God Our Refuge - Closet Reflections: November 2023

Thursday, November 23, 2023

The Will of God in Everything

I Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16‭-‬18‬ [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The Apostle Paul gave some very simple instructions in these verses. I did not say easy. As a matter of fact, it's not only not easy, it's impossible; because the only way we can truly do this is if we do it by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord has to do it through us, and in order for that to happen we must know Jesus as Savior and Lord. So for those of us who claim to know Him, we have no excuse. We can rejoice always (it doesn't say we have to be happy always). We can pray without ceasing by continually being mindful of God's presence in our lives and talking to Him, in Christ Jesus; and we can give thanks in everything. Now, I want us to pause for a moment and reread that last part, "give thanks in everything". Paul did not say we should give thanks FOR everything, but IN everything give thanks. God is not a God who does not understand or know our pain. He knows that in this life we will suffer painful circumstances. Afterall, those situations and circumstances have to get by Him before they affect us. We all will suffer some kind of dysfunction in relationships, a loss of some sort, whether the loss of a loved one or some material things. Some of us may suffer injury or illness. The bottom line is that we live in a fallen world, filled with sin and evil. However, we also have a God who gave us His Son. Jesus came, suffered beyond anything we've ever suffered and gave His life for us. The wonderful news is that He didn't stay in the tomb. No, on the third day He rose from the dead. Today, for those of us who know Him, because we have believed and called on Him, we can truly give thanks in everything, regardless of our circumstances. Why? Because we have eternal life, we have been forgiven of all our sins. He has given us grace, mercy, and a home in Heaven. These are all things that are far greater than anything we could receive in this world, and far greater than anything He allows us to suffer; and I'm sure we can add to the list of blessings that He has bestowed on us. ‭‭"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name." (Hebrews 13:15) Let us also not forget those very important words that the Apostle wrote at the end of today's verses, "For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

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

Sunday, November 19, 2023

He Can If We Will...

Psalms‬ ‭143:8‭-‬11‬ [8] Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. [9] Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. [10] Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. [11] Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

If we're honest with ourselves, we'll admit that our most earnest times of praying and seeking God is when life puts the squeeze on us. When the unexpected happens (unexpected to us, not God) we suddenly find ourselves desperately seeking to hear from the Lord. The reality of the Christian life is that our enemies do not sleep. The devil and his angels are continually working to disrupt our lives, and they are more than happy to use friends, family, strangers, life's circumstances, and even our own foolish actions, words, and choices. The writer of this Psalm asks to hear from God, to know which way to go, to know God's will, to be delivered from his enemies, and to be revived. It's quite a list, but not a list that is to big for God Almighty. I'm sure many of us have made these same requests at some point in our walk with Jesus. Some us may even have to admit that although we asked, nothing seemed to happen to move us in that direction. Was that because God couldn't do it? I would have to say, "No." On the other hand I would dare to say that it wasn't accomplished because we failed to do what was necessary for the Lord to work these things in us and through us. You see, in order to learn God's will, to hear from Him, to be led by His Spirit, and to be revived, we must commit and surrender. Far too often we want to use God as our Emergency Escape Plan. Jesus is more than just fire insurance or more than our "get out of trouble free" pass. Jesus must be our everything. We must time for prayer and time in His Word, and make it the most important priority in our lives. He cannot be second best or our last resort when life goes sideways. We must be both hearers and doers of His Word. How can we hear His lovingkindness in the morning if we are too lazy to get up early enough to have the time to hear from Him? How do we learn His will if our Bibles take a backseat to our gadgets and social media accounts? How do we hear from Him if we are not still long enough to recognize His voice? How will He revive our stagnant spiritual lives if we are continually pursuing this world and all the death and darkness it has to offer? We want deliverance, but we want it without sacrifice and without discomfort. We want to be revived, but we want it for our own selfish reasons. Note the reason why the psalmist asks to be revived and delivered in verse 11. It is for the His Name's sake, and for the sake of His righteousness. In other words, everything he asked for was for God's glory. When we truly seek God's glory in the midst of our difficulties, that's when all our circumstances work out for our good. God is able to teach us, lead us, deliver us, and revive us, if we are willing to commit, surrender, sacrifice, and get out of our comfort zone.

