Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
15 1-2 Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”
3-6 That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!
7-13 So reach out and welcome one another to God’s glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! Jesus, staying true to God’s purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance:
Then I’ll join outsiders in a hymn-sing; I’ll sing to your name!
And this one:
Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together!
And again:
People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise!
And Isaiah’s word:
There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!
Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Each one of us needs toask ourselves, “How can I help?”
Romans 15:7 Amplified Bible
7 Therefore, [continue to] accept and welcome one another, just as Christ has accepted and welcomed us to the glory of [our great] God.
Have you ever been invited into Christian community?
It is so refreshing to feel accepted and welcomed.
When people go out of their way to say hi, introduce themselves, and connect, it means a lot.
It can be easy over time when we reach out, become comfortable in our current community and neglect to see others who are nearby as well.
We can become routine in our church circles and forget the calling as Christians to love and welcome new people.
It is easy to do, and we all have to is pray, ask the Holy Spirit to check our hearts and reveal sin in our lives (Psalm 139:23-24). He will surely work His way into into our hearts, souls, convict and gently lead us to love others around us better.
I love how Romans 15:7 tells us to welcome others as Christ has welcomed us.
Jesus is always our example and role model.
We were sinners who He easily could have ignored but He chose to love us. We welcome others in Christ because He first welcomed us all for the glory of God.
It honors the Lord when we take the time to get to know others, love them well. We should pray for special thoughts as well to those who are different from us.
James 2 teaches us to show no partiality. We are called to show kindness to all others, and our friendship should automatically extend to a variety of people.
Matthew 22:36-39 says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Loving God and loving people are the two greatest commandments. When we welcome others, we love them. The best part is that we can often end up making wonderful new friends, meet new families who could teach us more about God.
We were created to pray for each other, to encourage each other, welcome each other and to share our hardships with each other. This has to start somewhere.
Why not in the parking lots, at the accessibility ramp, at the steps and the front doors of our churches, with wide and wider smiles, with open hands extended?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let’s pray:
Psalm 134 The Message
134 1-3 Come, bless God, all you servants of God! You priests of God, posted to the night watch in God’s shrine, Lift your praising hands to the Holy Place, and bless God. In turn, may God of Zion bless you— God who made heaven and earth!
My Dear Savior Jesus,
Thank You for the gift of community. Thank you for helping us by Your Spirit to get to know new faces and people around us we do not know. Help us to be motivated to seek out relationships with others in our church communities. We pray against the sinful decisions to isolate and ignore. We pray for confidence to reach out and love others with our words and actions. We confess where we have been too cliquey and selfish. Forgive us for making “our” churches and neglecting Your church. Help us to reach out and see You at work. Enable us to have open hearts. Please help us not to show partiality or favoritism. Help us remember that we are all one in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for welcoming us and helping us to live out of gratitude for Your hospitality. Open our hearts to have the willingness to get to know others as brothers and sisters. Open the door to new friendships that are founded on you and prayer.
Lord, thank you for the people who have welcomed us into community. We celebrate Your goodness in providing friendships in our lives. Thank you for that one person who was kind enough to say hello. Empower us to meet one new person at church this week and even every week from here on out. Help us go the extra mile and get numbers or meet for coffee. Lead us into creative ways to have community. Lord, You say that everyone is not a hand and that being the body means there is great value in different parts. Help us to see that when we get to know others we get to be a better picture of what You intended for us to be. We were not meant to be alone; we were made for this. Help us to fight the enemy and our flesh that would tell us otherwise and choose to welcome others around us. Help this not to be an individual effort, but a church-wide movement to multiply and grow. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and [b]the Word was God Himself. 2 He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines on in the [c]darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In John 1 the Greek term for “Word” is logos. John chose this word carefully.
In Greek philosophy the word logos referred to divine reason, or the power that made order out of chaos.
This idea fits well with the scriptural teaching that God—whose word is always faithful and true, and who created all things—has now, once and for all of time, revealed himself in a new way through his Son, the Word of God, who “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
God has long been communicating with us—through creation, through the patriarchs, the prophets, the Kings and the Psalmists and the Scriptures.
But with the coming of “the Word”—that is, Jesus—God revealed himself even more – “in the flesh.” Earlier forms of communication were less clear. Since the logos became flesh, however, we can see, hear, listen to and know that we have physically met God. Jesus is the best and the only perfect representation of God.
This contradicts the teachings of other religions that claim they have a better or additional revelation of God. Why would you want or need to hear more about God once you have heard from the Word himself? Jesus showed that God is love and “the light [that] shines in the darkness,” light overwhelming the darkness.
What an absolutely incredible revelation! We need to recognize that the true and complete Word of God has come into the world. That Word is Jesus Christ, “the ONE and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
1 John 1:1-4 Amplified Bible
Introduction, The Incarnate Word
1 [I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what [a]we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]— 2 and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]— 3 what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].
A revelation which needs to be fully uncovered from under our baskets of sin.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 46 Amplified Bible
God the Refuge of His People.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to soprano voices. A Song.
46 God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas, 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 Someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbitrator over [the two of] you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed; for not even when one has an overflowing abundance does his life consist of nor is it derived from his possessions.”
Parable of the Wealthy Fool
16 Then He told them a parable, saying, “There was a rich man whose land was very fertile and productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place [large enough in which] to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; now who will own all the things you have prepared?’ 21 So it is for the one who continues to store up and hoard possessions for himself, and is not rich [in his relationship] toward God.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
“You Fool!” Ambition is both a blessing and a curse
Luke 12:18-21 Amplified Bible
18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own all the things you have prepared?’ 21 So it is for the one who continues to store up and hoard possessions for himself, and is not rich [in his relationship] toward God.”
Ambition is both a blessing and a curse. When it is God-directed and also Holy Spirit-managed, it can bear tremendous fruit. When it is restrained by humility, ambition can be a powerful motivator and also a Kingdom Builder. But when it is hijacked by self and ego, it can leave a wide wake of destruction in its path.
I have wrestled with this issue for most of my life. If you have leadership gifts, you know what it is to be captivated and held captive by vision. You know what it is to have dreams of what is possible and what “possible” could truthfully be. You know what it is to pray, to want to do something significant with your life.
Here’s where it gets too sticky. Is whether of not this drive and desire and this motivation about me or about God? If we’re honest, we would have to admit our hearts are entangled with true God-directed motives and self-directed motives.
Sorting them out is complex. A debate, discussion, of motives and ambition takes us to an inner place hidden from everyone except God. Part of what makes ambition so dangerous is that it resides in the deep, unseen, world of our souls.
God hot wired into every one of us a creative tension. On the one hand, we have what the ancients referred to as a “fire in the belly.” This is our inner source of vision, our longing to make a difference, our will to achieve. In recent years in the ministry world we have been pouring not enough gasoline on these fires.
At the same time, God also has hardwired into us the need for quiet, solitude, rest, and reflection (a healthy soul). This is one reason God established the Sabbath: to teach us there is covenanted a healthy rhythm of life. I like to refer to this part of us as a “spiritual recliner.” It’s a place of rest and peace. It’s more about being a soul intentionally refreshing itself than grasping, catching, wind.
God covenanted this when He took a Sabbath day (Genesis 2:3). You and I need both a fire in the belly and a spiritual recliner to be healthy. In fact, you must have both. The problem is that these two realities create strain in our lives.
2 And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.
Think of it like this.
Imagine that the fire in your belly (ambition) is as raw unharnessed electricity.
It’s alive, energetic, powerful, exciting and full of potential, but it can also be dangerous and potentially fatal. Then think of a healthy soul as a transformer.
A transformer serves to regulate, channel, and direct, and control electricity.
A transformer takes what’s potentially harmful and deadly and turns it into something safe useful and helpful when handled with the respect it deserves.
It seems to me we are reaping the results of a generation in the church where it has been all about raw and unchanneled electricity. We need to be just as serious about building and installing transformers, as about generating raw electricity.
