Monday, July 30, 2018
Is It About Me or Jesus?
Verse of the day: Judges 12:1, Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!”
This seemed to be a pattern with the men of Ephraim. When God gave Gideon victory over the Midianites, the men of Ephraim made a similar claim in Judges 8:1-3. Once again we see a disturbing pattern that exist still today amongst God’s people, and ought not to be. Why the anger? It stemmed from pride and selfishness. The battles had been fought and the victory won, but here comes Ephraim complaining that they were robbed of opportunity and glory by not being called to battle. Unlike Gideon, who chose diplomacy and peace, Jephthah chose to confront the hypocrisy head on. He quickly reminded these men that help was sought from them, but they failed to provide that help in verse 2, “And Jephthah said to them, ‘My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands.’” Sadly, this will still happen today within the church. The need will be great, and those who choose to help meet that need will be few. Once the work is done, and praises are being given for the accomplishment, those who refused to step forward will now step up and ask, “Why was I not told you needed help?” This, in spite of the announcements, and personal invitations to get involved in the work God was doing. I love what Jephthah says next in verse 3, “So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” In other words, when it came down to it, the victory was Jephthah’s because it was the LORD who gave it. Far too often, there are those who will only get involved to the extent that they receive recognition, even if it means jumping on the victory bandwagon, even though they contributed nothing to the real work. I ask, “Why do we serve the Lord?” Do we do what we do in serving for personal recognition or God’s glory? Do we thrive on the high of men’s accolades and a pat on the back? Are we willing to serve, and do it heartily unto the Lord, even if it is obscure and unseen? Colossians 3:23-24 tells us, “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.” Are we willing to do that which will produce no earthy recognition, but great heavenly reward? Our motivation in serving God should always be for His glory, and when we seek men’s praises, that is our reward, men’s praises (Matthew 6:2). Will we be like the Pharisees who loved the praises of men, more than praise from God (John 12:43)? The men of Ephraim were prideful and selfish, and it cost many of them their lives. What will we forfeit when we refuse to serve God in some area, simply because it will not gain us the prideful recognition we seek here on earth? For each of us, the born again believer, it would be best if we served the Lord with humility, seeing no task or ministry as being “beneath us”, and continually seeking to allow Jesus to increase in our lives, as we decrease (John 3:30), so that people ultimately see more of Him and less of us.
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).
Sunday, July 29, 2018
No Need for Foolish Vows
Verse of the day: Judges 11:30-31, And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
Here is a man who knows God, is being used by God, and yet even when filled by the Spirit makes a foolish vow. Every one of us who is a born again believer has access to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are immediately sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit when we call upon Jesus (Ephesians 1:13-14). However, there are instances when we need to be filled with the Spirit (or draw from His power) to receive clear guidance and receive empowerment to witness, preach, teach, and serve Him in certain ways (1 John 2:20, 27). Jephthah was filled with God’s Spirit and moved forward in the power of the Spirit to face the Ammonites. Yet, he felt the need to make a vow that he would later regret. As God’s servants, we must be careful about doing things or making promises to God that are unnecessary, as we cannot twist God’s arm when we desire a certain outcome to the situations in our lives. When we walk with God daily, and face the challenges of life, we must trust that whatever we are facing, God already has an outcome in mind for each situation. He knows where He wants to lead us, and what He wants to accomplish. He desires to use us and does not need His arm twisted. Therefore, we do not need to fast or make foolish vows in hopes that God will give us the results we are looking for. Fasting for the purpose of drawing near to God in prayer and the study of His Word, and becoming more sensitive to His leading, so that we can serve Him the way He wants us to is much different than fasting simply because we are looking to receive an answer to prayer the way we want it answered. Making a vow that puts conditions on God, such as, “If you do this, I’ll do that” is not the kind of vows we should be making before God. We should be obedient and serve Him simply because He is God and has been better to us than we deserve, and because we love Him. God was in the process of leading Jephthah and Israel to victory against the Ammonites, even before he spoke his promise to God. There was no need for him to make such a vow, which cost him his daughter. There are differing opinions as to what actually happened to his daughter, as human sacrifice was strictly forbidden in Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 12:31. It is more likely that she was given to serve in the Tabernacle, based on the guidelines given in Leviticus 27:2-4, and based on examples of women serving in the Tabernacle in Exodus 38:8 and 1 Samuel 2:22. Regardless, the point is that we must walk with the Lord knowing that the power of the Spirit is available to us to help us and guide us through all of life’s difficulties. I truly believe that if any one of us had made this vow, and then saw our child coming to meet us, we would have broken that vow, piling sin upon sin in not only making a foolish vow, but then breaking it because of our own haste. The positive aspect of what Jephthah did is that he was unwilling to break the word and promise he made to the Lord. That is the only quality that each of us should be known for as Christians. In a day and age when people’s word means nothing, we should be known as people who can be trusted and counted on if we tell someone that we will do something or not do something. The bottom line is that our word should be our word. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 5:37, “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” In the power of the Holy Spirit we can do whatever it is God has called us to do. He provides us with guidance using His Word and prayer. We truly have all that we need in order to navigate the twists and turns of life without the need for making foolish vows. Simply trust God and the power He provides us via the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus.
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).
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Our God vs their gods
Verse of the day: Judges 11:23-24, And now the LORD God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? 24 Will you not possess whatever Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the LORD our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.
