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“When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.”

Titus 3:12–15

Dr. D. J. Fleming who worked as a medical missionary in both India and China recounted a powerful story from the Boxer Rebellion that swept over China. The movement was violently anti-foreign and anti-Christian, and when the soldiers captured one town they came to a mission school for children. They placed a cross on the ground by the gate and announced that those who would trample over the cross would be free to go. The first seven children walked on the cross and were spared, but the eighth, a young girl dropped to her knees. For her refusal to trample on the cross, she was shot. Every remaining student followed her example and died rather than deny their faith.

There are many who start out well and continue on the right path for a little while. But when the pressure is on, and their faith may actually cost them something, they wilt and turn back. “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia” (2 Timothy 4:10). None of us are immune from this temptation. The devil knows that if he can make the cost of doing right high enough, many will falter. God is looking for people who not only do what is right, but who continue to do so no matter what comes. The Christian life is not a sprint, and we are called to maintain until we reach the end.

“And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”

Numbers 24:15–17

After recovering from a serious illness on a sea voyage late in his life, the famed poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson began to think more and more about eternity. Reflecting on the future he penned these lines:

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea.
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

This world is temporary and fleeting. There are many sorrows and pains that accompany life. And at the end looms the darkness of death. But for the Christian there is more—there is the promise that Jesus is waiting, and that we will see His face when this life has ended.

One of the most prevalent fears people have is the fear of death. Yet no matter how we try to avoid it, death is a certainty unless the Lord returns. For the Christian, death still may bring pain and sorrow, but it is different than that which is experienced by the world. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

“And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.”

2 Kings 13:18–19

Some years ago the Wall Street Journal ran this story in a humor column. A man sitting on his porch noticed his teenage son leaving the house carrying a guitar, a pick, and a shovel. Somewhat taken aback, he asked, “What are you doing, Son?” The young man replied, “My girlfriend asked me to come over and serenade her.” His father said, “That’s a nice thing to do. What are the pick and shovel for?” “Oh,” the teen said, “She wanted me to sing to her from underneath her window, and her family lives in the basement!”

When we want to do what is right, not as a convenience or a whim, but as a commitment, we do not worry about the obstacles. We don’t care if others refuse to join in. We don’t mind if the results are slow in coming. We just keep on until we have reached the goal and achieved what God has called us to do. Many people start out well, but only do part of the task before becoming discouraged or distracted.

The only way to accomplish great things for God is to stay at the work. No matter how long it takes or how hard it is, if we are doing what is right, we should remain faithful. Most great achievements are not the result of a few spectacular moments of public effort, but instead come from patient and diligent work that continued on and on in the face of obstacles and opposition.

“Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”

Psalm 25:1–5

We live in a society that glorifies self-guidance. Those who go their own way are often held up as heroes, despite the fact that such a path often leads to pain if not complete destruction. Christians are just as subject to this temptation as those around us. We look for “loopholes” and ways to make the Bible say what we want it to say so that we can do what we want to do. All kinds of sin are justified from verses taken out of context and doctrines constructed out of thin air.

Rather than trying to force our will on the Word of God, we should take it as is and ask the Holy Spirit to help us rightly understand and apply it to our lives. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “It were well for many professors if instead of following their own devices, and cutting out new paths of thought for themselves, they would enquire for the good old ways of God’s own truth, and beseech the Holy Ghost to give them...teachable spirits.”

There are only two ways available—our own way and God’s way. Those who insist on setting their own course in opposition to God’s plan and wise advice from others can have it, but only at great cost. “And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof” (Proverbs 5:11–12).

“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”

Acts 16:6–9

Frederick Robertson had his life planned out. He expected to enter the British Army and become an officer just as his father had been. He grew up in forts and army headquarters and loved watching the soldiers drill and prepare for battle. But his hopes were bitterly dashed when, despite an excellent academic record, he was left off the list for commissioning of new officers. Instead Robertson went to Oxford and trained for the ministry. He became a pastor in Brighton, England for many years, and he touched the lives of many. God had a different position in mind for Frederick Robertson.

Often our plans do not coincide with what God has in mind, and He steps in to direct us toward a different path. It is vital that we view these setbacks properly. Some people become bitter and disillusioned when God closes a door that they wanted opened. Yet His wisdom and knowledge far exceed our own, and He knows what is best both for our lives and for His work. We must be willingly submitted to the direction of God, even when it is not what we would prefer.

It is easy for us to trust God when things are going well. And it is not difficult to accept a closed door if we readily see an alternate path before us. Real faith trusts God even when the closed door seems final. He knows what is best, and we must trust His plan.

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

Philippians 3:8–11

Though Ulysses S. Grant received a Congressional appointment to West Point, he was far from a model student. Grant did not like the classes, preferring to read adventure stories from authors like James Fenimore Cooper to studying. As a result, his grades suffered, and he frequently considered dropping out of school. Then General Winfield Scott, a hero from both the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, visited the campus. Grant was struck by Scott's personal appearance and his bearing, and determined that he would stay in the military and one day be a great general as well. Eventually Grant would be placed in overall command of the Union Army and win the Civil War.

The model that we should be following every day of our lives is the example of Jesus Christ. He is the pattern for each of us. The highest aspiration we should have is to live in His power so that we become more like Him. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.”

Hosea 10:12–14

California is one of the great agricultural regions of the world. Billions of dollars worth of fruit and vegetables that are grown in our state are shipped across the country and around the world, feeding millions of people. Every farmer knows exactly what crop he is going to harvest. He does not know when he plants how much rain will fall, how hot the sun will be, or whether his harvest will be excellent, average or poor. But he does know what he will be harvesting, because he knows what he planted.

God has ordered and established the world from creation with the principle of sowing and reaping firmly in place. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so” (Genesis 1:11). Every harvest is determined by the seed. Many people do not like the painful harvest that follows sin and disobedience, but they are unwilling to plant righteousness.

