April 30, 2024
James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you”
The Bible describes our enemy in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith”. Praise God for the time that’s coming when he will be put away forever! Revelation 20:10, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever”. But while we’re on this earth, he will try to give us trouble. The good news is that the Lord has given us His Word of promise on how to deal with him. In today’s devotion verses, the Bible tells us first to submit ourselves to God. Whenever the enemy is coming against you, stop what you’re doing, turn to the Lord, and tell Him you surrender your heart, body, soul, and spirit completely to Him. Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit and cover you with His grace and favor. Then resist the devil by taking a stand with the Word of God against him and all that he is throwing at you. It might be doubt, temptation, illness, accusations, or anything else he can use to try to discourage you and make you stumble. Declare that those things are not from the Lord and they have no power over you. Don’t argue with him, don’t be afraid of his tactics, and don’t listen to his lies. Rebuke all his devices in the Name of Jesus and turn your heart fully to God. The Bible says to “Draw nigh to God”. Begin to worship the Lord, praise the Lord, and speak the Word of God out loud. Remember that believers are invited and welcome in God’s presence at the throne of grace and He has given us that personal invitation. He wants us to come close to Him and trust Him and His Word. The devil is a defeated foe. He is a liar and destined for destruction. Jesus has already won the war against sin, self, the devil, and death and we do not have to put up with the enemy’s shenanigans. We have God’s Word on it: Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”.
_______________________________________
April 29, 2024
Revelation 21:5 “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new”
The Bible does not teach that this earth will be restored in eternity but that our present earth and its atmosphere will be destroyed and all things will be made new. Jesus said in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away”. We have the prophetic words of Psalms 102:25-26, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed”. The Bible says in Isaiah 65:17, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind”. In the New Testament there is a description of the end of this earth and it’s atmosphere in 2 Peter 3:10,13, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”. (13) “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness”. It’s difficult to imagine the millennium even though it will be the same earth and skies we see now. But concerning the eternal state of all things, it’s impossible to understand what it means for God to give us a new heaven and earth. It’s too hard to think outside what we know about the earth, the sun, the solar system, and how life as the Lord created it uses all the natural laws to continue. But whatever God has planned for us will certainly not be like this present world with its pollution, trash, and natural destruction. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”. Some people believe the eternal kingdom will be on this earth and that we are all working to see that kingdom take place. That view is far too limited in scope and does not deal with the view the Lord has given us of our eternal home. In the words of verse 1, “For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea”.
_____________________________________________
April 28, 2024
Hebrews 11:8 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went”
Whenever Laura and I take a trip, we plan our route carefully and even then, if we’re traveling in areas we’ve never been, we use our GPS to make sure we don’t miss a turn. The Christian life is a spiritual journey and it’s different because often we don’t know the road we’re on, or where we’re headed at the time, and we have no way to figure it out. Today’s verse tells us that Abraham packed up everything he owned and he and Sarah started out on a journey but had no idea where they were going. All he knew was that the Lord told him to do it and he trusted that the Lord knew the way to the land He promised him. I’d say there may have been times Abraham wished he had a map or a GPS with a known destination but he and Sarah just kept moving from place to place trusting the Lord was with them and directing their steps. We can imagine some conversations they may have had when Sarah said, “How much further do you think it is?” and Abraham said, “I have no clue”. And unlike our road trips in our airconditioned cars with restaurants and hotels along the way, Abraham and Sarah endured the heat and cold of the elements while taking care of their flocks and herds that traveled with them. But God had a plan and purpose for them and God knew exactly where He was taking them. It’s the same with us. God has a plan and purpose for our lives and all the twists and turns, the valleys and the mountains of our journey are well known to Him and He knows where He is leading us. He knows what lies ahead because He has foreordained it. We don’t have to know the details of how it’s all working out because the Lord has assured us He is with us and that He has ordered our steps. Our trials and our victories, our uncertainties and our blessings are all a part of His preplanned route for us and He is calling for us to trust Him. The Bible says in Job 23:13-14, “But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him”.
______________________________________________
April 27, 2024
Psalms 95:6 “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker”
It used to be that in some churches whenever someone was leading the congregation in prayer, they would say, “Now let us bow our heads, close our eyes, and look to the Lord in prayer”. When I was a little boy, I would often sneak a peek around me to see if everyone had their eyes closed. We know that it is not the position of our body but the condition of our heart that matters when we come before the Lord to worship and pray. God is attentive to us whether our eyes are open or shut or if we’re standing, kneeling, or lying down. But in line with this Bible passage, there’s something special, if you are able, about bowing down and kneeling before the eternal, almighty God of heaven and earth. Not just in those times when we are in a desperate situation and prostrate ourselves as if God will come to answer us quicker if we are bowing down, but in the times when there’s a stirring in our soul and spirit. A sort of God-awareness and quickening that pulls us into a special place where the din of this world fades for a bit and we get lifted into the presence of the Lord. It’s not our usual formula of prayer and praise that we utter. But sometimes we are unable to speak. The words won’t come, sometimes the tears flow, we shudder under the anointing, and there’s a burning within us of heavenly fire. It may not last long or it may continue until we are exhausted from the connection. When we finally arise, we are refreshed and filled with hope. We have touched the altar of the Holy One and He has welcomed us into His presence. We need those times of intimate, fervent prayer and worship and they form a bond between us and our Savior that’s priceless. Jesus often left His disciples and the crowds to spend time alone with His Father and in this crazy busy world today, we need those precious times with the Lord. I can never forget the sight and sound of my dad, on his knees in our home, praying to God for our family and my mom, kneeling by my bed, calling out to the Lord for me. May our children and grandchildren come to know that special place where we all can come into the presence of God and kneeling before Him, reach out to the King of Heaven and Earth and find that He welcomes us there.
