September 30, 2022
1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us”.
In Matthew 22:36, a lawyer asked the Lord, “which is the great commandment in the law?”. Jesus responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment”. But when we look at the first commandment in Deuteronomy 5:7, it says, “Thou shalt have none other gods before me”. The Savior was summarizing and combining the 10 commandments into two basic commandments: Love God above all else and love your neighbor. It can be said that if we love the Lord above all, we will automatically follow with love for others because God is love. Under grace, we are not bound to live in obedience to the law but the law does set a precedent for understanding our relationship with God and each other. When I was a child, I would hear the preaching that I was to love the Lord with all my soul, mind, and strength but I could never be satisfied that I was doing that correctly. This always troubled me and when I became an adult, the command didn’t make sense because it sounded like a dad saying to his children, “Love me or else!”. But it doesn’t start with us reaching up to God but with Him reaching down to us. We don’t love the Lord except that He first loved us as today’s verse explains. Remember that on our own, we are rebellious and defiant to God but by His love, He comes to us with unimaginable mercy and grace and demonstrates His love despite our sinfulness. The upside-down teaching that puts pressure on people to do what they can’t do on their own, that is to love the lord from a human-centric posture where we initiate a devoted love for God, always results in disappointment and failure. We can’t live in obedience to a command no one but Jesus could ever obey. Our love for the Lord is a reciprocating love that responds to His goodness, mercy, and grace. He first loved us and then daily loads us with benefits. A good view of this is Psalms 116:1-2, “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live”. We love Him because He has revealed Himself to be a loving Father and has shown unconditional love and compassion in that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us. Then He showered us with infallible promises of blessings and the unsearchable riches of Christ. We are drawn to Him by the Holy Spirit and the Spirit reveals His heart to us. Our love for the Lord is a growing and maturing love that has been purposed in us by God’s grace. He loved us so that we can love Him. It is all of God and all of His grace.
September 29, 2022
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”
Sometimes those of us who teach and preach that grace is the foundation of the Bible come across as if good works are irrelevant. We hammer away with the message that it is not by works of righteousness which we have done but by God’s grace and mercy that we are saved. It appalls us that anyone would suggest or claim that any efforts on our part will bring us into a right standing with God and some have dismissed the doctrine of irrefutable grace as permission to live sinfully and still claim salvation. But teaching that is rightly divided declares that good works do not transform us into Godliness but good works flow out of lives created as new creations by God’s amazing grace. Grace, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is the light that shines in us and from us, showing the goodness of God to a dark, sin-enslaved world. Today’s verse tells us that when our light shines, people see God’s goodness in what we do and say and God gets the glory. We don’t have to force it; it just happens because the same Holy Spirit working in us is also working in others to point them to Christ. It is for this purpose the Lord has created us to minister His truth as the scripture says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”. Good works can be simply summed up as doing what is right in every situation. It may refer to being honest, faithful, kind, and generous or it might be describing acts of mercy, a willingness to forgive, or extending ourselves or resources to people in need. Too often it is equated to religious and church activities like church attendance, tithing, or serving on church committees but we can do religious stuff and be mean, condescending, selfish, and ungodly. Many restaurant employees say they dread Sunday afternoons when the “Sunday crowd” rolls in after church grumpy, haughty, demanding, and stingy (tip-wise). The Bible teaches us in Titus 2:7, “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works” and if God’s grace is working in them, believers should be the kindest, most compassionate, and honest neighbors, coworkers, and family members around. Good works are not badges we wear to commend ourselves but they’re reminders to the world around us that there’s a God in heaven. When He lives in us, we are known by the fruit we bear that we belong to Him. Good works honor the Lord and are an expression of the goodness He has done for us. People see us and they remember what kind of people we are by our words, attitudes, and actions. We either point them to the Lord or they walk away and say “if that’s what being a Christian is, I’d rather not be one”.
September 28, 2022
John 3:14-15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life”
In Numbers 21, the Bible accounts that the people of Israel began rebelling against God, and Moses and the Lord sent poisonous snakes that bit people, and they died. When they repented and asked Moses to pray for them that the Lord would take away the snakes, God told Moses to make a snake, fasten it to a pole and lift it up. Anyone who got bit could look at the snake on the pole and be healed. The serpent was made of brass, a Biblical type for judgment because it is associated with fire, and snakes are synonymous with evil since the serpent tempted Eve in the garden. We might think God would have instructed Moses to put something beautiful on the pole to contrast the horridness of the poisonous snakes but they had to acknowledge the judgment of sin to be saved. People didn’t have to do anything except look at the brass serpent and God’s miracle of healing flowed through them. This is the grace of God being freely given to anyone who would just lift their eyes and look. We might speculate they would encourage each other whenever anyone was bitten, “just look at the snake, look at the snake!”. Some people have thought that the snake was attached horizontally to the pole and formed the symbol of a cross. Yet we see drawings and paintings that envision the snake wrapping around the pole and as such, it is the emblem of medicine and healing still used today. Jesus was referring to this in today’s verses when He spoke of Himself being lifted up on the cross and proclaiming that just as snake-bitten people could look at the brass snake and be healed if we will look to the crucified Savior, believing He died for us, we will receive eternal life. The Lord was not a beautiful sight on the cross but was mangled, flayed, and bleeding in the sight of all as He carried our sin in His own body on the cross. Just as the brass serpent represented judgment and sin, the Bible says in 2Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. We can hear the Word of God saying in Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” and it makes us want to tell everyone we know that is in the poisonous throes of sin, “look to Jesus and believe He died for you”. The miracle of the brass serpent as given by our Lord is a wonderful reminder that there is a remedy for sin and it’s a simple plan that anyone can follow. It is the simple truth of Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”.
September 27, 2022
Luke 24:45 “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures”
This account happened in Jerusalem soon after the resurrection of Jesus. There was a gathering of the eleven disciples and some other believers and they were discussing what had taken place and the news that Jesus had resurrected, was alive, and had already been seen by Peter and others. At that moment, Jesus appeared miraculously in their midst and they were terrified and afraid. But the Lord calmed their fear and the Bible tells us in today’s verse He opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures”. When we are able to relate what’s going on in our lives to the scriptures, it takes away uncertainty and doubt. The Word of God is all things to us. It’s a mirror that allows us to see ourselves truly as God sees us. It is a diary that allows us to remember where we were and where God brought us from. It is a telescope that gives us the view of where the Lord is taking us. It is a current news source that helps us understand what’s going on around us. And these are only the beginning because it is medicine for our soul and body, comfort for our troubled minds, a manual to help us have good homes and raise children, training to teach us how to treat one another, and the list is endless. But our minds are not able to understand the scriptures unless the Lord opens our spiritual eyes. Without that anointing, the Bible is just another book and makes no sense to our souls. Oh, we might read it as history, poetry, philosophy, and so on but as far as having the Word of God speak to us personally, that only comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”. That day in Jerusalem, the Lord gave them spiritual sight and they were able to connect the scriptures that foretold the necessity of His death, burial, and resurrection and that they should carry this message to the world. When we start to understand the Bible from a place of faith where understanding is given to us by the Holy Spirit, God’s Word comes alive to us and there’s a hunger for more truth that develops within us. This is the thought of Job 23:12, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” and Psalms 119:103, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”. Once our eyes are opened and we begin to understand the truth that sets us free, then we know the Bible is not an ordinary book and that the desire for it within us can’t be satisfied by anything offered in this world. We have the promise of Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” and Luke 1:53, “He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away”.
