Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Watch Yourself!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 8:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “He Lifted Our Burdens.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Galatians 6:1–18 (NIV84).

Don’t Abuse Your Freedom

The Lord first drew my eyes to Galatians 5:13 (NIV84) where it says:

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

So, what were we called to be free from? Jesus died so that we who have been crucified with him, by his grace, through faith, have been set free from sin, and have become slaves of righteousness. When we were slaves to sin, we were free from the control of righteousness. We have also been set free from the curse of the law, which is death, i.e. from eternal separation from God and eternal punishment in hell. Our sins have been pardoned by his grace, so that, through faith, Christ’s righteousness is now credited to our account. Yet, just because we have been freed from the curse of the law, and Christ’s righteousness has now been accredited to our account, we should not abuse that freedom.

We, as believers in Christ, still live in flesh bodies, and thus we are still subject to temptation to sin and we are still capable of sin, otherwise we would not be given these warnings in scripture to not use our freedom to indulge in the sinful nature. So, what this means is that, although we have been set free from sin, it is still possible for us, as believers in Christ, to still sin, and even to be captivated by sin once again. Thus we have been given the instruction (exhortation) in Hebrews 12 to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us so that we can run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, and not on our flesh. Yet, some believers will ignore those exhortations and will allow themselves to be engrossed in sin all over again.

Each Other’s Burdens

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load.

So, what is our responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ if we have knowledge that they are engrossed in sin once again? First of all, we should examine ourselves and we must make certain we are walking in faith and that we are not giving way to the flesh so that we don’t make a hypocritical judgment, and so that we don’t try to remove a speck from our brother’s eye while we have a log in our own. The next step is that we should restore the person gently. This means that we don’t condemn the person, we don’t write him or her off, we don’t get even, but we are humble in our approach with them by realizing our own sinfulness, and that it is only by God’s grace that we have been set free. Our object is not to put the person down but to lovingly confront him or her with their sin, and then to show them the way out of their sin, as well as to be there to support, encourage, strengthen, and love them along the way so that they do not become discouraged and give up.

Yet, when trying to help a drowning person, we must be careful that we are not pulled down with them. We have to have our own guards up so that we don’t get sucked in to the same or a similar sin. We must daily put on the armor of God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes. We must be engrossed (immersed) in Christ. Christ and his word must be at the forefront of our lives, like a shield or an armed force with which to fight off Satan’s attacks against us. We live in the world, but we should not be part of the world’s system. We should come out and be separate, even if it means being mocked, lied about, mistreated, rejected and forsaken in return. We must find our refuge in Christ, not in the things or the people of this world or even in the worldly church. Yet, we should do so with all humility and with love and with a desire to serve and to minister to people’s needs.

Lastly, we must carry each other’s burdens. A burden is an excessive weight. In context, this could be a direct reference to the burden of sin that a believer in Christ has brought upon himself (or herself). If the sin is against us personally, until the person repents of sin, we may bear the weight (results) of that sin against us, but we should do so by responding with love, forgiveness, humility, servanthood, by speaking the truth in love, and by finding our rest, hope and source of strength and encouragement in Christ. We may also do so by carrying that person’s burden of sin to the Lord in prayer, or by empathizing with him or her in their entrapment to sin, feeling compassion upon them, and grieving over their sin through tears and prayers to the Lord, who is the only one who can remove that burden from them as they willingly forsake their sin and choose to walk in Christ’s righteousness.

Reaping What we Sow

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Scripture teaches us that if, after we have professed Christ as Savior and Lord, we still continue to walk in the flesh (in darkness), then we don’t really know Christ/God, but we have just made a superficial confession of him. So, don’t be deceived! We are not saved by a mere confession or profession of faith, but we are saved by the blood of Christ, and by his offering for our sin, and by his grace, but also by faith which submits itself to the cross of Christ and willingly allows the Spirit of God to transform us away from slavery to sin to new life in Christ, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (See Eph. 2:8-9; 4:17-24; Ro. 6; Tit. 2:11-14; Ac. 26:16-18; Gal. 2:20; and 1 Jn. 1-5, et al). When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we die to sin. How can we live in it any longer?

The Lord Jesus gave me an encouraging word here with regard to not becoming weary in doing good, doing good to all people, and reaping a harvest if we do not give up. He gave me a picture both of a humble, submissive and loving response to being mistreated, i.e. due to being the object (target) of other people’s sins, but also of continuing to speak the truth in love - in loving confrontation, through humility and servanthood, putting my security and refuge in Christ, putting on his armor daily, and encouraging and exhorting the body of Christ to do some housecleaning (spiritually), i.e. in ridding themselves of the works of the flesh, the weights of sin and idolatry, and the ways of this sinful world. He said that if I do not give up, I (we who serve him in this way) will reap a harvest! Amen!

Trying to Compel You

12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

17 Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

We, in the United States of America, and in the 21st Century, are not being faced with this specific issue of adding circumcision to our faith, yet there is still a lesson to be learned here, for this symbolizes putting our confidence in the flesh, or adding the works of the flesh to our faith or to our daily walks with Christ. So, are we, as believers in Christ, being pressured into a walk of faith based upon the flesh of man? Most certainly! We are being bombarded with all kinds of materials written by human beings, supposedly of Christian origin and purportedly Biblically-based, which have little to do with the word of Truth, and which frequently teach what is in direct opposition to God’s word, but they do it so smoothly so that it looks good and sounds good, but it is full of pitfalls, lies and deceptions. And, yet the people of God oftentimes follow the materials blindly without any thought to challenge what is being taught to see if it is consistent with scripture. So, beware false teaching, for it comes in sheep’s clothing! We must examine everything we hear against the word of God.

Many of these materials give a script for us to follow, but we must make certain that the script is written by God and not by human beings who are following other human beings. We are to be led of the Spirit in what we do, not led of man. A lot of what is passed off as spiritual food is unclean. We need to examine the “food” we are given to see if it is of God, and we need to reject what is not. The Lord Jesus gave me a picture here, though, that the pure word of God (food that is clean) is becoming scarce, i.e. it is rarely being offered anymore, as so many have gone to following the teachings and philosophies of human beings over the teachings of Christ and his word.