_______________________________________________________
April 26, 2024
1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him”
When the Bible speaks of the world, it isn’t referring to the planet but rather the world system. When Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil, the scriptures tell us in Luke 4:5, “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it”. The word “kingdoms” here means rule, authority, power, and the right to rule”. Our Lord did not dispute him and It’s evident from the devil’s words that the kingdoms of this world with their glory and power belong to him and he can give control of them to whoever he wants. When we look around us at all the world offers it’s a good thing to remember who is in charge of this earthly system and make sure we turn our desires away from the pleasures of this world. When the church compromises its faith by reaching out to the lure of the world, it is not just turning away from the things of God, it is turning away from God Himself. The Bible says in verse 16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” and in today’s verse we’re told that if anyone loves the world, the love of God is not in them. The heartbeat of this last church age of Laodicea is in the words of Revelation 3:17 which tells of a church that is obsessed with wealth and materialism and believes that it has found the path to satisfaction. The Holy Spirit is pointing us to Christ Jesus alone and our love for Him satisfies our hungry soul. He is the bread of life and when we follow Him, learn about Him, and immerse ourselves in His Word, this world will look like a garbage can to us. The truth of the matter is in 1 John 2:17, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever”. We have the choice: We can live for temporary things that decay and pass away or we can live for eternal things that never perish.
___________________________________________
April 25, 2024
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”
The word for fear here is a word that refers to timidity or cowardness. Since Paul was writing it at first to Timothy, some have wondered if maybe Timothy battled with a streak of timidity or perhaps the fear of public speaking as is common with many of us. The Lord wants us to know that such fear is not from Him and that He has given us the overcoming power. The word for power here is the one Paul often used in places such as Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation”. It is the Greek word “dunamis”, sometimes written “dyanmis”, and is the root from which we get our words, “dynamite”, “dynamic”, and “dynamo”. It refers to strength, power, and ability, and in the New Testament, it often refers to the power to do miracles or great things for the cause of Christ. We don’t usually see ourselves as possessing such power but the Holy Spirit is more than able to make us powerful in the things of God. And while we are charged to be humble and submissive to the will of God, He has not called us in a spirit of fear or timidity. We are called, anointed, filled with the Holy Spirit, and more than able to do what God has called us to do because He causes us to always triumph, and to be more than conquerors. With this power, we have God’s love in us and emanating from us and we have a sound mind, meaning we have a clear, disciplined, and focused way of thinking that gives us self-control. Some might say, “Whoa, that’s not talking about me”, but it is. These words to Timothy passed into the Holy Bible by the will of God as God’s Words to us also. You are strong in the power of God, you have the love of God working in you, and you have the mind of Christ which is a sound, clear, and prudent way of thinking. Sometimes we fly by these verses as if they have no relevance to us but God placed them in the Bible to reveal who we are and what He has given us. We are called to be bold in our faith and confident that because God is for us, nothing can prevail against us.
_______________________________________________
April 24, 2024
Philippians 4:11 “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”
Discontent is sometimes a partner to greed and even though our world is rampant with both, they are nothing new to humanity. Adam and Eve had all they needed in their beautiful, pristine garden and were free of sickness, sorrow, death, and sadness. Yet when the serpent tempted them with the one thing they did not have, they sinned against God in their discontent. In 1 Kings 21, King Ahab, although he had vast lands, palaces, and great possessions, wanted and coveted the vineyard of a man named Naboth. When Queen Jezebel saw how discontent and sad Ahab was, she had Naboth murdered and Ahab took the vineyard. King David had seven wives but he wanted Bathsheba and he had her husband murdered to try to cover his affair with her. Discontent turns our attention away from what we have and enslaves us to the desires for what we do not have. One of the roots of discontent is ingratitude and that unthankfulness fuels the sin of the lust of the eyes. When Paul says he learned to be content in whatever state, that is circumstance, situation, or what he possessed, it was because He looked only to God as his source and supplier. Our faith leads us to submit completely to the will of God and trust that what we have, where we are, and whatever situation we’re in is from Him or allowed by Him. This thought of the complete submission of ourselves, yielding our will and all we are and have to Christ, makes many Christians uncomfortable. Especially here in America, we cringe at the thought of bowing down, falling prostrate before another, and fully accepting that person’s control over us. But that’s the key to contentment: Knowing that we belong to the Lord and that His will is perfect. Anything we need, He will supply and the desire for anything we might want that’s not His will for us should be surrendered to Him with the prayer that He will temper our desire with thankfulness for what He has already provided and for the things He will provide. The cry of the world is, “More, more, more” but the Bible says the more they have, the less they will be satisfied (Proverbs 27:20). The prayer of the submitted believer is, “Thank You Lord for what You have given me and I know that whatever I need, You will supply”.