September 26, 2022
Luke 10:42 “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”
The two sisters in this story made different choices. Martha chose to concentrate on being a good hostess to Jesus and His followers. She wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable, had what they needed, and that food and refreshments were served. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His Words and the Bible calls that the “one needful thing”. Since faith is how we approach God, faith is what pleases God, and faith comes to us by hearing the Word of God, then surely when we have the opportunity to hear the Word of God it is a time to make the needful choice to listen. Jesus inferred here that all the serving, fussing about the details of the gathering, concern over the comfort of the guests, and attempts to be a good host would be gone when the event was over. But the hearing of the Word of God will remain in the hearer’s heart. The Lord taught us that heaven and earth will pass away. All the things we build, gather, save, hideaway, covet, fight over, and call valuable including any earthly glory and recognition will all pass away. But the Word of God will never pass away and when we anchor our lives to that Word, we’re anchored to something that will never change, something that is of far more value than anything offered on this earth. But notice here that Jesus refers to such a devotion to His Words as being a choice. He’s telling us we get what we choose. Martha’s choice got her the temporary satisfaction of being a meticulous hostess and perhaps a few “atta girls” by people in attendance. But Mary’s choice gained her the incredible power of being infused with the eternal Word of God. No wonder the enemy tries to stop, dilute, and spin God’s Word because he knows the potential of people believing the pure Word. The path of life we’re walking is defined by continuous choices and God never forces His Word on us. We choose to either live by faith in what the Lord says and make our daily choices based on the truth of His Word or we choose to live some other way. We are pressured by the world and people around us, pressured by our own flesh, ego, and sense of reasoning (which are all products of depravity and the fall), to compromise, follow the ways of our age, and just “go with the flow”. But hearing the Word of the Lord and living by faith, making choices that are right and pleasing to God will result in a life that honors the Lord, brings heaven’s favor and blessings, and lays up rewards and crowns against the judgment seat of Christ. Like Mary, it is a matter of choosing the good part that will never be taken away.
September 25, 2022
Hebrews 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it”
The word gospel here is not referring to the Gospel of Jesus Christ because this scripture is referring to the time period of ancient Israel. In that context, the gospel means “good news” and is the Word of the Lord to His people. Israel heard the promised blessings and the warnings. God spelled out exactly what they could expect when they followed Him and what would happen if they did not and Israel heard it. There was no problem with the Word, it was God’s power and unfailing promise and when it was received into a heart of faith and acted upon in faith, the Word was alive. The power of the Word is recorded in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. All that God has created was created by His Word and all that was created is maintained by that same Word as Hebrews 1:3 tells us He’s “, upholding all things by the word of his power”. When He gave us His Word, all that we need, all that sustains us, countless blessings, unimaginable power, and mighty miracles are given to us freely. But notice here, God tells us the Word did not profit, meaning benefit, Israel because they did not believe what God said. God’s Word is not given to us just to encourage us, soothe our turmoil, or paint a glossy picture of a utopian possibility. It is God Himself with all His power and glory ready to work on our behalf and His omnipotence on our behalf is activated by our faith. It’s not what we know about God, what we sing describing His greatness, or what we do from religious motives that unleash the glory of His Word. It’s when we know what He says and believe it to where our faith is made evident by our actions. A good example is that God promises salvation but not by our efforts of goodness and righteousness. But when we hear his promise, trust what He says, and then confess we have trusted Him as Savior and Lord, then faith in His Word alone saves us. Remember how He told us this in Romans 10:8-10, “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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”. The Word is ready to be confessed by faith and when it happens, the explosive miracle of salvation takes place. Yet it’s not just about salvation but all the promises God gives us are received the same way. When we hear God’s promises to us in His Word and the Holy Spirit makes it alive to us, we can confess the promises just as we did the promise of salvation. There is no reason why we should be like Israel and have God’s Word yet fail to benefit from its blessings.
September 24, 2022
Joel 2:25 “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you”
The first chapter of Joel tells us that because Israel had walked away from the Lord and followed ways of evil, they had been invaded by hordes of crawling, jumping, chewing, and devouring insects. Their crops were ruined, the ground was parched, the grain and grapes had been destroyed, and their olive oil was all gone. God calls the swarms of insects His great army and He sent them to wake up the nation to return to the Lord. We sometimes refer to things as a “wake-up call” and we understand that when God’s people turn away from the Lord, there is a point He can stop them in their tracks. This is not an act of vengeance or vindictiveness but it’s a measure of God’s grace to stop us before we destroy ourselves. Usually, He brings such forceful methods into our lives after we have ignored His previous warnings. But even with the correction, He gives us hope. He tells Israel in Joel 2:12-13, “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil”. He follows up with today’s verse promising to restore all that has been destroyed. Restoration is the hope that follows repentance and in God’s promise, all that was taken in correction will be restored. He continues in verse 26, “And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed”. No wonder that the Bible tells us God’s mercy is everlasting and that His faithfulness reaches to the heavens. It’s easy to look at the devastation and loss caused by God’s corrective measures and think that it’s all over and there’s no way to come back. But the story of the prodigal son, along with the testimonies of countless people through the years, shows that not only is there a way back but also that there are blessings for us when we return. Even those who have squandered much of their lives with bad choices, addictions, and untold sins can be restored. Every moment wasted in doubt, discouragement, worry, guilt, and condemnation might seem lost forever but the Lord is supernatural in His ability to give us beauty for ashes, joy for sorrow, strength for our weaknesses, and victory for defeat. This may seem like a stretch of replacement theology but it is the truth of who God is and what He wants to do for people. Just as it was not His will to destroy Israel but to restore them, His will is to restore lives, homes, communities, and nations and He is not willing that any should perish.
September 23, 2022
Isaiah 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD”
There isn’t a community on this earth, a family, or a person that does not feel hurt at some time or in some way. When Adam and Eve were hiding from God in fear, they were hurting. When they were driven out of the garden, when they had to make their way by the sweat of their face, when Eve gave birth to their children, and when Cain killed Able, they all knew pain and suffering. They hurt. At this moment, there are people saved and lost, of all colors, all races, all nations, all ages, and every level of society that are hurting. We can not imagine the cries that go up daily for help and deliverance and sin, disobedience, and the curse are the cause. But read the last sentence in today’s verse again: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD”. All the pain and sorrow, all the suffering and despair, and all the tears and torments are coming to an end. The eternal King of Glory is bringing all creation to its culmination and when He does, He will change everything as we know it. The food chain, the biology of creation, the structure of society, the environment, the ecology, and people’s relationship to God and eternal things will all change. Peace will reign and people will be joyful, happy, and live long, productive lives. It’s appalling that some claiming to be Christian scoff that such a future for the world. Non-believers are obsessed and working hard, spending billions of dollars to figure out a way to get people off this planet and colonize other worlds. Meanwhile, the Lord is moving His plan forward and will not alter His designs. If it seems farfetched and surreal, consider that up until a few years ago, we thought our science had most things figured out and that we understood most natural laws and the properties of the material creation. Then came quantum physics and stood everything we thought we knew on its head. We realize now we can’t even understand the submicroscopic particles that comprise all matter, light, energy, and so on. God’s Word will never fail and He promises a better future and an even better eternity where He says in Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new”. When you see St Jude’s commercials with the suffering children, remember God’s promise that a new age is coming when there’ll be no more hurt. When you say goodbye to a loved one or see those you love going through a severe trial, remember that God promised soon there’ll be no more hurt. When you see the news of the devastation and death caused by famine, war, and natural disasters thank God He is bringing us to a time when all hurt and destruction will end. How can we be sure? Because today’s verse ends with the words, “saith the LORD”.
