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Questioning Romans 8:28: What Good Comes out of Pain?

8/17/2017

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And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
If you are a Christian or have Christian friends then I do not doubt that at some point, some person attempted to comfort or encourage you with Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
When I was younger, I had no idea what that verse meant. I imagine there are many new Christians or less spiritually mature, or those who do not have the chance to read the Bible on their own who are in the same boat I was in. What does it mean? Out of context, the verse gave me a picture of a genie, using the ill-fortune of one man for the benefit of another. I did not find comfort in that. So today, as I begin a series attempting to answer the tough questions, I’ll try to answer this one, “What is the good in Romans 8:28.”
First then, let’s put the verse back into context. Romans 8:24-30 reads,
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What is the hope for which we were saved? It is our future glory, our redemption with Christ becoming fully His when it is revealed that we are the sons of God (Romans 8:18-23). To put it more plainly, one day, Jesus will return to gather the saved to Himself. All the dead Christians will resurrect and those still living will join them as they are raised up in the air to meet Jesus. In an instant, every one of us will be transformed, we will be made perfect and as the old earth is destroyed a new earth will replace it. That new earth will have a city called New Jerusalem and there, we will live as one with Jesus and one another (1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 21,) Revelation 21:3-4 reads,
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
 
That hope is not only for the future, it sustains us now and it begins now here on this earth. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ and that is the good that all things work toward. The more we are like Jesus, the more God is glorified. Let me interrupt myself a moment to explain what glorifying God is. It is a special sort of praise and honor to God, one in which the world can see a glimpse of the God we know and love, the God who knows and loves all of us. It means we reflect God, we look and act like Jesus because the Holy Spirit indwells us and is day by day transforming us to be more and more like Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 in the Message explains glory this way,
7-8 The Government of Death, its constitution chiseled on stone tablets, had a dazzling inaugural. Moses’ face as he delivered the tablets was so bright that day (even though it would fade soon enough) that the people of Israel could no more look right at him than stare into the sun. How much more dazzling, then, the Government of Living Spirit?
9-11 If the Government of Condemnation was impressive, how about this Government of Affirmation? Bright as that old government was, it would look downright dull alongside this new one. If that makeshift arrangement impressed us, how much more this brightly shining government installed for eternity?
12-15 With that kind of hope to excite us, nothing holds us back. Unlike Moses, we have nothing to hide. Everything is out in the open with us. He wore a veil so the children of Israel wouldn’t notice that the glory was fading away—and they didn’t notice. They didn’t notice it then and they don’t notice it now, don’t notice that there’s nothing left behind that veil. Even today when the proclamations of that old, bankrupt government are read out, they can’t see through it. Only Christ can get rid of the veil so they can see for themselves that there’s nothing there.
16-18 Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.
 
He does not save you and then leave you as you were, He saves you and changes you. He works hard in you and we cooperate with Him in that work. Philippians 2:9-13 describes it like this,
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
 
If all things work together for our good, then how can the very worst circumstances possibly be for our good? Consider this, when is it that a person is more likely to turn to God in desperate need? Is it when she has a full belly, big bank account, perfect health, and plenty of friends? Or is it when she is suffering? Our suffering can work for our good, if we allow it to do so. James wrote,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:2-8).
Paul wrote to the Romans something very similar,
 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:3-5).
As we mature, it is not only the bad situations that should bring glory to God through our transformation but all conditions. In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul puts it this way,
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.
Whatever this broken world brings our way, be it good or bad, The Holy Spirit can use it for our good, our transformation and His glory. Let me leave you with this reminder from 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, this time in the English Standard Version
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
​
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Esther 9 What the Enemy Purposes as Your Destruction, God uses for Your Good.

