Just sharing.

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“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”

2 Timothy 2:12

We must not imagine that we are suffering for Christ, and with Christ, if we are not in Christ. Beloved friend, are you trusting to Jesus only? If not, whatever you may have to mourn over on earth, you are not “suffering with Christ,” and have no hope of reigning with him in heaven. Neither are we to conclude that all a Christian's sufferings are sufferings with Christ, for it is essential that he be called by God to suffer.

If we are rash and imprudent, and run into positions for which neither providence nor grace has fitted us, we ought to question whether we are not rather sinning than communing with Jesus. If we let passion take the place of judgment, and self-will reign instead of Scriptural authority, we shall fight the Lord's battles with the devil's weapons, and if we cut our own fingers we must not be surprised. Again, in troubles which come upon us as the result of sin, we must not dream that we are suffering with Christ. When Miriam spoke evil of Moses, and the leprosy polluted her, she was not suffering for God.

Moreover, suffering which God accepts must have God's glory as its end. If I suffer that I may earn a name, or win applause, I shall get no other reward than that of the Pharisee. It is requisite also that love to Jesus, and love to his elect, be ever the mainspring of all our patience. We must manifest the Spirit of Christ in meekness, gentleness, and forgiveness. Let us search and see if we truly suffer with Jesus.

And if we do thus suffer, what is our “light affliction” compared with reigning with him? Oh it is so blessed to be in the furnace with Christ, and such an honour to stand in the pillory with him, that if there were no future reward, we might count ourselves happy in present honour; but when the recompense is so eternal, so infinitely more than we had any right to expect, shall we not take up the cross with alacrity, and go on our way rejoicing?

 

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Disassembled

Why did you disassemble me
And pull me all apart?
Left with all those questions
And groping in the dark

Opened up and broken
I didn’t understand
Your voice so often silent
Not knowing what you planned

Your ways beyond discovering
Unexpected twists and turns
Long and winding detours
From desires I thought were yours

Put on a shelf and left there
I’ve felt so unfulfilled
Past years had been so fruitful
But now a barren field

Yet slowly it emerges
A glimpse into your will
Mist burns away in morning sun
Your wisdom to reveal

There is more to come, I hear you say
Good deeds yet still to do
You have your purpose and your means
My role these to pursue

Now I start to recognize the work you had begun:
You disassembled me
To reassemble me
In the image of your son.

 

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He is near to the righteous The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29 KJV __________________ For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. Isaiah 30:19 KJV __________________ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, "Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:9-11 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

Isaiah 26:4

Seeing that we have such a God to trust to, let us rest upon him with all our weight; let us resolutely drive out all unbelief, and endeavour to get rid of doubts and fears, which so much mar our comfort; since there is no excuse for fear where God is the foundation of our trust. A loving parent would be sorely grieved if his child could not trust him; and how ungenerous, how unkind is our conduct when we put so little confidence in our heavenly Father who has never failed us, and who never will.

It were well if doubting were banished from the household of God; but it is to be feared that old Unbelief is as nimble nowadays as when the psalmist asked, “Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Will he be favourable no more?” David had not made any very lengthy trial of the mighty sword of the giant Goliath, and yet he said, “There is none like it.” He had tried it once in the hour of his youthful victory, and it had proved itself to be of the right metal, and therefore he praised it ever afterwards; even so should we speak well of our God, there is none like unto him in the heaven above or the earth beneath; “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.”

There is no rock like unto the rock of Jacob, our enemies themselves being judges. So far from suffering doubts to live in our hearts, we will take the whole detestable crew, as Elijah did the prophets of Baal, and slay them over the brook; and for a stream to kill them at, we will select the sacred torrent which wells forth from our Saviour's wounded side. We have been in many trials, but we have never yet been cast where we could not find in our God all that we needed. Let us then be encouraged to trust in the Lord for ever, assured that his ever lasting strength will be, as it has been, our succour and stay.

