Tag Archives: bible

For Such WERE Some of You

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Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. 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. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

In my last post, I stated that many are embracing – both in the pew and the pulpit – lifestyles that are clearly denounced in Scripture as being abominations in the eyes of God. This alarming shift in the way churches, and even entire denominations, view the seriousness of sin is a clear indication that the church is moving toward a state of spiritual apostasy. It seems that the church, in general, has strayed from its spiritual moorings, anchored firmly in the word of God, and has now attached itself to the shifting winds of cultural change.

The passage quoted above is an amazing testimony to the power of grace given to the individual who experiences salvation. It is a statement verifying Paul’s assertion in Second Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Salvation brings forth change in the life of the believer.

Make special note of the emphasized phrase in the passage quoted at the outset of this post: And such were some of you. BUT… Read again the sins and sinful behaviors Paul mentions: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. And when Paul adds, “Such were some of you,” he states the obvious: they have now changed. They are no longer living lives characterized by these sinful lifestyles and actions. They are literally new creations in Christ.

When Paul adds, “Such were some of you,” he states the obvious: they have now changed.

When the church – individual, local congregations, or entire denominations – embraces these sinful lifestyles as being acceptable then it has lost its distinctiveness as the body of Christ. It is then not only in the world, but it is of the world. The church is to be a beacon of hope to those who are without Christ. It is to shine the light of God’s love and grace to those who are shackled to sinful lifestyles and behaviors that are contrary to the teachings of the Bible. It is to show the way out of the darkness and decadence of spiritual death, and point the way to spiritual life, which is found only in Jesus Christ.

When the church embraces these sinful lifestyles as being acceptable, then it has lost its distinctiveness as the body of Christ.

Admittedly, it seems that the church today focuses only on what it deems to be the more serious sins in Paul’s list. It often seems that the focus is on homosexuals, sodomites, adulterers, and fornicators. But the list includes thieves, drunkards, covetous, and others. Oftentimes, we tend to categorize sins. Some are viewed as more offensive to God than others. But note carefully the entire list. It clearly shows that all sin is an affront to God, and it teaches that salvation brings about a change from the old to the new. Such WERE some of you – but praise God you are no longer bound to the sins of your past!

So, let’s consider, in closing, a question and answer posed by the Apostle Paul that should give further clarification to this matter. In Romans 6:1-2 he says:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it.

Being in Christ, having been made a new creation with all things becoming new, means that we are dead to sin and alive to righteousness. Our lives should bear testimony to that truth. And if not, then we are showing that we never truly died to sin and are thus still enslaved to it.

The church should bear the message of hope for those who are shackled to, and under the power of, sin. We should share the message of salvation to those who are still living in darkness, with the prayer that God would open their eyes to see and embrace the truth of His amazing offer of forgiveness and newness of life. But we must not allow ourselves to embrace and accept these alternative lifestyles as normative. We must, rather, embrace and propagate the message of the life-changing, behavior-altering power of the gift of God’s salvation.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Perilous Times

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But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.

These words are found in Paul’s letter to Timothy, and sound an alarm for the spiritual and cultural climate of what he refers to as “the last days.” I would encourage you to turn to 2 Timothy now and read the third chapter before reading further in this blog. As you read this passage, remember that you are reading the inspired, inerrant, infallible, Word of God. Let Paul’s words resonate with you as you see the parallel between what he said two thousand years ago, and our present state of spiritual and cultural chaos.

We need to realize that we have a very real, very powerful, very persuasive enemy who is out to tear down and destroy all that is of God. He does this in a variety of ways, and oftentimes he accomplishes this by disguising himself as a minister of righteousness. The following verse speaks to this very issue:

For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, who end will be according to their works. – 2 Corinthians 11:14, NKJV

The focus of this blog will be on the spiritual deceit of Satan that is becoming more and more blatant in our present state. The church is supposed to be a beacon of hope, a light of life, shining forth the message of God’s love and grace into a world steeped in spiritual confusion. However, it seems to this writer that instead of the light of God’s love and grace shining out from the church, the darkness of the world is flooding into the church. Denominations that were once bastions of conservative Biblical and theological truth have become heralds of a watered-down version of the Gospel, espousing fallacious and even heretical teachings that are filled with worldly-minded philosophy. The God of the Bible who created us in His own image has now been recreated in our image. Some might even argue that the words of Friedrich Nietzsche ring truer today than ever before.