_______________________________________________
April 23, 2024
Philippians 2:5-7 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”, means to think the way Jesus thought and have the attitude He had. Twice in Hebrews 10, we’re told Jesus said, “I come to do thy will, O God” and we also have the Lord’s words in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me”. The twofold nature of believers is that on one hand, we’re children of the Most High God but at the same time, we’re servants to those to whom the Lord has sent us to minister. Consider Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another”. It seems on the surface to be a contradiction. How can we be free and yet placed in a position where we’re to serve others? One way to see it is that although we’re children of the King, we have not yet come into the kingdom but we are still in God’s business of wrapping things up on this earth. Our example is Christ who although He is Lord of Heaven and earth, while He was here, He had a mission from our Heavenly Father to complete and that is what we’re told was His way of thinking, His attitude as he lived as a mortal being. The heart of humanity is filled with pride and self-will and there is no place in the body of Christ for such. The mind of Christ is humble before God and mankind, willing to lay aside all we believe we’re entitled to and follow the example of our Lord who stooped to wash His disciple’s feet. God described our Savior hundreds of years before His birth in Isaiah 42:1, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him”. When we have the attitude of Jesus and think like He thought, we look for opportunities to show God’s love and mercy and when we see them, we follow through with compassion and a message of hope.
__________________________________________________
April 22, 2024
John 20:24-25 “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe”
Since the time of Christ Thomas has carried the moniker, “Doubting Thomas”. But that’s a title most of us could also carry: “Doubting Jack” for me and whatever your name is. We all battle with doubt because as strong as we think we are in our faith, sometimes we just want proof. We want a sign, a clue, or something we think is more tangible evidence than just believing what the Lord said. And that is the jest of what Thomas was saying: Unless I see it for myself, I will not believe it. It’s from that we get the old saying, “Seeing is believing”. We have no reason to think that he considered the other disciples to be liars and untrustworthy deceivers. But He was so overwhelmed by what had happened to all of them, especially Jesus, that he refused to believe their testimony. The next two verses in this chapter of John show us the patience of our Lord with Thomas’ unbelief and how Jesus led Him to trust. John 20:26-27, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing”. Our battle against our unbelief is part of the Christian journey and God knows and understands our weakness. He knows that unbelief is at the very core of our humanness as evidenced in Adam and Eve and He is patient with us all as we move away from our unbelief and embrace His Words. Don’t beat yourself up because you struggle with really, really believing, but speak the Words of the Bible in your prayers as you ask God for help in this. It’s the words of the dad who asked Jesus to help his suffering child in Mark 9:24, “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief”. So, we pray, “Lord, I believe Your Word but help the part of me that doesn’t believe”.
__________________________________________________
April 21, 2024
Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon”
It’s tempting to look around and decide that America is too far gone to be salvaged. There is widespread drug use, continual corruption in government, and families, schools, and the culture in general are disintegrating before our eyes. We might feel like throwing up our hands and declaring there’s no hope except the return of the Lord to set things in order. The news from the Middle East seems to support that feeling. But God’s Word will never change and when He gave the above Words to Isaiah, He was giving a promise to Israel who at the time, was floundering in sin, in rebellion against God, and in the depths of idolatry. The Lord promised them mercy and an abundance of forgiveness if they would repent and turn back to God. His promise, now recorded in the Word of God, stands sure for us today. Maybe it’s time for us to turn our attention away from the daily news and back to a daily encounter with the Bible. As we’ve seen in previous devotions, God is ready to save, ready to restore, and ready to do it right now. The Bible says to call on Him while He is available and near. There is hope for our children and grandchildren and almost daily, we hear the good news of people being saved and baptized and young people turning to God. Yes, there is apostasy and many churches have abandoned Biblical faith but that doesn’t stop the Lord. He is faithful to save people even in times when some churches have butchered the message of salvation and some ministers have sold out to compromise. Let’s let the words of today’s verses sink down into our hearts and let’s let them be our motto in these days we are calling “The end times”. The Word of God is unbound and we have the promise of Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”. The true light is still shining and there is still hope.
______________________________________________________________
April 20, 2024
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”
When we are offered something free, we suspect a catch because we are inclined to think as the old phrase tells us, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”. And in this fallen world when they advertise something on sale for 30% off, that’s because many times they’ve marked it up 50% before the sale. A local grocery store chain sometimes advertises a few products as, “buy one get one free”. But savvy shoppers know they mark that product up before they advertise the BOGO and you’re not really getting as good a deal as it seems. Today’s verse tells us that everything good and well-suited for us comes to us from God. He is the giver of all good things and when He gives, it’s from His Love for us and His desire and purpose to work all things for our good. It’s shameful to look at what God has given us as a streak of luck or brag on them as if they’re a product of our abilities. Wisdom teaches us to acknowledge the Lord as our source of all goodness and praise Him as such. The Bible tells us here that He is consistent, steady, and unchangeable. There is no hint of change in Him and we can always rely on His faithfulness. Look around you and you will see God’s blessings on your life. Look back at the past and you will recognize that the steady hand of God has been leading you on your journey and His power and favor have been your provider. Some modern theologians teach that God is always in the process of changing and that He is growing as God. But that’s a demonic lie. He declares in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not” and the scriptures tell us in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”. And as for His faithfulness to provide us with good and perfect gifts, we have His promise in Psalms 84:11, “The LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” and in Psalms 34:10, “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing”.
