Salt & Light Blog

The Eye is the Lamp of the Body

11/30/2015

The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matthew 6:22-23

Matthew 6:22-23 reads,
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this, but I have never really considered its meaning. Today I want to consider what it means. So, for the first step after prayer for finding out what it means is looking at its context. Matthew 6:19-24 says,
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money”
Now this context tells us then about what the eye looks, desires, and takes in. If our eye, or our vision is concerned with being as rich as Joe Greengrass or as famous as Jane Itgirl, then that is where our heart is going to be, that is what we will pursue. But if our vision is set on the Kingdom of Heaven, if our eyes are on Jesus then that is where our treasure is, then we will pursue Christ. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t pursue worldly riches and heavenly riches at the same time. But Jesus promised us that if we pursue heavenly riches in the Kingdom of God, all our needs would be taken care of. (Matthew 6:33). We do not have to serve money, our faith reminds us that God is our All Sufficient God.
The eye shows the world what it is we seek. What we care about, pursue, and desire reveals our heart, soul, and mind, which is lived out by our strength or actions. If we are genuinely seeking Christ’s glory and not our own, our eye, the lamp of the body reveals that we are full of light, the light of Jesus Christ, the Truth, and our Righteousness. Earlier in Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus talked about the right way to pray, to do good deeds, and fast. Matthew 6:1 is the thesis statement of these verses.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
Verse 4 says this about doing good deeds,
“so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Verse 6 says this about praying,
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Verse 18 tells us about fasting,
“that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
When we try and glorify ourselves, our eye is obscured with the desire for our own fame, popularity, and flesh. We make look good on the outside but only darkness will fill us up. When we pursue Christ and His righteousness, we don’t need to prove our goodness to the world, our eye shines, and we are filled with God’s glory. Our eye reveals our heart, it reveals Jesus.
People are watching us, they can tell if we sincere. They can tell if we are of the world or of something they do not understand. We can’t worry about making ourselves look good to them and at the same time walk righteously as Jesus told us to do. We are members of a long family line beginning with Abraham. Children of faith whose lives of faith glorified God and birthed us and each and every other believer. (Hebrews 11). What if Abraham had not believed God? What if Jacob had not obeyed God? What if Joseph had not kept His eye on The Lord? Their lives are testaments of faith and ours should also be. Our lives are testaments to something. Our focus tells the world who we are, the Light of the world or darkness indistinguishable from the world. The author of Hebrews says it this way in Hebrews 12:1-2,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Our eye is set on The Kingdom of Heaven and our eye is fixed on Jesus. Jesus entire focus was our salvation, our reconciliation to a relationship with God. His eye was fixed on our salvation so much that He considered it a joy to give up His perfect life for us. Our holy righteous Lord considered it a joy to become sin and suffer horrifically all so we could know Him.
The world cannot see Jesus, except through us. God surrounds them, Creation speaks to the truth, but they do not recognize Jesus. (Romans 1:19-23). We are the ones to shine, to glorify Christ and so show them The Way. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
They will see your sincere Christ glorifying good works, not because you do them as an announcement of your goodness, but because as you do them in secret, God will reward them and the result of Christ’s goodness in you will bring people to Him.
Our eye, or our focus and our purpose is the lamp of the body. The only way that lamp is going to be lit so that it fills us with light is if it the lamp and light of Truth. We have to know what the focus is in order to maintain that focus. Psalm 119:105-108 reads,
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.
106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
    to keep your righteous rules.
107 I am severely afflicted;
    give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
108 Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,
    and teach me your rules.”
Believer, fix your eye on Jesus. Be the Light of the world. Protect your eye. Do not focus on Joe Greengrass, focus on The Kingdom of Heaven. Do not let the darkness obscure the Light. Glorify Jesus, you may be the only way a person will ever see Him.

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#Love God, Your Neighbor, Your Brother, and Your Enemy.

11/29/2015

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And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