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche’s comment is probably to be understood in the sense that due to man’s expanding knowledge of the universe, the necessity of the belief in a Supreme Being was no longer valid. Man could now explain the intricacies and perplexities of the universe without having God in the formula. Everything had become man-centered, with little room, and practically no need, for a belief in God.

We might think that the church – at least those that are still committed to the teachings of the Bible – is still a bastion of truth. But we are witnessing today a mass exodus from those teachings. Churches are changing their policies and practices to embrace a cultural climate that is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Bible. Many are embracing – both in the pew and the pulpit – lifestyles that are clearly denounced in Scripture as being abominations in the eyes of God. In order to reach the masses, the message has been altered to become more appealing to the human spirit, rather than being in alignment with the teachings of the Holy Spirit.

Is it easy to maintain a commitment to Scriptural instruction? Absolutely not! It is extremely costly and dangerous. Look no further that the lives of the early disciples of our Lord to see this clearly. They were persecuted, even executed, by the scores simply because of their belief in and their commitment to Jesus Christ. And remember our Lord Himself. If our Lord and Master was treated in such horrific ways why should we expect anything different?

But we do expect something different. Why? Because, sadly, that is what the prosperity gospel teaches: health, wealth, and perpetual happiness. Jesus promised the exact opposite. He taught clearly that in this world we would suffer persecution. But we don’t want persecution? We want prosperity; we want health and wealth; we want the blessings and bounty. And the watered-down gospel of this present age promises just that.

Paul identified the spiritual climate of our present day in graphic terms in 2 Timothy. And I would like to draw our attention to just one phrase out of that passage as I bring this blog to a close. Paul said they would be:

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power! And from such people turn away! – 2 Timothy 3:4-5

For the church to be the church we need to stand up and speak out. The world desperately needs to hear the truth of God’s message: The whole truth! Let’s be part of His vast army of dedicated and committed soldiers, engaging in the spiritual war that rages. Let’s show the world that God is alive, well, and seated on the throne of the universe!

Until next time:

Blessings!

In Memory

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This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day – a federal holiday in the United States that has the intent of honoring and mourning US military personnel who have died while serving our country. The holiday was first called Decoration Day and originated during the Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had died in battle.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13, Jesus Speaking

It is certainly right to observe this day with honor and respect for those who gave their all for our nation. They bravely fought for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today. In the midst of all the family get togethers, the backyard barbeques, the gathering around the TV to watch Nascar, and the multitude of other things we find to do during this holiday weekend, let’s remember those who gave it all to secure our freedom to do so.

Might I suggest that we also take time to remember another Who gave His life for our freedom from bondage? Those of us who identify ourselves as Christians should not have to be reminded of His sacrificial death, but sadly we oftentimes get so caught up in the hectic rat-race of life that we fail to remember. I suppose this is one of the reasons Jesus instituted Communion, to give us a reminder of His body and blood which were given for us. It is only through His death, burial, and resurrection that we have forgiveness of sin, redemption secured through the shedding of His blood.

And one of the amazing things about Jesus’s death is seen in a statement recorded in Paul’s letter to the Romans:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were still sinners, at enmity with God, Jesus gave His life for us. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, giving no regard for God or the things of God. We were going our own way, doing our own thing, seeking and serving self, with no thought of our own wanton sinfulness and our desperate need of salvation. But God! He graciously demonstrated the immensity of His love for us by giving His Son. And Jesus – He willingly gave HIs life in obedience to the Father’s will so that we might be saved. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Today, let’s not forget those who have lost their lives on the battlefield as they fought for our nation – but more importantly let’s not forget the One who died in our place, paying the penalty for our sin, providing the means of our salvation. Let’s make this day, and every day, a day of remembering this amazing gift of God.

Until next time:

Blessings!