______________________________________________
April 19, 2024
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord”
Believers have not seen the God they serve but they trust in Him, live for Him, and some have even died for Him and yet it’s all by faith. Eight words, “For we walk by faith, not by sight”, sums up our journey. When the gospel was preached to us, its words gave us the picture and understanding of Jesus, the cross, and the empty tomb. The Word of God gave us the assurance that if we will believe the story of Jesus Christ and trust that His death on the cross and His resurrection are true, then God will forgive our sins and save us eternally. By faith, we turned to the Lord for salvation and He gave us the Holy Spirit, the downpayment of our eternal life which verse 5 of this chapter calls “The earnest of the Spirit”. It’s interesting that the Greek word translated as “earnest” or guarantee, is in modern Greek, “Engagement ring”. Our Lord pledged His love for us on the cross and we accepted His pledge by faith. As long as we are in our bodies on this earth, we are not with our Lord but we are confident, assured by His promise and by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, that the day is coming when we will leave this body behind and then we will be with Christ forever. Now, we are covered with grace, the favor of God is all around us and heaven’s blessings flow to and through us. But when we transition from our earthly body to our glorified body and enter the eternal presence of Christ, grace will become glory and the eye of faith will become sight. On this earth, no one has seen God in all His glory but there’s coming a day when we will look on the face of God and share His eternal glory. This is why we can understand the words of 2 Corinthians 5:4, “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon (with glory), that mortality might be swallowed up of life”. Our hope will soon be a blessed reality.
__________________________________________
April 18, 2024
2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him”
Jesus is the only one who ever lived a perfect, flawless, and sinless life. The word “perfect” in the context here does not mean without error but rather friendly, true, committed, and complete. It’s impossible to grasp how God searches every heart of the nearly eight billion people living today but He can and He does. The scriptures here tell us the Lord searches out those who have hearts that are looking to Him and He “shows himself strong” in their favor. Religion and its various denominations sometimes paint a picture that their version of faith is the only one God is favorable towards but that is a lie. And we sometimes forget that the Lord loves our enemy just as much as He loves us and even those who are completely opposed to Him, He is longing for their salvation. We are reminded of the familiar words of 1 Samuel 16:7, “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” and the New Testament echoes the thought with a question for us in 2 Corinthians 10:7, “Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?”. There are people in every country and in every city and hamlet that belong to God and He knows every one of them. Even in countries like North Korea, called an atheist state, there are people who love the Lord and worship Him in secret. Bible teaching like the Thru the Bible radio program with the late Dr J. Vernon McGee which broadcasts in over 200 languages and dialects in over 190 countries, covers the world daily with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some people are still being saved and there are people who are looking to the Lord in faith, following Him. Maybe it seems like the light of Christianity has been all but extinguished but that’s not true. God has a people called by His name, He knows them, and He is showing Himself strong and faithful on their behalf. He will not abandon His creation and give it all over to the enemy because He is a God of redemption, restoration, and revival. He says in 2 Timothy 2:19, “The Lord knoweth them that are his”.
__________________________________________
April 17, 2024
Psalms 119:169 “O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word”
Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”. The power of God’s Word is indescribable because just by speaking, He created all that exists. And all that exists is being held together and continues to exist by the Word of God. We know these things are true because we have faith in the Bible, believing it is the written Word of God. When Jesus faced the devil during a time of testing in the wilderness, He defeated the enemy by quoting from the written Word of God. By that example, we know the Words of the Bible have the power of God in them. It’s no wonder the devil works tirelessly to remove all traces of the Bible from our homes, lives, and schools. He was defeated by the power of the Word of God and he doesn’t want us to have that power. He wants to change the Bible, twist its meaning, and render it powerless. But the Bible says in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” and when we are filled with the Word of God, we possess a heavenly weapon the scriptures call the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). True understanding and wisdom comes to us by the Word of God and this is the prayer of today’s devotion verse. Many people have lost sight that the Word of God is our foundation that withstands the storms, the light that guides our steps, our comfort in times of duress, and our strength in seasons of weakness. Religion won’t cut it. Human philosophies will fail us. Our efforts and work, no matter how well-meaning and diligent, will always fall short. But the Word of God is eternally established in heaven and has power on this earth to turn us from darkness to light. It breathes life into people that sin has rendered dead. It slices through the lies and unbelief of this world with prevailing truth and becomes a beacon of hope for all who are lost, lonely, and afraid. Let’s fill ourselves with the Word of God, speak the Word of God, honor the Word of God, and trust the Word of God to be all the Lord declared it to be. Hold up your Bible and say, “This is the Word of God!”.
_______________________________________________
April 16, 2024
Acts 17:28 “For in him we live, and move, and have our being”
The Bible says in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein”. We live on a planet that God made and which belongs to Him. We breathe His air, eat His food, and enjoy His blessings. And all the while, we lay claim to some part of creation as if it is our own. We fence off our property and act as if what God created and owns will be ours and our descendants forever. But the scriptures are clear in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist”. The Lord is the source of all things and He is the sustainer of all. The scriptures declare in Hebrews that He upholds all things by the word of His power. Just as He owns and sustains all of creation, the Lord owns and sustains us. He says in Ezekiel 18:4, that all souls are His and while we may say things like, “It’s my body and my life and I’ll do with it as I will”, we did not create ourselves, we do not sustain ourselves, and we do not own ourselves. Even our children are loaned to us by the Creator who has entrusted their care into our hands. Even though we know these things, sometimes we forget that we’re here temporarily and that someday we will leave it all behind. We stress over the things that will pass away and fail to give ourselves to the things that are eternal. While we’re here, the Lord will supply all our needs and we have the promise of Psalm 23:1, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”. We are alive because He gave us life and what we have down here will pass away. But it is nothing compared to what the Lord has in store for us. Someday, we will own it all because God has made us joint heirs with Jesus Christ. And when Jesus takes possession of all God has given Him, we also will take possession with Him. Daniel 7:18, “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever”.
