublesome tongue)! Praise God!

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:7-10

God Bless!

Rely on God

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war." 2 Chronicles 16:7-9

How often we are tempted to rely upon ourselves and our own knowledge or the knowledge of others when called by the Holy Spirit to complete a task. Instead of relying wholly upon God, we seek the direction and blessing of others. In essence we are saying, “God told me to do this but I wanted to check with you first.”

It takes strength and courage to step out for God, especially when it seems everyone else is against you. We often face Goliath-sized battles in life. But take heart and remember the words of young David before the giant Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:47, for the battle is the Lord’s and He does not save by the sword or the spear. When the battle is the Lord’s we have nothing to fear but only need to trust Him completely, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him”, 2 Chronicles 16:9.

Loving Father, Help me to remember always You fight for those whose hearts are fully committed to You; that You look throughout the earth to strengthen Your faithful. Amen!

God Bless!

Made to Worship

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

When you accepted Christ as your Savior you were made a new creature in Christ Jesus; redeemed and reconciled by His love. The Lord is always near because the Holy Spirit now resides within you. We are to rejoice always for we are forever guarded by Christ Jesus. He is Protector, Provider, Advocate. Place your worries at His feet and receive His peace.

Holy, Holy, Holy; Lord God Almighty, I thank you for lifting me out of the miry pit; for redeeming me; for abiding within me; for providing me with each and every need; for protecting me always. I thank You for Your peace that passes all understanding. I thank You for directing me in the paths of righteousness. I will forever love You and praise You. Amen.

God Bless!

Teach Me

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11

David was passionate about God. He found pleasure in learning about God; the ways of God; the commandments of God. He wanted his mind and his heart to be completely focused on God.

Are you passionate about God also? Do you seek daily to learn more about Him? Is your heart and mind undivided so that you may completely focus on God? It is the desire of God that you always seek Him with all your heart, mind, and soul.

My prayer is this:

O God, since my youth, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. Psalm 71:17-18

Amen!

God Bless!

Speak Boldly

And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:19-20

The Apostle Paul was serious about his obligation to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. He carried out this task with a sense of urgency and he spoke boldly at every opportunity.

In Acts 20:20, Paul says, “I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it”; not only teaching publicly but also from house to house. Furthermore, in the same chapter, verses 26 and 27, Paul says, “I am innocent of the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”

What a powerful example Paul has left for us to follow. Do you speak boldly for the cause of Christ? Are you able to say you are innocent of the blood of all men because you have never failed to speak to others concerning Jesus?

The call to spread the gospel is not a spiritual gift that you have or do not have. The call to spread the “Good News” is a command given to us by Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).

Father—Thank You for Your Son; thank you for saving me. Help me through the power of the Holy Spirit to be your ambassador; always proclaiming Your gospel boldly and lovingly to others. Amen.

God Bless!

With All His Heart

And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. 2 Chronicles 31:21

Hezekiah became King of Judah when he was twenty-five years old and he immediately set about to clean-up the mess of the previous king. 2 Chronicles 29:2 tells us Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Hezekiah knew the cause of the desolation which had fallen upon the land—the people had turned away from God (v. 6-9).

Hezekiah made a covenant with God (v. 10) and he called upon the Levites to return to serving and ministering in the Lord’s house (v. 11). When the Levites had sanctified themselves and the house of the Lord, Hezekiah commanded a sin offering be made not only for Judah, but also for all Israel (v. 24). (Note: this was unusual because Israel was split into two kingdoms at this time.)

Then Hezekiah sent letters out to all Israel and to Judah that everyone should come to Jerusalem to keep the Passover (this had not been done for quite some time). He encouraged the people to serve the Lord, “for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him” (2 Chronicles 30:9).

Verse 10 tells us that as the runners passed from city to city delivering the letter from Hezekiah they were laughed at and mocked; nevertheless some humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Verse 11 says that all Judah obeyed the command of the king because God “gave them singleness of heart to obey”.

As the people gathered and celebrated the Passover, we are told Hezekiah prayed—the Lord listened to him and healed the people (v. 20) and furthermore, when the Levites blessed the people, their voices were heard by the Lord in His holy dwelling place, heaven (v.27).

Hezekiah did not shrink away from his duties. He saw the situation was severe and he immediately set to work. He followed God with all his heart. He obeyed God quickly, sweetly, and completely and “so he prospered” (31:21). Blessings are linked to obedience.

Dearest Lord, I pray that I would follow the example set here by Hezekiah. Show me what you would have me do; give me clean hands and a pure heart that I may follow You and obey You quickly, sweetly, and completely in all things. Amen.