How are we supposed to love? We have different commands regarding love depending on the receiver of that love. Our first command regarding love, our priority, and the love that makes all the other loves align is recorded several places in the Bible, Luke 10:27 says,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,”
This is to love God with our entire being, our passion, our will, our spirits, our actions, and our intelligence. It encompasses every part of who we are and what we do. There is nothing passive about this love. Everything we do, desire, seek to understand, and how we respond to situations is done in love and because of love for God. It involves fellowship with Him through prayer, getting to know Him through studying and prayer, and wanting His will the way we used to want our own because our will is His will. The first four of the Ten Commandments tell us how to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Exodus 20:1-11 list them.
“And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Another way that we love God with our entire being is to make Him, Who He is, His will, and His Kingdom our priority. In Matthew 6:30-34 Jesus said,
“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
In other words, don’t act like the lost who have to run around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to meet their needs, and love themselves with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind. Have faith, love God, pursue more and more of Him in every aspect of life and let Him be God for you and to you.
The next kind of love goes hand in hand with loving God. Let’s return to what Jesus said, were the two commandments that contain all the law and the prophets. The rest of Luke 10:27 reads,
“You shall love…your neighbor as yourself”
This is not about self-esteem, it is about our worth as people. It is not about “loving” ourselves. We are to care about and be as concerned with our neighbors’ well-being just as much as we are concerned with our own. We do not want to go hungry or naked, we don’t want to be injured, so we don’t want that for other people either. But who is our neighbor? The Greek word πλησίον or plésion means any other person that we come across in life or have the chance to come across in life. When the lawyer in Luke 10 asked Jesus “Who is my neighbor” as a way to justify himself because he believed that a neighbor was a fellow Jew and did not include gentiles or anyone else, Jesus told him the parable of The Good Samaritan recorded in Luke 10:30-37.
“Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Samaritans did not have a good reputation, they were hated by the Jewish people and considered “less than.” Even that person you want to hate for whatever reason, because of their sin, their race, their beliefs, or religion, is your neighbor. We are to do good for our neighbors and we are not to harm them. Exodus 20:12-17 are the portion of the Ten Commandments which tell us how to love our neighbors as ourselves.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
I have seen this love exhibited time and again. Yesterday, two of my fellow Christ followers and I were out on the streets and we prayed with several people. One person we prayed for appreciated the pray as “nice.” But then my brother, who does not have extra money to throw away, obeyed The Holy Spirit and gave this man a gift card with $45.00 on it. This tangible and active blessing moved this man. He immediately had us meet his wife, he shared their tragic story, and gave us testimony of miracles God has done for him, even though neither he nor his wife have yet given their hearts to Christ. But I know that God’s love manifested by my brother’s obedience will lead to that commitment because The Holy Spirit told me.
We are also supposed to love one another on a deeper level than we love the world. We love the people of the world by giving them as much concern as we do ourselves. But we love our fellow Believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ the way Jesus loves us. In John 13:34-35, on the night before His arrest, after Jesus did the job of the lowest of slaves and washed the disciples’ filthy feet, He said,
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Just like our love for God, this exceptional sacrificial and serving love for one another makes us stand out from the world. How did Jesus love us? What is this greatest love of all? Jesus explained it like this in John 15:12-17 as He prepared the disciples for His impending death,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
Our love for another is so deep it makes our love for our neighbors pale in comparison. Our love for our neighbors is so deep it is indistinguishable from our love for ourselves. The Lord described the difference in Malachi 1:2-5.
“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”
God didn’t actually hate Esau, the way we think of hate. He didn’t have a special relationship with Esau, He didn’t choose Esau. He chose Jacob. Edom didn’t receive the blessings and provision that a relationsip with God gave Israel. Love is active, it is tangible. When it does not yield the blessings, it is passive and passive love is tantamount to hate. No one is exempt from the command to love. Even our enemies are included. In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Our love of God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind compels us to love the way He loves. He doesn’t leave anyone out of it. He loves the person who hates you. He loves the person who persecutes you. He loves the leaders of Planned Parenthood, Isis, and Westboro Baptist Church. The terrorists who hate, he loves. And because He loves them, so do we. We do not condone the evil they perpetrate. We do not fight hate with hate or terrorism with terrorism like Robert Lewis Dear who shot up the Planned Parenthood building in Colorado Springs. All he did was make people think Christians are extremist haters rather than revolutionary and radical lovers.
So Believer, love. Love God, love the people you encounter, love each other, and love your enemies. Be different from the world. Be like Jesus, the utmost of revolutionary and radical lovers.

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Do not let Fear Lie to and Control You and Keep You from Ministering to God.

11/28/2015

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for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