Jephthah, now representing Israel as their judge, sends a message to the Ammonites, and essentially tells them, in few words, that the land that Israel now possesses belongs to them because God gave it to them. Although the Ammonites possessed the land and lost it to the Amorites, and in turn, God gave it to Israel, the Ammonites now see themselves as strong enough to take it from Israel. Jephthah, although ready to fight against them, first tries to reason with them. Therefore, when challenged, we too must first turn to reason as a way of resolving issues with other, and especially amongst our brothers and sisters in Christ. The best way to resolve conflict is to follow the command given in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” The one thing that will enable us to do that is to remember that the majority of the battles we fight are not our battles to fight. Most of the challenges in our lives, if we are doing our best to live for the Lord, are going to be spiritual battles that belong to God. We are reminded of this in Ephesians 6:12, “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.” Far too often, when challenged or offended, we immediately respond in anger, in complete opposition to God’s command in James 1:19-20, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” We quickly forget that regardless of who stands against us, or who challenges us, if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Jephthah had no doubt that the Ammonites’ heathen god Chemosh was no match for the one true God. When God parted the Red Sea in the Book of Exodus, Moses sang a song on the other side and put it beautifully when he sang these words in Exodus 15:11, “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” I say we ponder that today as we face the challenges in our lives today, “Who is like the Lord in our lives?” I will give you the answer, “No one!” As born again Christians, whatever we face today and whatever schemes the devils come up with to try and trip us up or put fear in our lives, remember what the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
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).
Sunday, July 22, 2018
We Do It for God
Verse of the day: Judges 11:10-11, And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.” 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
After being rejected by his family and Israel, Jephthah is now in a place where he is being raised up by God to deliver Israel from their enemies. Jephthah has no desire to be used by them and then discarded once they have no further use for him. He warns them that the promise they are making, they are making before the LORD as their witness. The place that was chosen to make this agreement, Mizpah, is significant. It was the same place where Laban made a covenant with Jacob (Genesis 31:43-50). Jephthah was a man of faith, and one who was noted for his faith in Hebrews 11:32. Essentially, Jephthah demonstrated that he was cautiously agreeing to help Israel but trusted that God would take vengeance on them, should they break their promise to him. One writer wrote that Mizpah meant “watch”, and the idea behind making the agreement there was that God sees their promise to Jephthah and would punish them if they did wrong concerning their promise. This is a very important lesson for us today. There will be many occasions when the Lord will call upon us to serve people who are ungrateful, and people who will turn on us and reject us when they no longer need our help. Many will seek mercy, grace and forgiveness when they need it, but will be slow to return such mercy, grace and forgiveness when it is in their hands to give. In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus told the story of the unforgiving servant who was forgiven a great debt, but later refused to forgive someone who owed him a smaller debt. When the master who forgave the first servant found out, he became angry and imprisoned the unforgiving servant for refusing to show the same mercy shown to him. It is very difficult for us, from a human perspective, to do good for those who we suspect will only use us or treat us and others unfairly when they have the opportunity to return the good done to them. However, God says this in His Word, in Galatians 6:7-10, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Clearly, God sees all that we do when He calls us to serve Him by serving others, regardless of how it is received. We are further reminded that God is the One who will exact vengeance on those who persecute us or curse us; therefore we should simply continue to return good to those who do evil against us (Romans 12:9-21). The bottom line is that regardless of who the recipient is of our good, our service to God, it is for God that we do it, and it is God who will ultimately reward us. The Apostle Paul put it best when he wrote this, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in Colossians 3:23-25, “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. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” We must never regret doing good for someone when we know that God was the One who sent us. We cannot control how other reacts to, or receive, the good we do for them. However, we can always trust that God knows their hearts, and ours, and already knows what the end result will be. Ultimately, both the giver and the receiver will stand before God to give an account for all they have done, and failed to do, in this lifetime (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
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).
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Says Who?
Verse of the day: Judges 11:1-2, Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
Here is a man who was a mighty man of valor, whom God was willing to use, but was rejected by men, because of his background. Sadly, this is still true today. There have been, and are, far too many people God is willing to use that have been discarded and rejected by people in the church, because of their background or past. There are some, in Scripture, whom God used, who would be rejected from serving God within the local church if they were alive today. Men like Moses and King David, who were both murderers, and one an adulterer; men who would have been condemned by hypocritical people, who were called “a man after God’s own heart” and “a friend of God” by God Himself. In this case, Jephthah was judged, by his family and the people, solely on the fact that his mother was a prostitute, something he had no control over. Although he did not choose to be an illegitimate son, he was rejected on that basis. We, as God’s children, must take great care about how we judge others for their past or their background. When we choose to judge someone on that basis, we put ourselves in the position that is held only by God Himself. John 5:26-27 tell us, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” Jesus said this in John 8:15-16, “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.” We can judge nothing because we cannot see the heart of man. We judge on externals and our own biases, while God is the only One who sees what is truly in man’s heart. In 1 Chronicles 8:9 King David said this to Solomon, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” The bottom line is that it is not our place to discourage someone from serving God because of their past or their background, and by the same token, we are not to be discouraged by people who want to play God in our lives and determine for us whether or not we are qualified to be used by God, on that basis. God is a God who will use those who desire to live for Him and serve Him, and who make themselves available, regardless of what our background or what our past looked like. Our God is a God of second chances, and can easily turn our failures and flaws into successes and assets for His glory.
