Sunday, April 28, 2019
Sooner or Later It Will Be Seen
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 17:13-15, The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. 15 But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
I would like us today to recall what happened in chapter 16. Samuel was at the home of Jesse, per God’s direction and command, to anoint the next king. In doing so, Samuel had the opportunity to meet all of Jesse’s sons. As Jesse brought them to him one by one, Samuel made his own judgment of who the Lord would choose, but the Lord made it clear that He sees more than man’s outer appearance. As we read the names of Jesse’s sons in this chapter, it serves as a valuable lesson for us in our walk with Jesus. Like Samuel, we have a tendency to judge people, who they are, or what they are like, based on what we perceive of them. We apply our own prejudices, regardless of how they were developed in our minds, to a person based on what we see with our physical eyes. I too have been guilty of this, only to be surprised or disappointed at what the truth was about certain people. The danger in doing this is that we do this in judging who we want to model our spiritual walk after. It is true that God calls us to encourage one another and be an example for one another. Titus 2:6-8 instructs us, “Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” In 1 Corinthians 11:1 the Apostle Paul wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” There is no doubt that we need godly role models, and we should strive to be godly role models. However, we must be very careful that we not take our eyes off of Christ when it comes to who we should model our lives after. I have seen, in far too many cases, that many of us have put people on a pedestal, because of what certain people portrayed in public, in Christian circles, or at the church building, only to find out that they were just as flawed as we are. Some have even left the church and Christian fellowship as a result. From a human perspective, Samuel, if left to choose, would have probably chosen one of these three brothers to be the next king, based on his initial observations. Here, they have an opportunity to shine, stand up, and prove themselves; yet, they cowered just like everyone else. When we put our trust in man to be our greatest example, rather than turn to Jesus and see His example from the Scriptures, we will always find ourselves in a position to be disappointed; as sooner or later a person’s true character and flaws will be seen. The Bible tells us that we fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). John 1:14 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.” In other words, we fall short of Jesus, and not one another, as Jesus is who we are to measure ourselves by. Again, I want to make it clear that we can look to others as examples and we can be examples, for the glory of God, but our ultimate Example to follow is Jesus and Him alone.
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, April 27, 2019
Destroying Devilish Tactics
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 17:8-9, Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”
Goliath used a tactic that the devils love to use with us Christians. Sadly, we do much to make it easy for the devils to use these tactics against us. Which tactic you ask? The one where the devils whisper in our ears and convince us that we are unable to defeat them, overcome temptation, that we are not good enough to serve, and that we have finally committed the ultimate sin that God will not forgive us for. This is just a short list of things they whisper to us. Goliath’s used devilish wisdom in his approach of intimidating Israel and convincing them that they were not strong enough, in order to cause them to cower and be afraid. First, we must remember this one truth, the devil is a liar. Jesus said this in John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Not only is he a liar, but he is also an accuser of both God and man. In Revelation 12:10 we read, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” These whispered accusations, that he not only brings before God, as we have read in the Book of Job, chapters 1 and 2, and the Book of Zechariah 3, he uses to instill insecurity and fear in us. He uses the opinions of men to cause make us feel unworthy, and cause us to shy away and step back from speaking up for Christ. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” This fear is not always necessarily the fear of physical harm, but fear of what others will say or think about us. When we have sinned, repented, confessed it, and gotten right with the Lord; yet encounter that judgmental Christian (or two) who is/are more than happy to remind us of the moments when we did not shine so brightly for Christ. These are the tactics the devils use to keep us paralyzed in our fear. How do we break free of the grip of this fear? How do we overcome Satan’s tactics that derail us from the path God wants us to walk on, or causes us to keep from speaking the Name of Jesus? First, put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6), then the best weapon we can use to destroy the devils’ lies, and obliterate the devils’ attacks is God’s truth, as found in His Word. In John 8:31-32 we are told, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” God has recorded for us, in His Word, the truth of His unwavering love for us, the enormity of His grace, the extent of His forgiveness, and how we can have strength and victory in Christ Jesus, even against the wiles of the devil. Saul became afraid because the Spirit was no longer upon Him. Therefore, the courage he once possessed was nonexistent as Goliath breathed his threats against him and the armies of Israel. Although the devils try this same tactic with us, we must never forget this one truth that give us a greater advantage than Saul ever had. That truth and advantage is that, as born again believers, we are sealed and indwelt by the Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19). Knowing this, we must believe the truth that is stated for us in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Regardless of what accusation the devils throw at us, or what attempts they make to demoralize us, in order to try and instill paralyzing fear in us, remember that we are God’s children, He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5), and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-39).
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, April 26, 2019
You Did It to Me
Just the other day I had an interesting conversation with a homeless man who stopped me and asked if we could talk. He asked me to be careful, as I was in uniform, patrolling my route. He said, "It dangerous out here." The conversation continued, and not long after that we were talking about God and the Bible. Turns out he was a born again believer and as we continued our time of fellowship, and people walked by looking at us with curiosity, as we were unashamedly loud and animated about the theme of our conversation, he began quoting John 15:1-6...it was a great time listening to him quote it and stop at the very last word so that I could finish the last verse. The rest of what took place, only Jesus needs to know, but I wanted to share this portion of our meeting and fellowship, because we really do need to be careful how we judge others, simply by their appearance...all the while we talked and had our little moment of fellowship, the verses that kept resonating in my head were Matthew 25:37-40 where Jesus said, “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Thursday, April 25, 2019
The Spirit Makes the Difference
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 17:11, When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
What a sad picture we see here of someone who has strayed from God. Saul, at one time, was a brave warrior whom God used to deliver his people. In 1 Samuel 11, when Nahash the Ammonite came up against Jabesh Gilead, we read in verse 6, “Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.” Now, his relationship with God and God’s prophet, Samuel, is broken. Saul is faced with another episode of Israel being challenged by its enemies and reacts very differently to this threat. Let us keep in mind that the person who was best suited to meet Goliath’s challenge, in this instance, was Saul. Just as Goliath was the Philistines’ largest warrior, so Saul was Israel’s obvious choice. In 1 Samuel 9:2 we are told, “And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.” The man who is described in 1 Samuel 14:52 as a brave, fierce, military leader, who was not a stranger to fighting against the Philistines is now filled with fear over the threats of one Philistine. What changed so drastically in his character and person that made him cower when he should have risen to the occasion? His relationship with God changed. We, as Christians, will suffer our greatest defeats, and experience the greatest fear, when we stray from God. Our enemies, the devil and his demons, love to use fear as a tactic to paralyze us in our daily living and service to the Lord. 1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The lion hunts and goes after the one in the herd who stray from the herd or who falls behind because they are weak or sick. The devils are no different. They see when we stray from God and Christian fellowship, from where we are to draw encouragement. They see when we are not praying or reading and studying God’s Word. That is when they launch their greatest attacks. For this reason we must be careful to maintain our intimacy with Jesus in our daily walk. James 4:7-8 clearly states, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” The only way that we can maintain the courage we need to choose what is right in a world that is so corrupt, and a world that proclaims what is wrong to be right and vice versa, is to draw near to God in prayer and putting the Word of God into action in our personal walk with Christ. In Ephesians 6, we are told to put on the whole armor of God. However, note that in verse 10 we are told, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” The strength we need to overcome the fear that the devils use to drive us to inaction in serving the Lord in our daily living is found only in Christ. The Holy Spirit who indwells us is the source of our strength, and when we stray from God and become friends to the world and its ways, we grieve the Holy Spirit and weaken our Christian walk. Saul fought bravely whenever the Spirit came upon him. He was not afraid to challenge an entire army of Philistines; yet, when the Spirit left him, he found himself afraid to face one Philistine. Our courage and source of strength to face the impossible is only found in the Lord. I will leave us today with these verses, which I pray will encourage us: Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” This promise, made to Israel, is a promise we too can hold on to. Why? We can, because He also says to us in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” When we stray from God, we set ourselves up for a fall, but when we draw close to Him and seek intimacy with Jesus, there is no power that can overcome us, for, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
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, April 21, 2019
The Reason We Celebrate
Verse of the Day: John 10:28-30, And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”
Today we celebrate the reason for, and foundation of, our faith! The resurrection of our Risen Lord! The message is a simple one. We are all born with a sinful nature because of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden. Romans 5:12 tells us, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Today, there are many who are no different than Adam and Eve were in trying to cover their own sin. In Genesis 3:6-7 we read, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” Their attempts to cover up and make right what they did wrong was not enough before God. As a result, God had to make the first sacrifice to cover them in Genesis 3:21 where we read, “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” Since that time man has tried everything within his power to come up with the right formula, the right rituals, the right religion, to satisfy the payment owed to God for man’s sins. However, all attempts have fallen short. Some would rationalize that if we do more good than bad, somehow the good will cancel out the bad. Others have proclaimed that performing certain rituals in a certain manner will gain us forgiveness and give us eternal life. As a matter of fact, man has invented gods that they can manipulate, so that in their manipulation they can guarantee for themselves eternal life. Well, the sad and tragic truth is that none of it is acceptable to the one true God. God has made it clear that there is none that is righteous, because we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Because we have all sinned, we are all condemned to eternal death. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Isaiah goes on to tell us that all our works of righteousness are as filthy rags before God, in chapter 64, verse 6. How hopeless can this situation get? If there is nothing that we can do to satisfy God, then what hope do any of us have? This is where the love of God shines through with blinding brightness, for we are told in Romans 6:23, the other part of that verse, that the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ! John 3:16-17 tell us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” That my friends is the Good News of the Gospel! Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, came to earth, born of a virgin, to lay down His life for us. As if that were not enough, the Word of God tells us that Jesus now offers this gift of eternal life freely; not because of what we have done or who we are, but because of who He is and what He did on Calvary. Titus 3:4-7 states it best, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Today is a day of celebration for those of us who have accepted this free, and undeserved, gift! However, let us not be selfish in our celebration. Today is a great opportunity to not only wish someone a Happy Easter or Happy Resurrection Day, but it is an opportunity to tell them why it is a truly happy occasion! As we celebrate, let us make the most of that celebration by sharing the Reason we can celebrate. That Reason is our Risen Savior! Glory to our God and King who defeated death and the grave, and in whom we too have the victory!
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Saturday, April 20, 2019
God's Favor and Open Doors
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:21-22, So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”
Once David is chosen, anointed, and the Spirit is upon him, God begins to guide him to the place He wants him to be. How often have we asked, “What is God’s will for me?” How many of us have also asked, “What is God’s plan for me?” “What is my purpose in life?” Well, I will repeat what I have said in times before, “God’s will is in His Word.” That’s right. God has expressed, and made known, His will for us. It is spelled out for us, in black and white, in the pages of our Bibles. A few examples of God’s will for us are found in the following verses: Luke 9:23, 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 5:16-18, James 1:5, and 1 Peter 2:15. This is only a small list, but I encourage you to look these up and begin to search out the verses that expressly communicate God’s will for us. It is while we are obediently putting God’s will to practice in our lives that we will find out what His plan is for our lives. Note that with David, God did not reveal to him every step of what was going to happen in his life. This is a glorious time for David, as he is introduced to life in the palace, but he has no idea, at this time, that he will spend many years literally running for his life. We often want to know all the details of God’s plan for our lives, but I firmly believe that if God showed us, we would just curl up and hide from all the things we know are coming our way. The reason for this is that God give us the grace we need to meet the challenges He allows, but only in due time when it is needed, and not before. Proverbs 20:24 tells us, “A man’s steps are of the LORD; how then can a man understand his own way?” In other words, if God is directing our path and our steps, we do not need to understand everything that will happen along the way. If we are walking by faith, then there are things that God will allow that we simply have to accept by faith, knowing God has a purpose, even though He may choose not to reveal that purpose. David had returned to the life of faithful service in caring for his family’s sheep. He did not try to push doors open in order to make things happen. How many of us would have been this calm and patient? We live in a society of the “I want it yesterday” mentality. If we set our eyes on doing or wanting something, we go right after it. We pop our dinner into the microwave and in minutes it is ready. We want information, and with the click of a few buttons, we have it. Sadly, we treat God and His Word the same way when it comes to trying find out His plan for our lives, usually with disastrous results. In this instance we see that God opened the door for David to make his way into the palace. Not only did He open the door that led him to the palace, but He also gave David favor in the eyes of King Saul. David did not have to try and manipulate his way into favor with the king. In Genesis 39:21 we read, “But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Rather than trying to push doors that God has not opened, or trying to manipulate the favor of people, why not just live for the LORD, be vigilant, and prayerfully live in accordance to God’s will, as outlined in His Word? When we do this, we will make the most of our life here, and know that not a moment is wasted on empty plans that the Lord does not have for us. David was embarking on the beginnings of learning what it was like to live in the palace and sit on the throne. God was using Saul’s affliction and David’s faithfulness to put His plan into action and put the “man after His own heart” on the throne of Israel. We will later see by David’s actions toward Saul that he understood this quite well. Are we living life trying to bring forth plans that God does not have for us? Do we find ourselves being frustrated each day because our plans hardly ever seem to work out? Why not dedicate ourselves to praying, reading God’s Word, and applying His truths as we deal with others and deal with life decisions? We will be amazed at how clear God’s plan will unfold before us when we set our eyes on Him, and let Him be the One to open doors and give us favor with those He wants us to serve and serve with; all in His time.
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, April 19, 2019
They Are Watching
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:18, Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.”
There is something to be said about being faithful in our walk with the LORD. David spent much time tending to his family’s sheep. During his time taking care of his responsibilities, it seems that he also took time to sharpen his skills as a musician. We know from previous verses that he was a handsome young man, but was not really described as a young man who would be seen as a warrior. Nonetheless, here we get a glimpse of David from a different perspective. We previously said that David was treated more like a servant than a son, and here we have a servant of the king recommending David to fulfill the position of the king’s musician. God used a distressing spirit that was tormenting King Saul to introduce David to the palace and to Israel. The circumstances God uses in our lives to place us where He wants us are not coincidences. What is interesting about what this servant said is that it was most likely unknown to David that someone was watching him while he carried out his “everyday” routine of serving his family. This servant must have been watching and listening as David sang and practiced playing his instrument during those lonely and quiet nights. It is quite possible that he would have seen David face the lion and bear David speaks of later, or David may have possibly recounted it for him (1 Samuel 17). This servant may have even witnessed him do something else to protect his sheep. The servant seems to have a personal relationship with David, as he describes his speech as prudent, or wise in his dealings. Most Christians do not realize that King Solomon asked God for wisdom based on his father, King David, teaching him the importance of wisdom. In Proverbs 4 King Solomon records the advice King David gave him regarding the pursuit of wisdom. The fact of the matter is that people are watching us, even when we think they are not. What kind of testimony would we hear if someone was watching us without our knowledge? Would we be the first person they would think about or recommend if someone was seeking to fill a position that required diligence, skill, courage, and wisdom? In his description of David, the most important statement this servant made was this, “the LORD is with him”. Can that be said of you and me? Does the way we live, serve, and treat others, give clear indication that the LORD is with us? Are the people who are watching us live out our Christianity of the opinion that the LORD is with us, or do they see a hypocrite who says one thing about their faith but lives another? Whether we realize it or acknowledge it, people watch us. Our spouses watch us, our children watch us, our grandchildren watch us, our family, friends and co-workers all watch us. What testimony are we putting forth? The testimony this servant gave of who David was glorified God. Can we say the same of ours? We may think that our everyday routines mean nothing, but in reality, every step we take in life, every choice we make, can either lift up Jesus in our lives, or bring a blemish to the Name of the LORD. Let us do all we can to live a life that exalts Jesus, because whether we like it or not, “they are watching”.
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, April 18, 2019
What Is Done In Secret
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:13, Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.
We are not told what David’s father’s reaction was to what took place here. We are also not told what his brothers’ reactions were either. We do not even get an indication of what David’s reaction was to Samuel anointing him. It may have been that only Samuel knew, and possibly David, once the Spirit came upon him. Nonetheless, what I would like us to focus on is the fact that what is taking place here did not just happen randomly. There was a process that took place that many of us do not consider when we read about King David’s life. There were events that were taking place in the world David lived in that he was clueless about (such as what was happening with King Saul). At the same time, there were things happening in David’s life that were preparing him for, and leading him to, this moment in time, and would take him to the time that he would publicly be presented as the king of Israel, God’s people. We previously discussed that David’s days in the fields, taking care of his family’s sheep, was the training ground God used to prepare David to be king. There are many of us today who have a desire to serve God, but along with serving God we want public notoriety. Sadly, what ends up happening is that we allow our desire for recognition to overshadow what is truly important…a genuine relationship with God. It is from our intimacy with God in private that God will use to bring us public recognition, if that is indeed what He desires and has planned for us. Matthew 6:1-4 tells us, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Jesus continued to say in verses 5-6, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” David’s intimacy with God grew in private, while he was out serving God by serving his family in the fields; even though he was apparently treated more like a servant than a son. Although it does not seem that his father Jesse was the source of his spiritual nurturing, we read in Psalms that it was likely David’s mother who was his spiritual nurturer. In Psalm 86:16 David wrote, “Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant.” In Psalm 116:16 he also wrote, “O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds.” For those of us who have a great desire to be used by God, what are we doing now to allow God to prepare us for whatever His plan is for our life and service to Him? Do we take time to intentionally invest in those quiet times when we can read His Word and pray? Do we seek to be a blessing and give to others, even when no one else knows about it, or do we have to carry a giant billboard and sound trumpets every time we do something for someone? Do we feel the need to post it on Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else we make our announcement, so that people can tell us how good and spiritual we are? If so, I will remind us again that the pat on the back we receive is the only reward we will get (Matthew 6). God wants to use us, but He also wants to prepare us. Let us allow God to use the private moments with Him as preparation for future service to Him, should He tarry. Man’s accolades today will very easily turn to cries of persecution tomorrow. If you do not believe that, remember that the same people who cried, “Hosanna” were the same who later cried, “Crucify Him!” Let us seek to honor the LORD in our private lives and it will be evident publicly, in God’s time and God’s way.
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, April 16, 2019
Given Over
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:14, But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.
Saul now finds himself in a very sad state of being. The protection he enjoyed while the Spirit was upon him was now gone. The LORD withdrew Himself from Saul and left the door open for Satan and his demons to takeover. How blessed are we who are in Christ that the Spirit of God is more than upon us, He is in us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 clearly tell us, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Unlike Saul and those who lived during Old Testament times, we are indwelt and protected 24/7. A person who does not have the Holy Spirit is left wide open to be possessed and tormented by demons. Saul’s rebellion and disobedience led God to the place where He would withdraw from him. Although God will never withdraw His Spirit from us, it is possible for us to grieve and quench the Spirit in our lives. Ephesians 4:25-32 says, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. 26 ‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” In short, when we practice anything that was listed in these verses, we grieve the Holy Spirit of God; when we lie, sin in anger, steal, curse, hold on to bitterness, or refuse to forgive one another. Sadly, there will come a time, if we insist on resisting the Spirit, as Saul did, that God will give us over to our desires. With Saul, God withdrew His Spirit and allowed him to be tormented. Saul became depressed, paranoid, suspicious, and was a classic case of what today would be called mental illness. Although it would be wrong of us to automatically assume that someone is possessed when they suffer from mental health issues, the fact of the matter is that there are many unsaved people who are suffering from being possessed, while there are also Christians who are suffering from the consequences of their continued rebellion and disobedience. I want to make something clear at this juncture. There are cases where a person suffers from mental illness because of a chemical imbalance or some other physiological reason, and do need medication to correct it. Nonetheless, there are times when God gives the unbeliever over to their sinful ways, as told in Romans 1:18-32. These people are doomed to eternal condemnation if they continue to rebel against God’s truth. For us, the follower of Christ, God will give us over to the consequences of our sinful ways. He will allow it in order to discipline us and bring us back to a loving, obedient, walk with Him (Hebrews 12:5-11). Whether we want to admit it or not, there are far too many born again believers that are walking around depressed, trouble in their mind and spirit, and giving up on life. Their defeat is not coming from the devils’ ability to oppress us, for in Christ they have no power over us. The sad fact is that too many of us have continued to resist God’s leading and correction in our lives, and we have bought into the world’s lies about what it means to live a happy, successful life, forcing God to allow the consequences of living as friends of the world to take effect in our lives. Would God really allow that? The answer is simple, “Yes, He will.” Let us not forget Job. God initiated the conversation that led Satan to accuse Job, then God allowed Satan to take Job’s children, and inflict him physically. However, not once did God take His eyes off that situation or allow Satan to cross the boundaries God set, because God had a purpose in what He started and allowed. The best course of action any of us can take to avoid finding ourselves living a depressed and tormented life, that is the result of rebellion and sin, is to live a life of love for, and obedience to, Jesus 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).
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Mundane Training Ground
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:11-12, And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
The word mundane has a couple of meanings. The first is “lacking interest or excitement”, and the second, “of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one”. For some of us who have a great desire to serve the LORD, we may see our everyday lives as mundane (lacking excitement). We get up, commute to work, work our assigned hours, commute home, do a few things on our off hours and start the process all over again. Sometimes we see our everyday lives, our jobs, and our social lives (or lack thereof), as mundane. However, I would like us to stop and consider what we see in the life of David. He was the youngest of eight brothers who was assigned the servant’s task of tending the family’s sheep. How in the world could a shepherd boy be a king? Some of us may think that of ourselves. “How can I be a pastor, missionary, Sunday school teacher, small group leader, or whatever else God calls me to do? After all, I’ve never had any formal training.” Neither did David…or at least that’s what we think. Stop and think about what David was doing and how God used David’s mundane life to prepare him to be King David. As a shepherd he would have plenty of moments alone to think about the LORD, to contemplate his life, to spend time sharpening his skills as a singer, musician, and writer. How much time would he have to simply admire God’s creation? Psalm 19:1-4, a Psalm of David, reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” While out in the fields, David had the opportunity to learn how to trust God when the moments arose where he would have to protect the sheep from the dangers of the wilderness. In 1 Samuel 17, David tells King Saul how he had to defend the sheep from a lion and a bear. In caring for the sheep, David learned, and could relate, how his caring for the sheep paralleled God’s care for him (Psalm 23). David’s mundane life and duties were anything but mundane. Unbeknownst to him, it was God’s training ground to prepare him to be the king who would shepherd God’s people. Psalm 78:70-72 sheds light on this fact; it reads, “He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” Everything that God allowed David to experience in his everyday life He used to train David and prepare him for a greater mission. His sometimes dull, and unexciting, earthly, life was used, by God, to prepare him for his heavenly, spiritual mission. Knowing this should give us a new perspective on our mundane lives. When we realize that the life that God is allowing us to live can serve as a training ground to serve the LORD, it should rejuvenate us and cause us to live life with more fervency, even those quiet moments when it seems that God is silent and nothing is happening. Those moments are opportunities to pray, reflect, study, grow closer Jesus, and learn patience. In the times when trials and challenges come, those are opportunities to exercise faith, learn to trust God, and step out in courage and faith to do whatever it is God is calling us to do at that moment. We all have our own lions and bears to face in this world. The lions and bears in David’s life prepared him for his battle against Goliath (1 Samuel 17). As we live each day, let us be mindful of the fact that we are not serving man, but God. Colossians 3:23-24 reminds and commands us, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Rather than complain about how boring our life is, let us strive every day to allow God to use our mundane life as our training ground to prepare us for His service.
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, April 7, 2019
Least Likely, Most Likely
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:11-12, And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
There is so much that can be said about what took place in the choosing of David by God. As we observe the process that took place, it is easy to conclude that David was not thought much of by his own family. In verse 10 we read, “Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The LORD has not chosen these.’” In hoping that one of his sons would be chosen by Samuel, as directed by the LORD, Jesse brought seven of his sons before him, but left out the eighth. David, in the mind of Jesse, and most likely his brothers, would be the last choice in their estimation. As a matter of fact, David, being the youngest, was tasked with doing the job of a servant, tending to the sheep. We know from the cultural practices of that time that being a shepherd was the least desirable thing to do. Yet, when Jesus was born, it was first announced to the shepherds who were tending the sheep. Here, we have a simple shepherd boy now being chosen as the young man who would later be known as the man after God’s own heart, King David. As we consider this, let us be encouraged in this, that God does not choose as man chooses. Many of us may think little of ourselves because of the way our parents treated us, the way our siblings or any other family member treated us. We bought into the feelings of worthlessness because of the way our teachers, so-called friends, or anyone else who ever mistreated us or abused us verbally or emotionally made us feel. However, we must not lump God into this category of persons. David was not even offered as a possible candidate by his own father. Yet, it was David who was God’s choice. What is even more amazing is that God already knew what David would do in the future. When he committed murder and adultery by having Uriah killed after his affair with his wife Bathsheba, in order to cover up her pregnancy, God already knew that when He chose David. As a matter of fact, the LORD called David a man after His own heart when speaking to Samuel, prior to this event (1 Samuel 13:14). There are many of us who shy away from serving the LORD because we have allowed men to convince us that we are not worthy to serve God. We have been judged because we were not smart enough, rich enough, tall enough, good looking enough, or whatever other vain quality they decided we did not possess. We allowed ourselves to paint of false picture of ourselves, based on how others treated us because we did not fit their idea of who we should be, or because they were simply cruel people who mistreated us. Somehow, we took on the blame for that and reasoned that it was because there was something wrong with us. Yet, in God’s estimation of who we are and what He sees, if we are born again believers, is simply that we are His children. Regardless of how others have treated us, and how little others may think of us, or how little we may think of ourselves, in Christ we are most valuable. Shall I prove it? Okay…Jesus died for you and me. Is that not enough to prove how much God loves us? Is that not enough to tell us that we are valuable to Him? When all David’s family could see was a servant boy who was not worthy to even be brought before Samuel as a possible candidate for God’s service, God said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” It is time that we put aside the judgments of men. We may have stumbled in our walk with the LORD, and now people judge us, condemn us, and count us not worthy to serve by their side. Well, we are here to serve the LORD, even if it means that we serve Him alone, relying solely on the LORD for our comfort and strength. The bottom line is that there is no one who can stop us from serving once God has chosen us for Himself. Let us take the false images others have created for us and give them over to the LORD. Once we do that, we will discover the freedom of being able to serve God as we see ourselves through his eyes, and not the vain eyes of men. To men we may be the least likely, but to God we can be the most likely, 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).
Saturday, April 6, 2019
X-Ray Vision
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:6-7, So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
How quickly we jump to conclusions about who someone is simply by the impression we get from viewing the exterior. We often make judgments based on how someone is dressed, even before they open their mouths. We develop our thoughts of who we think a person is based on what we see of them, on occasion, when we see them in church. Many of us have put on quite the façade, and made people think that we had it all together, when in reality we were falling apart. We had people thinking that we were godly, when that was far from true when we were all alone or away from our Christian brothers and sisters. Samuel made an assumption when he saw Eliab, David’s brother. You would have thought that he would be a bit more discerning, considering that King Saul also looked like a king in his physical appearance, but turned out to be a king who was not after God’s own heart. All too often we see people in church and think, “I wish I was as godly as they are”, or we think, “Someday I’ll have it all together like they do.” However, I must remind us this very moment that people are not our “measuring stick”. Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” John 1:14 also says, “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.” In other words, Jesus is the Glory of the Father. Therefore, we fall short of Him and no one else. When we want to know how well we are doing, we need to compare ourselves to Jesus and no one else. That, my brothers and sisters, will result in a humbling revelation of where we are in our walk with God. Nonetheless, regardless of how well we think we have built our façade, it will never cover up what God sees in us. God is not as concerned with our outer appearance as much as He is with what is in our hearts. In 1 Peter 3:3-4, the Apostle says this to wives in respect to their appearance and behavior, “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.” When we pretend to be someone we are not, as Christians, we are no better than the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus rebuked for their hypocrisy. In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” The bottom line is that Jesus knows the heart. Proverbs 21:2 reminds us, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.” Psalm 44:20-21 also warns, “If we had forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a foreign god, 21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.” We must be careful not to judge too quickly what we think of others simply by their outward appearance. Even more so, we must take great care to make sure our hearts are right with God, and stop thinking that we are fooling anyone, especially God, with our shallow Christianity and the fake acts of righteousness we put on display to try and get people to think that we are more spiritual than we really are. Let us walk with the Lord by faith, with integrity, holiness, and righteousness, knowing that God sees beyond our actions and is more interested in what lies in our hearts for Him. We cannot escape God’s x-ray vision.
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, April 4, 2019
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
No Fear in Christ
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:2-3, And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
Samuel’s statement to the LORD says a lot about the state that Saul was in. It is obvious that the king had become a bitter man who no longer feared God. This is exactly what happens to us when we refuse to repent, when we hold on to our pride and become stubborn with God. Because God is gracious and patient, we cross the line and begin to make decisions, and live, with no fear of what God is capable of doing to us, or what He is capable of allowing. On the other side of that coin we see the fear Samuel experienced in the possibility that Saul would find out what he was doing, and kill him. This is what I would like us to address and focus on. On this side of Heaven, we will encounter situations that cause us to fear. This fear will either drive us forward or paralyze us. The fear that Samuel felt is one that has the power to potentially stop us in our tracks as we serve the LORD. Here we see a living example of what Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” More often than not we hesitate, and even change our minds, about doing something we know God is sending us to do because we fear ridicule, the persecution or some kind of personal loss. We allow the devils to convince us that things will not work out, and that going forward will only be to our hurt. Samuel was fearing his own demise. There are situations, even in walking with, and serving, Jesus, where we may fear losing our lives. However, Hebrews 2:14-15 clearly states, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that in Jesus we have power over fear, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” As we draw closer to reading about and studying the life of David, we know that before he was officially installed as king of Israel, he experienced many moments of fear. One of the Psalms he wrote is used quite often at funerals. However, this Psalm is a wonderful reminder that we need not fear when we find ourselves in the dark valleys. We, as God’s children, can find great comfort in times of fear in Psalm 23:4 where it promises, “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.” When we begin to feel the onset of fear, in any given situation, we need to ask ourselves the questions found in Psalm 27:1,”The LORD is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the Strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” In the case of Samuel, the LORD gave him specific instruction as to how he was to proceed. We may not hear the audible voice of God to give us instructions when we are serving Him, but we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to guide us using the Word of God, and we have 24/7 access to God, in Christ, whenever we are seeking His guidance and direction. If we are going to fear, let us have a reverent fear of God, for that kind of fear is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Our Choice His Choice
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 16:1, Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
King Saul was a fine example of what happens when we make choices based on our own wants and desires. The people had God as their King. When they decided that they wanted to be like everyone else around them, they rejected God’s leadership and sought a human king. God, who allows us freewill, gave them a king after their own heart. Hence, they got a king who was just like them. Saul was a king who had a superficial relationship with God at best. As a matter of fact, as time went on, it became clear that King Saul did not even see God as his God, but Samuel’s God (1 Samuel 15). Now, as the kingdom was stripped away from Saul, God is sending Samuel to seek out the king God has chosen for Himself. Here is the sad fact about many of us as we live out our Christian life; far too often we make our choices based on our own wants and desires and forfeit what God desires for us. James 4:2-3 says, “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” Not only do we do this with choosing the things we want materially, but we do this with our relationships as well. Israel traded their relationship with God for a relationship with a human king, so they could be like other nations (1 Samuel 8:4-5). How often do we, in spite of knowing that God does not want us to be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), choose to be with an unsaved person or with a Christian who clearly has a shallow relationship with the LORD? Yet, in spite of the warning signs, or the advice from people who are trying to give us sincere guidance, we still go forward to choose that which we know would not be God’s choice for us. Many of us Christians have missed opportunities to live joy-filled, blessed, lives, serving God with a spouse that also has a heart to serve the Lord, simply because we made our choice for a mate over God’s choice for a mate. We became impatient and allowed ourselves to be convinced that we were getting too old, or we would never find “that” person, when all along God may have been preparing us for the mate He had for us and preparing them for us. It truly is sad when we see Christians buy into the hope of finding someone to live out the whole “romance novel” dream of a relationship. They trust social media’s and reality TV’s lies about what true happiness in relationships looks like. We end up making the disastrous decision to be yoked to ungodly people in hopes of finding “prince charming” or our “dream girl”. The most dangerous thing we can allow ourselves to fall into is the trap of fantasizing what the perfect relationship would look like outside of Jesus being the center of that relationship. Before we make our choices in respect to material things that we want, as opposed to what we really need, or make our choices in respect to relationships we think we want or need, why not spend some time in prayer? Why not stop and ask the LORD, “LORD, who is it that YOU have for me?” “LORD, have I not found a mate because you are still working on me, or maybe still working on them?” The bottom line is that the best choice we can make in getting what we want or need is to let the LORD make that choice for us. With God’s choice we can never go wrong because our choice is usually selfish, while God’s choice is always selfless and best for 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).
Monday, April 1, 2019
Account for Every Drop
Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 15:33, But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
Here we have a reminder that no one, absolutely no one, will get away with the heinous murders we see being committed against the innocent. How much more for the murders of helpless unborn babies? The Amalekites had been cruel toward Israel from the time they were led out of Egypt (Genesis 17). Agag, their king, was the cruel leader of these people, and based on Samuel’s statement was also a murderer of the innocent. In verse 32 we read, “Then Samuel said, ‘Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.’ So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness of death is past.’” All those who have murdered and think that they have escaped punishment are sadly mistaken. Agag’s physical punishment is nothing in comparison to the eternal punishment he was facing. So it is with all who murder and refuse to repent and turn to Jesus. Upon exiting the Ark, God said this to Noah in respect to the spilling of man’s blood in Genesis 9:5, “Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.” Proverbs 28:17 says, “A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit; let no one help him.” As we observe the sad state of affairs in society today, as it becomes obvious to us that man has no respect for life, we should find great comfort in knowing that none of this escapes the eyes of God. Revelation 21:8 tell us, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 22:14-15 also warns, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” Nations like that of the Amalekites, and people like Agag, may think that they will not give an account, simply because God does not judge them on the spot. However, one day, all the acts of injustice will be answered for. One day, every man and woman will give account for the murders committed based on their opinions that they had “the right” to do what they pleased with their own bodies. Criminals who give no thought to taking the life of another will not escape the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20). As God’s children, the things we see, even though they may anger us, and even if an injustice has been committed against us or someone we know, we can know and have hope in the fact that God will judge those who commit such atrocities. We must continue to pray for our country, the people, and its leaders, that they come to know Jesus Christ as Savior. This is the only way that any of this will ever change. Nonetheless, we know that those who stubbornly refuse to turn to Jesus will someday give account for every drop of blood they have spilled, because our God is a just 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).
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