 

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"The Hammer"


I pictured clearly in my mind
The cross at Calvary
I saw a line of people there
With names from A-Z

The line moved slowly single file
We knew why we were there
My turn is coming up I sobbed
My heart filled with despair

Alas I stood before His face
I saw shame and sorrow, mixed with grace
I gazed at Him so tenderly
Two pain filled eyes gazed back at me

I saw the blood upon His brow
I heard Him say, It’s your turn now
You must pound the nails without delay
I AM dying here for you today

Pick up the hammer and hold it tight
Now, swing it back with your might
And drive the nails yet deeper in
I AM here to take away your sin

The hardest thing I have ever done
Was to drive the nails in God’s own Son
But there was just no other way
And He offers that hammer to you today

 

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He is listening... Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. Job 22:26,27 NIV __________________ But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Psalm 4:3 KJV __________________ This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:6,15-17 RSV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“How many are mine iniquities and sins?”

Job 13:23

Have you ever really weighed and considered how great the sin of God's people is? Think how heinous is your own transgression, and you will find that not only does a sin here and there tower up like an alp, but that your iniquities are heaped upon each other, as in the old fable of the giants who piled Pelian upon Ossa, mountain upon mountain. What an aggregate of sin there is in the life of one of the most sanctified of God's children! Attempt to multiply this, the sin of one only, by the multitude of the redeemed, “a number which no man can number,” and you will have some conception of the great mass of the guilt of the people for whom Jesus shed his blood.

But we arrive at a more adequate idea of the magnitude of sin by the greatness of the remedy provided. It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God's only and well-beloved Son. God's Son! Angels cast their crowns before him! All the choral symphonies of heaven surround his glorious throne. “God over all, blessed for ever. Amen.” And yet he takes upon himself the form of a servant, and is scourged and pierced, bruised and torn, and at last slain; since nothing but the blood of the incarnate Son of God could make atonement for our offences. No human mind can adequately estimate the infinite value of the divine sacrifice, for great as is the sin of God's people, the atonement which takes it away is immeasurably greater.

Therefore, the believer, even when sin rolls like a black flood, and the remembrance of the past is bitter, can yet stand before the blazing throne of the great and holy God, and cry, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea rather, that hath risen again.” While the recollection of his sin fills him with shame and sorrow, he at the same time makes it a foil to show the brightness of mercy—guilt is the dark night in which the fair star of divine love shines with serene splendour.

 

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Philippians 2 As A Mission Statement


For the Body of Christ, Philippians 2 is a great chapter to take to heart and mind as it reflects Christ Himself.

A Church’s Mission
Most churches have mission statements or specific purpose statements. They have these in order to tell a visitor what the church’s central focus is or what their mission is. Is it aligned with Christ’s directives (Matt 25:35-36, 28:18-20), or is it ambiguous and doesn’t really say much? What is the church’s priority here on earth? What is its involvement with the community? What is the church doing now? Most importantly, is there the preaching of the Word; primarily expository preaching, verse by verse preaching? Are worship services Christ-centered or what they call, Christo-centric? Does the gospel include what Jesus says it must include, which is to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14-15)? A church’s mission statement is one thing, but what comes out of the pulpit is essential.

To Know Him
I’ve read that the word “Christian” really means a “little Christ,” but upon examination of the Greek word (“chrematizo”), which is in the active voice, means “take up the name,” and in baptism, we are identified with Christ, as well as the Father and the Holy Spirit, but regardless of that, it should be the goal of every believer to become more like Christ and less like our selves. What complicates things is that sanctification takes a lifetime.

The best we can do is to yield to the Spirit’s work in us and try to imitate Christ as best we can. Naturally we don’t do this to save ourselves since we’re saved by God’s grace independent of our works (Eph 2:8-9), but we’re told to imitate Christ one of the best imitations of Christ is found in Philippians 2, and these are the very things to consider as we desire to be more Christ-like, but most people wouldn’t sign up for suffering, even though the Bible says we can know Him better by sharing in the same sufferings that He did. These things can help us know Christ better. Paul’s great desire was, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil 3:10). Want to know Christ better? Share in His sufferings, but what were His sufferings?

The most obvious suffering was that of the cross, so we can’t share in that suffering, but we can suffer rejection, scorn, ridicule, and even being called insane, because that’s what happened to Jesus! Paul writes as if the Philippians had received a great reward, saying that, “it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Phil 1:29), but in reality, it is a reward. And you cannot know how Christ’s rejection felt to Him until you’ve been rejected because of Christ. If you are sharing in His rejections, you are sharing in His sufferings, but that’s okay; that’s how we get to know Him better!

