Search

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

Exodus 12:5-7

When Moses gave the Israelites the instructions for the Passover before the night when all the firstborn in Egypt would be killed, he gave them specific detailed directions for how they could be safe. Every family that put the blood of the lamb on the door was spared from the heartbreak and tragedy. Every family that did not suffered the death of every firstborn in the house. It did not matter if they believed the God of Israel was the true God. It did not matter if they believed that Moses had been sent by God to lead them. Their true faith would be seen through whether or not they put the blood on their door posts. 

This Old Testament story is a picture for us of the blood of Jesus that atones for our sin. There are many people who profess to believe in God and even believe that Jesus died on the cross and raised from the dead. But if they do not place their faith in Him alone to be their Savior, if they attempt to earn their way to Heaven through their own good works, they have only head knowledge and not real, living faith. James 2:23 says, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Knowing the truth about Jesus is not enough; we must put our faith in His shed blood to be saved. Just as the Israelites were to apply the blood of a lamb to their door posts, so we are saved by trusting in the blood shed for us by "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). 

“And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.”

Luke 4:31–32

After He was rejected by the people in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus moved to the city of Capernaum, which became His ministry headquarters. There He continued His practice of going to the synagogue each week on the Sabbath day to teach the people. It was easy for them to recognize that what Jesus was preaching was different than what they had previously heard from other rabbis. The parallel account in Mark highlights this truth: “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22).

It was a common practice in those days for the rabbis to teach more about the teachings of rabbis and the arguments they had over what various parts of Scripture meant, than to actually focus on the Word of God. Jesus was different. He was not interested in the opinions of man. He declared the truths that the Holy Spirit of God had inspired to be written down and explained how they applied to daily life and what God expected of His people.

There is enormous power and authority when we stand and say, “Thus saith the Lord.” Our ideas and opinions do not carry the weight to bring conviction of sin to the hearts of the lost. Noted author and skeptic Mark Twain said, “It’s not the parts of the Bible that I don’t understand that bother me. It is the parts I do understand.” Though the Bible may not be accepted or appreciated, its power cannot be denied. We need to tell the world what God has said. His Word, shared in His power, is the means He has given us to reach the lost.

“And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.”

Luke 4:33–35

Demons are real, and they are active in our world today. Though it is a mistake to obsessively focus on the demonic, it is also a mistake to ignore it. The devil has many agents at work, and they have a real impact on the world. It was true in Jesus’ day, and it is still true now (although sometimes they manifest themselves in different ways to a modern world). There are some twenty different references in the Gospel of Luke to Jesus dealing with people who were possessed by demons. Several of these confrontations took place in synagogues—the equivalent in our day of churches. Not everyone who comes into church is a believer, and we need to be discerning as we deal with people. John wrote, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

When the demon interrupted Jesus as He taught, the Lord responded by casting the demon out of the man. The point of this story is not that we should go around looking to cast out demons, but that the power of God is greater than the power of Satan. The devil is a created fallen angel, and though his strength is greater than ours, it pales in comparison to God’s power. The Christian who is indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit will overcome the devil.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Exodus 14:21-23

Even after the devastation of the ten plagues that culminated in the death of the firstborn in all of Egypt, Pharaoh quickly regretted his decision to allow the Israelites to leave, and pursued them with his army. The Israelites were trapped, with mountains on each side, the Red Sea in front of them, and the Egyptian army behind. Despite their desperate circumstances, Moses told them to wait and trust God. “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever” (Exodus 14:13). In response, God parted the waters and they went through to the other side.

There are more than forty references to the crossing of the Red Sea in the Bible. God wanted His people to remember what He did for them. God never is limited in His power. He went above and beyond. First He dried out the ground where the water had been, and the Israelites were able to move quickly across the Red Sea. Then without releasing the water, He made the ground muddy so that the Egyptians got stuck. Only then did God allow the water to go back to where it had been, destroying Israel's enemies. God is more than able to handle any situation we face, and when we confidently trust Him we will not be disappointed.

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

Mark 5:35-37

It is a measure of how desperate Jairus was that he turned to Jesus for help with his daughter. As a high-ranking Jewish official, the leader of the synagogue, he would have been under enormous pressure to reject the claim of Jesus to be the Messiah. The religious leadership of the country wanted nothing to do with this preacher from Nazareth and as a member of that group, he knew what he was risking by asking the Lord for help. Yet he did come to Jesus, and Jesus agreed to help. On the way they were delayed by the woman who touched Jesus' garment and was healed. When people came and told Jairus his daughter was already dead, he thought his worst fears had been realized.

Yet Jesus turned to him and told him to keep believing. The situation was impossible. The girl was dead and there was no hope. What did Jairus have to believe? Only Jesus, but that was more than enough. And the Lord went to his house and raised the girl from the dead. No matter what circumstances we face, we can choose faith over fear. We can recognize the power of God and see that even impossible situations do not limit His ability to work. We can recognize the wisdom of God and see that He knows the way even when we cannot see it. We can recognize the love of God and see that He will never abandon or forsake us. When we look at our problems through the lens of faith, we realize that they did not take God by surprise, and that there is nothing we must fear.

Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

2 Corinthians 5:5-9

There are lots of things that can make us doubt and face the future with fear and dread. While some of these may be imaginary—things we come up with while thinking about worst case scenarios—others are real threats. Paul knew all about the dangers he might face. He had already experienced many of those dangers when he wrote to the church at Corinth declaring his confidence in God's plan. Paul was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and thrown in prison. Much of the New Testament was penned from jail as Paul used his pen when he could not be present in person to use his voice. Paul did not know things were going to be easy. What he knew was that God was faithful.

