A Demonstration of His Love

Psalms 94:12-13 Blessed is the man whom You discipline, O Lord, and whom You teach out of Your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.

If there is one truth that continues to recur in the Psalms, it is this...the wicked will not escape the judgment of God. However, until that day comes, we must learn how to deal with those moments when evil shows up and attempts to hinder our walk with Jesus. Many of us already know that our God is neither deaf nor blind. Therefore, all that the wicked do, they do in plain sight before God. In these verses, however, we are reminded of something that many of us do not stop to consider. God will sometimes allow us to be affected by the actions of the wicked, with the purpose of disciplining us. In this case, the word used here for discipline means "to instruct". In other words, God will sometimes use the actions of the wicked to teach us to trust Him, to teach us the truth of His Word, and ultimately teach us that while we wait for the judgment of the wicked, we can have peace and joy in Jesus Christ. The Word of God tells us that we are blessed when we endure trials. Let us learn to cherish those times when the Lord chooses to discipline us; for His discipline is always done in love, and as a demonstration of His love.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Do Not Lose Hope

Psalms 93:1-2 The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.

Today, what is causing us to fear? Are we worried about the direction that our country, and this world, is heading in? Are we fearful of what will happen as those in power make decisions that benefit them, but ultimately affect us negatively and hurt us? Are we fearful of the uncertainty that we face each day, as evil seem to gain ground, and the wicked seem to be gaining more power? Well, first and foremost, turn off the television and stop listening to, and believing, the rhetoric that the media keeps feeding us in order to keep us in fear. Start opening the pages of your Bible and listening to what God has to say about these days and the days to come. There is no man or power on earth that is mightier than our God. He is the one who puts kings on their thrones, and also dethrones them. In verses 3 we have a description of the strength of raging floods. Yet, the worst of floods does not match the power of our God who is the One who created and controls all things (v. 4). Raging storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and any other powerful storm, is dwarfed in power and might in comparison to the power of our God. We serve a God who is coming to justly rule and reign in holiness, power, and might; bringing the corrupt and unjust rule of man to a halt. So why do we fear? Why do we worry? We serve a God who is personally interested in every aspect of our life and relationship with Him; but it begins with us first trusting and calling upon His Name for salvation. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, and take our eyes off the fear mongering that man wants to feed us with, in order to keep us subjected to their wicked rule. We need to stay in God's Word, so that we are continually reminded of who is really in control. No matter how unstable this world may seem, we are promised that this world, under the rule and reign of Jesus, is established, and will never be moved. The time is coming. Do not lose hope.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Give Thanks and Sing Praises

Psalms 92:1-3 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.

This morning, as we read this Psalm on our patio, and spent some time in prayer, we were serenaded by an orchestra of feathered musicians, lifting their voices in praise to our Creator. At least that is what it reminds us of each morning when we hear them. Amazingly, their songs are not dampened by weather. If it is sunny, they sing. If it is cloudy, they sing. If it rains, they sing. For us, it is a wonderful reminder that our giving of thanks, and praise, should not be measured or determined by our circumstances. At the end of each day, we seal it with Scripture reading, reflection of the day, and prayer. The day ends with a song in our hearts. Is it easy to do this every single day without fail? If we are honest, the answer is "no", because there are many things in this life that compete for our attention, and enemies that want to rob us of these intimate moments with our God. However, on the many days that we take the time to start our day with giving thanks and offering praise, and end the day with a thankful heart, in appreciation for the Lord's faithfulness, it helps us to realize how blessed we really are. If there is breath in our lungs, and we opened our eyes to another day of life, then we have an opportunity today to thank God for His faithfulness, and praise Him for such undeserved goodness.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Who Is Leading?