I want to encourage you today by sharing a little bit about what God has done for me and in me. I want to let you know that with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26). I want you to know that you can do all things through Him who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13). Although the first part of this devotional seems to be about me, I promise it is about God, our Father, our Savior, and our Comfort.
From the time I was about three years old until well into my thirties, I was extremely timid. I was afraid of everything and everyone. I barely spoke and when I did, chances were people didn’t hear me. Even as a child, I saw glimmers of the gifts God had given me when I was saved at 9 years old. I could be outgoing around people I was very close to. I could reach out to and make friends with the underdog. But for the most part I lived inside a protective wall so that no one could hurt me. The shattered pieces of my heart were kept safe in within an oubliette far beneath the high walled world I created.
People who met me thought I was cold, when the truth was I was ultra-sensitive. Nearly every word spoken to me scared me, hurt me or scarred. Every word spoken near me was taken as an insult. I hated myself. It was easier to hate the world than risk being hurt by them.
Then in my thirties, I took a trip that would forever change my life. God called me to go to The Amazon Jungle in Brazil on a missions trip. There was nothing about the trip that didn’t terrify me. I had to live on a boat and sleep in a hammock in close proximity to 25 people. I had to do and face things I was afraid of all day, every day. But what God showed me was beautiful. I felt completely at peace while I was serving Him in the medical clinic we had set up for the trip. He showed me that I could serve Him and not feel the fear I lived with. He also used that trip to connect with the people who would love me through my wall and help demolish it, the Body of Christ.
I met many wonderful people on that trip, but I stayed behind my wall. I didn’t even know the wall existed, so how could I step outside of it? I was a prisoner within my own oubliette looking up, wishing for rescue and terrified of what rescue would bring. One of those people was a woman God would use and continues to use to minister His Holy Spirit to me, Glynda. She was originally put off by my coldness. But God used her gift of mercy to show her that I was scared, alone, and sensitive. She reached out to me carefully and patiently. On our plane ride home we sat near one another and she talked to me, quite a bit, not about fixing me, but about her own issues, she spoke to me like a friend. By the time we landed she had invited me to attend her small group (Christianese word equivalent to what people think of as Sunday School).
It was there at Group R.E.A.L. that I met the other people who would be instrumental in God’s work on transforming me. Eventually that group became The Church of Life. The people there loved more earnestly than I had ever experienced in my Christian faith. They loved me actively and with their gifts. 1 Peter 4:8-11 reads,
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
This is how they loved me and still love me. This is how I love them. It is not a mushy gushy feeling, it is active, it is beneficial. It is with The Spirit for The Father’s glory and through Jesus Christ. This is the love that transformed me. It is the love of God described perfectly in 1 Corinthians 13 and manifested in believers by the fruit of The Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
What did that love do for me? It tore down the wall, at first only a brick a time, then as I allowed it, it demolished that wall and showed me that the heart which had been broken beyond repair was new and beautiful and in God’s hands. It transformed me completely. I am not the person I used to be, and Believer, neither are you. I was a prisoner to fear, now I still have fears, but I do not serve them, I serve Christ. 2 Corinthian 5:16-21 says it this way.
“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Whatever we were before salvation, is changed now for God’s glory, in order for us to become the righteousness of God (like Jesus Christ) and in order to bring others that gift of reconciliation to God so they too can become the righteousness of God.
But we so often let things stop us from ministry, from using our gifts, and serving God. We all have some ministry we are called for and they are diverse. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 says it like this,
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
The same Lord, the same Spirit, the same God empowers each gift. While we all have different gifts and so different ways of serving, we are all called to the same commission which our gifts enable us to fulfill. Matthew 28:18-20 records the directive Jesus gave us,
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
For me, that directive is carried out by my evangelistic street ministry of prophetic prayer, by my ministry of these daily devotionals, and through deliberate beneficence at each opportunity I recognize. No, not everyone is called to street ministry, but every believer has the ability to participate in ministry. Even if you do not have the gift of prophecy and someone you meet needs a prophetic word, God will enable you to speak His word. If you do not have the gift of evangelism, you are not excused from evangelism. If you do not have the gift of healing and someone needs healing, God will heal through you. 2 Corinthians 9:10-15 reads,
“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
So many of us let fear stop us from using our gifts, especially for the call of evangelism. We use excuses that we do not want to be rejected, it is not our gift, or we don’t know how. We let the spirit of fear overcome us and quench the Spirit. Giving into fear is not living by faith, it is not walking in power or in Jesus’ authority. It is living in slavery to sin. 2 Timothy 1:6-10 reads,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”
The gifts God gave you must be used, they must be fanned into flame. God gave you His Spirit and that gives you power, love, and self-control. You do not have to be controlled by fear, by the enemy, or your flesh. You have the Holy Spirit in you, manifested by the use of your gifts! We cannot let anxiety, lies about how we “can’t,” or fear keep us from the service and walk we are called to. Philippians 4:4-13 reads,
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
God will provide what you need to serve Him. He will use your gifts for His service. He will provide the words to defend the Gospel of Christ. (Luke 21:14-15). Whatever your gifts are, you can participate in ministries and service and God will use you. It is God, not you.
For me, I am extremely introverted, yet God’s gifts use me as an extrovert. My weakness shows His strength. I am a clay jar filled with God’s treasure. It is God who is manifested in me. I have nothing to fear. 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 puts it this way,
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”
Believer, what are you afraid of? Whatever it is, it is a lie! You have been given a spirit of power, love and self-control. You have been given gifts which are manifestations of The Holy Spirit. You have been called to a mission, which the enemy will tell you is impossible for you, but which Jesus tells you is possible through Him.