5/4/2016

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As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20
​Esther 9
Terrible things happen in this flawed and fallen world. People hate, they scheme, steal, kill, and destroy for their own needs, desires, lusts, and pleasure. This things are not from God, they are from the enemy. But God is Awesome and Almighty. He uses all those things for the benefit of His beloved bride, His believers.
The day had finally arrived; the day Haman had meant to annihilate the Jews was here. But because Mordecai had stepped in and Esther had revealed the truth to the king, the Jewish people were now allowed to fight back against the people who hated them and would kill them. Haman, the enemy of the Jews meant the day for the obliteration of the Jewish people; God used it to strengthen them and so glorify Himself. Verses 1-10 read,
Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful.5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.
The Jewish people didn’t win because they were stronger or better at fighting. They won because of God’s reputation. They won because The Lord put fear into their hearts, fear of Him and of His people. Mordecai had gained a reputation as a man of God, highly favored by God. People knew that Mordecai’s God would fight for him. Verses 11-16 read,
That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
Everything Haman had meant for God’s people came back onto their enemies who tried to kill them. The death meant for the Jews was doled out to their enemies. The disgrace meant for Mordecai was poured out on Haman and his family. The Jewish people never laid a hand on the plunder, though the edict gave them the right to do so. But God had told them not to take it this time. They were not killing for the riches, they were killing because God was taking vengeance and showing His greatness to the people. Their riches rotted as God’s people triumphed. There were people who did not fight, who did not hate the Jews. Those people watched and saw the greatness of our God.
When the fighting was over, there was a great celebration. The triumph was immense and celebration poured out. The Jewish people had been handed over to certain death at the hands of the enemy of the Jews, but God had given them a witness in Mordecai and a savior in Esther. He had made a way for their salvation and instead of certain death they were given miraculous life. Verses 17-19 read,
This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
The enemy of the people had wanted their death and defamation and he wanted glory for himself. But God used his evil plans for the good of His people and the Glory of Himself. He wanted the Jewish people to forever remember the day of their salvation and so He had it commemorated and made a feast to be celebrated just as He had commanded other feasts to be celebrated. Verses 20-32 read,
And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim.30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.
Purim is a joyous, truly fun holiday to celebrate. People dress in costumes, have contests, and take sweets to neighbors and friends. The book of Esther is read and whenever Haman’s name is spoken they all make loud noise and boo to drown it out. It is traditional to eat, drink and be merry.
We are supposed to remember and celebrate our salvation. Salvation is a wonderful and beautiful miracle. If we don’t celebrate it, if our lives don’t testify to it, then how will others ever know how good and awesome God is?
The enemy, Satan means bad for us. Peter describes him as a prowling lion seeking to devour someone (1 Peter 5:8). Paul said he has evil schemes and we are aware of them (2 Corinthians 2:11). But we have The Lord. We don’t have to fall to those plots against us. Satan is a coward and just like the enemies of the Jews in Ancient Persia were too afraid to fight back, Satan is too. We don’t even have to fight him! We only have to submit to God and resist him and he runs off with his tail between his legs. James 4:6-8 says it this way,
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The enemy has bad plans for us but God’s plans for us are good. We are more than conquerors! Romans 8:28-39 says it this way,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 Believer, you do have an enemy but more importantly you have The Lord God. If God is for you, who can be against you? Trust Him, know that He has good plans for you and He will bring those plans to fruition. Celebrate your salvation, celebrate the greatness of the Lord.
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James 1:1-18 Choose Joy through Trials Because God’s Will for You is Good.

4/19/2016

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And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ Zechariah 13:9
And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ Zechariah 13:9
​James 1:1-18
God doesn't send suffering to you, but He does allow you to suffer, to go through trials, and experience tribulations. There is not a person among us who has not suffered. There is probably not a person, who is not right now going through some difficult situation, has not just emerged from one, or is not about to enter one. Believer, you are not alone. Even when your suffering seems worse than anything around you, even when you think no one can or will understand, even when you give in to the lie to isolate yourself in it, you are not alone. The church, your brothers and sisters imbued with the Spirit of Jesus Christ are there, waiting to walk beside you and bear the burden with you and needing you to bear the burden with them. God is with you too. He has chosen to indwell you, to abide in you and He wants you to abide (stay and live) in Him.
One of the reasons that the Gospel of Christ spread so far, even in ancient times was because Christians were persecuted very badly. In order to save their lives, livelihoods, and lifestyles of faith, they had to leave Jerusalem and other cities. They had to leave behind family, friends, and the only faith they had ever known. This terrible maltreatment, discrimination, and oppression led to the scattering of the church, especially the Jewish Christians who could be arrested and killed for not keeping the Pharisaical law.  Verses 1-4 begin James letter to the dispersed church.
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
In other words, go ahead and choose to be happy over the various trials you go through. Those trials, whatever they are cause you to exercise your faith. Faith allows you to persevere with resoluteness, to be even instead of not agitated, troubled, or despondent. As you walk faithfully, the Holy Spirit is conforming you to Jesus’ perfect image. That is His will for us (1 Thessalonians 4:3). What a good thing! Faith in God carries you through and grows with each step you take. What is faith? The author of Hebrews defines it this way in Hebrews 11:1-3,
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
God spoke and created the Universe. What He speaks, is. His word is His will (desire) manifested (come to be). So we can have faith that God’s will for us will happen. God wants good things for us! He wants our sanctification. He wants us to glorify Him. He wants us to know Him, to be in a close relationship with Him. Hosea 6:6 is one of my favorite verses.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
 
