Avoiding Presumptive Planning: Insights from James 4

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Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

James 4:13-16

As we say good-bye to one year and prepare to welcome the beginning of another, we are often encouraged to take time to reflect on the year ending and make plans for the new year. How do we go about doing that? What are the criteria we use to evaluate the past, and determine plans for the future?

From my personal observations and experiences, I have come to the conclusion that often we engage in the fallacy of presumptive reasoning. James, in the passage quoted above, warns against this faulty way of thinking. He refers to someone who is obviously making plans for the immediate future, saying that he is about to head out on a journey that will take him to a certain destination where he will engage in business transactions that will result in a profit. There are several obvious fallacies in his line of reasoning.

First, he is assuming that he will be physically able to make this projected journey. Granted, this is something we all do – we make plans as if we are going to be around to see the fulfillment of those plans. We don’t usually make it a habit of sitting around with morbid thoughts of our physical death. We don’t allow ourselves to be consumed with thoughts of our own mortality. Those thoughts are for the most part foreign to us. We don’t think about our own death until we are forced to do so. This particular individual is certainly engaging in the art of presumption in relation to his own longetivity.

His second assumption is that he will be able to arrive at his destination. Again, when we plan to take a journey, we do the same thing. Just a couple weeks ago we set out for a trip to Texas to attend our grandson’s graduation from college. When we made our plans for the trip, we assumed that we would arrive safely at our son’s home in Mesquite, TX. which, thankfully, we did.

A third assumption was made that once he had arrived in his city of choice he would then engage in a successful business venture that would result in profit for him. I’m not sure of the state of economic volatility in the city to which he planned to travel, and I’m not sure of how much research he had put into this particular venture, but it sounds as if he was counting his chickens before they hatched, as the old saying goes. He was presuming that his venture would prove to be a success producing a windfall for him.

Still another matter of presumptive reasoning is that he planned to stay in this city for a year. Again, he is making assumptions based on very limited information and scanty knowledge of what the future would hold. The entirety of his reasoning in making these decisions was based on his presuming certain things would happen just the way he planned.

Now, is it wrong to make plans? Is it wrong for us, at the end of 2025, to make plans for 2026? No. But there is a right way, and there is a wrong way to make plans. James is giving us an example of the fallacy of presumptive reasoning, but he doesn’t leave his readers in the dark as to how to engage in proper reasoning. And it is extremely simple. He says that we should always practice the act of submitting our plans to God. We are to actively seek the Lord’s will in every decision we make.

As we prepared to leave for our first day of travel on our trip to Texas, the very first thing we did was seek the Lord’s will. We prayed for safety on the highway. At the end of the day’s traveling, we thanked God for safety. We did this every day. We actively sought the Lord’s will in everything as we drove the 2000+ miles of this journey.

It is not a difficult thing to do. As a matter of fact, it is one of the easiest things to do, but it is also one of the most important things. We should never engage in the fallacy of presumptive reasoning but rather give ourselves over to the Lord’s will in everything.

This is a fundamental part of the life of a sincere follower of Jesus Christ. It acknowledges that God’s will is far better than my own, and that I will actively seek His will in all my decision making. This is not a passive acceptance of waiting for God, but an active participation of obedience and submission as we actively pursue His will in our lives.

So, let’s look forward to the coming days of 2026 with anticipation and excitement, seeking His will in all things, not acting presumptively, but with the desire to follow His will as He makes it known through His Word and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Rediscovering the True Meaning of Thanksgiving

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Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. A day which is set aside for the specific purpose of giving thanks to God for His bounty and blessing. But, alas, it seems to me that the real purpose has gotten lost in the busyness, the shift away from the original intent of the day, and the establishment of family traditions that do not include any emphasis on giving God thanks.

I guess some would argue that Thanksgiving Day is simply a national holiday established in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. There were many underlying factors that led to this proclamation, but the primary one for Lincoln was the Civil War (quite a misnomer, don’t you think – there’s really nothing civil about war!).

However, the idea of a day of thanksgiving goes back much further than that. Thanksgiving celebrations are known to have been held as far back as 1621, when the Plymouth colonists (we know them as the Pilgrims) and the Wampanoag Indians shared a feast of thanksgiving.

