God Our Refuge - Closet Reflections: June 2018

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Verse of the day: Judges 7:22, When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

There is a simple unpleasant fact that all of us need to acknowledge. Whether we are Christian, or not, we will all go through periods of suffering at some point in our life. The difference being that we, as God’s children, have Jesus to lean on during those times. Israel suffered at the hands of the Midianites, and now Gideon and his army initiate the battle cry against them, upon God’s leading. Note who is fighting the battle at the outset. It says, “The Lord set every man’s sword against his companion.” Yes, the Lord is the one who smites the Midianites as the battle begins. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul addresses the issue of suffering. He reminds us in verse 18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” In other words, when we consider what awaits us when we are finally with the Lord, suffering here for a short while does not compare. 1 Peter 1:6 and 5:10 also remind us that suffering is only for a short time, but those times are more precious than gold. They are more precious because they teach us much about who the Lord is in our lives and what He can do when we stay our eyes on Him during those times. It is during our times of suffering that we learn to be more like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29) and have the greatest opportunity to gain heavenly reward. Gideon was called by God to face an enemy that was far greater than he was, but it was God who would strike the first blow against Israel’s enemies. So it is with us when we encounter those times of oppression and suffering at the hands of our enemies. Romans 8:31 & 37 remind us, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” 37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” When we suffer, we often and immediately begin to think that we are suffering because of something we did wrong, which may not be the case at all. The demons try to use those times to convince us that God does not really love us. Yet, the Word of God reminds us in Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:38-39 further reminds us, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 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.” The fact of the matter is that God’s love is unwavering, and He will stand and fight for us when Satan and his demons launch their attacks against us. God reminded Israel, and we can hold on to this promise as well in Christ, in Isaiah 54:17, “‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,’ says the LORD.” The greatest battles we will encounter and the greatest enemy we will face are of the spiritual realm. Ephesians 6:12 clearly confirms this, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Be assured that when the enemy strikes, the Lord has already set the boundaries. We know this from Job 1:12 and Job 2:6. When suffering comes, God has already set up our defense and stands ready to strike the first blow against our enemies. This is why we must be obedient in doing two things. First, when our suffering comes because of someone else’s evil actions against us, we must forgive and return good for evil, allowing God to take vengeance (Romans 12:9-21; Ephesians 4:32). Secondly, we must submit and draw near to God, so that He will draw near to us, causing the enemy to flee (James 4:7-8). Suffering will always come; however, Jesus is always with us, and that is where we find our comfort and victory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Friday, June 29, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Just Get It Done

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Just Get It Done

Verse of the day: Judges 7:24, Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the mountains of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.”

As we read Gideon’s story and how God uses him, we can learn much about how we need to serve the Lord. The fact of the matter is that there will be times when God will put it on our hearts to serve Him in a certain way, and accomplish certain things, but people will not make themselves readily available to help us, at first. The percentage of “cheerleaders” compared to the percentage of people who will get “down and dirty” with us is usually much greater. Nonetheless, we must always remember that regardless of how many join us, it is always God who will enable us and get us through whatever mission He sends us on. One of the greatest advantages that Satan and his demons have over us, God’s children, is that they are organized and work together. On the other hand, we expend more energy, and waste more time, being at odds with each other and failing to minister to, and with, one another, that it is truly often a miracle that the church gets anything accomplished for the LORD. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 reminds us that even though there is one body, we make up that body, and each one of us has a different function that is beneficial to the whole. These verses read, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.” Every one of us who is a born again Christian should be serving the Lord in some manner that will bless the local church and those around us. Our ministry is not limited to the inside of the local church building. Our ministry should extend to our personal, social, and work lives as well. We can partner with other Christians we know personally or at work to spread the Gospel and be witnesses for Christ. Although many initially went home when given the opportunity, and others who were willing were disqualified by God, this did not discourage Gideon from going forward and carrying out the mission God called him to. The reality of life walking with, and serving, the Lord is that not many will partner with us or be willing to sacrifice their time and resources in order to serve with us. This is why we must, as individuals, surrender our lives and serve God faithfully, not based on who joins us, but solely on the fact that we have been separated, in Christ, for God’s purposes and glory (Ephesians 2:10). Later, after Gideon and the 300 men initiated the battle and began to gain victory, Gideon called on others to join him in battle. This was not a lack of faith on Gideon’s behalf, and he did not doubt that God could not finish what He had already started in giving Israel the victory. Gideon was simply calling others to join in the blessing of seeing victory in the LORD. This was actually a move, on Gideon’s part, that promoted unity and exhortation among the people. Hebrews 10:24-25 says to us, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Gideon could have been selfish in his thinking, and chosen not to call the late-comers to enjoy the spoils of victory over the enemy since they had not been willing to do all the hard work up front. However, he chose the better approach so that in the end God would receive the greatest glory. The only way that we, as the church, will see truly great things accomplished for the LORD is to be united in our mission to evangelize the world, and lead the lost to Jesus.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Fear and Doubt Alleviated

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Fear and Doubt Alleviated

Verse of the day: Judges 7:9, It happened on the same night that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.