Yet, we must be prepared that if we stand for what is right, and we deliberately examine what is being taught in today’s church, and we don’t readily accept whatever we hear, i.e. we don’t accept a gospel which pleases the ears of the masses, but we hold strong to the gospel as taught by the apostles, that we may be paraded as the apostles were before us, put on display, condemned to die, made a spectacle of and treated like garbage to be thrown out and discarded. We must be prepared to be despised, rejected, hated, persecuted falsely, have lies told about us, suffer false accusations and to be made to look like fools before the world. Yet, we must remain constant and patient in battle, realizing that, though the world or the worldly church forsake us, God will never leave us or abandon us. Though the worldly church may cast us off as garbage, we are precious to God! Amen! We should never shrink back from bearing the cross of Christ in order to receive the approval of men.

He Lifted Our Burdens / An Original Work / February 15, 2014

Based off Isaiah 9:2-7

People walk in darkness.
They abide in their sin.
It has power o’er them.
True belief escapes them.

Jesus Christ came to save them.
He gave His life up for them;
Crucified; died for our sin,
So we might be forgiven,
And have life up in heaven.

Many come to know Him.
God’s love now o’erflows them.
They rejoice in vict’ry.
Their sin is but hist’ry.

We were once bound in slav’ry.
Jesus lifted our burdens;
Set us now free from Satan,
So we now walk in freedom.
Sin has no more dominion.

Praise be to our Savior!
He showed us His favor.
He took all our burdens;
Cast them all upon Him.

He is our mediator;
The Light which shines in darkness.
Counselor in our troubles;
He gives peace now in our hearts;
Joy which is everlasting.


Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Going Backwards

Monday, April 28, 2014, 9:56 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “My Heart’s Desire” - http://originalworks.info/my-hearts-desire/. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Galatians 4:8-20 (NIV).

To Rescue Us

Paul wrote this letter to all the churches in Galatia. He began with his customary greetings, and then he stated that Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil (wicked; sinful) age (time period), according to the will of God the Father. In other words, we are not saved merely so we can go to heaven one day. Jesus Christ died for our sins to deliver us from slavery (bondage) to sin in the here and now so that “those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Co. 5:15; cf. Eph. 4:17-24). We are not only set free from the control of sin over our lives, but we are free to serve, obey, love, and worship our Lord in the Spirit of God, and to walk in his righteousness and in his truth – all in the power of the Spirit of God within us.

Yet, there was a problem Paul had to address with the believers. Although the Galatians had been saved via the true gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the apostles, they were deserting what they had first been taught, and they were turning to another gospel, which was really no gospel at all, and which was about to bring them back underneath slavery. What they were beginning to accept as gospel was man-made, not the gospel as received by revelation from Jesus Christ. The Galatian believers had begun with the Spirit, but now they were trying to attain their goal through human effort. God did not give them his Spirit because they followed a set of rules, or because they went through various forms of religion, or because they followed the ways and teachings of humans. No, he gave them his Spirit because they believed in Christ, via submitting themselves to the cross of Christ.

Weak and Miserable Forces

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

When we did not know Christ, we were slaves to sin, prone to idolatry, worshiping what our hands have made, and we were under the curse and penalty of the law. We were destined to spend eternity without God in eternal punishment, and to die still in our sins. Many operated under the notion that they could earn their way to heaven via good works or through following a set of religious guidelines. Yet, because of God’s great love for us, he sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, so that we could be set free, not only of the punishment of sin, but of the control of sin over our lives. As well, he released us from the law’s curse, from trying to gain God through human effort, and he set us free to now live under the control of the Spirit of God, crucified with Christ, dead to sin, but alive to God.

So, the question for all of us here is, “Have we or are we presently turning back to those forces (powers of influence) over our lives which have no power to set the sinner free, and which can give us no hope for our future, but which will only enslave us once again?” For each one of us, those “forces” may take on a different form, but they all have the same root. They have as their basis human effort, human thinking and reasoning, the teachings and philosophies of humankind, but absent or lacking (weak) in the word of truth, the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the power and working of the Spirit of God in human lives.

By Telling the Truth

I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

The truth is that we need to examine everything we hear against the teachings of Christ, and that of the apostles, to see if what we are being taught is in line with the word of truth. Much of what is being taught in today’s modern church movement, in particular here in America, has the appearance of truth and of godly wisdom, but much of it is not based in the word of God at all, but is based solely or mostly in the philosophies of human beings, many of whom have broken away from the true gospel to follow man-made religion, which is not the gospel as taught in scripture. And, I am not speaking merely of legalists here, either, for much of today’s liberated church movement, which focuses largely on the grace of God, has also fallen prey to following a man-made gospel, and not the gospel of Christ.

Just because something smells good, looks good and even tastes good does not mean it is good. It can be filled with all kinds of harmful ingredients, passing itself off as one thing, while it is truly something else. Much of today’s modern church movement comes straight out of Marketing 101 classes, as taught by humans on how to start and to grow your own businesses. Much of what is being taught, as well, comes out of books written by humans, and is based on humanistic feel-good messages, and not on the word of truth. The hard truths of scripture are often avoided all together, scriptures purposefully taken out of context and taught to mean something other than the original context, and parts of verses removed so as to delete the parts we don’t like and that don’t say what we want to hear. And, so the truth of scripture and its messengers have become our enemy because they tell us the truth, but the feel-good messages make us feel better.

Fine to Be Zealous

Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Much of what is being passed off as the gospel of salvation these days is attractive because its messengers are enthusiastic, passionate, eager, friendly and seemingly concerned and caring about people’s needs, and many of them truly are. A good number of them are doing exactly what all of us should be doing, and what many who hold more to doctrine and to the foundations of scripture are sometimes lacking in, and that is they are passionately involved in ministering to the needs of the people of their communities, and they are not all in-grown, just concerned for the people of their own congregations. Even many who adhere to false religions put true followers of Christ to shame in their passion and zeal for what they believe and practice, and in particular in their commitment to spread their beliefs to others. So, many false religions are growing much faster than Christianity is here in America, as well as these false gospels based in humanism are also growing by leaps and bounds.