There is no alternative plan available. You will reap whatever you choose to sow. The only place we can make an effective choice is at the beginning of the process. Every person who laments the bitter harvest of evil consequences that follows wicked living has only himself to blame. Likewise those who plant obedience can confidently expect blessing to follow.

“When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Isaiah 57:13–15

By nature we want to be lifted up. It has been that way ever since the Fall of man. We want to be admired and respected and self-sufficient. But while we certainly should live in a way that is respectable, if our focus and motivation is the praise and applause of men, we will forfeit the power and blessing of God. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

When we reach the end of ourselves, we have the opportunity to go to Him in humility and seek His grace and help. Andrew Murray said, “Just as water ever seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds you abased and empty, His glory and power flow in.” The things that create empty places in our lives (defeats, disappointments, and brokenness) are an enormous opportunity if we use them properly.

Sometimes people respond with anger or bitterness, but othertimes they turn to God. It is in those moments when we are least filled with self that we can see His power fully revealed. Scripture and church history are filled with people who did great things for God in the midst of great pain and hardship because they remained faithful.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

Romans 6:16–18

One of the most effective deceptions practiced by Satan is to convince people that they have a choice to be completely free in the world—making their own decisions and going their own way. This lie has led countless people to destruction. The truth is that every man, woman, and child born into this world is a servant to something. The only freedom we have is in the choice of what we will serve. By the power of God through the gospel, we are offered the choice to serve righteousness rather than sin. But if we do not exercise that choice, even as believers, we will live in bondage to sin.

The illusion of freedom is quickly shattered once the consequences of sin begin to appear. The fleeting pleasures of sin are quickly replaced by chains and bondage. The harvest of the seeds that we sow cannot be avoided. The choice that leads to freedom from God’s service inevitably leads to bondage to Satan. The choice that leads to freedom from sin places us in binding service to God.

Consider the Prodigal Son. When he left his home for the far country, he thought he was moving toward freedom. He would leave behind his father’s rules and live as he chose. Instead he found himself with the dirty job of feeding pigs—and being so hungry he was coveting what they ate. That is the path we choose when we decide to pursue freedom by throwing off the “shackles” of God’s requirements. It only leads to slavery and suffering.

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

1 John 1:5–7

It has become quite common to hear people speak of “my truth” as if their perception is more valid and important than reality. Yet despite what a culture or society may say, there is such a thing as absolute, unchanging, eternal truth. There are principles God has laid out for us that are grounded and firm which apply to all people at all times in all circumstances.

It is easy to see why people reject the notion of absolute truth. It is far more demanding to have a set standard that never varies than to adjust demands and beliefs according to circumstances. Most of us remember a class or two from the past where tests were graded on a curve. That meant that your score was not an absolute measure of how many questions you got right, but how you did in relation to the rest of the class. Even if you only got a few questions right, you could come out all right as long as most of the rest of the class was in the same boat.

God doesn’t grade on a curve. When we claim that truth adjusts and that we are therefore not really sinning, He says we are lying. He will not change His commands or what He calls sin just because what He declared is not popular with people. Instead, God calls us to walk in His truth so that we can have fellowship with Him.

“Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.”

1 Chronicles 16:7–11

One of the noted early philosophers of ancient Greece was Diogenes, who was a founder of the Cynics. Diogenes delighted in challenging the assumptions and sloppy thinking of others. When Plato’s famous Academy defined humans as “featherless bipeds,” Diogenes took them a plucked chicken and argued they should consider it a man. Perhaps his most famous act was carrying a lighted lantern through the streets and markets of Athens during the daytime. When asked what he was doing, Diogenes is said to have replied, “I am looking for an honest man.”

Most people are looking for truth and honesty in others, but we recognize it as a rare commodity in our world. Many of us know what it is like to be disappointed by someone we trusted, when it turned out the faith we placed in what we were told did not have a solid foundation. The proper response to these disappointments is not to become cynical, but to seek God more.

David knew what it was like to be falsely accused, betrayed, and lied about. He knew what it was like to have the very people he had delivered from certain death turn against him. He also knew that God is an unfailing source of truth. So David focused on seeking help and hope from God. He knew God’s faithfulness could always be trusted. God is complete truth, and there is no deceit within His nature.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”

John 10:1–3

The most important question every individual must answer is the question that determines his or her eternal destiny. Despite what many in our day teach and promote, God has clearly and firmly declared that there is only one way to Heaven. There are not many paths all leading in the same general direction that eventually get everyone to the right destination. The only way that we can be justified in the sight of God is to accept in faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf. Many people fail to receive salvation because while they believe that Jesus is important, they also wrongly think that they have to be part of the process by doing something to deserve or earn salvation.

Dr. Curtis Hutson put it this way: “I am a church member. I have been baptized. I try to live right. I have been preaching since I was twenty years old. I travel every week of my life going from church to church throughout this country to preach the gospel. But I do none of these things to be saved. My only hope of Heaven is the fact that Jesus Christ died for me. He paid my sin debt. I am trusting Him alone for salvation. I am not trusting my good works, my church membership, my baptism, or anything else. When we stand before God, the only thing that He will count is what His Son did at Calvary.”

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”

Jeremiah 29:12–14

There are many resources and teachings available for Christians on the subjects of growing in grace and becoming closer to God. I’m thankful for all the ones that are faithful to the Bible and encourage good habits and correct doctrine. But in truth this is not a difficult subject to understand—the difficulty is in the execution, not the education. The bottom line of our Christian life is determined by the condition of our heart. If the heart is not fixed on God, other things will intervene to draw us away from Him.

A. W. Tozer said, “Come near to the holy men and women of the past, and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out; and when they had found Him, the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking…Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.”