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, July 20, 2018
The Depth of Love
Verse of the day: Judges 10:16, So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.
There is a popular verse that is often quoted, but I believe that many of us, yes, even born again believers, do not truly understand the depth of the verse. The verse I speak of is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Many of us tell everyone else about God’s love, and we stress that God expressed that love in giving His only begotten Son, but in our own lives we fail to demonstrate that this love also applies to us. This is what I mean... At some point in our lives, we too believed that Jesus was sent to die for us because God loves us. We accepted His gift of eternal life, and we began to walk with Him. Somewhere along the way, we stumbled, we sinned, we fell, and this is when our belief that God loves us was tested. In this passage, once again, Israel has sinned against God in one of the worst ways we can sin against Him, by worshipping other gods. Israel suffered oppression as a result of their sin. When they turned back to God, He did not immediately release them from their oppression, but called them out on what they had done. Was this hatred toward Israel for what they did against Him? On the contrary! This was God’s love for Israel in action. Yes, His love. His love will lead Him to discipline those who are His. His love will allow them to suffer so that they will put their eyes back on Him, forsake their idols, and turn back to serving Him. In verse 16, His love is proven in that it shows His great desire for them not to suffer. So it is with us. We are God’s children. When we sin, regardless of how heinous we may classify the sin, God’s love never wavers. On the contrary, God will take the necessary action in our lives in order to bring us back to Him, and that action may result in great suffering. Hebrews 12:5-8 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.” Just like Israel, who suffered to the extent that it finally turned them around, God’s discipline in our lives will ultimately have the same affect if we accept it for what it is…God’s love for us. Hebrews 12:11 states it this way, “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.” It is so easy for us to accept God’s love when we are doing what is right in His sight. Yet, we measure His love, quite often, by the way we are treated by other people, especially by the way we are treated by other Christians who are supposed to be our brothers and sisters in Christ, and supposed to love us. I will say this about that…God is not like our brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s love is unlike anything we will experience from anyone else. God’s love is truly unconditional. However, I will also say that His unconditional love does not come with a license for us to sin freely. Salvation may have come free to us, but it cost the Father His Son. That is a price that we should all cherish. God’s love is the reason that He uses His goodness to bring us to repentance (Romans 2:4), even if that goodness comes in the form of discipline. If God gave us His Son because He loves us, why would He then withdraw His love after such a precious price was paid with the Blood of Christ? I will close with this reminder in Romans 8:32, “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?” If you are far from God because of some sin you have been holding on to, and have been feeling the Spirit’s conviction about it, but have not turned back to Him because your guilt and the devils are telling you that God no longer loves you…stop believing the lie. God can no longer endure your misery and wants you to turn back to Him. Do it today. Do it now.
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).
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Do Not Envy Them
Verse of the day: Judges 10:6, Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.
At least seven times we read that Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD; a reminder that when we sin, or live wickedly, we do it before a God who sees all things. Time after time we read that they worshipped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. However, we rarely stop and ask why they worshipped these gods. The Baals were worshipped as gods of weather and financial success. How often do we, as Christians, forsake corporate worship with other believers for days on the lake fishing or cookouts, when we can do those things on different days? Contrary to what we are told to do in Hebrews 10:24-25, “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.” I am not saying these are bad things to do, but when they become our priority and our gods, they become things that are wrong. We later complain that our children do not go to church service and choose other things over going to “church”, when all along we taught them that it was okay to make other things a priority. When we go after the things of this world, we clearly communicate, by our actions, that worldly success and financial success is far more important than spiritual success and growth in our relationship with Christ. Far too often, I hear parents blame the church for their children’s lack of interest in God or the things of God when they say, “I don’t understand it, they grew up in church.” My response, on many occasions has been, “I’m sorry, but they did not grow up in church; they grew up in your home.” The Ashtoreths were worshipped as gods of love, sex, and romance. Sadly, I see many Christians, self included, ruin aspects of their lives by involving themselves in relationship that are outright sexually sinful, and in complete opposition to God’s command not to be unequally yoked to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). We chase after relationships that end up doing more harm than good, and we end up worshipping a person that we desire to be with, and put God on the “backburner”. We then turn to God when things go wrong, but only to pray that God will bring that person, who was no good for us in the first place, back into our lives. When that does not happen, we get bitter and claim that God does not want to see us happy. I say all this to keep things real. I see it far too often, time and time again. There is a very good reason God calls us not to be like the world, and come out from among them (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). Romans 12:2 tells us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 1 John 2:15-17 also says, “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.” I have had my share of bumps and bruises because of my days of chasing after the things of this world. My desire today is to never turn to those things again, as all they have brought are heartache and pain. However, God has also used them to teach me the value of keeping my eyes on Him and seeking Him first in all that I do. The things of this world will perish, and when we choose idolatry and sinful behavior and sinful lifestyles over righteous, holy, living and following Christ, we do it in the sight of the LORD. Let us therefore not envy the world or chase the things of this world that perish, when we have something far more valuable in Jesus Christ, eternal life and eternal reward.
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).
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
No Service Too Small
Verse of the day: Judges 10:2, He (Tola) judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir. 3 After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.