Friday, November 17, 2023

We Have Already Overcome

John‬ ‭16:33‬ [33] These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Today I heard someone quote this verse and say that there were two things the verse tells us. I was a bit bothered by the fact that they only quoted a part of the verse and left out one of the most important parts of the verse. Can I remind us all that we have the potential to mislead others when we quote only part of a verse, and fail to quote it in context? Yes, in this world we will certainly have trials and tribulations. Yes, Jesus overcame the world and all of this life's circumstances. However, before He said that, He said that in Him we have peace. Why do we have peace? In this chapter Jesus went to great lengths to explain some things that were a continuation from the previous chapter, where He explained that He is the Vine that we are to abide in, and warned that the world would hate us because of our relationship to Him. In this chapter He goes on to explain how the Spirit would work to help us when we face the world's hatred, and how the Spirit will guide us into all truth. He told of the sorrow that was to come, and the joy that would come afterward. He expressed how He would be abandoned at the time of His greatest suffering, but that His peace would come from knowing that the Father was with Him. You see, when we leave out that crucial detail, we fail to see that the peace we have is that the Lord is always with us. Because we are in Christ, we have Him, the Father, and His Spirit who indwells us. Therefore, when the Lord allows us to suffer in this lifetime, the peace He gives us is the certainty that He is with us and will never leave us, nor forsake us. That is the foundation that enables us to fully grasp the truth that we can overcome, because Jesus has already overcome. I'd like us to also note a very important point about Jesus' statement. He made it BEFORE He was crucified and rose again. He knew He would defeat the devil, death, and the grave. The victory was His long before He laid down His life. My friends, we have God's Word and we know how this all ends; and like Jesus, even though we have not yet reached the end, because we are in Him, and He in us, the victory is already won. We have peace, because we have Him, and in Him we have already overcome.

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Dethrone the Idols

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:21 [21] Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

John not only ended his first letter with a very important truth, he also ended it with a serious warning. This particular thing that John warns us about is the one thing that Israel was always in trouble over. It is the one thing that violates God's commandment to have no other gods before Him; not to worship false gods. Now, many of us may say, "But I don't worship idols! I don't have any statues that I bow before. I worship only Jesus!" Really? Let me ask us to stop and take a very close look at how we live each day. What occupies our thoughts and our time? What are our life goals? What drives us to get up in the morning? What occupies our free time, and are we constantly justifying why we don't have time to stop, pray, and spend time in God's Word? The truth of the matter is that many of us who claim to love Jesus love social media more. We love video games more. We love our hobbies more. We love our paychecks more, our careers, our toys, and a list of other things. This is not to say that we can't enjoy some of these things in moderation, and as a way to unwind and relax. However, far too often we allow these things to utterly consume our every waking moment. We say we love God and don't have idols, but we waste our time, talents, and resources on things that fulfill our selfish desires and goals; seeking to gain more and more of the world's material offerings. We put others before the Lord, and those relationships become our gods. We buy into the motto, "take care of #1", and Jesus becomes #2 or 3. The bottom line is that we need to step back and truly take an honest look at who or what are the idols in our lives. We need to dethrone those gods, and allow Jesus to take His rightful place on the throne of our lives; and allow Him to be Lord and King of our lives. That means that we may even have to dethrone ourselves or some other "special" person in our lives that we have allowed to take center stage in our lives. Remember, there is only one Lord of lords, and King of Kings, and His Name is Jesus!

