Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Holiness and Strength
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 2:2, “No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.”
There is no one who is as holy as our God or as strong as our God. This is essentially what Hannah was saying in this verse. Moses asked this question in his song, found 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?” What does that mean for us today? It means that we have a God who does everything He does within the boundaries of His holiness. When Job was attacked by Satan in Job 1 & 2, did that change the holiness of God because He allowed it? Did God become unrighteous because He was the One who brought Job to Satan’s attention in Job 1:8? Absolutely not! Was God any less holy because He allowed Hannah to be persecuted for so long by Peninnah? The short answer to that question is “no”. When Jesus delayed His arrival after hearing that Lazarus, the one He loved, was sick, and allowed him to die in John 11, did that make Him any less holy? Not by one iota. The point I am making is that God is going to allow all kinds of situations and circumstances into our lives. He is going to allow us to walk down some very difficult paths. Yet, in all that He allows, and regardless of how much or little we suffer, God’s holiness is not affected one bit. In His holiness, He sets the boundaries of our trials and tribulations, and in setting those boundaries, He works all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). In each one of these examples, in the end, God was glorified. Hannah was lifted up, Job gained twice as much as he had, and Lazarus was raised from the dead. In each case, by God allowing all that He did, He received the greater glory than if He had intervened sooner. We must remember this when we are feeling the heat of our trials and it seems like God is not hearing our prayers. In God’s holiness, He will always do what it right and just, regardless of what our opinions and preferences are. If we go along with God’s plan, we will find that His plans, which are in line with His holiness, work out far better than any plans we have which are marred by our sinful thinking and desires. We must remember that God is not slack concerning His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). While we endure the suffering God allows, He is also the Rock that supplies our strength and becomes our Refuge, our Hiding Place. Like the Apostle Paul, regardless of what state we are in, it is Christ that becomes our strength. In Philippians 4:11-13 the Apostle wrote, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” There is no greater feeling of joy than to sing songs of praises to the Lord after He has seen us through a trial, and delivered us from those who seek to do us harm, whether physical, spiritual or emotional. What is even better is when we sing a song of praise while we are still in the midst of the trial or challenge. That would not only be a song of praise, but one that would please the Lord because it would be done in great faith!
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).
Monday, October 29, 2018
Jumping for Joy
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 2:1, And Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.
What a powerful way to begin her prayer of praise to the Lord. As we read Hannah’s opening statement, it explodes with joy. The word she uses, “rejoices”, means to jump for joy. Her inner being is jumping with joy. Her horn, or strength, is lifted up in the Lord. Why was she so overwhelmed with joy? It was because her enemy, Peninnah, has now been silenced by the Lord and by Hannah’s praises. We, as Christians, should not see it as a strange thing when trials and persecutions come into our lives. 1 Peter 4:12-13 reminds us, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” When those trials come, when the persecution comes, the best immediate solution is to bring them to the Lord. In chapter 1, we do not read that Hannah answers Peninnah, or tries to outdo her in Elkanah’s eyes to turn him against her. She does not attempt to get even. Instead, she brings her plight to the Lord and allows Him to take vengeance on her behalf. Romans 12:17-19 says, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” There is no greater joy than to see God bring our enemies, our persecutors, low by crushing their plans and their prideful attitude. As we love on, and pray for, those who use us and persecute us (Matthew 5:43-48), God takes care of lifting us up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6-7 is a great encouragement, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” The bottom line is that in the midst of trials, tribulations, persecutions, and life’s challenges, the Lord is our hiding place. What a joy to be able to say what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 94:22, “But the LORD has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.” This was Hannah’s joy. This was why she could rejoice and lift her voice in praise for her enemy to hear. What a great lesson in holding our tongues and refusing to answer the insults and taunts of our persecutors. Rather than waste our breath with a defense or words that are equally cruel, why not wait on the Lord and then lift our voice and direct our words of praise to Him? That will wound our enemies deeper than anything we can say or do. When God wants to bring someone low, He can do it in ways that are impossible for us and in ways we would never think of. We must trust Him and let Him alone be the source of our heart, our inner being, jumping for joy. Let us give Him the opportunity to prove that His Word is true so that we can shout our praises from the mountain tops, even if it means that we have to walk with Him through the valley for the time being. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
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, October 28, 2018
What Are We Holding Back?
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:27-28, For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.
What are we willing to give back to God? I say “give back” because all that we have belonged to Him, and still belongs to Him, even though He blesses us with it. When we ask for blessings, do we ask for selfish reasons? Do we ever stop and consider that God does not ask for much in return, in comparison to what He gives to us? Hannah was barren and deeply desired a son. She prayed and asked for a son, but with this caveat, this promise, that if God gave her a son, she would give him right back to God. Stop and think about that for a moment. She did not promise that she would give him back for a moment or for an abbreviated time. In these verses we read that she “lent him to the Lord, as long as he lives”. That, my brothers and sisters, is a lifetime. How often have we volunteered to give God everything we have, for the rest of our lives? How many of us have ever said, “Lord, if you give me a raise at work, I’ll give you what I’m already giving you, plus my raise, for the rest of my life?” I am willing to bet that none of us have done that. I can confess that I have not. Have we increased our giving at times when the Lord has blessed our household? Yes, we have. Have we given it all? No, we have not. Sadly, far too many Christians have difficulty giving back to God what rightfully belongs to Him. Some would even argue that we have nothing in the New Testament that requires us to give. What I find rather comical is that as I was preparing to write this, and I was spending a little time doing my own devotions, the chapter I was scheduled to read today was 1 Corinthians 16. You will see the humor in this in a moment, because the chapter opens with these verses (1-2), “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” In reading these verses, it reminded me of 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” I am not going to sit here and dictate for you what you should be giving. That is between you and the Lord. However, I will say that one of the biggest tests of our faith falls within the category of giving. God may want us to give back of the material resources He has blessed us with, in order to bless others and further the work of the Gospel in the local church or on the mission field. He may want to bless someone, by using what we give, who has a need right within our own circle of influence. Our giving back to God is not limited to our material resources. We can give of our time and our talents. God wants us to give back to Him some of the time He allows us to have in our everyday lives. When we get up in the morning and plan our day, who is it that gives us the time to do it? If we woke up this morning and took a breath and are now living another day, it was God who gave it. How much of today will we give back to Him? How much of our talents and abilities will we give back to the Lord? I will say that this is the one thing we have learned in our home, up close and personal. God is Debtor to no man. In all that we give, we have never lacked, because He is faithful. He will give tenfold to the little we give to Him, and He will use it in a far greater manner than we ever could. Hannah could have kept Samuel for herself, but I guarantee that he would not have been used as greatly as the Lord used him. We must be careful about what we hold back from the Lord, for we are not only robbing Him, but we are robbing ourselves of untold blessings. To prove what I am saying we only have to read a little further to 1 Samuel 2:21 where it says, “And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD.” What greater blessing than to be blessed with more children, after being barren for so long, and having her firstborn son live his life for the Lord? Our desire for each of our children should be that they surrender their lives to the Lord. How do we expect them to give of themselves if we do not set the example for them? What are we holding back today that we know we should be giving to God; especially, after He gave us His Son so freely, but at great cost to Him?