In this chapter there are two judges whose stories are short and to the point. They were Tola and Jair. God raised up these two men and summed up their rule in just a few verses. Does this make their time of rule insignificant? No. Tola and Jair were raised up to lead Israel, and it appears that they did just that and God granted them and Israel a time of peace with those who otherwise might oppress them. We read nothing about their attempts to become something that God did not call them to be, and from that we can certainly apply the principle that we need to be faithful in whatever God calls us to, regardless of how small or great it may seem. God will reward our faithfulness in what may appear to be even the smallest of tasks. Are we being faithful in whatever it is God has called us to? Are we looking to usurp authority within the church body in order to gain prideful recognition, or are we willing to carry out those tasks which do not put us in the limelight or give us much notoriety? In Matthew 25, Jesus told the story of the servants and the talents. In this parable, a man was traveling to a far country and entrusted talents to his servants, giving them talents in accordance with their abilities. Upon his return, he examined what each servant did with the talents left to them. Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 25:20-30, So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Those of us who truly seek to serve the Lord, and try to do it faithfully, desire to hear those sweet words coming from Jesus’ lips, “Well, done, good and faithful servant.” Sadly, because far too many of us are chasing the things of this world, and God is nowhere near being the number one priority in our lives, it is more likely that far too many of God’s children are going to hear, “You wicked and lazy servant.” We MUST stop this very moment and examine our lives and service to the Lord, and ask ourselves, “Am I serving God in the way He has called me to serve Him?” “Am I trying to exalt myself by taking on a ministry God has not called me to, simply because it will earn me a pat on the back and notoriety?” “Am I even serving God at all or am I just here serving my own appetites and desires?” We must get in line with God’s plan for our lives and serve Him in the way He is calling us to before the day that we have to stand before Him and give an account for how we lived our earthly lives for Him (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
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).
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Heed the Warnings
Verse of the day: Judges 9:56-57, Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Abimelech and the men of Shechem thought they had escaped judgment for their deeds, simply because there were no immediate consequences. How often do we ignore God’s warnings because there are no immediate consequences to our sinful behavior? Jotham warned the men of Shechem and cursed them in verses 7-21. They probably thought he was a coward because he ran away and fled right after he made his proclamation. Yet, here we read that the men of Shechem paid the price when they fell into the hands of Abimelech, and Abimelech paid the price at the hands of a woman who crushed his skull. Nothing that we do escapes God’s knowledge. We have an omniscient God who knows all things past, present, and future. He has given us His unconditional love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, yet far too many unsaved people, and even Christians, have ignored all the warnings in God’s Word that are there for our good. The unsaved continue to ignore the fact that they are on a path to eternal condemnation and mock those of us who repeat God’s warning to accept Jesus today before it is too late. 2 Peter 3 tells us that there will be scoffers who will mock us for believing that Jesus is coming back. The Apostle Peter goes on to tell us that God desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:8-9). Nonetheless, the time is coming when it will be too late. 2 Peter 3:10 clearly tells us, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” This pattern is nothing new. As it is now, so it was during the days of Noah, and all those who ignored the warning perished in the Flood (2 Peter 3:5-6). Sadly, many will perish because they will continue to ignore the warning, and think they are fine, because they are experiencing worldly success, even though they may gain that success by dishonest and evil means. Their end will be a sad and tragic end. We, the children of God, also put ourselves in a position to suffer trials and tribulations that we create for ourselves by ignoring God’s command to live a holy life, a righteous life, which honors God. Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” What sinful behavior are we holding onto, convincing ourselves that there will not be consequences for it? Even that which we practice in secret, God will eventually expose openly, whether in this lifetime or the next when we stand before Him. In Luke 12:2-3 Jesus said, “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” The Apostle Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Simply put…heed God’s warnings before it is too late!
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).
Saturday, July 14, 2018
The Same Judgment
Verse of the day: Judges 9:52-53, So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
There is a principle that we see in these verses that some would call “irony”. Although Abimelech calls upon his armorbearer in verse 54 to kill him, so that his death comes from a man and not a woman, the Scriptures record his death as coming from the hands of a woman in 2 Samuel 11:21. However, that is not the irony of this situation. Verse 5 of this chapter tells us this about how Abimelech killed his seventy brothers, “Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.” By one stone he killed seventy, and by one stone he met his own death. In Matthew 7:1-2 Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Before I go any further, I always feel the need to explain that this does not mean that we can sin without accountability! This is not what Jesus was saying. Nonetheless, we must be careful that when we approach a sinning brother or sister in Christ, we do it with both humility and love, for the purpose of restoring them. It may even mean a little tough love, but even tough love can be done in love. Here is what I mean. Galatians 6:1-3 clearly tells us, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” In my early years of Christianity, when I was easily influence by what I thought were more mature Christians, I followed their pattern of dealing with people who sinned. What I found was that their approach to dealing with people who stumbled was mean-spirited and did not do anything to encourage restoration. On the contrary, it was very judgmental and their wrath (allegedly toward sin) was nothing more than proud rants that made them feel better about their own shortcomings as Christians. Just like Abimelech suffered the same judgment he dished out against his brothers, I too, received the same lack of grace I once showed a few people when I harshly rebuked them for the sins they had committed. Little did I know that I would find myself walking on the same path of sin later in my life. The Word of God is clear that we need to examine ourselves, and approach with humility, acknowledging that we are no better and could find ourselves in the same position, or even worse. James 1:20 clearly states, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” The Lord is not blind to our attitudes towards others or our deeds towards others. The very things we do to others can very easily come back to visit us. The best rule of thumb to follow is the command Jesus gave in Luke 6:31, “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” In saying this, He also said this in verse 37, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Before we open our mouths to deal with someone else, and before we choose a course of action in dealing with others, we need to stop and consider our own imperfections, and then approach with humility and a heart of restoration. Should that person refuse to turn from their ways, God has given a remedy in 1 Corinthians 5 that can be applied, with love, kindness, and a desire to do what is best for our brother/sister in Christ, and God’s glory.