We do not have to rely on our own strength to fix our hearts on God. He enables and equips us to seek Him as He commands. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

2 Corinthians 6:17–7:1

I came across a story from the late 1800s of a group of society young people who decided to tour a nearby coal mine. On the appointed day they showed up and met their guide. While most of them had dressed appropriately for the occasion, one of the young ladies had worn a lovely white tea dress. Her friends questioned her choice of apparel, but she appealed to their tour guide. “Can’t I wear a white dress into the coal mine?” After a moment he replied, “There’s nothing to keep you from wearing a white frock into the mine, but there’s a considerable amount there that will keep you from wearing a white frock out.”

The notion that we can walk deeply into the things of the world without it having an impact on us is folly. While we are not meant to withdraw from the world and become hermits, we also must not yield to the temptation to get as close to sinful things as we can. Those who think that they have reached a point in their sanctification and growth that they can allow themselves some “small” sins without damage are falling right into Satan’s trap. He loves the self-confident Christian, because the devil knows that it will not be long until sin gains control. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

“The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.”

Nehemiah 1:1–3

In ancient times, before airplanes and artillery, a city’s greatest defense against attacking invaders was the height and thickness of its walls. The walls that the great king Nebuchadnezzar had built around his capital city of Babylon were massive. The ancient Greek historian Herotodus said they were eighty feet thick and that chariot races were held on the top of the walls where everyone could watch the competitors from the city below. A city that had no walls had little hope of holding off an enemy army that came against them.

Though such walls no longer offer defense against modern military technology, they are a wonderful metaphor for the Christian life. We need guards and barriers to keep us safe from the attacks of the enemy. These walls are not primarily external, although the rules that God lays out for us to follow are vital, but rather internal. The greatest damage done to our lives and character comes from within. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

The old saying goes, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” This is just as true in the spiritual realm as it is in the physical realm. The devil doesn’t take days off. We must maintain our diligence and caution to avoid sin.

“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

Daniel 10:1–3

If we are honest, we must admit that a vast majority of the prayers offered, both in our churches and in private are surface prayers. They follow the accepted forms and use the language to which we have grown accustomed, but there is little fervent intensity in praying. We are greatly blessed, especially here in America, with both more freedom than Christians have enjoyed through the centuries and more material blessings. As a result, we sometimes fail to depend on God and become self-reliant. This has a definite impact on the way we pray.

If we recognized that even with prosperity and freedom abounding we are still utterly reliant on His help for every part of life, our prayers would change. Rather than casually going down a prayer list, we would pour out hearts to God, pleading for His help and asking Him to work in and through our lives in a mighty way. That kind of praying doesn’t just change us—it changes everything around us. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

We have been given access to a resource beyond human limits or even human understanding. God’s power and resources have been offered to us to do His work if we will but ask for them. Yet too often we do not pray seriously.

“Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.”

Luke 5:4–6

Because of the huge crowd that came to hear Jesus preach, He borrowed Peter’s boat and stood in it while the people gathered on the shore. The water naturally carried the sound of His voice, and ensured that the people could hear what Jesus said. When He was done with His message, Jesus had a plan to repay Peter for the use of his boat—a great haul of fish. Peter pointed out that despite working the entire night, they had nothing to show for it. This was not merely a frustration of a hobby, but rather it was a major problem for a man who made his living catching fish. Peter needed results, not just activity.

Most of us know the feeling of working all day without feeling like we are getting anything done. There is no benefit in being busy alone. The answer for productivity in our lives is the same as it was for Peter—when God steps in, everything changes. Too many times we labor in our own strength, attempting to accomplish that which can only be done through divine enabling. R. A. Torrey said, “We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity but accomplish little. We have many services but few results.” God wants us to work hard, but He expects us to do that work in dependence on Him. He is the one who transforms our work into a harvest.

“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Acts 1:7–8

One of the biggest trade shows in the world is the annual Consumer Electronics Show hosted by the Consumer Technology Association each year in Las Vegas. More than 180,000 people browse booths filled with the latest gadgets, tools, and toys put on display by hundreds of vendors. The show in January of 2018 featured an unusual and unwelcome interruption—the electricity went out for more than two hours. Without power, none of the devices worked, no matter how advanced and how cutting edge they might be.

The Christian life and our work for God depend on power, and that power does not come from us. The instruction that Jesus gave to His disciples was to not attempt to begin their work until they had received the promised power. “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me” (Acts 1:4). There are many sincere, dedicated, and devoted people who are not seeing the kind of results they want from their ministry because they are not operating in God’s power.

The Holy Spirit is given to every believer at the moment of salvation. But there is an ongoing process of allowing His power to flow through us: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). There is no shortage of power on God’s end. His “transmission lines” never go down.

“Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.”

Ezra 9:4–6

One of the greatest dangers of sin is the way in which we slowly and subtly become accustomed to it. When there is sin all around us, as is true in our day, it is easy for us to stop thinking that it is shocking and horrible. Alexander Pope wrote:

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

Sin is still just as wicked as ever, no matter how much of it there is or how accepted it may become by society. When Ezra returned from Babylon to teach the Jewish people the law of God, he found that they had ignored the commandments God had given concerning marrying foreigners. This practice was widespread and had become culturally acceptable. But it was shocking to Ezra who had committed his life to live by God’s law and to teach that law to others.

Because he refused to accept or downplay or normalize sin, Ezra was able to lead the people to repentance and revival. One of the great needs of our day is Christians who are shocked and appalled by sin.

“And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”

Acts 19:17–20

One of the most effective churches established by Paul on his missionary travels was the church at Ephesus. Though the city was a center of idolatry and the worship of Diana, the power of God touched many hearts and Jews and Gentiles alike responded to the gospel message. According to some historical records, among the pastors of this great church were the Apostle John, Timothy, and Onesimus—the runaway slave Paul led to Christ while imprisoned in Rome.

Part of the effectiveness of the church in Ephesus was their commitment to addressing their own sin forcefully and completely. When the believers came together there, they did not downplay their past lives. They named their sins and confessed them. Then they took the remnants of their past lives—the books that contained information about the demonic worship of idols—and publicly burned them. They left no trace behind of the former things. They did not try to hold on to the parts that “weren’t so bad” but rather completely gave them up.