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, October 27, 2018
Let Our Word Be True
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:22, But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the LORD and remain there forever.”
How careful are we with the promises we make to God or anyone else for that matter? Hannah vowed that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord, for His purpose, forever. In verse 11 it says, concerning her vow, “Then she made a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.’” This was not a vow that was made publicly, but one that was between Hannah and God. When God answered her prayer and gave her a son, she could have very easily retracted her promise and kept Samuel at home to be raised by her. Imagine not being able to build a family because a spouse is barren, and making such a promise, then suddenly having a child. How many of us could actually part with that child, especially not knowing if it would be possible to give birth to another? With that said, how often have we made promises to God about what we would give Him if He did “this or that” for us, then back out of our vow or promise? This often happens when we promise to give more tithe or offerings, or promise to increase our giving to missions. Maybe a need comes up and we promise to give something, whether material or time, then as time passes we renege on our promise because something else comes up in our lives that we decide to give greater priority. Where does that leave us in our relationship with the Lord? Sadly, we do not often think of that. There is a simple solution to not finding ourselves in this position. First, we can avoid it by not making the promise to begin with, and secondly, if we do, fulfill it right away before something else gets in the way. As Christians, we should have the reputation of being people of our word. There should not be any need for us to make vows, but to simply say, “Yes I will do it or give it,” or say, “No, I cannot or will not do this or that.” It should be that simple and straightforward. Jesus put if plainly in Matthew 5:33-37, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Although we live in an age of grace, God has not changed. We know He will forgive us when we stumble in sin, repent and confess it. However, why would we venture to do that which we already know is not pleasing to the Lord. In Numbers 30:1-2, God’s Word says, “Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, ‘This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: 2 If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.’” Let us be careful not to bring a blemish to our testimony as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, by being careful about the promises we make. In a world where a person’s word is no longer held in great esteem, let us be the ones who still value our word and a good name. Let us do all we can to honor God with our words, by keeping our promises and avoiding vows. Let our words be true for the sake of honoring God in our lives, especially when our words are promises made to God in our service to Him and those He calls us to serve.
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, October 25, 2018
The Answer Will Come
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:20, So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
Hannah’s life is a good example of what living out our faith from day to day should look like. We have already seen how she trusted God and went to Him when she had to deal with the persecution she suffered at the hands of Peninnah, and how she responded to Eli’s false accusation. Hannah continued to demonstrate that her faith was not just a “flash in the pan”. It was a continuous, steady faith. How do we know this? This is where doing more than just skimming God’s Word becomes beneficial to us in our walk with Him. Note the phrase “in the process of time”. God answered Hannah’s prayer, but not right away. She left the house of the Lord and went on to live her everyday life. It was in the process of time, or as she lived her life, that God then answered her request. Although it is true that our faith may often be tested in short spurts, the fact of the matter is that life itself is a test of faith. Hebrews 10:37-38 says, “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” God has made promises that have yet to be fulfilled in respect to His coming. While we wait and live for Him, there will be challenges to our faith. There will be persecutions, and circumstances in life that will cause us to go to God in anguish. We will suffer needs that will drive us to our knees, whether for us personally or for family, loved ones, or our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will face momentary challenges that require a dose of faith for the moment, and we will face circumstances that require faith for the long haul. Some of us will wait, days, weeks, months, and even years, for answers to prayers. We will pray, and we will get discouraged when it seems like our prayers have hit the ceiling and come right back at us. However, the fact of the matter is that God is not a forgetful God. He hears our prayers and answers in due time, and due time is His time. Hannah prayed in faith and went on to live her life in that faith. In due time, God answered and she conceived. God promised Sarah and Abraham that they would have a child, but the promise was not fulfilled right away. Abraham was 75 years old when God promised that he would become a great nation (Gen 12). At age 85, God repeats the promise (Gen 15). At age 100, God, once again, repeats His promise (Gen 17) and finally fulfills it. Twenty-five years after God made His promise to Abraham, Sarah has not yet conceived. In their case, they chose to take matters into their own hands by Sarah giving Hagar, her maidservant, to Abraham, which opened up a “can of worms” that has brought much suffering to the Middle East, and around the world, even today. Yet, God was not slack concerning His promise to Abraham. In Genesis 21, we read that God finally fulfilled the promise He made so long before. Even though God took 25 years to fulfill His promise to Abraham, He remained faithful to His Word. How long do we wait before we get impatient with God? When He does not answer our request in a day or two, or when He makes us wait a week or more, do we give up? Have we been praying for something for years without seeing an answer? Have we become bitter and distant because God does not seem to answer our request? Are we so consumed with what we want that every day has become a struggle because of that one unanswered prayer? Hannah had the right approach to her faith. She brought it before the Lord, stood up with peace in her heart and mind, and continued living life, trusting that God heard her cries and would fulfill it according to His will and in His time. The greatest promise yet to be fulfilled is that of Jesus’ return. We, as God’s children, should be living life in light of that promise. 1 Peter 3 reminds us that there will be scoffers who will mock that promise because it has not come to pass. Nonetheless, God promised in 1 Peter 3:10 that His return would be sudden and unexpected like a thief in the night. 1 Peter 3:8-9 reminds us, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Brothers and sisters, are we truly living life by faith as we wait for the Lord to fulfill the ultimate promise of His return? If we say we are, is it evident in our attitude, the words we speak, and the action of our deeds?
