Peace Is Our Undeserved Privilege...

Peace is our undeserved privilege from God. Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in. And let it spark an attitude of gratitude towards the Giver of this peace. 1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2

The Dilemma Rages On...

The dilemma every man faces: through one man, Adam, we all were given a sinful nature. Every human being knows he is a sinner. He doesn’t argue or blame Adam, for he knows the capabilities of evil in his own heart. Yet when it comes to the acquittal of his condemnation, he refuses to believe that the same transmission process is available to him. Through another Man, Jesus, the remission of his sin is possible. He can be forgiven if his sin and it’s eternal consequences by placing his trust in Jesus. Through one man sin entered the world (Adam), which no one argues. And through one Man, Jesus, the forgiveness of sin is possible, which every proud man argues. How can it be? It’s simple, the second Man, Jesus, is denied by a man’s pride. Adam is welcomed, while Jesus is not. The dilemma rages on....

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died–from the time of Adam to the time of Moses–even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21

How Do We Know We Are Sinners?

The true purpose of the Law is to show us that we are sinners. It’s not something to try to keep. Paul clearly makes this point in Romans chapter 3. The point I want to emphasize is this: the law serves its purpose when we see it as impossible to keep. If we see that there is no hope in keeping the law, and thus we are deserving of God’s punishment for breaking it, we acknowledge that we are sinners. If we are sinners without hope of rescue, then we are willing to accept the only form of escape from God’s judgement by trusting Jesus, placing our faith in Him. A man can never truly know God while he is proud. Pride prevents us from knowing God. How? When a man spends all of his time looking down on people (that’s what pride does), how can he expect to see Something (God) that resides above him? Why does God emphasize throughout scripture that He opposes the proud? Because man’s first step in believing and following God’s choosing Him is the realization that God is above us, far superior in any comparison. This “knowing your place”, or humility as the Bible calls it, is the first step in gaining the wisdom that God often talks about in the Bible. When we place our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we agree with God. We know we can’t earn our salvation or forgiveness, so by having faith in Jesus, we fulfill the law. It points out our inadequacy, and directs us to the only Solution. We trust the only way God has provided for man to be made right in His sight. That is what Jesus meant when He told Thomas, “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, but by Me”. Does this make sense? We fulfill the 10 Commandments by knowing their purpose, and acting in the proper response in faith, not by trying to keep them. Trusting God, having faith in Jesus, is exactly what God intended by giving us the Law. Jesus said, (my paraphrase) “when we do these things, display the fruits of the Spirit, there is no law”. Loving others, forgiving them, teaching them to pursue God daily; these are above the law, meaning there is no law for these. Exactly how God wants us to behave. It’s seems too simple, having faith, but it’s exactly what the purpose of the Law is for. It may seem simple, but it’s not easy, and it takes a lifetime to workout. A journey worth the effort, for the reward is eternal.

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Christ Took Our Punishment 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t He also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is. 30 There is only one God, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law. Romans 3:19-31

Vulnerability, Knowledge, and Satisfaction....

Reading through Psalm 90 several points stand out. First, in verse 8, we read of God spreading out our sins, our secret sins, seeing all of them. We can’t hide anything from God, though for some reason we think we can. You’ll never get to the point in life where you know you’ve grown stronger spiritually, until you get to the point where you can be vulnerable, letting those that think highly of you, see your dirty, sinful side. You have to learn to let go of the pride that promotes the reputation you want people to know with the actual, real person that you are. Secrets are for sinners. There are no secrets with You and God. Second point to ponder is in verse 12: life is short, without God it’s even shorter. We should strive to know Him, and thus gain wisdom. The third and last point is this: God satisfies, and joy is the result. I once met and elderly woman who seemed distraught and without hope. You could see it in her eyes as she spoke to me. I sent her this Psalm in a letter, hoping it would encourage her. It did. I met with here months later and she hugged me (I’m surprised she even remembered me), and told me that it meant the world to her (that I took the time to write her a letter). Never be afraid to speak the truth. And that’s only possible when it comes from God. Pray today for a “Divine appointment”, and be ready to share your Good News.

8 You spread out our sins before You–our secret sins–and You see them all. Psalms 90:8

12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. 13 O Lord, come back to us! How long will You delay?Take pity on Your servants!14 Satisfy us each morning with Your unfailing love,so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.16 Let us, Your servants, see You work again; let our children see Your glory.17 And may the Lord our God show us His approvaland make our efforts successful.Yes, make our efforts successful! Psalms 90:12-17

God’s Timing....

God’s timing isn’t our timing. His is so much more timely and appropriate. We may think we have a plan, but God’s plan is far superior to ours. Here in Esther, we see God’s sovereignty working out a rescue for Mordecai. Haman is about to kill Mordecai but God mysteriously works out His plan by giving the king a severe case of insomnia. Because of his inability to sleep, the king brings out the records of his reign, to be read to him. He learns of Mordecai’s foiling of a plot to assassinate the king, that went unrewarded. The king decides to reward Mordecai, and of all the people to determine his reward, he asks Haman to come up with the protocol. Haman thinks the reward is for himself, so he devises this elaborate, glorious plan; only to later find out it’s for his despised enemy, Mordecai. He then has to carry out this celebratory reward by leading Mordecai out on the king’s horse while he wore the king’s royal robe. Oh, the irony. The story gets even better, but I’ll end it here. God’s timing is always the best timing, sometimes we might even lose all hope before we get to experience it. God knows what He’s doing. We have to trust Him.

9 Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious. 10 However, he restrained himself and went on home.Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.12 Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!” 13 Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”14 So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up. Esther 5:9-14 1 That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. 2 In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.3 “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”4 “Who is that in the outer court?” the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared.5 So the attendants replied to the king, “Haman is out in the court.”“Bring him in,” the king ordered. 6 So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?”Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?” 7 So he replied, “If the king wishes to honor someone, 8 he should bring out one of the king’s own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden–one with a royal emblem on its head. 9 Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king’s robes and led through the city square on the king’s horse. Have the official shout as they go, ‘This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!’ ”10 “Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!”11 So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king’s own horse, and led him through the city square, shouting, “This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!” 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated.13 When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, “Since Mordecai–this man who has humiliated you–is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.”14 While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared. Esther 6

The Law of God...

The law of God confuses so many people. Some say we must keep the 10 Commandments in order to please God, while others say we don’t have to keep the law because we can’t, so we are not to try. The purpose of the Law is spelled out for us here in Romans chapter 3. The Law does not save us, it simply shows us we need a Savior. The purpose of the Law is to keep people from making excuses. And it shows the world it’s guilty before God. No wonder people don’t want it displayed in schools, they wouldn’t be able to make anymore excuses.

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Romans 3:19-20

A Bad Example...

I’ve always told myself, “never let one person’s example be your entire example of God”. Yes, believers will fail you, and groups of believers will sometimes leave a sour taste in your mouth with their behavior, but they are not God. Their poor example may taint your faith in people, but you can’t allow it to taint your faith in God. Never allow yourself to go there, even if every feeling in your mind tells you to. God is always faithful, and He stays true to Himself regardless of what we may think, or how people behave.

True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. Romans 3:3-4a

Justice Will Be Served....

Whenever you’re watching the news and see an injustice, remember justice will be served. It’s just a matter of time.

Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end. Proverbs 22:8

The Root of All Evil....

Have you ever given much thought to the cause of conflict in this world? I mean every evil act committed from bank robberies to rape, from war and plunder to slander to slaying, all stems from one root cause. Have you guessed it yet? Selfishness. Pride is when preserving your dignity overrides abiding in truth. Take for example: you’re with friends, one of them makes a jovial comment about you. You have several options. One, you can laugh it off and pretend it didn’t hurt you. Two, you can ignore it. Or three, you can take offense to it, and plot some type of revenge or comeback to put the commenter in their place. Pride plays a huge role in determining which option you choose. When confronted by the truth, pride opposes acknowledgement of it. Pride wants to save face. That usually involves directing attention to someone else, usually the person making the misinterpreted comment. Pride does not allow wisdom to enter the mind of the prideful one, and thus eventually leading to conflict. And this conflict usually has no good outcome. People are hurt, and sometimes scarred for life due to this selfish act of “saving face”. Here in Esther chapter 3 and 4, we read of how Haman’s selfishness and pride cause him to plot a plan of annihilating the entire Jewish race, all because one man’s (Mordecai) refusal to bow down to him and show him respect. Haman’s pride drove him so far as to not just kill Mordecai and end this public scrutiny, but to eradicate his entire race. When asked “what is the opposite of love”, the student answered “hate”. The teacher replied, “that’s incorrect, the opposite of love is selfishness”. I would agree. That selfishness (we all have) is the root of all evil. No wonder God promotes humility and opposes pride. It goes against His character. He wants us to love, because love is the only remedy to selfishness and pride. Doesn’t it say in the Bible that Love covers a multitude of sins. Make sense? The next time conflict arises, carefully examine your motives, I bet you’ll find selfishness and pride creeping in your back door. Then take the appropriate action and make right what you know you’ve done wrong. Don’t be a Haman.

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 6 He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. Esther 3:5-6

Living a Rollercoaster Life...

In our socialized, media crazy, “speak your mind regardless of the cost”, society, we seek out other’s opinions and praise on a daily basis. The amount of likes on face book, or followers on twitter fill up our “significant tank” (or so we think). We ride this wave of false security for as long as possible (sometimes for just a few seconds), until we read that one bold comment by someone criticizing our efforts. Then our world implodes and we begin to play the “self-pity” game. We think everyone has it better than we do, and dive into depression because of this comparison game we allow ourselves to play. When will we realize that basing our lives on our own feelings or attitudes will never sustain us. It will never deliver what we think it should. Living on a roller coaster isn’t healthy. Sure it’s great the first couple of rides, but eventually it will ruin our sense of adventure. It will distort our view of reality. It’s only when we base our significance on What doesn’t change that we start living a stable life. Like I’ve said before, feelings are real and legitimate, but they are often overrated. We need to seek our praise from God first; the Author of our significance.

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. Romans 2:28-29

God in Our Own Image...

When I was a teacher in the public school system, I always thought by taking the 10 Commandments off the walls was doing everyone a great disservice. Sure “out of sight out of mind”, right? Here in Romans chapter 2 we learn that God’s law is written on every human being’s heart. The problem is not a matter of displaying God’s law on the walls of our schools, it a matter of obeying His commands in our hearts. The problem is when we are confronted with truth, do we side with it, or deny it by justifying ourselves. Society has taken the latter approach ever since Adam was kicked out of the Garden. In the beginning “God created man in His Own image”. And ever since man has been reciprocating the favor by “creating God is his own image”.

12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in His sight. 14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16 And this is the message I proclaim–that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life. Romans 2:12-16

Salvation and Judgement...

Something we as believers must always keep in mind: salvation is not based on what we do, but God’s judgement certainly is.

9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil–for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good–for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:9-11

Parenting is Tough....

As parents, we have the difficult task of raising children. I think children are God’s way of teaching parents more about themselves and Him than any thing else. When you are young and free of responsibility (only responsible for yourself), you are the most self-centered you can be. When we marry we learn to let go of that in order to share with our spouse. When you have children, you have to really let go of your selfish tendencies. Even though we can’t control our children (sometimes I wish we could), we have to impress on them what’s truth and righteous is by living the kind of life that backs up that notion. In the end, it’s up to God to reach them with His love and presence. Our job is to direct their paths, pointing them to God. We have to ask, listen to God, and pursue Him daily in order to keep our own growth and closeness to Him. And we are to model what we want them to know and eventually become. It’s not an easy task, and there are no guarantees. Each person has their own free will. You heard the saying, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can make him drink”. As a parent you might want to throw in the towel at times, especially during those dreaded teenage years, but just as this proverbs directs to do, “we can put salt on their food to make them very thirsty”. Never forget the power of your words and the influence of a good example. And when you mess up (we all do), be honest enough to make it right (for that might be your greatest witness). God will use it to make a difference.

6 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6

Why Does God Allow Bad Things....

When someone asks me the age old question, “why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”, I simply answer because He gives man a free will. When man turns his back on what he knows to be true, God turns His back on man. God gives man what he desires. When man desires evil, God allows that man to experience evil. That man then commits evil deeds and those evil deeds affect other people. God loves us enough to give us the choice to love Him back or not. It’s those that choose not to love Him back that are allowed to reap the consequences of living a life without God. That life involves bad choices out of selfish behavior, and the results affect all those in the path of the rebel. The Bible does a much better job at explaining this than I do, so you can read it for yourself. The bottom line to this is: Love always gives its recipients a choice. It’s what people do with that choice that causes people to ask the above question. Why doesn’t God stop it? Because if He did, it wouldn’t be called love; it would be called control. And He would have to eliminate all of us, because we all have a sin nature. He is in control, but His control is giving us a choice. That’s what true Love does.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:21-32

We Are Without Excuse....

Regardless how hard we try to suppress the truth about God, we are without excuse. No matter how much money we accumulate, fame we gain, power we acquire, or things we possess, WE ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD. And it doesn’t matter what society tries to tell us or explain it away, we are endowed with inalienable rights, but held accountable to our Maker.