God Bless!

The B-I-B-L-E

“The Bible is one of the topmost selling books of all times. Currently, there are approximately 438 translations of the full Bible in various languages.” (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/worlds-best-selling-books-of-all-times.html)

In their list of best-selling-books, Wikipedia lists sales of the Bible at “between 2.5 billion and 6 billion”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books)

The Bible is God’s guidebook; His roadmap for our walk of faith as we journey through life. God tells us in His word what He expects of us and He never asks us to do anything that contradicts His word.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. Psalm 119: 105

I have treasured [hidden] Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:11

The Bible tells us about sin, the consequences of sin but also tells us what we must do to be saved.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

Bible study is an essential part of spiritual growth. Scriptures are the milk of the word. Babies first drink milk and then proceed to solid food; the same is true of babes in Christ.

“…like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation…” 1 Peter 2:2

The Bible equips us to serve God; Ephesians 6:17 tells us the word of God is the “sword of the Spirit”. Philippians 4:8 tells us how to honor God:

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

Commit yourself to reading the Bible daily. Challenge yourself to read through the Bible each year; http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans/.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

The Bible is an invaluable tool; these few paragraphs barely scratch the surface when considering the importance of the Bible to each of us. To simply say, it is God’s word, should be enough to convince anyone of the importance of becoming completely familiar with the Bible. It is a treasure waiting to be discovered and explored by you. Become passionate about the word of God…you’ll never regret doing so.

God Bless!

God Our Father

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands…blessings will come upon you and accompany you…
However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees…curses will come upon you and overtake you… Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, 15

Deuteronomy 28 is divided into two parts: verses 1—14 record the promise of blessings for obeying the Lord our God while verses 5—68 warn us of the promise of curses for disobedience. This is only one of many places in the Bible which depicts, “Our Father who art in heaven…” as the ultimate parent.

As the ultimate parent—the original parent, the Creators loves; He protects and provides; He teaches; directs and leads us in the way that we should go; He encourages; He tells us repeatedly what He expects of us, in advance, and He lets us know the consequences of our actions. He blesses us when we follow and obey Him and He never rewards poor or unacceptable behavior. Lastly, as the ultimate parent, God never changes and He will not forsake His children; His word is final.

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:11

Precious Lord, Loving Father, thank you for loving me and teaching me Your ways; I will forever love You and obey You. Amen.

God Bless!

Keep Your Eyes on God

“We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b

Have you ever felt total despair? Have you ever felt completely defeated against an enemy, not knowing what to do or where to turn? 2 Chronicles 20 tells the story of such a situation. The answer: keep your eyes upon God; allow Him to fight for you.

The peoples of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir came up against Judah. When King Jehoshaphat heard this he immediately turned to God. What a great example for us to follow!

As individuals we may not have great armies come up against us, but we can experience enormous turmoil in our lives. Our personal problems can sometimes overwhelm us. What to do? Turn to God; fix your eyes upon Him. Give God complete dominion over your life and your troubles.

When Jehoshaphat was told of his approaching enemy, he was fearful and the first thing he did was to “set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (v. 3). Those with him, all of Judah, gathered together to seek the Lord; in other words, he enlisted those loyal to him to seek the Lord with him.

Jehoshaphat not only prayed before God, but he prayed with confidence, calling upon the strength of the Lord, knowing God alone could deliver him. Jehoshaphat knew he had no power to save himself but he trusted God completely, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the Lord God.

“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (v. 6)

God replies to Jehoshaphat in verse 15 saying, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of the great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Further, verse 17 records, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

Jehoshaphat went to the battlegrounds knowing the victory was his. So much so, he enlisted singers to go before the army saying, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” (v. 21).

When Jehoshaphat and his army arrived at the battlegrounds the enemy was already dead…God had caused them to destroy one another (v. 23).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God loves us. Call upon Him; have confidence in Him; give all your troubles to Him; keep your eyes fixed upon the Creator; He fights for you.

God Bless!

Mind Your Ways

“But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.
So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.
“Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! Psalm 81:11-13 (NKJV)

Have you ever wanted something so badly, only to receive it and then immediately regret ever wanting it? Sometimes the Lord teaches us valuable lessons by allowing us to have our own way; to walk in our own counsel. This is a powerful lesson indeed, for we don’t always “want” what is best for us.

God giving us over or giving us up to our own wants and desires is a frightening thing. How terrible to walk in the wisdom of man rather than the wisdom and counsel of the Creator, the Almighty God!