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, October 24, 2018
Beyond All Understanding
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:18, And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
What a drastic turnaround we see in Hannah in this verse. What caused this 180 turnaround in her life? Was it Eli’s statement to her in verse 17? Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” What he said to her was only part of what caused her countenance and overall being to change. The foundation of the change that suddenly took place can be found in a couple of New Testament verses that apply to us today. Sadly, there are far too many of us who claim that we trust and have faith in the Lord, yet our reactions to trials, and difficult circumstances, say the opposite. We tell the rest of the world how great it is to have the Lord in our lives, but then we react to life’s challenges as if we really do not believe that God is big enough to take care of us or that He is truly in control of our circumstances. The first thing we see in Hannah’s situation is that she clearly knows that God cares for her and what is happening in her life. This is evident in verse 10, “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.” This is the same principal and truth we find in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Do we really believe that God cares for us, or do we let what we see of our circumstances to dictate that for us? If the trials we suffer are the determining factor as to whether God loves us or not, then we hand that control over to the demons who love to accuse God falsely in our minds. What we go through in life is not, and should not be, the determining factor in our lives as it pertains to God’s love for us. No matter what we suffer, God’s love for us is unchanging. Yes, even if we are the ones who cause our own heartache and pain. If He loved us when we were yet His enemies (Roman 5:8), why would he love us less now that we are His children? Does that not seem foolish? If Jesus’ love for us was such that He would give the ultimate sacrifice, could anything possibly change that? The simple answer is no, nothing can change that. He told us that in Romans 8:38-39, “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 peace that Hannah experienced came, not so much by Eli’s words, but from that fact that she prayerfully brought the anxiety of her situation right to the feet of the Lord. Does this sound familiar to any of us? Philippians 4:6-7 clearly says to us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We say that we know that God cares for us, but then we go out of our way to try and solve our own problems. We say that we trust God and have faith in Him, but then we pray and we continue to worry. Is that really believing and having faith that God cares for us and will take care of us? What does that say to the world that is watching us? Hannah’s actions, after praying and bringing her burden to the Lord, are what people today need to see in our lives. They need to see that even though our personal world seems to be falling apart around us, we walk in peace and have joy. When they see this kind of peace, this is the peace described in Philippians 4:7, “the peace that passes all understanding”; the kind of peace that enables us to put our joy on display when we should be crying and panicked. This is the kind of peace that leaves those who do not know the Lord admiring the courage and strength we display, not for our own pat on the back, but for the opportunity to tell them about the One who is responsible for the tranquility in our lives, the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ. Hannah had the peace that guarded her heart and mind. We who are called the children of God have, in Christ, the Holy Spirit who seals us and indwells us. If we truly trust the Lord with our circumstances, should we not also be able to come out of prayer wiping away our tears, and with our countenance changed? If we do not, is it because God does not care and cannot be trusted, or is it our lack of faith in the God, who delivered us from sin and death? I believe we know the answer to that question.
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, October 23, 2018
Respect and Submission
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:15-16, But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
We see, once again, that Hannah is a woman of character. In the face of a false accusation, by a man of God, she addressed him and countered his accusation with respect. Yes, that “dirty” word, respect. Regardless of how she might have felt at the moment, she respected the office he was called to occupy by God. This is something that is lacking greatly in much of society today. There is a lack of respect for parents, authority, and much of that disrespect has spilled over into the local church. A lack of respect also lead to an unwillingness to submit and vice versa. Children do not honor parents as God’s Word commands (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2) and rebel. Wives refuse to honor and submit to their husbands in opposition to God’s Word (Ephesians 5:22), and husbands are unloving toward their wives and thereby rebel against Christ’s authority in their lives (Ephesians 5:21, 25). Congregations rebel against the pastor and his God-ordained office also in opposition to God’s command in Hebrews 13:17. As God’s children, our testimony should be, before the world, that we, out of fear, respect, and honor for the Lord, submit and pray for our country’s leadership and laws (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2). I know many will question this because of such corruption that exists today in politics and political leadership. However, this does not excuse us from obeying, or justify disobedience to, the laws of the country, state, or city, we live in. We are supposed to be model citizens that will live by any laws that do not call us to disobey God’s Word. We may not like a particular law or even agree with a particular leader’s point of view or leadership, but we are not to behave like the world in expressing our disagreement. We can peacefully and respectfully make our point of view known. The devils have a field day pitting us against each other over political believes and opinions about legal issues and ruining our testimony with the unsaved world. Jesus was our greatest example in what is proper. When asked whether it was legal to pay taxes to Caesar, in Matthew 22, God recorded Jesus’ response in verses 18-22, “But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.’ So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ 21 They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.” When we pay our taxes, even though we may not agree or like it, we render to the government what is the government’s, we honor God by our obedience, and show Him that we trust Him to take care of us, in spite of all the corruption that exists around us. Jesus not only said what He said in Matthew 22, but He had already proven what he said by His actions in Matthew 17. In verses 24-27 of Matthew 17 we read, “When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?’ 25 He said, ‘Yes.’ And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?’ 26 Peter said to Him, ‘From strangers.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.’” The bottom line is that far too many Christians are disobedient to the God-ordained authorities in our lives on the basis of dislike or what we consider unfair. Yet, Jesus, paid taxes, stood trial, unfairly, being falsely accused, wrongfully beaten and bloodied, and went to the Cross knowing that He was sinless. He did all that for us, so that we could become the sons and daughters of God. Is it too much for us to be as humble as our Savior and submit to the God-ordained authorities in our lives? If you think it so, then read 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.”
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, October 21, 2018
Wrong Perceptions
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:12-14, And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
Here is a situation that we can relate to from both sides of the fence. In the process of doing, or trying to do, what is right before God, and going by His leading, someone else has a misperception of what we are doing and we become the target of their gossip and criticism. By the same token, if we are honest and willing to admit it, we have done the same to others. Hannah, in response to how Peninnah was persecuting her went to the Lord in prayer. There are many ways that we can go before the Lord in prayer, and in this instance, Hannah was praying in her heart (as God knows our thoughts and what is in our hearts; Psalm 44:21). Her words were not audible, and Eli the priest misinterpreted what he saw and made a false accusation against her. If anyone should have been more careful, and used more wisdom, before speaking, it should have been the man of God. Yet, here we find Eli putting his foot in his mouth. Considering the location of this event, and what generally takes place here, it may have been easily deduced, if the time had been taken to step back and consider, that someone may have actually been at the house of the Lord praying. Eli’s mistake was that he did not fully try to investigate or understand what was happening before he spoke. Proverbs 18:13 says, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.” We must be careful that we not misjudge a situation or a person’s intentions by our own misperceptions. A good rule of thumb to follow, before we criticize something that seems questionable to us, is to think better of others than of ourselves. Philippians 2:3 puts it plainly, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Sadly, a lot of legalistic and “religious” Christians are quick to criticize others for what they perceive as being ungodly, when the Scriptures do not actually condemn something. We must be careful not to turn our personal convictions into “Thus sayeth the Lord”, when God did not say it. As God’s children, we do have liberty to serve God in the