My first pastorate was in a suburban church in Baltimore. We were a small hospice, legacy church of less than ten in a bustling town that had been the steadily growing and developing in size and prestige for a generation or more.
I came out of my home church with lots of ambition and drive. Why couldn’t we be a church that could grow again by ministering to the many nearby colleges?
But all my ambition and hard work didn’t translate into any growth. I fully remember going to denominational meetings or occasionally running into a few clergy more experienced friends. I dreaded those conversations because I knew the drill. Sooner or later (usually sooner) we would get to the “How are things going at your church?” question. I would try to change the subject as soon as possible. I always walked away feeling inadequate and discouraged.
God’s Kingdom is supposed to be about growth, with God all we have to do is pray for growth and believe in that growth and all the possibilities of growth.
The emotion and the pressure were mostly self-imposed. The emotions I felt had to do with my own ambition. In my mind the only successful pastor was the pastor of a kingdom building-kingdom growing church. My own obsession with size and church growth had set up unmatched strongholds of sheer frustration.
Now, let me reveal the other side of my struggle with ambition. Fast forward a few years to a time when I was a member of a new church plant that was planted in a rural area community. All indicators were up and to the right. By everyone’s measuring stick, we were working, praying hard, were moving toward success.
Unlike before, I found myself anxious to talk to other friends and neighbors. I could not wait to get to the “How are things going at your church?” question.
I’m ashamed to admit this, but I would find myself in a conversation looking for any way to turn, manipulate the dialogue so that I could talk about our church.
This was a whole different set of emotions than what I experienced in my small, hospice church in Baltimore, but, truly, it was nonetheless related to ambition.
Ultimately, God’s purpose for that hospice church far exceeded all my ambition.
Thanks be to God for His good and wondrous, wonderful gifts from His throne!
God’s vision of Kingdom building, Kingdom growth was far and away greater and more ambitious than my own – we deeded the property to a Korean Church which now ministers and serves the needs of their growing Asian Community.
As Scripture says “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.” Proverbs 27:21
21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].
Success with and without accolades can be just as challenging a test as failure.
I’m not quite sure when, but somewhere along the way, the measuring stick for what it means to be an effective pastor got switched. The target was no longer personal faithfulness, it became external fruitfulness. My concern is that the measuring stick of size alone can fuel a kind of ambition that is destructive.
If there is one thing I’ve learned in recent years, it’s this: numerical growth alone is no useful indicator of God’s grace and favor or from godly leadership.
In the introduction to Purpose-Driven Church, Rick Warren talks about catching spiritual waves. It is God who creates waves and movements of his Spirit. We don’t get to decide when the wave comes, where it comes, or how big it will be.
But it’s our privilege to ride a great wave and participate in what God is doing.
My fear is that Christian leaders will no longer quietly, boldly stand on the shore looking for and pray for, a wave of God’s Spirit. When ambition does not have a healthy soul attached to it, we can start trying to create waves ourselves.
Humble Ambitions, Humble Patterns, Humble Service
Philippians 2:1-4 Amplified Bible
Be Like Christ
2 Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same [a]love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ]. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Philippians is one of the warmest and friendliest of Paul’s letters in the Bible.
The church in Philippi seems to have been quite healthy, source of joy for Paul.
But it was not perfect. No church is.
As we read along in Philippians, we see hints and whispers that Paul knows a few unhappy and unhealthy things about people in this congregation. There are some cracks in their unity, some struggles with “whose right” ambition, pride.
In Philippians 2, Paul begins to address this. And he lays it on pretty thick.
“If you are even remotely Christian,” Paul says, in effect, “then make me even more joyful by being about “of one mind – Jesus’ and embracing his humility.”
Many theologians teach that ambitious humility is the core Christian virtue, the characteristic that makes us most like Jesus.
Ambitious Humility helps us realize that even though we all have gifts and talents to do many things, that does not make us any better than anyone else.
Instead, we try to see life as a level playing field on which each person does her or his part. At the end of the day, pay more attention to others than to ourselves.
Let someone else compliment us for our work while we are too busy focusing on building up others. We all need each other. Each of us needs to be thankful for the next person. This is, as Paul explains next (in verses 5-8), the true pattern of life established by a humbly ambitious Jesus—so this is the pattern to follow.
5 Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], 6 who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; 7 but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. 8 After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Are we, as committed, covenanted Christians, more about Kingdom building for our building our self esteem through our own accolades or giving God the glory?
Pray, take a few moments to reflect on this serious issue of ambition. Are there any “signs” of unhealthy ambition. Ask God to purify your heart and motives!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 15 Amplified Bible
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent? Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, And speaks and holds truth in his heart. 3 He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 In his eyes an evil person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit]; 5 He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite], And does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 Someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbitrator over [the two of] you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed; for not even when one has an overflowing abundance does his life consist of nor is it derived from his possessions.”
Parable of the Wealthy Fool
16 Then He told them a parable, saying, “There was a rich man whose land was very fertile and productive. 17 And he began thinking to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place [large enough in which] to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my storehouses and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things stored up, [enough] for many years; rest and relax, eat, drink and be merry (celebrate continually).”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; now who will own all the things you have prepared?’ 21 So it is for the one who continues to store up and hoard possessions for himself, and is not rich [in his relationship] toward God.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Planning the Future Without God
The rich man had it all figured out. He would make one more major investment by building a bigger barn, after that he was going glory in self, to take life easy.
This prosperous farmer had worked hard all his life, he had sacrificed a lot of things to get where he was, and he now felt entitled to enjoy a life of leisure.
Of course! That is okay. We need to give ourselves some good rest, when you have worked hard all of your life, you should be allowed to reap the benefits.
But suddenly God stepped into the man’s life and called him a fool.
Not because the rich man had planned for the future, but because he had stored up things for covetousness, glorifying himself, without being rich toward God.
The man had lived his life with a false sense of security, and in the process he had missed the purpose of his life.
God does not begrudge us riches or retirement.
God is the one who gives us all the good things we have (see James 1:17-18). But God gives us these things for a purpose: to put himself at the center of our lives.
We need to ask ourselves, “Am I living up to the purpose God has in mind for me? And am I rich toward God?” In Matthew 6:33 Jesus urges us to seek out the kingdom of God and his righteousness. When we do that, we will be rich toward God and we will be excessively involved in the purposes for which God made us.
How to Live with Eternity in Mind …
Ecclesiastes 3:11 Amplified Bible
God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man
11 He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.
Luke 12:13-21 The Message
The Story of the Greedy Farmer
13 Someone out of the crowd said, “Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance.”
14 He replied, “Mister, what makes you think it’s any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?”
15 Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”
16-19 Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’
20 “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’
21 “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”
Suppose, if Jesus told it to us today, this parable might go something like this…
Recently there was a certain businessman, a real wheeler dealer. Everything he set his mind to do, he accomplished with great success. If he purchased stock, he bought low and within a short time, sold high. If he built a high-rise, there’d be a huge boom in new businesses needing office space. If he dug an oil well, there would be a revolution somewhere in the Middle East and the price of oil would skyrocket. In fact, the man was so wealthy, he made Elon Musk look like the very lowest of paupers.
In the midst of his success, he had an epiphany. “I’ve worked hard and become the richest guy in the world. Why am still I killing myself? OMG I can buy anything, go anywhere and do anything I want. Nothing and no one no where can ever stop me. What the hey – I’m going to live it up because I can now afford to! And he went to bed laughing and dreaming about the good life he was going to enjoy from then on.
And later that night, with no evidence of severe issues, he died in his sleep. The End.
Jesus was telling his disciples a viable parable that actually sounds a lot like the stereotypical American dream (add in the gorgeous spouse, 2.3 kids, family dog, weekends playing golf, owning the beach, and bam, you got it – the American dream). Well, except for the unexpected death part. Nobody ever dreams of that.
But Jesus knew it was also the Israelites’ dream.
All the Old Testament heroes and Bible greats were rich!
These included Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, King David, and of course, King Solomon – the richest man ever.
Wealthy individuals were very influential, powerful and cultural heroes of the Israelites. They loved overmuch rich guys and wanted to be like the rich guys.
