Living Like It Is Your Last Day

"Then he [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." - Matthew 26:38-39

So Jesus is facing the reality of his imminent death. He had other choices available to Him, but He chose to do the will of His Father.

One of the pastors at the church we are attending made a hand out of a prayer that he said he uses at the beginning of every day. One of the phrases in it says - "thank you for this gift of this day. Help me to live it as thought it was my last day on earth."

Think about that - if this was the last day on earth - the next day you would be face to face with Jesus. How would you live. What choices would you make? Would those choices honor God. Jesus was facing His last day on earth. He had to make choices - He chose to honor God, the Father.

So what if we lived every day like that? As if it was our last day and our desire to honor God was the most important consideration in our decision making.

"One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:35-38

Think about the greatest commandment in the context of how you live your life every day. Is the love of God reflected in your choices? Or are your choices a reflection of other devotions in your heart.

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" - Luke 12:16-20

Back to that prayer I mentioned. At first I wasn't too keen on the idea of reading and praying the same thing every morning. But then I started to see it as a restart, reset or reboot. Have ever had to reset you smart phone because something got discombobulated. And when you did - your phone worked again. Or maybe you were having a problem with your computer and the tech support guy told you to press <Control><Alt><Delete> to reboot your computer and then your computer started working right again.

Well that is what reading that prayer every morning does for me. So this is what my morning looks like. I wake up typically between 5:00 and 5:30 - start the coffee - start my computer - read the prayer ( I actually am praying it while I read it), post my BLOG (Monday-Friday), and read my daily Bible reading plan. Then I might make a few notes about what my next BLOG will be. 

It is a routine - and it's good to have a routine or discipline. 

Think about it – Believe it  - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Recognizing And Responding To Spiritual Warfare

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12

As Christians we live two lives. A natural one and a spiritual one. The "go to" life we use to deal with day to day circumstances in  our lives - most often the natural one, even though we would like it to be the spiritual one. And very often - our intent is that our spiritual life would be dominant.

I was thinking about Peter. Two incidents come to mind.

"But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down." - Matthew 14:27-32

God will almost always ask us to do what is not humanly possible to do.  

"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty." - Zechariah 4:6

Jesus told Peter to walk to Him and so he did. But then Peter started to consider the fact that he was doing something that he could not do. Specifically, walk on water. He took his eyes off of Jesus and looked down as he sank into the sea. Notice that Peter and Jesus both walked back to the boat - together.

Jesus told Peter that he lacked faith. That he doubted Jesus - not himself. Just like we do. We start off with good intentions but then "common sense" raises its head and we wonder why we thought it was a good idea to get out of the boat. Remembering that the other guys stayed in the boat and watched.

The other time was the might that Peter denied Jesus. 

"Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same." - Matthew 26:31-35

That is the path that many well intentioned Christians follow. It is one thing to talk about taking on a lion - and another thing to feel the breath of the lion on your neck! Peter loved Jesus but still trusted more in his flesh than in God. In fact later Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. First as a friend, second as a brother, and third as his Lord. When Peter had been confronted by people saying he was a follower of Jesus - he went to his "go to". He had to lie to protect himself. He feared for his life. They were about to crucify the One who  had saved him from drowning in the sea. Who would save Peter now?  

We can find ourselves in similar situations. Perhaps not with a threat of death - but perhaps rejection or ridicule. I know I quote Proverbs 3:5-6 a good bit. Think about it in terms of what happened to Peter and more than likely has happened or will happen to you.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." - Proverbs 3:5-8

Think about it – Believe it  - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Honoring The Sabbath

"On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it." - Leviticus

Why are we told to rest on the seventh day? This is what I think. 

Customary work means the type of work a person normally does based on their experience, training, or background. It can also refer to the work that is done on a regular day, usually for pay, and that is not considered as a religious duty or a leisure activity. Work that is done for my benefit. 

Rest on the Sabbath is an acknowledgement the God is the Provider and my trust is in Him and not the work of my hands. When Jesus was healing people on the Sabbath, he was criticized by the religious leaders. By the time Jesus walked, the laws in Leviticus had become much more restrictive. Their idea was that you could not do anything on the Sabbath. 

Jesus used the example of the ox in the ditch to refute that thinking.

"Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit [or ditch], will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" - Luke 14:5

How much more important was it to help a human that needed help - like healing on the Sabbath. That deed was fulfilling the second greatest commandment - loving others.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God." - Exodus 20:8-10

Jesus was showing love, grace and mercy to others. And we should do the same. I have shared this before. When volunteers would ask if we would be working on someone's house on Sunday - I would simply say "The ox is in the ditch". In other words, the volunteers were they to help other and not for their own benefit. By helping the person they were honoring God - showing love, grace and mercy to others.