 
Zechariah 13:9 reads,
And I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
    and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’
Believer, He wants these things for us, but He will never force us. He will never sanctify us against our will. If we are not willing to look at our trials with His wisdom and grow our faithfulness, steadfastness, and character, then He will not make us. Verses 5-11 read,
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
If we are not willing to look at the situation from a godly perspective or even ask God to show s His perspective, we will not and cannot develop the perseverance that comes from faith, because we won’t have be choosing to look through faith from God’s wise point of view. When we suffer, when we are brought low, God is really bringing us up to His image. But if we refuse and instead want to mourn the worldly things we’ve lost or pursue those worldly things instead of the kingdom of Heaven, God will let us, but we’ll fade away with no impact on the kingdom, no change in us, and no treasures in Heaven. That is why it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle; because the rich man doesn’t want to give up his comfort for suffering (Mark 10:23-25). Faith assures us that whatever we give up for the Lord will be replaced a hundred times over. In Mark 10:29-31 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Faith reminds us that we have eternal life. It is that hope, that knowledge of what God has done, is doing, and will do that allows us to be happy, to choose joy through the hard times and remain joyful and faithful through the easier times. Verse 12 reads,
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
So many of our trials, so much of our suffering is the result of our own bad choices. Choosing to be joyful through our suffering does not mean believing that God sent you temptation in order to cause you to sin so that you can suffer. When people sin against you, He lets it happen for your discipline, but He doesn’t tempt people to sin, regardless who they are. Verses 13-15 read,
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
I have heard people say and even believed in the past that God sends tests, that He wants me to suffer, be ill, poor, or whatever. Oh believer, God does not rain evil down on you. He will use it for your good and sanctification (Romans 8:28-30), but He doesn’t send evil, there is no evil in Him. He sends good because He is good. Verses 16-18 read,
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 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.
God is steadfast. God never changes. He is good and He is bringing us into His image, making us the best of His creation.
Believer, I know you suffer. God knows you suffer. But you can choose to be joyful through it because you know that it is making you like Him, complete, perfect, and the best He has (and what He has is wonderful and endlessly good). I know you suffer but take joy and if you can’t ask God to show you the situation through His eyes. God wants good for you.
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Deuteronomy 34 Moses Remembered for Who God Made Him

4/11/2016

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But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Deuteronomy 4:20
But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Deuteronomy 4:20
Deuteronomy 34
Today we read the final chapter of Deuteronomy, a chapter not written by Moses but probably by Joshua or Ezra to complete the writing and honor the man who had led Israel from Egypt through the wilderness. It is a chapter written with love and esteem, a chapter which remembers Moses for the man The Lord made him to be.
How do you hope to be remembered after your death? What would be the greatest memorial to you? Do you hope for a statue that declares your great courage during the battles of life? Do you want a funeral where people stand and your grave side, cry and talk about the good deeds you did? What are the deeds and character they will remember about you?
Who are you? Are you the person your parents hoped you would be? Are you the person the prince of the world hoped you would be? Are you the person God called you to be? Moses birth mother parents gave up their son as an infant to save his life. They were probably not exactly thrilled that he was raised in Pharaoh’s home as a royal son but he was alive and thriving. His adoptive mother probably wanted a royal life for him. She likely imagined him serving as the leader of Pharaoh’s army or doing some great work in his administration. Satan wanted him ashamed, living in banishment over the guilt of murder that he never would have been punished for. He wanted him disqualified from the life God had called him for. But God called Moses to be His friend, His prophet, and the leader of who would set His people free. Every circumstance his parents created to make Moses into who they hoped and every circumstance Satan put forward to turn him in the man he wanted, God used to make Moses into the man of God we remember him to be.
Verses 1-4 read,
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”
Moses was at the end of his life and he spent the last hours with God alone. God showed him what He had accomplished and what His people would inherit. The Lord gave Moses a peace, letting him know he had done his job and done it well. In a way, He said, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” But now it was time for Moses to enter true rest. Verses 5-9 read,
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6 and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8 And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
God spared Moses from becoming an idol. He was truly a man of God and God knew well enough that had Israel known where he was buried, they would have built an altar and worshipped him eventually. Moses didn’t have a grave, a statue, or a memorial stone. God Himself buried the man and no one knew where he was buried. It is not the physical monument that indicates the life a person lived. His legacy is in his life, character, deeds, and the people he mentored. Israel was able to mourn for the Moses but when the time for mourning was over, it was time to enter The Promised Land. Moses had not left them without a leader. God had appointed Joshua to take his place.
Though Moses did not have a gravestone, He was remembered. He was not remembered for killing a slave, for being slow of speech, or having a temper. He was remembered for being who The Lord had called him to be. Verses 10-12 read,
 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
Moses knew God more intimately than any man before him and better than any prophet since. The people remembered him as strong virile man even at 120 years old. They remembered him for the miracles God worked through him, for the parting of the Red Sea, bringing water from a rock, and leading them through the wilderness. They remembered him for his wisdom, judgements, andhis relationship with The Lord.
Moses parents wanted him to live and so did God. Maybe his mother didn’t want him to be among her own oppressors but she was probably glad he was alive at all. His adoptive mother wanted him to be a prince. Satan wanted him to be anything or anyone other than Israel’s deliverer. But God made Moses a prophet unlike any other in history, His friend, and the leader of a nation.
Who has God called you to be? Did you know He has called you to be His friend and His son or daughter? Are you a prophet? A teacher? A miracle worker? A healer? An evangelist? A shepherd? Whoever God has called you to be, you can be. The Father called you. Ephesians 1:3-6 reads,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Jesus Christ saved you. Ephesians 1:7-11 reads,
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
The Holy Spirit indwells you, manifests in you, and transforms you. Titus 3:4-7 says,
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
And 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.
God has made the way for you to be who He created you to be. Whatever people have done to make you who they want you to be, God can use for your good and His glory. Whatever Satan, the accuser of the brethren has used to quell you, God will use for your good and His glory. Romans 8:27-30 reads,
 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Are you who God has called you to be, who He predestined you to be or are you who the prince of the world wants you to be? Are you a prince in Egypt or are you a King in the Promised Land? You were called to be distinctive, the amazing beloved child of God. 1 Peter 2:9-10 reads,
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Proclaim the excellencies of The Lord, your Father, Savior, and Comfort; be the chosen and royal son of God that you are meant to be. What will they say about you after your death? Will they say, “She was a good accountant” or whatever job title you held? Or will they say, “She was the glory of God, a teacher (prophet, healer, evangelist…) like no other, a good and faithful servant of her Father in Heaven.”
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Deuteronomy 27-28 A Blessed Life and a Life of Curses

