Friday, August 31, 2018
Right In His Eyes
Verse of the day: Judges 17:6, In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Today, I will be using dirty words. I will be using words like “authority”, “submission”, “obedience”, and “truth”. These, in and of themselves, are not dirty, but in today’s society they have become words that will quickly get us categorized as narrow-minded, intolerant, and even prejudice. However, in many places around the world, when people push back against authority, refuse to submit, rebel against obedience, and create their own “truth” (which, by the way, is not truth at all), it leads to nothing but chaos. That is where Israel was, as “everyone did what was right in his own eyes”. In its context, this verse is written as Micah was in the process of creating his own religion and form of worship. The verse also tells us that in those days there was no king in Israel. On the one hand, Israel had a God who was kind, gracious, and merciful. He was, and is, the one true God. Yet, they sought to create their own religion and follow heathen gods that they could control, rather than seek the God they were called to submit to. Israel had no king, but later, to be like everyone else, sought a king (1 Samuel 8), even though they were already under the authority of the King of kings. These were very dark times in Israel. As God’s children, when we choose to rebel against God, those He has put in authority over us, and reject truth, the result is darkness and chaos. This darkness and chaos stems first, and foremost, from our rejection of truth. What truth? God’s truth. In John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” The fact of the matter is that if we want to know the truth about anything that pertains to life, we find it in God’s Word. It is not found in our opinions, or our views of what is right or wrong. There is only one truth. Truth is not what you decide is truth to you or what I decide is truth to me. Truth is what God says is truth, and it is found in the pages of the Bible, His Word. In His truth, He commands us to submit and be obedient in many areas of life. Our first, and most important area of life, is our relationship with Him. It begins with trusting Him and by faith believing that Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, gave His life for us, and in Him finding life eternal (John 3:16). It is Jesus who is the Truth, the only Way to God the Father, and the Life (as in life eternal) (John 14:6). When we become a child of God, the greatest enemy we must resist is Satan. However, God tells us that if we submit to Him and draw near to Him, He will draw near to us and the devil will flee (James 4:7-10). God does not stop there. He goes on to give us instruction on what the family unit should look like when we submit and obey one another, based on the levels of authority He has set within the family. The husband, as the head of the home, is to lead the family in spiritual things, and love his wife. The wife is to submit to the husband and be his helpmate, and the children are to obey and honor their father and mother (Ephesians 5:22-25; 6:1-3). God gives us instructions and commands in our obedience to those in authority over us within the church and within the government. In Hebrews 13:17, we are told, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” This is in respect to those in authority in the local church. In 1 Peter 2:13-15, God clearly says, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men”. Sadly, there are many Christians who claim God’s Word as truth, but then choose to live in a way that is right in their own eyes, based on their own opinions and feelings. God clearly tells us in His truth, that He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Therefore, we should be seeking the only truth that is truth, and be the example of what a life of humility, submission, and obedience looks like. Let us not create unnecessary chaos in our lives by avoiding what is right in our own eyes, and living life based on what God says is right in His eyes.
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, August 30, 2018
The Money god
Verse of the day: Judges 17:1-2, Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.”