On the other hand - the day we set aside is an offering to God. It is a day that we are mindful of Him. That we intentionally focus on Him - individually and corporately. Remember it is the spirit and not the letter of the law that we are to honor with our lives. And at the same time 

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24-25

Think about it – Believe it  - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

And When You Pray For Others

"And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. .....  Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness." Leviticus 16:11,15-16

I am currently reading in Leviticus as part of reading through the Bible. We have been given both the Old and New Testaments for our spiritual benefit. Reading the Bible is not a mental drill like reading a text book - but a spiritual experience that speaks to our hearts and not merely our minds. There are parts of the Old Testament, in particular, that are difficult to understand - difficult to see the application in my life. It can seem more informational than transformational. I must confess that is what I was thinking as I was reading in Leviticus this morning. But then it was if the Spirit turned the light on. 

In Leviticus 16 God gave instruction to Moses to give to Aaron that before Aaron offered a sacrifice for the sins of the people, he must first offer a sacrifice for his own sin. Just because Aaron was the high priest did not mean that he was given a pass for his own sins. 

And that caused me to think about when I or any of us, for that matter, pray for others. When we approach a holy God on behalf of others do we consider the condition of our hearts first? We are given access to the Holy of Holies - enter God's presence through the sacrifice of Jesus. And yet we are instructed to confess our sins. 

"Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart" - Psalm 24:3-5

We have been granted access to the Father only by the sacrifice of the Son. I must be on my guard that I don't become casual in my attitude toward how I approach the Father. When asked to pray for someone - I need to first set my heart right with Him. Approach the Throne of Grace with a clean heart and clean hands.  As Jesus told the disciples - you don't need to wash your whole body - but only your feet.  (John 13) In a similar way Moses was reminded to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. 

When we pray for others, we are lifting them up in the name of Jesus to the Father. Remembering this

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." - 1 John 1:8-10

Be mindful that prayer is a great privilege granted to us because of our rebirth. We should always be aware that we are not placing an order at a drive through restaurant but coming to the holy Creator God with our requests. The fact that God hears us is only because of Jesus.  

Think about it – Believe it  - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

So - You Want To Be Like Jesus

“For those whom he [God the Father] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” - Romans 8:29

To be like Jesus, we must allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work. He will reveal numerous misplaced affections or desires. - Oswald Chambers

Have you ever given any thought to what being conformed … molded .. changed … means?  Well, first you know it is a spiritual change, right?  Second … you know that the process is going to be contrary to what your flesh wants. God will show you things through the Spirit that you may not want to see or admit, even to yourself.  One of the Spirit’s missions is to convict the world of sin.  The Spirit plus the Word of God are the “one-two” punch in the sanctification process.  The knock-out punch is when we surrender our will.

You know that there are certain aspects of your old nature that you want to hide or cling to.  Adam and Eve tried to hide themselves in the Garden… you know how that worked out for them. The only ones you can hide your sin from, for a season, is man.  The Word says (Numbers 32:23) “Your sin will find you out.”  God knows everything .. that is why we confess our sins (1 John 1:9) .. confess means to “agree with” not to reveal. 

The goal of this transformation – conforming process is not to make you miserable, but to bless you .. to make you better.  The pain or difficulty you experience is from the battle between the flesh and Spirit. My encouragement to you is the same as Paul’s to the Romans.  

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  - Romans 12:1-2

God won’t make you do that.  You must choose to do that. You must choose to surrender your will.  Will you be like Jesus in the Garden?

"And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." - Luke 22:41-43

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Beyond The Resurrection

"This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecrations, and the sacrifice of the peace offering" -Leviticus 7:37

Reading Leviticus gives you an idea of what the sacrificial system was like for the nation of Israel. Seemingly impossible for anyone to not "slip up" and miss something which would make them unclean and unacceptable to God.

It is easy to understand why people would think that it was works that made you right before a holy God. The question would be - "What must I do to be saved?"  Jesus told Nicodemus it is spiritual not physical ....

"Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." - John 3:5-8

To be right before God we needed a perfect sacrifice - one sacrifice - made once for eternity. 