3/31/2016

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And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he 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 8:28-29
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he 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 8:28-29
​Deuteronomy 27 and 28
Moses had given Israel the Law a second time just before they entered the Promised Land. He now admonished them to keep the law as a covenant with The Lord who had made them a nation, His own people. First, He told them to build a wall in which they would clearly write the whole law and an altar to make their sacrifices and offerings. Every time they came to worship the Lord they would see and read the law and know why they made the offerings they did. Verses 1-10 read,
Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today.2 And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. 3 And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. 4 And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. 5 And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; 6 you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, 7 and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”
9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
Worship is more than singing a song with lyrics that praise God. Worship is a response to God for His Word, Salvation, and Presence. Reading and hearing His Word and moving it from knowledge to knowing, from head to heart is worship. Responding to Him with praise and thanksgiving is worship. Gathering together and rejoicing before Him for who He is and who He has made you is worship. Obedience to your Lord in response to His awesome love is worship. Worship requires your participation not just your observation.
Then Moses told the people that once they crossed the Jordan they were to divide into two groups, one standing on side Mount Ebal and one standing on the side of Mount Gerizim. Verses 11-13 read,
That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12 “When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
The Lord divided them into two groups, the tribes who were the children of Rebecca and Leah, Jacob’s free wives and the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, the servants of the wives. The tribes of Rebecca and Leah would speak the blessings over Israel. The tribes of Bilhah and Zilpah would speak the curses.
In this way God demonstrated the difference between the Old Covenant of Mosaic Law and the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. The old came with curses for disobedience, the new blessings for obedience since there is no condemnation for those who are free in Christ (Romans 8:1-2). Verses 14-26 read,
And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:
15 “‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16 “‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17 “‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor's landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18 “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered his father's nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23 “‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24 “‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25 “‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26 “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
This was what the people would do to affirm their part of the covenant, to agree to keep the whole law, to know the law, and understand that law comes with consequences. Chapter 28 continues the explanation of the ceremony they would perform upon entering The Promised Land with blessings for obedience. Verses 1-6 read,
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 5 Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
Blessed means more than fortunate, it means a happiness or joy that comes from God. It means that things would be well and productive. Every part of a righteous person’s life would result in fruit, success and joy. God didn’t just say He would sprinkle or even shower the righteous man with blessings, He said they would come upon and overtake him no matter where he was or what he was doing in obedience to God. The person here didn’t just worship God when he gathered with Israel for corporate worship, he lived a life of obedience, a life of worship. Verses 7-14 continue,
“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. 8 The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 9 The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, 14 and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”
As we exalt the Lord, He exalts us above others. As we practice humility before Him, He shows the world how proud He is of His people. It is He, not we who make these blessings. We have no reason to boast in ourselves, we boast in Him. Our good productive life of obedience acclaims and praises God. Our obedience glorifies the Lord, because it is only possible through Him. Psalm 34:1-5 describes the blessings of a lifestyle of worship.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!
4 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.
 
But just as there are blessings for obedience, there are curses for disobedience. Disobedience at its core is worshipping yourself, putting yourself in God’s place as lord. Verses 15-68 record the curses, I will include some, but I recommend you read all of them. Perhaps God has a word for you in them as He did for me. Verses 15-19 give a broad curse.
“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. 16 Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. 17 Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 18 Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. 19 Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.”
The disobedient Christian will be disciplined; he will face consequences in order to bring him back into obedience so that he may continue his spiritual formation to the image of Christ. God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 3:12).
Verses 45-47 read,
“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. 46 They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. 47 Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,”
The disobedient man, the man who rejects Christ, cannot escape the curse it will pursue him and overtake him. He will live in slavery, he will not be a citizen of Heaven but lost and rootless in the world. Verses 65-68 read,
“And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul. 66 Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life. 67 In the morning you shall say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the dread that your heart shall feel, and the sights that your eyes shall see. 68 And the Lord will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”
The Lord rejoices in our obedience; He loves to bless us and will do so at every chance. But He also wants us to become His children, with His character. He will discipline us to bring us to Him. He must punish those who reject Christ. He would so much prefer to bless us all. Is your life blessed? Are you experiencing the fruit of a life of worship and obedience? Are you experiencing the fruit of disobedience? Are you suffering for Christ’s sake or because of your flesh? The Holy Spirit, our Good and Wonderful God will use both circumstances to transform you. He promised we would suffer, but some of it can be avoided. Some of it is discipline due to our waywardness.
Believer, I urge you to examine your life and ask god to search your heart. If you are suffering ask is it a result of your disobedience or is it for the sake of Christ? Whatever the reason, are you glorifying God through it? Are you being transformed through it? It will continue as long is God deems necessary for His glory and your good.
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1 Kings 15:16-33 God Works Good from the Bad. We Can Too.