Psalms 91:11-12 For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

As I read this Psalm, these verses stood out as the verses Satan used in his feeble attempt to tempt Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4, and Luke 4. There is much that can be said here about these verses, but I would like to focus on one very important point. That point is that we must exercise extreme caution in how we apply the Word of God. Far too many of us take the Scriptures out of context in order to justify our behavior, or our desire to do something that is not coming from the Lord. Satan wanted Jesus to take an action that did not originate with God, and do it based on verses of Scripture that he (Satan) took out of context. God promises protection for his people, but He promises to protect those who are His, first and foremost, who also "hold fast to Him in love" (v. 14). There is nothing in this entire Psalm, or any particular verse of this Psalm, that promises that God will protect us when we intentionally put ourselves in harm's way. When we foolishly choose our own way, and decide that we want Jesus to follow us, we cannot turn around and try to hold God to one of His promises taken out of context. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that we become true students of God's Word, and seek to apply in accordance to God's truth and direction; and not according to our own ideas or desires. Before we act on God's Word, and claim His promise(s), we need to ask ourselves one question, "Who's leading in what I'm about to do?" If Jesus is, then we can confidently claim the promise, and boldly move forward by faith.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The Greatest Servant

Matthew 20:27-28 "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Some of us still have not figured out that success in the Christian life does not come by applying worldly principles. Sure, we may appear to be successful outwardly, to a world that values and encourages certain things; but real success in the Christian life is not determined by the world, or man's opinion. If we want to experience true greatness in our Christian walk, we must strive to be great by God's standard. The mother of two of Jesus' disciples had a desire that any mother would have for her children, that they would be successful in life. She desired, and requested from Jesus, that her sons be given places of honor at His side. However, Jesus went on to teach His disciples a very valuable lesson about what it takes to be great, by God's standard. Unlike the world, whose idea of greatness is exerting power and authority over others, Jesus explained that greatness in God's kingdom comes from being a servant. The world is all about exalting one's self. It is about proudly showing off talents, abilities, and gaining status and wealth. On the contrary, being great in the Christian life is about taking up our cross daily, seeing others as better than ourselves, seeking the well-being of others, even to our hurt (if that is what God leads us to do), and being a servant to those around us. It means being like Jesus, who even though was the Master, washed the feet of His disciples; even the feet of the one whom He knew would betray Him. Greatness before God means being like Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve, and give His life for each and every one of us. If greatness is what we are striving for in our walk with Jesus, are we willing to be like the Greatest Servant this world has ever known?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Meeting the Eternal God

Psalms 90:1-2 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. You turn man to destruction, and say, “Return, O children of men.”

Life indeed is short. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that it is like a vapor. Aside from the fact that it is short, it is uncertain; because tomorrow is never guaranteed. This is something that many of us, if not all of us, take for granted. We live our lives planning and scheming. We set ourselves up for success...so we think...and put our hope in things, and people, that often fail us. We grasp for that which is temporary and fleeting. We work, we strive, we sacrifice, and often end up feeling empty, unsatisfied, longing for more, and ultimately depressed, when we realize that it is all vanity. On the contrary, we have a God who is eternal. He has no beginning and no end. He existed before time and before He created us and all that exists. He will exist long after everything on this earth perishes. This same God has done something magnificent, mind-blowing, and quite beyond our understanding. He has given us, in Jesus Christ, the opportunity to be transformed from mortal beings to immortal. Yes, in Christ Jesus we have life eternal when we put our trust in Him, and call upon His Name for salvation. In Jesus, our hope is no longer in the temporary things of this world, but in our Living Hope. When the weaknesses of old age, sickness, and disease show up in our lives, they are no longer prisons of despair. The thought of dying no longer brings fear, but joy at the thought of meeting our Savior and Lord face to face. There is a wonderful transformation that takes place in our thinking, and our purpose for living, when we finally meet the Eternal God. Have you met Him? Do you know Him personally? If not, He is waiting for you to meet Him. If you have met Him, what are you doing to show it in your life? None of us is even guaranteed the next breath. So what are we waiting for?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Unfailing Mercies and Faithfulness

Psalms 89:1-2 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”