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Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

11/26/2015

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The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Psalm 50:23

Giving thanks to God is considered a sacrifice and it is pleasing to The Lord. In the days of the old covenant the sacrifices of thanksgiving were spelled out in Leviticus 7:11-13.
“And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the Lord. 12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. 13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread.”
Today, we are not required to go to the tabernacle, we are the tabernacle. (1 Corinthians 3:16). We are not required to sacrifice an animal to spill blood, Jesus did that. (Hebrews 10:10). We still offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise though. Hebrews 5:15 describes it this way,
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Acknowledgement of what God has done and praise is giving Him thanks. Doing good for others and otherwise sharing all God has given us is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. A sacrifice is not necessarily a somber act. It can and should be done with joy on many occasions. An appointed feast is a holy convocation, a sacred gathering of God’s people for sacrifices and offerings. Leviticus 23:39-43 describes one appointed feast, the Feast of Tabernacles done at a specific time each year after the harvest had been brought in, and after the appointed feasts of Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, and Yom Kippur. It closed out the year of appointed feasts.
“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
The Lord actually commanded this offering be done joyfully. The people of Israel took it seriously, they danced and sang through the entire week. Even today The Feast of Tabernacles also called Sukkot is considered the most joyful time of the year and certainly the most joyful of the appointed feasts. Furthermore God loves a cheerful giver who gives freely not because it is commanded, but because we want to do it. (2 Corinthians 9:7-9). When we offer our sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, beneficence, or service, God prefers us to be happy, and enjoy what we are doing. Sacrifice has a negative connotation but we are meant to perform them joyfully. That type of giving results in perfect provision and multiplied sacrifices of thanksgiving to God and increases His glory exponentially. 2 Corinthians 9:10-14 reads,
“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.”
And a sacrifice of thanksgiving is one of the most often performed by us. It is not us just thinking, “Golly gee, I am thankful.” It is an expression, visible and tangible. How can a silent or secret thanks glorify God? It may bless Him, but the silent thank you only blesses God, it doesn’t glorify Him. (2 Corinthians 14:16).
Psalm 100 reads,
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.”
Do you understand how amazing it is that we can enter into the presence of God? Jesus made it possible. That in itself is reason for thanksgiving. It doesn’t say, enter His presence with complaints, whining, and wishes. It doesn’t ask us to approach God with tears, despair, and gloominess. No it says, make a joyful noise, enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise, bless His name! Because of Jesus we can go boldly to God’s throne. Boldly! Not demanding as spoiled children but with faith and confidence that God will listen and appreciate what we say.
Hebrews 4:14-16 says,
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
We are exhorted to offer thanks as part of our prayers for all people. (2 Timothy 2:1). Thanksgiving should be a natural part of our prayers. It not only blesses God and the people around us, it blesses us as well. It keeps us peaceful instead of anxious. Philippians 4:6-7 says,
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

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What is Abundant Life?

11/25/2015

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John 10:7-10 says,
“So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
I have at times wondered what an abundant life is supposed to be. I know for years I was not experiencing an abundant life. I existed, but I didn’t live. What is abundant life? What is abundance? Abundance means lavishness, copiousness, plenty, more than enough. It means not only not lacking but full. Jesus said, He came that we may have life and have it abundantly. Later in the same chapter John 10:28-30, Jesus says,
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
He came so we could have eternal life. Eternal life is not something that begins after our earthly death, it begins the moment we are saved. We live in the Kingdom of God, we walk in Christ and in The Spirit. We walk in power! How many Christians walk or even limp in weakness as if they are citizens of the world rather than citizens of Heaven. But believer you are a citizen of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20). You are not like the world. In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus taught the disciples to pray and that prayer teaches us about walking in the Kingdom.
“Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.”
The will of God is carried out effortlessly in the Kingdom of Heaven. And you and I have the ability to bring about His will on earth. We are provided for. We are forgiven and because of that we can offer mercy and grace. We are delivered from evil, we don’t have to try and work to be good, we are saved from sin and the enemy. This is wonderful! But there is more. Our Father lavishes gifts on us. He gives provision. Philippians 4:19 says,
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
He provides our needs according to His riches. Do we think He will just barely provide? Do we think He will ever let us lack anything? He is God, He is Everlasting and Eternal God. (Isaiah 40:28). He gives is spiritual gifts as well. Did you know that Spiritual gifts are manifestation of The Holy Spirit Himself. That’s a big deal. And those gifts are meant to be used. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 reads,
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”
An abundant life is a choice, God wants to fill us, not merely be in us. He wants us to be filled with Him. Ephesians 5:15-21 reads,
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Abundant life means we are not alone, we live connected with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And look at how we are with one another, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We use scripture, joy, and the Holy Spirit to encourage, build up, and keep each other on track. Church is not a solemn place, it is a joy-filled Spirit-filled connected people.
Too many believers live as paupers instead of princes. But look at just some of the titles we hold in our new identity in Christ. We are sons and daughters of God and coheirs with Christ. (Romans 8:14-17). We are royalty, we are priests, chosen by God to stand out and by our lives proclaim how awesome God is. (1 Peter 2:9). We are minsters of God’s grace, and stewards of the Gospel. (1 Peter 4:10, Ephesians 3:7). And we are friends of God. Can you believe it, God, The LORD, the Creator of the entire universe calls us His friends? John 15:12-17 reads,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
How is it possible that we could live anything other an abundant life with all that in our favor? We should be living abundantly, not in paucity. Is your life bare? Is meager? Are you working, going home, sitting in a church pew twice a week, and merely existing until you finally make it to eternity? Or are you walking in Christ, filled with the Spirit, lavished with gifts, surrounded by your brothers and sisters as a son of God? Are you living your abundant and eternal life in the Kingdom of God now?