So, we must be cautioned here against falling prey to what looks good or feels good, or even seems right, but we should test everything against the word of truth. What many of these zealous leaders of the false (diluted) gospel want is for us to be followers of them over and above us being followers of Christ and seekers of truth. Some of them may even lord it over their people, giving the impression that they alone are to be God’s voice to the people, and that is dangerous! As well, some of them may even be taught in their training classes to avoid those who have much knowledge of scripture or who have strong spiritual convictions with regard to the word of truth, because they don’t want their people to question what they are being taught, and they may fear the people might find out the truth. This was certainly behind the Judaizers’ attempts to discredit Paul, so that they could continue to have a hold on the people. So, don’t believe everything that sounds good, but test everything to make sure that what you are following is the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

ONLY IN HIM / An Original Work / February 19, 2014

Based off Isaiah 30

Woe to those who look to man’s help;
Who turn away from Jesus Christ;
Forming an alliance not in step with God;
Making their own plans, and praying not.

Willing not to listen to truth,
They close their ears to what is right.
Pleasing words are all that they’ll hear;
Feel good messages that bring cheer.

Trust in your Lord; turn from your sin.
Put your faith now ONLY IN HIM.
Do not turn to idols. They’ll not satisfy.
Jesus will save you. That’s why He died.

Your Lord will be gracious to you.
He cares all about you, ‘tis true.
He forgives you all of your sin
When you give your life up to Him.

Oh, how truly gracious He’ll be
When you bow to Him on your knees;
Turning now from your sin; walking in his ways.
He’ll lead and guide you all of your days.

Now you will sing praises to Him.
He delivered you from your sin.
You’ll tell others now of His grace,
So they may see Christ face-to-face.


Saturday, April 26, 2014

To Keep Us Humble

Saturday, April 26, 2014, 5:46 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Believe Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (ESV).

Great Revelations

Paul described here (in vv. 1-6), in detail, a vision which he had been given of the Lord fourteen years previously. He also spoke generally of visions and revelations which he had been given by the Lord, evidently over a period of time. A vision can be defined as: “something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy; especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vision).

A vision is a lot like a dream, only usually it takes place while the person is still awake. The person is fully conscious of what he or she is seeing, although he or she may not have immediate understanding of what the vision means. God has used, and I believe he still uses the means of dreams and visions as a way to bring revelation, i.e. to make something known to his servants with regard to personal messages, which he wishes to impart to them, or for the purpose of revealing some practical application of divine revelation, etc.

An example of this is the vision the Lord gave to Peter of something which looked like a sheet coming down from heaven filled with all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds (See Ac. 10). The Lord instructed Peter to kill and eat, but Peter refused on the grounds of his religious upbringing, because some of these were considered unclean. Yet, the Lord Jesus had a lesson for Peter through this vision, as well as he had a mission for him, too.

As well, the book of Acts recorded for us several of these visions that Paul had been given of the Lord. Paul had a vision in which he saw a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight (See Ac. 9:12). He also had a vision of a man from Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (See Ac. 16:9-10). In another vision the Lord spoke to Paul telling him to not be afraid, to keep on speaking, and to not be silent (See Ac. 18:9-10). In yet another vision Paul saw the Lord speaking. “Quick,” he said, “Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me” (See Ac. 22:17-21). And, one night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (See Ac. 23:11).

We may not identify with Paul in this, but we may. Yet, all of us have been given natural abilities and talents, and all of us who are in Christ Jesus have been given spiritual gifts (See Ro. 12; 1 Co. 12 & Eph. 4). And, there is always a danger of becoming puffed up or conceited or perhaps to even take credit ourselves for what we have received from God.

A Messenger of Satan

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ~ Vv. 7-10

Because of all these great revelations and visions given to Paul, from the Lord, the Lord also gave him a “thorn” in his flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass (or torment) him. There has been much dispute among theologians concerning the source of this thorn as well as the nature of the thorn. We can speculate on the nature of the thorn, but I believe the source is quite evident. Only God had the power to give Paul such a thorn, and only God would have the purpose in mind of giving Paul the thorn in order to keep him from becoming conceited.

Whatever your beliefs on this may be, what is clear is that God not only allowed Paul to suffer in this way, but when Paul prayed for relief of his suffering, the Lord Jesus did not chose to heal or to deliver Paul out of his suffering, but rather he told him that HIS grace was sufficient (enough) to help him in his time of need and to see him through this difficulty. Although God chose not to deliver Paul from the thorn, he would deliver him through the trouble, as Paul learned to put his trust and his dependency in the Lord for all his needs.

Our Suffering

The scriptures have much to say to us on this subject of suffering. For one, as servants of the Lord, we are to share in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death (See Phil. 3:10). We are to rejoice in our sufferings with the knowledge that suffering produces endurance (or perseverance), and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (See Ro. 5:3-4). We share in Christ’s sufferings, too, so through Christ we share in his comfort, so that we can comfort others with the comfort we received from him (See 2 Co. 1:1-11).

As well, our suffering has a purpose in that it teaches us to not rely upon ourselves (our flesh), but on God (See 2 Co. 1:9). It has also been granted to us by God that we should suffer for the sake of Christ (See Phil. 1:28-30). We suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that we may gain Christ and be found in him (See Phil. 3:7-9). Jesus learned obedience through the things which he suffered (See Heb. 5:8). And, we have been called to suffer for doing good and to endure it, such as Christ did. Thus he set the example for us so that we might follow in his steps (See 1 Pet. 2:20-22).

God shows his grace to us in many forms when we call upon him in our suffering. For one, he comforts us with his love. He does humble us so that we do not get puffed up and conceited, and so we grow in our compassion for others who are also going through difficult times. He teaches us things he wants us to learn, and he helps us to grow to maturity in him through the things that we suffer. He gives us his peace. He teaches us to trust in him, to believe in his promises, and to rest in his love. We learn to rely upon him and not on our own resources so that our dependency rests in him and not in our own strength, and so we operate in the power and strength of God in our service to him and not in our own flesh. For, only his divine power has the ability to effect real heart transformation in people’s lives.

Unanswered Questions

Sometimes in life we have questions for which we don’t have answers. Sometimes we pray and we can’t hear God speaking, i.e. he seems silent concerning our requests. And, so we cry out for him to hear us, even though we know he does, and for him to answer. Yet, he doesn’t always give us the answers we desire, nor does he explain all of his ways to us. He just says “Trust me.” “Believe me.” “Rest in me.” And, he reminds us that his ways are greater than our ways and his thoughts greater than our thoughts, i.e. he doesn’t think and work like we do. He has purposes for what we go through in this life beyond our human comprehension. We may even desire the right things, but he may have planned for us to go through injustice or heartache, and so he asks us to just trust him that he knows best.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. – Pr. 3:5-6 (NIV)

Believe Him / An Original Work / July 15, 2013

My heart cries: Lord, won’t You hear me
Seeking You for the answers
To my heartache and questions
I have concerning my life?
Speak, Lord, to me right now.