The story of Gideon, like many other instances in Scripture, shows how merciful God is when He is dealing with doubt and fear in our lives. Gideon was given more than enough evidence that God was the One calling him, and gave Him plenty of assurance that He is the One who would be with him, and fight on his and Israel’s behalf. Here, God once again reminds Gideon that the Midianites are delivered into his hand. The next few verses show God’s great mercy in dealing with Gideon’s fear and doubt. Although God wants us to trust Him and have complete faith in Him, when He sends us on a mission that is greater than we are, He does not get angry with us when we experience those moments of fear or doubt, as all we need is faith as small as a mustard seed. In verses 10-11 God addresses Gideon’s fears, “‘But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.’ Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp.” We do not have to be facing the challenge of a physical war, as Gideon was facing, but for many of us there are things and circumstances that cause us to fear and doubt. There are situations and challenges that create anxiety in our hearts, whether family issues, health issue, or issues at work, God is always ready to ease our hearts and minds. In the times when we become fearful and doubt God, let us remember Isaiah 41:13, “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” However, in order for God to relieve our anxious moments, it means we must be truly seeking Him and spending real time in prayer, and the reading and studying of His Word. Anxieties left unchecked will be a weapon in the enemy’s hands. Charles Spurgeon said, “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.” Gideon’s fears and doubt were legitimate, considering what lie ahead. Note that Gideon did not express his doubt, but God was the one who initiated the suggestion that Gideon go on the “recon mission” that would give him complete assurance that he would have victory. Again, some would say that this was a complete lack of faith, but Gideon had enough faith to be obedient and march forward to battle, even though he had fear and doubt. When Gideon took the steps that God directed him to take, in helping relieve his anxieties, this is what Gideon discovered in verses 13-14, “And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, ‘I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.’ 14 Then his companion answered and said, ‘This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.’” Hearing this, Gideon was encouraged and he worshipped the LORD, returning to his camp and encouraging the 300 men that were going into battle with him to rise and follow him in their victory, which God promised, over the Midinates. I do not know what challenges or situations you may be facing today, but I do know this, our God is ready, willing, and waiting for us to turn to Him so that He can calm whatever anxieties are burdening our hearts and minds.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Process of Elimination

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Process of Elimination

Verse of the day: Judges 7:3, 5, Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.”

The process by which God brought Gideon’s army down to 300 may seem a bit strange, but we can learn much from it. The character of those who were eliminated very much applies to the kind of service we will find today amongst God’s people. We might even find that we fall into one of these categories. The first group was eliminated because of their fear. They were afraid to go into battle, probably because they knew what kind of challenge they were facing and were not willing to die for the cause. Sadly, there are too many Christians today who fear serving God because of one little question: “What if?” “What if they don’t like me because I talked about Jesus?” “What if I give this, but then don’t have enough to pay my bills?” I believe you understand where I’m going with this. Fear is one of the enemy’s greatest tactics he uses against God’s people. Yet, the Word of God is filled with verses about not being overcome by fear, but instead trusting God. Isaiah 41:10-11 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ 11 ‘Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish.’” Psalm 56:2-3, says, “My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High. 3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Sadly, these are the folks who will talk a good game, and promise that they will stand with us, but will be nowhere to be found when it comes time to put forth action to back up their words. The first opportunity the people were given to abandon the cause, because of fear, took flight as soon as Gideon announced they could go back home. The other group of Christians is much like the soldiers who lapped up the water like dogs. They are self-centered, and are so focused on self that they are oblivious to the enemies’ tactics in their lives that keep them from truly serving God. They are so focused on accomplishing their own goals, and living out their lives the way they think it should be lived, that they cannot be trusted to do anything of any worth for the kingdom. These are the folks who have one foot in Christianity and one foot in the world. 1 John 2:15-17 reminds us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” There will be those moments in our Christian walk when we will face great challenges, only to find that very few people will be around to support us and stand by us. However, let us be reminded that God may allow this in certain situations so that we can praise Him for the fact that we can trust Him to get us through, and know that when everyone else failed us, He did not. The bottom line you ask? The only Person we only ever need, when everyone else is eliminated, is God. He will never fail us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: No Army Big Enough to Stop Us

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No Army Big Enough To Stop Us

Verse of the day: Judges 7:2, And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’

If there is any time that our faith is tested, it is when God leads us down a path where we encounter challenges that are far bigger then we are able to deal with on our own. As with Gideon and Israel, God wanted them to completely trust in Him, and give Him the glory. Far too often, God blesses us, and we begin to gain more in life, and experience some success, only to start believing that we are something, when we are really nothing. God made it clear in Galatians 6:3, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Note the difference between the way we see possible answers to challenges, as human beings, and the way God sees answers to challenges. Although outnumbered, Gideon saw better odds with higher numbers to back him up, while God knew that it was not the number of men that would give Gideon and Israel the victory, but the fact that God was with them and would fight for them. Life’s biggest challenges for us, the Christian, are not challenges of flesh and blood, but spiritual ones manifested in the physical world. The enemy might use someone we know, family, friends, co-workers, and even another brother or sister in Christ, but the ones pulling the strings to discourage us and distract us is the invisible enemies we do not see. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Regardless of how small we may see ourselves, or how small our help may be from other people, in comparison to the trials we face, God is always bigger. Zechariah 4:6 says, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” Psalm 20:7 also says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” The bottom line is that God allows the big trials and challenges into our lives to remind us of how small we really are and how big He is. It is His way of encouraging us to rely in Him and keeping us humble in our walk with Him. The Apostle Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Accomplishing “big things” in God’s service is not a bad thing. It is only becomes a bad thing when we lose sight of who is the One who is making the “big things” happen and succeed. Let us face the big battles knowing that we are too small to be victorious on our own, but when the army we belong to consists of just us and God, then that is an army that is big enough to defeat any enemy God allows to confront us.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Just Making Sure

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Just Making Sure

Verse of the day: Judges 6:39-40, Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.

Many will read this passage of Scripture and conclude that Gideon was a man of little faith. Yet, Gideon is listed in God’s “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. We know that Jesus said that faith as small as a mustard seed could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). However, Gideon is an excellent example to follow in seeking God’s daily direction for our lives. Gideon’s first request for the fleece to be dew-soaked could have been explained scientifically, and therefore, with reverent fear, he approached God again, asking Him to do something that would be, “without a shadow of a doubt”, unexplainable by any scientific method or human reasoning. How often do we undertake smaller tasks than Gideon was facing without ever consulting with the Lord for direction? How often do we stop throughout our day and just ask God, what is your desire for my life today? How can I serve You today or serve someone else so that You will be glorified today? We set out to buy things, accomplish our own set of goals, but never ask for some confirmation from God to see if what we are buying is a need or a want, or if the goals we set are in line with God’s plan for our lives. What stands out more than Gideon’s desire to make sure he is on the right track, is God’s patience, mercy, and grace, in performing these miracles upon Gideon’s request. Let us not forget that God has already confirmed twice that He was the One sending Gideon, and even promised Gideon He would be with him (v. 16, 21). God demonstrate how patient He is with those who are His and who He calls into service. Psalm 103:8 says, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Psalm 145:8-9 also says, “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Gideon approaches God with reverence, and God demonstrates how kind and loving He is toward those who are His, even when their faith is small. James 1:5-8 clearly tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” God desires that we come to Him continually, seeking His guidance and His wisdom, and all He requires is that we have faith, even if it is faith as small as a mustard seed. In Luke 11:9-10 Jesus said, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” The key is to ask in accordance to God’s will and not ask amiss, for our own selfish pleasure (James 4:3). Gideon was seeking to fulfill God’s will and plan for His life, and was asking for verification of this plan. God, in spite of the fact that He had already communicated clearly to Gideon what He wanted from him, patiently answered Gideon’s request for more confirmation. When we find ourselves unsure of what our next step should be, or even if we know, but want to make sure we are on the right track, let us not be afraid to go to the One who set the plan in place. Our God is patient, merciful, and gracious. He knows our heart when we pray and ask, and He knows whether we are asking in faith. Like Gideon, let us make our requests for daily guidance with faith and godly fear, knowing that our God will always give us an answer, in His time of course.