In this chapter we immediately see the level of moral corruption that existed in Israel at this time. In just one household, we see what the love of money can do to the morality of a person. Micah’s love of money and greed brought him to the place where he stole from his own mother. It seems that she was suspicious of her son, as he says that she cursed the money and says it in his ear. We have a great admonition, reminder, and warning in 1 Timothy 6:6-10, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Micah was driven by greed, which led to theft from his own family. His mother, on the other hand, appears to be a person who was also driven by the love of money. In verse 3 she claims to have saved the silver to dedicate to the Lord, and make an image from it, but in verse 4, after Micah returns the money, she uses only two hundred of it to make the image, and keeps the rest. It is obvious that the apple did not fall far from the tree, and it is likely that Micah learned his love of money from the example she herself set for him. Sadly, this age old form of idolatry is still prevalent today, even within Christianity. Many Christians are driven by the love and gain of money to their own hurt. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that those who love money, who desire to be rich, have strayed from the faith and caused themselves many sorrows. When money is our god, this god will only lead us to greed, thievery, and dishonesty, all for the sake of gaining more. Making money will become a priority over serving and worshipping the Lord. Jesus said this in Matthew 6:24, right before He spoke about not worrying about our provision, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” When money becomes our god, we forsake the God who gave His only begotten Son for us. We stray from Jesus, the One who gives us eternal life, and the One in whom we have treasures and rewards that are far more valuable than anything money can buy. In the earlier verses from 1 Timothy 6, the Apostle Paul reminded us that “godliness with contentment is great gain”. As children of God, our goal should be to gain as much knowledge of God, and intimacy with Him, as we can. We must strive to learn how to be content with all that He provides, and be satisfied and thankful for what He chooses not to give us. A life lived by faith and one lived righteously, for the glory of God, is far more valuable than all the riches this world has to offer. Sadly, we waste far too much time trying to gain and gather that which we cannot take with us and that which perishes. Proverbs 23:4-5 tell us, “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” The more we chase after earthly riches, the harder we will work to gain it, and the further away from the Lord it will take us. The best advice any of us can receive in respect to where our focus should be in respect to earthly gain was given to us by Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
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, August 28, 2018
We Accomplish More In Death
Verse of the day: Judges 16:30, Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
Samson accomplished more in death than he did in life. The reason he accomplished less while he lived was because he lived for self. When the opportunities arose, he served his own fleshly desires. In the end, when he was finally in a position to completely surrender and give his life for the Lord, God used him to accomplish more than he had to date. Thus he accomplish more in death than he did in life. As born again believers, we have the awesome opportunity to accomplish great things for the Kingdom and for God’s glory. However, that will take experiencing death. It will take an honest and concerted effort in surrendering our lives to Jesus. Luke 9:23 says, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” The fact of the matter is that we accomplish more when we are dead than when we live. Here is what I am saying. Galatians 6:14 says, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” In Christ, the world should be dead to us, and we dead to the world. What that means is that the things of this world, the lusts thereof, should not be the priority of our lives. We should be living for the Lord in such a way that the world has no use for us. It is this kind of surrender, it is this kind of death, that will allow God to use us beyond what any of us could ever imagine. It is when we die to self and the world that we begin to do more than when we compromise our walk with the Lord, trying to live with one foot in the world and one foot in Christianity. There are far too many of us that wake up each day more concerned about accomplishing whatever is on our agenda for the day, without giving a second thought to what Jesus would have us do. We throw a quick prayer at God and maybe read a verse or two, and go on as if we have done God some great favor by spending five superficial minutes with Him. We then go about trying to work out our plans and the only time we think about God is when things do not go our way. Suddenly God becomes the priority, but only so that we can ask God to help us be successful with our plan. We seal it with “in Jesus’ Name” and think that this will twist God’s arm to help us accomplish our will. That is not dying to self. Dying to self means starting the day in true fellowship with the Lord (even if it means rising earlier in the day), praying and asking Him to lead us and guide us in accomplishing His will on this day (tomorrow will take care of itself, if He gives us another day). It means that we will not just read a verse and forget about it. Instead, we meditate on what we have read and seek ways to apply it as we live out the day. It means changing our plans, if necessary, to take a detour and help someone, give to others selflessly, say a kind word, stop and listening to someone who is hurting, and lead them to the only One who can heal their pain. It means looking for opportunities to share the Gospel with as many unsaved people as we can, whether by our words, actions, or simply handing them a tract. Dying to self means making what is important to God important to us. It means that we put away our gods, such as money, status, and earthly gain, and worship the One True God, by the way that we live, and by offering up the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise, continually, regardless of what circumstances we find ourselves in, as we are commanded in Hebrews 13:15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:18. When we begin to live a life that is surrendered to Christ, alive to Him and dead to self and the world, we will truly accomplish things that are worthy of glory and praise to God, and heavenly reward. In death, if we are dead in Christ, we will accomplish more than if we live life in the flesh and for our own selfish gain.
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, August 26, 2018
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