“Oh, dear one, why don’t you trust Me
With your life’s circumstances?
Give your all on the altar
In submission of your will
To My purpose for you.

“Surrender your life completely
To your Lord and your Savior.
He has all things planned for you
For His glory and honor.
He’ll work all things for good.

“Believe Him. He will fulfill all
Of His promises to you
For your life and your future.
Trust Him. Rest in His love.
He’ll give you peace from above.”


Friday, April 25, 2014

Though We Live in The World

Friday, April 25, 2014, 4:57 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Give God the Glory.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 10 (NIV).

False Accusations

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

Evidently Paul was under fire from a particular group of adversaries who were potentially influencing the believers in Christ to doubt Paul’s apostolic calling and authority. For one, they were accusing Paul of being two-faced (hypocritical) and/or inconsistent in his character. They said that he was “timid” when he was with them in person, but he was “bold” when he was away from them, i.e. when he was writing to them via letters.

These accusers of Paul said that his letters were weighty and forceful, but that in person he was unimpressive, and that his speaking amounted to nothing. So, Paul defended himself and Timothy (and/or the other apostles) against these false accusations, saying that what they were in their letters when they were absent, they would be in their actions when they were present. Paul’s defense of himself was also a defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for if his opponents could convince the Corinthian believers that he was not who he said he was, they could also begin to discredit his message of declaration of the gospel of Christ.

From my own experience I have found that opponents of the true gospel of Jesus Christ, if they cannot discredit the message of the gospel being taught, will revert to trying to discredit the messengers, even making up stuff out of their own imaginations, and even using worldly (humanistic) wisdom, thinking, and reasoning to try to prove their case. In fact, they will even ignore the scriptures, and will, in fact, respond to the scriptures shared with whatever humanistic teaching they have come to believe, despite the hard evidence presented by the scriptures themselves. And they are able to lead naïve people astray who don’t know the scriptures, and who are easily persuaded by humans, and by humanistic reasoning that sounds good on the surface, even though it is not supported by scripture.

These opponents of Paul (and his fellow apostles) accused him of living by the standards of this world. I am not certain what specific standards to which Paul was referring here, but the point is that the charge was that he conducted his life and ministry by worldly standards. In our day and age such worldly standards might include lying, cheating, deception, manipulation, using marketing schemes and techniques to attract audiences, the use of entertainment - also for the purpose of drawing in large crowds of people - the targeting of particular people groups while excluding others, willfully living sinful lifestyles while excusing it away under the provision of God’s grace, and watering down the message of the gospel in order to make it more appealing and acceptable to the masses, etc.

Waging War

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete…

Paul’s response to these accusations was that, even though they lived in the world, they did not wage war as the world did. Again, I am not certain as to what he was specifically referring by the phrase, “wage war as the world does,” but in our day and age, much of that warring also falls under the category of living by the standards of this world, as discussed above. In other words, we, as believers in Christ, are in a spiritual battle against evil forces, yet our “weapons” of warfare are not of this world. For instance, we can’t win people to Jesus Christ via entertainment, lies, manipulations, deceptions, scheming, and/or diluting the gospel of Jesus Christ to make it more appealing to the world. We may win them over to us, and/or to our “businesses” called “churches,” but we don’t win people to Christ using worldly methods, even though we may not convince many church leaders of that today.

I am most certain that Paul did not spend hours upon hours reading books on how to plant or how to grow churches (big businesses), and on how to attract large crowds of people using worldly means and/or methods which appeal to the flesh of humans, nor did he go through church planting training which, in some cases, teaches the leaders to target only certain people and to avoid others, in particular to avoid the needy and/or those believers with “strong convictions,” or how to use needy people to get their work up and going (to feed it), and then how to discard them later on so that they don’t “drag you down.” I am also positive Paul did not read books on how to market the church like a business and how to give his “customers” what they would enjoy so they would keep coming back.

No, Paul and the other apostles were adherents of the word of God, they did not rely upon the wisdom of humans, but solely upon the Spirit’s power, and they were proponents of speaking the truth plainly, and in love. They called sin what it was – sin. They were not afraid to mention hell or eternal damnation. They did not shy away from the words “obedience,” or “submission,” and they explained fully what it meant to be in Christ, to believe in Christ and how to have eternal salvation (See Eph. 2:8-9; 4:17-24; Ro. 6; Gal. 2:20; Tit. 2:11-14 and 1 Jn. 1-5, for example).

Salvation meant more than just getting their sins forgiven and having the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. Their salvation was life-altering, radical, earth-moving, transforming (like metamorphosis), and freeing. They were not only set free from eternal damnation and given the hope of heaven, but they were set free from slavery to (the control of) sin and to Satan, and set free to walk in obedience and surrender to Christ, to walk in his ways and in his righteousness, and to now be underneath the power and control of the Holy Spirit, who was at work within them in transforming them away from sin and to God. This grace taught them to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions, instead of excusing sin away and calling it something else just because we are now under grace.

Comparing Ourselves

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise… But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

When we judge ourselves or others by human standards, we are not wise. When we judge ourselves or others by our own experiences, standards, our own attitudes and/or by our own reactions and actions, we are not wise. What I find prevalent in today’s church is that humanistic thinking and reasoning has superseded the truth of God’s word so much so that people tend to believe humans over God; humanistic teaching over the word of God.

I also find that many people are taught to and do judge others by their culture, society and by themselves, i.e. by their own attitudes and behaviors. For instance, if we say to someone, “Oh, when I did that, it was because I wanted to be seen of men,” we should not naturally assume this to be the case: “So, you must be doing that because you want to be seen of men.” We are not all the same! We don’t all think alike. We are not all motivated by the same things. We have different strengths and weaknesses from each other. I am not like you and you are not like me. My motivations may be different from yours. My thinking and reasoning is also most likely not the same as yours. And, my heart attitude may also be something uniquely distinct from your heart attitude. This is not to say that one is right and the other is wrong but that we are all different, so we should not judge others by human standards or by comparing others to ourselves, thinking others are just like us.

Instead, our judgments (assessments; evaluations) of ourselves and/or of others should be based in the word of truth (scripture), in Christ and in his teachings, and in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by Christ and by the apostles. As well, we should also follow the recommended procedures as taught in scripture with regard to those judgments and how they are to be carried out so that we judge rightly, and so we do so always in love.