This spirit of thanksgiving could be thought of in some ways as part of our American heritage. But, as I stated earlier, it seems to me that the original intent and meaning behind the day has been lost, or at least altered.

I am sure that there will be many gatherings of family and friends today that will include no time for giving thanks to God for His blessings. As a matter of fact, I’m quite sure that many will have no idea that this was the intent of the idea of a national day of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving celebrations should certainly include time for family and friends, for feasting and football, for sharing and remembering, for enjoying time with those we see very seldom and those we see regularly. Enjoy the day, and the time we have. Cherish the moments, build memories, share stories of the past, share hopes for the future. Yes, by all means enjoy the day!

But in the midst of all that – whatever ‘that’ means to you and yours – make sure that God has His rightful place. Not as one who is given a simple ‘thank you’ in our prayer over the feast, but One who is center of all we do as we gather to give Him thanks.

Our Thanksgiving is going to look quite different this year. There are empty chairs around the table. But there is One who is always there – let’s give HIM His rightful place.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Understanding Accidents and Divine Will

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This morning (Sunday), I am lying in bed when I should be up getting ready for church. I should be going over my sermon notes, praying, and preparing myself spiritually for the grand opportunity of sharing God’s word. But, alas, I have no voice. It is better than it was yesterday. At least today I can whisper a little bit louder.

My sister was involved in an automobile crash recently. She was not injured seriously, even though her car didn’t make it. We are so thankful for the fact that she didn’t suffer any serious, life-threatening injuries as she certainly could have.

Her accident, and my laryngitis, made me start thinking – seriously thinking. Knowing my sister the way I do (or at least the way I think I do), she probably prayed before heading out on the highway that day. I know that she prays for me and my family every day because she tells me regularly that she does. She passes everything before God in prayer. I imagine that on that day, she prayed asking God for safety as she traveled. And I have been praying all week about my sermon for today, and for our Thanksgiving celebration tonight.

So, here’s the big question: Did God hear our prayer? Please, don’t pass by that question quickly. Read it again. Think about it. Seriously think about it. Don’t give a glib response and then continue on. Please, give some serious thought to the question and your response to it.

I’ve said many times that for two cars to be involved in a crash they have to be in the same spot at the same time. Why did God not delay her departure time, giving enough time for the other car to pull out and get across into the other lane before my sister’s car arrived? Or why did she not leave a couple minutes earlier? Isn’t there something, anything, God could have done to avert this accident? And what about my voice? Why could I not have had laryngitis earlier in the week so I could be over it by now? Could God not have done something?

Some of you may be thinking, “Here he goes again with his mental calisthenics, making a mountain out of a molehill.” And maybe I am. But I really think this needs serious thought. Because if we are not extremely careful, we could easily begin putting blame on God for things He really had nothing to do with. Now I certainly realize that in the big picture, God is involved in everything, minutely. He oversees the affairs of man. He is the all-powerful One who knows all, sees all, and handles all. Nothing – underscore nothing – happens without His knowledge.

And yet, even though nothing happens without His knowledge, things may or may not happen because it was necessarily His divine will for it to happen. Things happen now that are a direct result of man’s disobedience to God. Specifically, Adam and Eve’s act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. The entire earth was placed under the curse of God because of that act. And the earth has suffered the consequences ever since.

I AM NOT saying that every mishap, every accident, every sickness, every difficulty of every kind, is a direct result of personal sin.

Now please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I am not saying that every mishap, every accident, every sickness, every difficulty of every kind, is a direct result of personal sin. Rather, the woes of the world are the direct result of the principle of sin. Sin has affected everything and everyone. And all of the ills of mankind are the result of that.

So, we can’t say that God didn’t answer my sister’s prayer for safety as she drove around town, or my prayers for this morning’s sermon. Things happen as a result of life lived in a sinful environment. We all live in that environment. And we all suffer the consequences of that environment.