Monday, November 13, 2023

Believe and Don't Be Deceived

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:18‭-‬21 [18] We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. [19] We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. [20] And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. [21] Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

John ends this chapter expressing a very important truth. As followers of Jesus, we need to know the difference between truth and falsehood. First of all, we need to recognize that in Christ we do not sin. What does that mean? Simply put, we may stumble on occasion, but we don't live a sinful lifestyle. The Holy Spirit works in us to make us more and more like Jesus in the way we live for the Lord. We are washed in the Blood of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit indwells us. Therefore, when the Father sees us, what He sees is the righteousness of Jesus and His perfect Spirit in us. So even though we find ourselves continually repenting and confessing our sins; before our Heavenly Father, because of what Jesus did for us, we are always declared, "Not guilty!" What a wonderful, undeserved gift! Secondly, we know that the ways of this world are under the influence of the devil and his angels. However, greater is He who is in us, than he who's in the world. The devil has already been defeated, and in Christ we have overcome. The world has nothing to offer that is greater than what we already have in Christ Jesus. Knowing all this, we must be careful not to make the things of this world, including ourselves, into the idols we live for. The bottom line is that we are in Christ, we belong to God, we have the truth, the world has nothing of eternal value to offer, and in Christ our salvation is eternally secure. So let us live for Jesus without being deceived by the lies that the devils and this world want us to believe. We have the truth.

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Just Keep Praying

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:16‭-‬17‬ [16] If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. [17] All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

From the previous verses, we know that God hears our prayers, and when we pray in accordance with His will, we can know with certainty that He hears and will answer. Today's verses are not the easiest to understand. Many commentators and students of the Word have varying opinions about what John was saying. Regardless of what we think John was saying, we have a responsibility to pray for one another. Jesus told us that the unpardonable sin was the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. However, none of us truly know what sins are sins unto death and which ones are not. All sin is sin, and many of them could lead to physical death, even for a believer and follower of Christ. The only sin that can never be forgiven is the sin of rejecting the God's offer of eternal life, and closing our eyes in death before accepting that gift. After death there are no second chances to receive life eternal. At that point it is eternal condemnation in a place that was not created for man, but for the devil and his angels. We know that the Word of God tells us that God desires that none should perish, and therefore He has delayed His return. However, that delay will not last forever. The bottom line is that we just don't know what we don't know. What we do know is that we are accountable to watch out for each other, pray for each other, and carry one another's burdens. In the end, it is not for us to decide who we should pray for or not pray for; and as one dear pastor once told me, "If you're gonna err, err on the side of grace." Just keep praying until we see an answer, Jesus takes us home or He returns returns. Until then...just keep praying.

Saturday, November 11, 2023

What Are We Asking For?

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:14‭-‬15‬ [14] Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. [15] And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Have you ever prayed and eventually became frustrated because your prayers seemed to fall on deaf ears? Have you ever felt like your prayers didn't get past the ceiling? If I'm going to be honest, I'd have to admit that I've felt like that a time or ten. Well, I want us all to be certain of one thing; God hears all our prayers. The same God who heard the cries of His people Israel, while they were in bondage in Egypt, is the same God who hears our every cry today. One of the problems is not that God doesn't hear or answer, but instead it's that we often ask amiss, and not according to God's will. The other problem is that we fail to acknowledge or recognize that God has answered with a "no" or a "wait, not yet" response. John reminds us that we can pray with confidence whenever we pray for something in accordance with God's will. How do we find His will? We find His will in His Word. As we prayerfully live out His will, His plan for our lives will begin to unfold. John assures us that if we pray with God's will in mind, we can pray knowing that He hears us; and if He hears us, He will certainly answer our petitions. However, let me remind all of us, my friends, that we can very easily miss the answer if we don't come to the realization that God's answer may not come packaged in the way we asked or expected. His ways are far above our ways, and His ways are not our ways. He will always answer our petitions in a way that is best for us, and best in bringing glory to Himself. So, the next time we bring our requests and desires, let us ask ourselves, "Am I delighting myself in the Lord? Am I asking what I'm asking for with a selfish end in mind? Am I asking this in accordance with His will or mine? If He were to answer in the affirmative, would it satisfy my flesh or glorify Him? Will this cause Him to increase in my life before others, or will this exalt me, myself, and I?" Maybe asking these will bring our prayers in closer alignment with His will and plan for our lives, as we ask them in His Name.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Believe God, Not Men

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:9‭-‬13‬ [9] If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. [10] He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. [11] And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. [12] He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. [13] These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