______________________________________________
April 15, 2024
Proverbs 30:25 “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer”
Today, 112 years ago on April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank and 1500 people lost their lives. It was one of the great tragedies of history and saddened even further by the fact that many if not most of the people who died did so because of a lack of preparation by the men who planned, built, and operated the gigantic passenger ship. Among the many errors, they had only installed 20 lifeboats although the ship was designed to carry 68, enough to carry everyone on board. But, the builders and owners of the ship considered it unsinkable and decided not to prepare for disaster. The Bible here calls ants “a people” and they are one of the four creatures that verse 24 calls little but exceedingly wise. They speak to us that wisdom is not measured by size or significance. Ants are not an honored species but are usually considered a nuisance and yet the Lord set them as an example that preparation is one of wisdom’s keys. In the good weather of summer, they are busy getting ready for the winter freeze ahead. The Lord warns us in Amos 4:12, “Prepare to meet thy God” and that message still rings out in truth today. Like the passengers on the Titanic, the world has assured us that all is well and everything is ok. But there is a day of reckoning ahead when all who have rejected the Savior will stand before God and give an account for their sins. The only way to prepare is by believing Jesus Christ died in our place and to receive Him by faith as our Savior. When the Titanic hit the huge iceberg and began to sink, it was night and many of the passengers were in bed asleep. The boat’s crew members went from cabin to cabin shouting for people to get up and get to the deck but many chose to ignore the warnings thinking there was no emergency. The call, “Jesus is coming” is rejected by many who have not prepared for His appearing. They turn away from the Lord’s invitation of salvation as if there is no danger ahead. They trust in their good works, their money, and the lies of the enemy that there is no reason to get alarmed. But the Lord is coming, the darkness of the tribulation is getting ever closer, and those who are not ready need to hear the words of Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near”. It is time to prepare for His return.
____________________________________________
April 14, 2024
1 Peter 1:22-23 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever”
The three anchors of believers are given in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity (love), these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Holiness, spirituality, righteousness, and sanctification are not among these three, and of the three, the greatest is love. That’s because the love spoken of here, agape love, can not be mustered on our own but is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit who is working in us. We are born again by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit leads us to obey God’s truth. Our love is “unfeigned” a word meaning real, sincere, and without hypocrisy. But we are not called to just love each other, but to love each other fervently; Intensely, earnestly, and without ceasing. The mark of maturity of a believer is not how holy they live, not how many gifts of the Spirit they claim to have, not their measure of obedience and faithfulness concerning church stuff, and not how they appear in their religious dress, behaviors, and mannerisms. But it is how they love each other and the depth to which their love flows from the body of Christ to a lost world. Being a “nice” person doesn’t mean we are loving. Looking like a Christian and acting like a Christian, which seems to be the model some churches teach, does not mean we are loving each other. Christ’s love working in us embodies all the attributes that are in God’s love for us. Mercy, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, patience, and selflessness are a part of agape love and those are the things we enjoy when God reaches down to us in our unworthiness and redeems us by His love. The Bible says in 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another”. The words of Jesus in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” are the pattern and the path the Holy Spirit would have us follow as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Fervently.
_________________________________________
April 13, 2024
Psalms 56:1-2 “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High”
We recently considered Psalms 68:19 which reminds us that the Lord loads us with benefits daily. But another side of our experience is that we have an enemy that hates our God and hates us. Sometimes he entices the world system around us to fight against us. This was the case in the above verses. King Saul became so obsessively jealous and envious of David that He tried to kill him and was hunting him down like an animal. Fleeing from Saul, David escaped into the land of the Philistines and the Philistines captured him. The words of this Psalm are David’s cry and prayer to the Lord for help. He says that every day his enemies are trying to “swallow him up”, the phrase meaning they harass him, spy on him, chase him, and try to kill him and there are a lot of them. Likewise, we have many enemies when we identify with Jesus. Our Lord said in John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”. The devil is a thief and wants to rob us of our joy, peace, and freedom. He sets the world and his evil spirits against us to discourage us, load us with trouble, and weaken our faith. Like a roaring lion, he tries to make us fear and be tormented by attacking us with doubt, anxiety, and worry. But like David, our cry to God is for the Lord to cover us with mercy and favor. The devil can inflame people’s emotions and attitudes around us so that they become our enemies. But the Lord is for us and the Bible says in Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”. The Bible says in Psalms 124:2-3, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick”. Our resolve is that of David in Psalms 56:9-11, “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me”.
________________________________________________
April 12, 2024
Deuteronomy 32:39 “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand”
Another milestone in my current journey was reached when the Doctor called early this morning to tell us the polyps that were removed Monday from my colon were benign. They had shown up glowing both times on the PET scans as possibly cancerous. So, after almost 4 years and two bouts with throat cancer, my larynx removed, and radiation and chemotherapy in the rearview mirror, I am officially cancer-free. Praise the Lord for His goodness and grace to me and my family! Some might say, well, the medicine was what healed you. But I know the Word of God as declared in today’s verse says life and death are in God’s hands and He alone is the healer. He can bless the medicine and use it for His glory and He can use the skills and knowledge of the surgeon. But He is the giver of life and He is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. All the verses my wife and I declare daily through this trial such as Psalms 118:17, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD” and Psalms 91:16, “With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation”, come flooding back into my mind when I think about how good God has been to me. Not just in this present season of life, but through my many years He has kept me, sustained me, blessed me, and comforted me. Even in the times I let Him down and was not faithful, He remained faithful to me in His love and mercy. I am a poster child recipient of God’s grace and patience. And, I say that humbly because I see it now from a point of view I could not see when He called me to Himself as a young man. I was youthful, full of fire and brimstone, and ready to take on the world with the gospel. I could not see the twists and turns, the valleys and mountains that lay ahead. But God saw them and He alone held me tightly to Himself. So that today, at 67, I can declare Psalms 103:1-4, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies”. Hallelujah, thine the glory!