Experiencing difficulties sometimes has a way of causing us to forget God's goodness. The enemy uses our current troubles to keep us focused on the problem, and cause us to forget that God is bigger than our trials. The enemy wants us to become ungrateful, and wants us to lack contentment. He tries to direct us onto a path of grumbling and complaining, so that all we focus on is our sorrows and worries, until we become depressed and cannot see how blessed we really are. Before the psalmist complains to God about his current misery, he first reminds himself, by praising God, of the Lord's past mercy and faithfulness toward him. By doing this, he can bring his concerns, grumblings, and complaints, to God, but in the end be able praise God for His goodness. This is something we need to put into practice daily. We are forgetful creatures. Often, all it takes is for our plans to go sideways for us to begin murmuring and having a "pity party for one", and only those who are willing to murmur with us are invited. We need to begin each day reminding ourselves of God's past and present mercies, blessings, and faithfulness; then finish our day in the same manner. When we do this, regardless of what happens in between, we will always be reminded that God's mercy and faithfulness will show up again, in His time, when He has fully accomplished the good He set out to perform through the very trial we are grumbling about. Let us stay focused on the Lord today, and praise Him for His mercies that are new every day, and His unfailing faithfulness.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

What Are We Waiting For?

Joshua 24:2-3, And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.'"

There is something in Scripture that we give little thought to, when we think about the Jews and the church. The Jews look down on the Gentiles; yet, God started the Jewish Nation with a Gentile, Abraham. There are some Christians who falsely believe that the church replaced Israel, and now apply the promises made to the Jews in the Old Testament to the church. They speak harshly about Jews, and blame them for Jesus' crucifixion. Did we forget that Jesus was Jewish, and that the first church was started and was made up of Jews? Did we forget that it was OUR sins that caused Jesus to go to the cross? I remind us of these facts because it points to something amazing that is still possible today. God took a man, from an idolatrous culture and made him the father of a nation who would bring forth the Savior of the world. Why did God do this? He did it because Abraham was willing to believe, put his faith in the Lord, and be obedient to God's call. Jesus took a small group of Jewish untrained, unlearned men, who were willing to believe and follow Him, and founded the church. God used these men to turn the world upside down. In spite of what the church has experienced, and where it is today, there are still local churches doing all they can to make an impact for the glory of God. So, my questions to us today are these, "What are we missing out on by not serving God the way we should be?" "What great opportunities are we missing out on by not believing, and not surrendering our lives to Jesus today?" The same God who established a nation using one man, and the same God who established the church with a small, diverse, group of unlearned men, is the same God who desires to use each and every one of us today, for His glory and the furtherance of His Kingdom. What are we waiting for?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

False and Dangerous Assumptions

Joshua 22:11-12, 16 Now the children of Israel heard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.” And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them. “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord: ‘What treachery is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the Lord?

One of the things that often causes conflict and division within the body of Christ is our tendency to make false and dangerous assumptions about other people's motives for what they do. We often criticize others for something they have done, or for a particular way they are serving, without first stepping back and considering that there is more to the story than what we are seeing. We do not have the ability to see the "big picture" as God sees it, and we certainly do not have the ability to see what is in another person's heart. Here we have a perfect example of what happens when we make false assumptions about other people's motives and heart intentions. The children of Reuben, of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh kept their promise to go across the Jordan to help the rest of the Israelites conquer the land promised to them by the Lord. On their way back to the land given to them by the Lord, through Moses, they decided to build an altar as a memorial to the Lord. Upon overhearing someone talk about this...I call that gossip...the children of Israel immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion and prepared to go to war with their own people, who, by the way, sacrificed their own lives to help them obtain the land they now possessed. How often have we been on either side of this fence, when someone misinterpreted something we did or said, or maybe we were the one guilty of falsely judging someone else's statement or actions? This is the stuff that unnecessary conflict and division are made of, and the kind of stuff that the devils love to promote amongst God's people. We must be extremely careful about judging other people's motives and intentions, as only God knows the heart. The best approach we can take when faced with confronting something we perceive as offensive or ungodly is to first inquire with the person(s) involved, before we open our mouths and prove ourselves to have been presumptuous and foolish. By doing this we will avoid unnecessary conflicts and divisions that do not honor God and give our testimony, for Jesus, a black-eye. Let us always approach these occasions with love and an open mind. We may find, in the end, that what was being done was actually God-led, and done for the glory of God...because God's ways are not our ways.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Peace, Joy, and Hope in Suffering

Peace, Joy, and Hope in Suffering

Psalms 88:1, 13 O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night. O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day.