Friday, June 22, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Leave It to Him

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Leave It to Him

Verse of the day: Judges 6:31, But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”

We read in the previous verses that Gideon set out, in obedience to God, to do something that could potentially put his family at odds with him. He tore down his father’s altar to Baal (v. 25-26), risking hatred from his own family, and possibly even death. In spite of this, he obeyed the Lord. What keeps us, often, from obeying God’s will and plan for our lives? I find that we often hesitate to do what God calls us to do because we are too busy trying to manipulate a favorable outcome. We must continually remind ourselves that the outcome of any situation, or any mission the Lord leads us to undertake, belongs to Him. As we walk with the Lord, we only see a slice of what the whole circumstance entails. God, on the other hand, sees the whole picture. He already knows the outcome, and He sees all the working parts of a situation. He guides us in ways we do not always understand, and He often chooses not to show us up front so that we follow Him by faith. Although our understanding is limited, Psalm 147:5 tells us, “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” This is the reason we must lean not on what we think we understand, but instead, do as Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Gideon had no way of knowing that his father would come to his defense, but he trusted that God would take care of the outcome of what He commanded Gideon to do. He may not have even realized that what he set out to do in obedience to God’s command would prepare him for the greater task of facing the Midianites with an army that would be far smaller than Gideon would have chosen for himself. We rob ourselves of being used in greater ways when we do not trust God in the smaller tests of our faith. God made us this promise in Isaiah 55:8-11, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” When God leads us down a path that could lead to potential conflict or difficulty for us, we must trust that He already knows that outcome, and that He will protect us from whatever we will face in being obedient to His leading. It is far better to face challenges that come as a result of being obedient to God’s leading, than to disobey Him because we desire a certain outcome, and face the dangers that lie on the path we choose for ourselves, without His protection. Jonah experienced that personally, when he chose to go in the opposite direction from which God had sent him. Where is God leading us to that we are hesitant to go because we do not have enough faith to trust Him with the outcome? What blessings are we forfeiting because we are choosing to disobey and go our own path, because we fear the possible outcome of doing what we know God wants us to do? God knows all and is in control of all, but that knowledge will do us no good if we do not truly believe it in our hearts. Obey God, trust His leading, and leave the outcome and consequences to Him. He will never let us down.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Complete Surrender

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Complete Surrender

Verse of the day: Judges 6:25-26, Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”

One of the first things Gideon had to do in serving the Lord was take a stand that could put him at odds with his own family. It is obvious from this passage, that Gideon grew up in a home where idol worship was common practice. As God’s children, we are called to serve God and God alone. This means removing all idols from our lives, whomever or whatever it might be. Sadly, one of the first groups of people that may become our enemy when we accept Jesus into our life is family. As Christians, what we know to be life drastically changes, to include our religious beliefs. It is important for us to realize that there may come a time in our life when we have to choose between pleasing our family and friends, and pleasing God. The best choice is pleasing God. This means that we stand the chance that we will have to choose to walk alone, as many might forsake us because of our allegiance to the Lord. Jesus said this in Matthew 10:34-39, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Gideon was sent on a mission that would prove that He loved God even more than his own family. This did not mean that Gideon did not love his father by carrying out God’s command. God does not desire that we hate or disrespect our parents or anyone in our family. He does require, however, that we prove that He is number One in our lives, even if it means that it causes those closest to us to forsake us. The fact of the matter is that if we truly love our family and friends, we will share the truth that Jesus is the only Way to the Father and the only Way to obtain eternal life. To compromise our message, and our faith, for the sake of keeping peace, because we love them and do not want to have them get angry with us or turn their backs on us, only proves that we really do not love them as much as we claim we do. It is better to have them get angry, and even forsake us, trusting that God will use our testimony to lead them to Him, than to compromise for the sake of peace, only to have them perish for eternity. How will we feel when one of them dies without Christ, knowing that it is now too late to share Jesus with them? How will it feel knowing that we had an opportunity to see them again someday with our Savior, but now it is too late because we chose peace with them over allegiance to Jesus? It is evident from verse 27 that this was not an easy thing for Gideon to do, “So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night.” In spite of that, Gideon chose to obey God. How do we expect God to truly use us in a great way, if we are not willing to forsake all for Him? Jesus said this in Luke 9:23-26, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.” To take up our cross daily means to put self aside and live our lives in such a way that many of those we love and cherish might choose to walk away from us because of our dedication to the Lord. Are we truly ready to be that committed to our relationship with Jesus?