____________________________________________________
April 11, 2024
Psalms 86:1 “Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy”
We usually wouldn’t think of a strong, powerful man like David as poor and needy. He was a giant-killer, a warrior, and a champion among men. But on some fundamental levels, we are all the same and this Psalm captures him at a moment in his life when he was poor and needy. The word translated “poor” here has several meanings such as depressed in mind or circumstances, crushed, downtrodden, and humiliated. No matter our strength, life can bring us to our knees and cause us to realize we need the Lord. David was crying, “I need You” to the Lord and he asked God to “Bow down thine ear”. We need the Lord and we need to be assured He is listening to us. The Scriptures give us comfort and promise with verses like 1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers”. When we pray, God is listening. He knows we need Him and His heart of compassion and mercy will not turn away from us. The Bible says in Proverbs 15:8, “The prayer of the upright is his delight”. Not only will He never turn away from the prayers of His children but He takes pleasure in listening to us. We need Him; our Creator, our source of life, our sustainer, and the source of all goodness. The world needs Him but they do not admit it. It’s when our understanding is opened by the Word of God and we know the meaning of Jesus’ Words in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing”. It’s time for us to come before the Lord and confess like David: “Lord, I need You. My children and grandchildren need You. Without Your presence I am crushed and downtrodden. But with You there is hope. With You there is life and victory”. The Lord is watching over us and He is listening. Where do we get the help we need? The Bible gives us the answer in Psalms 121:2, “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth”.
________________________________________________
April 10, 2024
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons”
A familiar section of Ecclesiastes speaks about there being a time for all things. It proclaims in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”. Today’s verse says Jesus was born at the exact time in history as God had purposed. Even the end of all things will follow God’s schedule as declared in Daniel 8:19, “And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be”. We all have an appointed time on this earth. The Bible says in Job 14:14, “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come”. We are waiting until the Lord calls us to be with Him forever and Job said in the next verse, “Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands” meaning that God longs for us to be with Him. We are not here by accident but we were created with a purpose and our steps are ordered by the Lord. This is our appointed time on this earth to shine for the Lord, to enjoy His blessings, and to work for Him. Mordecai told his beautiful niece Esther who by the providence of God had become the queen, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”. Who we are, what we possess, the abilities we have, where we were born, how we were raised, and everything else about us belongs to God. Let’s give every day to Him with a true heart and full assurance of faith (Heb 10:22) and use the appointed time He has given us to honor His name and do His work. Let’s purpose to follow the Word of God in Ephesians 5:16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil”. Jesus came at His appointed time and fulfilled God’s plan and may our prayer be that all the days of our lives we will live for the Lord with a purpose and a determination to take advantage of the opportunities He provides for us.
________________________________________________________
April 9, 2024
Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ”
No matter what our job is or what we’re working at, the Lord wants us to give our best effort. Slackers do not exemplify Christ. A point that often gets missed is that God is our source, not our employer and even though we might work for a company or another person, the Lord tells us to do our job as if He is our boss. When we show up on time, work with honesty and integrity, and do our best at whatever we do it’s not to gain the favor of the company or our employer it’s because we see ourselves serving the Lord. The words, “Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability” might seem strange in a world that seems to honor laziness and a “just get by” mentality in everything except sports. And that is a strange thing because some parents and coaches yell at kids to give their game all they have and more but when it comes to other things, less than a best effort is expected and those same parents and coaches set the example. But believers are to set their eyes on the Lord and do what they do with excellence. It might seem discouraging when we give our best efforts but our employer never notices or never rewards us. But God never misses a detail of what we’re doing and He knows why we do it. When we determine to honor Him by doing everything we do just like we’re working for Him, then He will be the one that rewards us for our faith. Many of us have had thankless jobs that were low-paying, difficult, and frustrating. But those were times of testing to see how we will carry them out. If we do them without complaining, working faithfully and to our best ability, God sees us and when we’re doing those jobs with excellence, we have the Lord’s Word in Luke 16:10, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much”. The Bible says in Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
____________________________________________________
April 8, 2024
Isaiah 55:2 “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness”
It is amazing that in the light of the above verse, our present times are very much like the days of Isaiah, some 2,700 years ago. There are two questions here: Why do spend money on things that do not provide nutrition and why do you work for things that never satisfy? In these past few years after the Covid lockdown, we’ve seen the price of everything go through the roof, especially food, or what is being palmed off on us as food. Recently the news carried the story that in one place, the price of a McDonald’s value meal, a quarter pounder, fries, and a drink, is now twenty dollars. And some would argue it’s not really nutritional food. People pay six dollars and upwards for specialty coffee-type drinks that are mostly sugar and water. Again, no nutritional value. We are working, both moms and dads, to pay exorbitant mortgages and car payments on houses and vehicles that have doubled and tripled in price in a matter of months. But when we are not following the Lord, when our goal is not to honor God and do His will, there is nothing on this earth that will satisfy us. No matter how much we pay for it and how much we think if only we could have it then we’d be satisfied. Our hunger for completion, for rest for our souls, and for the satisfaction that all is well and we have a purpose to live only comes from a relationship with the Lord. God says, “Listen to me and eat what is good”. The Bible tells us that He is referring to Jesus, the bread of life. When we become one with Christ by faith in His life, His death, and His resurrection, it does for us what wholesome, nutritional bread does for our bodies when it feeds our cells with life-giving power: It satisfies our spiritual hunger. God’s invitation to us is given in verse 1, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price”. Religion will not satisfy and neither will trying to be the best you can be without the Lord. Receiving Christ into your heart and belonging to Him satisfies. The Bible says in Psalms 107:9, “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness”.