The author of this Psalm was actually a man who was mentioned several times in Scripture. Heman the Ezrahite was a blessed man, a contemporary of King David. Yet, in spite of his blessed life, it appears that he also suffered deeply. This Psalm is one of the saddest in this Book. Like David, he began with an acknowledgement of God. He calls Him "Lord, God of my salvation". Interestingly, his outlook of what happens after death was one of uncertainty. This is due to the fact that the Old Testament does not give a clear picture of life after death. That is the great difference between suffering in that day and suffering today. Today, because of what Jesus did, and revealed to us about Heaven and Hell, we can have hope, joy, and peace, during times of suffering; even if that suffering involves possible loss of life. In Christ Jesus we can know with all certainty what will happen to us when this life ends in death. If we know Jesus as Savior, the Apostle Paul tells us that to be absent from is to be present with the Lord. Without Jesus, we are told in Luke 16 that the rich man died and opened his eyes in Hell. With Jesus, we have the hope of a physical resurrection, to rule and reign with Jesus, and be with Him forevermore. Without Jesus, there will be a resurrection, but it will be for judgment of sin and further punishment in the Lake of Fire. Regardless of what we have to endure in this life, it does not compare to what Jesus has prepared for us who know Him as Lord and Savior. Although the psalmist was suffering greatly, he knew God would hear his prayers. We have the Holy Spirit in us who speaks for us when we do not know how or what to pray. The bottom line is that no matter what God allows us to suffer, in Christ we can endure it with peace, joy, and hope.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

When The Roll Is Called

Psalms 87:3-5 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ” And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her.”

The occasion for this particular Psalm is uncertain. Some believe that it was written after the return from Babylonian captivity, and refers to the rebuilding of the city and temple. It is also believed that the Psalm looks forward to the coming City of Zion from where the Messiah will rule the nations. What a glorious picture of unity we have in these verses. Whether from Zion, Egypt, Philistia, or Arabia, it will be said of them, "This one was born there." A time is coming very soon when the heavenly roll will be called. My question to us all is this, "Will our name be found in the Lambs Book of Life?" Will we be counted among those who have put their faith in the finished work of Jesus, and called upon His Name for salvation? Will we be among those who are not relying on their works and righteousness, but fully counting on the righteousness of Jesus? The bottom line is that the only way to receive eternal life is by God's grace. Praise be to our God who gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, and Him alone. Titus 3:4-7 clearly state, "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 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, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." So, I ask again, will your name be found in the Book when the heavenly roll is called?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

God's Desire

Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

The first few verses of this chapter is a call to repentance. This is something that all of us need to do continually, because we all fail in our walk with God. At least I know I do. The verse we are meditating on today is interesting. It states God's desire for us, when we have repented, and are walking right with the Lord once again. Israel and Judah were on the brink of judgment, but that was not God's desire for them. Today, God does not desire that any should perish, but that all would be saved. Sadly, many will not believe and will reject God's free gift of eternal life. For us, who are saved, God's desire is that we would not suffer the consequences of sinful decisions, and that we would not become friends of the world. He describes Israel's and Judah's faithfulness as something that quickly fades, in verse 4. His desire for us is no different. He desires that our faithfulness to Him would be steadfast, in Christ. He first addresses the attitude we should have toward one another. Just as He is merciful to both the just and the unjust, so He desires that His children would be merciful towards others. He holds it in higher esteem than the practice of outward religion. He is not interested in our sacrifices, as if He can be bought by anything we can offer. It all belongs to Him anyway, and there is nothing we have that He needs. As a matter of fact, He tells us that if we are not right with our brother, we are to leave our gift at the altar, go get right, then come back and offer it. Interestingly, He addresses what is most important secondly. He tells us that knowing Him, truly knowing Him, is far more important than our religious rituals that make us look godly outwardly, but hide the wickedness that is harbored in our hearts. God's desire is that we would know Him in such a way that it would cause reverent fear in our hearts. His desire is that in our true knowledge of Him would drive us to worship Him in spirit and truth, and be the motivating factor in how we live for Him, serve Him, and treat others. In essence, and in relation to what He tells us about what His desire is, we cannot have one without the other. Our true knowledge of God will be the foundation of how we live our life for Him. God's desire is that we break down our façades, and worship Him with true hearts. Our love and reverence for God should drive who we are in Christ Jesus, and constrain us to be doers of His Word.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Which Fight Will We Fight?