The notion that we can leave a little bit of sin in a few hidden corners of our lives without it impacting the rest is a deadly lie from Satan. The only cure for sin is complete eradication of the practices, habits, and tools that facilitated it in our lives. The power of God offers us freedom from sin, but we must leave sin behind completely to live in that freedom.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 12:1–2

I read about a missionary in Central America who was preparing to retire after many years of fruitful service in the poor mountain villages. Those whose lives she had touched wanted to hold a celebration to honor her, so word went from town to town to come together on a certain day for a farewell event. When the missionary arrived, she saw an elderly man who had walked four days from his remote home to get there, bringing the only gift he could afford—two coconuts. When she expressed her surprise that he had traveled so far, the man replied, “The long walk was part of the gift.”

The right attitude toward serving God should never be frustration or the feeling that the cost of service is too high. What was the cost of our salvation? Nothing less than the precious blood of the very Son of God. In light of the incredible mercy we have received, it cannot be unreasonable for us to make any sacrifice God calls on us to make for Him. The reality is that God does not need our help to accomplish His purposes—He graciously allows us to be part of His work, using the gifts and power He provides.

There are some who resent or complain about the cost of serving God. This reveals a heart that is not grateful for the grace and mercy received from our loving Father in Heaven. If we truly recognize and appreciate what we have been given, then it is easy for us to sacrificially serve the Lord.

“Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

2 Corinthians 4:14–16

Fish have gills which allow them to separate the oxygen from the water in which they swim, but humans have no such apparatus and can only stay underwater for short periods of time. In the late 1800s, large bulky systems to provide oxygen for divers began to be used, mostly for salvage and underwater construction operations. The modern idea of diving for pleasure took longer to develop. In 1952, a Major in the US Army, Christian Lambertsen, received a patent for an idea for a re-breathing system he had developed for use during World War II. The name which we still use today, scuba, is an acronym for the description of the device: self contained underwater breathing apparatus.

The reason that a diver can stay underwater for lengthy periods of time is that he takes an air supply with him. As Christians we are surrounded by a hostile environment in the world. We cannot “breathe” in those surroundings. But we have been given a source of strength and power within that allows us to function with power and victory even though we are operating in enemy territory. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

The ocean outside a diver’s face plate is hostile but unable to harm him as long as the system works properly and he does not allow it inside. The air flows freely from the tank into his lungs. We have the Holy Spirit of God to give us victory over the world—provided that we keep the world on the outside.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

1 John 2:15–17

Lot should never have been in Sodom in the first place, and the only reason he survived God’s righteous fury at that sinful city was because of Abraham’s intercession and God’s mercy. In the end, the angels took Lot, his wife, and their two unmarried daughters out of the town before the brimstone fell. But though their physical bodies may have changed locations, that did not change the things they loved and valued. Lot’s wife left only with the greatest reluctance, because she loved what she was leaving behind, sinful though it was—and it cost her everything. “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

The world attempts to draw our attention and allure our hearts away from God. It is filled with temptations that draw us toward sin and appeal to our fallen appetites. Yet even though we know this is true, it is hard for us to not be drawn into evil. Too many Christians sin because they are in love with the things of the world, so they rationalize bad behavior and cling to evil when they should instead be clinging to God and what is right and good. Someone said, “Worldliness is what any particular culture does to make sin look normal and righteousness look strange.” The snares placed around us have no power if we love our Father in Heaven and focus on what is eternal instead.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Psalm 1:1–3

I read about a man in India writing to a friend and giving a report on a mighty work God was doing in his church and his community by saying, “We are having a great rebible here.” His language and grammar may not have been 100 percent correct, but the sentiment is exactly right. What we need is not better methods or new doctrines or cutting edge techniques. What we need is to be “rebibled”—to have the Word of God fill our hearts and minds and to change the way we live.

Thousands of years have passed since the first part of the Bible was recorded. The individual books were penned by a variety of human authors in different countries and different languages. Any human product thus created would be riddled with inconsistencies and contradictions and errors. The Bible, however, is not because each author was inspired by the Holy Spirit so that the words God meant for us to have were faithfully recorded. (See 2 Peter 1:21.)

The Bible is constantly under attack, both from those who deny it and from those who wish to alter it to fit their beliefs and practices. When we set ourselves up to judge what God has said, we destroy our ability to receive His guidance and direction and truth. Exercising faith in God’s Word means more than simply accepting what it says. It is also to follow it in obedience day by day.

“With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.”

Ephesians 6:7–9

Among the most unlikely relics recovered after the sinking of the Titanic, was a letter written by first class passenger Alexander Holverson to his mother. Holverson apparently intended to mail it when the great ship reached New York City. But the fateful encounter with the iceberg ended that plan, and the letter was found when Holverson’s body was recovered. The letter was sold in 2017 at auction, fetching a price of more than $165,000. In the three-page letter, Holverson described the ship and his fellow passengers, writing: “Mr. and Mrs. John Jacob Astor is [sic] on this ship. He looks like any other human being, even tho he has millions of money. They sit out on the deck with the rest of us.”

At the time, Astor was one of the richest men in the world. But after placing his expectant wife on the final lifeboat that left the doomed ocean liner, Astor stayed on the deck with most of the other men in first class and perished in the icy waters of the ocean. In the end, despite his great wealth, Astor died just as every person does.

No matter how much we achieve or accomplish, God views us through the same lens—equal in His sight. He does not play favorites or regard some above others. Each person is a fallen sinner in need of His freely-offered grace. Great fame or wealth may gain status in the eyes of the world, but God sees us all the same.

“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

2 Timothy 1:8–10

Salvation is not something that we will get when we die or when the Lord returns—it is already ours from the moment that we place our faith in Christ as our Saviour. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Believers in Christ Jesus are saved. They are not looked upon as persons who are in a hopeful state, and may ultimately be saved, but they are already saved. Salvation is not a blessing to be enjoyed upon the dying bed, and to be sung of in a future state above, but a matter to be obtained, received, promised, and enjoyed now.”