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God is Good, All the Time

11/24/2015

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Lately, I have been deeply impressed with the goodness of God. When I was a child, we said “grace” before we ate, our prayer was a little poem that went,
“God is good, God is great.
Let us thank Him for this food.
Amen”

I know that some people say the entire blessing which says,

“God is Great, God is Good;
Let us thank Him for our food.
By His hands we all are fed,
Give us Lord our Daily Bread.
Amen.”
As a child, I thought that good and great were synonyms and that we were cheering for God. As I matured I understood we were praising Him with His attributes and attitudes toward us. This child’s prayer is a thank you to The Lord, a way for us to give God thanks and say we have what we have because He is good (blameless, beneficent, and delightful), and because He is great (huge, powerful, majestic, and absolute).
The Bible tells us that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8 tells us,

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
God’s goodness is multifaceted, and it results in our blessings (happiness). He is not alright, He is all right. He is perfect Let’s look at some of the faces of God’s goodness.
He is beneficent, which is to say He is benevolent and helps us. He is good and so He does good for us. Psalm 34:4-7 reads,
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.”
He answers our prayers. He delivers us from danger and the enemy. He surrounds us with His protection. He holds us in His strong hands. Jesus describes Himself as the good shepherd and gives us more aspects of His goodness in John 10:9-18
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus is our salvation and the only way to salvation. He took it the effort out of our incapable hands and gives salvation to us freely. He gives us life, not just meager existence, but abundant life. He gives us a relationship with God. We know Him and He knows us! He brought salvation, not only for Israel but for the world. He willingly gave up His life so we could have all that. And He raised from the dead and conquered sin and death forever! That is good! That is wonderful!
He could do that because He is good. He is righteous, perfect and blameless. (Psalm 92:15). But He loves us so much that in order to make a way for us to be reconciled to Him, Jesus, our God took sin on Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 describes it this way,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Try to imagine it. Imagine that sin is manure. Imagine you are wearing a beautiful white Armani tuxedo or gorgeous white Vera Wang wedding dress. Now imagine walking out into the pig pen where the manure comes up to your knees. Now picture laying down in it and rolling around until every centimeter of your perfect white clothing is thick with dung, every millimeter of your skin and hair is covered, your ears, nose, and bellybutton are filled with filth. Jesus did that for us, not with manure which can be washed off with soap and long shower, but with sin which can only be atoned for with blood. (Leviticus 17:11).
God is good, all the time! God is enjoyable! He is delightful. He is perfectly good and He will not change. He loves to give us good gifts. He loves to bless us. James 1:17-18 reads,
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
All we have to do is ask with the right motivation and our Lord generously gives to us. (James 4:2-3, James 1:5). If you want something which will harm you, He won’t give it. But He will give you what will benefit you and others. In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus promises,
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
God is so good! Consider today the many ways that He is good. Consider the wonderful ways He is good to you. We only covered a few, I know you can think of more. He comforts, gives peace, joy, and faith. He carries you through. He has great purposes for you. He transforms you. He gives eternal life. He saves. He protects. He is Justice, Love, and Holy. How is He good to you? Turn around and praise Him for His goodness. Thank The Lord for His goodness.