This attitude even directed Paul's attitude toward the possibility of his death. He knew the Jewish religious leaders wanted him dead. He knew Roman officials wanted him dead. He was confident anyway. That is because his faith and hope for the future did not depend on his circumstances, but on God. The bottom line for Paul was that no matter when or how his earthly life ended, when it did God would fulfill the promise of salvation and Paul would go to be with Him. No matter what happens, His faithfulness will never change. As Martin Luther put it,

Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Colossians 1:11-14

One of the parables Jesus told was of a king planning the wedding of his son. When those who were invited to the wedding feast rejected the invitation, he instructed his servants to go out and invite others to come. As was the custom of the day, each person who came was provided with a robe to wear. Yet there was one man who did not put his on. “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless” (Matthew 22:11-12). That man was cast out because he did not avail himself of what had been freely offered to him.

Salvation is all about accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross. If we choose to come before God in our own righteousness, we will be found lacking. But if we come before Him under the blood of the Lamb, we will be accepted. God does all the work of our salvation. None of it relies on us. Isaiah wrote, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10). Only the blood of Jesus can make us fit to be inheritors of the glories of Heaven and eternal life.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

While there are many things we do not know about the future, we can confidently say that there will be trouble and hardship and difficulties in the days ahead. The fact that we live in a fallen world means that God's original perfect design is no longer in place. While Adam had work to do before his sin, afterward it became much more difficult. “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:18-19).

Yet, although "thorns and thistles" are part of the curse of sin, God, in His great wisdom and grace, also uses them for our benefit. God is able to use hardship and difficulty as tools to prune our lives and prepare us to be more effective in our service to Him. Charles Spurgeon said, “The scouring of the vessel has fitted it for the Master’s use. Immersion in suffering has preceded the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Fasting gives an appetite for the banquet. The Lord is revealed in the backside of the desert, while his servant keepeth the sheep and waits in solitary awe. The wilderness is the way to Canaan. The low valley leads to the towering mountain. Defeat prepares for victory.” We must learn to rely on God's grace when things are hard so that we will not fail to benefit from the trials in our lives.

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Matthew 8:8-1

When a Roman centurion came and asked Jesus to heal his servant, he was not doing something normal. Relations between Romans and the native peoples of nations they conquered were often hostile, and the Jews were no exception to that rule. In fact, to the Romans, Israel was known as one of the most troublesome areas in the entire empire. Yet this man was willing to go to a religious leader and ask for help. Though he had grown up worshiping the false Roman gods there was something about Jesus' message that spoke to him, and he believed that Jesus was able to help.

The centurion described his faith to Christ in terms of authority structures. When he commanded a soldier or a servant, he expected them to do what he said because of his authority. He believed that Jesus had the authority to command even disease, and that a single word from Him was all that was needed for healing. Jesus was amazed by his faith which was something that went far beyond what He was seeing from the Israelites who knew the Old Testament Scriptures. Faith is confidence that God will do what He said He would do and then acting accordingly. The two parts cannot be separated. If we do not believe God's promises, and if we do not act upon them then we are not walking in faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

“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 John Selwyn was born in New Zealand in 1844. After going to England for his education, he set out for the Melanesian Islands as a missionary. The inhabitants of Norfolk Island were not open to the gospel and often were harsh in their treatment of foreigners. One day as Selwyn was talking to a teenage boy, the boy became angry and struck him in the face. Selwyn said nothing in response, and walked away. After a few years, Selwyn’s health failed, forcing him to return to England. Many years passed, and another missionary was summoned to talk to a dying man who wished to be saved before he met God. When the missionary asked his name, he replied, “Call me John Selwyn, because he taught me what Christ was like when I struck him.” The choice to forgive is more than just a matter of obedience to God and following the example of Jesus. It is vital both to our own physical and spiritual health, and it is vital to our relationships with others. The things that we hold close and refuse to let go keep us trapped far more than they trap the person who did them. Forgiveness does not mean the offense did not happen or that we deserved what happened or that there are no consequences to the offender. Forgiveness means that we have released it into God’s hands, and we trust Him to deal with the offender as He sees best.

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Hebrews 10:32–34

The Great Pyramid in Giza has been standing for more than four thousand years. Built to serve as the mausoleum of a pharaoh named Khufu, this massive structure was, for most of its existence, the tallest man-made building on Earth. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and it is the only one that has largely survived intact. It was not built with an eye toward ease, convenience or cost—it was built with an eye toward permanence. Every day we are faced with choices between the temporal and the eternal. There are only so many hours in each day and so much money in the budget. The question we face is how we will choose to invest our resources. Wise Christians understand that the greatest and most important investment we can make is an investment in the things of God. Paul noted this truth when he wrote to thank the church at Philippi for their financial support he said, “Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account” (Philippians 4:17). It is easy to only care about ROI, return on investment, for our earthly treasures. But we should be far more concerned with what we are accomplishing that will last. Is the way we spend our time, money, and abilities building up treasure in Heaven? If not, a major change needs to be made. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).

“And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”

Genesis 45:3–5

When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and made Jacob believe his favorite son had been killed by a wild animal, they committed a great evil. Yet when they were finally reunited with Joseph, though he had the power to inflict any punishment he wished on them, he forgave them. Joseph was willing to forgive because he recognized God had been at work. The problem was that his brothers had a hard time accepting that they had been forgiven.

Seventeen years passed before Jacob died. When they returned to Egypt after burying Jacob in the Promised Land, they feared that Joseph had just been biding his time. “And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him” (Genesis 50:15). They had been forgiven, but they were still living with guilt and shame for what they had done.

Often we do that, both with God and with others. We realize the seriousness of our offenses, and genuinely repent and seek forgiveness. But when we receive it, we do not live as if we have been forgiven. There will be consequences for past actions, but the guilt has been removed. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.”

Isaiah 59:1–3

The Bible tells us a great deal about God’s hatred for sin. If we truly understood how revolting and repugnant sin is, we would do far less of it. But when we sin, there is a dramatic effect on our relationship with God. It does not impact our standing as members of His family—nothing can undo our salvation—but it tears apart our fellowship and closeness with our Saviour.

Over the years, I’ve heard many Christians talk about how prayer doesn’t “work” the way the Bible says it should. Often there are excuses made, but God’s prayer promises have not changed. He is still able to do anything. Sometimes the problem is one of faithfulness (God calls us to be importunate in our prayers, Luke 18:1), but many times the problem is that we allow sin to remain in our lives, covering it rather than confessing it. That prevents our prayers from even being considered. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).