Jesus’ Nature
If you ever wanted to take to heart your own personal mission statement, you’ll find excellent material in Philippians 2. The Apostle Paul prayed that the church would be “of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (Phil 2:2), and unity works best when we “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil 2:3). One way we can esteem others better than ourselves is to have humility, as we “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:4).

Now contrast that with who we are and Who Jesus is, and how He “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7), and even “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil 2:6). The ultimate expression of Jesus’ selflessness, humility, and servanthood was when “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). God has given us a schematic that we can align our lives to in having unity, humility, selflessness, and dying to one’s own carnal desires to serve others. It’s found in Philippians 2.

Christlikeness
Philippians 2 defines true Christlikeness to me; to be Christ-like is to be like Christ, and this includes a desire to have unity (Phil 2:2), and humility (Phil 2:3), while thinking of others (Phil 2:4), and being a servant (Phil 2:7), even dying to self (Phil 2:6). These characteristics are what Christ was like! He and the Father are one in unity and purpose and always have been, and the Body of Christ must act like Christ and must function in unity in order to do what Jesus would do if He were still here on earth, and those things are defined by Jesus Himself. For example in Matthew 25:35-36, we do it to others, but it’s really doing it unto Him (Matt 25:40), but it’s very difficult to do these things without unity, humility, selflessness, and not dying to self.

Of course, we don’t do things for Christ in order to be saved; it is because we are saved. Many who profess Christ and yet do nothing for Him will be in stunned on the Day of Judgment (Matt 25:41). Others will be doing these things because they’re only playing church, but that too will end tragically (Matt 7:21-23). This may be why the Apostle Peter said to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Pet 1:10).

Conclusion
So Philippians 2 is our template upon which to carry out the commission Christ has given us. It shows us that we are to serve Christ in humility, harmony, unity, and do so willingly, and that includes sharing the gospel (Matt 25:18-20), and when you share the gospel of repentance and faith, you’ll soon be sharing in the sufferings of Christ; being rejected, ridiculed, scorned, and despised, but that’s fine. We can know Christ better, and besides, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Pet 4:14).

Of course, we don’t seek out persecution, but we will receive it when we share Christ. It will happen because it happened to Him (John 15:20). We are to do to others as we do unto Christ (Matt 25:40), and that means we should “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Phil 2:14), because that’s just what Jesus did (1 Pet 2:23), and remember, our mission is to become more like Him and less like us.

 

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Return to Me! 'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend (tear) your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing-- grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Joel 2:12-14 NIV __________________ But when I say to the wicked, "You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live. Ezekiel 33:14-16 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“As it began to dawn, came Magdalene, to see the sepulchre.”

Matthew 28:1

Let us learn from Mary Magdalene how to obtain fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Notice how she sought. She sought the Saviour very early in the morning. If thou canst wait for Christ, and be patient in the hope of having fellowship with him at some distant season, thou wilt never have fellowship at all; for the heart that is fitted for communion is a hungering and a thirsting heart.

She sought him also with very great boldness. Other disciples fled from the sepulchre, for they trembled and were amazed; but Mary, it is said, “stood” at the sepulchre. If you would have Christ with you, seek him boldly. Let nothing hold you back. Defy the world. Press on where others flee. She sought Christ faithfully—she stood at the sepulchre. Some find it hard to stand by a living Saviour, but she stood by a dead one. Let us seek Christ after this mode, cleaving to the very least thing that has to do with him, remaining faithful though all others should forsake him.

Note further, she sought Jesus earnestly—she stood “weeping”. Those tear-droppings were as spells that led the Saviour captive, and made him come forth and show himself to her. If you desire Jesus’ presence, weep after it! If you cannot be happy unless he come and say to you, “Thou art my beloved,” you will soon hear his voice.

Lastly, she sought the Saviour only. What cared she for angels, she turned herself back from them; her search was only for her Lord. If Christ be your one and only love, if your heart has cast out all rivals, you will not long lack the comfort of his presence. Mary Magdalene sought thus because she loved much. Let us arouse ourselves to the same intensity of affection; let our heart, like Mary's, be full of Christ, and our love, like hers, will be satisfied with nothing short of himself. O Lord, reveal thyself to us this evening!