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

There are two fights we can involve ourselves in, while here on earth. The first is that of the world; the fight to gain as much of what the world has to offer. This fight, in the end, no matter how hard we fight it, will leave us empty, because no matter how much we gain, when death comes knocking on our door, no amount of fame or fortune will save us. They will put us in the ground the same way they put a poor person's body in the ground. Sadly, it will also begin an eternity of inescapable pain and suffering. The other fight is the one we are called to as born again believers. It is the one where we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Nowhere in God's Word are we told, or promised, that our Christian life would be an easy one. On the contrary, Jesus promised that in this world we would have tribulation, but promised that in Him we have victory (John 16:33). As a matter of fact, we are told in 2 Timothy that we must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus (v. 3). We must not entangle ourselves in the affairs of this life, but please the Lord who enlisted us as His soldier (v. 4). For this reason we have been given Spiritual Armor to put on each day, as we go out to battle. However, we are not to fight this fight in our own strength (or we will face certain defeat), but be strong in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10-20). We must not fight this fight like someone who beats the air, but fight as one who is disciplined, and brings his body into subjection (1 Corinthians 9:24-2). The only way to avoid being hindered in this fight is to keep our eyes on Jesus, forgetting the past, reaching forward, and pressing toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). Know this, that our enemy, the devil, will fight us every step of the way. He will fight dirty, and will try to discourage us. He will lie to us, persecute us, and even threaten our lives. However, Revelation 2:10 tells us, "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer." The end of that verse admonishes us to be faithful until death, and promises that Jesus will give us the crown of life as a reward, if we endure. So today, which battle will you choose to fight, the one that leads to eternal pain, suffering, and punishment, or the one that lays hold of life eternal in Christ Jesus, for His glory?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

He Hears, He Sees, He Answers

Psalms 86:6-7 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.

Am I the only one who feels like the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt? What I mean is that they were slaves for 400 years, and during that whole time that they cried out to the LORD, they must have felt like this psalmist felt in verse 1, “Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; for I am poor and needy.” Yet, for 400 years…silence. We pray, and if God does not answer in a day or two, we go into panic mode and have a meltdown. Although the psalmist started out pleading for God to hear him in verse 1, by the time he wrote verses 6 and 7, he was stating with confidence that God was going to answer him. That fact is still true today. The same God who said to Moses in Exodus 3:7, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows”, is the same God who hears our cries and sees our pain. Although He may not answer right away, He already has the solution, and a plan was in place long before we found ourselves crying out to Him. He knows what we have need of, long before the need arises, and long before we ask. Our God is not deaf, and He is not blind. He does, however, operate on His own timetable; and His timing is always perfect. We may not understand why the trial has come; and the solutions that make sense to us are not necessarily the ones God wants to put to action. There is no doubt that there will be times when we will have to simply trust that what God is allowing and doing is necessary for that time. We need not lean on our own flawed understanding. Instead, we need to fervently pray, keep our eyes open for an answer, and trust that God will answer in a way that is best for us, and will bring Him the greatest glory. That is what He did when Mary and Martha called upon Him to come and heal their sick brother, Lazarus. Jesus could have responded right away, and healed him. Yet, Jesus chose to wait, knowing that allowing Lazarus to die, then raising him from the dead, rather than healing him, would bring the most glory to God, and the most joy to both Mary and Martha. What are we praying for today that God has not yet answered? Have we given up? Do we feel that God just is not listening and does not care? Well, He certainly cared about the Israelites' cries for 400 years, and already knew how He would deliver them. Do not fret, and keep crying out to Him. He hears us, sees our circumstances, and is faithful to answer at just the right time.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

How Valuable Would They Be?