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Grace upon Grace Received Should become Grace upon Grace Given

11/23/2015

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“Grace upon grace received, should reciprocate to grace upon grace given.” -Robert Gordon

Normally, I do the Bible devotionals a day ahead. What gets posted on Monday is written on Sunday. But yesterday spiritual issues kept me from being able to properly write a devotional which would be worthy of my Lord Jesus or worthy of you, His seeking children. I wondered how that would work out today. The spiritual issue of yesterday was resolved as I repented of my sin, received forgiveness, rebuked the spirits who were oppressing me, and released the shame and guilt over what I had done.
I knew God wanted me to take a break from chapter devotionals and do some topical devotionals. I had no idea with what topic of the many in my head I would begin. Then this morning I read a post based on last night’s sermon from Robert Gordon, the pastor at my church, “Grace upon grace received, should reciprocate to grace upon grace given.” And God said, “There is today’s devotional.”
John 1:14-18 reads,
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.”
I personally love John’s writing and thinking, he is my favorite of the authors of the Bible. But today I want to unflower his words for you. The same passage in The Message reads,
“The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.
15 John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”
16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding--
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
    No one has ever seen God,
        not so much as a glimpse.
    This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
        who exists at the very heart of the Father,
        has made him plain as day.”
Grace upon grace is gift after gift, endless forgiveness, mercy followed by mercy, and kindness piled on kindness. Believers, we accepted that awesome free grace as a perfect gift with no strings attached. But we do not keep it to ourselves. Where is the purpose in that? What is the good of that? Remember, you received that gift because you saw and heard that Jesus is good. Our salvation compels us to spread the word about it to others. Romans 5:15-21 reads,
“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
It is not just our words that share the grace of God with others, it is the way we live and interact that shares His grace. Jesus didn’t only preach salvation, He lived it. He forgave sins, healed infirmities, taught many and discipled some. He commanded us to the same, “just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34).
Jesus forgave us so much! Our gratitude for that grace urges us to share that grace with others. God did this amazing work in us, it transforms us, it restores us to who we were meant to be and that is a servant of God, a priest, a minister of God’s grace. Ephesians 2:1-10 says,
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
We were created for good works! We were created to glorify God, to make Him famous, so that His glory (His fame, name, and work) would fill the earth and be as abundant as the oceans. (Habakkuk 2:14). We are ministers of God’s grace. We have received it and so we give it to others. We use the gifts God gave us and become the priests God made us to be. 1 Peter 4:7-11 reads,
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Jesus’ is gracious to us and He forgave us. When we consider the depth of what God has forgiven it has results. Jesus said that abundant forgiveness results in abundant love (Luke 7:41-50). Pastor Jim Barringer helps us see just how much Jesus as forgiven. Imagine you could limit your sins both intentional and unintentional, to only ten per day and you lived for seventy years. 3,650 sins per year of your lifetime would add up to 255,500 sins. (And seriously, how many people really limit their sins to ten a day?) That is a lot of forgiveness. What right do we, sinful humans have to withhold forgiveness, mercy, and grace from anyone else, when Perfect Holy God didn’t withhold it from us? In Matthew 6:14-15 after Jesus had taught the disciples how to pray, how to commune with The LORD God our Father He said,
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Pastor Robert Gordon explained our stewardship of grace as a cycle. Jesus’ gives us grace which transforms us, our transformation compels us to give grace to others, which gives us more grace, which results in us giving more grace to others.

So Believer, I encourage you today to share God’s beautiful grace with the world. Let His glory fill the earth!

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Habakkuk Why Does God Let You Suffer?

11/22/2015

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Habakkuk
This book of prophecy was written as a psalm. It begins with Habakkuk questioning God about why He was letting His people suffer so much at the hands of the evil Chaldeans. Have you questioned God? Why is He letting terrorists kill innocent children? Why is He letting brave troops be killed, maimed, and destroyed in war after war? Why are people hungry, homeless, and hopeless? Why are you suffering so much? Why is God letting people hurt you? Maybe you haven’t questioned God, but Habakkuk did. And he didn’t hold back.
Verses 1-4 lists Habakkuk's complaints to God.
“The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
    and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
    and you will not save?
3 Why do you make me see iniquity,
    and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    strife and contention arise.
4 So the law is paralyzed,
    and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
    so justice goes forth perverted.”
Habakkuk was not happy with the state of things. He yelled at God, “Where are you? Look at us down here! Things are not good. It’s all falling apart!” Have you left us? Are you up there playing cards while we suffer down here? But he also let God answer and he listened to God’s answers.
Verses 5-11 is The Lord’s answer.