manner He leads us to, even if it does not agree with other Christians’ methodology. The Bible is clear that we are not to use our liberty in Christ to sin or to cause our brother/sister to stumble, but we can certainly use it to our advantage, and for the furtherance of the Gospel. Galatians 5:13 clearly says, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” The Apostle Paul used his liberty in Christ to be all things to all men. He wrote this in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.” Hannah was doing nothing more than pouring out her heart before the Lord. Yet, it was perceived as an evil act by someone who should have known better. If we are not careful, our lack of restraint in speaking, and our lack of wisdom, can cause someone who has a heart for serving the Lord to be discouraged. When in doubt, we must be quiet, say a prayer asking the Lord for wisdom and then let Him lead in whether we should investigate further or simply mind our business. We may find that it comes down to a misperception on our part or something as simple as, “I wouldn’t do it that way, but if God is using them that way, then praise God.” I love what Jesus said to Peter when he inquired about John in John 21:22, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” If we find ourselves on the receiving end of criticism for something we are doing in serving the Lord, that is not sin, and is simply a method different than others, and a bit unconventional, then have the attitude the Apostle Paul had in Galatians 1:10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
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, October 20, 2018
It Solely Belongs to God
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:8, Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
I want to open today’s message by saying that this is not just for married couples, but for those who are praying that the Lord will someday lead them to the right person. As much as we pray for the person that is right for us, we too must be made ready to be the right person for them. As we read this chapter, it is obvious that Elkanah loved Hannah. He treated her well and even gave her a double portion of the offering that was going to be presented at the house of the Lord (v. 5). Even though he did all he could to show his love for her, there was one thing that Elkanah could not do, make Hannah a mother. The reason, we are told, is because God closed her womb (v. 5-6). This is something that we often fail to understand in our relationships. In Christ, we have brothers and sisters in Christ that we can turn to for encouragement, and to whom we can encourage. We are called to encourage and exhort one another (Hebrews 10:23-25). We are to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). We are to comfort and edify each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11). However, in close relations we must be careful that we not expect from others what rightfully belongs to God. We must also be careful that we not put ourselves in the place of God in someone else’s life. This is a great danger, especially in marital relationships. There will come times when a husband or wife will be grieved over a loss or some other personal conflict. The solution to that circumstance or conflict may only be found in the hands of the Lord. Hannah was grieved over something that her husband did not have the power to rectify. It was the Lord who closed her womb, and only the Lord could open it. As husbands, we must understand that we cannot always solve the issues that trouble our wives, but the one thing we can do is love them unconditionally, pray for them, and comfort them when they need it. I will take this opportunity to warn both husbands and wives, be careful that you not put the burden or the blame on your spouse for something that belongs to God exclusively. Although He has given us each other to love and honor one another, we must make sure that our complete satisfaction in life comes from our relationship with Jesus first. When we read verse 8, we can almost hear the disappointment in Elkanah’s question, “Am I not better to you than ten sons?” Hannah responded properly when she did not answer him, and instead turned to the Lord in prayer (v. 10). In the Book of Revelation, chapter 2, Jesus said this to the Church at in verse 4, after commending them for the labor, patience, and perseverance, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Have we left our first love and put someone else in His place? Do we rely on others (our spouse, or other close relations) to fulfill that which can only be fulfilled by God? If so, we have made someone else our god and therefore made that person an idol in our lives. This is dangerous territory to venture into in any relationship and will eventually be the cause of that relationship’s downfall. In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Although we are called to love one another (John 13:34; 1 Corinthians 13), we are not to love anyone above the Lord, and that means that we must not put anyone before Him. Far too many marriages have ended in bitterness because a husband, wife, or both, were looking for fulfillment and satisfaction in each other, rather than finding total satisfaction in Jesus first. When we learn to be satisfied in Christ first, and grow out of that relationship, we will then have less of a tendency to put unnecessary burdens, that belong with the Lord, on one another. Ultimately, it was the Lord who opened Hannah’s womb (v. 19-20). It was not until the Lord did this, that Elkanah was able to fulfill Hannah’s desire for motherhood. When we find ourselves conflicted over something we are lacking in our relationships, let us first go to the Lord in prayer before we blame our spouse for something that is beyond their control, and for something that can only be resolved by God. Always keep Jesus at the center of any relationship and be completely satisfied with Him first, for if we are not, we will find satisfaction in nothing or no one.
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, October 19, 2018
He Knows the Father’s Will
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:10, And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.
There will be times in our walk with God when our circumstances will drive us to our knees before Him, our hearts in great anguish, but not knowing what to say or how to pray. In this case, the anguish Hannah felt was great because of her barrenness. To make matters worse, Peninnah, added to her anguish with her continual taunts. Hannah, now in the Lord’s house, goes before the Lord in prayer. This is the proper response to the difficulties she was experiencing. It is far too easy for us to take matters into our own hand and “clean someone’s clock” when they are taunting us about something that weighs heavy on us. The last thing we want is to deal with someone mocking us or boasting about themselves, and what they have, just to make themselves feel better. The best counterpunch we can throw is to go to pray. Hannah, in verse 11, calls God “the Lord of hosts”, or LORD of the mighty armies. She went before the Lord in prayer, knowing and trusting that He was her Protector. Regardless of what we see happening around us, we must always trust that God is watching and is protecting us. He will always allow situations or circumstances to play out according to His will and plan, even if it means that we suffer for a short while. Malachi compares God to a refiner in Malachi 3:3, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.” The refiner closely watches how hot the fire gets, and allows it to get to the right temperature that will purify the precious metal. He knows that if the fire goes beyond a certain temperature, the metal will spoil, so he pulls it before that happens. He then goes through the process of polishing the metal until he sees his own reflection. That is what God does in the life of each of us. He may allow the temperature to get to the point where our impurities come to the surface, and then He finalizes the process by polishing us until He sees His own reflection in us. While we are going through this process, the best thing to do is pray. This is where it gets challenging. Our bitterness, our stress, the level of anguish we may be in, can cloud what it is we want to say. We may come before the Lord with a loss of words and just not know how to pray. Fear not. Romans 8:26-29 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Sometimes, the best approach we can take in prayer is to sit quietly before the Lord. I will tell you right now that this can be very difficult for some of us, because we always feel that we should be saying something. However, there are moments that call for us to simply say, “Lord, I just don’t know what to say. Holy Spirit, I pray that you will speak the words that only You know how to speak. You know my circumstances and what I am going through, and I just don’t have the words to express it right now.” The Word of God in Romans tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and knows exactly what to pray on our behalf because He knows our hearts and know what the will of the Father is for each of us. Sometimes we pray one way, and things go in a different direction. We desire the results we think are best, in moments of desperation, but something else occurs. This is because God always knows what is best and He is responding in accordance to how the Spirit has prayed for us. It is for this reason that Romans 8:28 is always fulfilled in our lives. God answers in accordance to the Spirit and God’s will is accomplished. Therefore, all situations and circumstances always work out for our good. We must be careful that we not frustrate that process by trying to push our will on God. Even Jesus, while praying in the Garden prayed for the Father’s will to be done (Luke 22:42). Today, we are the beneficiaries of such a great prayer.
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, October 18, 2018
Do Not Judge Too Quickly
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:5-6, But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb.