It amazes me that we, even as believers, will hear something from men, whether in the news, on a post on social media, or in conversation, and argue with others to the point of breaking a relationship; all based on what was declared by sinful and imperfect men. We will repeat the opinions of others, and our own, as if it were the gospel truth. Yet, we have the Word of God, given to us by the Holy Spirit of God; the very Words of our Heavenly Father and of our Lord and Savior, yet we doubt. How much more weight should we give to the One who never lies, who knows all things, and whose Word has never failed? Our God makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is the only Way of salvation. If we have Jesus, we have life eternal, and we have God as witness indwelling us by His Spirit. If we do not have Christ, we are lost and comdemned, and the truth is not in us. We are still in darkness, and there is no life in us. However, John makes it abundantly clear that we CAN know that we have eternal life, because it has been written for us in the Words found in our Bibles. Obtaining eternal life is no longer some unknown mystery. It has been revealed to us in Christ Jesus, and now freely offered because of what He did for us in paying the ultimate price. We need to stop putting so much weight on the statements of mere men, and wholeheartedly believe the Words of an all-knowing, ever faithful, and unfailing God, who is the ultimate Witness to the truth that Jesus is God, Savior, Lord, and King of Kings!

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Three Witnesses and the Truth

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:6‭-‬8‬ [6] This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. [7] For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. [8] And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

John makes it clear that Jesus was here as a human being. He was fully Man and fully God. He had a physical birth and blood ran through His veins, just as ours does. He lived a pure and sinless life, which qualified Him to suffer and die for our sins. By the spilling of His Blood we are washed clean and made white as snow. His resurrection sealed the deal, and death and the grave were defeated. John goes on to explain that this testimony is a true testimony because the Father, who sent the Son, the Son who suffered and died for us, and the Spirit who testified by giving us His Word, are all Witnesses to this truth. The bottom line is that Jesus is who He says He is, and has done what the Word tells us He did. Therefore, the irrefutable truth is that salvation can only be found and obtained in the Person, and Name of Jesus Christ. What are we doing with that truth? For the unsaved, it means that a free gift is being offered. That gift is eternal life, paid in full by Jesus Himself. For us, who are saved, it means that we should be busy sharing the life changing Good News of what Jesus did, with family, friends, and anyone God puts before us from day to day. Our time here is short, and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Today, my friends, is the day of salvation!

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Let Us Love and Overcome

‭‭I John‬ ‭5:1‭-‬5‬ ‭[1] Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. [4] For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. [5] Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

When God repeats something in His Word, it is because it is of utmost importance. Here again John repeats the fact that we must not just love God, but love our brother and sister in Christ also. However, he begins by identifying who is a true brother/sister. It is one who believes that Jesus is born of God. In other words, that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, who is also God Himself in the flesh. This is a person who not only believes that Jesus is who He says He is, but has also called upon Him and confessed Him as Savior and Lord. That is our brother and sister in Christ. Now John takes it further. How do we know that we love the brethren? We know it when we love God, by keeping His commandments. Which ones, you ask? The ones that Jesus told us were most important; love God with our entire being, and love our neighbor. These two commands encompass the entire Law. John tells us that keeping these commands are not burdensome. However, we also know that these commands are impossible to keep in our own strength. Nonetheless, God has given us His Spirit, who enables us to love Him and others as we should. If we walk in the Spirit, and allow the Spirit free reign in our lives, then as He produces His fruit, these commands will be light and not burdensome. Finally, John addresses our relationship to the world; a world that stands in opposition to everything we believe as born again followers of Jesus. Yet, we are reminded that in Christ we can overcome. How do we overcome? We overcome by living a life of faith. By faith in Christ, and trusting in Him and His Word, we can overcome temptation, and overcome the challenges that God allows into our lives. Will we do it perfectly? No, we will not, because at times we will think we can do it in our own strength. But praise be to the One who paid the price for our sins, who is our Advocate in those times when we stumble, who told us to be of good cheer, because HE, Jesus the Son of God, has overcome the world; and in Him we too will overcome.