“Look among the nations, and see;
    wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
    that you would not believe if told.
6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
    that bitter and hasty nation,
who march through the breadth of the earth,
    to seize dwellings not their own.
7 They are dreaded and fearsome;
    their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
    more fierce than the evening wolves;
    their horsemen press proudly on.
Their horsemen come from afar;
    they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
9 They all come for violence,
    all their faces forward.
    They gather captives like sand.
10 At kings they scoff,
    and at rulers they laugh.
They laugh at every fortress,
    for they pile up earth and take it.
11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on,
    guilty men, whose own might is their god!”
God said, “You are going to be amazed at the great work I’m doing for you. I’m raising up the evil and violent Chaldeans. I’m letting their sin, their pride, violence idolatry, and conceit look like it’s helping them but it’s gonna hang them.”
Habakkuk realized then that God has a plan but he still didn’t appreciate the way things were. Verse 12-13 of chapter 1 read,
“Are you not from everlasting,
    O Lord my God, my Holy One?
    We shall not die.
O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment,
    and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil
    and cannot look at wrong,
why do you idly look at traitors
    and remain silent when the wicked swallows up
    the man more righteous than he?”
He said, Okay, Lord, you’re using them as discipline for us. But they are way worse than we are! They sinning day and night and their sins are really bad! They’re killing us! They’re getting rich and God, you’re letting them! (verses 14-17). Even though Habakkuk was questioning God, he was willing to listen to the answer. Chapter 2 verse 1 says,
“I will take my stand at my watchpost
    and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
    and what I will answer concerning my complaint.”
God can handle our questions and even our anger. But if we question Him, we need to listen to the answer or else we’re not questioning, we’re whining and complaining. Verses 2-5 begin God’s answer to the prophet.
“Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,
    so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
    but the righteous shall live by his faith.
5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor,
    an arrogant man who is never at rest.
His greed is as wide as Sheol;
    like death he has never enough.
He gathers for himself all nations
    and collects as his own all peoples.”
God said, Things are going to play out the way I say. Don’t look at how sin appears to be prospering them and give in to sin yourself. Stay following me. Let the wicked do what they do and you’ll see that my righteousness will save you. In verses 6-20 God tells Habakkuk what will happen to the Chaldeans. In verses 13-14 God says, “I still care about you. I haven’t forgotten you. The verses read,
“Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts
    that peoples labor merely for fire,
    and nations weary themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled
    with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.”
God has his reasons even when we can’t see them, even when they seem horrible and unfair. He has His purposes. He wants the world to know Him. He also told Habakkuk things are bad and they are gonna get worse. I want you to really know me. I want my people to leave all those idols and follow me.
When you are going through the worst circumstances, look around and ask if there are lessons you can learn? Each trial we face gives us a choice to turn to The Lord, to our idols like money, or the biggest idol of all, ourselves. Verses 19-20 put it this way.
“Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake;
    to a silent stone, Arise!
Can this teach?
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
    and there is no breath at all in it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
    let all the earth keep silence before him.”
Habakkuk had questioned God, but he also listened to His answer. He kept in mind all God had done in the past and knew that The Lord wanted good things for His people. Chapter 3 verses 1-16 List some of the great works God has done. Verse 13 tells us God’s ultimate purpose in all things.
“You went out for the salvation of your people,
    for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
    laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah”
Habakkuk knew that salvation of the people and conquering Satan was God’s purpose. So he accepted that for the time circumstances would be bad, but God had not forsaken His people. This is true, all the time. You don’t have to worry or concern yourself with why good things happen to people that hurt you. You don’t have to worry about the bad times that you go through. God has got it all in His hands. He has you. Things can get really awful sometimes. You may feel like you can’t even survive the pain. But you have God. Jesus is in you and you are being transformed to His image. God will take care of the people that hurt you, and in doing so He might bring them to Him. God will take care of you and carry you through everything. And in the end, if you call Jesus Lord, then you will enjoy an eternity of Heaven with Him. You can always carry that hope through anything. But He is here with you now and He is carrying out a great plan.
Verse 16-19 reads,
“I hear, and my body trembles;
    my lips quiver at the sound;
rottenness enters into my bones;
    my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
    to come upon people who invade us.
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer's;
    he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.”
Habakkuk’s circumstances were not good. They had not changed from the time He had questioned God. But his attitude had changed when God revealed His steadfast love to the doubting prophet. His attitude changed so much that Habakkuk wrote a song to praise God for exactly the same thing he had grumbled about previously.
So if you are angry with God. If you can’t understand why you are suffering. Go ahead and talk to Him, go ahead and cry out to Him. And remember, His love is never ending, never failing, and always works for the best for you, Believer.