One of the things the devils use to discourage us is the times in our lives when we experience difficulties. There will be those moments in life when it seems like nothing goes our way. To add insult to injury, there will be that person(s) in our life that seems to always be blessed, even though they are underhanded, hypocritical, and wicked in their behavior and/or attitude. They always seem to get the upper hand and gain the favor of the people around them, even though they are two-faced and gossipers. They sin behind closed doors, but in public everyone thinks they are godly. We see their true colors, but we can easily become bitter because it appears that they get away with everything, and seem to receive the blessings, while we suffer for trying to live for the Lord. We do our best to pray, read and study God’s Word and live a peaceful, godly life; yet, it seems that life keeps throwing dung at us. I would caution us to beware of what conclusions we draw from all of this. Peninnah and Hannah, Elkanah’s two wives were in constant conflict because of Peninnah’s wicked attitude toward Hannah. Peninnah was blessed with children, while Hannah was barren (v. 2). We may not see this as a big deal, but in those days, with the hope of the coming Messiah, no one knew who would be the woman who would experience the ultimate blessing of being chosen to carry the Savior of Israel, and the world, in her womb. Penninah added to Hannah’s misery by taunting her. This provocation was so severe that Hannah could not even enjoy the blessing of having a husband who favored her and loved her more. She received a double portion, yet she could not rejoice, even in the Lord’s house, for the fact that she received a double portion from her husband. If we are not careful, we will allow the devils, and the people they use as tools for their wickedness, to steal our peace and our joy. We must be careful to not make the judgment, or come to the conclusion, that God favors us less because He is allowing us to walk through difficult times. On the contrary, God had great plans for Hannah, whose womb He closed for the time being. Little did she know that in the midst of her misery she would finally rejoice greatly when God opens her womb and brings forth a son who God would use as a prophet for His people (v. 20). Psalm 37:1-2 admonishes us, “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” Jesus told us to love our enemies because when we do, we are behaving like children of our Heavenly Father who makes the sun to rise on both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:43-45). We must be careful to avoid judging what our life is and will be, based on what we are going through at this very moment. Abraham and Sarah had no children because Sarah was barren. Yet, God in His mercy and grace brought forth a nation from Sarah’s womb. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and ended up in prison due to false accusations. Yet, God made him the second most powerful man in Egypt. We will see later that David, in spite of being anointed king, had to run for his life because King Saul sought his life. In the end he became one of the greatest kings in Israel and is included in the lineage of Jesus. When we suffer trials, and it seems that those who are around us are behaving wickedly and prospering, we must put our eyes on Jesus and trust that God has a plan that goes beyond our current situation. We must continue to seek Him and bring our circumstance to Him. We must bring our cares to Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Philippians 4:6-7 clearly says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” He promised that He would ultimately work all things together for our good (his children), and when it is all said and done, the greatest blessing that we will enjoy is transformation in our attitude and actions that will make us more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29).
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, October 17, 2018
The Freedom of Worship
Verse of the day: 1 Samuel 1:3, This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
Do we, as God’s children, realize and appreciate how much freedom we have in our worship of God? Unlike us today, Israel did not have the freedom to burn their sacrifices to God at home or anywhere other than the Tabernacle or the Temple (once it was built). There was one central place of worship and only the priests and high priest could present it before the Lord (Exodus 36-40; 1 Kings 6). In Joshua 18:1 we read, “Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them.” Central worship was established at Shiloh and the Ark of the Covenant remained there until Samuel’s time. We see here that Elkanah had to journey to Shiloh with his wives to bring his sacrifice of worship to the Lord. With that understood, let us step back and reflect on worship today. Worship is no longer centralized, in that we can worship God from wherever we are at the moment. We can worship God at home, in our car, at work, in the park, or wherever we find ourselves at the moment we think about Him. Why do we have such freedom of worship today? The simple answer is, “Because of Jesus”. Unlike the high priests of the day, we have one High Priest who offered up the ultimate Sacrifice, His own body and blood. Hebrews 4:14 tells us, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” Hebrew 9:24-26 also tells us, “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another- 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” The greatness of that Sacrifice broke down the wall that separated us from the Lord. Matthew 27:51 says, “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split”. Sadly, far too many Christians today treat worship as if we were still required to meet in one central place in order to bring our sacrifices to God. The attitude or approach that develops is that we live like the devil all week, then we go to the local church building on Sunday, sing, lift up our dirty hands, listen to some preaching, feel like we did our duty, then go back to living like the devil all over again. That is not a relationship; that is religion. If we are to exercise true worship, we will do it in accordance to Hebrews 13:15-16, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” I will put this plainly. Worship is not about gathering in a church building once or twice a week and singing a few songs and listening to someone preach or teach the Word of God (although we are commanded not to forsake this in Hebrews 10:24-25). Worship is about how we live for the Lord. It is about how we treat others as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Worship is about offering up praise and thanksgiving, especially during difficult times in our lives, not just when things are going well. It is about doing good to others (not to be saved, but because we are saved), even those who do not deserve it, because God has given us what we do not deserve, His love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. We can do all of this regardless of what time of the day it is, where we find ourselves physically (location-wise), and for as many people as we choose to do this for in our daily encounters. Worship is about being continually mindful of God’s presence in our lives and speaking to Him continually, praising and giving thanks for the fact that He is far more faithful to us than we are to Him, as our unfaithfulness does not change who He is in our lives. Instead, He loves on us, and uses His goodness to bring us back into fellowship with Him. Realizing all of this, is there a reason why we would not want to use the freedom that we now have in Christ to worship God continually and freely?
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, October 16, 2018
Freed by Our Kinsman Redeemer
Verse of the day: Ruth 4:21-22, Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
What a glorious ending to the Book of Ruth! I am sure many of you are thinking I must have lost my mind to think that ending this book with genealogy is a great ending. However, stop and think for just a moment. It is of great significance that the book ended with the genealogy of our Kinsman Redeemer (Matthew 1:1-17). In Revelation 22:16 Jesus said, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star.” The end of the book is not where we first see a picture of Jesus as our Kinsman Redeemer. We see this throughout the book. In order for Boaz to be kinsman redeemer to Ruth, he must be a relative. Ruth was a relative through marriage. Jesus, born a Man and born a Jew qualified to be our Kinsman Redeemer, as we were grafted in (Romans 11). John 1:14 clearly tells us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Just as important is the fact that Jesus’ genealogy goes all the way back to Adam, from who we all came from, connecting us all to Jesus from a human standpoint (Luke 3:23-38). The Kinsman Redeemer would have to be perfect, and for this reason all of mankind is disqualified because we are all born sinners (Romans 3:23). Jesus, the only Man to born to woman that was, and is, perfect, was the only One who could go to the cross for us. Our Redeemer would also have to be God. Jesus was both God and Man. Like Boaz, Jesus redeemed us out of love for us. The close relative that we read of in chapter four agreed to be kinsman redeemer until he realized that he would have to also marry Ruth. Upon knowing this he declined the obligation. Boaz, out of love for Ruth, a Moabite woman, a stranger among the Israelites, agreed to be her kinsman redeemer if the close relative refused. Jesus had nothing to gain in redeeming us. Yet, because He loves us, He died for us (John 3:16). 1 John 2:2 says, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Ruth labored continually and was a slave to poverty. Boaz, the wealthy landowner redeemed her from her slavery and poverty. Jesus, the Owner of the universe has not only redeemed us, but freed us from bondage of sin and death. He released us from our old master the devil and we now have untold riches to inherit in heavenly places. We no longer have to needlessly toil to be free, as true freedom can only be found in Christ. Jesus said 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.” John 8:36 tells us, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Now that we are free, we must resist the temptation be enslave ourselves to a life of sin all over again. Galatians 5:1 reminds us, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Just like Boaz redeemed Ruth and Naomi’s land, Jesus has redeemed us and will reclaim the earth from Satan, the prince of this world. The bottom line in all of this is that we have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). We belong to our Kinsman Redeemer. We were once poor slaves on the road to eternal condemnation, but if we have put our faith on, and called upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are redeemed and saved for all of eternity. Let us take the time today to praise God for His unmerited favor in Christ and let us live like we are redeemed and not like we are still slaves to the devil and under the bondage of sin and death. In Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, we are completely free.