Give God the Glory / An Original Work
Based off Psalm 19 / March 10, 2014

All of creation now proclaims:
“Give God the glory; honor His name!”
Each day the stars in heav’n above
Show forth His wisdom; tell of His love.
They do not speak. They have no voice.
Yet, they declare we have a choice:
“Worship the God of heav’n above;
Believe in Jesus; trust in His love.”

God’s word is perfect, just and good,
Refreshing souls who trust in the Lord;
Makes wise the simple; radiant -
Lighting our lives with God’s righteousness.
Joy to the heart His words now speak;
Pure and enduring, now we seek.
They are more precious than our gold;
Sweeter than honey; never grow old.

Keeping the word brings great reward.
By the word Jesus speaks and He warns,
Convicting hearts of all their sin;
Forgiving all who call upon Him.
Praying You keep me, Lord, from sins.
May they not rule my life again.
Then will I walk in all Your ways,
Following Jesus all of my days.


Thursday, April 24, 2014

Christian Service

Thursday, April 24, 2014, 8:30 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Gracious Father.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Co. 8:16-9:15 (NIV).

The Gift of Giving

Chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians speak to the subject of giving and of Christian service. Evidently, there was a collection being taken for the saints in Jerusalem. I wanted to understand the purpose of this collection, i.e. to whom the money was going and for what reason, so I read a commentary on Biblegateway.com. The author began by addressing the issue of the endless number of pleas for money, in our world today, from various organizations. “Sophisticated marketing strategies abound,” he stated. Some people make a bad name for fundraisers with their gimmicks, hard-sells, and manipulations of people’s emotions to get people to give, he suggested. This makes it difficult to know, sometimes, who is legit and who is not, and where the real needs are and who is just taking advantage of a situation. I believe this calls for much discernment and prayer.

So, what was this collection (offering) being taken, and then given to the saints in Jerusalem? The author of this commentary said that it was “to help Judean believers who were facing harder than usual economic times as a result of a famine during the mid to late 40s.” That is a worthy cause, to help the truly poor of our communities, or to help people out when they are in dire straits or going through economic hard times. This commentator asked the question, “Why did Paul do it?” Why did he put forth this effort to make the collection for these saints? “For one, the need was genuine,” he stated. I believe that is very significant here. These Christians were in need of the basic necessities of life – food, shelter and clothing, he said. The author also suggested another reason for the collection was that it served as a visible expression of how the church body worked together to supply one another’s needs, not just monetary needs, and that served as a testimony for Christ.


Thanks to God!

Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man. ~ 2 Co. 8:16-21

In going over the lyrics to the song “Gracious Father,” I realized that this song tells the story of how God sets the example for us in love, kindness, mercy, compassion and giving, and how, through his free gift of salvation, he places these same qualities within the hearts of his followers by his Spirit. Our salvation and not one of his acts of love and kindness toward us, and not one of these heavenly qualities can be bought with money. We can do nothing to earn them or deserve them. He gives us these treasures from heaven as a free gift of his grace to us. Yet, not all of us have received this free gift of his love into our lives, so not everyone possesses his great salvation or these heavenly treasures. They must be received by submission to Christ and to death to sin so he can make us alive in Christ.

This song also describes what our heart response should be to his love, mercy and grace to us. First of all, we should be eternally thankful. Our hearts should adore him. We should be humbled by his love and mercy toward us, realizing how underserving we all really are. And, we should, in view of his mercy, offer ourselves (our all) to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, which is our reasonable and acceptable service of worship of him. We should no longer be conformed to the ways of this world, but we should be transformed of the Spirit of God in the renewing of our minds (See Ro. 12:1-2). When we consider the subject of giving, we should realize that it all belongs to God and that we owe him everything! So, he should be the one to decide how much we give, when to give and to whom to give it. And, we should give as unto the Lord with wholehearted devotion to God, for his honor and praise, recognizing that it is HIM only that we serve. Amen!

Sowing and Reaping

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ~ 2 Co. 9:6-15

To sow means to spread, scatter, seed and/or to plant (deposit; establish). To reap means to gain, obtain, gather, harvest, collect, and/or acquire, etc. In other words, as the saying goes, “You reap what you sow.” This means that one is the direct result of the other. We get in what we put out. We receive a return back from what we invest. If we give little, we get little in return, not that we should give in order to receive, but that if we are stingy and not generous, we will have little to show, for our giving, in the lives which it is able to bless.

Yet, this is not speaking merely of just giving people money. Jesus Christ gave to us as we had legitimate need. He gave us his life. He does not always give us what our selfish hearts desire, especially if what we want is so we can spend it on our own selfish pleasures. He gives good gifts to his children. Good is what is best for us, for he knows what we really need. He knew that we needed to be set free, not just from the punishment of our sin, but from slavery to sin, and that we needed to be also set free to love, honor, worship, and obey him in the Spirit of God, and to walk in his ways and in his truth, for this is where we would find pure joy, satisfaction and meaning for life, and where we would be filled to overflowing with his Spirit so that we could, in turn, share his love with others in need.

So, he set the standard for giving, not only that we should give freely, and not just to those who we feel are deserving of our gifts, but that we should consider the true needs and give accordingly to what is truly best (good) for others. Sometimes, in our giving, we can do more harm than good. It is not good, for instance, to give a screaming child who is throwing a temper tantrum what he or she wants at that instance. What is best at that moment for that child is some loving correction, guidance and training in the appropriate way in which to ask for things. It is also not good to feed others’ bad habits. It is better to teach a man to fish rather than just feeding him the fish that we gather, that is, if he is able.

Certainly we are not limited to only supplying the basic necessities of life, for people have needs beyond just the basics, at times, and we are free to give to others as we choose, as well. Yet, I do believe that we should consider what are the true needs, what is the best way to meet those needs, and we should consider if, in our giving, we are truly doing what is best, i.e. what is in the best interest of those to whom we wish to give love, affection, money, time, talents, or our service, etc.