So many people live with doubts and uncertainty concerning their salvation. They worry about whether they are truly saved, or wonder if they might lose their salvation. God does not want us to live beset by doubt and fear. He not only saves us, but He wants us to know it for certain. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). The Christian who lives without confidence in his salvation will not be an effective worker and witness for the Lord. The devil delights in doubt, but He cannot take away what God has already given.

“The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”

Daniel 4:30–32

The great basketball coach, John Wooden, won a record ten NCAA championships at UCLA. Over the years, he worked with many talented young men, but not all of them reached their potential. In time, he came to realize that the way they viewed themselves determined how they approached both practice and games—and that determined their results. Eventually, Wooden developed the following aphorism he would share with each new team: “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

The devil has taken down many through the snare of pride. It is so easy for us to listen to the voices that tell us we are special and deserve applause and credit. But as the great king Nebuchadnezzar found out when he boasted of his empire, God alone deserves glory and honor. It took him seven years living like an animal to learn his lesson. Pride is a direct attack on God’s divine prerequisites. God hates pride just as much today as He always has. Though He shares good things with us because of His gracious love for us, He will not share His glory. He calls us to praise Him rather than lifting ourselves up in pride.

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.”

Psalm 121:3–7

I read about a little girl who was making the transition to sleeping in her own room at night and was struggling with her fear of the dark. She didn’t like being on her own when she wasn’t able to see. When her mother came to tuck her in, the four-year-old pointed to the moon shining outside her window. “Mother,” she asked, “is the moon God’s light?” “Yes,” said her mother. The girl’s next question was, “Will God blow out His light and go to sleep?” And the mother replied, “No, my child. God never goes to sleep.” Then with the simplicity of a child’s faith she said, “Well, so long as God is awake, I am not afraid.”

The basis for our confidence is not a belief that nothing will ever go wrong. The notion that God’s children never suffer the consequences of living in a fallen world sounds attractive, but it is not true. He does not promise to make us comfortable, but to make us like His Son. But He also promises to keep us in His care and only allow us to be touched by those things that are a part of His plan for us. He never takes a day off, and He never leaves us to face trouble on our own. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

“And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.”

Mark 14:37–40

There was a marked difference between Jesus and His disciples the night before the crucifixion. He knew what was coming, but though He had given them warning, the disciples did not recognize the seriousness of what was about to happen. As a result, when it was time to pray, they fell asleep instead. Even after Jesus came back and rebuked them, Peter, James, and John went right back to sleep as soon as He went to pray alone again. Later that very night, because Peter had not fortified himself with prayer, he was vulnerable and failed when the moment of temptation came.

So many times we fill our days and hours with activity—good activity carried out with good intentions—but we neglect to pray. Like Peter we leave ourselves open to temptation when we fail to seek God's face. We must be people of prayer, not just in church or at meals or at bedtime, but on a regular and consistent basis throughout the day. David Brainard said, “Oh! One hour with God infinitely exceeds all the pleasures and delights of this lower world.”

When we do not pray, we are restricted to our own strength. We lose access to the power of God that equips and enables us to overcome the temptations of the devil. Prayer is our protection, and that is why Jesus taught us to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13).

“These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”

Psalm 50:21–23

Billy Bray, the noted English evangelist and preacher of the early 1800s, was saved from a life of drunkenness and sin. In response to the dramatic effect of his conversion, he went everywhere praising God. Bray said, “I can’t help praising God. As I go along the street I lift one foot and it seems to say, ‘Glory!’ and I lift the other, and it seems to say, ‘Amen!’ And they keep on like that all the time I’m walking.”

God delights in hearing the praises and worship of His people. There is nothing that He needs—He is complete in and of Himself, and we cannot add to His wealth or wisdom by anything that we do. Yet He graciously allows us to bring our praise to Him and accepts it as an offering. There are many ways we can glorify God with our lives, but one of the most powerful and most important is to praise Him.

Our praise is important to our own lives, but it also has a powerful impact on those around us. “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them” (Psalm 126:1–2). When we joyfully declare what God has done for us, we create an eagerness in the hearts of others to learn more about Him.

“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”

2 Chronicles 5:13–14

There never has been a building to compare with the amazing temple constructed by Solomon to provide a place of worship for God. The vision for the building was originally David’s; and when God told the great king it would be his son who would carry out the project, David spent the final years of his life and reign preparing materials and helping Solomon plan for the sacred place that would house the Ark of the Covenant. After years of careful work, when the building was finally complete, Solomon held a great dedication service. During that service, the visible presence of the Spirit of God filled the building in such power that the people could not stay inside.

Many people read this story and think how wonderful it would be to see God’s presence displayed like that. Yet in truth, every believer has the same Holy Spirit in his life from the moment of conversion. Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;” (John 14:16). The problem is not that we do not have God’s presence, but that we often do things that obscure and hinder His work. His glory is present, but we do not see it because of the way in which we are living.

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”

Psalm 137:1–4

For God’s people to be surrounded by enemies is not new—it has happened over and over again throughout the centuries. Sadly, however, one of the common responses to hardship and enmity is silence. Instead of publicly declaring our praise of God and our allegiance to Him, we are tempted to put our heads down and try to avoid making waves. At a time when a business or even a church can be sued for trying to practice the faith taught in the Scriptures, it is tempting to avoid taking a firm stand. But it is in the moments of challenge that our voices are most important.

The opening of our mouths in praise and worship to God is not optional in the Christian life. It is not something to practice sporadically or only at certain times. Instead it is to be part of our daily existence, so that all who know us recognize our gratitude toward the God we serve. The silent Christian is a disobedient Christian.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Doth not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise Him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise Him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Doth not the lightning write His name in letters of fire? Hath not the whole earth a voice? And shall I, can I, silent be?”