Sin separates a Christian from fellowship with God just as certainly as sin separates the lost from eternity with God. Again and again people try to cover their sin and cling to it, rather than giving it up. Someone said, “The reason people struggle to resist temptation is that they don’t want to discourage it completely.” There are many reasons to avoid sin, but one of the most compelling should be the thought of losing fellowship with God. We should long for His presence and the close relationship that follows obedience.

“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.”

Malachi 1:6–8

The expression “close enough for government work” has been around for more than one hundred years. Originally it meant something that was almost perfect, able to meet rigorous standards and ready to be tested and put into use. But in the 1960s it became a condemnation instead. Now it refers to something that is not done as well as it could or should be done. Regardless of what human standards we may reach or fall short of, God does not accept less than our very best.

The instructions given under the law for which animals were acceptable for sacrifice were clear. “And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God” (Deuteronomy 15:21).  But by the time of Malachi, the people were giving God anything that was defective, while keeping the best for themselves. God called this “evil” and He has not changed His mind. When God gave to us, He sent the very best that He had—Himself, Jesus. Our salvation was purchased by a perfect Lamb. “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:19).

Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 150:1-6

When we ask God to work in our lives, presenting our needs to Him in prayer, we can confidently expect Him to hear and answer. Too often we try almost everything else except prayer, using it only as a last resort. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2). When we do pray and receive God's answer, we must not fail to thank and praise Him. It seems like that would be easy and natural, but history and our own experience says that it is not. Often it is when God has done the most for us that we fail to appreciate it. When we do not offer praise for God's blessings, we are on a dangerous path.

This was what the children of Israel did again and again. “They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt” (Psalm 106:21). When we set out to praise God we will never run out of things for which to give thanks. Nothing that He is done for us is because of our goodness or effort, but because of His grace. Praise is one of our most powerful tools to build humility, and to keep God at the forefront of our hearts and minds. He alone deserves all the praise and glory, and it is our responsibility to give it to Him. Not only does praise impact our lives, but it touches the lives of all who hear it.

Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

Mark 8:14-17

On more than one occasion the disciples completely missed what Jesus was trying to teach them. They sometimes viewed His words only through the lens of their own understanding and expectations. Instead of grasping a spiritual truth, they would focus only on the physical aspects. So when Jesus gave them a warning about the way that false doctrine spreads and influences every part of life, they thought He was rebuking them for forgetting to bring food for the trip. Beyond the fact that they were missing the point, they were also missing the power available to them through Christ. The Lord reminded them, “When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve” (Mark 8:19).

Our needs never pose a challenge to God. It would have been just as easy for Him to create food to feed thousands of people when there was no food to start with as it was when all He had was a little boy's lunch with five loaves and two fish. God never stretches or struggles to meet our needs. And often it is in the moments when we most need His provision and help that we can learn the deepest and most meaningful lessons. When we have seen God at work, we should not make the mistake of the disciples and forget to consider His divine power when we face the next challenge. God is still the same, and He still hears and answers prayer, and He is still able to do far more than is humanly possible.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Hebrews 2:9-10

The story goes that an aspiring missionary wrote to David Livingstone to express his desire to join the work in Africa. He asked for the easiest way to get there. In response Livingstone wrote back and said he had no interest in a person who was looking for an easy way, because there wasn't anything easy in the work. God calls us to do His work regardless of the cost. And Jesus is a perfect example of that. God's plan for our salvation required Him to suffer. Jesus paid the penalty of sins He did not commit. He endured the physical torture of a Roman execution. Far worse He endured the breaking of His perfect fellowship with the Father. “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).

The fact that we may endure hardship, sacrifice, persecution, or suffering for the cause of Christ is not evidence that we are on the wrong path and should give up. Instead, it is an indication that we are truly following in the footsteps of Jesus. Peter wrote, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). The cost of our salvation was high, but Jesus was willing to pay it. The cost of taking the gospel to the world is high, but we must be just as willing as He was to pay it. Only when we are willing to pay the cost can we expect to complete the work He has given us.

For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

Isaiah 45:18-20

The myths and legends of cultures around the world often depicted people on a journey to meet with their deities. Frequently in these stories that search proved to be fruitless. Either the person was not seeking the "right god," or their offering was deemed unacceptable, or they never found what they sought. God is not like that. Those who seek Him do not seek in vain. Paul told the people in Athens, “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27).

That promise is true for salvation, but it is also true for the daily Christian life. God invites us to come into His presence and develop a closer relationship with Him. He promises to respond if and when we do. His promises are not empty, but completely reliable. James wrote, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8). We never need to fear that seeking after God will lead to disappointment. He is not a far off deity who does not care about our lives. He loves us, and through the death of His Son made a way for us to become part of His family.

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

In 1709 Isaac Watts, after preaching a sermon on the importance of standing fast on our faith, wrote a hymn titled “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?” The Bible often uses military metaphors for the Christian life, and Watts carried some of that language into his song. In it he asks this rhetorical question: “Is this vile world a friend of grace, to help me on to God?” Of course the answer is no. It was no when the Bible was written. It was no when Isaac Watts wrote his hymn. And it is still no today. The world is not our friend, and if we forget that and try to cozy up to the world, we lose the closeness of our relationship with God. James 4:4 puts this in clear terms: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

Yet despite this truth there is enormous pressure on us to do things that will make us more acceptable to the world around us. The world exerts that pressure, luring us to conform to its ways of doing things. Sometimes that pressure comes not from without but from others who are supposed to be Christians. These voices tell us that if we will just tone down our message, stop condemning sin, and downplay the exclusive role of Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation it will increase our effectiveness in reaching the world. But abandoning the truth of God to conform to the ways of the world does not work. Instead, we are to be continually renewed, becoming more and more like Jesus.