Luke 16:19-23 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."

What a tragic story. Yet, it is one that plays out every single day. Someone, somewhere, goes off into eternity without Jesus, because they chose unbelief and the treasures of this world. Someone, somewhere, has gone into eternity, knowing Jesus, but with a great loss of reward, because they loved the riches of this world, more than they loved Jesus. The rich man enjoyed the creature comforts of this world, and the privileges that came with being wealthy. He cared not for the well-being of Lazarus, the poor beggar who sat at his gate. Now, the tables are turned. Lazarus is in Paradise with Abraham, while the rich man is now the poor suffering beggar. The obvious difference is that Lazarus was a poor man who was actually wealthy because he had faith; while the rich man was poor and did not even know it, because of his unbelief. Sadly, the poor rich-man will remain poor and tormented for the rest of eternity, with absolutely no opportunity to escape. So I have to ask, "If you do not know Jesus as Savior, what earthly treasure(s) is/are keeping you from accepting Him and surrendering your life to Him?" "If you do know Him, what are you holding on to that is robbing you of eternal rewards?" Just before Jesus told this story, He warned that we cannot serve both God and money. In Matthew 8:26-37 Jesus asked, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Are we willing to trade an eternity filled with heavenly rewards for earthly treasures that do not last, can be lost in the blink of an eye, will one day perish, and will be left behind when we die? If you have not trusted and called upon Jesus, are you willing to take the chance of leaving this world and going into an eternity of suffering, just to hold onto, and gather, things that you cannot take with you? Let me ask it this way, "If you were told that you only had one week to live, and there was nothing you could do to keep from dying, how important or valuable would these earthly things be that you are holding onto so tightly? Let that sink in...

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). 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 His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

He Will Take Care of the Rest

James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

In yesterday's devotional we spoke of avoiding friendship with the world and the devils. Today, I would like us to consider how to repel that pesky devil and his demons. First, I will say this...I do not read anywhere in God's Word where He instructs any of us to rebuke the devil. Jude 9 even tells us, "Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" In Acts 19 some itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the Name of Jesus over some evil spirit. The result was that in verses 15 we are told, "And the evil spirit answered and said, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?' Verse 16 (my summary) essentially tells us that the evil spirit left the man it possessed, leaped on the Jewish exorcists, beat them, and sent them running, naked and wounded. So, we might want to rethink the whole rebuking thing that God never instructed us to do. Instead, God gave us the perfect strategy to make the devils get away from us. He simply told us to push the devil(s) back by...listen now...by putting ourselves under submission to God, and getting closer to Him. In other words, we are to become obedient to God and His Word, and focus on increasing our intimacy with Jesus. Note that there is nothing in there about rebuking Satan. God tells us that if we submit ourselves to Him and draw near to Him, He promises to draw closer to us. The devils will see God's overwhelming presence in our lives, and will tuck their tails and run the other way. However, let me issue this warning. The devil is described as a lion, going to and fro, seeking whom he may devour. This means that he will flee, but then crouch, watch, and wait. He will wait for fickle, inconsistent, little us to fall back into our comfort zone, where we will begin, once again, to stop reading our Bible, and spending less time in prayer. The key to keeping the enemy at bay is to maintain an intimate relationship with Jesus, because only God can overpower the devils, and they know it! So, the next time we are tempted to rebuke the devils when they start acting up, we might want to rethink our strategy, and instead take it as a pretty good indicator that we have strayed from the One we should be submitted to every day. We need to heed God's warning to be sober, be vigilant, submit and draw near to Him. He will take care of the rest.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free 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 free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Why, Oh Why, Do We Befriend It?

James 4:4-5 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

I cannot count how many times I have heard, or read, someone's rant about how an "alleged" friend betrayed them. It might have been someone who they knew for a long time, maybe even someone they considered a lifelong friend. Sadly, there have been friends who were closer than a brother or sister, and something happened to cause the betrayal. The fact is that we do not always know when someone we call "friend" is going to turn on us. If we did, we could nip that friendship before the betrayal takes place. I'm sure that we would all agree that if we knew ahead of time that someone was going to betray us somewhere down the line, we would not even start that relationship; we would avoid them like the plague! Well...why is it that we are so quick to become a friend of the world? When we go after the things of the world, and lust after what it has to offer, it will not be long before the world we befriended betrays us. The sad part about that, as born again believers, is that God already warns us in His Word about the consequences of becoming intimately involved with the world. First, when we choose the world as our friend, we are making ourselves an enemy to the One who laid down His life for us, and choosing friendship with Satan and his demons. We put ourselves on a path to becoming covetous, envious, and greedy. We begin to exalt ourselves above others as we begin to gather the world's riches, and become proud. Also setting ourselves up to having God resist us. The devils love to give us what they know will draw us away from God. The very things God blessed Lucifer with are the very things he now uses to put a wedge between us and our God...wealth, beauty, talent, and our own worldly (and foolish) wisdom. Sadly, as we begin praying selfishly, and God chooses to answer those prayers with a resounding "no", we start complaining and whining about how God does not care about our needs, and we eventually leave the local church, maybe even causing some division while we are at it. So...someone please tell me why any of us, who knows Jesus as Savior, would trade our friendship with Him to befriend the one who sought to destroy us in the first place? No worries, I'll wait...

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free 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 free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Wherever We Go

Joshua 1:8-9 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua was facing a challenging assignment. He was to lead the Israelites into the Promise Land, to take possession of what God had already promised was theirs. However, before Moses died he left very specific instructions for Joshua, from the Book of the Law, God's Word. Although the road ahead would be a great challenge, God promised Joshua that if he meditated in God's Word, day and night, and was a doer of the Word, he would succeed. However, that was not the only promise he made to Joshua. There was another very important promise, and it was that the Lord would be with Joshua wherever he went. I found it curious that right before He said that, He reminded Joshua of His command (not suggestion) to be strong and of good courage, to not be afraid or dismayed. This God is the same God we serve today. He is God Almighty, who has also made this promise to us, that He will never leave us, nor forsake us, in Hebrews 13:5-6. Just as He gave Joshua a command, before He made this promise, God has also given us a command. He commanded that we live life without covetousness, and be content with such things as we have; for in having Jesus, we have all that we need. When we live a life free of greed and envy, we can boldly say that the Lord is our Helper. Knowing this, and trusting Him at His Word, is there something we are hesitating to do in our service to the Lord? Are we allowing our current circumstances, and what we physically see, deter us from courageously going forth, by faith, in our service to Him? If we are meditating on God's Word, and actually being doers of His Word, what have we to fear if we have His promise that He is always with us wherever we go?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free 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 free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The Fierce Wrath of God

Psalms 85:2-3 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

Israel's relationship with God has always been a revolving door. They have done what is right in their own eyes, worshipped other gods, and betrayed the Lord time and time again. They have experienced the fierceness of God's anger through years of captivity throughout their history. Yet, when they have turned back to the Lord, repented and called out to Him, He has forgiven and restored them. A time is coming, during the Tribulation Period, that Israel will experience the most intense period of God's wrath they have ever seen. Yet, it will be a time that the Lord will use to finally lift their blindness, and the remnant that survives will, because of His protection, finally acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah! Praise be to our God that today we can be delivered from the fierceness of God's wrath, in Christ Jesus! In Christ we have forgiveness of sins, and with that forgiveness comes the escape from God's wrath; the wrath that was put on display for the world to see, on Calvary's cruel cross. Praise God that the Blood of Jesus has covered all our sins. In Him we have been declared, "Not guilty!" When we realize exactly what Jesus has done for us, how can we not serve Him? How can we not tell others? How can we continue in sin, knowing the wrath that was, and is, associated with it? Our time here is short...like a vapor. What are we waiting for to show our love and appreciation for what God has done in providing us such a wonderful gift of salvation in Jesus?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free 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 free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).