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, October 13, 2018
Lost Blessings
Verse of the day: Ruth 4:6, And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
How often have we had opportunities to serve or be a blessing to someone, only to respond with, “Let me pray about it and I’ll get back to you”, but then never follow through? Maybe we were intimidated or decided we did not want to sacrifice the time or material resources to serve the Lord by serving others. What blessings did we pass up on? What future, unseen, blessing did we forfeit? I am afraid that far too many of us will stand before the Lord and to our dismay find out that our choices not to take opportunities to serve caused us loss of reward. This relative that was closer in relation to Elimelech than Boaz was lost a tremendous blessing. I am not talking about the material blessing of gaining more land. I am not talking about the blessing that Ruth would have been to him as a wife. I am talking about the blessing that is stated in verse 17, “Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, ‘There is a son born to Naomi.’ And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” What greater blessing could he have received than to have his name recorded in the lineage of Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, and the world’s Savior? Instead, he chose to pass up what was legally, by God’s Word, his duty to perform, and as a result, God chose to not even name him in this account. In verse 1 he is referred to as “the close relative” and Boaz calls him “friend”. Throughout the rest of the chapter he is referred to as “the close relative”, the nameless relative; whereas, Boaz is specifically named in the lineage of Jesus (v.21, Matthew 1:5). The Israelites missed out on the great blessing of going in and possessing the Promise Land, after so many years of suffering in Egypt, because of unbelief (Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 1:19-45; Hebrews 3). How many opportunities to gain heavenly blessings have we missed because of unbelief? This close relative of Elimelech was near sighted in his decision. We must be careful to not just see situations and circumstances for what we see in front of us. Although we cannot see the future, and are not promised tomorrow, we must remember that our decisions today will affect how we will stand before the Lord. Romans 14:12 clearly tells us, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Will we hear, “Well done good and faithful servant” or “Depart from me, I never knew you”? I would be remiss if I did not remind us that God is not surprised, and His plans are not thwarted, simply because we refuse to be obedient to His Word or because we refuse opportunities to serve. Just as easily as the Spirit puts a burden on our heart to serve the Lord in some way, He can do that in the heart of another. Boaz had already surrendered to be Ruth’s kinsman redeemer, and the close relative’s refusal to take on that role did not hinder God’s plan one bit. In the end, the close relative was the grand loser in all of this. In Judges 4, when Barak refused to go against the enemies of Israel, as God commanded, the Lord used Deborah instead. When Moses debated with God about going before Pharaoh as God’s mouthpiece, the Lord used Moses’ brother Aaron (Exodus 4 & 6). The bottom line is that when we refuse to serve God in any manner He calls us to, and when we pass up opportunities to serve Him by serving others, we forfeit unforeseen blessings. Any blessing God has for us, whether here or when we stand before Him, will always be far greater than anything we think we can gain from this world. The choice is ours. We must choose wisely and with a desire for heavenly results that glorify God.
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, October 12, 2018
Choose God’s Way
Verse of the day: Ruth 3:12-13, Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning.”
What do we do when our plans appear to take an unexpected turn? Do we panic? Do try to take a shortcut that will allow us to move forward in accordance to our desires, or do we trust God to guide us through the detour? Ruth was right on track to be the wife of a man who was willing to fulfill God’s law in respect to being her kinsman redeemer. However, Boaz, being a righteous man, recognizes that there is one who is of closer relation to Elimelech, Ruth’s dead husband. He could have very easily kept that to himself and married her. Instead, he chose the more honorable approach and told her to wait and see if the other relative would be willing to fulfill that role. Nonetheless, he would still take on that responsibility if the other refused. My question to us today is, “Are we willing to live out God’s will and plan for our life, God’s way?” In Ruth’s case, this was a small hiccup, but for some of us, depending on how much faith we have, a small hiccup can seem like a major disruption. The Apostle Paul had to serve God with much suffering. In Acts 9:16 Jesus said, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” The Apostle suffered trials, tribulations, and physical limitations (2 Corinthians 11:22-33; 12:7-10). There were no shortcuts for him because suffering was part of God’s plan for the Apostle’s service. When he desired to go to Asia to preach the Gospel, the Spirit prevented him, but later led him there in God’s time to Asia Minor (Acts 16:6). In 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, the Apostle recounts the sufferings he experienced in Asia. The initial disruption of the Apostle’s plans, by the Spirit, led him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10). There will be times when God will set us on a detour and bring us back around, but we must trust God’s leading and timing. Those moments when we get impatient because we feel like God is doing nothing, or plans seem to go sideways, we must be careful not to take matters into our own hands. God clearly told Sarah and Abraham that they would have a son from which a nation would be born. Yet, their impatience took them down an alternate route when Sarah suggested that Abraham take her handmaid Hagar and have a child with her (Genesis 15:4; 16:1-4; 18:10). Abraham and Sarah made a decision that yielded consequences that are still causing conflict today. The ultimate example of how we should live out God’s plan for our lives is Jesus. While in the Garden, Jesus suffered anguish knowing what lie ahead for Him. Matthew 26:36-39 tells us, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, ‘Sit here while I go and pray over there.’ 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.’ 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” In verse 42 we read, “Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.’” Ultimately, the best choice we can make when trying to live out God’s plan for our lives is to seek to do God’s will, not our own. Life is filled with speed bumps, detours, interruptions, and challenges. Ruth was not disheartened by this temporary “stop sign” in God’s plan for her life. Boaz did not suggest any alternative plan in order to become the husband of such an honorable and virtuous woman. They both preferred to walk on a path that was an alternate path, as long as it was honest and in accordance to God’s Word. The best way to live out God’s plan and will for our lives is to live it out God’s way, and in accordance to 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).