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Philippians 2:12-15

Paul had a special place in his heart for the church at Philippi. When Paul first arrived in the city of Philippi to preach the gospel, he endured great hardship and suffering. Paul was beaten and unjustly imprisoned before the earthquake God sent loosed his chains, leading to the salvation of the jailer and his family. It was in this context of persecution that the church at Philippi began. Over the years after, the church at Philippi provided Paul with financial support on more than one occasion, helping him continue his ministry and meeting his needs while he was in prison. There were many things that were admirable about this church, but Paul especially highlighted their obedience. They did what God said and what Paul taught not just while he was present with them or once in a while, but consistently and continually.

Paul praised them for their obedience, and that is something of great value to God. Obedience does not gain us favor with God, but it does indicate the depth of our love and commitment to Him. “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). God is always watching, seeing all that we do and He is looking for those who do what He says. J. C. Ryle wrote, “Obedience is the only reality. It is faith visible, faith acting, and faith manifest. It is the test of real discipleship among the Lord’s people.”

And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Exodus 20:1-4

We live in a world that puts anything and everything in the place of God. Throughout history people have worshiped idols, nature, gold, other people and more. When Moses was on the mountain with God the people came to Aaron and urged him to make a statue of a god they could see and follow. Aaron fashioned a golden calf—and gave it credit for God's work of deliverance from Egypt. “And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4). This drive to replace God is common in human history, but none of these attempts to replace God work, for only He can fill the void that is in every human heart.

God will not allow anyone or anything to take His rightful place as the only rightful recipient of our worship. Our hearts rightly belong to Him alone. There is no point in giving God halfhearted worship or partial loyalty. He is worthy of our complete surrender and devotion. When Joshua was preparing the children of Israel for his departure, he warned them that they would not be able to please God unless they worshiped Him alone. “And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God” (Joshua 24:19). The more we love and worship God above all else, the more our lives will be pleasing to Him.

The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Psalm 24:1-5

God is high and holy, far beyond our ability to even approach. He is the Creator and rightful owner of everything. Yet He still invites us into His presence, not on our merit, but through the grace offered by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The honor and privilege of standing before Him with confidence rather than fear is one of the great benefits of our salvation. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2). It is a benefit we should never take for granted, but it is a benefit we should regularly exercise.

The closer we walk in fellowship with God, the more we will become like Jesus, fulfilling the purpose God had for us long before we were born. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Our spiritual growth is not the result of our power, but His power applied to our lives. When we tap in to His unlimited resources, we find more than enough grace and provision for all that we need in order to walk closely with Him. The Lord welcomes us into His presence, opening the way that would be forever closed apart from His invitation.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Luke 9:23-25

Salvation is not a process. We do not have to demonstrate our sincerity by changing our behavior. We do not have to come up with a list of sins and do our best to make things right with others. We do not have to join a church or get baptized or learn a set of doctrines. The moment that we put our faith in Christ alone as our only hope for salvation, accepting His free gift, we are saved. God has provided the way and it has nothing to do with anything we do or avoid doing. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Even though salvation is not a process, however, growth in the Christian life is very much a process. After we trust Christ as our Savior, we are to grow in our faith and become more and more like Jesus. Like our salvation, we must have God's help for our sanctification as well. Paul asked, “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). One of the things about this process is that it must be repeated again and again and again. Each day we have to make the choice to take up the cross to follow Jesus. Dr. Bobby Roberson said, “If you crucify the flesh today, by tomorrow he will have found a way to crawl off the cross and you have to do it again.” The victories of yesterday are a wonderful reminder of God's power and an encouragement, but they do not transfer over to today's battles.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

When George Shultz was Secretary of State during the Reagan Administration, he would meet with every newly appointed ambassador before he or she left for the new posting. He kept a globe in his office, and Shultz would bring it out during the conversation. “Show me where your country is,” he would say. In almost every case the new ambassador would spin the globe, find the country to which they had been assigned and point to it. Then Shultz would correct them. Pointing to America he would say, “This is your country.” He wanted them to remember who they represented and what their true allegiance was even when they were in a foreign land.

The Lord not only saved us, but He has a purpose and a mission for us to fulfill with our lives. We are to be living examples and testimonies of His grace and power. Paul wrote, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Everywhere we go we are representatives of Jesus Christ. We carry His name, and in many ways the image that the world has of Him is formed by the way in which His children live. We have an awesome responsibility to be a good reflection on the Lord we represent each day of our lives. We are to put His kingdom above all earthly interests and be a good ambassador to a world in need.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

John 17:15-19

Though Jesus had told the disciples He would be killed in Jerusalem and then rise from the dead, they really did not grasp what He was telling them. But Jesus fully knew what was coming, and the night before the crucifixion He celebrated the Passover with His disciples. As they ate, He talked to them, and before they left, He prayed in their presence. This prayer recapped His life and ministry, and revealed His desire for His followers—and not just those in the room that night, but for us as well. Jesus said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20).

One of the things Jesus asked God to do for His followers was to make them holy and set apart for His service. That is what it means to be sanctified—to be set apart and consecrated from the world. God calls us to be holy as a reflection of His nature and character. Peter wrote, “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 1:15-16). God not only tells us to be holy, but He gives us the means by which to accomplish this task, and that means the very Word of God. The Bible is not just an ancient religious text. It is the powerful Word of God that cleanses our hearts and minds, and helps us conform to the image of Jesus Christ. It is the weapon by which we fight and win spiritual battles.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-21

The Christian life is not promised to be an easy one. Our purpose is not to avoid trouble or be popular, but instead to glorify God. We must never forget that it is the same God who saved us that empowers and equips us for His service. And we must never forget that we are completely and utterly dependent on Him for everything that we do. He alone deserves the praise and glory for anything we accomplish in His work. Paul wrote, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

God has given us talents and abilities to use in His work, and it is up to us to maximize them to the greatest extent that we can. But apart from Him, none of that will produce anything of lasting value. Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The devil tempts us to think that we have things together, and encourages us to act independently of God. Like everything else Satan says, that is a lie. We do not have what we need on our own. We do not do most of the work while God adds a little at the end to finish it off. We do God's work in God's power, fully relying on Him, or we will never accomplish what He has set for us to do.

Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

2 Timothy 4:9-13

During his many years of ministry, Paul was disappointed in a number of the men who worked with him for a time. They did not share Paul's commitment. When they suffered hardship and persecution, some of them abandoned the work. One of those men was Mark, who went with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary trip, but turned back and went home before the work was completed. Later when Paul and Barnabas were preparing to return to the churches they had planted, Barnabas wanted to take Mark and give him a second chance. Paul refused and their partnership ended. “And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus” (Acts 15:39).

Although Paul would not take Mark on that second missionary journey, he also did not write Mark off as a hopeless case. Years later, as Paul wrote his final letter to Timothy, he mentioned Mark. He saw that Mark had grown and matured, and in this letter, He asked Timothy to bring Mark with him.

All of us know what it is like to be disappointed by someone. We know how it feels to count on someone only to find they do not come through as we expected. There are times when we deal with these people again that we are tempted to hold the past against them.( And certainly there are some offenses so severe that wisdom teaches us not to put ourselves in a position in which they might be repeated.) But we should always remember that God can work in people's lives. And our heart should always be for the growth of other Christians. When someone does show change in their lives and growth and maturity, we should encourage their faith.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:10-12

When Japanese planes roared over the naval base at Pearl Harbor just before 8:00 AM on December 7, 1941, it was a complete shock. Sailors were going about their duties onboard the ships anchored in the harbor. Many were on shore leave as it was a Sunday. Yet the radar station on Oahu had detected the incoming planes. But their warning was dismissed because a flight of planes from the United States was expected. By the time the day—a day that President Franklin Roosevelt called “a day which will live in infamy”—ended, more than 2,400 people had been killed and 19 US ships had been damaged or sunk. There was a great deal of military might at Pearl Harbor, but the soldiers were caught off guard and not prepared for the attack.

Every day of the Christian life is a battle. Our enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, are constantly looking for ways to attack us. Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8). Peter knew all about being caught off guard and losing a battle with the enemy. Any day in which we do not armor up for the battle is a day in which we will surely be defeated. Great harm has been suffered to individuals, to families and to churches because Christians were not on guard. We cannot win spiritual battles in our own strength, but God has given us armor and a weapon that will bring the victory. Our job is to put on the armor, pick up the sword, and go forward into battle.
 

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:1-4

For thousands of years, soldiers have been known for complaining. Whether it is the quality of their food, the lack of competence in their leadership, or the tasks which they are assigned, griping is a constant of military life. John the Baptist told Roman soldiers who came to hear him preach, “And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14). Yet also for thousands of years soldiers have endured cold, rain, mud, hunger and pain as they fight for their country. They may not love their conditions, but they love their people, and so they keep going until they fulfill their mission and the victory is won.

As soldiers of the cross, we are called to fight a more important battle than any earthly army will ever face. We are going to face difficulties, hardship, perhaps even persecution, but none of that should deter us from continuing to go forward. The 45th Infantry Division of the US Army has a motto: simper anticus—always forward. There is no room in our assignment for deserting the cause as long as we live. Solomon wrote, “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). Jesus did not quit on us and we must not quit on Him.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

John 15:8-11

God's love for us is eternal and unchanging. It is not based on what we do or avoid doing, but on His nature and character. Love is not just something that God does; it is who He is. God's very nature is love. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). That love extended the offer of salvation to those who believe. That love gives us the assurance that our eternal destiny is secure. That love also walks with us every day of our lives. God does not love us and leave us. He continues with us, with an unconditional love that never fails.

And it is that love which we have received in which we are to walk. We are to be live continually in the love of God, showing and demonstrating it in action to those around us. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11). Many people struggle to find joy in their lives. The world is seeking something that only comes from God (since joy is a fruit of the Spirit) but cannot find it apart from Him. Walking in God's love produces joy that lasts. When we love Him first above all else and then love others in the same way we love ourselves, we will find joy. These are the two commandments that Jesus said were most important, and summed up all of the law and the prophets.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

All of us know what it feels like to be exhausted when we reach the point where we are so physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained that there seems to be nothing left. All of us know what it is like to face a mountain of things that need to be done, when it feels like even starting one part of the list is more than we can manage. As we get older, many of us find that things we once used to be able to do are now more difficult, if we can even do them at all. When those moments come, when we are discouraged and tempted to quit or think we can't go on, we must remember to turn to God for help.

God is the source of strength for everything that we do. He has an unlimited supply, and those who come to Him for help are never turned away empty-handed. The psalmist wrote of God, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Psalm 103:5). Eagles are large birds. The bald eagle has a wingspan between six and eight feet. As powerful as their wings are, much of the eagles flying is not done by flapping their wings, but by riding the currents in the air that hold them aloft and lift them up. God's power holds up those who wait on Him regardless of what they face.

And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:27-29

The map of the world is different today than it was when I was growing up. Some countries have changed their names. Burma is now called Myanmar. Ceylon is now known as Sri Lanka. The country once named Rhodesia is now Zimbabwe. Other countries have split apart. What was Yugoslavia is six separate countries following a bitter and brutal war. What once was Czechoslovakia divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. And the pages of history are filled with stories of what once were great empires that spread over vast territories but no longer exist. For example, although the country of Italy remains, the Imperial Roman Empire is nowhere to be found.

Nothing human is guaranteed to last. Anything that we rely on apart from God can vanish in a moment. He alone is eternal and unchanging. He alone can never be shaken. Those who depend on God will never be let down or disappointed. Those who depend on Him can stand any test that comes. “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah” (Psalm 46:2-3).