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: At Peace for War

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At Peace for War

Verse of the day: Judges 6:23-24, Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

The realization that he had been face to face with God caused Gideon to fear for his life. How many of us have that kind of reverence for God’s presence in our lives? I am afraid that I would have to admit that not many of us have this kind of respect for the Lord. The evidence that this is true is the mere fact that all of us sin against Him in our everyday lives, even knowing who He is. How terrifying it would be to be face to face with God. Sadly, there are many today, Christians included, who think that they can stand before God with boldness (in and of ourselves); this is simply our own sinful pride that makes us think this way. The Lord immediately calms Gideon’s fears by reassuring him that he will not die, because God, in His mercy and grace, has allowed Gideon to be at peace with Him. Too many of us do not truly understand the eternal danger we were in before we made peace with God, through Christ Jesus. Romans 5:1-4 tells us, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Now that we are at peace with God, in Christ, we are no longer in danger of being eternally condemned. However, this is no excuse for using Jesus as “Fire Insurance” and taking the attitude that, “Now that I’m saved, I don’t have to worry about anything. I can just sin when I want, because I have eternal security.” Wrong! The other mindset is, “Well, I’m all set, I’m heaven bound and don’t have to do anything else.” Wrong! Philippians 2:12-13 clearly tells us, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” We are saved, not just to have eternal life, but also to faithfully serve God and live a life that represents Jesus in a way that glorifies Him. One of the things that makes me cringe, when I hear it, is when I hear a Christian say to someone who does not know Jesus personally, “If you accept Jesus as your Savior, your life will become easy, and your problems will go away.” This is one of the most misleading statements I hear, repeatedly. The truth of the matter is that when we are adopted into God’s family, through Christ, we are enlisted into God’s Army. There is a clear reason God provides us with Spiritual Armor (which is a picture of Jesus Christ) in Ephesians 6. Gideon was at peace with God, but it was for the purpose of going to war against the Midianites. The moment we become Christians, we must prepare ourselves for war. The enemies, Satan and his demons, will be on the attack. However, like Gideon, God will now be with us and will be our strength. Our challenges in life, and troubles, may increase, but if we completely trust the Lord, our peace and joy will also increase while we are in the heat of battle. This is the reason the Apostle Paul wrote the following words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-4: “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” The Apostle Peter warned us about our enemy in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” When we, as Christians, set out on our mission to evangelize our family, friends, co-workers, and the community in general, we step out onto the battlefield. However, knowing that we are at peace with God, and trusting that He is with us and will fight for us, should give us the courage that Gideon demonstrated in going against an army that outmanned him and his army by great numbers. The devils outnumber us, but our God is far greater than any demonic army is. So I say to each of us, put on Christ and do not be afraid to step into the heat of the battle, for the fight is not ours, but Christ’s, and in Him we will have victory (John 16:33).

Monday, June 18, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: The Power of His Might

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The Power of His Might

Verse of the day: Judges 6:14, Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

What might did Gideon have that could possibly give him victory over the Midianites? Even Gideon responded that he was from the weakest clan in Manasseh in verse 15. Yet, it was this very attitude, along with a few other characteristic that made Gideon a mighty man of God. The Apostle Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 concerning those whom God calls into His service, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.” This made Gideon the perfect candidate to carry out God’s plan. Gideon, in spite of everything that was taking place in Israel, continued to labor diligently and did not allow the circumstances to discourage him from doing so. Gideon was a humble man, who did not see himself as someone to worthy of being used for God’s purposes. He had knowledge of what God had done in the past, and yearned to see God do great things for Israel again. Although Gideon felt he could do nothing, he cared about his people and desired that God would do something. The key to Gideon’s success would not be his physical strength in taking on the Midianites. Instead, it would be the fact that he was weak, and God would be able to show His strength through Gideon. If we are going to glorify God in our service to Him, we must be a people who acknowledge that without God we can do nothing, and be confident that all things are possible with God (John 15:5; Luke 1:37). This means that we must serve Him with humility. Philippians 2:5-8 tells us, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” We must study the Word of God and have a knowledge of who He is, what He has done and can do, without becoming puffed up in our knowledge. As God’s children, we must care for, and love, one another, and be concerned for one another’s well-being (John 13:34-35; Philippians 2:3-4). We must not only know God’s Word, but we must be doers of God’s Word (James 1:22-25). The one thing, above all else that made Gideon a mighty man of God, over everything else, was what the Lord said to him in verse 16, “And the LORD said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.’” In Ephesians 6:10, the Apostle Paul said this in respect to putting on the Armor of God in facing the enemy, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” If we are to serve the Lord successfully, meaning that we serve Him so that He gets all the glory, we must serve Him in the power of His might and not our own. Like Gideon, we must acknowledge that we are small and weak in comparison to what our mission is here on earth. However, as born again Christians who have Jesus, we are mighty and nothing is impossible for us to accomplish in the Name of the Lord, if we are truly allowing Him to lead and be Lord in our life. In this life, we will suffer and face many challenges. However, God promised that He would work all things for our good (Romans 8:28) and told us in Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Let us therefore go forth into battle with humility and the power of His might.

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Before You Point Your Finger

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Before You Point Your Finger

Verse of the day: Judges 6:13, Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

Have you ever felt like God was far away? There are times in our lives, and walk with Christ, that we feel as if God is not present with us in our times of trouble. Well, I want to tell you that you are not alone in feeling this way. There are going to be those times in life when we feel like God is not present, and that He just does not care about what is going on in our life, because we do not see anything happening. We have seen God working in our life before, and we hear the testimony of other people, and how God is working in their life, but everything is static in our own. This is when we begin to question, like Gideon, “O my Lord, if You are with me, why then has all this happened to me, my family, or my loved ones?” The one thing that Gideon fails to acknowledge, or realize, is that God has been present all the while Israel was suffering. It was not God who moved away from Israel, but Israel who moved away from God. We often question God’s inactivity in our lives, but fail to realize that God did not move. instead, it was us who moved away from Him. Hebrews 13:5-6 promises that the Lord will never leave us, nor forsake us. If we would just learn to be content with what He is already blessing us with, and seek Him alone, we would be more in tune with His presence in our lives. The fact of the matter is that God is always present in us, as born again believers. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 tells us, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 1 Corinthians 3:16 also confirms God’s presence, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” God said something to Israel that is applicable to us as His children. In Isaiah 59:2, God said to Israel, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” If we harbor secret sin, and if we insist on compromising our Christian life, by seeking the things of the world, and neglecting prayer and the Word of God, the Lord will go silent in our lives. We know that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39), and we have already said that we are sealed and indwelt by the Spirit, thereby being secure in our salvation, but God can certainly choose to be silent and make us feel as if He were not present. We see Jesus ability to be present but unrecognizable when he walked with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24). All the while, these two men walked with Jesus, but did not know it was Him until He opened their eyes. Sin in our lives will have this effect on our walk with the Lord. Israel had sinned against God, once again, and now Gideon is questioning God, when he should be questioning Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. There will be times when we feel abandoned and feel like God no longer loves us. 1 John 3:20-21 reminds us, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.” God is always present and His love for us never changes. He may have to discipline us from time to time, and may even have to become silent, in order to get our attention, but He will never stop loving us. It would behoove us to stop and consider what is going on in our life, and what we are doing that has caused us to move away from God, before we point a finger at Him and accuse Him of moving away from us.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Unexpected and In Due Time

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Unexpected and In Due Time

Verse of the day: Judges 6:11-12, Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

One of the things that we often complain about is having to work for a living. We complain about our workplace, about the tasks we have to accomplish, and about the time work takes away from what we really want to do. Sadly, this result in poor work ethic for many of God’s children. As born again believers, we should have a reputation for being the most diligent people in our workplace. In fact, when God placed Adam in the Garden, He tasked Adam with taking care of the Garden. Genesis 2:15, tells us, “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” The fall of man resulted in work becoming a burdensome task. Genesis 3:17-19 tells us, “Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.’” Nonetheless, the Lord expects us to be diligent workers, and by the way that we work, bring Him glory. Colossians 3:22-24 clearly explains how diligent we should be, and why, “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Often, people have complained that they cannot figure out what God’s plan is for their life. They complaint that they cannot find a mate, or accomplish some other thing they feel they need to accomplish in this lifetime. However, what I have found in my years of serving the Lord is that He appears to us during times when we are busy doing what we have called to do, and during solitary times. Gideon was both busy and in a private place. Although he was hiding from the Midianites, so they would not steal the wheat, he was faithfully, and diligently, laboring. It was while he was carrying out his duties, in the temple, that the angel appeared to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, to tell him that Elizabeth would bare a son who would prepare the way for Jesus’ first coming (Luke 1). I know of a missionary couple who met while faithfully serving God in the youth group of their local church. It has been during the busiest times of my life that God has led me to great opportunities of ministry. Whether busy serving within the local church, or busy serving at our place of employment, if we are faithful with what God has tasks us with, He will show us, in due time, what it is He desires for us to accomplish in His Name. It is for this reason that we must not only be diligent in our workplace, but we must also be careful to take time to spend some private time with the Lord, praying and studying His Word. Far too often, we waste more time chasing what we want, rather than just focusing on living as God has called us to live, and letting God bring those things into our lives, He has for us, in His time. Like Gideon, like Zacharias, like David, who was chosen to be king while he was busy tending his father’s sheep, let us be busy at doing what needs to be done at our jobs, at home, and at the local church. In due time, God will show up, unexpectedly, and lead us on the path to the ultimate task He has for us to accomplish in His Name, and for His glory.

Friday, June 15, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Mustard Seed Faith

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Mustard Seed Faith

Verse of the day: Judges 4:8, And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”

If we read this statement alone, we would get the impression that Barak had no faith in God to deliver Sisera into his hands. However, based on New Testament Scriptures and the rest of the story here in this chapter, Barak was actually a man of faith. As a matter of fact, he had enough faith to be mentioned by God in the “hall of faith”, Hebrews 11. When I read this portion of Scripture it reminded me of Mark 9, where a man desired healing for his son, but Jesus’ disciples could not heal him. Jesus’ response to this man’s request, and his response to Jesus, was this in verse 23-24, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’” In Matthew 17, this same encounter is recounted, but Matthew added this in verse 20 as Jesus spoke to His disciples about their inability to heal the man’s son, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’” Barak experienced both loss and victory in his decision to refuse to go out to battle without Deborah’s presence. He seemed to trust more in Deborah’s presence than God’s invisible presence, which would have required more faith. His loss was that the glory for the victory over Sisera went to someone else. However, his little faith put him face to face with an enemy that should have been able to defeat him, but under God’s protection, and the little faith he demonstrated in facing that enemy, he earned himself a place in God’s “hall of faith”. Hebrews 11:32-34 says this, “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Barak’s tiny faith gave him the courage to face an enemy with 900 chariots of iron, with swords alone. However, the greatest praise goes not to Barak, but to the Lord who responded to even the tiniest amount of faith, as we read in verses 14 and 15, “Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot.” What is God calling us to do that will require faith? The fact of the matter is that we will have those moments when our faith will fluctuate. We may find ourselves in the same place that John the Baptist found himself when he sent his disciples to question Jesus and ask Him if He was the One Israel was waiting for (Matthew 11:2-3). God can do great things in us, and through us, even with faith as small as a mustard seed. Let us go forward today, allowing God to move mountains in our life, for with Jesus little is much.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Follow Me

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Follow Me

Verse of the day: Judges 3:28, Then he said to them, “Follow me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

Today’s message is short and to the point. It is based on a statement Jesus repeated while He was here on earth, “Follow Me.” To follow Jesus meant to trust Him. It meant to live as He lived. Here, Ehud tells Israel to follow him because God has delivered them and was with them. How would others react if we told them to, “Follow me”? Would they trust us enough, based on how they see us live for God, to follow? Who would they be following? Would they be following us and our selfish ambitions, the devils, or Jesus? As a leader in our home, would our family be able to follow with confidence, knowing that we are leading in accordance to God’s Word and will? Ehud had just used what was considered a personal limitation in his life, at that time in history, to do something great in the Name of the Lord. He now turns to Israel and tells them to follow him. Do we live for God and serve Him in such a way that it encourages others to do the same? The Apostle Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore I urge you, imitate me.” In 1 Corinthians 11:1, he again wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” The Apostle could say this with confidence because he abstained from the things of this world. Although we know from Romans 7 that he struggled with the flesh, as we do, he stayed focused on his mission to take the Gospel to every place God led. He did good, by faith, wherever he went, and made sure his testimony lifted up Christ in his life. The Apostle John wrote this in 3 John 1:11, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” The bottom line is simple…we must live life in such a way that if others choose to mimic our behavior, our attitude, and our lifestyle, they would be imitating Jesus. This means that they would love as Jesus loves. They would forgive as Jesus forgives. They would obey and sacrifice as Jesus did, and they would give as Jesus gives. I ask again, “Who would others be following if they chose to follow us?

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Our Weakness His Strength

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Our Weakness His Strength

Verse of the day: Judges 3:15, But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

Once again, Israel cries out to the Lord due to their oppression, oppression that resulted from their own rebellion. God sends them a judge, Ehud, who had a physical ability considered a peculiarity in those days. I was born being left-handed, and the belief was that being left-handed was evil, so as a child, I was trained to be right-handed. In some cases, being left-handed was equivalent to having a disability. Although there are challenges to being left-handed, mostly because a lot of the tools we use are manufactured for right-handed people, it is not something that today would be consider a disability in any way. What makes this a significant point to stress in this passage is that in those days, being left-handed was most certainly a peculiarity. With that said, note how God uses Ehud’s peculiarity to deliver His people. Ehud, being left-handed, gave him an advantage in being able to approach Eglon without being suspected. It is also the opinion of some that Ehud was left-handed because he had some kind of disability to his right hand, which would have led Eglon to have an even great false sense of security in meeting him. What I would like for us to see in this is that God can use every single one of us, regardless of what we perceive our shortcoming or weakness to be. In reality, it is in our weakness that God receives the greater glory. Moses had a speech problem, but that was not a problem for God (Exodus 4:10). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul had issues with his eyes. In Galatians 4:13-15 he wrote, “You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.” In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, the Apostle wrote this, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” The bottom line is that having some kind of shortcoming, physical disability, or any other weakness, is not an excuse not to serve the Lord. God can use anyone who is willing to make themselves available, and who will trust the Lord to work through them in whatever capacity He chooses. Sadly, many able-bodied believers squander their talents and abilities. They choose to use them for their own benefit and praise, and for the world’s benefit, but leave the local church wanting when it comes to ministering to the saints. Ehud could have whined about being born left-handed in a right-handed world. If it was a fact that he was disabled in his right hand, he could have complained, as Moses did, about his disability, and made excuses why he could not perform the task God called him to. Instead, Ehud chose to use his peculiarity as an advantage in serving the Lord. Before we complain about what we cannot do because of a shortcoming, let us remember God’s response to Moses’ objection in Exodus 4:11-12, “So the LORD said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.’” We can waste our life making excuses for what we cannot do because of our own perceived disadvantages, or we can trust God to use those very challenges and weaknesses to accomplish great things, and bring glory to His Name.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: To Be Yoked or Not Be Yoked

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To Be Yoke or Not Be Yoked

Verse of the day: Judges 3:6, And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.

This cannot be said enough…we must NOT yoke ourselves to the unsaved. God was very clear with Israel that they were to avoid being unequally yoked with people who did not follow and worship the one true God. That command did not die with Christianity. If anything, God re-emphasized it, through the Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ 17 Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.’ 18 ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.’” Far too often, we will convince ourselves that the person we are with, who is not a born again believer, will become a Christian. However, what I see, more often than not, is the Christian beginning to do the things that their unsaved boyfriend or girlfriend prefers. Even worse, born again believers marry unsaved people, and as time passes, and children are born to the couple, other things such as children’s sports, day events, and family gatherings, become more important than going to church and serving God. The unsaved do not understand the concept of giving to the church or missions. In friendships, it is almost a guarantee that the Christian will start doing the things that their unsaved friends prefer. God warned us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’” I can hear it now, “Just because my friends are not saved, that doesn’t make them evil.” How many of our unsaved friends encourage us not to use foul language? How many of our unsaved friends insist on us living godly lives? How many of our unsaved friends encourage us to turn to God when things go awry? There are many issues (too many to list here) that arise when we yoke ourselves to the unsaved and the world; whether in personal relationships, or business relationships. Israel did not heed God’s warning and it cost them dearly. They did evil before the Lord and ended up being enslaved by these very people. If we are careless in heeding God’s warning to us, we will find ourselves enslaved to profane language, addiction to substances, sexual practices that violate God’s Word, and so on. When we stray from God, His Word, and forsake the gathering together with other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), we set ourselves up to become lovers of the world (1 John 2:15-17). I will say, from personal experience, that there is nothing that compares to being yoked in a relationship with another believer, whether in friendship, business, or marriage, where we can find godly encouragement in difficult times. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to praise God together, through good and bad times, and have the ability to give to others without having to justify continually why we give. The bottom line is, when we choose the unsaved as partners in any venture, we set ourselves up to worship someone, or something, other than our one true God, Lord and Savior. The consequences can, and will, be devastating. On the other hand, to choose to be equally yoked with a believer, and serve God together, will result in both earthly blessings and eternal blessings.

Monday, June 11, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: School of Hard Knocks

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School of Hard Knocks

Verse of the day: Judges 3:2, (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it)

The generation after Joshua’s did not know the Lord, or what He had done for Israel, in bringing them into the Promise Land. Israel’s failure to remove the former inhabitants set up the next generation for troubling times. The Lord, in response to this generation’s rebellion, refused to remove their enemies, and leave them there to test Israel. It may seem rather drastic, and unlike God, to purposely expose His people to war, but this was actually a blessing. So often, we want peace and joy in our lives, but experience trials and tribulations, both internally and externally. When this happens, we push back and get discouraged and even question, “Why Lord?” What we miss in all this is that God is allowing the trials as both a test and a faith-building exercise. Romans 5:3-4 tells us, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” James 1:2-4 also says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Finally, 1 Peter 1:6-9 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” The bottom line is that God allowed Israel to be in a position to learn by way of the “school of hard knocks” because they were surrounded by enemies that were not going to let them rest. The only way that Israel would learn to survive is to experience war. So it is with us today. If we are going to learn to have peace, joy, and trust God through trials and tribulations, God must allow us to experience them. How do we know whether we can apply what we have learned if we are not tested? How do know where are faith is unless it is tested? Humanly speaking, we want peace and joy in the form of living tranquil lives, but the fact of the matter is that we have an enemy that wants to destroy us. He knows he cannot have our souls, as we belong to Jesus if we have truly trusted Him as our Savior. The next best thing the devil can do is make us useless for the cause of Christ, the furtherance of the Gospel. When we experience tough times, let us rejoice in that we are being tested for God’s glory. If we are doing nothing for Jesus, then the enemy will leave us in our state of slumber. However, once the fire in our hearts is ignited for the things of God, know that the enemy will come at us full force. If you have not yet known spiritual war, know it is coming; but also know that God has equipped us to stay in the battle by providing us with spiritual armor (Ephesians 6). Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, let Him lead us as we enter the battlefield, and know that the enemy can attack at any time. We must view our trials, not just as the battlefield, but also as the training ground in the spiritual school of hard knocks.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Trapped