A Glaring, Daring Example of Intolerance

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This week we have witnessed one of the most graphic displays of the intolerance of the left-wing agenda in this nation. It all centers around an NFL football player – Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs – and remarks he made in a commencement speech at Benedictine College. During his speech, he made remarks concerning women, abortion, President Biden, Gay Pride Month, gender ideology, and the emasculation of men. In other words, he spoke concerning traditional Catholic values and beliefs. And for this he is being openly and publicly criticized. Calls for his dismissal from the Kansas City Chiefs have been ringing out ever since the speech was given.

Butker’s speech stands in stark contrast to so many others who publicly share their views espousing anti-Christian, anti-Biblical biases. Usually, those who stand in opposition to traditional Judeo-Christian values and beliefs are applauded in the public arena. Their views are heralded in mainstream media outlets as if they were speaking the voice of truth. But when what they say is compared to Biblical truth it becomes obvious that they are voicing error – at least in light of Biblical teachings.

For those of us who identify as followers of Jesus Christ, this should be yet another wake-up call. We are called to be witnesses to the truths of Scripture everywhere, and with everyone. We are to be ministers of righteousness, ministers of reconciliation, fishers of men, speaking forth the truth of God’s Word in sincerity, love and compassion for those who are outside the family of faith. We are to stand firm on the clear teachings of Scripture, striving to share the message of God’s grace in the midst of those who would demean that message.

Let’s remember who we are, and WHOSE we are, and to WHOM we owe absolute allegiance and commitment. We are children of God, having been born again through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. We now belong to HIM. We have been bought with a price, and because of that we are HIS possession. We are to herald the message of His grace to our part of the world – no matter how large or small our part of the world may be.

Harrison Butker used the stage he was privileged to speak from to share his beliefs. He had as much right to do that as anyone else. And now he is being vilified for speaking truth from his commitment to the teachings of the Catholic church. Whether we agree with him or not, we must accept the fact that he has every right to speak, and to encourage others to think seriously about the message he shared.

The world desperately needs to hear the truth of God’s Word. We are His heralds, propagating His message of salvation to a generation that is steeped in spiritual darkness. Let’s be the light that will lead them out of the darkness of death into the light of life – His life. And let’s use every opportunity given to us to speak forth the truth of His Word into a spiritually bankrupt generation.

Until next time:

Blessings!

How to Know God’s Will

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Having served as pastor for 40 years, and college professor for over 20 years, one of the questions I have been most often asked is, “How do I know God’s will for my life?” This is, indeed, a most provocative question. I have been asked this question in relation to so many different areas of life: marriage, college, career choice, ministry opportunities, and a plethora of others.

Let me say that it is always a blessing for me to hear someone ask this question, regardless of the area of life they are inquiring about. This is because it shows a desire to do what God wants the individual to do. I am always more than ready and willing to assist those who are genuinely interested in doing God’s will.

However, having said that, I must hasten to say that it is sometimes a demanding task to seek and find God’s will. And there is no one patent answer that can be given to the question, as God works differently in different individual’s lives. How one person determines God’s will does not guarantee that it will work in another person’s search.

So, having laid that groundwork, let’s dive into the question, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” I am going to look at the question in two distinct ways. First, let’s think of the question like this: “How can I know God’s will?” After giving consideration to that question, we will then ask the question as originally presented in this blog: “How can I know God’s will for my life?”

Henry Blackaby, in his phenomenal work, “Experiencing God”, says that to ask, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” is to ask the wrong question. He states emphatically that the correct question is, “How can I know God’s will?” Blackaby then says that to determine God’s will, all one has to do is to look around and see where God is working. Then, once you have determined where God is at work, recognize this as God’s invitation for you to join Him in His work.

This takes effort on the part of the individual. We must first put forth the effort to be observant. We can’t go through life wearing spiritual blinders. We must be alert and actively seeking to discern God’s activity. It may be in your child’s school, or in a neighborhood soup kitchen, or at a local chapter of crisis pregnancy center, or any number of places He may be at work. Some of these may be short-term, while others may be long-term or even permanent places of God’s activity. You then have the opportunity to join in the work as God gives opportunity to do so.