We know a lot about the ground shaking here in California. Active faults make earthquakes, even small ones, a common occurrence. Our buildings are built to a strict code to ensure they can survive. Great care and attention is placed on the design and construction of foundations as a result. In God, every Christian has a firm foundation. As long as our lives are built on Him we will not fall.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

1 Peter 5:8-10

When King Edward VI of England died, Mary Tudor, Edward's older half-sister from his father Henry VIII's previous marriage, quickly assembled an army and laid claim to the throne. Determined to undo Henry's decision to split from the Catholic Church, Mary embarked on a path of persecution and terror that eventually led to her being known as Bloody Mary. Among those who were martyred in her purge of anyone who would not submit to Catholicism was John Philpot. One of the leading preachers in England, Philpot refused to recant his biblical preaching even when he was threatened with death. Told that he would be burned at the stake, Philpot replied, “I am ready; God grant me strength and a joyful resurrection.” He knelt and kissed the stake before being tied to it and burned.

The world is no friend to God, and the more consistently we hold to the truth and honor Him, the more offensive some people will see us as being. When we face opposition and obstacles, we must remain committed to what is right. Even if we reach the point of facing persecution, we must stand for the truth. If we are hated, that does not mean that we are believing the wrong thing. Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake” (Luke 6:22). Suffering for the cause of Christ has been part of the history of the church throughout the ages, and the same God who upheld those saints will give us grace to stand true in any trial.

And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

Exodus 24:6-8

The Israelites, held as slaves in Egypt, saw a display of God's unmistakable power as He sent the ten plagues to convince Pharaoh to liberate His people. God protected the Israelites from the worst of the plagues, while the devastation on Egypt eventually convinced Pharaoh to let them go. After leaving Egypt, they saw the Red Sea parted for them to cross and watched as the same water that had rolled back for them returned to drown the Egyptian army that had been pursuing them. They saw manna fall from Heaven every morning six days a week to provide them food when there was nothing else to eat. They saw Mt. Sinai aflame with the presence and glory of God. So when Moses presented them the instructions God had given, it was not hard for them to respond that they would completely obey all God said.

Despite their words professing their commitment to God, however, they quickly turned aside. They began complaining about the manna God miraculously provided. They pushed Aaron to create an idol they could worship when Moses was delayed from returning. Again and again they would disobey God. Rather than fully keeping His commands, they turned aside to worship false gods. As a result of their disobedience they missed out on so much that God could and would have done for them. “How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel” (Psalm 78:40-41). Faith-filled obedience to God protects us from sin and provides us with blessings we do not want to miss.

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 4:5-8

The only hope any of us have of salvation is God's grace. We cannot earn or deserve it no matter what we do. All over the world people following different religions are trying to come to God on their own terms. But all of those efforts are doomed to failure. God's standard of complete holiness and perfection is simply unattainable for fallen man. Every person born into the world is born a sinner and rightfully faces the penalty for that sin. Nothing we do can provide for our atonement. Augustus Toplady wrote:

Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfill thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and thou alone.

The only way to salvation from the penalty of sin is trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. When we receive Him as our Savior, we are fully forgiven and given eternal life.

Similarly, the only hope any of us have for spiritual victory after salvation is also God's grace. We do not have the strength, the courage or the willpower to stand against Satan on our own. But the surest way to cut ourselves off from God's grace is to allow pride to enter into our hearts. Proud people do not have a close relationship with God. Proud people do not walk in the strength His grace provides. Proud people miss out on the cleansing power of fellowship with God and meditating on His Word.

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

2 Kings 5:10-12

Naaman's arrival in Samaria caused an uproar. He was the general of Israel's most bitter enemy. He came with a letter from his king demanding Naaman be cured of the incurable disease of leprosy. Upon receiving this letter, the king of Israel was distressed, viewing this as merely a pretext for another war. But the prophet Elisha sent word to the king and invited Naaman to his house. The little Jewish girl Naaman had kidnapped and taken home to be a slave to his wife had expressed her confidence in God's prophet, and in his desperation Naaman was willing to try anything. Well, more accurately, he was willing to do almost anything. Because when Elisha told him to go wash in the Jordan River, Naaman almost turned away. Only the appeal of Naaman's servants convinced him to do as God's prophet had said, and when he did, he was healed.

For many of us, turning to God when we are in distress and asking for help is a powerful lesson we have learned again and again. As we see Him work, our confidence in His love and care for us grows, and we lean upon Him more as time passes. But God does not always works the way we expect Him to, or in the way that we would prefer. Sometimes instead of sending us to the clear flowing Abana River (or the comfortable and expected actions), He sends us to the muddy Jordan (the undesirable or unlikely instructions). When He leads us in ways we don't expect or particularly prefer, we must trust His methods and follow in faith.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 3:4-6

God did not forbid Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because He was trying to cheat them or withhold something good from them. Yet when Satan came with his temptation, he focused on how much better things would be if they disobeyed God. The fruit was tempting. It looked like it would be delicious. It was alluring and appealing. But as Dr. John Rice said, “All Satan's apples have worms.” The devil knows how to attract our attention, but he never delivers on what he promises. Even when there is temporary pleasure in sin, it quickly fades.

The devil is not using new techniques to tempt people in our day. The same process he has used throughout human history still works. He dangles something in front of us like a fisherman throwing bait into the water, hoping to draw our focus away from God. He appeals to our senses and our pride, conveying to us that we are missing out. But all that he offers is based on lies, and if we yield to temptation, we turn away from God and toward the world. John wrote, “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” (1 John 2:16). We must remain on guard so that we do not fall into the snares the devil places in our path.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Philippians 4:10-12

According to a recent study, about 5 percent of the US Gross Domestic Product each year is spent on advertising. That is more than a trillion dollars put to work with one goal in mind—to make people feel like what they have now is not enough, that they are missing out on something, and that the solution is to buy whatever product or service is being sold. God calls His children to live in contentment, but our society is doing everything it can to make sure that doesn't happen. If we live by the values of those around us, we will not be content, no matter how much we have. There will always be someone who has more, but that is not the standard by which we are to measure. Paul wrote, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:8).