"By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin." - Hebrews 10:10-18

Jesus, as our high priest, makes intercession for us for eternity. He is the only reason that we have access to the Father. The only reason that we could be and have been adopted as sons and daughters of the Creator God.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2:4-9

Jesus' death and resurrection did not account for all sins that had been committed to that point - but all sin. But the salvation through Jesus must be appropriated by faith in Jesus. His sacrifice makes it possible - our faith makes it a reality. I was talking to a young man just the other day. He saw a plaque in our home that is a quote from Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else guard your heart". He said that was his favorite verse and then said - "I have been thinking I need to go to church - I am a Catholic". I told him Martie and I were married in a Catholic church. Martie and her family were raised catholic as was my mom and her whole family. I assumed our obvious devotion to God made him a bit uncomfortable - and he was looking to talk about something "religious" - Making anyone uncomfortable is never our intent but honoring God particularly in our home is. Bringing people under spiritual conviction (which manifests itself in a feeling of being uncomfortable) is the Holy Spirit's domain. And it is my hope is that the Spirit of God is at work in that young man's heart - It was five years after we were married before Martie and I yielded our hearts to God by faith - finally understanding what Jesus had told Nicodemus. It was not faith in a denomination - it was faith in Jesus and His resurrection. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

The Essence Of Salvation

"Then he [the thief on the cross] said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." - Luke 23:42-43

This past Sunday was Easter Sunday - the celebration of Jesus resurrection. But rather than preach on the empty tomb to proclaim Jesus had risen - the sermon was about the thief on the cross. About the Essence of salvation. Jesus is the Way, and Truth, and Life. The only way to the Father. His sacrifice was the "pavement" on the road to Salvation. 

Let me remind you of what the thief said right before Jesus declared His promise to him.

Then one of the criminals who was hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

"But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." - Luke 23:10-41

He confessed that he was guilty of his sin - the reason  he was being crucified - but declared the Jesus was the unspotted Lamb - free of any guilt. The thief didn't have to say any special words - pray any special prayer - attend church - teach Sunday School - tithe. All he had to do was confess that he was a sinner and recognize Jesus as the Savior.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10

Over 20 people stood in the service today to declare their new faith in Jesus.  Like the thief on the cross. That was just one of 3 services. The thief was going to physically die that day and his soul would be in heaven. Those 20 plus people have a God-given purpose while they live on this planet. You and I - like those new believers need to walk in that purpose by faith. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

The Desperate Need To Prove That God Does Not Exist

 "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one." - Psalm 14:1-3

The is a song - For What It's Worth - the chorus goes "It's time we stop, Hey, what's that sound? Everybody look, what's going down?" In that light I would like you to read this carefully

NBC news just broadcast a story saying that scientists believe that they have found proof that life exists on other planets. Some 124 light years from our world lies planet "Super Earth" where everything is said to be covered by vast ocean and a year lasts just 33 days. To get some perspective - 1 light year is equal to 6 Trillion miles which means that the planet k2-18b is 724 trillion miles - let me lay the zeroes out for you - 724,000,000,000,000.  Top alien-hunting astronomers at the University of Cambridge say they’re now 99.7% confident they’ve spotted a possible biosignature on the planet that's "teeming with life". They claim to have found the best-ever-seen signal of biological activity on K2-18b - an exoplanet more than twice the size of our Earth where extraterrestrial life possibly exists.

So I wondered, what about the Extra terrestrials that are reported to be darting around our skies in alien spacecraft? Why aren't the scientists trying to figure out where they came from? What about focusing on the  exploration of Mars for ancient evidence of life on another planet. Mars is only 140 million miles from earth. Let me tell you what I believe is at the heart of all of this - the wasting of millions, if not billions, of dollars and research.  The Lost want to prove that there is no God.

The bottom line is that man does not want to be accountable to a Creator God. He wants to be his own god. If you remember, that all of that started in the Garden. Some people just want to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the lost - the idea that maybe - just maybe - a creator God and Jesus are just fabrications - a cruel deception. The media - movies and television makes the feasibility of life on other planets more acceptable. If people can see it, then it might actually be possible. And so by rejecting the idea that there is a master designer - Jehovah God - of all that exists - then all of this that we see is just a matter of the roll of the dice. And if it a roll of the dice then it could happen anywhere - some other place or places in the universe.

The astronomers used data from the James Webb Space Telescope to spot fingerprints of two molecules: dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) in the planet’s atmosphere. And the results are so convincing that there’s just a “0.3% probability their conclusions are false”. 

What that means is, by their calculations, that there is a 99.7% chance their findings are accurate. In other words - it's true that there is some form of life on a planet 744 trillion miles away. Does all of this sound ludicrous? That is because it is. Remember that scientist embrace the Empirical Method. What is that? 