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, July 13, 2018
A False Sense of Security
Verse of the day: Judges 9:49, So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
The people of Shechem could not escape the consequences of their decision to side with, and follow, a corrupt and violent leader such as Abimelech. When people choose to follow a man with the character of Abimelech, it is only a matter of time before that man turns his ways and his wrath against those who showed him loyalty. Abimelech was a man who was loyal only to himself and would destroy anyone who opposed him. When the people found themselves in his crosshairs, they thought they could escape his wrath by taking refuge in the tower of Shechem. Their false sense of security ended in their death. So it is for those who put their trust in anything or anyone other than the Lord. Proverbs 18:10-11 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. 11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own esteem.” Sadly, there are Christians who have put more trust in themselves, other people, their own resources, and their own talents and abilities, to get them through difficult times, than in the Lord. The Lord God is their last resort after they have tried everything else and failed, but then blamed God when things did not improve for them in the way they expected or within the timetable they were looking for. Regardless of what adversity we face when we trust the Lord, it is far better than trusting in anything the world has to offer, which is fleeting, and in which we have no true security. All the money in the world cannot buy us eternal life. All the material wealth in the world cannot extend our earthly lives or cure an incurable disease. Trusting in Jesus and calling upon His Name (a Strong Tower) will give us eternal life by His grace. It is in Christ that we have joy, peace, and true victory over the trials and tribulations we experience in this lifetime. The Apostle Paul quoted Joel 2:32 when he wrote this in Romans 10:13, “For ‘whoever calls on the Name of the LORD shall be saved.’” The unsaved world gains a false sense of security when they trust their good works, and religiosity to gain them eternal life. Yet, Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” As born again believers, we MUST proclaim Jesus and His grace as the only way to eternal life (John 14:6). However, proclaiming it with our lips is not enough. We must also live like we believe what we proclaim. That means living a life of faith that demonstrates that we truly believe that Jesus is our Strong Tower and our Refuge in times of tribulation, and in living our everyday lives. Psalm 20:7 tells us, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the Name of the LORD our God.” What or who are we trusting? Have we been lulled into a false sense of security by trusting in something or someone other than Jesus? Is He the One who is our Strong Tower and Refuge, or are we setting ourselves up for a great fall by trusting in man and the worthless remedies this world offers?
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).
Thursday, July 12, 2018
A Purpose for Good and Evil
Verse of the day: Judges 9:22-24, “After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, 23 God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 that the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers.”
This is not the only time that God will use evil to accomplish His purposes. In this case, God used the spirit of ill will as retribution for Abimelech’s treachery against his own brothers. Here is a wrong that was committed against the sons of God’s servant Gideon, and although Gideon was not alive to take vengeance for this heinous crime, the act did not get past God. This is why it is important for us to remember not to take vengeance for ourselves for the wrong done to us, because vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:14-21). The fact of the matter is that God can use both good and evil to accomplish His plan in our lives. He is Creator and all of creation is under His control. When Job suffered all that he did, that was not initiated by Satan. It was initiated by God. Job 1:8 tells us, “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’” Not only did God initiate it, He also set the boundaries, as we read in Job 1:12 “And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.” In the end, God proves His point to Satan, and Job learned a thing or two about the God who created him. What began as something that appeared as an evil that would destroy Job, God used for His glory and blessed Job abundantly (Job 42:12-16). On another occasion in Scripture, God sent a spirit to trouble King Saul, recorded in 1 Samuel 16:14-16, “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, ‘Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.’” The spirit God sent to distress Saul served two purposes. The first, to trouble Saul for his disobedience, and secondly, to position David for his role as king, seeing that he had just been anointed by the Prophet Samuel in verses 11-13 of this same chapter. Isaiah 45:7 clearly tells us, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 12:7, in respect to God keeping him humble, “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.” The bottom line is that God can use whatever or whomever He chooses to accomplish good in our lives. Those times when it seems that God is allowing evil into our lives, are still under His control, and His promise to us in Romans 8:28 is that He will work all things together for our good. We simply have to trust Him and take Him at His Word.
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).
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Choose Carefully
Verse of the day: Judges 9:15, And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, then come and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon!’
Sadly, Gideon’s influence in his later years put Israel back on the path to being oppressed for their choice to turn back to idolatry. It began from the time that Gideon made the golden ephod that encouraged idol worship, and further manifested itself in their choice to not remember the Lord their God (Judges 8:34). Now, Abimelech, whose name means, “My father, the king”, took it upon himself to go to the men of Shechem, the people of his mother, to be crowned king. After receiving the backing and support of the men of Shechem, Abimelech hired men to kill his seventy brothers. Jotham, the youngest, was the only one who escaped alive. Later, when Jotham has the occasion to speak and warn Shechem, he sent the warning by way of a parable of trees. In today’s verse, which is part of that parable, Jotham warns the people that the man they have chosen as their leader will be one who will be a cruel leader when anyone opposes his leadership. This still holds true today regarding people of crooked character who will try to destroy those who disagree with them, rather than try to reach a peaceable compromise. However, if these are the people we support and vote for, then this is what we will reap, and God has no obligation to save us from that. What can we learn today from Abimelech’s character, which will help us be wiser in choosing the leaders of our country? First, we see that the trees in the parable that were asked to be king over the other trees, although they had much to offer, refused to be made king over them. They chose to continue doing that which honors God and was honoring to both God and men. In other words, they were not willing to take from God the glory that belonged to Him. The bramble bush, on the other hand, made false promises of what he was able to do for the trees in offering them shelter under his shade, which was impossible, as the bramble bush is short, thorny, and offers nothing of any benefit. Sadly, this is what I see happening today. Too many born again Christians have supported men and women, in leadership, who were ungodly people, who even expressed that they had views that were contrary to God’s Word and what God says is holy and righteous. Their values and record of accomplishments showed that they did not agree with what we view as Christian values. To our shame, many of us have supported men and women who were for abortion, and lifestyles that God clearly states are sin, and a violation of God’s Word. Why? Because far too many Christians really do not know what the Word of God says about many of the issues we deal with in today’s society. All we have to do is read and diligently study God’s Word, as it tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15, and we will recognize what is right and wrong in what those who seek to be leaders are proposing for our society. As God’s children, when we are in a position to vote for, or support, someone for leadership, our first step in deciding should be to find out where that person stands for, and then compare that to God’s Word to see if they propose lines up with or against God’s truth, not our opinion. What resulted from these men backing an evil, ungodly man was nothing but turmoil and conflict. Let us not be mistaken, when we Christians, as a whole, fail to stand for what is right in all areas of life, to include voting for and supporting men and women who take ungodly stands on issues important to society and us as Christians, God will allow us to reap the consequences of our choices. Sadly, we will compromise in our leadership, if we are the type of Christian who compromises in our walk with Christ. Although we, as Christians, should always be diligent in researching who we are supporting to lead us, and our country; ultimately, God is the One who will decide. Daniel 2:21 tells us, “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” This does not remove the responsibility we have to choose leaders based on the truth of God’s Word. Let us choose carefully, because what we choose, we will have to live with, and again I say that God has no obligation to save us from choices we make based on our own opinion, knowing and ignoring that it contradicts God’s truth.
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, July 6, 2018
Who Are We Doing It For?
Verse of the day: Judges 8:34-35, Thus the children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.
When we have the opportunity to be a blessing to others, how do we judge whether we should do it or not? Is there selfish motivation behind our acts of goodness towards others? Will we only do what is good for those who can do good to us in return? Do we give to those who are able to give back to us? Do we only do what is good for those we think will appreciate what we do for them? After all that Gideon did for Israel in leading them to freedom from the oppression of the Midianites, they refused to show his house kindness after he was gone. All too often, we pick and choose who we will be a blessing to, based on who we think will appreciate it or deserve it. I want to stop right there and remind each of us that God gave us His Son, in whom we have eternal life, even though we do not deserve it. Who are we to make that determination, or go against God’s leading, when He convicts us to do something that will be a blessing for someone else? If we are to be more like Jesus, then our attitude towards doing good for others should be like His. Matthew 5:45b tells us, “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Jesus said this in Luke 14:12-14, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Gideon was obedient to the Lord, and served both God and Israel, not knowing that Israel would not show the same kindness to his house. There will be times when, in obedience, to God, we will do something good for someone, and be a blessing to them, only to be repaid with ingratitude, and even betrayal. However, the question to ask ourselves is, “Did I do it for them or did I do it for the Lord?” When God leads us to be a blessing in someone else’s life, we can be assured that regardless of whether the person(s) receives it with gratitude or not, our reward is with the Lord. Colossians 3:23-25 says, “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. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, 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.” Our focus and main concern in doing what we do in serving God and serving others is that God be glorified by what we do. The outcome of what we do in serving the Lord is in His hands and is not for us to concern ourselves with, because regardless of how it turns out, our reward is with the Lord Jesus.
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).