 

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5 Great Prayers For Times Of Trouble


When we are weak and need God to strengthen us, we need to go to Him in prayer and pray back His Word to Him, so here are 5 prayers for strength in the Bible.
Troubled Waters
When Jonah continued to resist the will of God, God pursued him by hurling a great storm and then sending a great fish, and from the sound of Jonah’s prayer, it sounded like Jonah was on the verge of death. Some even believe he died but was brought back to life and why Jesus used this account to point to His own death, being three days and nights in the grave, and then being resurrected to life (Matt 12:40). Jesus however is God and cannot die, even though His physical body did, but when the waters enclosed Jonah and it appeared he was about to die, he cried in prayer and said, “The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains.

I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple” (Jonah 2:5-7). You may not be as near to death as Jonah was, but when the troubled waters close in around you, cry out to God, and like Jonah, He may bring your “life from the pit.”

Surrounded
For Christians in some parts of the world, they are outnumbered and considered an enemy for their faith in Christ, and at times, it must feel like they’re surrounded by those who oppose the gospel, and many times they are. The psalmist also knew that feeling of being surrounded by enemies and prayed, “O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (Psalm 3:1-6). The psalmist is saying that God plus one (you) is a majority.

Heartrending Prayer
When Hannah was the only one it seemed to not have a child in her family, she wept bitterly. In the Jewish culture, it was a shame for a woman not to bear children, especially after many years. Hannah may have spent countless nights praying and weeping to God, crying out for a child, so one time, Hannah “was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head” (1 Sam 1:10-11). That’s just what happened and the great prophet Samuel was born. God did use him “all the days of his life.”

Come to the Water
When we’ve blown it…again, we can always come to the throne of grace through our Mediator, Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness. When we’ve sinned, we can pray as the David did after his adultery and conspiracy to have Bathsheba’s husband murdered. In one of the greatest prayers of repentance in the Bible, David prayed, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (Psalm 51:1-4). We probably haven’t murdered anyone or committed adultery, but we can always come for a cleansing for all our sins. For those who haven’t yet trusted in Christ, He says, come to the Living Water (John 4). Isaiah writes, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1).

Intercessory Prayer
What does it make you feel like when you hear someone’s has been praying for you? Pretty good, right? Well consider this. Daniel prayed for his nation Israel that God would forgive their sins after falling into idolatry and as a result, were taken into captivity. Notice Daniel doesn’t say, “Forgive them of their sins,” but rather, “we have rebelled” (Dan 9:9). Daniel includes himself, even though there is no sign he ever committed a sin, but of course, all sin and fall short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23), so Daniel humbly includes himself. He prayed, “O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.

O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name” (Dan 9:17-19). Daniel’s concern wasn’t with himself or his own welfare but with God’s name and His glory and the people of God. Daniel prayed an intercessory pray for the people of Israel. We can do that for our nation and that God would send repentance to the land (2 Tim 2:24-26).

Conclusion
There is strength in God’s Word, and that strength is available 24/7, so run to the Book of Psalms, or Isaiah, or Jonah, or several other great prayers in the Old and New Testament. There is comfort and strength that is found only in His Word, and besides, all of us find times where we need to be strengthened and encouraged, and I believe these 5 prayers for strength can help you do just that. Why don’t you share these with someone today?

 

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A Glorious Kingdom Christ is Coming Again! See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor." Isaiah 55:4,5 NIV __________________ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:10-12 KJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“His camp is very great.”

Joel 2:11

Consider, my soul, the mightiness of the Lord who is thy glory and defense. He is a man of war, Jehovah is his name. All the forces of heaven are at his beck, legions wait at his door, cherubim and seraphim;, watchers and holy ones, principalities and powers, are all attentive to his will. If our eyes were not blinded by the ophthalmia of the flesh, we should see horses of fire and chariots of fire round about the Lord's beloved.

The powers of nature are all subject to the absolute control of the Creator: stormy wind and tempest, lightning and rain, and snow, and hail, and the soft dews and cheering sunshine, come and go at his decree. The bands of Orion he looses, and binds the sweet influences of the Pleiades. Earth, sea, and air, and the places under the earth, are the barracks for Jehovah's great armies; space is his camping ground, light is his banner, and flame is his sword.