The empirical method is a research approach that relies on experimentation, systematic observation, and direct experience. It emphasizes gathering data from real-world evidence rather than relying solely on theoretical speculation (in their mind religion). So hey, one out of three is not bad! 

And so how can they be so convinced if they can't even do a little thing like take a weekend trip to the moon which is only 0.00000000003 (0.3 ^{e -10} ) [that is called scientific notation] of the way to k2-18b? Well you get the idea. I will defer to Psalm 14.  

What the scientists need is spiritual revelation - just like the rest of the world. 

Why share this with you? Because I want you to see the world and what is happening from a Biblical world view. To understand the motivations of sinful man. To understand why it is so important to prove there is life elsewhere - even if it life in its simplest form. That would be good enough for scientists to refute the idea that there is a God. Even if it is just theoretical and unproven.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools" - Romans 1:18-22

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Resting On The Seventh Day

"You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death." - Exodus 31:14-15

Have you given much thought to the idea of not working on the Sabbath? Now the Sabbath in the Bible is Saturday - the first day being Sunday. Christians honor Sunday as their Sabbath because that is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. Be that as it may what exactly does it mean to rest from labor in which ever day.

There was a time when something called "blue laws" were prevalent.  Blue laws (also known as Sunday laws, Sunday trade laws, and Sunday closing laws) are laws restricting or banning certain activities on specified days, usually Sundays in the western world. The laws were adopted originally for religious reasons, specifically to promote the observance of the Christian day of worship. Blue laws commonly banned certain business and recreational activities on Sundays, and impose restrictions on the retail sale of hard goods and consumables, particularly alcoholic beverages. I don't know of any states that still enforce them today.

Jesus was criticized by the religious leaders for healing on the Sabbath - seeing it as a form of work. But I think the intent was for people to not do things for themselves.

“Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." Genesis 3:17-19

One of the penalties of Adam's sin work to live. But one day was to be set aside from work to rest. I believe that the difference between work and what Jesus did was love, compassion, grace and mercy. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments were to love God and love others. He demonstrated that through his healing. He called the religious leaders - blind guides - because they did not understand the spirit of the law and the Father's intent.

When we were in the midst of the aftermath of a disaster - very often volunteers that helped us would travel great distances and sacrifice time and money to help the victims of the disaster. On Sunday, they would ask if we would be working - I told them that the ox was in the ditch.

"And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”4  they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things." - Luke 14:3-6

My point was that God had called us to the aid of the victims of the disaster because they were "in the ditch or pit" and had no one to help them get out. That did not mean that we did not honor God on that day as well. There is more to say about the culture's encroachment on the Sabbath and Christians embracing it - but that can wait for another time.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

A Peculiar People - A Holy Nation

"Then he [Moses] said to Him [the Lord], “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” - Exodus 33:1-16

How do you feel when someone says that faith in Jesus is the only way you can go to heaven? That placing your faith in anything else does not save you from eternal damnation? You won't have the lost patting you on the back saying "We are so happy for you!" The world wants to believe, well - a couple of ways. One is that when we die we face oblivion. Or, when we die we will all have a chance of going to heaven. Jesus is not the only way.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:18

The truth of the Gospel can only be revealed to the lost by the Spirit of God. We can share the Gospel - and should - but it is the Spirit and not us that illuminates the heart of the lost. Most of the world will not receive the Gospel. The path to heaven is narrow. The fact that most of the world is hell bound should break your heart - but it should not change our message and certainly does not change the truth.

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

As Christians, we have been adopted into the family of God - grafted into the vine. We are not like most of the world. That doesn't make us better but it does make us blessed.

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special [peculiar] people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" - 1 Peter 2:9

We were once lost but now we are found - blind but now we see. Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved wretches like you and me.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

God Qualifies The Called

"You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood." - Exodus 28:3

God was giving very detailed instructions on how to build the temple, everything in it and the ceremonial clothing the priests would wear. I am reading through the Bible this year - again - and as I am sure you already know, there are some parts that are more interesting than others. I was struggling a bit with not jumping ahead a chapter or two when I came upon verse 3 in chapter 28.

I was reminded of a saying I heard some time back "God does not call the qualified - He qualifies the called." We have been called to a new life that is impossible to live on our own. God has purposed us for a place in the Body of Christ, the Church, that is beyond our natural abilities. The people that were to make the garments for Aaron could not make them on their own. Oh, they may have been skilled tailors, but what God required of them was beyond the natural skills learned by men and women in the tailoring trade. 

I think too often we think of serving God using our wit and natural skillfulness. But that is not enough. Serving God begins with a yielded heart. There is a song that comes to mind. "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." 