Thursday, July 5, 2018
A Successful Failure
Verse of the day: Judges 8:28, Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
The story of Gideon is one that is both inspirational and sad. Gideon’s life was filled with ups and downs, but sadly, it ended on a sad note. He started out as a humble servant whom the Lord used greatly. He and 300 men were used to defeat a much greater army, and win Israel’s freedom against their enemies the Midianites. Yet, when God allowed Gideon to gain wealth and recognition, he allowed his position and his pride to lead him for the remainder of his life. The stories of God working in his life became “the good ol’ days of the past”. I must stop and ask, “Is our testimony of what God is doing in us and through us fresh or is it stale stories of days gone by?” Do we talk about God in the past tense, as if God is already done using us and working in us or do we have fresh stories of what God is doing today and now? Gideon, through God’s leading, became a successful figure and judge amongst his people. However, once the real challenges were over and he began to experience the blessings God bestowed upon Him, the blessings became more important than the One who blessed him. He became a successful failure. Once Gideon gained notoriety and wealth, he immediately put himself in a position of religious leader (v. 27), which was not a role God called him to. Although he rejected Israel’s request to be their king, he began acting like a king. He took many wives, had children by them and even named one of his sons Abimelech, which means, “My father, a king” (v. 29-31). The ephod of gold that Gideon made became a stumbling block to him, his family, and Israel, as it led to idol worship (v. 27). At the end of his life, the example and legacy he left behind did not encourage Israel to follow God. Instead, they followed the example of his later years, and became an idolatrous people, once again, who were only interested in riches and worshipping Baal. This is what the Scriptures sadly records of the legacy of Gideon in verses 33-35, “So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. 34 Thus the children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.” As Christians, are we successful failures? What do others see of our lives when we claim to be followers of Christ? Do they see someone who is truly surrendered to Jesus, or do they see a worldly Christians who is more concerned with gaining wealth and prestige in this world? As Christians, we can have earthly success in Christ, if that is what God chooses for us. We saw that example in the lives of Joseph and Daniel. However, that is not what God calls for all of us. Our priority in life, as born again Christians, is to live the life Christ wants us to live for His glory, not the life we choose for ourselves. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us that we belong to the Lord because He bought us with a price, which is His life and Blood. Colossians 3:2 tells us to set our minds on the things of above, and not on earthly things. Finally, 1 John 2:15 tells us not to love the world or the things of the world, because if we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us. What kind of success are we seeking? Are we seeking success by the world’s standards or are we seeking to be successful by God’s standards, and leave a legacy that lives on and glorifies God long after we are gone?
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).
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Humble Words Prideful Actions
Verse of the day: Judges 8:22-23, Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”
Christians beware! Successful missions accomplished in God’s service can lead to pride. From the beginning, Gideon was a man who was humble and did not think more of himself than he should. In fact, when called by the Lord, he did not think that God could effectively use him to defeat the Midianites (Judges 6). Nonetheless, Gideon was obedient and saw great victory because he followed God’s lead and faced the enemies of Israel by faith (as small as it might have been). Here, after such a great victory, the people seek him to be their king. Gideon gave a humble answer, which was the right answer to give, but his actions, as we read on, were far from humble. It is always right to point to the Lord and give Him the glory for our victories, but we must also be careful that this is truly what is in our hearts. If we give God the glory only by way of lip service, it will show up in our attitude and actions thereafter. John the Baptist had it right when he said this in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Outside of the Lord, we are nothing to brag about, in and of ourselves. The Apostle Paul wrote this about being humble in Philippians 2:5-8, “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. 8 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.” Although we see Gideon try to direct the glory to God, and we see his attempt to remind Israel that God was already their King, his lifestyle and actions were that which imitated a king. In verse 24, he makes a request that results in great wealth. There is nothing wrong with a Christian having riches, if God chooses to bless him/her with it. What makes it wrong is when we use that wealth selfishly to exalt ourselves and indulge in worldly things that draw us, and others, away from the One who blessed us in the first place. Gideon takes some of his wealth and makes a golden ephod, which he should not have made, essentially making himself a religious leader amongst the people. This one action resulted in Israel turning to idol worship. What we see in Gideon’s life is that while he was in the heat of battle, probably facing one of the greatest and most difficult challenges in serving the Lord, he was truly humble and faithful. However, once that great challenge had passed, and life became ordinary, Gideon fell into the trap of “everyday life”. As God’s children and Christ followers, there is a danger of straying in our walk, when life becomes “ho hum” in its every day routine. When our Christian life consists of doing the ordinary things, such as going to work, doing chores at home, and just living life one day at a time, we can easily begin to think that the Christian life is boring. May I say something here? The Christian life, for those of us who are truly seeking the Lord and trying to live for Him, is not boring at all! When we pray, read and study God’s Word, and then ask God to show us how to live out what we read (James 1:22-25)…HOLD ON! As we begin to see God use His Word in our lives, and as we make real efforts to tell others about Jesus and show our faith by our works (James 2:18), we will get excited even by the smallest piece of evidence that God is working in our “everyday lives”; and believe me, the challenges will be great. This will also keep us humble in our attitude and service to Him when we see how undeservingly good God is toward us and how much we truly cannot accomplish without Him. The bottom line is that we must be careful to take heed when we have had great victories in Christ, and think we stand, because we will only set ourselves up for a fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). If we are going to speak humble words that give God the glory and point others to Him, let us follow those words with actions and a lifestyle that demonstrate true humility.
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).
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Battered, Bruised, Victorious
Verse of the day: Judges 8:4, When Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit.