September 22, 2022
Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”
Ephesians 4 teaches us that the church is unified and that we are all unified with God. The three verses in today’s selection are speaking of the oneness of the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, the common faith, believers’ baptism, and all are unified with the Almighty God. It is a blessed thought that these three verses are one unified sentence. Sometimes we look at all the factions and denominations within Christianity and think something needs to be done to break down what we perceive as barriers and homogenize it all in the name of unity. But God has allowed such diversity of small groups within the unity of the body for a purpose. People are diverse in their demeanor and personalities and churches and religious organizations seem to attract those who are like-minded. People who enjoy worshipping in groups that are more reserved and organized don’t feel at ease with those that are jumping pews and shaking the roof with their music. And those that want or need exuberant worship are fidgety and bored with groups that barely worship above a whisper. Then there are the differences in minor doctrinal opinions, formulas and methods of baptism, and church organization structures. Add to that all the varying views on eschatology, the eternal security of believers, the doctrines of election and free will, and on the surface, it looks like a hot mess of discord. But I propose it need not be so unless we lose sight of the simple unity of today’s verses and start arguing that our minor points and personal convictions are dogmatically correct and that those who don’t follow our methods and interpretations are hell-bound hooligans. Fear and foolishness drive us into our corners and we come out fighting that it’s our view or else. All denominations are man-made and flawed to some degree. All interpretations of minor dogmatic doctrines have counterpart views that argue just as well. People are attracted within the body of Christ to that which helps them walk their Christian path. Some need much more structure and clearly defined markers and some need more freedom and creativity yet all are unified with Christ in God. 1 Corinthians 12 gives us the example of our human bodies that are markedly diverse with the head being different from the feet and so on. Yet the body is one organism and functions as such. The Holy Spirit manifests Himself in the diversity of people according as He sees fit and it is detrimental to the cause of Christ to see ourselves as right and everyone else as wrong. As long as the basics of Jesus Christ, His blood shed for our sin, salvation by grace through faith, and the authority of the Word of God are the foundations, we are united in the amazing oneness of God’s purpose and plan.
September 21, 2022
Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”
The idea of exhorting one another is that of being an encouragement and everywhere we look, people need it. All of us are going through difficulties or we will shortly and God’s people have the words and power of the Holy Spirit to make a difference. Sometimes when we’re in a season of trials or trouble, we feel all alone. It can be scary and uncertain and if we feel trapped and don’t see a way out, our faith can get weak and a sense of despair or hopelessness can overtake us. A bad medical report, unexpected expenses, the loss of a loved one, ongoing pain and sickness, or some failure that comes our way can set us back and cause us to wonder if we’re ever going to be happy and victorious again. We need each other in such times and we need people who will cheer us on and remind us that God is faithful and that He always delivers us. The phrase “while it is called today” means while we have the opportunity. When we don’t get the encouragement we need, there is a possibility we can become hardened. The word hardened comes from the Greek “skleruno” and is the root of such words as “arteriosclerosis” referring to the hardening of the arteries. In its spiritual meaning here, it refers to stubbornness, harshness, or obstinance. Sin, that is, the atmosphere of unbelief is a deceiver and brings thoughts and accusations against the Lord and His goodness. Times of tribulation are moments when the enemy and our foolish flesh begin to paint a bad picture of God telling us that He doesn’t care, that He didn’t mean what He said, and that we’re going down with no one to help us. We can see others that live worse lives than we do and look like they’re walking around healthy, happy, and without a care in the world. It can make us angry and uncertain and before long, we become stubborn against the Lord, and where we once rejoiced and believed the Lord was working for us, we become hardened and give in to the thoughts of failure and finality. The hardness doesn’t have to be on the end of someone in a trial but can describe us all when we get proud, puffed up, and aloof. Encouragers need the spirit of humility as they identify with others and there’s no room for anyone to look down on people when they are in trouble even if it is the trouble of their own making. When someone falls or fails all of us need the truth that it could be any of us at any time and under such a banner, we can exhort with and humble heart as it is often said, “but by the grace of God, there go I”. God puts people in our path for His reasons and may He help us to always be mindful that they could be needing some words and acts of encouragement.
September 20, 2022
Psalms 144:1 “A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight”
The Lord took David on his life’s journey from a humble shepherd boy to a mighty king and reminded him of it in 2Samuel 7:8-9, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote (sheep pen), from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth”. The chapters of Psalms are a record that David never forgot where he came from and that the Lord is the reason for his great success. His hands and fingers went from curling around a shepherd’s staff to gripping a sword and in today’s verse, he gives glory to God for making him a great warrior. But there were multiple sides to David for he wrote much about peace such as Psalms 29:11, “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” Yet his life was one of many battles from the times he fought with wild beasts for the safety of his sheep until his encounter with Goliath that solidified his status as a warrior king. The Christian life mirrors this complexity and anyone who thinks it is either only peace or only battles is deceiving themselves. We move through times and seasons of peace then we go through battles with self, the world, and the devil. We wrestle with emotions and the lure of revenge. Temptations pull at us and people wage wars against us and our families. But the Lord is our strength and He teaches us how to deal with trouble and adversity. Jesus battled with the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, lawyers, and the devil yet He was victorious and did it with the power of the Word of God. He teaches us to fight battles on our knees and in praise. His Word instructs us how to war against the enemy by using the sword of the Spirit and shield of faith. We conquer and defeat hatred with love and overcome evil with good. Only God can teach us that His strength is made perfect in our weakness and that when we fight by letting the Lord fight for us, it leads to a place of peace. The Bible says in 1Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called”. We may lose a battle now and then but the war has already been won and we fight a good fight, laying hold on eternal life with confidence.
September 19, 2022
Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
Much of the world despises Jesus Christ and daily, His name is besmirched and used as profanity. Many will bow and swear allegiance to some god or religion but as to the honor which belongs to the Son of God, it is mocked by a world that increasingly denies Jesus even lived, or if they admit His historical life, they belittle His deity. Even among groups claiming to be Christian, some have tried to relegate the Lord as if He is an angel or a prophet. But today’s verses tell us that before God wraps it all up and we enter into eternity, every knee will bow to Jesus Christ and every tongue will confess He is Lord. All beings whether heavenly, earthly, or hellish will submit to His authority. Those of us who hate the devil look forward to that time when he too will bow before Christ and declare Jesus is Lord. The mystery of the incarnation brought the Word of God to this earth in human form, born as Jesus of Mary and He humbled Himself to His Father’s will as the Lord declared in John 5:30, “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me”. The Bible says in Philippians 2:9 as Christ humbled Himself completely to the Father’s will, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name”. The lordship of Jesus is not just over the church, but all creation. In Ephesians 1:20-22, the Bible says that God, “raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet”. There are many honorable names of people who have lived and some who are alive today. But they are in a human category to themselves apart from the single name that God has exalted above all names for time and eternity: Jesus Christ, the Lord, the only begotten Son of God. When the devil tempted Jesus and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, the devil said “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me”. The enemy is still working to seduce people to acknowledge him or something he has set up as their lord. Money, fame, possessions, drugs, alcohol, and sin, in general, are all around us and people bow, grovel and give themselves to it. But thank God we can bow our knees right now and confess “Jesus Christ is Lord of all” and when we do, we’re honoring the Name above all names, and giving glory to God the Father by proclaiming His Son is Lord!
September 18, 2022
John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”
The Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well wanted to know where people should worship God. She told Christ her people, as did their ancestors, worshiped on that mountain but the Jewish beliefs taught Jerusalem is where people must go to worship. That day, our Lord gave one of the profound truths of the Bible to her, and to us, when He said “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father”. Jesus disassociated worship with a location and gave the directive that worship is something else altogether by declaring worship is not about where we worship or items that we look to as sacred. It’s not about traditions such as the woman’s heritage but it is approaching God in spirit and truth. To worship in spirit means we do not try to praise and honor God with rituals, artifacts, effigies such as statues, religious icons, manmade buildings, or ceremonial washings and sacraments but we come before God with our hearts and minds open to Him and desiring His presence. The truth part of worship is that we come to Him as directed by His Word and at His invitation. We know it is not our words, actions, and appearance of being spiritual that He accepts as worship but that we are open and honest before Him. In Bible times, people made great pilgrimages to specific places to worship and they still do today. In some countries we often read where people are crushed and trampled to death in a throng of people trying to press their way to a shrine or place, they believe is a holy spot. People still build altars and believe there are specific locations and times that bring them closer to God. They carry religious items such as crosses, beads, or stones that they believe helps them when they pray or worship. Churches sometimes have pictures, Bibles, incense, statues, and such that supposedly help in the time of worship and to center people’s minds on reverend thoughts. But worship is any place and any time we honor God for who He is and humble our hearts before Him. It might be in a church building or in the car driving to work. It could be times when we are all alone and a song rises up within us and we can’t help but sing and praise the Lord for His goodness and grace. Today’s verse says “for the Father seeketh such to worship him” and goes on to say God is a Spirit implying He is not found in artifacts and things made by hand. He is not a tree, a mountain, or anything He created. He is distinct from His creation and the Bible tells us, “They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”.
September 17, 2022
Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water”
Hebrews was written to the Jews who were coming to Christ after centuries of being under the law. The law kept people away from the presence of God by the veil that separated them from the Holy of Holies where the glory of God overshadowed the mercy seat or lid of the ark of the covenant. But Jesus changed all that and now there is a welcome sign for us in the very presence of God. The scripture says in Hebrews 10:19, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” and again in Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”. Notice that in both these verses the word “bold” is used to describe how we can approach the Lord meaning openly, free, confident, and completely assured of acceptance. One thing that sometimes blocks a believer’s faith when coming to God is the consciousness of sin and the guilt that they are far from perfect. This is what today’s verse is referring to when it says our hearts have been sprinkled to clear our evil conscience. The Bible says in Exodus 24:8, “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words”. The blood-sprinkled people were then identified as God’s covenant people. God now sees us sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ and accepts us completely as though we had never sinned. And it is by this we have the confidence to draw near to Him without a guilty conscience. He tells us we can have full assurance of faith. Any memory of sin is our own for the Lord never remembers and counts us as completely righteous. When we don’t understand or believe what Jesus did for us and how God now sees us, we are apt to live in a sense of condemnation, and our faith stumbles. We may not believe the Lord is listening to us, that He is angry at us, that we are not worthy to enter His presence, and that there’s no sense in asking Him for anything because we’re not pure enough. The very purpose of Jesus coming to earth and dying a horrible, sacrificial death was so we can be eternally forgiven and enjoy being in God’s presence. The evil conscience situation is no longer a barrier when we see ourselves sprinkled with the blood of Christ and know we have an open invitation to draw near to God. The enemy and our flesh want our conscience to continually point us to our imperfections and our record of falling short of God’s glory but the truth of our cleansing by Jesus’ blood is our reality.
September 16, 2022
2Kings 6:16 “And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them”
Benhadad, the king of Syria and his army were attacking Israel and every move the Syrians were about to make, the Lord revealed the king’s plans to Elisha. Elisha then told the king of Israel what Syria was going to do next and the Israeli army was ready for them when they came. When the frustrated king of Syria heard Elisha was the one knowing of his plans beforehand, he determined to kill Elisha and moved forces to Dothan, the city where Elisha lived. The Bible says in 2 Kings 6:14, “Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about”. When Elisha and his servant woke up that morning and found themselves surrounded, Elisha’s servant said, “Alas, my master! how shall we do?”. Elisha gave him the answer in today’s verse and prayed as recorded in verse 17, “LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see”. God gave the servant anointed vision to see the unseen and he saw the mountains all around them filled with God’s horses and chariots of fire. If you know or read the end of this account, you know that the Lord delivered Elisha and his servant with an amazing miracle. In times when trouble seems to surround us and it looks like we are certain to be defeated, when the enemy is roaring against us and we feel alone and helpless, the words recorded here are a great comfort: Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. When we compare this to Psalms 34:6-7, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them”, we have the assurance we are never alone. Even when death comes knocking and it’s our time to leave and be with the Lord, we have the example of the poor man in Luke 16:22, “the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom”. The king of Syria and his best soldiers were no match for the God that protected Elisha. Likewise, the enemy with all his minions and anyone else that comes against us are outnumbered by those that the Lord has placed on our side. Let’s hear the words of Psalms 125:2, “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even forever”. Several years ago, when Jessie Peters, a local man who walked with the Lord was dying, several people were in the room with him. At the moment of his passing, he spoke to his wife and asked her to step back to make room for the angels in the room. When my grandfather Bradley was passing my dad was standing by his side. My weak and feeble granddad smiled and raised his hands towards the ceiling like a child reaching to be picked up and passed to be in the presence of the Lord. May the Lord open our understanding, our eyes of faith that we can see and trust that in times of trouble, we will never be forsaken.
September 15, 2022
Habakkuk 1:2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!”
The phrase “how long” appears over 130 times in the Bible and often is a rhetorical question, complaint, or frustration that God is sure taking His time answering us or coming to our aid. Habakkuk says he is crying to the Lord but it seems He is not listening. Everywhere the prophet looked, society was breaking down with trouble, sin, and sorrow. He cried out to God about all the violence and injustice but there was no answer from heaven or move on God’s part to set things straight. Habakkuk wonders how long is he going to keep praying without an answer. If you are a Christian that believes in prayer and prays, you know that sometimes the Lord answers quickly. But other times day after day goes by and there’s no sign that the Lord even heard our prayers. And if He did, it seems He has no intention to answer us, or at least He isn’t moving fast. This is where faith steps in and says that God promised to answer and He will. God finally answered Habakkuk and unfolded His plan to deal with Israel’s sin. When He told the prophet He was going to send the Babylonians to punish the Jews, Habakkuk realized this wasn’t the answer he had been hoping for. He wanted judgment, to set things straight, but he didn’t want God to do it by using Babylon, a nation he considered more wicked than Israel. The situation in Israel was such that they were given many warnings and encouragements for decades to repent and turn back to the Lord but they refused. God told them by Isaiah 1:5 that no matter how much He chastised them, they rebelled more and more. The wisdom and determination of the Lord were that Israel required the shock of the destruction of their way of life, the devastation of their temple, and 70 years of captivity to turn them around. Drastic measures for drastic sin. We hope and pray for revival for our nation and we pray for the church to return to the truth of God’s Word. Like Habakkuk, we see the widespread violence and the flaunting of sin by its devotees and wonder if the Lord is listening to our prayers. Then we wonder if we, like Israel, are at the point in our apostasy and rebellion against the truth where the Lord must send utter destruction to stop the wickedness. The Bible tells us that even while the Babylonians were rolling toward Israel to destroy it, the Jews were saying “things aren’t so bad, we’re not so wicked”. Their false ministers and teachers were telling them, “You are God’s favorites and He isn’t going to allow you to be defeated. Don’t worry about it”. It is the voice of the final church age of Laodicea in Revelation 3:17, “we are rich, blessed, and don’t need anything”.
September 14, 2022
Proverbs 3:27 “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it”
The principle taught here is that when we have been blessed, we should look for opportunities to do good to others. It is unfortunate that too often we see this as concerning money and offerings but it is about anything we are able to do that is a blessing and help to someone else. The parable of the good Samaritan is our Lord’s example of how to love others by aiding them in their times of need. A study of it with its circumstances and the characters involved helps enlarge our understanding of today’s verse. Two religious men walked by the wounded, half-dead man in the ditch and looked at him. Both had the ability to do something to help him yet both stepped to the other side of the road and went on their way. The words used to tell us that they saw and looked at him are words that mean they were fully aware of the situation the mangled man was in. It speaks to the selfish emptiness of their religious ways and their disregard for the pain and suffering of others. It shows the hideous, ugly truth of those who profess to have some faith in God and publicly state they identify with and follow Him. But when put to the test, their hearts are revealed to be cold, hard, and empty of compassion and love. The good Samaritan, considered an unreligious person by the Jews, did what was right. It was in the power of his hand, within the scope of his ability to do good and he came to the bleeding, hurting man in the power of love. The Bible says he had compassion for the fellow and began to treat his wounds and bandage him. Then he loaded him on the animal he himself was riding and took him to the safety of an inn where he took care of him. Simply put, we have the ability to help others. Maybe with a kind word, a show of respect, the comfort of our presence, a heartfelt prayer, or any other number of ways we can do good when they are in a moment of need. It might be more than that and depending on the depth of our abilities, we might be able to go the extra mile like the good Samaritan and sacrifice some time and resources. It’s the reflection of Galatians 6:10, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”. We also have the promise of Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name”. It’s an overwhelming time in a world moving at a pace never seen before and it’s easy to pass by people in need as we rush to get to our next situation. But when we give, we also get as our Lord promised in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again”.
September 13, 2022
1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”
No matter how much we know about the Bible and how close we walk with the Lord, all our knowledge and experiences are imperfect. The word glass in the above verse isn’t referring to a pane of glass like a window for those hadn’t been invented for use in Bible times. Here, the word is from the Greek for mirror or what has been commonly called a looking glass. Those ancient mirrors were not made of glass but highly polished metal like bronze and at their finest, they rendered a distorted, unclear, and darker reflection. On this side of eternity, we will always have an incomplete, fleeting understanding of the ways and things of God. But there is coming a day when the cloud of humanness will be lifted and we will see God face to face. And just as the Lord sees us completely and clearly, we will see Him unobscured and our understanding will be opened. We will know just as we are known to Him. This verse is often used to prove we will know each other in heaven but that is not its context in this passage which is dealing with spiritual gifts and their necessity in this imperfect realm. Better verses for me that show we will keep our identities in heaven and know each other is Luke 9:30-31, “And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem”. Moses and Elijah had been gone for centuries yet they were back in glorified forms, known by their names. and in a discussion with the Lord. The disciples that were there that day with Jesus also knew who they were, showing us that people who have departed remain who they are. When we desire the things of God, to know Him, and to understand what’s beyond this present world, we feel so inadequate with our limited ability to comprehend spiritual truth. We are only able to understand a bit here and there and even then, the details of that knowledge have a habit of slipping away and we forget what we thought we knew. Mountaintop seasons of victory and glory are usually followed by valleys where we deal with this world’s craziness on our jobs, family issues, and the everyday necessities of living life. Our peeks into eternal things are sometimes few and far between while we do the laundry, clean the house, pay the bills, raise the children, and all the other millions of things it takes to keep going. God has ordered it that this is the getting ready place, an opportunity to prepare for the life coming after this life. He isn’t angry with us because of our inability to see clearly as in a darkened mirror. That’s just the nature of this phase of our heavenward journey. In the lyrics of the hymn “Zions Hill”, “Someday the dark clouds will be lifted, and all the gloom of night be past. And all life’s burdens will be lifted, the day of rest shall dawn at last”.
September 12, 2022
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”
The judgment seat of Christ referred to here is not the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11. The judgment seat of Christ, the Bema in the Greek, is to review what believers did in their lifetimes after their salvation. We will be judged as to our works and the reason, the motive behind our deeds but not to determine whether or not we will enter heaven as some erroneously teach. A continuation and discussion of this fact is given in 1Corinthians 3:13-15 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire”. Here, the phrase “but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” literally means like someone who has escaped the flames of a fire, the judgment being like a fire that separates the gold and silver from the refuse around it. The analogy is that of building a building and the quality of materials used in its construction. The Bible says Christ is the foundation but believers are reminded that just as a building’s strength and value are determined by what is used to construct it, we have a responsibility to live our lives in such a way that when we appear at the Bema seat, exposed to the piercing truth of our all-knowing Lord, what we have done for God’s glory will be separated from all else. The scriptures summarizes this in 1 Corinthians 3:11-13, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest”. God is not browbeating us here to make us fearful for our souls but explaining that when it comes to rewards and our placement in the millennium, He will be fair and just, not handing out rewards as we do, based on actions alone but true motives and merits. In some extreme examples, it is possible to live out our lives as saved people, amassing a pile of great works that all look religious, benevolent, and Godly only to have them all burned away because we did them in selfishness, for recognition, for money, or a million other reasons that were not for the glory of God. Then there will be those that never appeared to do great things down here but what they did was from an honest and good heart for the cause of Christ and at the Bema seat, they will receive great rewards. One thing is certain on that day all pretenses, all ulterior motives will be stripped away and all the secrets of our hearts will be laid bare before we can take another step into eternity. In the words of the British missionary C.T. Studd, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last”.
September 11, 2022 – Some reflections on 9/11
Romans 3:15-17 “Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known”
On this day, 21 years ago, the radical followers of a religion invaded our country, attacked, and murdered almost three thousand people. Many others have died since then as a result of being exposed to the smoke, chemicals, and other circumstances of those attacks. The nation and the free world were shocked and our seemingly invulnerable and protected shores suddenly appeared just as dangerous as a foreign battlefield. We got a glimpse into the minds of people that hate us, that would sacrifice themselves to see our destruction and they believe they are marching under the banner of God. Jesus’s followers know our God is loving and merciful and it’s difficult to understand how another religion can claim to follow the God of Abraham as we do yet have hatred and violence as their driving force. Yet it was professing followers of Jehovah that killed the prophets, crucified Jesus, and slaughtered millions of believers through the centuries in the name of God. That portion of God-followers is no different than the murderers that attacked and killed on 9/11. Some of us have seen that same hatred show its head in our local churches by people that identify with the Lord. They might not physically attack others but with their words, attitudes, and actions they reveal they have the same hearts as all the other wicked religious zealots. Religion has been a disgusting mess through the ages. It is a cancer in people’s minds that becomes a weapon to subjugate and hurt others while claiming to offer a path to God. When seen in the light of the love of God shined on the world through Jesus Christ, religion is an ugly, contemptible monster. It is not surprising that the devil will use religion in the end times, headed by his false prophet, to seduce the world to worship the antichrist and his image. America was attacked by a religion and some might argue the faction behind the hatred is a small subset of the whole. But we have only to remember the battle of Tours, October 10, 732 between Tours and Poitiers France where the Umayyad Caliphate was defeated and their two-decade conquest of Europe was halted. They and their religion were driven out. This battle, one of many, confirms the historical determination of a religion that uses violence to force itself on people and enslave them to its demands. Our own 9/11 is a contemporary example that those who vehemently follow the core beliefs of that religion, do not have the way of peace as their goal but the way of murder and domination of all who do not align with them. We need an awakening of both the return to the gospel of Jesus Christ and a return to the nationalism that made America strong. Our amazing heritage did not come from us being like all the other nations of the world but by being different in that we worked hard, gave generously, and guarded our shores and borders against anyone and everyone that had no lawful business coming here.
September 10, 2022
1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ”
Our minds are thought-producing machines. Some people are continually blasted with so many thoughts they’re said to have minds that “race” and they have difficulty staying focused on any particular thing. We can’t always keep thoughts from coming to us but we can limit how much time we allow ourselves to ponder them. The depth of our joy and peace and the ability to sustain a faithful, positive frame of mind is related to what we think about and how long we allow those thoughts to cycle through our consciousness. Our victories or defeats are not normally from physical struggles but from the battles that rage within us. God’s Word says in 2Corinthians 10:4-5, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. The phrase “strong holds” has the literal meaning of a fortress but figuratively refers to any mindset we may have that is a defense or argument to support and solidify our point of view. Our goal is to capture, subdue and control our thoughts so that what we think is Christ-like. The portion of scripture containing today’s verse, speaks of the wisdom or mindset of this world, the wisdom of the mindset of the Lord (God), and the mind or wisdom of Jesus Christ the Messiah. The Bible tells us in 1Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” and follows us with verse 20, “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain”. Concerning the thoughts of the Almighty God, the scripture says in Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts”. But we bring our thoughts under control until they imitate what Christ thinks. We have the mind of Christ which means His desire to follow His Father’s will, His heart of compassion, His humility before God and man, His honor of the Word of God, and His motives and actions that did not follow the world’s ways. We all sometimes have thoughts of selfishness, pride, deceit, revenge, and all else the flesh can conjure but the Holy Spirit stands ready to help us cast down those imaginations and bring our thoughts back to the truth of God and His will for us. We can pray that whenever our minds stray from the mind of Christ that the Spirit will remind us that outside the mindset of our Lord, there is no peace, joy, freedom, or contentment. And although we’ve heard it often before, it’s always worth repeating that our victory is in following the words of Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report (well spoken of); if there be any virtue (excellence), and if there be any praise, think on these things”.
September 9, 2022
Matthew 6:34 “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”
We can be robbed of the joy of living, by living in anxiety about what may not happen or worrying about what we may need and where it will come from. Jesus summarizes His teaching about material possessions and our preoccupation with them in today’s verse by saying to take no thought for the future. The phrase” take therefore no thought” means to not be worried or anxious about something that hasn’t happened yet. This follows His teaching about the birds and how they live without concerning themselves because the Lord takes care of them. Someone once said that they work, but they don’t worry. Much of anxiety is from storms of thoughts that cause us to imagine terrifying scenarios that might happen. The enemy and our flesh can paint a bleak picture when we allow ourselves to habitually dwell on these imaginary things. The Lord’s teaching is simple. God takes care of us and He knows what we need before we even ask Him. The things we obsess about including the material stuff, are things that pass away and although we might consider them treasures from an earthly perspective, they will not pass over with us when we move from earth to eternity. Jesus tells us in verse 24, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” where mammon is materialism or things that, in the world’s mind, equate to wealth. Fear and doubt plant thoughts that something bad could, or is about to, happen. We could lose what we have, we could fail to achieve what we desire, the universe is against us, and things aren’t going to “work out”. Something is going to break, things are going to fall apart, or life is going to get worse. All such considerations are a slap in God’s face because it implies, that He is not in control, that He is not working for our good, and that He will allow us to fall away in despair, uncertainty, and defeat. It’s important that all this wisdom teaching in this chapter comes directly after Jesus gave us what we call “the Lord’s prayer”, a simple, short prayer that tells us to put our confidence along with the sum of everything we need to live, directly into the hands of God like a child trusts it’s parents. Live and enjoy today is where we cycle back and this is God’s will for us. He’s taking care of our needs and wants us to seize the blessings He has provided and enjoy today’s moments with our family and friends with a thankful heart. We look to tomorrow not with anxiety but with expectation because God will never change and He will always provide tomorrow as He has today. Today will have its share of blessings along with the trials that each day brings but we can face each day with the confidence of the Lord’s promise in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”.