“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 17:19–21

While Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, a desperate father brought his demon-possessed son to the other disciples and sought for help. Despite the fact that they had cast demons out of other people, they could do nothing with this one. It was not until Jesus returned, that the young man’s father’s prayers were answered and the boy was delivered. When the disciples asked the Lord what made the difference, He told them it was a lack of prayer on their part.

Dr. John Rice said, “My greatest sin, and yours, is prayerlessness. My indecision, my lack of wisdom, my lack of guidance come directly out of my prayerlessness. All the times I have fallen into sin, have failed in my duties, have been bereft of power, or disconsolate for lack of comfort, I can charge to the sin of prayerlessness. Oh! Horrible sin, the lack of prayer!”

So many Christians are frustrated because they are trying to do in their own strength what can only be accomplished through the power of God. And the means by which God has ordained to release that power in our lives is prayer. Yet despite the fact that we are told this again and again in the Bible, how often we fail to pray? Intense, serious, passionate prayer, even to the point of fasting, is required to deal with the issues that life throws at us. Without prayer we will falter and fail.

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

1 Timothy 2:1–4

If we kept careful record of our focus during the time we spend in prayer, most Christians would find that a great majority of our praying is self-focused. Yet while we are invited and encouraged to pray for our needs to be met, and we do so, there are many more commands given to us in Scripture to pray for the needs of others. If there is one single missing ingredient in the prayer life of the modern church that keeps us from seeing God work as we long to see, it is no doubt the lack of intercession. E. M. Bounds wrote, “Prayer must be broad in its scope—it must plead for others. Intercession for others is the hallmark of all true prayer. Prayer is the soul of a man stirred to plead with God for men.”

A Christian who prays only for himself is not only self-focused, but he is self-limiting. At his disposal is the incredible opportunity for prayer to impact the lives of others, yet he is using prayer only for his own needs. We need Christians who will pray beyond the confines of their home, their family, their job, and their health.

The night before His death on the cross, Jesus certainly spent time praying for His own strength and the coming trial. But first He prayed, not just for His disciples, but for us as well. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” (John 17:20). The Apostle Paul, likewise, prayed regularly and fervently for others. He began almost each epistle sharing that he was giving thanks and praying for the spiritual growth of those to whom he wrote.

“Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

Genesis 18:24–26

It is easy to discern that we are living in an increasingly wicked society. Things that once were against the law of both God and man are now not just accepted or tolerated, but praised and held up as something good. The open flaunting of immorality and sin in Sodom was deserving of the judgment of God, and America is hurtling down the same path. But while we rightly say Sodom was judged for its great evil, if the righteous people who lived there had been doing what they should, the judgment would have been averted. It was the failure of the righteous people that sealed the fate of Sodom.

In answer to Abraham’s earnest prayers, God agreed not to destroy the city if He found fifty righteous people there. Abraham kept lowering the number needed until he got to ten, and God promised He would spare the city for just ten righteous people. But even that low bar could not be cleared, as it seems that Lot, a righteous man living in Sodom, had not influenced even a handful of people for God and righteousness. Sodom was evil, but it was not without hope. There are examples of entire cities and even countries repenting of great wickedness and turning to God, and who knows but that Sodom would have been one of those had Lot cared to direct the hearts of those around him to God.

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”

John 10:11–13

The British pastor John Fawcett was saved under the ministry of George Whitefield when he was a teenager. After several years of effective ministry in a small rural church in Yorkshire, England, Fawcett was called to pastor the London church where the renowned John Gill had held the pulpit for many years. Fawcett agreed to make the move. He preached his farewell sermon and had his belongings loaded onto wagons. But as Fawcett looked at the people into whom he had poured his life and saw them weeping, he was struck with the realization that he could not leave them behind.

Fawcett turned down the well-known and well-paid pulpit in London, and spent another thirty-five years in virtual obscurity with his flock. Not long after making the decision to stay, he penned these words that became a famous hymn:

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear,
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

Not just pastors but all of God’s people need to have a heart that beats with love and concern for others. There are many excuses and reasons people give to reject the message of the gospel, but a loving heart is hard to refuse. And Christians need other believers to love and care for and encourage them as well. Our hearts must be joined together if the body of Christ is to be healthy.

“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

Matthew 7:8–11

Because our culture has such a distorted view of God, it is hard for us to overcome the constant barrage of misinformation about Him that we receive. Even some religious groups describe a God that is almost unrecognizable from the pages of Scripture. We must have a proper view of God to live as He commands. And that view can only come to us from the Bible. In its pages is the only true description of His nature and character, and these truths should be the foundation for our attitude toward God.

One of the purposes of Jesus’ life and ministry was to declare and reveal the true nature of God. “And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). At a time when most of the world’s religions featured a god or many gods who were distant and aloof, requiring appeasement for their wrath, Jesus described a loving Father who Himself provided a way for man to come into His presence.

This truth is reinforced in the teaching of Jesus on the subject of prayer. He contrasts God to earthly fathers who, despite their limitations, do their best to provide for their children. God is much more able and willing to respond to our prayers than any human could be. He delights in hearing from us.

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Exodus 20:9–11

Adam Clarke, the English theologian of the early 1800s, wrote one of the most influential Bible commentaries ever produced. He was not a fast writer or reader, and he was very diligent. It took him forty years of laborious effort to complete his six-volume work, with the last book published in 1826 just six years before his death. In order to have time for his writing in addition to his ministerial duties, Clarke got up early each morning. The story goes that a young preacher visiting him inquired about his routine. “Do you pray about getting up so early?” he asked. “No,” Clarke replied. “I just get up.”

The best way to get things done is to simply begin working. Looking for the perfect time and circumstances to begin work usually ends with doing nothing at all. Solomon warned, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). The difference in the level of accomplishment reached is not usually a matter of extreme talent or resources, but rather a matter of dedication and effort. The more seriously we take our work, realizing that God created us for specific tasks and duties, the more devoted we will be. And the more effort we put forth, the more we will be able to get done both in the spiritual and physical realms.

“Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.”

Exodus 18:21–22

Jacques Necker is little remembered now, but in the period leading up to the French Revolution, he was one of the most important people in all of France. He served Louis XVI as Finance Minister, and was basically in control of most of the French economy. It was a turbulent time during which many government officials were using their position to line their own pockets. This corruption helped lead to the overthrow of the government. But Necker was an exception to that trend. He was so honest that when his estate burned, he ensured that the tax receipts collected for the government were rescued first. And even though as a result he lost all of his personal possessions, Necker still turned in the full amount of the taxes.

There are few things that tempt people more than money. The temptation to cut corners to get a little more has been around for a very long time. When Moses was encouraged by his father-in-law to appoint men to help judge the Israelites, one of the most important characteristics they needed to have was that they were not possessed with a spirit of covetousness. The culture around us is geared toward creating dissatisfaction and encouraging people to want more and more. Yet we must beware that it is only a short step from desiring to make our lives better, which is not wrong, to coveting what others have.

“And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.”

1 Samuel 14:6–8

The Philistines were a huge problem for Israel during the time of the judges and the reign of Saul. They had greater military strength than the Israelites and better technology to produce weapons of war. As a result, the Jews were facing an enemy they had little hope of defeating in battle. But Saul’s son, Jonathan, was not content to cower in fear, even in the face of a superior foe. Instead, he decided to step out in faith and take the battle to the enemy. And God used Jonathan to bring about a mighty victory.

We are not told whether or not Jonathan had fear. He does not appear to have known that victory was coming, for he said, “It may be that the LORD will work for us,” (emphasis mine). The important lesson for us in this story is that despite whatever doubts Jonathan may have had, he and his armor bearer stepped out of hiding and confronted the enemy. Elisabeth Elliot said, “Sometimes fear does not subside and you must do it afraid.”

God does strengthen us for the challenges and battles we face, but that does not mean we do not sometimes face doubts and fears as we head into a conflict. The call of faith is not to be completely without fear, but rather to do what is right regardless of our confidence level.

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

John 6:35–38

One Sunday morning the great evangelist George Whitefield filled the pulpit of one of London’s more elegant and upscale churches. Yet his message there was the same as he preached everywhere—that God saves sinners. Whitefield declared, “The Lord Jesus will take the devil’s castaways.” After the service ended, Whitefield went to eat with some of the leading members of the congregation. Over the meal, someone challenged him regarding his bold declaration that salvation was offered to all who believe.

In response, Whitefield pulled out of his pocket a note that he had received before leaving the church. He asked the critic to read it aloud to the group. It said, “Two poor, lost women stood outside your tabernacle today and heard you say that the Lord would take the devil’s castaways. We seized upon this as our last hope, and we write you this to tell you that we rejoice now in believing in Him, and from this good hour we shall endeavor to serve Him who has done so much for us.”

No sinner is beyond God’s saving. No matter what someone has done or failed to do, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross is sufficient atonement for his sin. The problem is not that God cannot or will not save, but that each individual must be willing to accept the free offer of salvation provided for him.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Matthew 16:24–26

Jonathan Goforth, who spent many years as a missionary in China, recounted the story of two young Chinese men who lived in a neighboring province. They purchased copies of the New Testament from a bookseller and began to read the Word of God in their own language. When they came to the instruction of Jesus to take up the cross, they were not clear on what it meant. So following the instruction literally, they made crosses out of bamboo. The Chinese translation said to “bear his cross on his back,” and so they tied the crosses to their shoulders and carried them everywhere they went. Soon they were directed to the mission outpost in Liuchow where they were presented the gospel. When they understood that Christ had already taken the punishment for their sins on His back as He died on the cross, they trusted Him as their Saviour. Then they returned to their village to tell others the good news.

The cross bearing that God commands for us is not usually a literal demand, but a symbol of sacrifice. Those who are not willing to give up what they hold most dear cannot follow Jesus, because that is what He did, even before His death on the cross. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Anything we cling to more than Jesus will prevent us from walking in His footsteps.

“And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Mark 1:32–35

Though Jesus was fully and completely God, He was also fully human. He voluntarily took on the limits of a body. He got tired and hungry just like we do. After a full day of ministry that began with teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, casting out a demon, and healing Peter’s mother-in-law, a huge crowd came as soon as the Sabbath was ended. They wanted Jesus to heal and touch those in need. We do not know how long it was before Jesus finished with the multitude, but it must have been long after dark. Yet very early the next morning, we find Jesus getting up to go apart alone and pray.

Prayer is not an adjunct or an accessory to ministry and life. It is an essential ingredient. It is in prayer that we, just as Jesus did, find the strength and power to accomplish what God has set before us. John Wesley said, “I have so much to do, that I must spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.”

Too often we try to work and live in our own power, but if we take that route, we only get what we are able to do. God calls us to tasks that are beyond our natural abilities and strength. To succeed we must have His help, and that help comes to us when we pray.

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13–16

William Longstaff inherited a successful shipping business from his father and resolved to use his resources to further God's work. He was a close friend and early supporter of William Booth and the Salvation Army. When D. L. Moody's evangelistic campaign in England was put in doubt because of the death of the main financial backer, Longstaff stepped forward to ensure the needs were met so the meetings could continue. During that campaign, Longstaff shared with Ira Sankey, Moody's songleader, a poem he had written after hearing a sermon on holiness. Later his words were set to music, and the hymn is still being sung today.

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

We all know that we will become like the people with whom we spend the most time. The question for us then is, “Am I becoming like Christ by spending time with Him?” When it comes to the matter of holiness, spending time with God is essential. Since He is perfectly and completely holy, separated from sin in every way, the time we spend in His presence will change our lives and let His holiness be more clearly seen in us.

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

John 10:9–11

Phillips Brooks, who is best remembered as the author of the Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” told of a man who came to him and said, “I have not time or room in my life for Christianity. If it were not so full! You don’t know how hard I work from morning till night. When have I time, where have I room for Christianity in such a life as mine?”

Recounting that story Brooks wrote, “It is as if the engine had said it had no room for the steam. It is as if the tree said it had no room for the sap. It is as if the ocean said it had no room for the tide. It is as if the man had said he had no room for his soul. It is as if the life had said it had no time to live, when it is life. It is not something added to life; it is life. A man is not living without it.”

It is so easy for us to become caught up in the things of life that we find our relationship with God relegated to an afterthought. Many people substitute a busy life for an abundant life. They have no time for personal, intimate fellowship with God as they rush from task to objective to project. It makes no difference what these tasks that keep us from spending time with God are—whether they are secular or religious—if we allow them to fill our days so there is no time left to cultivate our relationship with God.

“Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Acts 7:57–60

Joseph Parker, a powerful preacher and contemporary of Charles Spurgeon, spent a great deal of time, especially in his younger years, speaking in public parks and gathering places, presenting the gospel to atheists and skeptics who gathered to discuss the topics of the day. Once he was confronted by an infidel who shouted at him, “What did Christ do for Stephen when he was stoned?” Parker responded, “He gave him grace to pray for those who stoned him.”

God’s grace does not always deliver us from the suffering of trials. Some of the greatest Christians in history endured great hardship and persecution, and multiplied thousands have perished for their faith. What grace does, however, is overcome the hardship, so that we endure with faith and in our darkest moments are an unmistakable witness to the world. It is not by accident that the Bible tells us Saul was present at Stephen’s death. The attitude Saul saw displayed by the dying martyr helped prepare his heart to receive Christ.

Just as Jesus on the cross asked the Father to forgive those who were killing Him, Stephen sought God’s mercy on his unjust murderers. Most of us will not face that ultimate test, but we all endure physical, emotional, and spiritual trials. And for every trial, God’s grace is sufficient if we apply it and allow it to govern our responses.

“Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.”

Psalm 128:1–4

At the time of his death in 1913, John Pierpont Morgan was one of the richest men in the world. He was renowned in the world of finance for his ability to put together corporate deals, like his pivotal role in the creation of General Electric and U. S. Steel. Morgan almost single-handedly ended the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1907 by supporting the banks that were on the verge of failing and working with others to prop up companies that would otherwise have gone bankrupt.

Morgan was renowned for his philanthropy, supporting museums and hospitals, and was a major contributor to his church. His priorities and goals for the future were revealed in his will, which began with these words: “I commit my soul into the hands of my Saviour in full confidence that having redeemed it and washed it in His most precious blood, He will present it faultless before the throne of my Heavenly Father, and I entreat my children to maintain and defend at any cost of personal sacrifice the blessed doctrine of the complete Atonement for sin through the blood of Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone.”

Most of us will not leave billions of dollars to our descendants. But all of us can leave them a heritage of faith and love for God and a knowledge of His salvation. There is no greater inheritance than the testimony of a faithful life spent in service to God and a faith that reaches across the generations.

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Mark 11:24–26

The story goes that when Frederick William I of Prussia was dying, his personal chaplain came to see him. The king had accomplished a great deal to strengthen his country and had been a strong defender of religious freedom for those who refused to follow the Catholic Church. But he was renowned for his short temper and had alienated a number of family members against whom he nursed powerful grudges. When the minister spoke to him about his need to forgive, Frederick William agreed. He turned to his wife and said, “After I am dead, write to your brother and say that I forgave him.” The clergyman protested that he should write the letter himself while he was still alive, but Frederick William refused. “No, after I am dead. That will be safer,” he insisted.

All of us have suffered injuries and wrongs both large and small at the hands of others. Yet despite the fact that those hurts are real, God commands us to forgive. It is not optional. It is not conditioned on changing circumstances. Forgiveness is essential. Jesus set the pattern for us on the cross, when He asked God’s forgiveness for those who were putting Him to death. Furthermore, we who are saved through faith in Christ have personally experienced His forgiveness. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). None of us have suffered as He did, yet too often we cling to our hurts and refuse to forgive those who have done us wrong.

“And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.”

Isaiah 57:14-16

As we read the Bible and church history, we see God working in mighty ways. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that it was only because certain people had such amazing faith that they saw powerful works of God. Yet the pattern of God’s work in our world is not so much about great people, but about humble people. It is only when we recognize and acknowledge our own inability that we seek God’s help.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them the model prayer, frequently referred to as “the Lord’s prayer.” Then He went on to give them an illustration of a man asking a friend for food to share with an unexpected guest. “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?” (Luke 11:5–6).

If we think that we are sufficient in our own strength, ability, and resources, we will not urgently seek the help of God. And because He has ordained prayer as the means by which we receive His help, if we do not ask, we will not receive.

“Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

2 Corinthians 2:8–11

There is an old Russian story that following a wave of thefts from a construction site in the Soviet Union, special guards were put in place at each exit to stop the robbers. The first day, the guard noticed a worker with a wheelbarrow filled with bags. “What’s in the bags?” he asked suspiciously. “Just sawdust,” the worker replied. Refusing to believe him, the guard made him dump the bags and open them. But there were no tools or other materials inside—just sawdust. This happened every day for a week. The guard was convinced something was going on, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. Finally he asked, “I know you’re up to something, and I promise we won’t arrest you for it. But the curiosity is killing me. What are you doing?” “Stealing wheelbarrows,” the worker replied.

Satan has been deceiving men and women for thousands of years, not because he keeps coming up with new and more elaborate schemes, but because we keep falling for the same lies and temptations. God calls us to be on guard, paying attention, and not allowing the enemy to slip inside our guard. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Since the devil continually attempts to deceive and entrap us, we must be continually watchful, alert to his attempts to lead us astray.