Contentment is never produced by our circumstances. Of course life is more comfortable when we have some money in the bank, food in the pantry, clothes in the closet, and a nice place to live. But we can be content whether we have those things or not. Our contentment is based on the unfailing presence of God and His love and provision for us—something that will never change. “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). The contentment Paul had learned was based on God rather than on his conditions.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

In 2017, the US military deployed a new weapon for the first time during fighting in Afghanistan. The GBU-43/B that was dropped on a tunnel complex lived up to its name. Known officially as the Massive Ordinance Air Blast, and unofficially as the “Mother of all bombs,” it is believed to be the most powerful non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat. Development of the GBU-43/B started in 2002 and it was tested for the first time the next year. Because of its destructive range, it was not suited for most uses in battle. But when it was called into action, the resulting explosion put to rest any doubts about its power. The thirty foot long bomb carries the blast equivalent of 11 tons of TNT.

When we talk about spiritual warfare, we must remember that God has given us weapons that are powerful enough to defeat an enemy that we could never defeat on our own. Though Satan is strong, nothing in his arsenal compares to what God has given to us, and if we use God's weapons in God's way and fight in God's power, we will be victorious. Although none of us will ever be perfect as long as we live in this world, we are not meant to live defeated lives. God has given us what we need to win the battles over temptation. When we yield to sin, it's because we are not using the weapons He has provided. In the fourteen years between the time when the GBU-43/B was successfully tested and when it was first used in combat, each one of the bombs had the same explosive potential. But none of that potential was recognized until the bomb was dropped. Similarly, until we use the powerful weapons God has provided, we will not realize their potential.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Isaiah 14:12-14

Like everything God originally created, Lucifer was complete. He was in the presence of God, carrying out the tasks assigned to him. Yet rather than regarding his service as a privilege, he resented it. He wanted to be the one in charge rather than doing what God directed. He wanted to choose what to do rather than being obedient. His focus was in the wrong place—not on God but on himself. Because of his pride, God cast him out of Heaven, and he became Satan. In Paradise Lost, an epic poetic retelling of the Fall, John Milton described Lucifer's attitude this way:

Here we may reign secure, and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell;
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav’n.

Our lives are not about what we want or choose, but about what God has commanded. Any time we take our eyes off of Him and turn it to what we want, we are following in Satan's footsteps, and those always lead us away from God's path. The sin of pride is deadly. It is not just something God dislikes or disapproves of; it is something He hates. “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Proverb 8:13). Pride keeps us from obedience to God because it deceives us into thinking that we should have the right to choose for ourselves how we should live. We do not. God owns us by right of creation and by right of redemption, and when we see Him for who He is, there is no room for pride.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Psalm 51:1-4

David's life of service and devotion to God was marred by his most serious moral lapse. David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba, but he had her husband killed in battle to help cover up his sin. His evil actions changed a number of lives forever and had a lasting impact for many years to come. When he was confronted by Nathan, however, David finally acknowledged his sin. Instead of continuing to try to keep it a secret, he confessed it to God and asked for forgiveness. God dealt severely with David's sin, but in His mercy God did not demand the full measure of judgment the sin deserved. “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (2 Samuel 12:13).

Psalm 51 is David's prayer of confession to the Lord. In this psalm, he declared to God that, though his sin indeed impacted others, it was fundamentally an action against God. If we view sin in that light, it becomes much less attractive to us. It is easier to excuse our sin against people than to excuse sin against a high and holy God. When Joseph was propositioned by Potiphar's wife, it was his awareness of God that sparked his refusal to go along with her evil plan. “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

Jonah 3:6-8

The account of Jonah and his mission to preach to Nineveh tells us a great deal about God's patience and love. Nineveh did not deserve to be spared, and Jonah initially refused to go and give them God's message because he was afraid they would believe it and repent. (Nineveh was Israel's enemy, and Jonah didn't want to see them receive God's mercy.) After a sailing trip first above water in the ship and then below it in the fish, Jonah surrendered to do what he should have done in the first place. He went to Nineveh and preached, actually hoping the people would not respond! But they believed his message, and the king ordered a national period of mourning and repentance. In response, God spared the city.

The people of Nineveh's response to Jonah's message gives us a good look at true repentance and shows us a people with a genuine remorse over sin and turning to God for mercy. When the king of Nineveh sent out word to his people, he told them to do the outward things that symbolized repentance—wearing sackcloth and fasting. But he also told them to change their actions. When we are truly sorry for what we have done wrong we don't want to keep doing the same thing over and over again. It is easy to say, “I'm sorry” without meaning it, and many people do that as a way to smooth over a situation or avoid being held accountable. That has very little meaning unless it is backed up with a change in action. The genuinely repentant do not cling to sinful behavior. Instead, they forsake it and leave it behind, depending on God's grace to enable them to change.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

Ecclesiastes 5:13-15

Every year various organizations and news outlets publish lists of the richest people in the world. The amount of money owned by these people is staggering. There are many different ways in which they acquired their great wealth, whether through inheritance or investments or building a business. And there are many different ways in which these people invest or spend or save their money. But there is one thing that they all have in common. None of them, no matter how fabulously rich, will take a single cent with them when they die. All of the things of this world remain in this world. That is why the Bible instructs us to keep our focus, not on things here, but on things in Heaven.

Jesus told a parable about a rich man whose farm produced a bumper crop. He was delighted, thinking that his future was secured. He went to bed thinking about his plans for bigger barns and days of leisure. He never woke up. “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21). The things that we acquire in this world can be used for good purposes, but in order to last they must be invested in the eternal. In the mid 1800s a new phrase entered the English language: “Shrouds have no pockets.” A person who is being buried has no use for possessions and no way to take them along into eternity.

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

Psalm 95:6-9

The privilege of being part of God's family is a direct result of His grace, not of anything that we have done. It is only through the blood of His Son that we are adopted and become His people. After we trust Christ as our Savior, our sinful tendencies and the temptations of this world do not vanish. Until we reach Heaven, we continue to battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. If in this battle, we refuse to listen to God and harden our hearts toward Him, we will never lose our salvation, but we will lose our closeness of fellowship with God. And God will bring chastening into our lives. Just as a faithful parent disciplines an erring child, God holds His children accountable for their response to His voice.