_______________________________________________
April 7, 2024
Psalms 7:11 “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day”
Can we love someone and still be angry with them? Certainly, we can and no matter how much we love people, there are some who can push our buttons until our ears light up red. For some reason, we think God is different and that because He is full of compassion, mercy, and love He smiles upon the injustices of this world and excuses the pain and suffering some people heap on others with an, “Oh well, that’s just how people are” attitude. The words, “God judgeth the righteous” can be rendered, “God is a righteous judge”. It means that no matter that He loves people and has compassion for them, that will not be the foundation for His judgment. Consider Revelation 19:11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war”. That is a description of the Lord Jesus Christ, picturing Him when He returns to set this world in order. He will not greet the evil of this world with a smile and a “How ya’ll doing?” demeanor but He will be bent on judgment according to His declarations of right and wrong. The Bible says in Colossians 3:25, “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons”. That is the reason for the words, “God is angry with the wicked every day”. He loves them but when they lie, cheat, steal, abuse others, murder, rape, and destroy what belongs to others, God is angry. When they abuse children and sell and distribute drugs that enslave and kill people, He is not looking the other way with a grin on His face. The scriptures repeatedly call Him by His title, “The righteous Judge” meaning that when He passes a sentence against evil or rewards right, He will do it justly. What do we expect from our earthly judges? Doesn’t it make us angry if they excuse wrongdoers and punish the innocent? We can be assured that God will never skew right and wrong punishing the innocent and liberating the guilty. That happened the day Jesus was tried when they falsely accused Him and set Barabbas free but it will never happen in God’s court. Praise the Lord that when we are saved, Jesus our Savior will stand in our place in Judgement because He has already taken our blame and received our punishment.
________________________________________________________
April 6, 2024
Psalms 139:1-3 “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways”
One of the lies the enemy tries to make us believe is that we are all alone and that no one really understands us. But the Lord made us and He knows us completely and all about us. The words, “You have searched me” means He has looked at us as one might examine something in great detail, looking inward until He understands everything about us. He knows everything we do, when we sit down, when we get up, and He knows what we are thinking before the thoughts come to us. His eye is upon us as we travel life’s path and He knows when we are at rest. He knows our every detail. At first thought, it might seem unnerving that God is so interested in us that He even numbers the hair on our heads but the Bible is telling us that it’s because He loves us so much. The words, “Thou compassest has the meaning that not only is He watching over us as we make our way through life but He has hedged us in so that nothing comes to us without God allowing it. When we get these truths down into our spirits, when they become the foundation of what we think about ourselves and our lives, then they bring us a sense of peace and security. God knows us inside out, everything we do and say, every thought we think, and has us hedged about with His grace and favor and will not allow anything to touch us out of His will. It’s far beyond our ability to understand these ways of God as David said in verse 6 of Psalm 139, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it”. Praise the Lord that we are the apple of His eye (Ps 17:8) and that He is our Heavenly Father. Praise God He has ordered our steps and will keep watch over us until we are safely at home with Him.
_____________________________________________
April 5, 2024
John 6:66-68 ”From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life”
It is perhaps no coincidence that when the Bible text was arranged into chapters and verses, that a particular text was assigned to John 6:66. 666 is the number of the antichrist and represents rebellion against the Lord and the ways of God. At this point in His ministry, many people were not believing Jesus for who He was and why He came and walked away, rejecting Him and His Words. When Jesus was here, a lot of people followed Him for different reasons. Some were curious, some wanted healing for themselves or a family member, and some were looking for a free lunch as the Lord said in John 6:26, “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled”. But perhaps one of the most common reasons was that they thought Jesus had come to set them free from the Romans and to restore Israel. Even after His resurrection, His disciples were still wondering about this as recorded in Acts 1:6, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? Jesus didn’t come to lead a rebellion against Rome, upset the world order, or be a social worker. He stated His purpose in John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. When people walked away and Jesus asked the disciples if they were leaving Him too, Peter gave the answer we still give today as to why we follow Him: “To whom (else) shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life”. People who belong to the Lord follow Him as the scriptures tell us in John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”. We belong to Him and we abide in Him. His Words are the Words of life.
_____________________________________________________
April 4, 2024
Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God”
If you are a believer, you are standing upon something that gives you the confidence that you are saved. Now the question is, what are you standing on? The answer is in this verse and it might be a surprise for some people to compare what they are standing on for the assurance of salvation with what the Bible tells us in these two verses. First, it tells us we are justified by faith just as Abraham was declared justified. He believed what God said to him and God declared Him righteous, innocent, and justified because of his faith. We believe what God said about Jesus, that He is the Son of God and we believe He died for us on the cross and raised from the dead. Because we believe that, God declares us justified. Then the Bible says that brings peace between us and God and that faith allows us to enter God’s presence. We have access to God. And then, we take our stand on the grace of God. We are not saved because of what we did or some goodness found in us, we are saved because we believed the record God gave of His Son and God showed us grace because we trusted Him. We stand on the fact that we are saved by grace through faith and it is not because of what we did but what Jesus did for us. Some people stand on other things like their religion, their church and its clergy, or their good deeds. They might stand on their own beliefs which they summarize as, “This is what I think” as if our words and thoughts have the power of eternal life. But the Bible speaks of Jesus when it says in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. So, where do you stand and how do you know you have peace with God and are righteous before Him? Maybe we can say like the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am”.
