Foundational Truths

“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” When things begin to get hazy, and all around you is uncertainty; when the atmosphere is filled with questionable arguments, it is always wise to come back to your foundation. To major on minors will only bring frustration and cause unnecessary divisions between two good people or groups.

A casual reading of Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians proves this to be so. Secondary things were elevated to top priority. And when we put two in the place of one, it will always cause greater confusion, as any math student knows. There are basic, fundamental doctrines that are foundational to the Christian Faith. And when we leave these tenets, terrible things happen.

There are cardinal Christian doctrines that have been held to throughout the ages, which have never moved or been shaken. It is these we are to dearly hold to and defend. To make questionable things the issue will only rob the saints of their assurance, reliance, and enjoyment of the sure things.

Happy is the person who realizes non-essentials are not essential.

(R.D.S)

Imperfection's Perfection

Immediately after the resurrection Thomas saw the open wounds in our Lord’s body. John was transported to the present and described Him now in heaven as a freshly slain Lamb. And Zechariah tells us at His Second Coming, yet future, He will be asked, “What are these wounds in thy hands?” At the cost of being misunderstood as sacrilegious, I believe Jesus will be the only one in heaven with an imperfect body. That is, from our viewpoint, not God’s. For in God’s sight, those wounds are the epitome of perfection.

You see, this Blessed One’s seemingly imperfect body made it possible for us to have a perfect one. Is it any wonder then that the heavenly choir sings, “Worthy is the Lamb”? Apart from God’s glory, everything He ever did, and does, was and is, for our benefit, and ours alone. I like how Paul puts it: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Hallelujah, what a wonderful Saviour!

Our Way or the Highway

“Master, we saw one…and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not.” The disciples had a problem with anyone who was not just like them. It was not good enough that they had their own ways; they wanted to impose them upon everyone else. They could not grasp the fact that anyone not like themselves could be used of God.

Because a man or a woman took a Nazarite vow, must everyone else do it also? Should other families adhere to the tradition of the Rechabites passed down by their father? Can all believers meet the standards laid down for church officers in the New Testament? Any spiritually intelligent, thinking person knows that the answer to these questions is an emphatic, “No!”

Since all of us come way short in one area or the other in our lives and ministries, we would be wise to give others a little elbow room. Room to breathe in, if you please.  

Some peoples’ standards would suffocate an angel. 

The Youthful Yoke

“It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” The aged patriarch had experienced tough times in his younger years, and knew the benefits it could bring in later life. If one would only submit to the suffering of their times, and silently endure, the fruit would be patience and great calm in later years.

It says of our Lord, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” Is it any wonder the people of His day thought He may have been Jeremiah? Both men knew suffering and deep deprivation in their young lives. Taking the easy way, and the one of least resistance, makes for soft sons.

Parents need to learn not to overly protect their children during troubled times. For it is not easy to bend a neck stiffened with age or a heart hardened by custom. Such people are like “…a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke.” Truly great people have the marks of the yoke upon their necks that they bore in their youth.

You can make life easy for your children; but it will be harder for them when they’re old.

(R.D.S)

*A New Trend in Christianity

There is a legitimate place for the psychological as long as it is not camouflaged and substituted for the spiritual. Today there is a trend to transfer spiritual problems over into the psychological realm. We are led to believe our problem is not a spiritual one, but only psychological. Therefore, personal responsibility is diminished. The blame is placed upon someone or something else. It’s because of our “genes,” a disease, or whatever—it is definitely not our fault.

The old Puritans of three-hundred years ago were experts in this matter of the Christian’s problems. They always went directly to the root. They had a thorough knowledge of the workings of the human heart and the Lord’s dealings with His people. Read John Owen, John Bunyan, or John Newton. These men probed the dark depths of the human heart. When you put down their books, you’ll be tempted to say, “This man knows me.” If you plan to go to these spiritual physicians for help, don’t expect a comfortable couch and analysis of the mind; instead, be prepared for the knife and open-heart surgery.

God promises to give us a “new heart”; it’s clear; He knows where the trouble lies.

(R.D.S)

Our Vested Authority

“...and set him [Christ] at his [God’s] own right hand in heavenly places, Far above all...dominion.” “God...hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” When Jesus raised Lazarus, He didn’t leave him in a grave yard. The next time we see this risen saint, he is seated with our Lord. And so it is with us; we are called from the grave, in grace, to be seated with Him in Glory. Our union with Him necessitates this. The text is not a prophecy of the future but a fact of the present. We are seated with Him now in Heavenly places.

Because of this, we are no longer under Satan’s dominion. We have been translated out of his earthly kingdom of darkness into the Heavenly kingdom of God’s dear Son. We have been turned “...from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.” We have been delivered “...from this present, evil world.”

Adam lost his dominion power to the devil. We regain it in Christ. We need not run from him but use our God-given authority to make him flee from us. Once we accept, by faith, our Heavenly, God-given position in Christ, we can exercise our rightful authority over the power of darkness, both in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Satan is not fearful of our vested authority as long as we do not exercise it.

The Cost of Closeness to God

Without question, one, if not the greatest of life’s blessings is being close to God. But coupled with this closeness is a tremendous price to be paid.

Listen to the testimony of a few Bible saints who drew near to God. Job said, “I am vile”; Isaiah cried, “Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips”; Peter pleaded with Christ, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” And what of the great apostle Paul? “O wretched man that I am!” says he. Prior to these heartrending sobs, we would have considered each of these to be good and godly men.

All the sinful dirt and religious filth in one’s heart is shined upon in the glorious light of His presence. Is it any wonder then we love the security of the shadows, where we can pass ourselves off as being something we’re not? To live in His presence means we must daily carry in our bosoms the stigma of who we really are. And to what end is this purpose? “That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

When you hear someone say they thank God they’re not as other men, mark it down, you’re listening to a person who is “standing afar off” from God!

Lost in the Croud

“Thus have they loved to wander.” The people of God did not go astray because of adversity; it was not necessitated by something outside themselves. They wandered because they loved it. They delighted in it. Their very disposition was to do so. The song-writer knew this when he penned, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it/Prone to leave the God I love.”

There is much concern today about the sheep who have wandered from the flock. My burden is for those who are wandering within the flock. They are always looking and longing—wanting something other than the Good Shepherd. You can stake out a sheep with a hundred yards of rope, with green pastures all around him, yet he will go to the limit of his line, even to the point of choking himself in his attempt to go beyond his shepherd’s care and control. Only love for the Shepherd can cure our love for wandering.

Hearts in Heaven

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” If Christ is truly our treasure then our hearts will be where He is. It is only when we see the “...things on the earth” from heavens viewpoint that we can live our lives aright on this earth. Paul did not look at the things which are seen but those things that are not seen. The one is temporal and will pass away, the other, eternal.

Things of the earth are not to be despised, neglected, or rejected, unless they stand between us and Christ. He is to be our one and only desire. David knew this truth when he penned, “...there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee”. Our affection is to have wings and constantly be flying heavenward.

Why would anyone try to hold to things they cannot keep? It would be well for us to remember the words of the old patriarch. “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither.” One was asked how much his rich friend left when he died, and the reply was, “All of it.”

We are not to “…love the things that are in the world” but the One who gave them.

                                                                                                   

Wasting Time in Prayer

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest…” Jesus said external worship cannot make up for internal wrong. Outward sacrifice doesn’t impress Him if there is inward sin. Ceremonial cover-ups will not suffice if there’s a callous condition of the heart. Trying to balance evil with good, thinking the latter will make up for the former, just won’t fly.

God knows our inward disposition and deals with us accordingly. “If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” We are not to scrape up morbid things, because we are overly sensitive, but we are to face-up to the conviction of conscience placed there by the Spirit of God. To disregard this will be disastrous.

I speak with the utmost reverence when I say, until we right our wrongs, we should leave God waiting at the altar. I said, “I say,” but actually, “He said.” If we remember at the altar and neglect to take care of that thing, we’ll regret it.

Heard, but Not Seen

“Who art thou?/ What sayest thou of thyself? /I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” John knew both who and what he was. He didn’t consider himself with the greats, such as Elias of old, but he did know he had a place in God’s plan. The people’s testimony of him was, “John did no miracle, but all things that John spake of this man [Christ] were true.” Because he could not do the spectacular, did not silence him.

One need not have the effect of “a great and strong wind,” nor to shake foundations as “an earthquake,” or be a consuming “fire.” A “still, small voice” can get the job done when God is in it. Though a man is Divinely confined to the solitary wilderness, such a one will still have an audience to articulate the awesomeness of God.

The Blood of Jesus Christ

Paul speaks of having, “faith in His blood.” Like many other cardinal doctrines, we hear very little of the blood of Christ today. But certain truths are to be repeated over and again. Peter puts it this way, “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know [them], and be established in the present truth.”

I do not know how many lambs were sacrificed in the Old Testament picturing Christ upcoming death in the New.  Hundreds of thousands, I imagine, during that long period. I’m sure, had they all been killed at one time it would have produced a mighty river of blood. But the writer of Hebrews tells us not one drop of any animal’s sacrifice could ever take away sin. As the song writer so aptly put it, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

To put one’s faith in His blood will accomplish a number of treasured things, advantageous to a Believer. To list only a few: it redeems us to God; cleanses from daily defilement; it justifies, freeing us from all condemnation; brings peace to our souls; draws us nigh to God; gives us boldness in our approach to God; and makes us overcomers of Satanic powers. There is not a second of any day when we do not need His life-giving blood to sustain us. O, THANK YOU, GOD, FOR YOUR SON’S PRECIOUS BLOOD!

An old preacher was getting a blood transfusion. The attending nurse said, “It’s amazing, we can now keep blood for almost a hundred years without it losing its effect.” To which he replied, “Dear, I know of a blood that is over two-thousand years old and is as powerful now as the day it was shed.” ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!

Mountain Climbing

“Give me this mountain.” These are the words of an 85 year old man. When others were petering out, Caleb was pressing on. This is the man who had the testimony; he had wholly followed the Lord all the days of his life. Caleb was Bunyan’s Mr. Greatheart, which is the meaning of his name. He was not looking for comfort in his last years, but for challenge. He never stopped growing. He was not a spiritual retiree.

The caliber of this man is fast becoming extinct in our day. He could stand alone. The old man had a godly, optimistic faith. He had spiritual ambition to the end. His motto was: “It is never too late.”

Men with Caleb’s character make it possible for those with lesser  to hide behind. He was a pillar of strength to a younger generation, who had never seen any example of courage like this aged man displayed. This ancient of days is the only one who expelled utterly every giant that faced him. Just think if he had stopped half-way up the mountain.

Mt. Hebron was a powerful stronghold. It was fortified, and the giants in it were not a few. But it was his rightful inheritance. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah were all buried there. The enemy had no right to that ground. It belonged to his forefathers, and to him.

Mountain climbing can be dangerous. It’s uphill all the way. But it is a wonderful thing when you finally reach the top. To view the valley of despair that you came from, to breathe the celestial air, is worth it all. But the most thrilling of all is to stake down your banner and see it unfurled in the heavenly breeze, for all who are in the valley to see. How blessed to realize that it is still possible for an impossible man to do impossible things. Don’t content yourself with the good, but the best, in life. KEEP CLIMBING!

Infallibility

“Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right.” David believed in the infallibility of God’s Word. That is, it is incapable of error. But herein lies a great danger for the child of God. Because we believe the Bible is infallible, we are prone to think of ourselves as impeccable (without defect or error, flawless). Only the Scriptures are infallible. For a saint to believe otherwise causes him to become inflatable.

This is the reason the Bible is its own interpreter. For God to have committed this to a defective church (Rome) or deficient individuals (Fundamentalists, Evangelicals, Dispensationalists, or Reformed), would have been disastrous. God’s Word is always right, but because of various influences in our backgrounds and the nature of our temperaments, we are not. Balaam’s dumb ass spoke God’s Word, but that didn’t change what he was.

You can’t tell a know-it-all anything.

*The Miracle of Means

"Yet doth he [God] devise means.” Many times when we think only a miracle will get us out of our dilemma, the means is staring us straight in the face, right under our nose, as they say. We see this illustrated in the book of Judges. It may be an ox-goad, a nail, a barley cake, a pitcher and trumpet, a piece of a millstone, or the jaw-bone of an ass. Look and see what’s around you, what’s available. It may be a means to a miracle!

We need to heed the preaching of the old Puritan: “Man cannot do anything without God; but God will not do anything without man.” Man is God’s means to accomplish His purpose on earth. Paul said of himself that he used “all means” to fulfill God’s purpose in building up His Kingdom.

God promises to make my bed in all my sickness, but He uses loved ones or a nurse to do it.

(R.D.S)

Twin Promises

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Romans chapter eight is believed by many to be the greatest chapter in the Word of God. It begins with no condemnation and concludes with no separation.

These are two of Satan’s most effective tools for discouraging a Christian. His condemnation comes by way of accusation. We are told in the last book of The Book that he accuses us before our God day and night. The second Satanic tactic comes during those times of isolation we experience, making us believe that it is separation from God’s love.

But God has provided us with two Royal resources to combat these twin lies. In dealing with the accuser we use our judicial weapon, the Blood of the Lamb. That is always a sure cure for overcoming him. During those times we feel alone, for one reason or another, we are to cling to God’s parental promise that He loves us with an everlasting love. Remind your adversary that there is nothing you can ever do to make God stop loving you.

The reason there is no condemnation by God or separation from God is because of our justification in Christ.

When Right is Wrong

“O God…renew a right spirit within me…Then will I teach…thy ways.” The prerequisite for my teaching right is my being right. Someone said, “What’s wrong with being right?” Plenty, if you’re not right! Who wants to eat a sweet apple that’s been stored in a bucket of vinegar? And who wants to hear truth that has been preserved in a bitter vessel?

Year ago, I remember someone describing a certain preacher who spoke on hell often. They said, “He seemed as though he enjoyed the fact that people were going there.” But having said this, we should remember that just because someone has a wrong attitude does not justify us disobeying the truth. Jesus, speaking to His disciples concerning the Pharisees, who had some accurate truths, but with the wrong spirit, said, “…whatsoever they bid you…observe and do; but do ye not after their works: for they say, and do not.”

But how is one to know when they are in such a wretched condition as the Pharisees? Simple, you know you’re wrong when you’re head says you’re right, but your heart still condemns you.

He's Already Been There

“I will send mine angel before thee!” Are we fearful of the future, of what lies up the road? We need not be, for our Lord has gone on ahead of us. He is a Pioneer—a great Maker of roads. He is our Scout, our advance Man; He will always open the way before us.

The Lord will look after the road. Our job is to travel it. When we hit rough places, you can be sure He knows all about it. But still he left them for us, knowing it would be for our good. Rough places make us appreciate the smooth ones.

Wherefore, as we journey down the King’s highway, let us not be forgetful that all we may experience, He has already faced. If we watch for the signs He has left, there is no reason to be anxious about what awaits us around the next bend. Certainly there are some warning signs, but there are also a lot of rest places. And who doesn’t enjoy pulling over when he sees a scenic sign to behold all the beauty that lies before him?

Who minds a rough road, if it leads home to the Father’s house?

*Patience and the Eternal

“...God waited...” Isaiah tells us what to do at a time like this: “And therefore will the Lord wait...blessed are all they that wait for him.” It is not easy for we who are eternally impatient time-checkers to wait on an eternal, timeless God. One of whom it is said, a day in His sight is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. God is never in a hurry—we are. You see, if you have eternity on your side, you can afford to wait.

There is no” Big Ben” in Heaven, everything is measured by eternity. God’s clock has no hands and His calendar has no days. Therefore, settle it; our eternal God is going to take His good old time, and nothing or no one is going to hurry Him up. If we will but patiently wait for Him to accomplish our deepest desires, we will find, “He [makes] everything beautiful in his time.”

“To lengthen my patience is the best way to shorten my trouble.”

Puritan saying

                                                             

*Powerful Words

“…they…so spake.” These believers spoke in such a way as to influence and bless a great number of people. They were not necessarily eloquent words, but their articulated breath burned in the hearts of those who heard them. Their words knocked at the gates of a man’s soul.

One of our great needs today is that Christians will individually speak with inspirational impact. Or, as the old Quakers used to say, “Speak to the condition.” But, sad to say, too many of our words “fall to the ground.”

If we are to “so speak” as the early Christians, then, of necessity, we must also be anointed by the Spirit, as they were. For Jesus plainly told His disciples that it was the Holy Ghost that teaches one when, how, and what to speak.

Wholesome words can make a person whole.

(R.D.S)

*It's Habit-forming

Someone has figured out it takes twenty-one days to form or break a habit. I don't know about that, but it seems to have worked for Daniel (chap.10).We are told both Daniel and David had a habit of praying three times a day. Anything continual will soon become habitual.

It was said of one of the Puritans that after he died, they found two grooves in the hardwood floor next to his bed that were made by his knees from praying throughout the years. That’s not a bad habit to get into. It’s one habit you wouldn't want to break.

"The act of prayer is blessed, the habit of prayer is more blessed..."

Transformed Lives and Ministries

“And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand?” “Cast it on the ground.”

In the front of one of my old Bibles, I pasted in the fly-leaf a little saying: “LET GO AND LET GOD.” I have come to realize through the years that to God it is not what we have given up that is so important, but, rather, what we are holding to. How we love to keep back something for ourselves.  We are like little children, who, when a parent reaches out to take something from them, clutches it to their bosom, turns away, and says, “MINE!”

Moses found what God could do when one is willing to let go of something they’re clinging to. You will remember his rod was supernaturally changed by simply letting go of the natural. The one thing that could be hindering our relationship with God may be that person or thing we are unwilling to let go of. If we seriously long to see a real transformation in our lives and ministries, then we must, at this very minute, “LET GO AND LET GOD!”

*God's feeble People

“For he knoweth our frame: he remembereth that we are dust.” It is for this reason we are told our Heavenly Father pities His children. For our frames were not made of steel nor our dusty substance from iron ore. Why would our Creator make His creatures with such frail frames as bone and feeble flesh from dust? The answer is found in just one word: dependence. God intended for man to always look to Him for his every need. He was not created to go it alone, but to always look to his Divine Helper.

When Jehovah formed man out of the dust of the ground, and framed his body, He knew its limitations and how much he could bear. Because of this, we can be assured He will never put upon us more than we can handle. Contrary to what we sometimes think, we can always carry those heavy packages our Father places in our arms. If we can’t, it is proof we are carrying something He didn’t place there.

The only thing God will ever weigh us down with is an “eternal weight of glory.” All else is but “light affliction” (2Cor. 4:17).

(R.D.S)

It's the Face in the Mirror

“Wilt thou not revive us again..?” “...revive thy work.” “...thou wilt revive me.” There is a national, institutional, and personal revival. Great masses are praying for the first, some for the second, but few for the latter. There is debate as to the probability of the first; a number will concede to the second; but all agree that the third can be had. It’s doubtful the first two will ever happen until the third is experienced. You generally start a fire with one match or an individual spark.

Why is it we pray for national and institutional revival, but not a personal one? Oswald Chambers answers this question profoundly. He states, “A revival adds nothing; it simply brings back what had been lost and a confession of failure.” And here lies our problem. We are more than willing, in our self-righteous pride, to say that others need reviving, but never us, for that would be an admission that we are not as close to the Lord as we would like others to believe we are.

The prayer that brings personal revival is, “It’s not my brother, or my sister, but me, O Lord.”

(RDS)

*Faith's Consolation

I have a little plaque on my dresser which reads, “Faith isn’t faith till it’s all you’re holding onto!” The Bible says, “…from faith to faith.” We start our Christian lives with it, and we are to end with it. And all in between is to be governed by it, for we are told, “…the just shall live by faith.” And without it, “…it is impossible to please [God].”

The Scriptures say we are to “…walk by faith.” And what are we to do when too weak and frail to any longer do this? It is then we are to “…stand by faith.” Like the patriarch of old, “By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed…and worshipped, leaning upon his staff.” And when the old man could no longer do this, “…he gathered his feet into his bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.”

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” (Heb.11:13-14)

It's Never Too Late

“Lord, if thou hadst been here...” Both Mary and Martha were deeply hurt and perplexed at their brother’s death. During such times, it is easy to play the blame game. It all did not make sense. Was not Lazarus he whom Jesus loved? Was he not His friend? In effect, they charged Jesus with all that had happened. Why did He not come while there was something possible that could be done? Why wait until the situation became impossible?

Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. Our Lord’s delays are not necessarily denials. There was Divine design to all that was happening. At such times, it requires patience and trust on our part. We need to learn to trust God in the dark.

“What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” It is texts such as this that we must sink our spiritual teeth into during the tough times. Once we have eaten and assimilated it by faith, it becomes sweet to the soul and strength to the life.

Mary and Martha were concerned with Lazarus and his sickness. Jesus was concerned with Lazarus and the glory of God.

(R.D.S)

*It' a No-Win Situation

“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!” Webster’s definition of “strive” is: 1) to make great effort; try very hard, and 2) to struggle. I heard an old camp meeting preacher say once, “Whenever you read the word, ‘Woe’ in the Bible, you’d better stop.” When will we learn to stop fighting God? Do we not realize, no man ever got into the ring with God and won the fight? Ask Jacob as he limps along.

There is no prospering as long as we try to resist Him. “…who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?” Mighty Pharaoh certainly didn’t. To fight God makes us look so foolish. Paul talks about one that “…beateth the air.” If we fought the world, the flesh, and the devil like we often fight God, what victorious Christians we would be.

If we want to be changed from what we are unto a prince with God, then we’ll need to stop fighting God and surrender, lying prostrate at His feet, simply clinging to Him. Why go through life with two black eyes?

*Inconvenienced

"...when I have found a convenient season..." Felix, like Herod and Judas, was a man of convenience. But I would suggest, if you are looking for a convenient lifestyle, you should not consider becoming a Christian. Christianity can be a very inconvenient thing at times. For example, opening one's home at all hours of the night (sometimes to strangers) is neither convenient for the host or hostess. Giving to another what you have set aside for you and your son, watching an elderly shut-in to give their loved ones a little time to themselves, and sitting aside your leisure time to busy yourself in helping the hurting, is anything but the convenient thing to do.

As I get older, I find I do not like to be inconvenienced. As they say, I like all my ducks in a row. Or to put it another way, "Don't rock the boat." But I'm reminded over and again by the sweet Spirit of God that cross-bearing is not convenient. After a long, hard day, Jesus took time with Nicodemus at nightfall. Although His sufferings were imminent, He had a meal with his sad friends. And He didn't mind being awakened from a restful sleep to help those in a storm. Let each of us remember, He left us an example to follow. Jesus always went out of His way to help others; ask the woman at the well.

A Universal Sin: WORRY!

“Be careful (full of care) for nothing.” It is possible for the legitimate concerns of life, like in Martha’s case, where an over-concern by over-emphasizing, to become an almost paralyzing anxiety.  Worry holds one like a vice so that you can hardly move or think of anything other than the problem before you. A problem which, more often than not, was created by us. We’re good at turning simple molehills into mountains.

Worry is a universal sin; there is none among Adam’s race it has not touched. Some more severely than others, but all experience it to some degree. If the devil cannot make our lives fruitless by tempting us to worldly debauchery, then he will get us by debilitating worries (Matt.13:22). “The Liar” will tell us our worrying is simply a hereditary habit of weakness and not sin. But Jesus tells us it is what the pagans do, and that we are not to emulate the heathen in their wicked distrust of God.

We cannot trust and worry at the same time. We’re told in scripture that sweet and bitter water does not flow from the same fountain. And so it is with trust and worry. These two cannot sleep in the same bed. They are not strange bedfellows; they are not bedfellows at all. Once trust gets into bed, he kicks worry out.

*Know Thyself

“…for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?” David was secure in his position. He could not be provoked into proving it. He did not have to bully it over others; he knew it within himself. God has a way of vindicating His man or woman by humbling stone-throwing Shimei’s before them. We do not have to flex our spiritual muscle; God is our “Muscle-man!”

As Matthew Henry says, quoting a Latin proverb, “It suffices the lion that he has laid his victim prostrate.” Whenever God wants to humiliate those who abuse and misuse us, He does it by raising us up and bringing them down. Mordecai and Haman are good examples of this.

It is not important that others know who we are, but it is for us. (RDS)

Hide-and-Seek

“…the Lord hideth his face…I will look for him.”  When our four children were young, on family nights we would often play hide-and-seek. I always chose the darkest spot, because I knew each child’s fear of entering into such a place. But, in spite of this, they would still boldly venture into the dreaded area, because they knew they could find me there. It was a thrill for them to find the others, but it was a special joy to find their father. That was always apparent by their cheerful countenance when I came from the dark shadows.

For one reason or the other, our Heavenly Father hides Himself, from time to time, from His children. During such intervals, we are to diligently seek Him. Seeming discouragement can be turned into encouragement, if we look for Him aright. His promise to us is, “…ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

*He’s Not a Casual Acquaintance

One of Job’s three fair-weather friends admonishes, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” This is always good advice, no matter whose lips it falls from. We should always be thankful for those who lead us into a deeper knowledge of God, no matter what group they belong to.

A little knowledge of God is worth more than a great knowledge about Him. Someone has said, “When people know God, losses and crosses cease to matter to them; what they have gained simply banishes those things from their minds.” To know God is to experience peace that passes understanding, and good is the ultimate dessert.

J.I. Packer says, “John Calvin knew more theology than John Bunyan, but the latter knew his God every bit as well as the former.” Both the intellect and the illiterate can know God alike, for He is no respecter of persons. It is humbling to think we are known of God; it is awesome to think we can know God.

Keep close company with Jesus, and it will not be long before you get to know God better.

Have You Done Your Part?

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.” The “which” refers back to the “do.” It is not “who,” as in many translations, but “which,” as in the K.J.V. It is in the doing that we are strengthened. This was Paul’s teaching to young Timothy when he exhorted him to “…exercise thyself…unto godliness.” Anyone who does this will, over time, build spiritual muscle. As the old song puts it, “Each victory will help you some other to win.”

Notice, also, we are to do these things “through Christ.” It is not Christ doing things through us, as is so often taught. You will be hard pressed to find any such Scripture proof. We are to come by way of Him, not vice-versa. Sanctification is cooperation; it’s a two-way street. It is not “I” without “Christ.”  It is not “Christ,” without “I.” It is “I” with “Christ.” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

Many Christians today have become spiritually syrupy in their Christian walk. It seems, with all the talk about the deeper, victorious, overcoming life, we have lost our way. J.I. Packer said,” I have found the best way to face temptation is to simply say, “No,” and ask Christ to help me to keep saying it till it passes.

If you do your part, you can be sure God will do His.

                                                                   

*Threats from the Threatened

“But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.” A preaching that gets a man on his feet so he can walk independently of others will always be a threat to the religious legalist. They will go to any extent to silence such a ministry. But their threatenings do not intimidate a man who has witnessed cripples who crawled in the dust, now walking in newness of life. Rules do not strengthen a man’s spiritual feet and anklebones. It’s not rules, but a relationship with God that puts a man back on his feet.

There is a movement going on today in which people are entering into the“glorious liberty" that is in Jesus Christ. This is a great threat to the boring boards, and one-man shows, that want the control over God’s people. They are trying to put a cap on this freedom “that it spread no further,” but, from my observation, it’s too late. It’s going to be a “gusher” that spills over into every group and corner of Christendom.

There is no need for “popes,” when you believe in the priesthood of all believers.

When God Waits

“God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing...” Many of us find difficulty in waiting on God, but what do you think it is like for Him to wait for us? This is the One of whom it is written, “For he spake and it was done.” God is eternally instantaneous. But He does not generally work independent of us; He works in cooperation with us. Not because He needs to, but because that’s what He chooses.

Like a father is longsuffering when seeing his unskilled child assembling a Tinker Toy, so God patiently waits for us to get things together. Our whole lives are spent in preparation of one thing or another, but, unlike God, ours never seem to be completed. After the completion, then another awaits that demands our attention. Therefore, time and patience in preparation is a necessity for us. We need to remember, no time spent in preparation is wasted.

“If God’s longsuffering and patience waited one-hundred and twenty years as Noah was preparing, I’m sure he’ll wait a few more years for you and me.

The God Who Speaks

“They have mouths, but they speak not.” Twice, the Psalmist gives the exact same words in describing the god[s] of the heathen. The phrase, “God said,” is found some 587 times in the Bible. This is not counting other kindred expressions such as: “Thus saith the Lord,” “God spake,” etc.

A preacher brought a message on “God Still Speaks.” One of those doctrinally sound, but spiritually inept theologians approached him with the standard question that characterizes those deaf to God’s voice by filling their ears with cotton. The query was, “Do you not realize God no longer speaks directly to His people?” To which my friend, while looking him straight in the eyes, quoted a portion of a song, “He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His Own.” Then he abruptly turned and walked away.

Many today, are like Israel of old, when speaking to Moses said, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us.” Why? Simply because they knew if they heard God’s voice they would have to either obey Him, or refuse to do what He said. As Oswald Chambers put it, “If it is only the servant’s voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative; we can say, “Well, that is simply your own idea.”

It takes a humble child-like spirit to say, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.” As important as it is to go to the Word, it’s equally important that the Word of the Lord comes unto us. When is the last time God spoke to your heart?

“Get into the habit of saying, ‘Speak Lord,’ and life will become a romance.” (Oswald Chambers)

*When the Camel's Back Breaks

“[In]…our trouble…we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth up the dead.”

We’re not told exactly what this “trouble” was, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. But we do know it was above and beyond the normalcy of everyday Christian trials. So much so that this suffering saint “despaired even of life.” This unknown and unique experience brought the apostle to the place of utter helplessness.

It’s well to remember that this human beast of burden had borne the heaviest of loads all his life. But this one weighed him down to the extent that it could be said, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

What are we to do at such a time of hopelessness? We can emulate Paul. He passed sentence on all fleshly confidence, letting it become history. And, in exchange, he put all his trust in the God who “…raiseth up all those that are bowed down.”

God tells us to burden him with whatever burdens us.

THE GREAT CELEBRATION

“The father said to his servants… bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again.”

If you think there were festivities in the father's house at the return of the  Prodigal Son, what think ye the merriment in “The Father’s House” at the homecoming of His Precious Son?  The One who had left Heaven as the “Son of God,” and returned home with an added precious identity: “The Son of Man.”   

When Christ left the dead I can imagine the voice of the Father crying out with such jubilance that it reverberated throughout the galaxies, “My Son is coming home!” We celebrate His Resurrection from “down under,” but oh, what must be the unspeakable ecstasy from Heaven’s side!

When Jesus left for Home, one of the last things He promised His followers was, “I’ll keep the door open for you.” And one of the first things He experienced upon His return home was “Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” of saints and angels saying,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever”.

And what did His Father say to Him, but of course, what else, “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The heavens with joy receive their Lord,
By saints, by angel hosts adored;
O day of exultation!
O earth, adore thy glorious King!
His rising, His ascension sing
With grateful adoration.

Child-Like Forgiveness

“Except ye…become as little children.” Years ago, while in my early twenties, and before my conversion to Christ, I studied acting for a brief time at a dramatic school in Los Angeles. One of the principles my drama coach emphasized was that an actor should have the head of an adult but the heart of a child. One class assignment was to observe and study the habits of children.

Among the many characteristics that little children have and has always moved me, especially now that I am converted, is how forgiving they are. As a father of four, I remember when my children were still little tykes, and I would have to ask their forgiveness for dumb things I had done or said. Each time, I remember those little innocent faces looking up to me, and with their assuring, childish words letting me know all was well.

Maybe it is time for some of us parents who have now been asked for our forgiveness by our children to “Go, and do thou likewise.” Yes, they are grown now and responsible for what they have done, but so were we. What brought us relief and inner joy will bring them the same thing, now that they are in our place as adults. The apostle’s words are appropriate hear: “…ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore, I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.”

Repentance can be bitterness to the soul, but the forgiveness that follows makes it sweet!

Satan’s Boundary Lines

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power: only upon himself put not forth thine hand.” Satan is on God’s leash; he can only go so far. God has appointed bounds, both to the degree and duration of Satan’s trials. His two-fold lie during these testing times is you will not be able to bear up under such a load, and this is the way it will always be; there is no end. But the enlightened child of God knows the Scripture has given us a two-fold promise to combat these. “God...will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able,” the second being, “And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.”

We have a secure hedge about us, and Satan can only enter in by permission. Our Sovereign has put restrictions and limitations upon the devil when it comes to us. This hedge is the will of God, and we are safe and secure within it, even when God grants permission to the Wicked One to try us for a season.

But let us be careful that we do not leave our safety zone, for, without that hedge, we are fair game. “...whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” If you have left the fold, and have been bitten, there is hope. His venomous bite need not be lethal (cp. Num.21:8,9 and Jno.3:14,15).

“Like a good chess player Satan is always trying to manoeuver you into a position where you can save your castle only by losing your bishop.” C.S. Lewis

But Do You Love Me?

“Jesus saith… lovest thou me?..He saith to him again the second time…lovest thou me?.. He saith unto him the third time…lovest thou me?

Three times at the enemy’s fire, Simon had denied Him, now sitting at the fire Jesus had kindled, he is asked thrice by his Lord, “Lovest thou me?” Peter’s great doctrinal confession of faith, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” is now complete with this great devotional statement of faith, “I love thee.” The two have met together and kissed each other. (Psl.85:10)

It seems to me, for all practical purposes, Jesus likes to be told He’s loved. It is not to be taken for granted, as we often do with loved ones. For we also, like Simon, when asked by a family member or friend, “Do you love me? answer, “You know I love you.” God’s darling David did not have this problem, “I love the Lord,” was his unblushing testimony for all to hear and read!

And what is to be the proof of Simon Peter’s love to Christ? That he takes care of both God’s lambs (young) and sheep (mature). Paul writes believers of his day admonishing them to prove their love, and explains the proof is seen when taking care of each other. Is this not our Lord’s teaching when He said, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me?”

“Believest thou me” is the base of the mountain; “Lovest thou me” is the pinnacle!

*When the Unanswerable is Answered

“…now I know in part; but then shall I know…” As Jesus told Peter, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” We must not spend our time vainly trying to understand “The secret things belong[ing] unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong[ing] unto us and to our children…”

If we are to live a life of contentment, we must then be content with not knowing certain things. There will always be unanswered questions. Our knowledge is incomplete and partial, at best. And to turn to speculation will only bring frustration. There is a portion of two songs I like to hang my doubting hat on: “Someday, He’ll make it plain to me, someday when I His face shall see”; and the second: “I’ll ask the reason, He’ll tell me why, when we talk it over in the bye and bye.” Until then, the writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith…”

Dedicated to suffering saints everywhere.

The Equal Yoke

“Take my yoke upon you…For my yoke is easy.” This is not like any other yoke in Scripture. It is not a “yoke of iron,” nor a “heavy yoke,” or is it a “yoke of bondage.” But it is an easy yoke to bear up under. The reason being that the One we are harnessing ourselves with “fainteth not, neither is weary.” This One whose name is called “Wonderful” carries the world upon His shoulders.

Therefore, when we bind ourselves to God’s Strong Servant we are exchanging our weak, feeble strength for His. This is truly Divine fellowship. To unite ourselves with any other is an “unequal yoke.” But when we join ourselves to Him that, my friend, is what we might call an equal yoke. For one of the main reasons He became like us was that He might help each of us pull the load of life.

You don’t have “pull your weight” when you’re yoked with Jesus.