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Trapped

Verse of the day: Judges 2:21-22, “I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”

Once again, we see the result of Israel’s choice to satisfy their own passions and corrupt pleasures. God chose their own sinful indulgences as the rod for their discipline. The very people they spared for their own profit and pleasure became the source of their griefs and troubles. Isaiah 66:4 tells us, “So will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; because, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.” As God’s children, we tread dangerous waters when we choose to indulge in sinful behavior, in order to fulfill our fleshly lusts, rather than resist temptation and do what is right. The choices we make to sin today, and the things we choose to indulge in, may very well become the rod God uses to discipline us. God had warned Israel, long before their rebellion, that this would be their consequence, if they chose the practices of the pagan people who inhabited the land. Deuteronomy 7:4 says, “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.” This warning is still in effect for us today in James 1:12-15, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” Sin will never be without its consequences. However, God in His goodness will use our sinfulness to test us. I say His goodness because He uses these moments of discipline to show us what is truly in our hearts, and gives us an opportunity to turn back to Him. He allows heavy consequences and suffering in order to turn our eyes, and life, back to Him. Sadly, this could all be avoided, in many instances, if we would not put ourselves in positions to be tempted in the first place. Romans 16:19-20 clearly says, “For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” We must strive to be people who have a reputation for being obedient to God, and avoiding even the opportunities for temptation. If we know we are vulnerable to sexual sin, stay away from pornographic sites, and from involving oneself in flirtatious situations with the opposite sex. If we are vulnerable to addictions, stay away from fellowship with people who indulge in drugs and alcohol. We fool ourselves if we think we can dabble in sinful behavior (and those who do) and not fall to temptation. We may succeed today, and even tomorrow, but be “spiritually off” next week and give in to temptation. Our enemy lulls us to sleep by allowing us to have a victory or two, only to lead us down a path of entrapment. Romans 6 tells us that we are dead to sin and alive to God. We must use our bodies as instrument for God’s purposes. As Christians, we have been saved from a life of sinful living. If we then become careless, dabbling in that which is sinful, we will certainly trap ourselves all over again. 2 Peter 2:20-22 clearly warns us, “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” The Israelites trapped themselves by their own doings. Let us be careful not to find ourselves trapped by our own lack of wisdom, and positioning ourselves to fall to temptation. God may choose to use our very own decisions to dabble in sinful behavior to be the rod of discipline He uses to bring us back to Him. I guarantee that it will be a painful process to endure.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Stand Up and Stand Out

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Stand Up and Stand Out

Verse of the day: Judges 2:18, And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…” When we read about how God dealt with Israel, and we step back to consider how He deals with us, how can we not proclaim that His grace is amazing? In spite of their continued rebellion, God was “moved to compassion by their groaning”. This reminds me of Matthew 9:36, where we read this about Jesus, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” God’s compassion for His people moves Him to action on our behalf. How overwhelmingly amazing is that? God has compassion and is moved by a sinful, stubborn, and rebellious people, when we suffer and cry out to Him. God’s desire for us is not that we suffer without hope, but that we bring our cares to Him, and find peace in Him, so that we can endure whatever difficulties we face here on earth (1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7). What is most interesting in this is that in spite of idolatry, sinful living, and outright rebellion of these people, God was able to raise up judges in their midst. He used men and women whom He would raise up above the rest, to lead them and deliver them. Not only would He raise them up, but more importantly, “the Lord was with the judge”. When Jesus came, He saw that people were lost “like sheep having no shepherd”. What did He do? He gave His life, offers us eternal life, and raises up men and women to carry His message to a world filled with people who are suffering in ways that we cannot imagine, and who are on the path to eternal condemnation. Are we those people He wants to raise up in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation? The Apostle Paul wrote this in Philippians 2:15, “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”. We are supposed to be His light-bearers. We are supposed to be those who, like the judges God raised up in Israel’s midst, stand up and distinguish ourselves from the rest, by living a life that honors the Lord. Do we want to be the ones that God uses to proclaim His Holy Name, so that the lost will find eternal life, joy and unsurpassable peace? Do we truly have a desire to be used as that messenger, that minister, that faithful servant who starts a revival in the hearts of those around us? The bottom line is that regardless of how bad society gets, how corrupt and perverse this generation, God is still able to raise us up to be shining lights in this dark world. The problem is not that God cannot. The problem is that we will not. Let us separate ourselves from the lifestyles and practices of this world, so that God can use us in a mighty way that will bring Him glory. God is still in the business of raising up Christians to accomplish great things for the Kingdom. Will we be one of them?