It is not about what I can do for God - but what God can do through me that has eternal value. Paul wrote that apart from God (who is the source of love) he was nothing more than a clanging cymbal - a noisy gong (1 Corinthians 13:1). People share with me what they have done in church and for God - but the question that comes to mind - was God the source of it - or were they just sewing a garment together using their own skill.

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ...  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. ... For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." - 1 Corinthians 12:7,11,12

Each of us have been given one or more spiritual gifts or skills by God through the Spirit for the purpose of building up the church - being a testimony to the those who are lost to lift Jesus up and for the glory of God the Father. And so each of us should be faithful to our calling and purpose. Mindful that for each of us who are crucified with Christ but ... 

"it is not I but Christ who lives in me. And the life which I now live I life by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me." - Galatians 2:20

Is your testimony about what you have done for God or about what God has done in you and through you?  Your heart answered before your mind could. The way we truthfully answer that question will reveal the true devotion of our hearts.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Salvation By Association

"Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, An enemy has done this. So the servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." - Matthew 13:27-30

Often times the difference between the religious and those who have been born again is hard to distinguish. This past Sunday, the pastor shared a story about Colonel Sanders - yes the Kentucky Fired Chicken guy. It seems that he was not born again until late in life. He was from the South where going to church on Sunday is part of the culture - or at least it seemed that way to me.  He was a Sunday school teacher, tithed, held leadership positions in the church. The only thing was that he was lost - spiritually. 

Col. Sanders (an honorary title granted by the Governor of Kentucky - not the military) said that half of his vocabulary was profanity (you may have known some people - particularly men - like that) and when he was born again - he said he lost half of his vocabulary! I can identify with that. BTW - my kids have a hard time believing that since they have only known me as a Christian.

My point to all of that is that there are many people sitting in a church service that are not Christians - just religious. While it is good that they are hopefully hearing the Gospel - it is not good if they believe in salvation by association. 

The pastor said that for people who are merely religious the key word is "DO". You must do good things to be good - acceptable to God. They are getting works cart before the faith horse. For Christians the key word is "BE". You have to be good through faith in Jesus to do good things. The faith horse pulling the works cart. I often recall what a friend of mine would say every time I would ask, "George what do you think?" and he would answer every time "Jesus saves!" 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Don't Let Your Past Define You

You shall not go out with haste,…for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. —Isaiah 52:12

 "Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ." - Oswald Chambers

None of us are free from heartaches, disappointments, or regrets. Some of them were our doing, some not.  But, if you are born again, new in Christ, you do not have to let your past - that which has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, define you. 

“….. one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 

Oh that we could embrace that attitude. Well, actually we can, but not just by willing it.  That right attitude and understanding of our old and new natures is a product of a deep and abiding relationship with Christ.  I was speaking with one of my daughters the other day about the nature of heartache.  If you were to break a bone, it would be painful of course, but the pain would eventually subside.  You can remember the event.  You can remember that you broke that particular bone.  A dull ache you get might even remind you when a storm is approaching.  But one thing you cannot do is feel the sharp, stabbing pain that you felt when the bone was broken.  You know it hurt, but you cannot conjure up the same feeling that you had in the past. Not so with a broken heart.  It only takes a word or a thought to bring back the pain of the moment when your heart was broken.  

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted  and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34:17-28

What a promise.  He delivers us out of all of our troubles.  He gives us strength.  He gives us comfort.  He gives us hope.  He gives us life.  You have so much to look forward to in the days ahead.  Don’t let the pain of the past define you or hold you back.  Instead let the Lord renew you. 

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31

Some people might try to hold your past over you as emotional leverage - or perhaps they have yet to lay their past before the Lord. It is at those times that you might feel remorse or guilt - which was the goal of their bringing it up to begin with. Don't resent them. Pray for them. Or you know that the Lord has forgiven you but you cannot forgive yourself. I get it, but remember that you are a child of God - forgiven and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3).

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Lifting One Another's Arms Up

"And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." - Exodus 17:11-13

We are fooling ourselves if we believe that we can live our new life on our own. God never intended it. I know the Bible says that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, but then I see that Moses need help from Arron and Hur to win the battle against the Amalekites. Am-a-le-kites or is it Amal-e-kites? No matter - Moses needed some human help. We can get weary in this life can't we?