So, the next time you hear someone say, “I prayed that I would get a parking space at the front door of Walmart, and low and behold! There it was!” Well, that may or may not have been an answer to your prayer. But be careful! If we think it was the answer to prayer one time, and the next time you’re at Walmart, after praying the same prayer, you have to park in the last spot at the very opposite end of the parking lot, don’t blame that on God. If you do, you open yourself up to a very subjective view of prayer, and it will diminish the greatness of God in your estimation.

Just something to think about.

Blessings!

Unity in Diversity: Understanding Humanity

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Why are we all so vastly different? We are, after all, human beings. We all have the same basic physical makeup. We are either male or female – there are no alternatives, regardless of what some would have us believe. The human anatomy is basically the same: unless there are physical defects that would cause one to be “different” from the norm. Two eyes, two ears, one mouth, two arms and legs, ten fingers and toes – you get the picture. We are, indeed, all made from the same two models: male and female.

But, having said that, how can we, who are basically the same, be so different? Some like vanilla, others like chocolate, while others might like Salt and Straw’s Balsamic Vinegar Ice Cream (yes, that is a real flavor – I looked it up!). Some like hot weather, while others like it frigid. Some head to the mountains while others head to the beach, while still others like to stay home. Some are red, others yellow, some black and some white (as the song goes), but we still have ten fingers and ten toes. The same, but oh, so different!

But wouldn’t it be nice if we could look beyond the differences and see the remarkable resemblances. One might have black skin, while another has red, but they are still human beings. A third might have skin that is a light shade of brown, while another has such dark brown skin they look almost black. A white person might be “pasty” white, while another white person has bronze colored skin. One person might have blue eyes, another green, another brown, another hazel. One might be tall, another short, one skinny, another not skinny.

Different – we are all different. The human race – and by the way, the human race is the only race – is made up of male and female of all different colors, sizes, shapes, body builds, hair color, eye color, personal preferences, etc. etc. So why can’t we look at each other as fellow humans? Why do we categorize and classify?

I would like to issue a challenge if you are willing to accept (think Mission Impossible!). Let’s make a concerted effort to begin looking beyond the color of one’s skin. Let’s begin laying aside whatever differences we have held onto to this point of our lives. Let’s not allow the prejudices of the past continue to influence our present.

Teresa (my wife) and I have always tried to help our children look beyond the color of one’s skin. Because of our efforts each of our three children have been friends with people of color (that’s a strange term, isn’t it – we are all people of color!). We have had them over for dinner, for sleepovers, for family events, have taken them to church with us, have enjoyed their company immensely.

I can’t honestly say that I am a totally non-prejudicial person – we all have prejudices. But I have worked hard trying to never allow the color of one’s skin be one of mine. I am no better than anyone else. We are all in this boat called life together. It would be a much better world if we could see beyond the differences and enjoy our distinctions.

Why not, soon, very soon, strive to get to know someone who is “different” from you? It may be an individual of another ethnic background, or a different cultural background, or a different skin color, or a different political opinion, or a different religious perspective, or, or, or… How do you go about doing that? Invite them out for a casual lunch, or for a private dinner at your house, or a quiet conversation in private, with no distractions. There is no wrong place or time – whatever, whenever fits into busy schedules. Once we get to know each other, we will begin to appreciate the differences, and the distinctions, as we better understand what makes the other person believe and behave the way they do. Give it a try!

Blessings!

Embracing Life’s Delays: Finding Meaning in the Unexpected

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For years I lived with the mentality that to be thirty minutes early was to be late. I always tried to give myself plenty of time to get to my destination, and this was for a variety of reasons. For one thing, I tried to give myself extra time just in case I ran into an unexpected delay – construction work that had traffic backed up, an accident that had the road blocked, a flat tire that I would have to change, etc. Giving myself extra time meant that I would reach my destination early. And early, in my estimation, is always better than late.

I have met a few people who thought fashionably late was a way to showcase themselves. They wanted to make an entrance after most of the other attendees had already arrived so that they would be seen. I suppose they had the desire to be the showcase participants at the event. I, on the other hand, have always thought it was a bit discourteous to the event planners as well as the other attendees. Maybe I’m a bit old-fashioned, but, as I have already stated, early is always better than late.