Evidence that God sometimes punishes mankind by giving them up to their own stubbornness and arrogance is found in Romans 1:24-26 where we are told God gave them up to their own lusts, uncleanness, and vile passions. Where man follows his own way instead of God’s way tragedy ensues.

Let us settle the question in our hearts today; humble ourselves before God; repent of past sins and commit to walking in the ways God today and always. We have been assured that if we delight our hearts in the way of the Lord, He will bless us.

O my soul, you have said to the LORD,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.” Psalm 16:2

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:3-5

Dearest Lord, Forgive me my arrogance and stubbornness. I commit myself fully to You today; I pray I may always walk in Your way. Amen.

God Bless!

Seek God First; Seek God Always

2 Chronicles 14-16 tell us about Asa, King of Judah. Asa became king when his father Abijah died. Asa started out quite well for we are told that there was no war for the first ten years of his reign. Asa “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord, his God” (14:2). Not only did Asa worship God, he also commanded Judah to “seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment” (14:4).

When after the tenth year of Asa’s reign, the Ethiopians came up to attack Judah with a million men, Asa cried out to the Lord saying, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (14:11)

Clearly, at this time Asa’s heart and faith in God were pure for he recognized the power of his God. Verse 13 records, “So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army.”

Azariah, a prophet of God tells Asa as long as he will seek God, God will be found by him, but if he forsakes God, then God will forsake him. Indeed, Asa remains true to God for many years; so much so chapter 15, verse 13 tells us anyone who did not seek God was put to death. Asa even removed his own mother from being queen mother because she had an “obscene image” (v.16) of Asherah.

Sadly, 2 Chronicles 16 records that in the thirty-sixth year of his reign, Asa seeks aid from the king of Syria instead of calling upon God. When told of his error, Asa, does not repent, but throws God’s prophet into prison. Later, when Asa becomes ill, he once again rejects God and seeks the help of man. Soon after, Asa dies.

The lesson for us is clear; we are to seek God first and always, (i.e., continuously). As long as we seek Him, He will be found by us. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us:

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

That is a powerful statement; a comforting statement. This is not just an outdated, Old Testament lesson, for Christ Jesus repeats this same lesson in the Sermon on the Mount when He teaches us in Matthew 7 to seek and we will find. James, the brother of Jesus, repeats the lesson in James 4:8 when he tells us to draw near to God and God will draw near to us.

Thank God for His infinite grace, mercy and love toward us! Amen!

God bless!

Help!

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 121:1-3 (NKJV)

My father used say, “Everybody needs a little help every now and then.” My dad was not an easy person; he was not a touchy-feely person. He was tough and rouged; a man’s man. But through this saying and through his actions he taught me to help others.

We should always extend a hand of love and friendship to those in need where it is within our power to help them but REAL power and might come from the Lord. 2 Chronicles 13 tells of how King Abijah (grandson of King Solomon) relied on the Lord to help him when he was completely outnumbered by those who would destroy Judah.

After the death of Solomon the kingdom of Israel split into a northern kingdom called Israel and the kingdom of Judah which was ruled by the descendants of David. Jeroboam was king of Israel and went to war against Abijah, king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 13:3 records Jeroboam had eight hundred thousand “choice men, mighty men of valor” while Abijah had an army of four hundred “valiant warriors” and “choice men”.

Outnumbered by two to one, what does Abijah do? He stands on a mountain side and delivers a scalding sermon to those fighting against him. Battle tacticians of today would call Abijah’s tactics lunacy; I call his stance faith and confidence in the Almighty Lord.

Abijah tells Israel (after calling them worthless-idol-worshiping-God-less-rogues) that Judah, has not forsaken the Lord their God (v.10), but have kept “the command of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him (v. 11).” Further, Abijah says, “Now look, God Himself is with us as our head...do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper! (v.12).”

(By the way, I should mention that verse 13 tells us that while Abijah was preaching to the army of Israel, they completely surrounded him and his army...not to worry...read on!)

What was the result of this complete reliance upon God? Verses 15 and 16 tell us “that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah and the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.”

We do all need help, but the greatest malady from which men suffer cannot be abated by other men; it can only be healed through admitting the need for a Savior; repenting of sin; believing that Christ is the Son of God and accepting His gift of forgiveness; and confessing Christ as Lord.

You too can have the confidence of David and Abijah. You too can celebrate the knowledge and power that the One who keeps you does not sleep or slumber. You too can say that your help comes from the Lord; the Creator, who made the heavens and the earth. Accept Christ today…He’s waiting on you with open arms; ready to help.

God bless!