We have the Spirit of God in us, but then God has equipped each of us with certain gifts to create the synergy of the Body of Christ. Each of us can do somethings, but none of us can do everything. That does not keep us from trying. But in God's economy there are no Lone Rangers.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

We are directed to pray for one another, encourage one another, and build one another up. That does not mean that you do a spiritual "drive by" and shoot some scripture at someone as you pass by. It means that you engage other Christians with compassion. The second greatest commandment - love others - that cannot be accomplished without first obeying the first greatest commandment. - love God.

"Bear one another's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ"- Galatians 6:2

It means that we comfort one another in their affliction. 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

It means when we ask on Sunday mornings, "How are you doing?" we really want to know. And at the same time, we answer the same question truthfully.  I recall leading a men's prayer group years ago. I asked the men to share prayer requests. One man said he would not because he would hear about what he said from people that were not in the room that night. His point is that he did not trust the people in the room to respect his being vulnerable in the group. My point is that it is an honor and privilege to share the burdens of other Christians.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Resist Taking Your Salvation For Granted

"you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.  And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth" - Exodus 13: 5-9

The Israelites were to eat only unleavened bread every year during Passover to remember the Exodus from Egyptian bondage. Since the children of Israel left Egypt quickly, they did not have time for the bread to rise as you do when baking with yeast, so it was made on the first Passover without leaven or yeast. 

"Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt" - Deuteronomy 16:3

As Christians we also need reminders about what God has done and is doing in our lives. We can easily treat God like we do electricity or water.  It is always there and so we give it no thought until the lights don't come on or there is no water when we open the faucet. Israel needed a reminder every year that apart from God's intervention, they would still be in Egypt. In the same way, we need frequent reminders that apart from God's intervention, we would still be lost and headed for hell.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb. His blood is on the doorposts of our lives. When the final judgement happens - we will be passed over. You would think that meeting on Sundays would be enough - but that enough can become a spiritually empty ritual. It can become something we do on Sunday. We meet on Sunday because that is the day that Jesus rose from the grave. And so Sunday should be a celebration - a reminder of what God the Father has done through Jesus - His Son. A day of rejoicing.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:16-18

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Living Your Faith Out

"... count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." - James 1:2-4

Living life is a spiritual test. The trials we face are the byproduct of living in the natural world. as our faith is tested, the "friction" created causes the fruit of the Spirit to bud and blossom. It is "faith fruit" if you will. Jesus said ....

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

God didn't promise you would not experience sorrow - you will. God didn't promise you would nor ever fall ill - you will. He didn't promise you would never feel pain - physical or emotional - you will. God never promised that you would never experience loss - relational, financial, or otherwise - you will.

So what did He promise - that in spite of it all we can have peace because He has overcome it all. This mortal life is but a speck of dust in comparison to the eternal life that we have by faith in Jesus.

I just saw an article about some guy that was struck by lightening - died - and then came back to life. People want to know there is more to look forward to than the grave, returning the dust from which they came. They want tangible - visible proof. As Christians, we have proof - but it is our faith that convinces us of our destiny.  I quote this verse so often - Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

That explanation is foolishness to the natural (unsaved) man. You will never convince a lost person that there really is a heaven. That truth is hidden from them by their sinful heart. 

In the meantime -  we are to live by faith and let our light shine in this world that the Holy Spirit might use us to stir the hearts of some. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

What Does Good Mean When God Says It?

"So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." -  Matthew 19:17

In the previous verse a young man had called Jesus "good" and then asked what good thing he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus essentially told him there is nothing he could DO. Then Jesus walked through some of the commandments and the young man said - I suspect proudly - that he did all of those things.

But when Jesus said that he must give up the god the young many worshipped which was money - the young man went away sad. He was unwilling to obey the commandment to have no other gods that he was devoted to. In favor of the only true God. Jehovah. Contrast that young man's response with the disciples who laid down their nets and their trade to follow Jesus without hesitation. 

The young man thought it was by works - doing good things" that he would have eternal life. God says it is by faith and a devoted heart not works. But, good works will follow a devoted heart.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10

What is it the you imagine will make you acceptable to God? It is not a denomination. It is not a church building. It is not doing good things. It is not refraining from certain things. "I don't smoke and I don't chew and I don't go with girls who do!" Or "Lips that touch wine will never touch mine!" 

Jesus said: "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also." - Matthew 23:24-26

Being right with God starts with the heart - and goes from the inside out, not the other way around. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was He answered.