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Nevertheless

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Nevertheless

Verse of the day: Judges 2:16, Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

This is truly an amazing verse. Before we read this, the Scriptures tell us that Israel had forsaken God. Because of their greed and cowardice, they compromised and allowed an idolatrous people to remain on the land that God had given to them. Their failure to completely remove the people from the land, as directed by the Lord, led them to a place where they too became corrupt and idolatrous. Verse 11 says that Israel did evil before God. Verses 12-13 tell us that they forsook God and worshipped pagan gods. God’s anger was kindled against them and He gave them over to their enemies (v. 14-15). I recount all this, not because I want us to focus on how sinful Israel was (for we too are just as sinful), but I want us to focus on what God did in response to their sinfulness. Even though He became angry with them, and His hand was against them, God still loved them and showed them mercy and grace. The last thing Israel deserved, or any of us deserve today, is God’s loving-kindness. Nevertheless…yes, nevertheless, the Lord showed mercy and gave them a way to be delivered from their suffering, even though it came as a result of their own rebellion against the Lord. How much better than that can God have been to them? A better question is, “How much better than that can God be to us?” There are many of us who have found ourselves in situations where we are suffering because of our own choice to sin and disobey God’s Word. We might point our finger at someone else, or even make all kinds of excuses for why we choose what we choose, in rebellion to God’s commands, but the bottom line is that we have no one to blame but ourselves. In spite of that, God continues to be God and seek to bring us back to Himself by being better to us than we deserve. Romans 2:4 reminds us, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” In spite of God’s goodness to Israel in providing them a judge to deliver them from their times of rebellion, this is what God says about their response to His goodness in verse 17: “Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do so.” How often has God shown us His goodness, yet we continue in with our idolatrous and sinful ways, until God chooses to discipline us in a more harsh manner that finally gets our attention? How do we react when God’s discipline finally befalls us? Do we get angry with God? Do we despise His discipline as if God were doing something evil against us? Do we need to be reminded that God’s discipline is His goodness toward us? Do we need to be reminded that He disciplines us because He loves us and we now belong to Him because we called on Jesus to be our Savior? Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’ 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Let us not be as Israel was with God. When God shows us mercy and grace in those times when we deserve nothing less than eternal condemnation, let us respond with grateful hearts. Let us respond with conviction and repentance, turning back to Him. Let us thank Him for loving us so much that He is willing to discipline us, if necessary, to bring us back into fellowship with Him. Today, let us consider how we are living and who we are truly worshipping. Let us put away the idols, the gods, we are worshipping, and turn back to God’s goodness. Let us worship and live for the one and only true God. How much better can He be to us than that He has given us eternal life in Jesus Christ? How amazing is He that in spite of our sinful ways, His response is, “Nevertheless…”?

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Will They Know Him?

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Will They Know Him?

Verse of the day: Judges 2:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

What a truly sad commentary. When we stop and think of all the great and miraculous things that God did for His people in the previous generation, yet the next generation knows not the God who was responsible for the great blessing of being inhabitants of the Promise Land. Is this what is in store for our next generation? Are we doing all we can to make sure that our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and anyone else within our circle of influence, know who God is, and what He has done in our lives? Are we rehearsing God’s blessings in our lives and sharing that testimony as often as possible? Is our life a reflection of gratitude for all that God is doing, whether in good or bad times? Are we living a life a peace and joy (regardless of our circumstances) that will open up opportunities to share who Jesus is, with others? God repeatedly told Israel to tell their children what God had done for them in bringing them out of Egypt and how He led them into the Promise Land. Exodus 13:8 says, “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.” Exodus 13:14, “So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’” Deuteronomy 4:10 also says, “Especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’” In the New Testament, we have a great example of what happens when we are diligent to ensure that our children know about God and who He is. The Apostle Paul wrote this in 2 Timothy 1:5 in respect to the influence Timothy’s mother and grandmother had on him, “When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” If we are truly faithful to proclaim the Lord to the next generation, and testify of Him continually, teach them about Him, regardless of what path they take in life, God promised that they would return to Him. This promise is found in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Let me say this…this is not a guarantee that they will never stray or take a painful path in life. It promises that no matter what they choose and experience because of their choices, they will eventually turn back to the Lord, if they have the godly foundation we are supposed to set for them. As God’s children, we must do all we can to make sure that the next generation not only knows about God, but we must testify of Him, and live in a way that encourages them to have a personal relationship with Jesus Himself. Can we honestly say, as individual Christians, that we are doing this?

Monday, June 4, 2018

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Partial Obedience is Disobedience

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Partial Obedience Is Disobedience

Verse of the day: Judges 2:1-2 Then the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. 2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?

Some of us today are far too satisfied with only doing what is necessary to make it appear as if we are dedicated followers of Jesus. We pick, and choose, what portions of Scripture we will obey, half-heartedly obey others, and ignore the ones that are inconvenient or make us feel like we will miss-out on something if we obey them. Well, I have to say this…partial obedience to God and His Word is NOT obedience. The Israelites were promised the land, and God showed them repeatedly that He was faithful to that promise. Yet, time after time, we see them disobey the Lord and choose their own plans and ambitions over completely conquering the Promise Land. How often do we only partially obey what we know God’s will is for us, because we allow our own plans, desires, and goals, to take priority? How often do we try to appease God by doing something, that we consider “sacrificial”, because we know we are not truly obeying His commands and direction? In 1 Samuel 15, when Samuel confronted King Saul about his failure to obey God’s command, he said this in verse 22, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” The Israelites failure to conquer the land was not a result of God not being able to deliver the people that were already dwelling there into their hands. Their failure was the result of their own selfish desires, their cowardice, and their unbelief. Israel’s partial obedience (which in reality is disobedience) later resulted in much conflict and suffering by the hands of those they spared. We only fool ourselves if we convince ourselves that our partial obedience will not come back to “bite us” later. In this passage, God warned them that their choice to disobey Him would result in God no longer helping them drive the people out, the same people that would become thorns in their side (v. 3). When we compromise with the world, and compromise relative to our own plans and desires, the result is always idolatry. Just as the gods of these people became a snare to Israel, so our plans and goals become a snare to us, as they become our gods. Sadly, the Israelites reacted the same way we react when we come face to face with conviction from the Holy Spirit about our “partial obedience”. Verse 4 tells us, “So it was, when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.” They wept at the thought of what they were going to lose, but there was no real, long lasting repentance. We see this as the Book of Judges records how Israel continually went through the cycle of doing what was right in their own eyes, suffering the consequences, turning to God, being delivered (because God is merciful and good), only to return to their old ways of disobedience. Are we in a place where we need to ask God to give us a “heart check-up”? Are we in the midst of being partially obedient about something God desires to accomplish in our life right now? Is there something, or are there things, in our lives that are causing us to stray from being obedient to God’s Word, will, and plan for our lives? Do we need to put aside the gods that are drawing our attention and worship away from God, because we are seeking out our own plans and dreams of worldly success and gain? The bottom line is that partial obedience is not obedience; it is disobedience.