September 8, 2022
Jeremiah 18:6 “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel”
The Lord told Jeremiah to visit the potter’s workshop and He would teach him something there. Jeremiah watched the potter work on a piece of clay, shaping it into a vessel. However, the Bible says in verse 4, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it”. To Jerimiah, this was the object lesson for the nation of Israel that had become so rebellious and stubborn against the Lord that it was marred, ruined in God’s hands. But just as the potter had power over the clay to save the malformed clay and reshape it into something that pleased him, so God has the power to salvage what is broken and ruined and make it into a treasure. In its primary meaning, this lesson is for the Jewish nation that was formed under the providence and grace of God to be His prized people. But they rebelled against Him and chose to follow the ways of sin and death. Yet the Lord refused to cast them aside to destruction and gave His eternal promise that He would rescue them from the trash heap of their ruin and remake them into a people and a nation that will shine with His glory. The secondary meaning of the story of the potter’s house is that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, believe on His Son Jesus, and be eternally saved. The Lord delights in taking broken lives, and ruined people, making them into new creations. Our sin and its fallout is the perfect workshop for the God of Glory to work His amazing grace and display His kindness and mercy. Most of us, who were in the dregs of sinful living with hopeless futures, are living testimonies as the Bible calls us, of what God can do with wasted, reprehensible people. He removed us from the kingdom of darkness, washed us clean in the blood of the lamb, and transformed us into His beloved children. We have a heartfelt understanding of the words of the hymn, “have thine own way Lord” when it says “Have Thine own way Lord, have Thine own way. Thou art the potter I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting yielded and still”. The Lord is still working on us as declared in 1 John 3:2 “it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him”. This is the hope for everyone that is in dire circumstances of their own making or has a wayward child, family member, or someone they love. The marred clay may seem past redemption but our heavenly Father has unlimited power to make it new again.
September 7, 2022
Matthew 21:42 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”
Our Lord was coming to the close of His earthly ministry and despite all His teaching and miracles, despite His kindness and mercy, and despite how perfectly the scriptures pointed to Him, the Jews rejected Him. When they looked at Him and listened to Him they could not believe He was the Son of God and their Messiah. Jesus asked them in irony, “Did ye never read in the scriptures”. This must have made them angry because they were all about the law and the prophets and prided themselves on how fastidiously they studied every detail, every nuance of every letter of the scriptures. But when it came to understanding what God was saying to them, they were ignorant. The Lord fulfilled Psalms 118:22-23 which He quoted here in today’s verse: “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes”. Jesus is the chief, first-laid stone, the rock upon which salvation by grace for all people is built. And when we view the finished work which He did, to bring lost humanity back to the Father, we are compelled to shout “This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes”. Sadly, just like the Jews, there are multitudes that can not stand in faith and give glory to God for the gift of His Son. There are those, like the religious leaders of Christ’s time, who are scholars, teachers, and ministers of the scriptures yet they deny it is the Word of God and scoff at its miracles and declarations. To them, it is a piece of literature and they place it alongside and with equal esteem with other writings of the world’s philosophies. But by the power and persuasion of the Holy Spirit, we who believe the infallible inspiration of the Bible can hear its Words and declare that all it says and means is the Lord’s doing and is marvelous. We also recognize the hand and providence of God as He blesses us, comforts us, answers prayers, assures us of His presence, and manifests Himself in our lives. To all this, we faithfully testify that it is the Lord’s actions. What the world and the unbelieving masses pass off as luck and coincidence, we attribute to the one true and living God. The Lord is always at work for us and in us and may we be careful to never fail to recognize this. As the apostle Paul said in Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” let’s always point to the Lord for His working whenever He answers a prayer, delivers us from a situation, preserves our lives for another day, comforts us when we are distressed, supplies all our needs, and holds us steadfast. We can say, “this is the Lord’s doing and it is a marvelous thing”.
September 6, 2022
Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil”
Becoming angry in itself is not a sin for we know Jesus was sinless yet the Bible says in Mark 3:5, “And when he (Jesus) had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts”. Yet sin follows anger closely because, in the moments when anger rises in us, it’s hard to control what we say, what we do, or what we want to do. The Bible records the first murder in Genesis 4:5 when Cain became furious and killed his brother Able. Some people are more prone to excessive anger than others and often get referred to as hotheads, short-fused, and ill-tempered. We all know someone that we try to avoid because it doesn’t take much to set them off and like a volcano, they’re apt to blow at any moment. In the world of boxing, martial arts, and such, fighters train to avoid anger or at least control it so they can stay level-headed and highly alert during their matches. When anger rushes through them, it causes them to make mistakes, break their rhythm, and perform carelessly. The point of today’s verses is that we may get angry but the Lord is calling us to refuse to allow anger to cause us to act sinfully. We may be tempted to retaliate, cause harm, speak disrespectfully, or even move towards violence but God says don’t do it. The Holy Spirit within us is there to help us with self-control as noted in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance (self-control)”. The Lord continues, saying that we should not let the day end in anger with the meaning that we should not allow anger to seethe in us, poisoning us and allowing our flesh and the devil to make plans for hatred and revenge. From our example of Cain and Able, we know the enemy can channel our anger into something destructive, something that will cost us more than we intended hence the last part of this verse, “neither give place to the devil”. In a few seconds, words spoken in anger can destroy friendships beyond repair that had taken years to develop. Moments of anger can destroy homes and lives and cause pain and grief that no medicine can heal. The sinful fallout of anger can rob us of our good name, honorable reputation, and cause us to appear as shameful fools before our families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors, the people that once viewed us with respect. But beyond all this, anger blocks the most important aspect of who we are as Christians, the loving-kindness of the Lord that God intends to flow through us towards a world that does not know Him. God’s love is also the bond between believers and anger with its accompanying sinful words and actions can tear apart the very things the Lord put in place to be our greatest blessings.
September 5, 2022
Philippians 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death”
We live with expectations about how things are going to be and work out. Disappointments, or at least surprises, come when things don’t come out the way we expect. When our server sets our meal in front of us, we expect things to taste a certain way. We climb in our car and expect it to start up because that’s the normal thing. We expect our friends and family to behave and act in their normal ways and when they don’t, we sense something is amiss. Today’s scripture was written by the Apostle Paul when he was under arrest in Rome, awaiting his court appearance before Caesar. We might think he was worried sick, knowing his immediate future was in the hands of Nero, a lunatic known to burn Christians alive, who could either grant him freedom and life or command his death. But Paul’s resounding words were that he had an earnest expectation and hope meaning a persistent, driving expectation and confidence that whatever happened to him, life or death, the result would be good. His faith in the Lord and his knowing who he was as a believer led him to only expect his future to be something that honored God and benefited the cause of Christ. That’s a startling thought because we know history tells us he was just a short time away from being beheaded by Nero yet his concern was not about his situation or what might happen to him, but that his life would not reflect any shame on behalf of Jesus Christ. His boldness assured him it would not and that was his earnest expectation and hope. What is our expectation of our Christian life? Is the pattern we’re following one that brings honor to the Lord or one that produces regrets and missteps? God has not called us to bondage and a heavy yoke but to the faithfulness of an honest heart and Christ-like living. He has given us the Holy Spirit and equipped us to follow Him steadfastly so that we might imitate our Savior and refuse to identify with the darkness of this world. We expect the Lord to be faithful to us, to keep His promises, to never walk away from us, and to order our steps. Our expectation for the future is founded on God’s Word that our path is shining brighter and brighter with hope and encouragement. Concerning ourselves, because the Lord is with us and working in us, we can expect to never turn away from our faith, to remain faithful to His cause, and to always be blessed and have God’s favor. We expect to always be victorious and never be victims.
September 4, 2022
Psalms 57:7 “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise”
Psalm 57 was written while David was hiding in a cave. King Saul had gone mad with jealousy and rage against David and was hunting him like an animal to kill him. David described his situation in verse 4, “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword” and says in verse 1 that his ordeal is a calamity. After David came on the scene as a 15-year-old boy and killed Goliath, he lived in Saul’s palace for seven years. During those years Saul watched how people honored David as a mighty hero and this drove Saul to despise and hate him. He decided to kill David and for four years David and his band of loyal fighting men ran from Saul and his army. David finally moved into the town of Ziklag, a town in Philistine territory, and lived there for four years until the death of Saul. Those eight years were a season of struggle and uncertainty in David’s life and remind us that all believers face hardships and opposition. Before there is victory and triumph, exaltation and honor, there are battles and trials. Our enemy knows when the Lord is getting ready to move us to a place of great blessing and he roars against us like a lion, trying to discourage us with a setback. We can be sure the devil was angry when David destroyed Goliath and when the young boy did it in the name of the Lord, giving all praise to God, the hounds of hell came after him. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. But notice the words of today’s verse, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed”. In a cave, hiding from the King and his army that were determined to kill him, David declared that he was steadfast, determined, stable, prepared, and ready. He was no whimpering, fearful refugee, shaking in his sandals but he had full trust in the Lord. So much that in the next phrase, he said “I will sing and give praise”. He declares “in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” giving us the image of a mother bird sheltering her little ones under her wings to shield them from danger. David knew victory was coming. He knew the prophet Samuel had anointed him to be king of Israel and that it was just a matter of time until God placed him where he was purposed to be. We can establish, fix our hearts because God’s promises to us will never fail. The enemy may roar, the storms rage and doubt may raise its head against us but we have the promise of 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ”.
September 3, 2022
Psalms 146:5 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God”
Are you happy? I heard a minister once say that God didn’t save us to make us happy and I wanted to ask him then why did he give us His Word such as Psalms 144:15, “yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD”? The teaching that happiness is a state of emotion that we have every now and then but is not permanent and normal is not the teaching of the scriptures. Some people want to use the verse about our Lord in Isaiah 53:3. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” and tell us if we want to be like Jesus, we must walk afflicted and sorrowful with a sense of grief. But Jesus became sin for us and tasted sorrow and death in our place so that we could have the fullness of joy and peace. Today’s verse spells it out clearly that when we have the Lord and our hope is in Him, we are happy. The Hebrew word here for happiness is “esher” and occurs in the Psalms more than anywhere in the Bible. Sometimes, such as in Psalms 1:1, it is translated as “blessed” and one of the literal meanings is the interjection “How Happy!” Happiness is not just the state of being blessed but is really from the conscious awareness that we are blessed. We can have all we need, be in good health, be surrounded by people who love us, and still be miserable because we are not attuned to the reality of our situation. On the other hand, we can be in the middle of a life storm, going through a stressful trial, or having a great need yet remembering the Lord is with us, that He is faithful, and that He will bring us through and be as happy as if we were sailing life with clear skies. It depends on what we choose to believe and fill our minds with. Those who fill up with the world’s news, its opinions, and the negativity of those around them, and allow the whispering of the enemy to be their voice of consolation will usually be in a state of unhappiness. They will not be confident and comforted that the Lord is in full control and that He is working all things for their good. Losing the faith and awareness that we are eternally blessed no matter the situation or circumstances is the path to worry, doubt, stress, and uncertainty and it moves us into the camp of the unhappy. Right now, you probably know someone who is never happy. No matter what day or time of the day they can find a reason to complain, argue, be bitter, find fault, be critical, and when they finish spewing their unhappiness, they start all over again. But I ask you again, are you happy? Are you saved? Has the Lord promised to never leave you, provide all your needs, work all things for your good, cover you with His favor, and when this life is over welcome you into the home He has prepared for you? Did He fill the pages of His Word with everlasting promises to you? Then let the awareness of the truth rise up within you and declare “He has made me happy!”.
September 2, 2022
Numbers 12:3 “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth”
We are told here about one of Moses’ attributes that is seldom mentioned when we hear about him. Whenever Moses comes to mind, we remember the drawings we’ve seen of him, staff in hand, calling down the plagues on Egypt or standing at the Red Sea as the waters part and a dry path emerges to give Israel a great deliverance. Then there’s the one of him smashing the tables of stone with their 10 commandments when he sees the people worshipping the golden calf. The Bible summarizes his life when he died in Deuteronomy 34:10-12 “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel”. Yet the Lord describes him in today’s verse as the meekest man in the entire world. Some people have interpreted this to mean he was at a point of discouragement or depression at this time in his life but the Hebrew word used here occurs 21 times in the Old Testament and 20 of those times it is referring to humbleness and gentleness of spirit and once to impoverishment. Moses lived the first 40 years of his life as a prince in Egypt, as the son of Pharoah’s daughter. But when he fled Egypt, he then lived the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness as a shepherd, working for his father-in-law and a fugitive from Egyptian justice. During that time, he became a changed man and the Lord was preparing him to go back to Egypt and intercede for the Jewish slaves. Moses was the picture of an ideal servant of the Lord. He was courageous, wise, strong-hearted, determined, and loyal. Yet he was also a man with a very humble heart and filled with compassion. We have all seen those leaders who were strong-willed and forceful but they were driven by haughtiness and arrogance. Their pride overshadowed any of their good qualities. Moses identified so deeply with his people that when they sinned against the Lord and the Lord was threatening to exterminate them, Moses prayed one of the unthinkable prayers in the Bible in Exodus 32:31-32 “And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written”. Yes, Moses showed moments of anger and disgust and we know he acted in disobedience by striking the rock God told him to speak to. But his humility before God and man is our example as we walk our daily path, dealing with others, and remaining faithful to God’s call.
September 1, 2022
Psalms 4:3 “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him”
This verse is full of hope and promise but the enemy tries to steal it from us. His attack on our faith is to make us think we do not fit the requirement of being godly therefore we are not set apart as a special treasure for the Lord. When the words of this verse begin to rise up in us, causing us to believe we are approved and valuable to the Lord and that He is listening to our cries, the enemy begins telling us we have made too many mistakes, that we are not holy enough, and that these Words won’t work for us. He will even use Bible verses out of context like “there are none righteous, no, not one” to dissuade us from laying hold of these wonderful truths and remind us of times and seasons when we were not living in line with God’s will. But we are in Christ and our righteousness is the imputed righteousness of Jesus declared in Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”. Twice in the life of Jesus, at His baptism in Matthew 3:17 and when He was transfigured in the presence of some of His disciples in Matthew 17:5, the Father spoke these words over Him: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Because we are covered with the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, this is the same way our Father sees us and He is well pleased. The doctrine of imputation is not some obscure notion in the scriptures but is established as the only way we can appear accepted in God’s presence and is expounded in Romans 4:11-24 and referenced in James 2:23. We are now the children of God, accepted in the beloved, and set apart as heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are precious to God so much that He ordained the torture and death of His Son to seal our eternal destiny and gave us the promise of 1Peter 1:4, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you”. We are not bothering God with our cries and prayers, but He delights in us and says again in Psalms 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry”. We are set apart for the promise of Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”. These are difficult, uncertain times and there is a sense of hopelessness and despair throughout our world. But the Word of the Lord is everlasting and sure, a rock and shelter in the storms and He promised that He has set us apart for Himself and that He is listening to us.