10/7/2015

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Romans 8:28-29 on Red Tree and Old Fence
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he 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 8:28-29
​1 Kings 15:16-33
The Lord often uses people we wouldn’t think He would, to bring about what He chooses. He uses people who belong to the enemy to discipline His chosen. Consider Habakkuk 1:5-11 where God uses wicked and depraved Babylon. The Lord will bring good out of bad for those who love and follow Him. (Romans 8:28-29). And remember, we are sealed with and indwelled with the Holy Spirit, we are Children of The LORD, and we are coheirs with Christ. We can take the bad situations and use them for good too. Let’s read about Asa and Baasha.
While Asa, a king who followed the Lord and cleansed the land of idolatry ruled in Judah, another kind of king ruled over Israel. First was Nadab, he did evil in the sight of The Lord and reigned only 2 years. He had such a short reign because Baasha from the house of Issachar, conspired against him while Israel under Nadab’s rule was laying siege to Gibbethon of Philistia.  During the battle Baasha killed the king to take Israel’s throne for himself. Verses 29-30 speak of his first act as Israel’s king.
“And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.”
This evil man fulfilled the prophecy of The Lord about Jeroboam’s line because of the immensity of that king’s evil. (1 Kings 14:11-16). This was a revolting act propagated by a malicious man, yet he did what The Lord had prophesied.
Baasha and Asa were constantly at war with each other. Baasha decided to build Ramah to stop people from being able to go in or out of Judah. This meant people couldn’t travel to The Temple in Jerusalem to worship The Lord in truth. Asa love the Lord and so he cared about the people of Judah. People needed to be able to come in and out of the nation freely. But he also cared about the people of Israel who still needed to worship The Lord. So Asa had a plan. Verses 18-21 read,
“Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and allChinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah.”
Baasha thought he had a friend in Syria, but Ben-hadad the king of Syria could be bought. And Asa made a covenant with him and paid him a nice price for the treaty. Syria turned on Baasha and Baasha could no longer build Ramah. Then Asa declared that every citizen had to gather the building materials left behind. Verse 22 reads,
“Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.”
Asa destroyed an evil deed and made it something good. Baasha was not concerned with anything but himself. Asa cared about God’s people. When we put the Lord first, it follows naturally that we will love people because He does. That is why Jesus connected two great commandments and said that in those two all the laws and the prophets are fulfilled. He said it this way in Matthew 22:37-40,
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The second, the command to love your neighbor as yourself is like the command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. (Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27 both include the word strength.) Loving your neighbor, other people is like loving The Lord! That is profound. But John goes on to tell us if we do not love others, we cannot claim to love God. We’re liars is we say we love God yet don’t love others. 1 John 4:12-21 reads,
“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
 We have The Spirit of God within us, perfecting us making us more and more like Christ every day that we allow Him to. He uses the suffering we experience, be they consequences of our sins or persecution for championing Christ to bring us closer to perfection.
We don’t have to freak out about the bad stuff. We can actually rejoice in suffering, pain, and all the bad stuff. God uses it for our good. We have God within us, we can use it for good too. We can encourage, comfort, and bring about good for others. Jesus has compassion for us, He understands what we suffer. (Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus had compassion and He did something about the pain, weakness, and illness people faced. Matthew 9:35-38 reads,
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
We are called to do something about it as well. People suffer. We suffer. But The Lord comforts and heals. We can bring people into God’s Kingdom and work good out of the bad.
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1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Love Another, Deliberately and Well

8/30/2015

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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 on Photo of The Church of Life Prayer Lounge at Waves of Glory, Orlando, Florida
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 on Photo of The Church of Life Prayer Lounge at Waves of Glory, Orlando, Florida
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

What does loving one another look like? What should the body of Christ look like? I would venture to say the body of Christ should look like Jesus. Our traits as individuals and as a whole should be conformed to His image. His Holy Spirit in us should be evident and fully functioning among us. Our love should be apparent. And we shouldn’t resemble the world.

The world doesn’t like to submit to authority or recognize the people who work so hard behind the scenes. They want to show up to a church without being part of the church. They want to be served and not serve themselves. They expect the pastor to give them a nice little message, listen to their whining, give them what they need, and then ignore them for the next 6 days. But the people who do that, though they may come to church are not of the church they are still of the world. There is no unity with the body. Verses 12-13 read,

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.”