When he goes forth to war, famine ravages the land, pestilence smites the nations, hurricane sweeps the sea, tornado shakes the mountains, and earthquake makes the solid world to tremble. As for animate creatures, they all own his dominion, and from the great fish which swallowed the prophet, down to “all manner of flies,” which plagued the field of Zoan, all are his servants, and like the palmer-worm, the caterpillar, and the cankerworm, are squadrons of his great army, for his camp is very great.

My soul, see to it that thou be at peace with this mighty King, yea, more, be sure to enlist under his banner, for to war against him is madness, and to serve him is glory. Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, is ready to receive recruits for the army of the Lord: if I am not already enlisted let me go to him ere I sleep, and beg to be accepted through his merits; and if I be already, as I hope I am, a soldier of the cross, let me be of good courage; for the enemy is powerless compared with my Lord, whose camp is very great.

 

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Why Do We Hide From Romans 1?


Romans 1:18-32
I’ll bet when those who want to avoid the judgment of God make up their mental lists of Top Ten Wanted passages of the Bible that Romans 1:17-32 is Public Enemy #1, or close to it.
But, surprisingly, I’m not going to write much about them. Writing about and judging them doesn’t do my soul much good. Let’s see, who does that leave? Being a Bible devotional I write for my own edification, I am compelled to apply Romans 1 to myself first. But I do have another audience. As I write this, there are about 500 of you receiving this today and another number of you who pass this onto others. I hope that many more people will read this in the future.
I’m not letting any of us off the hook, because our job today is to hear what the Lord has to say to us, not to them.

I want to make a few, inarguable points from Romans 1, before I learn what they mean for me. First, in spite of assurances to the contrary from a variety of Christians, God is a wrathful God; that is, He has a righteous anger. Why is He angry? Because He is perfectly righteous, holy, and without sin, and He cannot dwell with sin. Second, this wrath is toward those who are evil and are not holy, breaking God’s commandments. Third, those who act against God have some knowledge of Him. Fourth, this knowledge is clear enough from the Creation so that men are without excuse.

If I were writing to those who continued to suppress the knowledge of God and were in danger of God’s eternal wrath against them, I would have something different to say. But since I presume you to be my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ who have received and accepted the knowledge of God, I have something else to say to you.
I’d like to reverse the orientation. If God’s wrath is revealed against those who have no excuse to acknowledge Him because since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful – what should this mean to us? The opposite. Let me explain.

We, as ones with faith, are to see His invisible attributes by this faith, by which we are justified. From what God has made, we are to understand the Godhead, power, and glory of God. And so I see intimations of the Trinity, the Godhead, in His Creation. Intimations of a mystery, and not ironclad logical proof. Humans are often seen as tripartite: body, mind, and soul, or body, soul, and spirit. Our reality is composed of the trinity of space, matter, and time, while space itself is composed of three dimensions that hold together in one body, and the one creation known as time is at the same time past, present, and future. Even, strangely enough, our political system of checks and balances reminds me of my Trinity. The Father legislates His holy will, which the Son executes, and the Spirit interprets to His people. Maybe I’m chasing phantasms, and maybe I’m not.

I love not just the nano world that God has created but also the yet uncharted pico (trillionth), femto (quadrillionth), atto (quintillionth), zepto (septillionth), and yocto (sextillionth) worlds, not to mention the giga, terra (trillion), peta (quadrillion), exa (quintillion), zetta (sextallion) and yotta (septillion) worlds. No wonder my favorite book growing up was Dr. Seuss’ On Beyond Zebra! I love atoms and quarks and neutron stars, black holes, and quasars, but especially the One who created them.


I love biology, the study of life. If my life had taken a different path I would liked to have been a pioneer in the art and science of theobiology, the study of how God is made known by His creation of life. At least I’ve invented a term so that maybe one of my children will invent this science. Although I can’t say that I love all species of insects (termites, fire ants, and cockroaches [except the giant hissing Madagascar cockroaches] come to mind), I love the God who thought to create a guesstimated 8 million species of them.

I especially love man and all of the thousands of different molecules communicating with each other precisely, and the double helix, and the dense mass of neurons in my cranium, but even more the emotions and thought, the science and the art, the work and the play, the relationships and the families and the cultures and most especially the souls that can laugh and cry and love and worship.
If you find these things mysterious and wonderful as I do, then think of how wonderful and mysterious the One who made them is. What power to create not only the obvious glories like the sun and moon and stars but also to be able to do some of His best non-living art while carving solid rock with nothing but the patient brush of windy years.