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Do Not Worry

11/21/2015

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There is nothing noble about worrying, there is nothing brave about being stressed over life’s concerns. God commands us not to worry nor to be anxious. Philippians 4:4-9 says,
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
We choose our thoughts, as Spirit-filled followers of Christ we have self-control to decide what it is we think and meditate on. Just because we hear a whisper, have a fleeting thought, or have a problem does not mean we have to continue thinking, reflecting, or turning over those thoughts in our mind.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
When we worry, we are not trusting God, we are putting our faith in ourselves. Doing so, will mean we fall short. God wants to care for you, but if you choose to proudly do it yourself, He will let you. 1 Peter 5:5-11 reads,
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:25-34 reads,
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious”
We are commissioned to seek the Kingdom of God and we are appointed to seek God. These two things are similar. The Kingdom of God is God’s will on earth, the community of believers, and the people whom He calls to salvation. Seeking God entails knowing Him more, seeking a closer relationship with Him and allowing Him to conform us to Christ’s image. Seeking God earnestly will result in us seeking His Kingdom. Genuinely and intently seeking God grows our faith and makes it clear that every need, every other pursuit, and even our desires will be given to us.
Psalm 40:16-17 says,
“But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!”

Seeking God is not only a state of mind, it is an active pursuit. While being busy, even serving often seems the right thing to do, seeking God is rarely if ever about busyness. Serving with the right mind-set can be seeking the Kingdom of God, but studying, fellowship, and listening at God’s feet is an active quest for more of The Lord. Luke 10:38-42 describes it this way,
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Let the Lord take care of you! Give it all to Him, your sin, your worry, your plans, and your expectations. Be still, sit at His feet. Fellowship with The Lord. Psalm 55:22 says,
“Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.”
Psalm 37:1-7 tells us,
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!”
God is able! He is God! Truly you can trust in Him. Look at what He has already done. Even when the world is in turmoil, even when things seem chaotic and terrifying, you can know God has it. He is sovereign. Psalm 46:8-11 reads,
“Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.   Selah”
Worrying is not honorable. Working yourself ragged trying to meet your needs is not virtuous. Trusting God is the royal attitude of a child of the King of kings. Do not worry. Have faith.

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Malachi 4 Jesus The Son of Righteousness is Coming Back

11/20/2015

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But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2

Malachi 4
One of our greatest joys as followers of Christ is looking forward to New Jerusalem, The City of God which will be our home after The Day of the LORD. The same day we expectantly anticipate, is a day of terror and wrath for the lost. Our day of Justice will be their day of Judgement. God’s vengeance will give us all our retribution. Verses 1-3 read,
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”
While I look forward to that day, I can’t help but feel for the lost who will suffer eternally for their rejection of Christ. They need a chance to hear about Jesus, His awesome Love, and His beautiful Salvation. The very same thing, Jesus riding a white stallion leading the vast angel armies which will bring me absolution, joy and bliss will bring the lost terror and damnation. We will go to our marriage supper with Christ to live in perfect peace and union with God for eternity. (Revelation 19:6-9). They will suffer and be destroyed by the warring avenging army of God. (Revelation 14:20). Jesus is our Bridegroom, our Husband, and the Lover of our souls. But He is Vengeance, Judgement, and Wrath to them. Righteousness is our perfecter and healer. Righteousness is their incinerating fire. Revelation 19:11-16 describes that Day this way,
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
That Day will not come suddenly for us. We know it about. God has told us about it for thousands of years. He gave us signs to look for. He gave us prophets, teachers, sages, and scripture. We can and must pay attention. But the world mocks them and us. They reject Christ and foolishness. God loves them so much! He keeps sending them prophets, teachers, and sages. He sent Abel, Moses, Elijah, and He sends us. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 says,
“The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.”
The Lord doesn’t want a single person to die in the wrath of The Day of the LORD. He has been patiently waiting. (2 Peter 3:9). But at some point, He will say, “Enough is enough, these people have rejected me and will not change. Vengeance is mine, now.” We have to be diligent ourselves and remember we are His messengers. We are the church, we have Jesus, God’s Word and God’s Spirit. We are sanctioned for a job. Verses 4-6 read,
“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Believer, do you understand the reality of The Day of the LORD? The world does not. I personally seek God’s heart as my own. His heart loves those people who will die and suffer eternally without Him. So many reject Christ, not because they are evil, but because they do not know any better. They are not aware of the choice they can make and have made. Remember these things, Believer and take seriously the will of the Lord.
In Mark 12:29-31,
“Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
In John 15:12 Jesus said,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
And in Matthew 28:18-20,
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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The Eye is the Lamp of the Body

#Love God, Your Neighbor, Your Brother, and Your Enemy.

Do not let Fear Lie to and Control You and Keep You from Ministering to God.

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

What is Abundant Life?

God is Good, All the Time

Grace upon Grace Received Should become Grace upon Grace Given

Habakkuk Why Does God Let You Suffer?

Do Not Worry

Malachi 4 Jesus The Son of Righteousness is Coming Back

Donna Campbell

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