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Is There Proof?
Verse of the day: Ruth 3:10, Then he said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.
What is this “kindness” that Boaz referred to in his statement to Ruth? It seems that Boaz was much older than Ruth, and her refusal to seek a husband among the younger, and possibly better looking, men was a great show of kindness in Boaz’s estimation. She did not choose a future husband on the basis of whether he was rich or poor. She did not base her choice on superficial, lustful, desires. However, this was not the greatest kindness that Ruth had shown. It was something that was far greater. What makes her decision to follow Naomi’s advice to seek out Boaz as her kinsman redeemer so admirable? Well, first, she chose to stay and take care of her mother-in-law when she could have gone back to, and married a man of, her own country. At one point in refusing to leave Naomi, she said something very significant, in Ruth 1:16, “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” She kept her promise to follow Naomi and stay with her. She was faithful to labor in order to provide for the two of them, as the Lord provided. She remained among Naomi’s people, the Israelites. However, the most significant promise she kept was that Naomi’s God became her God. This is where we can learn a great lesson from what Boaz said about Ruth. She put her own desires, and refused to make choices about her life and future based on what she might have thought was best. Instead, she chose the path of obedience to God’s law, His Word. In following Naomi’s advice, Ruth followed God’s law in seeking out a husband within the family of her deceased husband (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Ruth’s declaration that Naomi’s God would be her God was backed up by her willingness to put her own wants and desires aside, and be obedient to what God commanded in His Word. How often do we say that we love God? How often do we prove it by our obedience to His Word? Jesus said, in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Before we quickly jump to, “See! We have to keep God’s Old Testament Law!” Let me remind us that the commandments Jesus refers to are those which are greatest and encompass the whole Law. In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus plainly said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The Apostle Paul reiterated this in Galatians 5:14, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” What Jesus said in John 14:15, about obeying His commandment we often interpret as a verse that is strictly about obedience. We completely miss the fact that the verse has a greater message than that. It is about our love for Jesus. To say we love Jesus is one thing. To show our love for Him by the way we obey His Word takes that love to a different level, because it then becomes a love that everyone can see. It becomes a love that becomes our testimony for Him. It becomes a love that is true love. God did not just say that He loves us. His love is agape love. It is a love of action (John 3:16). Therefore, if we truly love God, let it speak loudly by the action of our obedience. Ruth proved her love for Naomi, her people, and God Himself. God proved His love for us. Have we proved our love for Him?
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, October 9, 2018
Godly Reputations
Verse of the day: Ruth 3:10-11, Then he said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.
Our reputation is one of the most valuable things we possess as born again believers. As ambassadors for Christ, we are called to be imitators of Him (Ephesians 5:1). Our reputation will often make the difference between whether someone will listen to our witness for Christ or reject us for our hypocrisy. We endanger our reputation for the Lord when we insist on putting on a façade, by behaving one way in private and another in public. Sooner or later, the evil we practice privately will be known publicly. Our dishonesty, lack of integrity, and ungodliness will eventually surface and ruin our Christian reputation. Boaz spoke highly of Ruth because she was a virtuous woman. To understand how great a compliment this was, we must understand that the word virtuous means strength, might, wealth, force (army). In other words, Ruth’s reputation was strong, rich, and impenetrable. Boaz took note of the fact that her reputation for being kind and taking care of Naomi was well known. She was chaste and did not pursue any of the young men. One of the sad things I see amongst far too many Christian women today is that they lack modesty. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” A beautiful woman is not just one who is beautiful on the outside, for outer beauty fades. A truly beautiful woman is one who is modest, of good reputation, and who loves the Lord. For any and all of us, we must take care to guard our testimony. I am not one to care much about what others say about me. However, this does not mean that I should be careless about keeping a good reputation. A ruined reputation can come from other people’s gossip and slander, but the Lord clearly tells us to live in such a way that it shames those who speak lies about us. 1 Peter 2:15 puts it this way, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men”. The other thing that can ruin our reputation is our life choices. This is something I have experienced firsthand; as I am sure there are others who can relate. When we make sinful choices, we can easily tear down a good reputation that took years to build. King David was a good king and a man after God’s own heart. However, most of the time the two things he is most remembered for is defeating Goliath, and having an affair with Bathsheba. Very rarely do I get the response recalling King David’s refusal to harm King Saul when being persecuted and chased, by him, in order to kill him. I do not hear about his brotherly, and affectionate, relationship with Jonathan, Saul’s son, or how good he was to Mephibosheth (Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson), after David became king, keeping his promise to Jonathan to be kind to the family of Saul (as it was common practice to kill the family of the previous king once a new king reigned). All the good that could be recounted about his life is overshadowed by one period of time in his life when he made a life choice that ruined his reputation. Sadly, even though we preach about God’s forgiveness and how He can rebuild broken lives, too many Christians still go out of their way to remind us of the sinful decisions we made in the terrible season(s) of our lives. My former pastor once told me that we should be careful about judging others for the things they already repented of, and of which God already forgave. Nonetheless, the Word of God puts great value on a good reputation. Proverbs 22:1 tells us, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.” The first part of Ecclesiastes 7:1 reiterates, “A good name is better than precious ointment”. The bottom line is that if you already have a good reputation, guard it with your life. It is far more precious than gold in respect to serving the Lord. If you have ruined it with bad life choices, do not be discouraged. Many will criticize and judge, but God can take a reputation that is broken, teach us humility, restore and rebuild it, and still use it 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).
Monday, October 8, 2018
Follow Wise Advice
Verse of the day: Ruth 3:6, So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her.