There have been times in my life in which I have felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit to join a particular work of God. The invitation was clear, and the work was obvious. It was a matter of me saying yes or no to this invitation of God. I’m sure you have had those occasions as well. This is God’s way of saying to us, “This is My will – I invite you to join Me in this work.” A positive response will result in seeing God work through us for the duration of time He chooses. This is determining God’s will.

But the question is most often worded as stated at the outset of this blog: “How do I know God’s will for my life?” And this is often coupled with a very specific question. “Is it God’s will that I marry this individual?” “Should I get married now, or should we wait a little longer?” “Is this the right career path for me to invest my life in?” “Is it time for us to make a move to a different location?” “Should I accept this invitation to change course and begin a new career?” “Is this the right time for us to start a family?” And a myriad of other questions, striving to discern God’s will for our lives.

It sure would have been nice if God had included an addendum to the Bible with a five-point plan, with action points to take which would help us come to a clear, unmistakable life choice that is dead-center in the will of God. But, alas, there is no such addendum. And, as I stated earlier, there is no plan that works for everyone. Seeking God’s will for our lives is an individual effort.

But, having stated the obvious, I will say that there are certain actions we can take as we strive to determine His will for our lives. I share these with the hope and prayer that they will prove to be of help as you seek God’s will.

Prayer is an indispensable ingredient in the search for God’s will. This one should go without saying, but for the sake of emphasis I put this at the top of the list. It is crucial that we maintain open lines of communication with the Father through the vehicle of prayer. And please remember that prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. We have a conversation with God by hearing Him speak to us through His Word, and then by responding to Him through prayer. Then, listen to His still, small voice to speak directly to our hearts as we get quiet before Him in that private place of prayer. And please remember this admonition from the Epistle of James: “If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and without reproach” (James1:5).

Second, I would suggest that to know God’s will we must surrender our will to Him. In the model prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” I have said many times that in order for His will to come in my life, my will must be done away with. I cannot sit on the throne of my life and have the Lord sitting on that throne at the same time. We must, as Paul says in Romans, present our bodies as living sacrifices for Him.

A third suggestion I would make is that we must be consistent in our walk with God. Our walk should be dictated by our staying in step with the Spirit of God. You have heard me quote Paul’s words on several occasions in which he encourages us to walk in the Spirit so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. That is the negative side of walking in the Spirit. But the positive side is that as we walk in the Spirit we will develop an ever-deepening fellowship with Him through which we sense His will.

Then, a fourth observation is that we should strive to live in obedience to the truths of God’s Word that we are already familiar with. We cannot hear His still, small voice through the clutter of a disobedient lifestyle. We must practice the truths of His Word, and He will then reveal more truth to us. As we learn more of His truth, we are able to more quickly and readily discern His will.

As a fifth suggestion I would make the observation that we must seek Godly input from fellow believers in whom we have confidence. We should be quick to ask for advice, counsel, and prayer from those whose walk with God is consistent, and from whom we can receive Godly advice.

A sixth and final suggestion I would make is to pay attention to how God has put into our DNA preferences for certain things, and a dislike for others. This is not to be put at the top of the list of priorities as we are sometimes deceived by our own personal preferences in life. But this does play an important role in seeking God’s will. He has wired us in such a way that we are naturally drawn to certain activities and actions, while others have no appeal to us at all.

There are certainly other suggestions that could be added to this short list, but if we would put these five into practice I feel it would go a long way in assisting us in discerning God’s will.

In closing, just remember that the question is two-fold: seek God’s will; and seek God’s will for your life. In so doing God will lead us into activities which we can join in as we observe His activity, and we can discern the broader scope of discovering His will for the long-term of our lives.

Hope this proves to be helpful.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Are We Reaping What We Have Sown?

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Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Psalm 33:12, NKJV

The verse above is a clear reference to the nation of Israel. The phrase, “the people He has chosen”, is a clear reference which takes the reader back to Genesis 12, where God called Abram and promised to make of him a great nation. Israel has always, from its very inception, been the chosen people of God.