But maybe there are times when being late would be appropriate. Have you ever given thought to the fact that for two vehicles to be involved in an accident, they have to be in exactly the same spot at the same time. Precisely, down to the millisecond. Five seconds earlier or later would have made all the difference in the world.

As is obvious from my opening remarks, I am a stickler for being on time. But, there have been times when I was delayed in my departure time for some reason. Just the other day, for example, I had driven about two miles from home when I realized that I had forgotten my hearing aids. So, I had to take time to go back those two miles so that I would be able to hear any conversations I might engage in that day. That four-mile round trip delay probably caused me to lose ten to fifteen minutes. Not long, but long enough to have missed something that might have happened had I been “on time”.

Of course, it is sheer speculation to think about what could have happened had I been able to continue with no detour/delay, but it is reason to pause and think. How many times could God have orchestrated a delay in our scheduled plans for the day because He knew that if we were on time by our plans we would have encountered some sort of problem.

I try to maintain this mindset when I find myself stuck in traffic due to circumstances far beyond my control. I try to remind myself that this delay could very well be saving me from some problems that would have occurred had I been able to keep going without the delay.

Maybe I’m overthinking this whole thing, or maybe I’ve just had too much caffeine and my mind is kicked into overdrive. Or maybe, just maybe, there is a bit of truth in this assessment. So, just in the likelihood that there is, let’s try to not allow ourselves to get overly frustrated over those detours and delays that interrupt our schedule. Use them to thank God for the scenery you may have missed had you been able to keep moving. Or, better yet, use those delays as a time to spend time conversing with God about the details of your day. Either way, you will find that your frustrations will not seem so drastic as they might seem otherwise.

Blessings!

Where Was God?

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The world has just witnessed one of the most powerful and devastating storms in history. The storm was so severe that the U.S. Air Force Reserves 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the “Hurricane Hunters,” had to turn back due to the extreme turbulence in the eye of the storm. We are now seeing pictures and videos of the massive storm and its destruction on major news outlets and social media.

Where was God?

The question many will wrestle with is, “Where was God when this storm developed and then destroyed?” It is the age-old question that arises every time something of this magnitude happens. Well, to put it as simply as I know how, God was where He always is, on the throne of the universe. He is in control, and He is keenly aware of everything that ever happens in all of His creation.

Why do storms like this occur?

So, let’s revisit some questions that always come up when the world experiences another episode of the power of nature. First, why do storms like this occur? If God is really powerful enough to create everything that exists by simply speaking words into sheer nothingness and bringing everything that exist into being, then why does He not do a better job of overseeing the day-to-day operations of His creation?

The answer to that is found in the Book of Genesis. God had instructed His human creation – Adam and Eve – about what was permissible and not permissible. The list of the permissible was long and included the enjoyment of the marvel of God’s creation. The list of things not permitted was very short, including only one command: They were not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed, and the entire earth suffered the consequences. Paul gives some insight into this matter:

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Romans 8:22

He is referring here to the fact that the earth is under the curse of God, and the ravages of nature are a testimony to that reality. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, floods, and every other disaster from nature happen due to the curse. That, in an overly simplistic way, tells us why storms such as Hurricane Melissa develop and destroy.

Could God not have diverted the storm’s path?

A second question follows on the heels of the first: Could God not have diverted the storm’s path? And the answer is yes, God could have caused the storm to simply go out over the sea, never intersecting with land masses. But again, the earth groaning under the curse becomes apparent when we see things like this happen. The curse affects every area of God’s creative work upon the earth. The Bible is replete with examples and illustrations of this painful truth. Theoretically, when we go back to the account of creation, and the placing of man in the Garden of Eden, had Adam and Eve not disobeyed the Garden would have been their permanent home: a home of absolute perfection without all the ravages of the curse. Since that event, the curse runs rampant. Could God intervene and circumvent a storm to protect His human creation? Certainly He could, but the curse He pronounced has its destructive effects on the entirety of creation, and for Him to intervene would mean that the curse was meaningless.

Does the fact that the storm made a direct hit on Jamaica mean that they were deserving of God’s personal wrath and judgment?

A third question must be addressed: Does the fact that the storm made a direct hit on Jamaica mean that they were deserving of God’s personal wrath and judgment? Every time something like this happens, we hear people making the absurd accusation against those who have been affected by the disaster. I remember distinctly hearing his judgment call after hurricane Katrina devasted the gulf coast of the United States. Certain individuals and groups were bashing the people of New Orleans, saying that the storm was God’s judgment against that city.

We must guard ourselves against making such rash and unfounded judgment calls. Listen carefully to these words of Jesus:

Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, to you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:2-5

Storms happen; disasters occur; destruction comes; deaths are multiplied; families are devastated; property is destroyed; hopelessness results; questions arise. And it all goes back to what we believe about God and His sovereign rule over His creation.

As we think through this horrific event, let’s pray for those in Jamaica who have personally been affected by this disaster. Multitudes will now go to the areas that are in the most desperate need, giving help, providing resources, and assisting with whatever needs show themselves to be of greatest concern.

And let’s never forget: God loves them, and He will reach out to them through the arms and resources that His people can give.

May God bless the people of Jamaica with His presence through His people, who are sharing and showing His love, being the hands and feet of our Lord.

The Amazing Grace of God

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A few years ago, I read a book entitled “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”, by Philip Yancey. That title caught my attention because it called into question my understanding of grace. The lyrics of the hymn, “Amazing Grace”, began to echo through my mind as I considered the far-reaching ramifications of this question, and how I would answer it if someone were to pose that question to me.

Yancey gave illustrations in his book which could possibly change our entire outlook on this matter of grace. We sometimes place grace within the parameters of our limited understanding. To do so could cause us some serious difficulties in our spiritual walk. It could shake us to the very core in our belief in what God being good looks like.

Let me try to frame my thoughts on this question: Is God good because He does good things, or does He do good things because He is good? Then, a second question must be asked as we consider the first: What exactly is “good”? Read these very familiar words from the pen of Paul:

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

This verse comes to mind so very often when I hear about individuals who are experiencing difficulties and dilemmas in their lives. And then I am haunted by those questions that we all struggle with from time to time: “If God is really good, why doesn’t He do something?”, or “Is God good, but not powerful enough to do something?”, or “Is God not really good at all?”

Now, let’s go back to the verse quoted above. Paul says that “all things work together for good to those who love God.” Please note carefully that he does not say that all things are good, but that all things work together for good. God – who is good! – is able to take whatever comes our way in life, whether it “appears” to be either good or bad, and work in it and through it in such a way as to bring about good for those involved.

We may go through a time of testing, which comes in so many different ways and levels of intensity, and wonder where God is and why He doesn’t intervene. We may cry out, as did Job, that God can’t be found in the midst of our problems. We may even begin to question God’s goodness, because (in our thinking) we are consumed with the thought that either He doesn’t really care, or He isn’t really good, or He doesn’t really have the power to deal with whatever it is we are going through. Each of these accusations are false, but they haunt us as they fill our minds with questions and confusion.

So, back to the questions posed earlier in this blog: Is God good because of the good things He does, or does He do good things because He is good? The answer is that He does good things because He is good. If we say that He is good because of the good things He does, then does that mean that He is not good when He allows bad things to happen? You see, in our limited, finite, faulty human reasoning, we put good and bad into black and white categories. Something is either good or bad. It cannot be both good and bad at the same time.

However, from God’s perspective (if I dare say that I understand His perspective totally – how absurd!) the lines between good and bad are not so clearly delineated. We see something as either good or bad, while He may view it as nothing but good. All things work together for good – all things, ALL things.

For this very reason Paul says:

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

Give thanks in everything, and for all things. Why? Because God is going to work in and through everything that comes our way for our good. Yes, God can do that! So today, let’s try to see things differently. Let’s try to see them as things God can work good in our lives, and in the lives of others.

Blessings!

The Adventure of the Christian Life

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Have you noticed that God is not a cookie-cutter Creator who always does things exactly the same way with all of His children? Rather, He deals with everyone individually. There is an abundance of variety in the lives of followers of Jesus Christ, and it facilitates a life of adventure for everyone who sets out by faith to follow the leadership of God as they grow through the different stages of life.

Let’s think about a couple of examples which hopefully will illustrate this point: the Apostle Paul, and a demon possessed man from whom the demon was exorcised by Jesus. We will give consideration first to Paul, and then to the demon possessed man.

The story of Paul (whose name was Saul before God changed it to Paul) is found in the book of Acts, and the passage we will consider is Acts 9:15-16:

But the Lord said to him [Ananias], Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.

The risen Lord Jesus appeared to Saul as he made his way to Damascus to arrest anyone there who identified themselves as followers of Jesus. On his way, he was personally confronted by the Lord, and blinded by the Lord, and instructed by the Lord to go into the city, and there he would be told what to do. Meanwhile, God was speaking to a man named Ananias, telling him to go to the city, find a particular house of one Simon on Straight Street. There, he would find Saul. He was then to deliver a message to this man who had been so opposed to those who were followers of the Lord.

His message to Saul was that he would go before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. He would be a traveler, a missionary, one who went from place to place, town to town, city to city, metropolis to metropolis. This would be his life. This would be his adventure.

The story of the demoniac is found in Luke 8:26-39. I would encourage you to turn to that passage now and read it in its entirety. Here are the concluding two verses of his story:

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him [Jesus] that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you. And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Saul, who became the apostle Paul, moved from place to place, preaching, teaching, founding churches, training leaders, always on the move, always on mission for the Lord. The one who had been formerly possessed by demons wanted to go with Jesus, to follow Him on His journeys, to be at His side along with others who were doing so. But Jesus told him to go home, to share the story of his salvation with his own family and friends.

Both of these men were touched by the Lord. Both of them were saved by His grace. But each of them were given vastly different assignments in the Lord’s work. One was to go; one was to stay. One was to be an itinerant missionary; the other was to be a stationary witness. One was to live a life of daily assignments, not knowing where the Holy Spirit would lead next; the other was told to stay at home, and to be a witness for the Lord there.

God has different assignments for each of His children. Most will stay where they are, continuing to do the same things they were doing before being saved (unless, of course, what they were doing was sinful behavior, from which Jesus would expect genuine repentance!). They were to remain at home, being a witness to family, friends, acquaintances, fellow employees, etc. This would be their assignment, this would be their mission.

Others will be called to go – wherever the Lord leads, to whomever He might send, to places they have never been, which would require learning languages they had not previously spoken, to people with whom they are not familiar. This would be their mission.

We are different, and God deals with us differently. The important thing for us to remember is that whatever God leads us to do, He will equip us for the task. But, whatever we do, wherever we go, with whomever we meet, every day, we are on mission for the Lord. Take the assignment seriously. Be on mission for Him. Let His light shine through us everywhere, with everyone, so that He might receive the glory.

Blessings!

The Battleground Between Faith and Fear

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In my last blog I wrote about the Christian life being a battleground. We are engaged in spiritual warfare against a powerful, formidable enemy. And this enemy doesn’t fight fair. He will use everything at his disposal to engage Christians in a battle of enormous proportions. I focused my remarks in that blog on the battleground between belief and behavior.

This week I would like to continue to focus on the battleground of a Christian’s life and experience by looking at the battleground between faith and fear. With all that is happening in the world today it is easy to find ourselves overcome by fear. Fear is debilitating, paralyzing. It will render those who give in to its tenacious grip powerless. It is so powerful that it can cause one to become incapacitated in a self-imposed prison, paralyzed by the “what ifs” of life.

One of the strange things about the battleground between faith and fear is that it is possible to experience a tremendous faith victory one moment, and be in the death-grip of fear the next. A classic Biblical example of this is found in First Kings 18 where we read of the encounter between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

The people of Israel had embraced Baal worship, and the nation was experiencing a time of spiritual blight. Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to call on the name of their God, while Elijah would call on the name of God. The one who sent fire from heaven to devour the sacrifice that had been placed on the altar would then be recognized as God.

The prophets of Baal called on him to reveal himself by sending fire from heaven. They cried, and called, and cut themselves for hours with no response from their so-called god. Elijah even mocked them, telling them to yell more loudly because Baal might need to be awakened. They became so agitated that they began to cut themselves, thinking that their actions might persuade Baal to show up.

He didn’t. He couldn’t. Because he doesn’t exist!