The markings of a true servant of God is often how worn out he/she is in their service to Him. Let us be real for a moment. Serving the Lord is not easy. When we surrender to do what God has called us to do, the battle becomes real. When we find ourselves in the center of God’s will, we find ourselves in the heat of battle; that my brothers and sister is a tiring, sometimes stressful, physically, spiritually, emotionally challenging, and often thankless. When we are faithful in our service, we will encounter days when we just want to quit, from being depressed. We will often wonder, “What’s the point of all this?” “I don’t seem to be making any real progress, and people just don’t appreciate all this effort.” It may seem that way, but today I say to you, “Do not give up.” The reality of serving God is that we are soldiers in the Lord’s army, and spiritual warfare is not easy. In physical war, we have the ability to see our enemy, but in spiritual warfare, we do not; we can only see the workings and results of their tactics. Gideon’s men were exhausted. Yet, they continued to pursue the enemy until the enemy was completely defeated. What does this mean for us? It means that we stay in the fight until the Lord returns or until He takes us home to be with Him. I must ask this question, “When we are exhausted from the backstabbing, the betrayal, and the lack of gratitude that we experience as God’s servants, where and to whom do we turn to?” If it is anything or anyone other than Jesus, I can tell you right now, without knowing you, that you are not recovering very well. Jesus said this in Matthew 11:28-30, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Jesus not only gives us rest from us trying, in vain, to gain eternal life of our own accord and works, but He also gives us rest when we need it as we serve Him. Prayer and being in God’s Word is sometimes one of the most difficult places to turn to during those times when we are at wits’ end. There are times, when we are depressed and struggling, that we know we need to pray, but prayer seems like a burden. Knowing the answers that we need are in God’s Word, we often avoid it as if the Bible weighed a ton and was too heavy to pick up. This, my brothers and sisters, is spiritual warfare. The enemy knows that the worst position they can find themselves in is facing a born again Christian who is prayed up, studied up, and refreshed in Christ. Even when we are at the most exhausting place in our walk with the Lord, we have the ability, in Him, to go that extra mile for the sake of God’s glory. As Gideon tried to find provision for him men, all he received was rejection (v. 6-9). Gideon, rather than engage those who rejected his pleas for help, kept his eyes on the mission God sent him and his 300 men on. He trusted that the Lord would allow him to repay them in kind sometime in the near future and marched forward to finish the work God sent him and his men to accomplish. This proved to be the best course, as Gideon and his men were later afforded the opportunity to take vengeance on those who tried to hinder their progress (v. 13-17). The bottom line is that the enemy will do all he and his demons can do to discourage us from continuing in God’s service by trying to trip us up and by using others to bring trials and disappointment into our lives. However, the Word of God says in Galatians 6:9-10, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Isaiah 40:31 promises, “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Know this, regardless of what we encounter in our service to the Lord, regardless of how discouraged we get from the attitudes or struggles we may encounter, 1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
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).
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Humility Calms the Beast
Verse of the day: Judges 8:1, Now the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.
What a fantastic example of humility by Gideon in this passage. The men of Ephraim became angry with Gideon because he failed to call them at the outset of the war against the Midianites. However, the men of Ephraim were not ignorant of the fact that this enemy was tormenting Israel. In Judges 5:14 we read, “From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, from Machir rulers came down, and from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.” This serves as proof that they were not ignorant at all of what was happening to their people, as they voluntarily lent themselves to Deborah in past conflicts against Israel’s enemies. Why was this time any different? Were they not facing an enemy that oppressed their people? The root of the problem was both jealousy and pride. Ephraim and Manasseh were always at odds. As we may recall, Jacob blessed Manasseh (the tribe from which Gideon came from) over Ephraim, and the jealousy of that blessing being bestowed on the younger son was still hot between the two tribes. The men of Gideon seemed to be more concerned about the recognition they would have received for being involved at the outset of the war, more so than caring about what Israel was suffering at the hands of the Midianites. I have to ask, “What is our motivation in serving the Lord?” “Is it about God’s glory or ours?” Gideon’s reply to their misguided accusation was one of godly wisdom. Rather than respond with anger or engage them in the argument, Gideon chose to humble himself and make light of his own accomplishments, in comparison to theirs. James 1:19-20 tell us, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Gideon would have accomplish nothing if he had responded in the same manner to them as they had addressed him. Proverbs 13:10 reminds us, “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.” It is always funny to see that everyone has courage to join the battle, after the battle has been won. So it is with those who get upset when they are not called upon to help serve, when they were already aware that there was a need that existed. These are the folks that want to jump on the “glory bandwagon” after the work has been done. Gideon seemed to sense right away that their charge against him was one that was rooted in their pride. When we are dealing with others who are only seeking self-recognition for what they “do for the Lord”, we must remember that feeding into their prideful attitude will not solve anything. The enemy wants us to respond in like manner in order to cause contentions within God’s family and cause division. Gideon did not seem to take offense to the ingratitude or disrespect directed toward him. His response to them was one that was complimentary. Rather than rebuke them, and encourage strife and fighting, he complimented them in the part they played after the victory was essentially won. He gave more credit to what they had done, even though Gideon’s role deserved the greater praise. Another key reason for not being called initially, that escaped the men of Ephraim’s thinking, was the fact that it was God who was guiding Gideon in what he should do and whom he should involve. If anything, it was in their favor to come in after the initial battle, lest any of them were dismissed for being cowards or being of those whom the Lord sent back home because they were not vigilant men of war. Note one very important approach in how Gideon responded to them. Even though he gave them credit and exalted their efforts above his own, he made sure to make it clear that the glory belonged to God. In verse 3 Gideon says this, “God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.” As the Lord’s servants, we must not only refuse to take credit that belongs to God for ourselves, and we must make sure we do not give God’s glory away to the undeserving. All that we accomplish in God’s service if for God’s glory. Those who seek their own glory will be guided, and driven, by the “beast of jealousy and pride”. Rather than engage this beast and encourage strife, the best approach to calming this beast is by responding with a genuine attitude of humility.
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).
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