There is much to be said about someone who is willing to seek advice from the right person(s). I do not believe that I have to remind any of us today that the first place, and Person, we need to turn to when we need advice is God and His Word. At least I would hope that to be the case. Nonetheless, when we go to the Lord in prayer and seek for answers in His Word, it is also fine to seek the advice of others. However, this is where we sometimes go sideways. Where, and from whom, do we seek advice? Do we seek it from those who are wiser than us in the things of God? Do we go to our peers? Do we turn to the world? One of the saddest things I hear, as a Christian, is when another Christians tells me that they have gone to a palm reader, tarot card reader or fortune teller to receive guidance or advice on a life matter. I will be straightforward and blunt. No born again child of God has any business whatsoever involving themselves with such demonic activity. Period. The command to not be unequally yoked applies to instances of advice seeking as well. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 clearly says, “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.” By the same token, stay away from false teachers. They will tell you what they know you want to hear, for their own profit and self-exaltation. 2 Peter 2:1-3 warns, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” As God’s people, we also have no business going to the world for advice, as it offers no godly solutions. Psalm 1:1-3 tells us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Ruth was wise in obeying the counsel of her mother-in-law who was knowledgeable in the ways of the Israelites and the laws concerning the kinsman redeemer. Ruth could have easily sought the advice of someone her own age, as she interacted with the other servant women, or could have approached it in the manner she thought best, even though she knew little about the culture, compared to her mother-in-law. In 1 Kings 12, after the death of King Solomon, his son Rehoboam made a grave mistake when the people approached him about easing up on the burdensome service Solomon had put on them. Rehoboam initially took the proper steps to seek advice from the elders, who gave him wise advice. However, in his determination to do and hear what he wanted, he then went to his peers for advice. He unwisely chose the advice of his peers and the result was that the kingdom was split in two (the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah). We must be careful about how we go about making life decisions. The priority is always to choose that which will bring God the greatest glory and that which will not bring a blemish to our testimony as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. We may not always like the answers we get from God and godly advisers, but in the end following God’s way will yield the best results. The path God chooses for us when we seek proper advice may not be easy, but it is simple…trust Him and obey.
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, October 7, 2018
At His Feet
Verse of the day: Ruth 3:4, Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”
At first reading, this might seem like inappropriate behavior. However, we must go back to that time and remember that there are cultural norms that were understood in those days that we do not practice or understand today. In some cultures, even today, the touching of the feet is done as a sign of respect and to receive a blessing from the person whose feet we touch. It was commonly understood stood that this act of lying at someone’s feet was an act of humility and submission. A servant would lie at the master’s feet to receive further instruction. Does this remind us of another instance in God’s Word of such submission? Luke 10:38-40 tells us, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’” Naomi, knowing that it would be Boaz’s responsibility to marry the widow of Elimelech, wisely advised her daughter-in-law Ruth to approach Boaz with humility, a man who was kind and respectable, trusting that Boaz would understand her actions toward him. We, as sinners, do not have the right to approach Jesus as if salvation is our right. It is an undeserved privilege, and one that cost Jesus His life. He willingly laid it down for us, and desires that we approach Him with humility, acknowledging and confessing that we are sinners and deserve condemnation, and with repentance humbly asking Him to save us. Naomi instructs Ruth to lie at Boaz’s feet and wait for further instruction from him. Like Ruth, and like Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet, the best place for us to be is at the feet of our Savior receiving further instruction on how to live a life that will bring Him the greatest honor. In the case of Mary, her sister Martha complained because Mary chose to be at Jesus’ feet, rather than be busy with her serving in the house. Jesus’ response to Martha is priceless. Luke 10:41-42 tells us, “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” Where do we go when we need instruction and direction for life? Do we run to self-help books? Do we run to our friends and acquaintances who will tell us what we want to hear? Do we go to the world who knows nothing about the things of God, or do we go and sit at the feet of our Savior? Is time spent in prayer, the reading and studying of God’s Word, a priority for us, or are we distracted by the many things that the devils use to keep us from sweet fellowship with Jesus? Is spending time with the Lord and receiving His guidance a priority or does God get our leftovers? There is nothing that compares to spending the kind of time with the Lord that enables us, through the Holy Spirit, to hear His voice as we read and meditate on His Word. When in prayer He pricks our heart and reminds us of who He is and what He has done for us, nothing else will satisfy our need for intimacy with Him. When He lights the path and gives us strength to endure, as He strengthens our faith and teaches us how to trust Him more and more, what can we compare to such a privilege? There is no better place, or better way, to spend time than at our Savior’s feet. What value does wasting time in front of a computer, on our phone, or in front of the television, have when we consider all that God has for us to do for His glory? How many hours have we wasted when we could have been growing closer to the One who gave it all for us? How much time have we wasted, and consequently missed out on opportunities for Him to lead us to someone who desperately needed Him? Maybe someone who has already perished without hearing from Him one more time? One hour spent at Jesus feet will produce more for the Kingdom of God than if we spent 23 hours doing what we thought was the best thing to do. We must slow down, be still, sit at the feet of our Lord, and receive the richness of the what He wants to share with us that will draw us even closer to Him and ultimately glorify Him as we strive to become doers of His Word (James 1:22-25).
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, October 6, 2018
Is It for Me or Someone Else?
Verse of the day: Ruth 2:14, Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.
This is an area that I had to learn to stop and consider in my younger years as a Christian. The Lord would provide extra and I would immediately begin to plan what I would do with it. Sadly, most of the time it was self-gratifying. Over the years, through solid biblical advice and insight from other godly Christians, and by simply waiting before I rashly spend or use up the blessing(s), the Lord has taught me a few lessons. The first one being that He is faithful to provide for ALL our needs, if we are willing to wait on Him and trust Him to take care of whatever need we have. Matthew 6:25-34 reminds us that we are to be anxious for nothing and seek first the Kingdom of God, and He will be faithful to provide all our needs. Over the years, when it seemed like it was the very last moment, God always came through. He teaches us that even though He does not operate on our timetable, He is never late. Jesus did not rush to heal Lazarus in John 11, and even though he was already dead when Jesus arrived, He was still right on time to bring the greatest glory to His Name by bringing Lazarus back to life. This life is not about us, it is about Him. The second thing the Lord has taught me over the years is that He often provides blessings, not for my own consumption, but for the provision of others. There are times that an unexpected blessing is for the purpose of God using us to be a blessing in the life of others. Ruth received a great blessing in a time of need. Note that when she was satisfied, she did not just think about herself. She kept some back. What did she do with what she kept back? Verses 17-18 tell us, “So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.” There was an instance when God had provided extra, materially, and as I was celebrating the “extra”, I received a call from my mom asking for help with a need. Amazingly, on this particular occasion, she needed the exact amount that I was holding in my hand (even though she had no idea I had just received it). You never know when God will want to use us as a channel to bless someone else. We may be the person God uses to answer someone’s prayers. The third lesson God has taught me over the years is that He will sometimes provide for a need we did not even know was coming. There were times, while I was going to school and supporting a family, that God provided extra right before something broke down. At first, and quite often, I would complain about how we had to spend what we just received, but the more He did that, the more the Spirit kept reminding me that the purpose for the blessing was to take care of a need, even before it came and before we even asked. Matthew 6:8 reminds us, “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Because we do not always know the exact reason for the outpouring of blessings in our lives, we must get into the practice of stopping, praying, and not being in such a rush to spend the extra God provides, especially when it is unexpected. Before we waste a blessing on self, let us ask God, “Lord, what would you have me do with this?” “Is this meant for me, or am I to use this to glorify you by blessing someone else with it?” If there is any time that our faith will be tested, it will be in the area of giving back to God (by giving to others) what He has so generously, and undeservedly, given to 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).
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