Paul urges us to respect the people who work among us. We are to regard their work, note it, and give the workers reverence. There shouldn’t be anyone whose work is going unappreciated, but too often there is. Too often the person who cleans the meeting place, who opens her home for fellowship, or who makes the calls to the visitors and absent are overlooked. But when everyone in the church is serving, then most of us will remember to appreciate all the others, and the burden on everyone is lightened. We are all expected to serve. Our gifts were given to us for a reason. Ephesians 4:11-16 says it like this,

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

We are also to give deference to those who are over us, submitting to their wisdom, maturity, and leadership as they guide us toward completion. Hebrews 13:17 says,

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

In submitting to, respecting, and esteeming one another and the contributions each of us makes to the body, we have peace among us. We don’t need to be jealous, envious, or disrespectful of each other. We are in it together, sharing the same Spirit and the same mission. We want the best for each other. We are family, we are interwoven together, each thread is needed and adds to the beauty of the tapestry.

We cannot in love, let someone waste their gifts or remain a new born who never experiences the fullness of Christ during this life. Verse 14-15 puts it this way,

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”

Our unified walk as the body of Christ does not stop at the church doors. We are good to one another, but we also must be good to the world. We should be beneficent, that is intentionally doing good in a concrete way. We deliberately ensure we are not being maleficent, which is to cause harm. Nonmaleficence should be just as premeditated as beneficence.

Hebrews 13:15-16 reads,

“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.”

It is an act of worship and praise to be charitable and kind. It is glorifying Christ, that is reflecting Jesus, being like Jesus to do good for people. Verses 16-18 say,

“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When do we rejoice? When do we pray? When do we thank God and what do we thank Him for? Always, continually, and all the time, for everything. The Holy Spirit wants to shine through us. He wants to glorify Jesus in us. He wants to fill us to overflowing and show us He can’t be exhausted. Verses 19-22 read,

“Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.”

He cannot be exhausted, but He can be quenched, that is stifled, smothered, and left to smolder instead of burn bright. How do we do that? We do it by not rejoicing, praying, and thanking God. We do it by not recognizing that our circumstances have the purpose of conforming us to the image of Christ. (Romans 8:26-30). We stifle the Holy Spirit of God when we disregard His work, or we accept all works that might be from God are and do not discern Godly from worldly. (1 John 4:1-6). We douse His fire in us when we take part in the desires of the flesh instead of the desires of The Spirit.

The muffled and subdued Spirit will not produce the fruit that makes it evident we are sons and daughters of Abba God. Galatians 5:16-26 reads,

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 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. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

The fruit of The Spirit is the image of Christ. As we walk, we become more and more mature, showing more and more the character of Jesus. One day we will be instantly perfected but that doesn’t mean we do not strive toward that goal now. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Philippians 3:12-14). We trust the Lord to complete us and keep us. Verses 23-24 read,

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

God does this great work in us. He perfects us. He doesn’t and won’t do it against our will. We have to be in a relationship with Him. We have to want it. And so we pray, we love, we walk, and we strive, not in a futile struggle, but in the peaceful rest of Jesus’ grace. Verses 25-28 close the letter.

“Brothers, pray for us.

26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

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Psalm 83 Will God Come Through When the Enemy Attacks?

8/12/2015

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Psalm 83

Do you sometimes wonder if God will ever move against the enemy or against the people who hate you and hurt you? Sometimes it feels as if life is nothing more than a series of attacks. But the thing is, as uncomfortable, painful, and awful as those attacks can be they often have a good purpose for us. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray about it. Verses 1-2 read,

“O God, do not keep silence;
    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
    those who hate you have raised their heads.”

God is not afraid of our honesty. He already knows. Very often though as we earnestly pray to the Lord, we become aware of ourselves. He will speak to us, guide us, teach us, and comfort us in the midst of our prayers. I find myself often starting out confused, angry, or hurt, and by the end of the prayer, The Lord has revealed Himself to me and my hurt and anger have dissipated. Sometimes I feel lost and by the end of my prayer I see the way He wants me to go, and even if I don’t I know, He is with me and I’ll be okay.

Asaph cried out to God for help in the face of Israel’s enemies. He knew that if they were Israel’s enemies they were enemies of God. Verses 3-8 read,

“They lay crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against your treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant--
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Asshur also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah”

So many nations hated Israel, and Asaph understood that if they hated Israel they made themselves enemies of The One True Living God. If anyone hates us so intently they want to destroy us, it should be because of Christ. They should hate us for Christ’s sake, not for our wickedness, but for our love. (John 15:18-23). We are God’s treasured ones. He cherishes us. And so if someone stands up against us, they stand up against God. Exodus 23:22 reads,

“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 “When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, 24 you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.25 You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.”

The people who plotted against Israel, all thought they knew God, but they knew a god of their own creation. Some had their roots in Abraham, but they twisted God to become what their false religion wanted, instead of who He is. People today do that as well. They say they love god, but their god is not The Lord God Almighty. Their god is a manifestation of themselves, a god who wouldn’t care about sin or a god who wouldn’t let people go to Hell. Because their perspective is so skewed they can’t see the truth.