However, even the very chosen people of God can lose God’s blessings if and when they choose to rebel against Him. We see this happen to Israel time after time in the pages of the Old Testament. The nation is, and shall always be, the chosen people of God by virtue of the fact that God made an unconditional covenant with Abram, and then another unconditional covenant with David. Unconditional covenants were those which had no binding component from the person(s) with whom God made the covenant. It was God’s promise to them, regardless of what they may or may not do.

Based on the fact that the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant were unconditional means that nothing anyone does can alter the veracity of those covenants. God Himself guarantees that these covenants will always be secure and binding.

However, within the parameters of those unconditional covenants there is the possibility of the nation losing the conditional blessings of God. They don’t lose their status as the chosen people of God, but they experience the curses of God upon them for their national rebellion. We see this clearly in the pages of the Old Testament, the two major events displaying this reality being the Assyrian captivity of the nation of Israel in 722 BC and the Babylonian captivity of Judah in 586 BC. They were still God’s chosen people through the unconditional covenants with Abraham and David, but they were experiencing God’s judgment because of their breaking the conditional covenants of blessings and curses based on their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God.

My question is, can this be applied to the United States?

My question is, can this be applied to the United States? We are not the chosen people of God – only Israel fits that billing. No other nation that has ever existed can claim that designation. But the first part of the verse quoted above – “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” – could very well be understood to relate to any nation that chooses to follow the God of the Bible.

It is clear from the writings of our founding fathers that they envisioned this nation as a Christian nation. Not a religious nation, but a Christian nation. We have never been and can never be THE chosen people of God, but we are a nation that was formed with the desire to be a nation whose God is the LORD.

If that is true, then would not the same parameters and criteria that applied to the nation of Israel be applicable to our nation? Could the blessings and curses of God be based on the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of the nation toward God? Could it be that we have been blessed so greatly in the past due in large part because of our commitment to and friendship with the nation of Israel? God did promise Abraham that the nations of the world that blessed Israel would be blessed, and those that cursed Israel would be cursed.

It seems to me that the tide is turning (if it hasn’t already turned) from commitment to and friendship with Israel to growing dissension against Israel and growing agreement with Israel’s enemies. Watch the news and make note of the growing hostility toward the nation of Israel, and the growing affinity with Hamas. This is a dangerous change of attitude toward God’s chosen people that will result in losing the blessing of God and experiencing the judgment of God.

I know some would disagree with me, saying that this verse of Scripture has nothing to do with us. But when we consider the fact that we are a nation that began with the desire to adhere to Biblical principles based on the Christian worldview, then we can see how the first part of Psalm 33:12 does indeed apply to us. Our founding fathers envisioned us to be just that, a nation whose God is the LORD.

And a nation whose God is the LORD will be a friend to Israel, simply because of its desire to be faithful to God. I’m afraid that we are seeing a change in the attitudes of our nation that could result in us experiencing the judgment of God. Some would say that judgment has already begun. Why? We will reap what we sow.

Would you join me in praying for Israel? Would you lift them daily to the Lord, asking for His protection of, and His continual provision for, His beloved nation? And would you pray for our country, for our national leaders who play such a vital role in molding the mindset of the American people? And finally, would you pray for our nation to experience an outpouring of Holy Spirit power that will bring about spiritual renewal and revival across our land? God help us to be a friend to His people! And God help us to be faithful to our LORD.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Jireh

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Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Genesis 22:13-14, NKJV

The story is very well-known. It is one of the most significant events in the life of Abraham. Imagine God speaking to you and giving you the command to sacrifice one of your children to Him as an act of obedience and worship. Imagine the emotional upheaval this would cause as you sought to be obedient to Him while at the same time trying to make sense of a command that stood in stark contrast to everything you had been taught about God.

The Old Testament made it clear that child sacrifice was part of the ritualistic practices of pagan peoples. They would sacrifice their children to their gods in times of difficulty as an act of pleading with their god for intervention. In 2 Kings 3 we have the record of the Moabite king Mesha offering his son as a sacrifice to his god because the battle with the Israelites was not going in his favor.

However, the Old Testament made it just as clear that this act of child sacrifice was an abomination in the eyes of God. Therefore, it makes this command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac all the more astounding. Isaac, after all, is the son of promise: the son through whom God had promised Abraham that his seed would be blessed, and ultimately be a blessing to all other nations. How could that be true if Abraham was to offer Isaac? Abraham’s bloodline would be cut off! God’s promises would be destroyed.

It is there, on Mount Moriah, that Abraham has now taken Isaac to fulfill this command of God. The altar has been prepared. The wood for the fire has been put in place. Everything is ready. Everything, that is, except the most important element: the sacrificial lamb. A few verses earlier Isaac had turned to his father, and the following exchange had taken place:

But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

Genesis 22:7-8, NKJV

Was this reply Abraham gave Isaac a desire to set Isaac’s mind at ease? Was Abraham trying to conceal from Isaac what was about to happen his attempt to keep Isaac from running away? Or, was this a sincere statement of faith on Abraham’s part? I guess no one can know for sure, but there is a pretty solid hint that this was indeed a statement of faith because earlier in the narrative, Abraham had given his servants who were traveling with them the following command:

And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

Genesis 22:5, NKJV

Again, is this a statement of faith, or did Abraham think that if he told them what was about to happen, they would try to forcefully intervene on Isaac’s behalf? And again, I choose to believe this was a statement of Abraham’s faith in God. He truly believed that he and Isaac would return from the place of worship.

And God honored Abraham’s faith. As he was about to drive the dagger into the flesh of Isaac, God graciously intervened!

But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” And Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.

Genesis 22:11-13a, NKJV

In the most horrific situation Abraham could have ever envisioned, God proved Himself to be the LORD who provides. And please, make sure you get the significance of the tense of the verb in this name of God. It is not, The-LORD-Did-Provide. This name of God is not only filled with importance for this event in Abraham’s life. It was not a one-time act of God providing. Rather, the name is, The-LORD-Will-Provide. It is the same tense of the name by which God revealed Himself to Moses: I AM! He is always and forever the present tense God. Yes, in the story of Abraham and Isaac the LORD did provide. This is an event that transpired in the distant past. But He is still The-LORD-Will-Provide for us today,

What difficulty are you facing today? Do you believe that right now, in your present situation, He is The-LORD-Will-Provide? He is with you, working on your behalf, providing your every need. He may provide for you by taking away the problem, or by giving you grace to live with the problem. But however He chooses to act, rest assured that He is still, and shall always be, The-LORD-Will-Provide.

Do as Abraham did: choose to believe.

Until next time;

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Shalom

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So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace.

Judges 6:24, NKJV

Are you ever uneasy? Do you suffer from bouts of anxiety? Does life cause you to be in a constant state of worry? Are there personal issues, family issues, financial issues, job concerns, national and international frictions and factions, etc. that constantly have you worrying about what’s going to happen next?

Well, if you answered yes to any of those questions rest assured: you are not alone. You bear a similarity to and are in company with multitudes of others who live day-by-day under a cloud of despair and confusion. We sometimes think that since we are followers of Jesus Christ that life should be a consistent state of peaceful bliss. After all, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. God is YAWHEH-Shalom – The-LORD-Is-Peace! Should not our relationship with Him guarantee that we will always be at peace?

The answer to that may be a bit misunderstood. If we think that it is an absence of all things that would cause worry and stress, then we are woefully mistaken. If we think it should mean that a relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the pathway to a peaceful existence in this life, then we are opening ourselves up to a life of disappointment and discouragement.

Consider, for example, the verse quoted above. In Judges 6:24, we are informed that Gideon built an altar to the Lord and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. But the context of this event is in a time of national crisis, conflict and warfare. Gideon is called by God to lead in battle with the Midianites and Amalekites. It was anything but a time of peace.

Then, as we move to the New Testament for more clarification and give our attention to the teachings of Jesus, we may be even more confused about this matter. Read carefully the following passages in which Jesus spoke to this issue.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.

John 14:27; 10:34-36, NKJV – Jesus speaking

Both of these statements were spoken by Jesus Christ. In one He says that He brings peace, and in the other He says that He did not come to bring peace. So which is it? Both statements can’t be true, can they?

Actually, they both MUST be true, or Jesus made a mistake, or, even worse, told a flat-out lie! So, if both statements must be true, then what did Jesus mean by these seemingly contradictory assertions?

The Bible teaches that we were at one time enemies of God. Our sin nature had set us in opposition to God, and there was no peace between sinful man and holy God. Jesus came into the world to be the means for man, steeped in sin and spiritually dead in those trespasses and sins, to be reconciled to God. It was through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord that He provided the means through which those who were at one time enemies of God and dead in sin, to be brought to life and become friends of God. Those who have accepted this gift of salvation are now enjoying being at peace with God. This is the peace Jesus came to bring.

However, for those who have never received His amazing gift of salvation, they are still living at enmity with God, and thus cannot enjoy the peace that Jesus offers. So, we need to understand that Jesus did come to bring peace for those who would accept His gracious offer, but for all others there is still a spiritual chasm between them and God. This is the root cause of such bitterness and enmity between believers and non-believers. This is the reason that there is such divisiveness between the ways of the world and the ways of God.

Also, an important note to remember, is that Jesus did not come to bring peace to nations. He spoke openly about the fact that there would be wars and rumors of wars as nation fights against nation and kingdom against kingdom. The things happening in the world today should not cause us to be overly distraught but should rather cause us to look to the eastern sky because they point to the fact that history as we know it is winding down.

Are you at peace with God? Have you accepted His gracious offer of salvation which has been provided by His Son? Do you know Him in this intimate way? This is the one and only means of experiencing real peace that will settle and establish you in the midst of a world filled with uncertainty. If you have not already accepted this amazing gift, then why not do so now!

Then, once you have accepted the gift of salvation which provides you with peace with God, you can then be the recipient of the gift of the peace of God. This is a gift which keeps us calm in the midst of the storms of life. Believers who are walking in intimate fellowship with the Lord are settled in their state of peace. The eventualities of life cannot rob us of this peace. It is, as Paul says, a peace that passes all understanding. You cannot understand, you cannot explain it, but thanks be to God that you can experience it! Hallelujah – what a Savior!

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Rapha

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In the Epistle of James we are invited, and even encouraged, to turn to God with our request for healing. James gives this word of instruction:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

James 5:13-14, NKJV

What a grand and glorious word of instruction this is! We are told here that it is proper for the child of God to go to Him in times of sickness and suffering. And to this we could add the invitation found in Hebrews 4:16:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16, NKJV

These are encouraging, uplifting words for the believer to hear. As we learned from the study of the name YAHWEH-Shammah, God is our very present help in times of trouble. He is always there, by our side, bringing encouragement and hope, comfort and consolation, in times of need.

But the name YAHWEH-Rapha gets a bit more specific. It speaks directly to the matter of YAHWEH being our healer. It is found several times in the Bible, specifically in the Old Testament as God progressively revealed more and more about Himself through the descriptive names He used to make Himself known more fully to His people.

YAHWEH- Rapha – I am the LORD who heals, is found for the first time in the Bible in Exodus 15:26.

If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in HIs sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.

Exodus 15:26, NKJV

It is here that God is saying very pointedly and assertively to the people of Israel that they could depend upon Him, trust in Him, and turn to Him in times of difficulty. In this passage He is assuring the nation that He will protect them from all the diseases He has just brought on the nation of Egypt in delivering them from Egyptian bondage. But notice, please, the conditional word, “if”. This promise of divine protection was contingent upon their commitment to do what is right in the sight of God.

God proved Himself to be true to this promise time and again in the Old Testament. However, we need to understand that this name of God is used to describe God’s willingness to heal in manifold ways. Consider the following verses and the different ways His healing power was experienced in the lives of these individuals.

In 2 Kings 5:10, God healed physical needs; in Psalm 34:18 He healed emotional needs; in Daniel 4:34 He healed mental needs; and in Psalm 103:2-3 He healed spiritual needs. Clearly, the Bible attests to the fact that God is a God who heals.

When we come to the New Testament it is just as clear that Jesus proved Himself to be the God who heals. In Matthew 4:23 we are told that He went from town to town, “healing every disease and sickness among the people.” So many other places in the Gospels tell us that Jesus is the great healer. He is the God who heals.

This name of God should be great encouragement to all who call Him Father. He will be present with us in every situation, every sickness, every infirmity. He invites us to cast our cares upon Him because He loves us with an unconditional love. Let’s take time to thank Him for this amazing aspect of His being, and be quick to turn to Him in our times of need.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH-Shammah

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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1, NKJV

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5, NKJV

Another of those amazing names of God is found in the verses above, and in so many other places in the Bible. God is known as YAHWEH-Shammah, “The LORD who is present.” We oftentimes hear someone speak of the omnipresence of God – a statement which means that God is literally everywhere, all the time. You cannot go anywhere that God isn’t. That is one of His astounding attributes.

But here, we are speaking of a self-designation of God Himself. He is not only everywhere, all the time, but He is also with us, personally, all the time. We can never be separated from the presence of God. As we give thought to this amazing truth it causes us to experience certain feelings, certain emotions, that can be of great encouragement while at the same time being of great admonition. Let’s think about some of those feelings as we consider His eternal presence with us.

First of all, this name of God presents us with a challenge. To know that He is always with us – every moment of our lives – should be a huge challenge to live in accord with His teachings. It should be a source of motivation to strive to live lives of righteousness. We are commanded to put off the old habits of our pre-converted state of being, and put on the new habits, behaviors, actions, attitudes, etc. of the imputed and imparted righteousness of our Lord. His continual presence with us should be a constant source of encouragement when we are successfully striving to live that kind of life, and a constant source of challenge when we aren’t. Remember, it was the Lord Himself who instructed us to be holy, even as our Father is holy. The recognition of His presence should help us to maintain that level of commitment.

A second truth is that this name presents comfort to the child of God in times of pain and struggle. The presence of a friend in times of crisis can be so comforting, uplifting, and strengthening. They may not be able to alleviate the discomfort, but their presence means so much. It is the act of being there that helps so much. God is always there. His presence is a constant, comforting reality. We are never alone in facing the difficulties of life. The psalmist states that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” No matter how terrible the trauma, how difficult the situation, how unbearable the circumstances, He is there to help in the midst of the distress. Call out to Him, and He will manifest Himself by giving that peace of God that surpasses all knowledge.

This name is also a source of conviction for the child of God. Let’s be honest with ourselves: there are times in which we are not walking as closely with God as we know we should. There are times when we willfully, knowingly, choose to disobey God and engage in activities that are clearly denounced in the Bible. We choose to commit sin, to enjoy the fleeting pleasure that sinful behavior brings. For the child of God, this brings about an immediate quickening of our human spirit as the Holy Spirit drives a spiritual dagger into our heart. We are made aware of the fact that we have committed an action that clearly grieves the Holy Spirit. This aspect of the awareness of His presence is crucial for us, because the Bible teaches that if we are living in open rebellion to the teachings of God’s Word and don’t experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit, then we are not His children. This is truly an acid test of true Christianity. If we can live in sin, and enjoy it, with no sense of conviction, then we do not belong to His family. The presence of God in the life of the believer is one source of knowing beyond doubt that I belong to Him.

A fourth truth about this name is that it presents courage. A powerful example of this is found in the Book of Joshua. After the death of Moses, Joshua is appointed to lead the people of Israel as they enter the promised land. Listen to these encouraging words God spoke to Joshua as he is given this mantle of responsibility.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage…

Joshua 1:5-6a, NKJV

What a daunting task Joshua had ahead of him. But God encourages him with these beautiful words of reminder that God would be present with him as he had been with Moses. God is our ever-present help. He never leaves nor forsakes us. He is always by our side to lend assistance, to give us strength, to see us through.

Let’s not neglect to thank God for this amazing aspect of His relationship with us. Let us strive to live daily in the awareness of His constant and consistent presence. And let us share the love and light of His presence with us with others who are still living in the darkness of this world.

Until next time:

Blessings!