What glory to be the one who created not only the blinding sun and the heavens and earth but that most deceptively glorious creation of all, the only one who truly images Him: man! Who among us, from the cavemen to the Einsteins among us, from the Mother Theresas and the Teresa of Avilas to the Voltaires and Richard Dawkinses hasn’t feared at an earthquake, tornado, tsunami, or hurricane; gasped at a lake embedded in a canyon or a scarlet sunset; or wept out of suffering or joy or both in a human relationship?

We know God, and we can’t pretend that we don’t. For those of us who believe, how much of the time do we act as if we know Him? And how can we show that we truly know Him and His power and glory?
Paul suggests that the appropriate response to God is to give Him glory and to thank Him, two things we can summarize by the word “worship.” We were created for God and by God that we might live with Him and worship Him. How else could we possibly respond to Him?
See what you’re missing if you skip Romans 1:18-32? See what you’re missing if you skip any of the words God is speaking to you!

Prayer: I thank Thee, my Creator and Lord, that Thou hast given me these joys in Thy creation, this ecstasy over the works of Thy hands. I have made known the glory of Thy works to men as far as my finite spirit was able to comprehend Thy infinity. If I have said anything wholly unworthy of Thee, or have aspired after my own glory, graciously forgive me. (Johann Kepler)

Point for Meditation:

1. What things in God’s creation reveal Him to you? How does each of these things make you feel towards Him?
2. How many times during an average day do you give glory to God or thank Him?

Resolution: I resolve to worship God with Romans 1 in mind today. This worship may take the form of prayer, a hymn (“For the Beauty of the Earth,” All Things Bright and Beautiful,” “This is My Father’s World,” etc.) , reading a Morning Prayer service, etc.

 

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Obedience and Righteousness How do we know we are truly saved? Two words: Obedience and Righteousness. We depend on Him for both. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Luke 15:21,22 NIV __________________ "But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery which they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity; then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. Leviticus 26:40-42 RSV __________________ Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. Psalm 106:3 KJV __________________ Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19,20 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Let not one of them escape.”

1 Kings 18:40

When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of Baal, and sternly cried, “Let not one of them escape.” He took them all down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. So must it be with our sins — they are all doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die. Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon his own Son. With stern unflinching purpose must you condemn to death that sin which was once the idol of your heart.

Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin, and recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself, and repented in dust and ashes.

The fine gold of the Christian is oft becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly to our God, he is a consuming fire; he will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in his sight. Go forth to battle with Amalek, in his strength, and utterly destroy the accursed crew: let not one of them escape.

 

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The Consequences Of Obedience And Disobedience


There are consequences for every action, both good and bad, just as there are consequences to obeying or not obeying God’s law.

Blessings and Curses
It could not be clearer that obedience blessings us while disobedience brings curses or negative consequences. There are only twelve verses in Deuteronomy that outline the blessings that come from obedience (28:3-14), but there are sixty-five verses where curses are the result of disobedience (27:15-26; 28:16-68). [1] Although God has determined to save Israel because of His covenant with Abraham, there is still responsibility or consequences for the nation’s actions. The society in which we live operates in much the same way. When someone breaks the law and they are caught, they have to pay some form of penalty. Years ago, I was forced to ride to work with my cousin until my car wax fixed, but he got road rage every morning on the way to work, and every afternoon, on the way home. He passed cars, sometimes briefly crossing the double-yellow lines…and only to save a few minutes.

At best, he might get home about 2 or 3 minutes earlier, but I’d rather be late and arrive safely than to put my life at risk for a few minutes of time. Occasionally, he’d pay for his driving by getting tickets, and not only did these tickets cost money, they drove up his insurance rates. Now he pays a lot more for insurance than he used too. His disobedience of the law brought about bad consequences, even though he was free to obey or disobey. In the same way, Israel knows what God expects and they are obligated to obey or pay the consequences for their disobedience. The same thing applies to individuals, and corporately, with nations.

Nearer to God
An interesting thing happened when Israel obeyed the Law. God’s presence or His nearness was felt and seen, however since we know God is holy, He cannot dwell where sin is present, so if there is no repentance, He is not going to be near to any person or any nation as much as He would be if they lived in obedience to His law. Just as God is no respecter of persons, neither is He a respecter of any nation. We know that God did not choose Israel because of their greatness or moral superiority. He says, “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut 7:7-8), but He does expect us to have regard for the poor, like widows or orphans (James 1:27).