________________________________________________________
April 3, 2024
Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world”
Would people who know you describe you as a complainer or someone argumentative? Or would they say that you live your life without fussing about things, complaining about your predicaments, and not one who has an “abrasive” personality? The scriptures here are clear about having a good attitude and they tell us it involves everything. Do all things, means at home, at church, at work, and everywhere we are and whatever we are doing. The word “murmuring” means to grumble, find fault, and at its root, speaks about muttering either audibly or under our breath. The Bible says in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” and when we are complaining, it’s coming from a discontent or unthankfulness within us. It’s a matter that if our hearts are right, our words will follow. This is not something that comes automatically to most people, it’s a principle that has to be acknowledged and surrendered to the Lord. The Holy Spirit will help us replace the spring of complaining and muttering discontent with a well of joy and positive peace. The other word, “disputing”, is often rendered as arguing but its meaning is much deeper. It speaks first of inward reasoning, questioning within our minds which well might be the source of the complaining. It pictures someone who is not fully submitted to the will of God and the steps He has ordered for us. The devil planted the question in Eve’s mind about God’s will and purpose for her and we see her in the verses that follow, turning it all over in her mind, arguing and disputing with what God said and wanted. When we begin to argue in our minds against what the Lord wants for us, where He has called us to be, and the circumstances He allows for us or puts us in, often the thing that follows is resentfulness. But the word also means outwardly questioning and disagreeing and reflects a strifeful attitude. God loves peacemakers and warns against stubbornness, argumentative personalities, and bickering. It’s when we come from a place of peace, joy, and contentment that we shine like the lights God called us to be. It’s the message of hope and thankfulness that attracts the attention of those who live in darkness.
_____________________________________________________________________
April 2, 2024
Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”
The gospel message and God’s invitation to be saved are not complicated. Verse nine above are 29 words that promise salvation to anyone who confesses Jesus, the words here have the sense of saying we agree with what God’s Word says about Him, and we believe in our hearts He was raised from the dead. Everything else added to the simplicity of this promise can serve to distract from God’s plan to save anyone who will confess and believe. Church alignment, attendance, and memberships, the pursuit of spiritual gifts to prove salvation, living by moral laws and codes, and anything else we add to God’s promise all serve to draw our faith away from what Jesus did for us and place it on what we are able to do ourselves. It’s as if we can’t believe being saved is that simple and we need other steps and experiences that prove it really happened. I was raised in churches that taught there needed to be some sense of deep, soul-wrenching conviction from sorrow for sin and if this didn’t happen, they questioned if a person was actually saved or if they were a victim of what they referred to as “shallow evangelism”, or “modernism”. Often, tears, emotional expressions, and things like “shouting” seemed to be evidence that someone was genuinely saved. Some churches I’ve attended didn’t believe people were truly saved unless they had a certain spiritual gift and people would spend long sessions at the altar crying and begging God to give them that gift. All that stuff is not a reflection of faith but of unbelief because God gave us Romans 10:9-10 and if we do not take Him at His Word, then all that’s left is our twisted unbelief masquerading as faith. You do not have to beg God for a gift He offers freely you just receive it. God isn’t trying to keep people out of heaven by making the way complicated and difficult. He isn’t trying to make us prove our worthiness to enter heaven or expect us to work through a religious maze to gain eternal life. He loves us and wants us with Him forever and has made the way simple and secure.
_____________________________________________________
April 1, 2024
Romans 1:21-23 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things”
Today is traditionally known as April Fools Day and often it’s a day for pranks and jokes while saying, “April Fool!”. But today’s verses are a part of the downward fall of humanity into the depths of unbelief. It is not speaking so much to individuals but to the masses of humanity and the course of their history. The Lord says when people reject God and walk away from Him, their hearts become foolish and they become fools. We see the degradation as they begin with the knowledge of God but they will not honor Him and they become unthankful. Then their minds and thoughts become vain, a word meaning morally wicked, and their hearts are filled with the darkness of unbelief. Their next move is to create their own gods from whatever they see in creation. Idols and statues replace the knowledge of the Creator God and in our experience, the idols are not so much statues as they are nature, human inventions, money, and everything else people love and desire. Compare a church worship service where people are calling out to the Lord and giving Him praise with the gatherings of this world at concerts, sporting events, and the such where thousands scream the names of their favorite teams, players, and entertainers. Believe what you want but I contend that many of them, who will not honor the name of the Lord but will glorify others, are deep in worship. They proudly wear the images of their heroes and idols on shirts, hats, and stickers and are not short on words proclaiming their greatness. Interestingly, we’ve had a long-running TV show called, “American Idol”. It’s sad that in the average church gathering or even at home and privately, people will not raise their voices, lift a hand, or in any other way give glory to the God of Heaven and Earth. We’ve become so accustomed to the ways of the flesh and the world that we see no harm in it. The Bible says here, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”. The word wise means intelligent, skilled, and clever. That’s what the world thinks it is but God said they are fools.
________________________________________________________