The Lord wants the best for us. And because He loves us so much He will discipline us, sometimes He allows our enemies to attack. But even when we are attacked, even when God inspires them to attack, He avenges us. He doesn’t let people hurt us without punishing them. (Ezekiel 25:7-11).

God will move at the right time to avenge us. He doesn’t call us treasured for nothing. We don’t have to wonder if God will move, we only have to trust He will. We only have to remember all He has already done to know that He will always come through. In Verses 9-12 Asaph reminded himself of what The Lord had done.

“Do to them as you did to Midian,
    as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who were destroyed at En-dor,
    who became dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
    of the pastures of God.”

The enemy can’t have you! You belong to God. The enemy can’t take possession of you, Jesus bought you for a price and He won’t take that lightly. You are His. He doesn’t want you to be sullied by the enemy. 1 Corinthians 6:14-15 say,

“And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!”

You can have faith that although you may be attacked now, you will come through it at the right time because God will deliver you at the right time. He doesn’t discipline because He enjoys seeing you suffer, He disciplines because He treasures you. You are God’s child. Hebrews 12:3-8 reads,

“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
    nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. “

You will suffer. People will hate you, but not without purpose. With each trial, with every tribulation, The Holy Spirit conforms you more to Christ’s image. (Romans 8:26-30). He nurtures you, tends you, prunes you and grows the Fruit, the manifestations of Jesus’ Character in you.

Israel had enemies but The Lord God didn’t let them succeed for long. He destroyed them. Verses 13-17 say,

“O my God, make them like whirling dust,
    like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so may you pursue them with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane!
16 Fill their faces with shame,
    that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,”

We have enemies too, but do you really think we have to worry about them? Do you know how awesome God is? Do you realize what a miracle it is that Jesus died for you? Romans 31-39 says,

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The ultimate purpose for your suffering is that you resemble Jesus, not only in words but actions, and spirit. When people look at you and see Jesus, that is called glorifying Jesus. It means that you are reflecting The Lord. You are giving to the church, and the lost what Jesus gives to you. When you do that people will know that He is The LORD. Verse 18 says,

“that they may know that you alone,
    whose name is the Lord,
    are the Most High over all the earth.”

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Psalm 55 In Whom Do You Trust?

7/15/2015

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Psalm 55

Who or what do you put your faith in? Do you put your faith into yourself, trusting your instincts ad emotions to lead you? Our feelings do not always guide us with wisdom. David had been betrayed by a friend. He was greatly wounded and in his distress he wrote this poem, a prayer to The Lord. Verses 1-8 read,

“Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2 Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
3 because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
7 yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8 I would hurry to find a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.”

David’s emotions lied to him. He felt like God wasn’t hearing his prayers. He was suffering and afraid. Those feelings made him want to fly away from it all and seek refuge in a tent in the wilderness. He wanted to escape his suffering rather than go through it.

But we know that God will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5). Although our emotions, our flesh leads us to cower and escape torment, troubles, and trials, God calls us to let him be our refuge. Romans 8:5-8 puts it this way,

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Our emotions (our flesh) do not always lead us properly, but the Spirit always does. The Spirit carries us through the difficulties we experience and conforms us to Jesus’ beautiful likeness through them. Romans 8:26-29 reads,

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

David was hurting over the betrayal of a friend. He put his trust in this friend and the friend helped those who sought to kill David. Putting our faith in people isn’t a great idea. People are fallible. We are not all-powerful, perfect, and holy like our Lord God. We fail. We fall short of the mark. Only God almighty is worthy of our faith. Jesus lived the only perfect life ever. We trust Him and when people let us down, as they undoubtedly will or when we let others down as we undoubtedly will, God is still with us strengthening, leading, and perfecting us.

David was deeply hurt by the person he had once called friend. He cried out to God to punish him. Verses 9-15 record his passionate plea.

“Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
11     ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me--
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me--
    then I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in the throng.
15 Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.”

Have you ever felt so hurt that you like David asked God to kill someone? The deep emotions David felt prompted his injured soul to hate the betrayer. I know that I have experienced that sort of hate when someone hurt me. Those feelings are tantamount to murder. Seriously, we are not perfect. We all sin grievously. In Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus spoke about our anger and thought life this way,

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

David’s personal Judas deserved punishment, but so did David. Our enemies deserve punishment, but so do we. God is graceful and merciful. He loves us enough to give us Jesus. He loves us enough to count Jesus perfect love and life as our own just for the asking. He loves us enough to reform us as new creatures whose nature align with His own. When we depend on God, His love, mercy and grace become ours too and we can extend it to even the vilest of persons. We realize we were that despicable too. If God forgave us, shouldn’t we also forgive others? Verses 16-21 read,

“But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
19 God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
    and do not fear God.

20 My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
21 His speech was smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.”

People will hurt us. People can lie, they can feign sincerity. We want to believe them. David wanted to believe his one-time friend. Hoping the best of someone is not a sin. Wanting people to be sincere is not wrong. But putting out faith in them instead of God is a sin. If we trust God, then when we are hurt by people we can extend His grace, mercy, and love to them too. It won’t mean we aren’t hurt, but it lessens that wound and brings healing to us and maybe even to the one who hurt us.