Then Elijah had water poured over the altar and sacrifice which he had prepared. He then prayed – simply that. And God sent fire from heaven that licked up the water, burned the rocks, and consumed the sacrifice. A powerful display of God responding to His prophet’s act of faith.

If the story stopped there we would probably assume that this unbelievable display of God’s power would be such that Elijah’s faith would never falter again. But sadly, the story goes on to say that immediately after this tremendous victory over the prophets of Baal, Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life, causing him to flee into the wilderness, where in a state of despair he asked God to take his life. His faith was quickly overcome by fear.

That’s life. We are on a spiritual mountaintop one moment, and in the valley of despair the next. We are prone to be overcome and overwhelmed by the onslaught of a satanic assault. Fear cripples us, causing us to cower away in hiding, thinking the worse thing imaginable is about to occur.

The Bible teaches with astounding clarity that the Christian life begins by an expression of faith, and continues in the expression of faith. Faith is complete trust, total dependence, upon God. It is trusting Him explicitly. It is trusting Him to perform His will in our lives even when we don’t see the evidence of that reality. It is, as the apostle John says, the source of the believer’s victory over the world.

And we must constantly remind ourselves of one vital truth: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is taking God at His word, even when we don’t see the physical manifestation of what we believe. Faith enables us to see beyond the present set of circumstances to the throne of God, with Him seated on that throne, in sovereign control over the affairs of man.

And, we must also constantly remind ourselves that God operates on the basis of His plan, not on the basis of our demands. He is not a puppet on a string that we can dangle according to our desires. Rather, He is a loving Father who cares deeply for His children. As we trust Him, He guides, and He provides.

The battleground is real. The explosives are dangerous. It is our faith that gives the victory. So let’s look above and beyond the clutter of life, and entrust ourselves to the One who will see us through.

Blessings!

The Battleground between Belief and Behavior

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The Christian life is a battleground – a spiritual minefield filled with dangerous explosives ready to detonate at any moment. We have to learn how to maneuver through this minefield maze called life, trying to steer ourselves around those dangers while maintaining our spiritual equilibrium. This is the battlefield between our personal beliefs and our behavioral practices.

It is a common thing in the spiritual climate of our contemporary setting to say that we believe the Bible to be God’s Word, filled with the message of His amazing love and grace, and yet struggle with conforming our lives to the Bibles teachings. That is what I mean by the Christian life being a battleground. And many seem to be losing the battle. Many have been injured by those explosive encounters with the enemy.

The Bible admonishes believers to be consistently striving to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. First and foremost, He is our Savior who has delivered us out of the darkness of this world into the light and life of God. And once we have been saved by His amazing grace, then we are to begin living our lives according to the teachings of Scripture. We are to consistently put off the old ways of our worldly mentality and put on the new ways of our new life. We have been born again, and as children of God we begin to learn from Him how to walk and talk and conduct ourselves in proper ways.

This process of growing in Christlikeness will demand that we turn away from those old habits and practices. Listen to how the Apostle Paul describes what this looks like:

Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. 1 Corinthians 6:10-11

Paul is contrasting their former life with their new life in Christ. In their former lives, some were fornicators, others were adulterers, others were drunkards and so on. But not any longer! Such WERE some of you. Their behavior has now been radically and permanently altered because they have been to an altar of repentance. They have turned away from their old behaviors and turned to Biblical behaviors. They are living in the battleground, and they are winning the battle – day by day, minefield after minefield. they are making it through.

Sure, there will be a few battles lost along the way. Our enemy, the devil, is a conniving, deceitful being who will place minefields in places that we would not expect. His demonic emissaries are relentless in their attempts to lure us into those dangerous places where we could easily be persuaded to fall back into those old behaviors.

But, praise God, we have One residing in us Who is greater than the one who is against us. And as we fellowship with Him, and walk in the light of His word, we are able to stand against the onslaught of our enemy, and we are able to behave according to our Biblical beliefs.

Let me leave you with the following word of instruction from the pen of Paul:

That you put off, concerning your conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

Let’s strive to clothe ourselves each day with the garments of the new person we have become in Christ Jesus.

Blessings!