God’s Law
Some say that God’s law is reflective of His character. They reveal Who He is and what He is like. That’s why the law was so important to Israel’s existence. The Book of Deuteronomy is clear that the exhortations to obey the law (4:1-4) come with stipulations tied to the Sinaitic Covenant (4:44-28-68), which is reaffirmed by Moses. This covenant says that both blessings and curses are dependent upon obedience or disobedience (27:1-28:68), and many of these civil laws are being upheld in nations today.

These laws deal with societal order, from respecting property lines (19:14), to not bearing false witness in judicial matters (19:16-19), to matters of sexual immorality in regards to the conduct of men and women, both married and unmarried (22:13-30), and even laws intended to keep the courts free of frivolous lawsuits or cases (22:1-12). These laws are intended to make Israel holy and to be an example to other nations, which is why God says that they should “purge the evil from among” them (13:5; 17:7; 19:19, etc.). If Israel had obeyed, they would have been the supreme example to other nations.

Obedience and Prosperity
John Adams; The Second President of the United States
Our local, state, and federal officials expect the local citizens to abide by the law, and to meet certain expectations and obligations, like paying taxes, and if Israel had obeyed, God promised to exalt them too in “praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made,” for the purpose of exhibiting them to all the nations that practice evil, for they are to “be a people holy to the Lord” (Deut 26:19). Shortly after America gained her independence, many of the laws that were written came straight out of the Bible.

There were laws concerning property boundaries, giving false testimony in a court of law, stipulations for involuntary manslaughter, and representation of the poor. During his inauguration as president, John Adams wrote “And may that Being who is supreme over all, the Patron of Order, the Fountain of Justice, and the Protector in all ages of the world of virtuous liberty, continue His blessing upon this nation and its Government and give it all possible success and duration consistent with the ends of His providence.” [2] Adams tied in blessings for the nation to that of upholding justice and virtuous liberty (obedience), and any possible success was directly tied to God’s presence “with (or by means of) the ends of His providence.” These national blessings were to be upon the nation and its government because they were mutually inclusive. This made America a Christian beacon to other nations of the world, at least for a couple of centuries.

Conclusion
Obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings curses, so it’s close to Sir Isaac Newton’s law, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Breaking God’s law, just as breaking mankind’s law, brings consequences that are anything but good. We are all free to choose to do what is right, even when you’re in the minority, but as you know, what is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular. Choose to do what is right, whether it’s popular or not. Disobey, and there is no guarantee of any blessing from God…only consequences that are anything but good.

 

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Life Can Be Beautiful
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."1

A friend wrote about holding her breath when she saw a lady come sailing out of a local shopping center in a wheelchair. "She was as happy and joyful as any mother I had ever seen," my friend said.

In this handicapped mother's lap sat her little boy. He laughed out loud as his mother did a fancy spin in her wheelchair. Round and round they went, laughing with delight as they disappeared into the crowd.

I realize that there are many tragic situations in this life, as we live in a world that has been broken by mankind's fall into sin, and all of life's "curses" will not be put away until Jesus Christ returns for all those who have put their faith and trust in him, and accepted him as their Savior and Lord.

In the meantime, however, in thinking about the handicapped women in the wheelchair, in so many of life's situations, life can become beautiful for many who have major setbacks in their life when they daily commit and trust their life to Jesus Christ, and in their mind and thinking choose to make the very best with what they have, in spite of what they don't have.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the promise in your Word that assures me that 'all things' do work together for good for those who love you and who are called according to your purpose. Please take my life and make something beautiful out of it all for the glory of your name, and please help me to love you with all my heart, mind and strength. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Romans 8:28 (NKJV).

 

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Ruth 2:17

Let me learn from Ruth, the gleaner. As she went out to gather the ears of corn, so must I go forth into the fields of prayer, meditation, the ordinances, and hearing the word to gather spiritual food. The gleaner gathers her portion ear by ear; her gains are little by little: so must I be content to search for single truths, if there be no greater plenty of them. Every ear helps to make a bundle, and every gospel lesson assists in making us wise unto salvation.

The gleaner keeps her eyes open: if she stumbled among the stubble in a dream, she would have no load to carry home rejoicingly at eventide. I must be watchful in religious exercises lest they become unprofitable to me; I fear I have lost much already — O that I may rightly estimate my opportunities, and glean with greater diligence. The gleaner stoops for all she finds, and so must I. High spirits criticize and object, but lowly minds glean and receive benefit. A humble heart is a great help towards profitably hearing the gospel. The engrafted soul-saving word is not received except with meekness. A stiff back makes a bad gleaner; down, master pride, thou art a vile robber, not to be endured for a moment.

What the gleaner gathers she holds: if she dropped one ear to find another, the result of her day's work would be but scant; she is as careful to retain as to obtain, and so at last her gains are great. How often do I forget all that I hear; the second truth pushes the first out of my head, and so my reading and hearing end in much ado about nothing! Do I feel duly the importance of storing up the truth? A hungry belly makes the gleaner wise; if there be no corn in her hand, there will be no bread on her table; she labors under the sense of necessity, and hence her tread is nimble and her grasp is firm; I have even a greater necessity, Lord, help me to feel it, that it may urge me onward to glean in fields which yield so plenteous a reward to diligence.

 

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Are Millennials The New Evangelists?


Sharing the gospel with the lost is an imperative command from Jesus Christ, but for many, the Great Commission has become the great omission, but not for millennials.

Doing it unto Christ
Today, millennials share their faith in Christ more than any other age group in the church. For some reason, the millennials are the most passionate about sharing their faith, and it’s a denomination-wide phenomena. They share Christ more than any other generation in the church today. They are also more involved with the poor, widows and widowers, the homeless, home-bound, nursing home residents, and the oppressed. They tend to read Jesus’ commands and do them. When Jesus was speaking to the disciples about serving others (Matt 25:35-36), He said that by caring for the naked (the poor), the sick, prisoners, and strangers, they were doing it unto Him (Matt 25:40). And that’s what millennials are doing. Some criticize their work as trying to change the world through social causes and not trying to convert hearts through the Word of God, but at least they are serving. That’s our experience in the local nursing home and in the prison ministry. Whatever is driving these millennials (probably the Spirit of God), they are making an impact on reaching the lost for Christ.

Of Necessity
After Jesus death and resurrection, and just prior to His ascension into heaven, He told the disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:18-20). This was an imperative command, not something He hoped they do. Paul knew He was under compulsion from God as he wrote, “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor 9:16)! When Jeremiah thought about not speaking for God anymore, he said, “if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jer 20:9). The disciples refused to be silent about Christ, telling the Jewish leaders, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

The Millennial Fire
In the last few years, millennials have surpassed all other people in the church as far as sharing their faith is concerned. In 2010, 56% of millennials shared Christ, but in just 3 years (2013), that number had jumped to 65%! [1] Even more, 2/3rds of them have shared Christ within the last year compared to only 52% of all other age groups in Christianity. For some reason, Baby Boomers have been moving in just the opposite direction; sharing Christ from over 65% (in 2007) of the time to only 49% (in 2013). [1] Not only is education important to millennials, so are relationships, and relationships are what keeps millennials involved in serving. Thom Rainer believes getting and keeping millennials “involved in a service, activity, or ministry is through relationships.” [2] Too frequently I hear that “This younger generation doesn’t get it,” but we don’t give them enough credit. We often make sweeping generalizations about the younger generations, but every generation has seemed to do that. At least the millennials are involved in serving, and they are more passionate about sharing Christ than others are.

The Word of God
Using the Word of God is essential because therein lies the power (Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18). God says through Jeremiah, “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces” (Jer 23:29), and His Word says to all, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food” (Isaiah 55:1-2). Jesus Himself, Who is the Living Water, says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37b-38), but we must first speak about the Living Waters. Paul asks, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news” (Rom 10:14-15)!

Conclusion
I can understand why Christ “said to his disciples, ’The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Matt 9:37-38). Today it seems fewer and fewer are witnessing for Christ, but evangelism is still important to many of the millennials today. If only we have a person of God who’ll share the Word of God and then comes the Spirit of God, can He create the children of God. The cross is foolish to the world, “but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18), so like Paul, may we say, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). The Apostle Peter adds that all believers should “honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet 3:15). Not one person I know of was ever argued or debated into heaven.