As far as His listeners were concerned, this parable began about an honest farmer climbing the ladder of success right to the top, just like Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David and Solomon. He was a hero, a role model, a trend setter. yet God dared called him a fool, and not because he was rich, proud or even selfish.
The man was a fool because he lived his life as if this temporary existence was all about him. Jesus indicated that the man never considered or prepared for eternity. It’s not a lecture on being rich, but rather it’s a reminder to be ready!
In the same manner, however “rich” we really are, we could all still be fools.
without reason
senseless, foolish, stupid
without reflection or intelligence, acting rashly
Regardless of our economic class, our race our gender or our political opinions, theology, unless we get ready, we’ll be ill-prepared to meet the God of eternity.
Have an Eternal Perspective
As the saying goes – there are never going to be any U-hauls behind hearses.
We will all face eternity someday and leave behind all the material possessions we invested our life energy into.
The only things that go with us are our good works done for the Kingdom, and the spiritual fruit of our Christlike character. These are the kinds of acts, deeds of service we receive eternal rewards for (they aren’t the means to salvation).
That means we should all live our lives with an eternal perspective in all we do.
What does that [Ecclesiastes 3:11] eternal perspective look like on a daily basis?
Realize Life Is Short
Psalm 37:1-2 The Message
37 1-2 Don’t bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. In no time they’ll shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers in the sun.
James 4:13-15 The Message
Nothing but a Wisp of Fog
13-15 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
We humans are funny when it comes to our ages. Kids can’t wait to grow up.
They proudly count months in addition to years on their fingers.
Teenagers cannot wait to hit the big benchmarks that allow them greater freedoms: college, driving, working, living independently, voting, married.
Middle-age folks look to slowing it down and we begin to fudge on our ages, remaining 29 years old several years in a row, if not the rest of our lives hiding the telltale signs of aging with hair dye, young fashions and gym memberships.
Eventually, it becomes bad form to even ask how old someone is, so we avoid the subject in polite company. But eventually, a person may get to be so old we can ask again, becomes a cause of surprise, celebration they are still with us!
But no matter how many years we each experience here on this fallen earth, it’s simply a wisp of vapor compared to timeless eternity. In that light, as Jesus was saying, it’s foolish to place greater emphasis on our well-being today than our well-being in eternity. When we truly understand how short our days are, we will live our lives with a greater view to how our actions affect and influence others, and how it furthers or hinders God’s plan and purpose here on earth.
Prioritize What Matters Most
Remember Jesus called the guy a fool not because he was financially well off, but because God was not visible in the equation. The man was simply playing Monopoly with his life; he thought he was winning when he was actually losing.
So what does it mean to live our lives in such a way that we are “rich” toward God? One meaning would be to live in a way that pleases Him, by loving Him our neighbors, ourselves, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).
Another meaning would be that we live with purpose – following the will of God for your individual life. When we fully commit to doing God’s will in our lives, we move from playing Monopoly money to actively preparing for our eternity.
But being rich toward God also means prioritizing people.
If we truly want to be ready for eternity, we should do everything in our power to make other people the central focus of our lives. After all, people are the most important thing to God! People are the reason for both creation and the Cross.
If you love God, with all you are, you will love His people, from every nation, tribe and tongue (Revelation 7:9-10)! So if we are going to be rich toward God and be ready for eternity, our lives need to be not self but other people focused.
Love Openly, Reconcile Quickly, Forgive Freely
Tell people that you care, tell them how valuable they are, tell them you love and appreciate them. Tell them you miss them. Slow down and make time for them in your schedule. Playing Monopoly and acquiring stuff is not nearly as important as making sure people know how valuable they are, to you, to God.
Luke 14:7-9 The Message
Invite the Misfits
7-9 He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, “When someone invites you to dinner, don’t take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he’ll come and call out in front of everybody, ‘You’re in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.’ Embarrassed, you’ll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left.
John 21:15-23 Amplified Bible
The Love Motivation
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do—with total commitment and devotion]?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [a] love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 Again He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with total commitment and devotion]?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you [really] [b]love Me [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
Our Times Are in His Hand
18 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and walked wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and arms, and someone else will dress you, and carry you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now He said this to indicate the [c] kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And after saying this, He said to him, “Follow Me [walk the same path of life that I have walked]!”
20 Peter turned and saw the [d]disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His chest at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray You?” 21 So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, and what about this [e]man [what is in his future]?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you? You follow Me!” 23 So this word went out among the brothers that this disciple (John) was not going to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but only, “If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you?”
“Follow me [walk the very same path of life that I have walked!]” “Feed my Lambs, Shepherd my sheep, Feed my sheep!” Jesus quietly commissions Peter.
All who have met the living Lord are commanded, covenanted, to follow him.
In following Jesus, Peter ended up in Rome, where he died for his faith.
Tradition has it Peter was crucified like Jesus, except that Peter requested to be crucified upside down, to show that he was not worthy to die as Jesus had died.
Following Jesus brought Peter to a cross.
We often forget that following Jesus brings sacrifice. Jesus says to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
Matthew 16:24-26 The Message
24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Some Christians seem to think that when you are a Christian you are on easy street. But living the Christian life is not always easy. If you stand up for Jesus, you will be in conflict with the powers of this world. In many places around the world, many Christians suffer mightily and sometimes even die for their faith.
In our reading for today, Peter wonders what will happen to the apostle John (John 13:25), but Jesus tells Peter that he must focus instead on following Jesus.
Matthew 7:13-14 The Message
Being and Doing
13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.
We must always remember that we cannot ever follow both Jesus and the world.
And we must definitely not get sidetracked in wondering about the Lord’s plans for other believers. We each need to be true, be faithful in the calling he gives us.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
11 The Pharisees came out and began to argue [contentiously and debate] with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him [because of their unbelief]. 12 He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [a]no sign will be given to this generation!” 13 Leaving them, He again boarded the boat and left for the other side.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Prove Yourself Proving Yourself Right and Smarter
Who is this man?
Why does he believe he is better and smarter than me?
Why does he believe he has any authority over me?
Why does he believe he is closer to God, seeks after God, knows God, trusts God better and much more smarter than I do? Who does he believe he is, God’s Son?
Seeking hearts in Jesus’ day could see proof of his divinity with an honest and humble observation. Even some who weren’t seeking saw Jesus as God’s Son as well. However, those who “came… to argue with him” and who were “seeking after him, testing him” and demanding a “sign… to prove his authority” could not see.
One more miracle, another sign, and yet another display of power would never be enough for them to believe. So much of our faith is knotted to our own heart.
Are we seeking for truth? Are we seeking God? Are we seeking after God, not to believe, not to trust, but only test God to see how well we match up with God?
So we yearn only to prove, approve, affirm our own personal belief in our own self righteousness? Do we yearn for what is really life? These are some crucial questions for us as each we seek not only to know, but also to believe in, Jesus.
Helping Your Unbelief – Come Humbly, Seek Honestly
Generally, School teachers and college professors often experience two types of questioners: those who ask humbly with genuine interest and those who aim to challenge the teachers depth of education intelligence in an adversarial manner.
The former clearly seek to understand. The latter are more interested in their advancing their agendas, reinforcing their opinions, or simply looking smart.
Unlike the crowds of people who witnessed, marveled over Christ’s miracles, the Pharisees often challenged Jesus’ teaching and public ministry in order to test Him and to validate themselves, their authority and to undermine Him.
They weren’t there to see His wonderful works and consider whether He was actually the person He claimed to be. They were there to trip Him up, trap Him.
Jesus responded to the crowds that followed Him with compassion instead. He had displayed divine kindness for those who came to Him in humility of heart, honestly, sincerely recognizing their selfless versus all of their selfish needs.
He turned away no one who came genuinely seeking truth. But He met the antagonistic religious leaders with righteous frustration—divine impatience for those who came seeking only and exclusively, to prove their own position, demonstrate their own faulty self righteousness and to challenge His claims.
There are two ways to ask a question: humbly or arrogantly.