In Psalm 95, the psalmist is referencing what happened when the twelve spies returned from Canaan. They told the people how bountiful the land was, but ten of them also said that the inhabitants of the land were too powerful to be defeated and that they should turn back. When the people refused to listen to Joshua and Caleb, and declared that they would not follow Moses forward, God was furious. “And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?” (Numbers 14:11). As a result, all of the adults in that generation except the two faithful spies perished in the wilderness, never reaching the Promised Land. The problem was not with God. When Joshua led the people into the land they won victory after victory and conquered it. The problem was with the people who turned away. “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:19).

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:20-22

Many people have a favorite glass or cup that they use frequently. Perhaps it is a mug for coffee in the morning or a tall glass for iced tea in the afternoon. If that container is available, they will grab it first and use it. Many people have a set of expensive or fancy glasses that they only use on formal occasions like a family holiday gathering or dinner with a special guest. They wouldn't normally think of grabbing one of those for a drink of water. The use of any cup is pretty straightforward. We put the liquid in and drink it. It works the same way no matter what we are drinking. But there is one quality that people insist on when having a drink. It is not the color or size or shape or function of the cup, but whether the cup is clean.

All of us have been given different talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts. The things that make us ready to be used by God is not any of those, but rather whether our lives are clean. God does not need our resources to add to His work. He chooses to use us, not because He needs help, but so that we have an opportunity to glorify Him. While we should strive to use whatever God has given to us to achieve as much as possible for His kingdom, we must first be clean. “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD” (Isaiah 52:11).

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Corinthians 15:52-55

Surveys have repeatedly shown that death is at the very top of the list of things people fear. It consistently ranks above other common fears like public speaking, going to the dentist, or animals. Yet for the Christian, death is merely a stepping stone into eternity. It is not something to fear because Jesus has already defeated death. When He rose from the grave on Easter morning, all of the power death holds over us was gone forever. Unless He returns during our lives, all of us will one day face death, but that is not a source of terror. Death has no power over the believer.

David knew a lot about the reality of the threat of death. He fought in numerous wars and battles, including against the giant Goliath. He was hunted by armies and betrayed by friends. However, he also knew that even death could not separate him from God. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). It is interesting that David describes death as a shadow. A shadow may be frightening or confusing, but it cannot hurt you. It does not have any real power beyond what our imagination may give to it. Death is only a shadow at most. It has no sting left to hurt us, and when it comes it opens the door for us to eternity with God.

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

2 Corinthians 5:6-9

None of us know what the future will hold. We make plans and set goals and there is certainly nothing wrong with that, but all of us know what it is like to have our plans and goals completely reworked by events we did not see coming. Solomon warned, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). Since the future is unknown and uncertain, some people live in a constant state of fear and worry. Americans spend around $5 billion every year on sleeping aids. Yet God offers us a different perspective. Rather than fearing the future, we can face it with confidence. Rather than living with dread and doubt, we can trust Him to fulfill all that He has spoken.

While we do not know how events will unfold and we do not know that things will develop and play out the way we would prefer, we do know that God is always with us. And as His children we know that we will one day enter His presence to spend eternity with Him. The temporal things of this life may play out in different ways, but the eternal things of the next are already settled. Faith does not look at the circumstances around us, but at the Author of the promises. God never fails and never changes. God keeps every single promise He has made. “Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant” (1 Kings 8:56).

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Ephesians 5:15-19

Every year when his football players reported for the first day of training, Bear Bryant would read them a poem he carried in his wallet. He sometimes said it was the most important thing he could teach young men—far more important than anything that happened on the football field.

This is the beginning of a new day.
I can waste it or use it for good.
What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,
Leaving in its place something I have traded for it.
I want it to be a gain, not a loss;
Good, not evil;
Success, not failure—
In order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it today.

Every day God gives us the gift of twenty-four hours of time. It is up to us how we spend it, but once it is gone it can never be regained. God instructs us to use that time wisely, investing it in things that matter, not just for this life but for eternity. The most essential use of our time is in doing the will of God for our lives. We should begin every day with an awareness that our time belongs to God and asking Him for wisdom in understanding what the will of the Lord is for us for that day. 

I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:101-105

In January of 1982, Steven Callahan left the Canary Islands on a small sailing vessel he had designed and built himself. His plan was to sail to the island of Antigua in the Caribbean, crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone. One week into the trip his ship was struck and damaged. Callahan believed he had hit a whale, but the darkness made it impossible to be certain. He abandoned the sinking ship in a small life raft. But before the ship went down, he was able to salvage some critical survival gear, including a spear gun for fishing and solar distillers so he would have water to drink. But perhaps the most important thing he rescued was a copy of Sea Survival: A Manual which was written by another shipwrecked survivor. It gave Callahan guidance and instruction he followed for the next 76 days until he finally reached land.

God has given us a survival manual which when we follow it will lead us unfailingly in the right direction. The world is filled with voices advising us which way to go, but God's voice is always right. If we order our lives according to His Word, we will turn from sin and toward Him, and our lives will be pleasing to Him. The Bible is the guide for all parts of our lives, and in it God has given us the wisdom and power to walk uprightly through a sin-filled world. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Before Jesus went to the cross, He promised the disciples that He was not abandoning them. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). After the resurrection when Jesus ascended back to Heaven, angels came and confirmed that promise. “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Though we do not know when the Lord will return, we know that He will, and our task is to be ready for that moment.

What we do know for certain is that when we go to be with the Lord, whether He returns during our lives or whether we die and go to Heaven, it is not a temporary thing. We are going to be with Him forever. Most of us know the feeling of coming home from a trip somewhere special and wishing it had lasted longer, or that we were still there. No one ever has that feeling in Heaven. There will never be a night, and our time in God's presence will never come to an end. We can have complete confidence for our eternal destiny is forever settled the moment we accept God's free gift of salvation through His Son.