"Teacher [Jesus], which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 22:36-40

The second greatest commandment is dependent upon the first greatest commandment. Being nice to people is not good enough. How you treat others must be born out of your total devotion to God. Read the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. You will see that the start with your relationship with God and End with your relationship with others.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Living In The Strength Of My Faith Or My Flesh

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." - 2 Corinthians 5:7

I was just reading through Exodus again. The part where Moses is called by God. It starts with Moses and the burning bush. Well the bush was not actually burning because the bush was unharmed by the flames. It was a God-thing - supernatural. But it certainly got Moses' attention. Then afterwards, God began to reveal what He wanted Moses to do. And that is when Moses started coming up with reasons why he couldn't do what God asked of him. He was a sheep herder not an orator or statesman. He was not the designated leader of the people of Israel. In fact he had no notoriety among the people. He was nothing that God could use - at least in his humble opinion. But God thought otherwise.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

That is really the same for each of us. God wants to use us for his purpose. God never asks us to do anything that we can do on our own. Like Moses, we look at ourselves and shrink at the idea of doing something that eternal consequences. Do you remember when Jesus called his disciples? They were common men - not learned scholars. What God is looking at is your heart not your credentials. 

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

The life we live after we are born again by the Spirit through faith in Jesus we live by faith and not by sight. In other words, God does not expect us to live our new life in the power of our flesh.  But by faith. And what is faith?

"The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 12:1

Moses could not imagine doing what God said He wanted Moses to do because Moses was trying to understand and see with his mind and in light of his earthly-natural experiences and abilities. Until God showed up.

Don't limit yourself when it comes to serving God. God does not call the equipped - He equips the called.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

When You Say Yes Lord, But Your Children Say No

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

If I say that you must be born again by the Spirit - like Jesus told Nicodemus and that the only way you can be saved is by grace through faith - I don't think that any Christian would argue with me. But - if I went on to say that it also applies to your children and you being a Christian does not guarantee that your offspring will be Christians - you would likely struggle with that thought. For good reason. You love your children and you want them to have eternal life by faith.  You might even think that somehow you are responsible if they are not Christians. I will address that but want to share a factoid with you first.  Did you know that there were 41 kings beginning with King Saul until the end of the reign of kings in 586BC. Of those 6 were faithful to God (good kings), 7 were on and off in their faithfulness (good and evil), and 28 were unfaithful (evil). Not a very good track record was it.  Wouldn't you think it would have been better than that? I did until I did some research.

Some perspective. God loved the world and sent His Son. (John 3:16) While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us - all of us. (Romans 5:8) Jesus lamented over Jerusalem for because of the people's rejection of the Way and Truth and Life. (Matthew 23:37)

So back to our kids. Certainly children born into families where the parents are Christians are without excuse. Meaning that they could never say they never heard the Gospel or never heard about Jesus. But having Christian parents does not guarantee that the children will be saved or not that their lives will not go off the moral rails at some point. Do you remember this verse.

"... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23

How about this one.

"As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one" - Romans 3:10

Another verse.

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" - John 6:44

I would say there is a high probability of a child becoming a Christian when the parents are Christians, but it is not a guarantee. The reason is that salvation is an individual experience between the lost person and God.

I hasten to add that it is not uncommon for a child who has been saved to wander from the Way - especially as a teenager and young adult. That does not mean that they are not saved or have somehow lost their salvation. What it does mean is that the child has stepped out of the "umbrella of faith" of the parent and is now swimming on their own. Sometimes there is a great struggle and sometimes not. Our role as the parent is to be faithful to live our lives rightly as a witness to our children and to love them through that difficult time. You don't condone their choices, but you don't stop loving and praying for them.

I may have quoted this before, but it merits being said again. We don't take big problems to God but take our problems to a BIG God. The father of the prodigal son knew where his son was but waited for the son to repent - loving him all the while.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

The Bridge Builder - Leaving A Legacy

I read an article some years ago about some local fishermen who drowned in a river while fishing. What caught my attention was the last sentence in the article. "They were good Christian men." I don't know the men or their ages, but I do know that they left a legacy as faithful Jesus followers. Which gave me pause to consider my own life. 

When we are saved we are made perfect in the eyes of God because of His Son not because we are perfect in all of our ways. We all have others' eyes on us. People, I think, are desperate to know that our faith is real. We are living testimonies to that reality. They are looking for proof. That proof is the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in us.

"the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." - Galatians 5:22-25

When our mom was saved, the four older children, including me, were skeptical. We knew what she had been like before. So we waited for proof that what she said she was wasn't true. The the old-mom was still there. But time proved to us that the old-mom was no more. That didn't mean that she lived a perfect and sinless life - but the change - the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit - was undeniable. So it could have been said at her passing, like those fishermen, that "She was a good Christian woman."