And the Teacher always knows the difference.
Some people who say they are religious still get nothing out of the Bible’s teaching. They listen to sermons Sunday after Sunday, looking for reasons not to rest wholly on Christ’s completed work. They ask questions aimed at holding the Lord at arm’s length, then wonder why they don’t find satisfactory answers.
That is not the way of the child of God. With humble meekness and an honest curiosity, we should seek to learn from our Teacher and, when our hearts are troubled, come to Him humbly, asking for help to be open to the answer and without demanding Jesus “give us a sign,” follow our agenda or expectations.
If you have a big brain, the Bible is able to satisfy your intellect. If you have a big head, you’ll find pride distorts our ability to see the clarity, truth of God’s word.
Christ is more than ready, willing and able to cater to intellectual integrity, but He is entirely unwilling to pander to arrogance.
We all have questions for Jesus about this world, about our life, about the way we should go. Jesus will never turn away those who come to Him, and He will welcome His brothers’ and sisters’ requests if they are in God’s plan, purpose.
But in addition to considering your questions, consider your heart. Ask your questions, but first pray, think through how you are asking: are you motivated by humble honest faith seeking understanding or by pride seeking to be right?
Those who have ears, let them humbly, honestly, meekly, sincerely, hear!
Those who have eyes, let them humbly, honestly, meekly, sincerely, see!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Father, I believe, but I want to believe more strongly and more completely. I don’t want my faith to be narrow or shallow — just a mere emotional cloud that is here today and gone tomorrow. Guide my heart and my mind as I seek to know truth, your truth, about who you are and what you want of me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Psalm 15 Amplified Bible
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent? Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, And speaks and holds truth in his heart. 3 He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 In his eyes an evil person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit]; 5 He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite], And does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near. 7 Let the wicked leave (behind) his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion (mercy) on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, Making it bear and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 12 “For you will go out [from exile] with joy And be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow, And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow; And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Our Thoughts and God’s Thoughts
Some years ago, pastor at a church in New Orleans Louisiana I visited on a volunteer in mission trip once told this story to the children in his church.
He showed the group of children a pumpkin and an acorn, and he said he could never figure out why God had created such a small seed for a large tree and why he had created such a large gourd for such a small plant, asked for their ideas.
Nearly all of the children just shrugged their shoulders, others just sat there.
The Pastor continued, saying it seemed that in a creation that was proportional an oak tree should have a large seed, about the size of a pumpkin, and a small plant like a pumpkin vine should have a small seed, about the size of an acorn.
But then he went on to explain that one day while he was walking through the woods, an bunch of acorns fell from a tree and they hit him on the head–and suddenly he realized that God, not him, must know exactly what he is doing.
Often in life we see and experience things that don’t seem to make sense to us, and just as often we are called to trust that God knows more about what he is doing, what he is going to do at any given time he chose, than the Pastor did.
God reminds us of this when he says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Even in the confusion of life, we can be assured that when things do not make sense to us, God knows what he is doing and we can trust him to care for us.
Why Are You and I Second-Guessing God at All?
Have we ever second-guessed God, by wondering if He really knew what He was doing, if He really knew what He was talking about, He is communicating to us?
I remember when I applied for what seemed like the perfect job. At the perfect time. With a perfect salary. But when I didn’t get the job, I thought, believed was so perfect in every way, I became discouraged and began to question God.
I prayed, “Why not, God? This was so perfect for me. I prayed about it.
And I shouted to heaven, “I trusted You. Why did you not bless me with this?”
Yet God apparently knew what He was doing. Even though I didn’t. And now when I look back at what I thought was the perfect job at the perfect time, I can see that it wasn’t perfect for him, in His time after all, and it wasn’t the perfect time either. God knew what was coming…and He had something better in mind.
In Isaiah 55, verses 6-9, God told His people to seek Him, set aside their wicked ways and He would surely have mercy and compassion, that His thoughts were not like their thoughts, and neither were their ways like His. Seek God Out!
That’s because He knows all things and we don’t. But that passage also says His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, meaning better, more encompassing with far greater eternal purposes, while we tend to look at just the temporary.
In the next two verses, 10 and 11;
God told His people as sure as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it produce and sprout, and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will His word will be which goes out of His mouth; it will not return to Him empty, without accomplishing what exactly He alone desires, and without succeeding in the very exact and exacting purpose for which He alone sent it.
That passage assures us that God not only knows what’s best for us, but He has His eternal purposes at work in what He allows, as well as what He prevents.
How often do you and I ask God,
“Why now, in this moment of moments? Couldn’t have come at a worse time!”
How often do we wonder, Why this? We were faithful and we were hoping for the best! How many times do we say, “Why me? As if I haven’t been through enough already!” We even sometimes offer God our “rational list” of the reasons why we believe His timing was way off and His choice were not in our best interest.
And yet, God continues to know what He is doing. We cannot just second-guess Him. Sometimes He’s protecting us from something we can’t yet—or might not ever—see. Other times He is preparing for something even better for us that we have yet to discover. And I believe at all times, as long as we stay surrendered to Him, He is shaping our character and refining us through our circumstances.
Intersecting Life & Faith:
God has His own exclusive reasons, far above our own, because He is God and thanks be to God, we are not nor have to be. We are asked to simply trust that…
There is an occasion for everything and a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 11) that means He didn’t get the timing wrong in the slightest.
“His work is perfect; all his ways are just” (Deuteronomy 32:4), and He is a God who never makes mistakes.
He is a God who “does not slumber or sleep” (Psalm 121:3-4), meaning nothing takes Him by surprise.
Can you and I implicitly trust God today instead of second-guessing Him?
Can you and I live with the assurance that He loves us beyond comprehension and that nothing takes Him by surprise and He won’t let anything touch you that hasn’t already first passed through His loving hands? Can we make that your goal today and everyday, in every last circumstance that comes our way?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
God of all creation, we acknowledge that our thoughts are not your thoughts and our ways are not your ways. Help us to trust in you and your ways. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.Lord, please help us to trust You with our disappointments and missed opportunities, and even when it seems like our world is turning all upside down. You are in control and, because You are loving and good, You wouldn’t have things any other way. In Your great, greater and greatest time and season. I pray only in Jesus’ name Amen
Psalm 121 The Message
121 1-2 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3-4 He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5-6 God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you— Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
7-8 God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
31 So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. [a]What do You mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in a household forever; the son [of the master] does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no place [to grow] in you [and it makes no change in your heart]. 38 I tell the things that I have seen at My Father’s side [in His very presence]; so you also do the things that you heard from your father.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The Bible – Our Free Pathway to God’s Personal Truth
The Truth Will Make You Free
31 So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”
Sometimes the Bible is described as a telescope.
A telescope is not something to look at but an instrument to look through.
When we do, we are free to see that what we see and believe is far away or hard to see is actually closer than we thought, when focused it becomes clearer to us.
When we look at life and history through the narrowed lens of the Bible, what once seemed distant and hard to understand will inevitably come into focus.
Through the Words of Scripture we are brought close to God and His truth.
Through the Words of Scripture we are brought near to events that happened thousands of years ago. We zoom in, for example, on the life and ministry of our Savior Jesus Christ, who became human and came to live among us (John 1:14).
Jesus wanted the people of his day to believe in him as the One who reveals the truth about God, what God is doing in this world, His freedom, through Christ.
But instead they wanted to hang on to old legalisms that enslaved them to a broken system, refusing to admit that they were slaves to sin, could not keep the law perfectly. Jesus urged them to accept him as the eternal truth and life who could bring them out of this slavery, give them new life forever with God.
Are we any different? As we daily encounter the Word of God, we must accept and meet God on his terms, not ours. By relying on the Spirit’s help, God speaks to us and breathes into us his life and truth. And that truth sets us free-free to serve him in our all daily work, play, relationships, and every other facet of life.
A Prayer of Gratefulness for our Nation’s Freedom
Galatians 5:1The Message
The Life of Freedom
5 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
Even though some American citizens may not feel too much gratitude for our nation in its present condition, we should want to view it with thankful hearts, treasuring how God worked in 1776, divinely established this nation in freedom.