When you are hurt don’t lash out at the person who wronged you, call out to The Lord, give Him your pain and sorrow and let Him make it beautiful. Trust that those who wronged you will be dealt with by your Lord, your Father, your Savior, and your Peace. Verses 22-23 read,

“Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

23 But you, O God, will cast them down
    into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
    shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.”

Do you put your trust in your feelings? Do you allow circumstances to rule you? Do you put your faith in people including yourself? Put your faith and trust in God. He is able. He is worthy. He is God The LORD.


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Psalm 44 Where is God in my Trials?

7/4/2015

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Psalm 44

I know there are times when you feel detached from The Lord, even when you have not sinned, even when you are doing everything a good Christian does. You’re going to church, you’re spending time with Him, and you’re reading the Bible. But somehow you are still being persecuted, you are still suffering. What do you do in times like that?

What do we do when it feels like our prayers are hitting the ceiling instead of being breathed in by Holy God? We trust God. We remember all the miracles, the guidance, and the good He has done for us. We trust that He hears us and knows what is best for us. We remember the truth, God will never leave us nor forsake us. Verses 1-3 read,

“O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.”

It was not Israel that won the Promised Land for themselves. It was God Almighty who gave it to them. He defeated their enemies. It was not their strength but His. What is it in our lives that we’ve taken credit for that we should be thanking God for? What gifts and talents do we have that we have not acknowledged are from God and used them for His Kingdom? God loves us so much. He enjoys giving us blessings, fighting for us, and bringing us to the city He has promised us in eternity, New Jerusalem. When we remember all God has done for us so far and all He did for those in the past, we are reminded that we can trust Him to carry us through all our present trials and all our future hardships. Verses 4-8 read,

“You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah”

Didn’t He save us before? Didn’t He vindicate us? We can trust in His strength not ours. We can have faith in His plan instead of our own. We can believe that salvation is ours and that eternal life began the moment we submitted to Him as Lord and King. Even when we are in the midst of persecution, tribulation, and suffering we can thank God and praise Him. He used our past suffering for our good and He is using our present pain for our good, and He will use our future experience for our good.

That means that sometimes we do go through persecution, hardships, and pain. That means that sometimes God will test our faith. He doesn’t do it to punish us. He doesn’t condemn us. He strengthens us and He shows us who we have become in Him. He holds up a mirror and lets us see His reflection looking back at us with immense and stalwart love. Our Father hasn’t forgotten us, instead He let go of the bicycle. He is so proud of who we are becoming and what we are doing. If He had never let go of the bike, if He had not proven our faith we would never know we could ride that bike wherever we needed to go. Falling is not fun and the injuries it causes are painful but we get back up, we get back on, and we trust God when He tells us He will always be there with us.

The author of this psalm felt the heaviness of the ordeal he endured. He could see that God was allowing the enemies of Israel to oppress them. Verses 9-16 read,

“But you have rejected us and disgraced us
    and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
    and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
    demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
    the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
    a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
    and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.”

But he prayed anyway, he trusted in who God was and he remembered all God had done and promised. He didn’t stop praying because times were hard. He didn’t stop believing that God is awesome because of his pain. And he didn’t stop praying for deliverance or believing that God would save him. Verses 17-22 read,

“All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten you,
    and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
    and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
    For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

These verses reflect the agony of suffering and the hope of maintaining and exercising faith. Look again at verse 19.

“yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
    and covered us with the shadow of death.”

What does the shadow of death bring to mind? Psalm 23:4 says,

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.”

God didn’t promise we wouldn’t walk through darkness or experience the effects of the evil of the world, but He did promise to be with us, and to use it for our good. (Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:28-29). He did promise that our response would be a testimony to the lost. (1 Peter 2:21). In Romans chapter 8 Paul quotes verse 22 of this psalm. Let’s read a portion of that profound chapter now, Romans 8:31-39 encourages us through the worst of troubles.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[i] against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Do you see how much God loves us? He is making us better and stronger because the world will war with Him and therefore us. But we are overcomers and victors in Christ. We are united with Him and cannot be separated from Him.

God can handle our honesty. He knows whether our words and thoughts reflect our heart. Because we are indelibly intricately inseparably united with God we can be sincere about our feelings. Often times when we bare those thoughts that are born from our flesh, God reveals our hearts to us and makes it possible to repent and further solidify our faith and trust in His greatness. Don’t be afraid to ask God for help. Don’t be afraid to say, “Yo, God did you forget me?” He will remind you He has not. The psalmist wasn’t afraid to authentically ask God to rescue Him, even when his attitude seemed irreverent. Verses 23-26 read,

“Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!”

Just remember this, The Lord loves you. He loves you deeply, consistently, and without condition. You cannot earn His love. You cannot merit His favor. How do you know this? Because Jesus died for you long before you were born. He died for your salvation before you took your first breath. He loves you so much. Remember that and trust Him through all your hardships. Celebrate Jesus no matter what you suffer.

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    Donna Campbell

    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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