Of course, the greatest gift we can give is to share with them how they, too, can come to know Jesus Christ so that they, too, can be set free of sin and can have eternal life with God. As the scriptures say, “Freely you have received, freely give” (See Matt. 10:8), referring, apparently, both to the working of miracles in others’ lives, and to the preaching of the gospel, freely imparted by God into the life of the believer, and so he or she can thus freely give to others. Or else the healing of the sick could refer to those who are spiritually in need of having their sick souls cleansed by the blood of Christ, and the raising of the dead could refer to Christ raising those to new life in Christ who were once dead in their sins, and thus the sharing of the gospel would be an instrument of that divine healing and resurrected life in their lives. And, all should be done for the honor, glory and praise of God.

Gracious Father / An Original Work / April 6, 2011

How great are You Father; how great are You, Lord.
My heart so adores You; Your mercy outpour.
Your love and your kindness; Your gracious reward
Are treasures from heaven that we can’t afford.
So, freely they’re given and humbly received
When we bow before You on penitent knee.

O gracious Redeemer; my Master and King,
To You I owe everything - my offerings I bring
With whole heart devotion, to honor and praise
My loving companion and friend for always.
It’s You I serve only, to walk in Your ways,
So I have your promise for all of my days.


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Our Ministry

Wednesday, April 23, 2014, 8:08 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 6 (NIV).

In The Power of God

At the beginning of his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul described the hardships he and Timothy, and I am most certain many of the other disciples and apostles, faced for their testimony for Christ and the gospel of salvation. They were under such great pressure, far beyond their own human ability to endure, that they despaired even of life. And, yet they praised God for his comfort in all of their troubles. As well, they acknowledged that their suffering was for a purpose, i.e. they understood that they were sharing abundantly in the sufferings of Christ so that they might comfort others with the same encouragement they had received from God. Also, they recognized that their suffering took place so that they might learn (in practice) not to rely upon human strength and wisdom, but on God.

Then, a little bit later on in the letter he noted their suffering in greater detail. Yet, he also described God’s all-sufficiency in meeting them in their time of need, so that they did not lose heart (see chapter 4). They learned, in all their troubles, that although they were going through great difficulties, their Lord was with them always to encourage them and to give them strength and endurance. This encouragement and supernatural power and strength of the Holy Spirit of God was necessary so they could survive their tribulations, yet not just, but so they could come out victorious and rejoicing despite their difficulties. As well, they were taught yet another purpose for their suffering. Through suffering the life of Jesus was revealed in and through them. In other words, suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (See Ro. 5:3-4; cf. Phil. 3:10-11; 1 Pet. 4:12-13; 5:9; 1 Thess. 3:3). Suffering humbles us so that Christ may be seen us.

There are many ways in which we can suffer, as well as there are many reasons for which we might go through difficulties in this life, some of which may be of our own doing because we are reaping the natural consequences of sin, or it could be we are suffering because of other people’s sins, or because we live in a fallen (and cursed) world. Yet, these men of God were not being persecuted due to any fault of their own, for they had renounced secret and shameful ways, they did not use deception, nor did they distort the word of God. Instead, they set forth the truth plainly, which is most likely the reason they were hated and persecuted, such as was Jesus, and for many of the same reasons (See Jn. 7:7). And, still, even though they were hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted and struck down, ultimately they were not completely destroyed, crushed, discouraged or abandoned, because the Spirit of God was within them giving them strength and encouragement, hope for their future, and purpose for their present. Amen! We can’t make it without HIM!

Types of and Responses to Suffering

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. Vv. 3-10

Not everyone has had to endure such suffering as Paul described here, yet many throughout the ages have, as well as multitudes across our globe presently and personally know, through experience, exactly the types of misery Paul has detailed for us here. Yet, just because we are not presently being beaten, falsely arrested, imprisoned and/or killed for our faith in Christ, it does not mean it will not happen to us. Also, it does not lessen our present difficulties, nor does it change what our responses should be, nor does it alter God’s promises of his grace to meet us in our time of need. Persecution, for instance, can come in many forms. Sometimes the emotional abuse we face is just as hard, or is harder to bear than physical suffering. No matter what distress or affliction might be presently in our lives because of our testimony for Jesus Christ, God is able! As well, we must respond to it in prayer, in faith, in purity, “patience, kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love,” etc.

Open Wide Your Hearts

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also. Vv. 11-13

It appears that Paul’s hardships were not all at the hands of the ungodly of this world, though certainly some were. Jesus’ biggest persecutors were his own people, and those of his own faith, as well as many of them were the religious and political leaders of his time. In all the years I have been alive (64 of them), my experience has been that most of the unjust suffering in my life has come from the hands of those within the church, from those who were supposed to love and protect me, and from those in spiritual leadership over me. And, Paul appears to have experienced some of the same, for he wrote an appeal to the Corinthian church, suggesting that, in the least, they were withholding love and affection from the apostles. In other words, the apostles were acting in love toward the people in the things they shared with them, but that love was not being reciprocated for whatever reason.

I find that the more that the church today has embraced the world, its philosophies, its culture, and its practices, and those of big business, the more they have withdrawn from those who still hold to the essentials of the faith and the teachings of Christ. My experience has been that those who still hold to the gospel as taught by the apostles, and who follow the way of holiness, as also taught by Christ and the apostles, are frequently cast aside, because they (or we) don’t fit in with the modern church way of doing things, i.e. we are not in their “target group,” nor do we fit with their “church growth” plans and goals, for we have chosen to come out and be separate from the world, as scripture teaches, and not to be joined together with the world and the ungodly in binding and/or in close fellowship relationships with them (See vv. 14-18). And, so we are ostracized, told to go someplace else, told by leadership that they were warned against people like us who have strong convictions, and/or are told we don’t belong, even though scripture teaches that we are never to say to a part of the body that we have no need of them (see 1 Co. 12).

And, so it is not us who are withholding our love and affection from the body of Christ, but they are withholding theirs from us, just because we don’t fit with the ways of the worldly church, nor do we accept those worldly practices into our own lives, but we continue in walking in the ways of holiness as taught by Christ and the apostles, not in absolute perfection, but in the power and strength of the Spirit within us. So, we, too, say to the church: Open wide your hearts to us and let us inside, and love us as we love you!

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken / Henry F. Lyte / Mozart/ Arr. Hubert P. Main

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I've sought, and hoped, and known;
Yet how rich is my condition, God and Christ are still my own!

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue;
And, while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate, and friends disown me; show Thy face, and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me – ‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ‘tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ‘twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!
In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor loss is gain.
I have called Thee, Abba, Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee;
Storms may howl and clouds may gather; all must work for good to me.

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith and winged by prayer;
God's eternal day's before thee, God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.


Monday, April 21, 2014

Our Comfort Abounds

Monday, April 21, 2014, 6:39 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “What The Lord Says.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (NIV).

In All Our Troubles

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

God comforts us

What kinds of troubles are you presently facing? First of all I should ask, do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Are you walking in fellowship with him? Are you suffering for your faith in him and your testimony for him? In context, I believe this is the type of suffering of which Paul is speaking here. He and the other apostles were facing hardship, persecution, false accusations, beatings, false arrests and even threats against their own lives, i.e. they were sharing in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. Yet, could other types of sufferings be implied here, as well? Certainly, for Paul used such phrases as “all our troubles,” and “any trouble.” As well, I believe there can be various types of comfort we receive based upon the type of suffering we are going through, though there may be commonalities, as well.

The word translated as “trouble” in the NIV means “persecution, affliction, distress, tribulation; properly, pressure (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that ‘hems someone in’; tribulation, especially internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, ‘without options’)” (http://biblehub.com/greek/2347.htm). I’ve been there. I suspect you have, too. Yet, Jesus cares about all our afflictions, poverty, trials, tribulations, hardships, sorrow and pain. He is even concerned with those troubles brought upon our lives via our own stubborn wills and sinful behaviors. This is why I believe that our “comfort” can be varied depending upon the source or type of suffering we are going through, for the word “comfort” actually means “exhort, entreat, beseech, encourage and/or admonish” (http://biblehub.com/greek/3870.htm). Sometimes he comforts us with words of reassurance, peace, wisdom and hope, and other times he comforts us with words of reproof, caution, and warning, yet still he offers forgiveness and restoration, i.e. hope.

We comfort others

Jesus/God comforts us because he loves us, and he wants what is best for us. He also comforts us so that we may encourage others with the same admonishment and/or reassurance we have received from the Lord.

I believe with all my heart that scripture teaches that God had a plan and a purpose for my life from even before I was made in my mother’s womb. I believe, as well, that God is absolutely sovereign over all things, and that he placed me in the family where he put me, that he took me places where he wanted me to go, and that he allowed certain circumstances, in particular tribulations, in my life in order to shape and to mold me into the person he created me to be, so that I could be used of him in the lives of other people who are going through similar situations as what I have experienced in my life.

I believe I would not be here writing out what the Lord Jesus teaches me each day had I not gone through some of the things I have experienced in my life. Had I not traveled a difficult road, it might have been too easy to turn back when the going got rough. I was faced with much rejection, abuse, neglect, misunderstandings, false judgments, and persecution from early on in my life, which has continued throughout the course of my life. Yet, God did not leave me comfortless. He provided his word, himself, spiritual songs and other people along the way to encourage, strengthen and counsel me; to love me and to show me affection; yet also to be honest with me in love. I needed both types of encouragement. Yet, I also had times in my life when I failed God miserably, when I yielded to my flesh, and when I ran for comfort in other things that were not of God because I lacked faith and trust in God to work in those circumstances for his glory. Yet, he never gave up on me. He brought me back, renewed my faith, put me back on the right path, and chose to use me once more.

He Will Deliver Us

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

No matter what kind of suffering we may be experiencing, whether our trials are truly “light and momentary” troubles by contrast to the difficult sufferings of others, or we are at the point of despairing of life, feeling there is no hope, our God allows these in our lives so that we learn to not rely upon ourselves, but to put our trust in God. Sad to say, but many times it is in the difficulties of life that we learn to place our trust solely in God, to put our hope in him, and to draw on his strength and comfort. When things are going well for us, we can easily become self-consumed, busy with what pleases us, and we can become negligent in continuing in our love relationships with Jesus Christ, even to the point of totally ignoring him. So, he permits us to go through hardships so that we do call upon him and so we do learn to draw on his strength, comfort, counsel, encouragement, direction and teaching.

As well, he promises us deliverance, not necessarily from the difficulties of life, especially since he tells us that we are destined for such things, and that they serve a purpose in our lives, but that through them he will be with us, will carry us, will comfort us, heal us, show us his love and care for us, and he will use us in the lives of others because of what we have had to endure for the sake of his name.

I can attest to the fact that God does deliver in many ways. Sometimes he just releases us from the fear of circumstances, and he fills us with his peace. Oftentimes, he shows us the way out of our troubles, or he directs us in the way we should go so that we do not give in to them, and so we do not let them get the best of us. Other times he fills us with promises of hope and healing for the future, even while we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death in the here and now. And, yet other times he intervenes miraculously on our behalf in fighting off our enemies and in giving us physical deliverance from harm.

Yet, no matter which way he chooses to rescue us in any given circumstance, what is true is that he is always with us, he will never leave us or forsake those who are truly his, he will continue to lead, guide, counsel, love, and protect us from the evil one; and he will sustain us, strengthen us, and give us endurance and perseverance to keep on keeping on, and to never ever give up hope! Amen!

What the Lord Says / An Original Work

February 24, 2014 / Based off Isaiah 43:1-44:5

This is what the Lord says to you:
Fear not, for I have chosen you.
I have summoned you by your name.
You are mine. I died, you to save.

When you go through your trials, so deep,
I will be with you; you will not sink.
You are so precious always to me.
Trust in your Lord, Savior and King.

This is what the Lord says to you:
He who gave salvation to you;
Who delivered you from your sin;
Takes your burdens now upon Him:

Forget the former things of your life.
Give of your heart not now up to strife.
See all the new things I have for you.
Walk in vict’ry. Trust in what’s true.

This is what the Lord says to you:
He who made you; who will help you:
Do not fear what humans may do.
Walk in freedom. Follow what’s true.

Drink of my Spirit given for you.
Trust in my mercy, for I love you.
I have a plan for all of your life.
Follow my ways. Do what is right.



Saturday, April 19, 2014

Like a Child

Saturday, April 19, 2014, 8:02 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “I Do Not Seal My Lips.” I read 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV).

No Love

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

I believe, to truly understand this chapter, we have to look at it in the context of the book as a whole. Paul was writing to the church, the body of Christ, in Corinth, so he was writing to Christians, though, granted, some of them may have been Christian in profession only. There were divisions in the church because the people were following men and were raising one man above another. So, Paul wrote a discourse on the subject of man’s wisdom vs. the wisdom of God. He said that God has made foolish (silly; childish) the wisdom of this world; that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and that he will frustrate the intelligence of the intelligent (See 1 Co. 1:19). Although those who are perishing in their sins may regard the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as “foolishness,” true foolishness (childishness) comes from when we rely upon the wisdom, thinking and reasoning of human beings to guide us, instead of relying upon the Lord.

Returning to the subject of divisions in the church, Paul said that he could not address the believers as spiritual, but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. He said that he gave them milk, not solid food, for they were not yet ready for it, i.e. he did not tell them everything yet because they were not yet ready spiritually to receive it, because they were too busy taking in human wisdom and were not receptive to the deeper truths of God. He told them that if anyone thinks he is wise by the standards of this world, he should become a “fool,” so that he may become wise. Notice with me here that the term “foolish” is being used interchangeably between what is truly foolish in God’s sight – the wisdom of man - and what is foolish in the eyes of man, namely the gospel. God sees man’s wisdom, thinking and reasoning as foolish (silly; childish), but yet humankind sees the gospel of Jesus Christ as foolish (silly; stupid). So, if we want to be truly wise, we must first become foolish in the eyes of man, i.e. we must reject worldly wisdom and we must submit ourselves to the cross of Christ and to the gospel of Jesus Christ, for that is where we will gain true wisdom.

The Christians in Corinth were apparently all caught up in the here and now, i.e. in the pleasures of this life, in humanistic thinking and reasoning, and proud of it, and in being followers of humans, though obviously they were not really following Paul’s teaching or they wouldn’t have still been worldly and “spiritual infants.” So, maybe it was more of a status thing with them. They were obviously making judgments about God’s servants based upon human thinking and reasoning. Yet, they were not living for the gospel of Jesus Christ, so they, also, were not facing the same types of persecutions as were the apostles. Paul wanted them to imitate him and his relationship with Jesus Christ, because, although he certainly was not perfect, he was walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh, and he was depending upon the wisdom of God and the truth of the gospel rather than on human wisdom. He wrote this to warn them, and he cautioned them against remaining arrogant.

Many were also involved in sexual immorality and/or they were allowing it to go on within the church. They were bringing lawsuits against each other in public court. Some of them were not acting in love toward their fellow Christians in the exercise of their freedoms. Some of them were self-indulgent when it came to partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Others of them were conceited about the spiritual gifts they possessed, as well as there was abuse and/or misunderstandings of some of the gifts and/or of their level of importance. So, Paul was writing them to teach them that the way of love and spiritual maturity, which went hand-in-hand, was the way they should go, and not the way they had been going. They could possess all kinds of human or even Biblical knowledge, they could be diligent in giving to the poor, and they could be faithful in the exercise of the speaking gifts, but if it was all based in pride and self-glorification instead of coming from hearts of love, it meant nothing.

Love Is

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Just in case they were truly ignorant of the meaning of true love, Paul explained to them what it means to truly love God and to love one another. We cannot act in love towards others when we are puffed up, focused on ourselves, self-consumed, relying upon human wisdom to guide us, misusing our freedoms, uninvolved in spiritual matters, involved in taking advantage of others and/or if we are ignoring deliberate sin in ourselves or in others, etc., for all this is self-focused instead of God and others focused. When we are thinking about ourselves and are consumed with what pleases us we may grow impatient with others, be unkind, be jealous or threatened by others’ relationships with Christ, be prideful of our own accomplishments, and/or easily angered. We may have difficulty rejoicing with truth because truth exposes what is hidden in darkness, and we may be compliant with evil, either by being entertained by it, or by allowing it to go on in others and/or in our own lives. True love, nonetheless, rejoices in truth, hates what is evil, and perseveres in hope.

Childish Ways

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

The Corinthian believers could not be addressed as spiritual, but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. They were behaving childishly in many of the things they practiced, in their behaviors and attitudes, and even in their thinking and beliefs. They were not moving on to spiritual maturity, and they were guilty of being prideful, arrogant and worldly. So, Paul was letting them know that the things in which they took pride were all going to pass away one day. It did not mean these were all bad things, though some certainly were. God has given us these gifts of the Spirit for a reason, yet there are people who abuse them, misuse them and who even abuse others with them, i.e. they use them to put one person above another and perhaps even to flaunt their own knowledge by lording it over others while not exercising the least bit of love and kindness in the process.

The Essentials

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The message? – One day our knowledge and gifts will all disappear. What truly matters is love, for God is love, and love makes a difference in people’s lives, and it is what endures. And, all these other things, if not exercised in love, don’t amount to anything. It is just a bunch of noise and hot air.

The reality? – Not one of us is perfect in knowledge. We only have what God gives us, and he does not give us everything, so we have no cause for conceit. Yet, when Jesus Christ returns, and we go to be with him, what is incomplete and imperfect will disappear. We will then see Him face to face, and we will then know what we only know in part now.

So, if believers in Christ, who willfully remain spiritual infants, who are worldly and fleshly, continue on in their mediocrity and involve themselves in what is unholy, and it seems as though they lack concern for what matters to God, as they are acting childishly and selfishly, we should not let this unsettle us, but we should pray for them to come to their senses. Even if others do not love, we should still love, and we should keep believing God to move in their hearts to bring them to the place of spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus. And, even if others serve with the wrong motives, we should keep on serving the Lord Jesus, exercising our gifts in love, for the glory of God. And, if this evil world threatens to undo us, we should keep on keeping on in loving God and others, and in sharing the gospel of Christ.

I Do Not Seal My Lips / An Original Work / January 13, 2014

Based off Psalms 37, 40

Do not fear when evil man
Has success in all their plans,
For like grass they’ll wither soon.
They’ll be cut off from the land.

Trust in the Lord and He’ll give you peace.
Find your delight in Him through all stress.
All of your ways commit unto Him.
All your desires from Him He’ll fulfill.

Wait for the Lord; keep His way.
Delight in His Word always.
He’ll be with you to the end;
Life eternal found in Him.

I waited patiently for my Lord.
He turned to me, and He heard my cry.
He set my feet on the Solid Rock.
He gave to me a firm place to stand.

Blessed are we, who trust the Lord,
Who do not turn to false gods.
Our desire’s to do God’s will.
His word is within our hearts.

I will proclaim salvation to man.
You put a new song now in my mouth.
I’ll not withhold your love and your grace.
I’ll speak forevermore of your truth.