As 2 Corinthians 3:17 explains, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Regardless of how some feel about our nation’s present state, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 urges us to “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Especially as Christians to recognize that God is the author of freedom.
As John 8:36 explains, Jesus is the One that sets us free. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Cultivating Ongoing Gratefulness for Our Nation’s Freedom
Long-lasting freedom requires citizens to practice ongoing gratitude.
Without continual appreciation and recognition of the efforts that fostered and shed blood, sacrificed for freedom, a nation starts to lose widespread support for it, leading to coming generations being uninformed and misconstruing events that led to the establishment of a free nation. Proverbs 11:14 explains, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
Silence Equals Consent: The Sin of Omission author William J. Federerwrites how on March 30, 1961, America’s future 40th President, Ronald Reagan, spoke to the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce on the importance of passing on gratitude for the history, lessons, and sacrifices of freedom to our future generations:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it, and then hand it to them with the well-taught lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don’t do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”
For America’s freedom to endure, it’s vital for us to pass on genuine, heartfelt gratitude for it by first giving glory, thanking God and, secondly, by recognizing exactly what it takes to maintain it. As Proverbs 15:22 explains, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.”
Passing Gratefulness for Our Freedom On to the Next Generation
Proverbs 13:22 urges parents to leave an inheritance to their children.
Teaching our children and their children to be thankful for America’s costly freedom is vital and a priceless gift.
Taking the time to pass on gratitude for it to our families is well worth our time.
A key to parents passing on gratitude for America to future generations is by example, expressing it ourselves, and researching, studying, and knowing and then sharing and celebrating its rich history – both its victories and its defeats.
Providence Forum Executive Director Dr. Jerry Newcombe encourages parents to “Learn the true history ourselves and teach it to our children. “
There are plenty of sound resources out there trying to get Americans to learn about what made our nation so special.” One such resource is the Providence Forum “Foundation of American Liberty” film series, written and produced by Newcombe. This series explores the foundation of American liberty, which is our Judeo-Christian heritage.
A Prayer to Prepare Our Hearts to Celebrate God and Our 248th Nation’s 4th of July Birthday.
John 8:36 Amplified Bible
36 So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free.
America’s 4th of July holiday is all about celebrating freedom. Although many citizens may be viewing it as a reason for an extended holiday, family gatherings, and setting off fireworks, there is much more behind this national holiday. Many Americans may not realize where the desire for freedom, the kind that stirs the hearts of men and women, originates. 2 Corinthians 3:17 explains its source, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Many believe God’s way is to restrain people, but His way is freedom; as John 8:32 explains, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Humankind’s longing for freedom comes from God, who provides the way for us to be free. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Freedom Came to America
Sadly, some Americans have no idea how America came to be the free nation it is today. They haven’t heard or learned how God divinely led Christians from across the ocean who longed to openly serve Him to leave everything behind and risk their lives to set sail for a world where they could freely worship God.
In The Pilgrim Chronicles, historian Rod Gragg traces the Pilgrims’ beginnings in 1606 England as Christian separatists who had faced severe persecution by the Church of England. But fleeing to Holland in 1609 brought them face-to-face with worldly Dutch ways, causing them to look beyond the Netherlands for the religious freedom they longed to find.
Journeying to the New World offered them the opportunity to find the freedom to worship their Savior Jesus in peace. Because they did, the Pilgrims laid the biblical foundation and influence, leading our Founding Fathers to base our Declaration of Independence on godly principles. These truths are exactly why we each have been given the right to worship God freely and without reserve.
Freedom Brings Unity
But as the New World grew, England’s King George ruled with a heavy hand, oppressing the citizens and cultivating a widespread desire for them to be free from his control. His oppression led to the Revolutionary War that led to the Declaration of Independence and the creation of the United States of America.
Behind this movement was the Church, consisting of Congregationalists, Anglicans, Catholics, Deists, Quakers, Dutch Reformed, Baptists, Lutherans, Puritans, and Presbyterians who came together to pray, overlooking their own denominational differences to unite 13 colonies together for a common goal.
Dennis Prager, an American conservative radio talk-show host and writer, explains, “Ultimately, they wanted people to be free to practice their religion and relate to God in their own way. They all knew God is the source of liberty.”
Freedom’s Ultimate Sacrifice
As Christians, we know freedom comes through Jesus’ sacrifice.
As 1 John 2:2 explains, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Likewise, sacrifice led the way for our nation’s freedom, too. Retired Judge Darrell White describes, “In a nutshell, our founders sacrificed their prosperity for their posterity, us. They pledged to give their entire lives, their fortunes, their reputations and their sacred honor to secure our blessings of liberty.”
Because Jesus loved us, freely laid down His life, we have been set free from sin.
John 3:16-17 Amplified Bible
16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.
This foundational freedom, this foundational truth, strengthened and led the way for men and women before us to sacrifice of themselves, lay down their lives so that we might live in a nation founded on liberty for all. As Dr. Jerry Newcombe, Executive Director of Providence Forum, explains, “We are free in large part because many others sacrificed on our behalf that we might be free.”
Thank You, God! Happy 248th Birthday – The United States of America!
In the name of God, the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 22:27-28 Amplified Bible
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You, 28 For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s And He rules over the nations.
Dear Father, King of Eternity, thank You for the freedom You give to us through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Help us, as United States citizens, publicly and privately give thanks to You for the freedom we have as a nation. Lead Americans across our nation to be grateful for what You have given us and to recognize that true freedom is a gift from You. Let our hearts overflow with thankfulness to You for the true freedom our nation offers us because its foundation is based on the freedom we receive from You. Lead us in teaching our children, and our children’s children, to have hearts full of gratitude to You for providing the way to freedom through Jesus. Inspire future generations to treasure freedom and treasure You and to see that it comes from You and You alone.
Today and every day, we are freely able to celebrate the freedom You give us and how it laid the foundation for our nation to be free. Thank You for the freedom You give to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Because of You, true freedom is possible and stirs the hearts of Americans and people around the world. Let Your name be glorified in our celebrations. Help us celebrate in ways that bring You praise and honor. Remind Americans how You divinely led Christians to set sail and settle this land for Your glory. Show us, too, O Lord, how to be grateful and respectful to the men and women who came before us, sacrificing their lives and futures, braving and suffering hardship, to establish this land for Your glory so future generations could live free. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
8 But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the [a]wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The lonely—widows, orphans, prisoners, homeless
Psalm 68:5-6 Amplified Bible
5 A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land.
The lonely—widows, orphans, prisoners, the homeless—the sinner without Christ as their Savior, what can be done to ease their sense that no one cares?
Ultimately, God in his love is our dwelling place. As “a father to the fatherless,” he adopts us as his children. He defends the widow, cares for the orphans, sets the lonely in families, frees the prisoners, and puts a new song in their mouths.
When God led Israel through the desert wasteland of the Sinai Peninsula after freeing them from Egypt, he scattered their enemies and refreshed his weary people with manna from heaven and quail. And in his law he made special provisions for widows and orphans, for foreigners, visitors, all who were poor.
To be a part of the people of God, the church of Christ, heirs of the promise, recipients of salvation—this is a great, great blessing. There are people who think and believe of Christ’s church as boring, divided and a waste of time.
They go to worship once or twice and soon give up – they are not refreshed.
But they miss the fellowship that they could enjoy—the fellowship of all who share in God’s deep love and grace, made possible through Christ’s sufferings for all who believe. God’s caring people have a heart for those who are suffering.
Are we following God’s example, caring with His compassion for others today?
“Exactly, what in the hell has God ever done for me?”
“Exactly, what in the hell has God ever done for me?”
That question was the response I heard from the homeless veteran sitting in my office, who curtly delivered it as I offered him a place to recover from alcohol. I tried to strike up a conversation about our veterans programs, spiritual things.
“Let me tell you this,” the man went on. Getting emotional, the man said to me, “I laid on a battlefield in Vietnam, bleeding. If anything could atone for my sins, it was my own blood as I lay there in a country I did not care enough it existed, nearly dying in a jungle swamp for a country that obviously didn’t care for me!”
It was hard to decide which was more shocking: The pain this fellow carried for some many decades, or his apparent indifference to God. We ended up having a fairly cordial conversation, he seemed genuinely touched as I thanked him for serving as he did. I asked him to grasp God has proven His love; The Father demonstrated His love by sending the Son, Jesus, to set us free (Romans 5:8).
I do not know if he believed me or ever got around to believing in God as he left the program after only a month, long enough to get another temporary job. I heard several years later that he had been shot, killed on the streets in robbery.
Homelessness, loneliness, abandonment, betrayal are hardened prisons for the souls to survive – they are hardcore, ruthless, merciless environments to live in.
There’s no sense of safety, or freedom, no sense of confidence or independence, no reason for anyone to have any measure of faith in anyone but your own self, limited to no reason to believe in God in a place where you know that if God was about being God, loving and having compassion on everyone, why am I a wreck?
Why is everything and everyone and everywhere around me a prison, a wreck, an uncaring, dispassionate, soulless, mocking, scornful mass of humanity, is there any reason for anyone to believe in God and the freedoms He promises?
As Independence Day approaches and we thank God for the hard-won freedoms this country enjoys, because so many were willing to give their everything, up to their very lives, to lay the foundation of a radical dream, of founding a nation under the providence, protection and care of God, with liberty, justice for all.
A Declaration of Independence, a one of a kind Constitution To set a standard of true liberty and independence and freedom for everyone for the last 248 years.
It is also important to point out the freedoms we have through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ’s life giving sacrifice, on the Cross gives each of us these five liberties:
1. Freedom from the guilt that all inherit.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “In Adam all die.” Physical death — and the risk of spiritual death — are universal realities because of the sin we inherit from Adam and Eve. In Christ, we are forgiven, not condemned, promised a home in heaven, and set free from guilt. (Romans 8:1 – 4)
Escape from Bondage
8 Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do [that is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh [man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son], 4 so that the [righteous and just] requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not live our lives in the ways of the flesh [guided by worldliness and our sinful nature], but [live our lives] in the ways of the Spirit [guided by His power].
2. Freedom from sinful deeds we personally commit.
We have all known the right things but done the wrong things. Sinful actions not only put a big wedge between us and God, but they also result in numerous negative repercussions. Confessing Christ as Savior, He forgives our sins, and the indwelling Holy Spirit can give us the strength to overcome temptations.
Romans 7:14-20 Amplified Bible
The Conflict of Two Natures
14 We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am a creature of the flesh [worldly, self-reliant—carnal and unspiritual], sold into slavery to sin [and serving under its control]. 15 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. 16 Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). 17 So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. 19 For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me.
3. Freedom within ourselves over personal struggles.
If we are willing, God’s Spirit can even help us overcome sinful habits that may have held us in bondage for years. Whether the issue is gnawing remorse over past bad decisions, feelings of worthlessness, emotional pain from abuse, or just fear about tomorrow — Jesus gives us peace within. The Gospel is our way to an abundant peace with God and is also the key to peace with ourselves.
4. Freedom from judgment that is ultimately coming.
Jesus is in the process of restoring a broken world. “Eschatology” is an 85-cent word that refers to what the Bible says about “last things.” One day, the entire world and universe will be made brand-new (Revelation 21:5). Just as there is a global, universal eschatology — Jesus gives us a joyous personal eschatology. This fallen world is under judgment, but Jesus has made the believer exempt.
5. Freedom to face eternity—our soul’s final destiny.
“It is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27
We may not want to or like to think about our own pending mortality, but it is unavoidable. There is a date that we will leave this world, and God knows when that date is. It is very freeing, liberating to know that we are ready to face God!
Several years ago, I was asked to visit the neighbor of a friend who had been arrested and put in jail. As a minister of the Gospel, requests like this come along more than you might imagine.
It is an honor to do such things, and when people find themselves in the deepest of valleys, with prison bars between them and their independence, they are very often quite open to allowing Jesus Christ to become Lord, Savior of their lives.
The facility was very bleak, with rough gray concrete everywhere and seemingly endless hallways of bars and flaking paint. Not surprisingly, an air of gloom and hopelessness permeated the place, and reflected on the faces of all the inmates.
The particular jail where I visited the inmate in question had a very small, dark courtyard in the middle of the building. There were a few concrete squares in an otherwise dirty, rain soaked and muddy courtyard.
Suddenly, I noticed a small flower growing up against the concrete wall in one corner. It was the only bit of vegetation in this otherwise dank, lifeless place.
Invisibly, some minimal breeze had carried a seed over the roof and into this small open area within the prison facility. The bleakness of the surroundings made that one little flower all the more vivid to those who cared to notice.
When you think of the prison bars, bondage, sufferings, and entanglements that permeate this world, the freedoms that we have through Savior Christ appear all the more precious. Jesus is the flower of beauty in a muddy place.
Luke 4:16-21 Amplified Bible
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”
20 Then He rolled up the scroll [having stopped in the middle of the verse], gave it back to the attendant and sat down [to teach]; and the eyes of all those in the synagogue were [attentively] fixed on Him. 21 He began speaking to them: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and in your presence.”
Jesus absolves the guilty, the homeless sinners, who are imprisoned by sin. The heart and soul cries out in silence, longs for freedom — and finds it in Christ.
Acts 4:8-12 Amplified Bible
8 Then Peter, filled with [the power of] the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people [members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court], 9 if we are being put on trial today [to interrogate us] for a good deed done to [benefit] a disabled man, as to how this man has been restored to health, 10 let it be known and clearly understood by all of you, and by all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you [demanded be] crucified [by the Romans and], whom God raised from the dead—in this name [that is, by the authority and power of Jesus] this man stands here before you in good health. 11 This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the [a]chief Cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
For there is salvation in no one else, no other name under heaven … Acts 4:12
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26). May I reach out with your love to people who are lonely. In Jesus, Amen.
Psalm 42 Amplified Bible
Book Two
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks, So my [a]soul pants [longingly] for You, O God. 2 My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see the face of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I [vividly] remember as I pour out my soul; How I used to go along before the great crowd of people and lead them in procession to the house of God [like a choirmaster before his singers, timing the steps to the music and the chant of the song], With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a great crowd keeping a festival.
5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is in despair within me [the burden more than I can bear]; Therefore I will [fervently] remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of [Mount] Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the [thundering] sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song will be with me, A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a crushing of my bones [with a sword], my adversaries taunt me, While they say continually to me, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? Why have you become restless and disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, The [b]help of my countenance and my God.
15 And Moses built an altar and named it, “The Lord Is My Banner.”[a]16 He said, “Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward[b] the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In the book of Exodus, we read the story of how God’s people had endured years of bondage under the Egyptians.
They were enslaved, oppressed, abused, mistreated people.
They needed rescue, they needed a way of escape, needed freedom. God saw their need, didn’t miss a thing, in his perfect timing, he acted on their behalf.
The people of Israel spent 40 years in the desert. 40 years of wandering. 40 years of journeying towards the Promised Land that God had given them.
That’s a very long time.
The days must have been intense, hot, dry, I’m sure they got weary.
But God met them where they were, he made sure they had what they needed.
They learned through every hard, grueling step, how much they relied on Him.
It is not so much faith that is important, but the One in Whom you place your trust. Some people trusted in chariots and some in world leaders.
Some trust in themselves, their finances, their family ties, or their talents.
Some trust in their physical strength, in their intelligence education, their personality, their artistic abilities, or performing lots of good works.. but what is most important is trusting Jehovah-Nissi, (the Lord our banner) for He has promised to fight for us, when our enemies come at us like a raging angry flood.
What is necessary for life and living, for death and dying, is our hope in God.
The strength that is needed for today and the blessed hope we have in the world to come, is a heart that trusts in Jesus Christ, and wholly relies on His sufficient grace and mighty strength to get them through all of their weakest moments.
Every person we know and each security in which we place our trust, will one day let us down – including reliance on our own strength and abilities.
What is needed is a willingness to admit our fullest need and have a dependent trust on God to timely supply all we will need according to His riches in glory.
In Exodus, the Lord revealed Himself to Israel as Jehovah-Nissi, (the Lord our banner). The people of God had just escaped from Egypt. They were no fighting army. They had no experience of defeating a fierce enemy.
But they had been brought out of slavery by God, Who provided food for their bodies and led them in the wilderness by pillars of fire and smoke.
The menacing army they faced carried a victorious standard at the head of their battalions of fierce, well trained fighting men, which was meant to intimidate their opponents, instill fear in their ranks, fear and second thoughts in leaders.
It was as they journeyed through the wilderness that the Amalekites came up and fought against Israel at Rephidim, and Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek, and tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”
Trust in God to deliver you, was Moses’ crystal clear instruction.
While Moses held up the Staff of God, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed, Aaron and Hur held up the tired arms of Moses until the Amalek’s army was defeated.
On that day, God revealed Himself as Jehovah-Nissi, (the Lord our banner), “and Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner.”
As Israel’s armies fought Amalek on the field of conflict in the physical realm.. so Moses battled the adversary in a parallel sphere, through spiritual warfare.
As the Israelites fought their physical enemy with sword and spear, so Moses battled a spiritual enemy in the heavenly realm – through prayer and through intercession. Moses defied the satanic realm as he held up the Standard of God.
What faith was demonstrated by Moses, Aaron, Hur, Joshua, and the entire army of God. They trusted Him to fight for them, and He did not disappoint.
As Israel raised weapons of war against their bitter foe, so Moses lifted high the Rod of the LORD against the principalities and powers in heavenly places.
The earthly foe could only be overcome in the spiritual realm. Victory or defeat of Joshua’s army would be determined by the effective prayer of Israel’s faithful watchman.. for the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much – the effective prayer of a REDEEMED man.
Just as soldiers raise their battle standards high, proclaiming allegiance to king and country, so Moses lifted up his Banner to the Lord.
Moses raised up the Rod of God to proclaim Whose they were, Who was their true Champion, and in Whom they trusted.
The Lord God was their Defense and Defender, and so they fought under the authority, direction, and power of God, Who from that day on, became to Israel, “Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner.”
The arms of Moses grew weary and the legs of this prayer-warrior weakened as he travailed in intercession for those in his care.
Spiritual warfare is intense, and the arm of flesh fails when we face the enemy’s onslaught in our own strength.
But Aaron and Hur joined forces with Moses as together they raised high the standard of God, and the outnumbered armies of Israel continued to battle the Amalekites with swords and spears.
The long fatigued arms of an 80+ year old Moses were held aloft until sunset, against spiritual wickedness in high places, for only as he interceded for Israel was Joshua’s victory secure.
It was as Moses prayed for the people of Israel that the enemy was overcome.
Although he grew weary and rested his exhausted body on a stone, Moses kept the Rod of the Lord high, lifted up in prayer, so that we finally read, “Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”
We too fight under the same standard, for Christ is our Banner.
Jesus is our Jehovah-Nissi. His is the Standard under which we stand and the Commander Whom we obey.
We too lift high the name of Jesus, for He is our Rod and our Staff.
We too rest our weary soul in Him, for His is the Rock of our salvation, and He is our Strong Tower to Whom we flee for safety.
The Lord is our Banner – the Lord is MY Banner.
Like the armies of Israel under the leadership of Joshua, we are not to rely on our own strength, for Christ’s strength is sufficient for all the difficulties and dangers we may face.
He is the One upon Whom we are to cast our heavy burdens and rest our weary souls for Jesus won every spiritual battle we will face, when He proclaimed from the Cross, “It is finished.”
5 Things We Can Learn from the Israelites’ Wandering Years in the Desert:
1. The way to our promised land is not always easy, in fact, it rarely is. But it’s worth it.
God had promised his people a land that would be full of blessing. But the way there would stretch their faith and lead them through journeys where they’d have to depend on God like nothing before.
Maybe you feel like the blessing is too long in coming, maybe you feel like giving up. Be assured again today that God is faithful and he will use all things to strengthen our faith and bring goodness to his people.
Stay strong, keep pressing through.
2. God will make a way where there doesn’t seem to be a way.
As the Israelites got closer that sea must have looked bigger and deeper.
Their eyes focused on the problem.
They forgot about the bigness of their God. But God didn’t forget about them.
Even if the way He’s leading doesn’t seem to make much sense and His timing seems off, or the wait feels long, and wandering in desert places is the last thing we want to do, we can trust Him.
Always. He knows our way. He sees the big picture. He has good in store.
3. God will lead us day and night.
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to given them light…” Exodus 13:21
God never left his people alone in their journey. His presence was always there, a reminder to them that they hadn’t been left on their own in the wilderness.
God will not leave us to fend for ourselves, struggling to find our way.
He will lead us.
He promises to be faithful. We may not see him in a pillar of cloud or fire these days, but we have his Word, and the Holy Spirit to give guidance to our days.
4. God fights on behalf of his people
“Then the angel of God…withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them…” Exodus 14:19
He gives us victory and power even when it doesn’t make sense. After a battle against the fierce Amalekites, when God gave his people a great victory, the Bible says, “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord…” Exodus 17:15-16
We’re never left to wrestle through on our own in hard places. He doesn’t send us out to fight the enemy in our own strength. He just tells us to be still, to stand strong, and to know he’s fighting on our behalf.
5. God provides in miraculous ways
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you…” Exodus 16:4
They were hungry. God sent manna. They were thirsty. God sent water gushing from a rock. Every day a miracle was right before their eyes. They just had to pick up the manna, drink the water, accept the blessing.
And just like the people of Israel had to look to God to meet their needs, so it is with us.
They couldn’t store it up, they had to look for it daily. And God always provided.
Sometimes we miss the miracles of his provision, out of busyness or stress. We try to get things going too fast all on our own, spinning around, trying to get it all done. Or other times we might start to forget what matters most.
But even for those days, there’s His grace. He waits for us. His provision and blessing, they never run dry. Every day, his miracles lie right before our eyes. We just have to choose to look for them and stay extra close in his presence.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Hoy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
All glory, honor, praise and Thanks be unto You, Jehovah Nissi, for the spiritual lessons I can learn from faithful saints like Moses and Joshua, Aaron and Hur. May I recognize that in everything, Jesus is all I need, and that under Your banner I can face the future in full assurance and peace. I pray that my prayers and intercessions will be underpinned by Jesus, the Rock of my Salvation, the Hope of the whole earth and the Standard with Whom I am identified. With every passing day, I pray that I may trust in Him, stand against the enemy in prayer and intercession, and be upheld in truth, through Jesus Christ, my God and Savior, in Whose name I pray, AMEN.
Psalm 20 Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 20
Deliverance in Battle
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you in a day of trouble; may the name of Jacob’s God protect you. 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion. 3 May he remember all your offerings and accept your burnt offering. Selah
4 May he give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose. 5 Let us shout for joy at your victory and lift the banner in the name of our God. May the Lord fulfill all your requests.
6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories from his right hand. 7 Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm. 9 Lord, give victory to the king! May he[a] answer us on the day that we call.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
21 For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity]. 22 If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know which to choose [if I am given that choice]. 23 But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; 24 yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for your sake. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your rejoicing for me may overflow in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.
27 Only [be sure to] lead your lives in a manner [that will be] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I do come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one [a]mind striving side by side [as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel. 28 And in no way be alarmed or intimidated [in anything] by your opponents, for such [constancy and fearlessness on your part] is a [clear] sign [a proof and a seal] for them of [their impending] destruction, but [a clear sign] for you of deliverance and salvation, and that too, from God. 29 For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake, not only to believe and confidently trust in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 [and so you are] experiencing the same [kind of] conflict which [b]you saw me endure, and which you hear to be mine now.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In today’s verses Paul tells his readers that he found ultimate meaning not in the length of his life but in his life of connectional relationship with the Lord.
Paul, feet shackled, wrote this letter from a prison. He didn’t know what his future held, and yet he trusted the risen Christ to carry him through any trial.
For Paul, even while chained and imprisoned, to live in the Lord and serve him in whatever capacity God entrusted him with is wonderful. And to die in the Lord is blessed, for death itself could not rip him away from his Savior’s care.
As we all face up to the inevitable which is our own mortality, that of our loved ones, our hope is rooted inside the everlasting grip our Savior has upon his own.
God might grant us a longer or shorter life. But to be truly fulfilling, worthy, our life in the world, but not of the world, but the cross, must be focused in Christ.
Living for Christ in the present age can get extremely difficult at times.
Rather than living for Christ, it can be easy to do the alternative — to live for ourselves or our own wants and desires.
Paul tells us in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
It should be our heart and souls most sincere desire to follow Paul’s example, be able to echo these same words, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
In our greatly challenged stressed day to day lives, we need to continually pray, continually ask ourselves, are we truly living for Christ, or living for ourselves?
This is a difficult question for all of us to answer, yet there can only be growth if we are brutally honest with ourselves and then make the appropriate changes.
Breaking the Mold and Living for Christ goes against the teachings of the world.
The teachings of the world tell us to “live our best life” or to do all we can for our own ultimate pleasure and happiness.
Our wildly reckless abandon, our endless pursuit of pleasure and happiness will only end up leaving us physically and spiritually torn, worn out, and exhausted.
The things of the world may bring fleeting happiness, but this happiness will quickly fade away, and we will feel empty again. Only in the Cross of Christ are we given the lasting joy of knowing Him and having a relationship with Him.
The Bible tells us that the “god” of the world is Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Since Satan is the “god” of this world, the world’s teachings are not in any kind of correct alignment with the Bible.
The world teaches us that lying, being selfish, and immoral acts are all normal or that we should do anything that is allegedly “true” to ourselves. As one can see, these teachings do not come from the Bible. If we are going to truly live for Christ in this present day and age, we are going to have to have a radical change.
When we stop giving into the lies, start truly living for Christ, we are going to break the mold of the world. No longer wanting to live according to the world.
Rather, we will simply want to live for Christ, serve Him with our whole heart.
Living for Christ is no easy task, yet it is something that we must strive for each day. We cannot make a difference for Christ if we are living according to the standards of the world. As Christians, we are called to stand out from the world.
From within His Beatitudes, Jesus teaches each of us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
As Jesus tells us, we are to be the light of the world. We cannot be the light of the world if we are “hiding in some darkened corner, under old tiny baskets, living abundantly in the darkness of the world’s teachings, conforming to its rules.”
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1-2 Amplified Bible
Dedicated Service
12 [a]Therefore I urge you, [b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be [c]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
The Lord wants us to discipline ourselves, abstain from our conforming to the pattern of this world, to instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds by reading the Bible, meditating on its truths, teaching and applying its teachings to our daily lives.
If we choose to conform to the pattern of this world, we cannot properly live for Christ. Living according to the pattern of this world will only result in a broken relationship with God, sin, and shame. As believers, we have the permanent indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides, helps, and convicts us (John 14:26, 16:7-13).
He will help us walk in the right path if we listen to Him (Galatians 5:16-18).
Unfortunately, as we will inevitably do, when we turn two deaf ears to the Holy Spirit, our hearts can become cold and calloused to the point that we no longer feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is vital that we get disciplined, never let ourselves get to the point where we no longer feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
The Father and Jesus have given us the great gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit within our hearts, and He is there to help us live for God. In fact, the Holy Spirit is God because He is the third member of the Trinity. Therefore, when we are turning our deaf ears to the Holy Spirit, we’re turning a deaf ear to God Himself.
This is a very dangerous and high risk business and a road that is hard to return from. We cannot truly live out our all in all for our Savior Christ unless we are walking in the Spirit, allowing Him to shape and mold us to reflect Jesus better.
Surrendering Everything for Christ, Living for Christ, means that we have to be willing to make hardcore sacrifices, give up everything, however much value we assign to those, to follow Him, including all of our hopes, dreams, and desires.
Jesus tells us boldly, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33).
Luke 14:25-35 Amplified Bible
Discipleship Tested
25 Now large crowds were going along with Jesus; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not [a]hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God]—he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow after Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a watchtower [for his guards], does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to finish it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is unable to finish [the building], all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one who is coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else [if he feels he is not powerful enough], while the other [king] is still a far distance away, he sends an envoy and asks for terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [carefully consider the cost and then for My sake] [b]give up all his own possessions.
34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”
In other words, we have to be willing to give up everything in order to follow Jesus and serve Him.
Christ can never be “second best” in our life. He has to always come first.
Placing Jesus as our number one priority each day is crucial for living for Him.
Whenever we place anything above Christ in our lives, it becomes an idol.
Even good things can become idols if we place them above Christ, such as marriage, family, or friends, material possessions, places of employment.
While it is deeply desired, great to be married, have a family, and have friends, we should never place them as being more important than God in our lives.
Choosing to live for our Savior Christ is something that we have to do each day intentionally. This means we should always be ready and willing to go out of our way to help someone else in our lives or to help out at our local church, a local ministry, or even to just help a neighbor who needs help carrying in groceries.
We do not have to be a missionary or an ordained pastor to live for Christ.
If we’re indeed authentic Christians, we can all live for Christ in our daily lives.
God has trusted us each with our own spiritual gifts and talents, skills, and gifts, and He wants us to use these things to be able to serve Him and others.
Each in our own unique capacity has the ability to do great things for Christ, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, financial status, or relationship status.
Living for Christ can be quite difficult, yet living for Christ is always worth it because we are serving our great Savior and Redeemer.
Why Does This Matter?
Why should this matter?
What possible difference can it make?
What possible difference could I make?
Even if the end result is as minimal as it can get-say only .01% , as much as 100, God will be the One who will plant the seed of the change, nurture it to fullness.
Philippians 2:1-4 Amplified Bible
Be Like Christ
2 Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same [a]love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ]. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
If you have been living for Christ for a while now, as you are familiar with the difficulties, trials, and hard times that come along with living for Christ, yet it is vital you continue to live for Christ even when it’s hard and even when it hurts.
Maybe at the end of our lives, we’ll be able to echo Paul’s words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
2 Timothy 4:3-8 Amplified Bible
3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. 5 But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.
6 For I am already being [a]poured out as a drink offering, and the time of [b]my departure [from this world] is at hand and I will soon go free. 7 I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error]. 8 In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and his son were struggling to get a calf to step into the barn. They tried poking, prodding, pushing, but the calf would not move.
Suddenly a servant girl shuffled by, and by thrusting her finger into the animal’s mouth, she rather easily lured him into its stall inside the barn.
The business world is built on the device of promise of reward for productive work. After a week’s hard work, we receive the reward of a paycheck.
We may also receive other benefits, such as health insurance and vacation time. Work that will be rewarded gets done.
God uses the promise of reward to motivate Christians as well.
Heaven, the gift of everlasting life in the presence of the eternal God, is an awesome reward for all who serve God. When the work is strenuous, the obstacles are foreboding, and our courage is waning, God reminds us of the reward we will receive in heaven.
Picture the crown of righteousness that God wants to place on your head.
Imagine the throne being prepared for you to reign with Christ.
Visualize the banquet table where all of God’s family will feast forever.
But the reward is also a gift; it’s already been earned for us by Christ.
And as he offers it freely, we already begin to live the new life that we’ll receive fully in God’s presence. The reward of the life to come summons us to give our best sacrifices, very best fruits of our labor, and to win the race here on earth.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 103 The Message
103 1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven; he rules over us all. He’s the King! So bless God, you angels, ready and able to fly at his bidding, quick to hear and do what he says. Bless God, all you armies of angels, alert to respond to whatever he wills. Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are— everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 