She, and my step-dad, left a legacy for their children. And so it is incumbent upon us to do the same. My children don't know what I was like before I was saved - but I do. I know that my grandchildren are watching me and Martie as we live our lives. We want to be bridge builders - legacy leavers for future generations pointing them to the Lord.  The way, the truth and the life.

I read a poem the other day that brought this home to me. The Bridge Builder - by Will Allen Dromgoole, written circa 1900

***

" An old man, going a lone highway, Came, at the evening, cold and gray, 

To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim; The sullen stream had no fears for him;

But he turned, when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near, "You are wasting strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again must pass this way;

You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide- Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head: "Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,

"There followeth after me today A youth, whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm, that has been naught to me, To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him." End

***

So who are you building a bridge for? Or are you just making your own way and have decided by choice or neglect that those who follow must do the same?

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

The Trouble With Temptation

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." - Titus 2:11-14

There is a difference between being faced with temptation and succumbing to it and embracing those things by which we are tempted. So long as we live and breathe in this "earth suit" we will be faced with temptation to sin. I have not met a person who does not face the struggle. In fact the Word speaks directly to it. 

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Everyone is tempted. We are not all tempted by the same things but there is something or many things that tempts us to sin. God has provided a way to resist the temptation. To be clear, temptation is not sin. But sin is always preceded by temptation. Remember David and Bathsheba. 

"It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child." 2 Samuel 11:2-5

If we break this down. David was supposed to be with his men who had gone off to war, but he stayed behind. He was not where he was supposed to be. On his rooftop David saw a woman bathing and rather than turn away he looked at her, letting the temptation get stronger, and then called for her. He knew she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. He acted on the temptation and he had sex with her and she got pregnant. If you read further - David compounded his sin by trying to cover it up. First by bringing Uriah back from the war so he could have sex with his wife and then David could claim it was Uriah's child not his. Turned out that Uriah was a man of character and would not lay with his wife when the rest of his comrades were fighting in a war. So David had Uriah moved up to the most dangerous place in the battle and Uriah was killed.

Do you see how when we yield to temptation, sin takes root and then gives birth to more sin. Psalm 51 is about David's response when he is confronted by the Prophet Nathan recorded in 2 Samuel 12. David came under conviction and repented before the Lord.

In Psalm 51 David cried out to the Lord - "Create in me a clean heart oh Lord and renew a right Spirit in me. Do not cast me from your presence. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation." Living with unconfessed sin - with an unclean heart and hands stifles fellowship with God. Nathan told David a story and David said the man Nathan talked about should be punished. Nathan said, "You are the man!"

Don't think you are above temptation and the sin that follows.

"Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." - James 1:13-15

Guard your heart! 

"But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil." - Proverbs 4:18-27

When you see that your next step will be on the path to sin, take another path.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Confess it - Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Who Decides What Is Good? - God Does Not You

To him who overcomes… —Revelation 2:7

I just read a post the other day saying that most Christians think they are like King David - whole hearted for God, but are really like King Saul - serving God half heartedly. 

Most Christians don’t struggle with those things that are blatantly “evil”, but with those things that seem, on the surface, to be “good”.  Good as defined by our culture and our traditions, not God. There is a movement in our culture, in particular, to redefine the definition of “good” or what is not sin. Isaiah wrote …  

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” - Isaiah 5:20

Today, centuries later, men continued to strive to be like God and define what is good and acceptable.  Paul wrote in the beginning of his letter to the Romans .. 

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. … they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools… And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." - Romans 18,20-22,28-32

When the young man called Jesus a “good teacher”, Jesus responded 

“Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." - Matthew 19:17

In other words, Jesus was saying “My Father is the only source for what is good”. He is the only One who decides what is good - what is right.  However most cultures reject God and choose to define their own morality and embrace their own definition of what is good and right.  Jesus accused the Church of Ephesus of being lukewarm in Revelation 2.  They wanted to have their cake and eat it too.  That is embrace God and embrace the world, at the same time.  When there is a clash of definitions of good and sin, God is often abandoned in favor of the culture's definition of good.  God is rejected and the culture is embraced. Those Christians who do it feel justified. It is the temptation of “Everyone is doing it”  or "Going along to get along" 

His Spirit convicts us of sin, but we have within our capacity to quench the Spirit. We are in a spiritual battle that manifests itself in the way people live and believe.  My encouragement to you .. 

 “Choose this day whom you will serve .. but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" - Joshua 24:15

 Make it more than a catch phrase or a plaque on your living room wall.  Make it a commitment … everyday … and more than that … do live like you mean it!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone