Tag Archives: christianity

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!

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-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!

Do You Know Him? – YAHWEH Maccaddeshem

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As we have noted in the previous two posts, God is identified in Scripture with two designations that are both translated with the word “Lord”. The first is the name of God – YAHWEH – and the other is a title of God – Adonai. Beyond these two we are then given further clarification on who God is as He relates to individuals in certain situations in which He identifies Himself with a designation which shows how we can trust Him and depend upon Him in all areas of life.

The name we will consider in this post is “YAHWEH Maccaddeshem” – The LORD who sanctifies. Read the following verses for a sampling of the usage of this name:

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.

Exodus 31:13, Leviticus 20:8, Ezekiel 37:28, NKJV (emphasis added)

The LORD, by His sovereign action, created the nation of Israel by choosing one man, Abram, and making of him the chosen people of God – the nation Israel. God set this nation apart for Himself, by His sovereign choice, to be the nation through which the entire world would be blessed. It was ultimately through this nation that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come to provide salvation for sinful man to be reconciled to holy God. God promised Abram (see Genesis 12) that those nations that blessed Israel would be blessed, and those that cursed Israel would be cursed.

In order for Israel to fulfill the designed plan of God they would have to be set apart for His purpose and glory. Thus, God says to them that He is the one who sanctifies, who sets them apart as His own. They were to be distinct from all other nations of the world because they were different according to God’s plan.

How does this apply to us, today? In the New Testament, those who call upon the LORD for salvation are then set apart – sanctified – in Christ. But what does that mean? The answer to that is quite simple, and yet extremely complex. Let’s think of it in two ways: we are sanctified positionally, and practically.

Positionally, when an individual is saved by an act of God’s grace, he/she is then positionally sanctified, set apart to God and for God. The example of Old Testament Israel serves as a good illustration. God sanctified them (reread the verses quoted above) by setting them apart for Himself. Positionally they were His, and He was theirs. In His covenant with Abram God made some astounding unconditional promises that are still intact today. Positionally, Israel, from its very beginning, has always been God’s chosen people.

But, sadly, even drastically, they have not always been practically sanctified. There were many times the nation rejected God’s clear teachings and embraced the worship of false gods. They failed to be set apart for Him and His glory, and suffered the consequences of their actions. God judged them by allowing them to be subjected to other nations.

Again we can see a clear parallel between the events in Israel’s history and the events in the life of individual believers in Jesus Christ. We are positionally sanctified when we are born into God’s family. As Paul says in Ephesians:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV

We are set apart by God’s grace, through the expression of faith in the completed work of Christ. We add nothing to the miracle of salvation. It is all, from beginning to end, a work of God’s grace and that alone. When that happens, we are instantaneously positionally sanctified. God sets us apart for His own purpose and plan. When God the Father looks at us now, He sees us in the position of sanctification – we are in Christ.

But that is only the beginning. Paul also alludes to the matter of practical sanctification. Notice the second part of the quoted passage above: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Positionally, we are in Christ, sanctified in Him, set apart by HIm and for Him. Then we see the practical side of sanctification: we were created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Paul makes another statement in another of his epistles that might help shed some much-needed light on this matter. Read the following verse carefully:

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12, NKJV

The word “sanctification” does not appear in this verse, but this is actually the process by which practical sanctification takes place in the life of the individual believer. Please note carefully that Paul does not instruct his readers to work for their salvation, but to work out their salvation. In working out our salvation we are putting off the old ways and manners of life, and putting on the new as we walk in fellowship with the Lord. We become more and more like Him as we walk in His ways, obeying HIs commands, living true to His teachings.

In summary, God puts us into a position of sanctification once we have been born again into His faith family. He now looks at us clothed in the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Positionally, we are sanctified, and nothing can ever alter that reality. But in terms of practicality – living sanctified lives in the midst of a perverse generation – we are sometimes caught in a moment of spiritual weakness, and we commit acts that are contrary to being sanctified, at least momentarily. It is then that we go to the Father in a spirit of confession, seeking His forgiveness and restoration into His fellowship.

Do you know for sure that you are in a position of sanctification, having been set apart by God, for God? And if so, are you striving each day to live a life of practical sanctification, by which you are demonstrating a genuine and sincere walk of fellowship and obedience? If not, why not make this the day of a new beginning? Walk with Him, in His Spirit, and, as Paul says, then you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Do You Know Him? – Yahweh

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This week we are beginning a study of the names of God which, when understood in their proper context, reveal to us much needed information about who He is and how He relates to us. Today, we will give consideration to the self-revelation of God to Moses when Moses asked a most probing question when instructed by God to go to Egypt and deliver the people from their state of bondage.

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.

Exodus 3:13-14

One of the most common questions asked by children (and adults!) concerns the origin of God. “Where did God come from,” or something similar to those words, is quite often asked by probing minds. It is indeed a good question. I suppose we have all pondered this perplexing topic at times and are usually (ALWAYS) left with the question unanswered. Just where did He come from?

Another question on the same subject, but worded a little differently, is, “Who made God?” Answers have been suggested as theologians and philosophers have struggled to come up with a reasonable response. But, as yet no one has been able to give an answer that satisfies the inquisitive mind.

I am not going to put my ignorance on display in this post by striving to come up with some cutesy explanation that might wow some with my creative ingenuity. As a matter of fact, I know quite well my serious limitations when it comes to these deep, provocative questions that even the best of minds struggles with.

What I am going to do is to take this self-revelatory designation of God to Moses in its context and strive to learn some much needed applicatory lessons that will facilitate a deeper understanding of who God is, and how this particular name of God gives us great confidence as we face life’s struggles.

The context of this conversation between Moses and God is crucial for us to understand if we are to come to a reason God revealed Himself on this occasion in this manner. The designation, “I AM”, is present tense, which signifies an extremely significant reality about God. He is always in the present tense. He, in HIs very existence, does not have a past tense, nor does He have a future tense. He is always, eternally, in the present tense.

God could say to Moses over 3000 years ago, and He can say to you today, “I AM.” He is the eternal One, with no beginning and no end. He is, as Jesus says of Himself, “The alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.” This does not present the idea that He had a beginning, but that He is the eternal Son of God. The Father is the eternal Father; the Son is the eternal Son; the Holy Spirit is the eternal Holy Spirit. There has never been a time when the Triune God did not exist, and there will never be a time when He ceases to exist.

God is the uncaused Cause; He is the un-created Creator; He is the self-sufficient One and the self-existent One. God has no need of anything or anyone. And yet, this is the name by which He shows His relationship with His people. He revealed Himself in this relational way with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and here, Moses. Jesus, in the New Testament, identifies Himself with His own self-designation as “I AM.”

There is so much we can learn from this name of God, but I would like to focus on this relational aspect of that name to give encouragement to us today. God takes the initiative in seeking relationship with His people. It was God who sought out Abram, and made of him the nation Israel. It was God who sought out Moses, and used him to liberate Israel from Egyptian bondage. It was God who sought out David, and set him on the throne of Israel. It was Jesus who came into the world to seek and to save the lost. God is always taking the initiative in establishing relationships with His chosen ones. And then, He gives us the privilege and blessing of being called the children of God. Amazing!

If you are a child of God, praise Him for seeking you out when you were dead in trespasses and sins. Thank Him for providing His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for your sin, and to give forgiveness of that sin through His death burial and resurrection. Praise Him for the relationship you now have with Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Standing Alone

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Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.Ephesians 6:11-13

Perhaps you have been there – in that place where you felt as if you were all alone. There was no one by your side, no one giving support, no one offering words of encouragement, no one there to lend a supportive hand, a strong shoulder, or even a listening ear. It is a terribly lonely place to be. Not only lonely, but scary, intimidating, discouraging and stressful.

It’s that place where you are standing alone. It seems that you have been abandoned by everyone. Even those whom you thought of as being your very closest friends are nowhere to be found. In those moments when you needed them most, they had left you to fend for yourself.

It may have been in the workplace, when you were being tempted to do something that was a little less than ethical. Perhaps your employer was asking you to make some promises that you knew could not be kept, but the sale depended on promising a delivery date that you knew was impossible to meet. Perhaps it was in the classroom, during that exam that you were not prepared to take, and the A student sitting next to you had their answer sheet in clear view. It would be so easy to look, and copy, their answers. Or maybe it was at that social gathering at which everyone else was doing “it”, whatever the “it” happened to be. Even though you knew that to engage in such behavior would compromise your Biblical convictions, you also knew that to fit in with the crowd you would have to make some concessions. Or perhaps it was during that conversation you were engaged in at which some extremely controversial social issues were raised. You had strong convictions on the issues being discussed, but you felt the pressure to go along with the general consensus. even though it compromised your Biblical beliefs.

The pressure we face in certain situations can seem overwhelming at times. How are we to handle this type of pressure? What are we to do in these stressful situations? Are we to give in and go along, or are we to stand our ground?

The answer, according to the Bible, is straightforward – stand up for your convictions. Even if it means that we must stand alone. Granted, this can be a very uncomfortable place to be. What if our employer is placing a great deal of pressure on us to make that promise? What if my passing that exam is going to determine whether I am able to move to the next phase of my long-term educational goals? What if my standing for my Biblical convictions on those controversial issues cause me to lose some friends?

We can glean insight and instruction from the words of the Apostle Paul quoted at the beginning of this post. Note particularly the last words of the quote:

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.Ephesians 6:13. emphasis added

Stand! Stand strong; stand in the armor of God; stand on the clear teachings of Scripture; stand regardless of the cost. Stand! Always remember that the armor of God is available for your protection. It will enable you to engage in the battle – that spiritual warfare that rages all around us continuously. Our enemy, the devil, and his emissaries, are always at work, striving to tear down what God has built up. We must stand strong in the strength of the Lord in order to make an impact for Godliness in the midst of such godless activities as are so prevalent in our present cultural and societal state.

Let us stand boldly, fight courageously, use the armor of God wisely, as we contend for the faith that has been delivered to us through the Word of God.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Who Are You Following? Part Two

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Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

1 John 2:18-19, NKJV

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Matthew 24:11-12, NKJV

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of having wise discernment in choosing the Bible teachers and preachers we will listen to and follow. There are many who would lead us astray through their erroneous interpretation of Scripture. The question is, why would they choose to deceive others? What is their motivation? What do they hope to see accomplished through their false handling of the Word of God?

I am not suggesting that what I am about to say is an all-inclusive, comprehensive answer to those questions. This is, indeed, a topic of enormous proportions and concern. But, for the sake of being as concise as possible, I would like to suggest two possible reasons why we see this happening at such an alarming rate.

First, consider with me the fact that some deceive because they are deceived. In my previous blog I focused my thoughts on the statement of Jesus that if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch. These are the ones that are blinded to the truth of Scripture. They are spiritually blind, so they cannot grasp the true meaning of the Bible’s teachings. The Apostle Paul tells us that the carnal mind cannot grasp the true meaning of Scripture because of the individual’s spiritual condition: they are spiritually dead.

Many, if not most, of those in Jesus’ day who were assigned the task of interpreting the Bible for the people were of this type: spiritually dead. Their interpretation of Scripture was based solely on the traditions of man, and not on the sincere truths propounded in the Bible. They may have been sincere in their desire to teach the people, but they were sincerely wrong in their teachings. They were deceiving others out of their own state of deceit.

Today, it seems that the words of Jesus quoted above (Matthew 24:11-12) are being fulfilled. Many false prophets are on the scene, deceiving many. Some of these we come across in our daily walk of life. They are common, ordinary people, just like us. We work with them, go to school with them, live next door to them. They are good people. They are the kind of people who would literally give you the shirt off their backs. But they have a faulty understanding of Scripture, and they embrace the spirit of lawlessness which is prevalent in the world today. Instead of standing on the sound doctrines as taught in the Bible they have chosen rather to base their understanding of Scripture on the shifting sands of cultural relativism. Social concerns such as abortion, human sexuality, biological necessity, basic human rights, political disparities, religious disparities, etc. etc. are interpreted by cultural beliefs and practices.

Most horrific and dangerous of all are their teachings on the basic tenets of the Bible. Take just one as an example: salvation. If we take the words of Jesus seriously, then we must understand that there is only one means of salvation: no one goes to heaven by any means other than Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. There is no other means of salvation, and no other way to gain entrance into heaven. So, again, it is imperative to choose with spiritual discernment who we will follow.

However, it is not only those that are deceived who deceive others, but there are those who deceive because of a desire to deceive others. Some of these may do what they do out of selfish ambition. Others may be motivated by a desire for personal recognition and respect. Still others may do it because of a sinister desire to lead others astray. But regardless of their motivation, they do what they do with their eyes wide open.

Years ago I read a description of a preacher that has haunted me my entire Christian life. This is not a direct, word-for-word quote, but the gist of the description was as follows:

When he is in the pulpit, he preaches with such eloquence, I think that he should never come down. But when he is down from the pulpit, he lives with such carelessness and sinfulness that he should never go up.

Perhaps you know of someone who fits this description. Are you willingly, knowingly, submitting yourself to their teachings? Are you, by your acceptance of their teachings, giving your consent to what they are propounding? If you should, for example, hear your preacher say that Jesus is not the only means of salvation, but that there are many roads that lead to heaven, would you still follow them? If you heard a preacher say that abortion is a viable option for birth control, would you continue to listen to them?

There are many who know what the Bible teaches, but still choose to embrace their interpretations of Scripture by the traditions of man, and the ever-changing climate of cultural relativism.

Many false prophets and teachers are in the world today. Let’s be very careful as we choose those to whom we will give our attention.

Until next time:

Blessings!