18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:18-20

The Good News Isn’t Good to All...

It’s a tragedy that the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus isn’t good news to all people. It tells us how God makes us right in His sight. Did you get that? How God makes us right in His sight. Not how we make ourselves right in our own sight. There a big difference, and it makes all the difference in the world. Keep preaching the Good News, someday people will get it.

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes–the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:16-17

Paul’s Secret...

Paul’s secret to his endurance was his attitude towards God’s will. He aligned his will with God’s will. He knew that if walked with God, God would walk with him. Even though Paul’s journey wasn’t easy, he knew he was serving his purpose when he walked in God’s will. Think about that. Does your attitude reflect your willingness to subject yourself to God’s will? Are you humble enough to let go of your pride in order to serve someone in need? Do your desires reflect God’s desires? If not, what’s holding you back? What’s the reason your not serving your purpose? Probably has something to do with selfishness, I would guess. Wouldn’t you?

10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. Romans 1:10

A Two-Way Street....

Christian fellowship is a two-way street. We meet to encourage and to be encouraged by others. Church is that very same concept. Sure, you can worship God anywhere, but when you do it along side other believers, you get encouraged, and God gets the glory. It’s His reward for doing it His way.

12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Romans 1:12

Faith and Obedience is Simple and Hard....

This is a simple concept, and easy to do at times, but it can also be difficult and down right hard at other times. Either way, when we believe God and obey Him, we bring honor and glory to His name. Think about that for a second. When we are faithful to Him, and put into action what we know to be true, that pleases God. Why do we need to complicate it? Faith is simply believing God is real, and believing He does what He says He’ll do. When we believe that, it makes our lives make more sense. It doesn’t answer all of our questions, it just gives us peace knowing we don’t have to know all the answers because we trust the One Who does. It’s a simple concept, but it takes effort and determination on our part to put it into action. Simple to say, hard to do, but when we do, the rewards are immeasurable.

5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey Him, bringing glory to His name. Romans 1:5

Life Has More Depth...

This proverb has so much more to it than meets the eye. It’s the core of being a believer. The riches, honor, and long life have more depth than most will ever see. It may refer to physical riches, but that would be a shallow perspective. The spiritual riches far outweigh any amount of tangible, monetary accumulation you could ever achieve. Just think, when you fear the Lord in true humility, you prepare yourself for whatever comes your way. You trust God, siding with Him, willing to accept that day’s happenings, knowing you are serving a purpose. Your significance comes from knowing your place in His will, and that makes dealing with life a lot easier (not easy but easier). It gives us reason to fight the good fight, and continue in our faith. The riches that come from pursuing God with a humble heart far outweigh anything the world could ever offer. Trust me on this one.

4 True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. Proverbs 22:4

His Faithful Witness in the Sky...

People argue that there is no God. The Bible says in Romans that Nature is His witness, and that we are without excuse. Here in Psalm 89 we see the moon called God’s faithful witness in the sky. We know that a rainbow is a reminder of the covenant between God and man (Noah) to never flood the earth again. Nature is our natural (perceived with all of our senses) witness of God’s existence. Just as a building has a builder, and a painting has a painter, so creation has a Creator. The other evidence for God’s existence come from His revelation to us through the Bible. So we have natural evidence, and supernatural evidence of God’s existence. What more do we need? Oh, I forgot to mention the testimony of millions of changed lives. So the next time you’re out at night and you look up in the sky to see the moon, remember it’s His faithful witness in the sky.

It will be as eternal as the moon,My faithful witness in the sky!” Psalms 89:37a

In a Personal Way....

There are only two responses to God’s call: accept and believe or reject and live your life your way. Our job (the former of the two) is to present the Gospel. And we must do it in a personal way. Truth from a personal perspective is our testimony.

24 Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. 25 And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, 26 ‘Go and say to this people:When you hear what I say,you will not understand.When you see what I do,you will not comprehend.27 For the hearts of these people are hardened,and their ears cannot hear,and they have closed their eyes–so their eyes cannot see,and their ears cannot hear,and their hearts cannot understand,and they cannot turn to Meand let Me heal them.’ 28 So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.” Acts 28:24-28

The Only Difference Is....

When it’s all stripped away, we are all the same, made by God. The only difference is if we recognize it or not.

2 The rich and poor have this in common:The Lord made them both. Proverbs 22:2

Character Matters...

Simply stated, “Character Matters”. Not so much for our own sake, but for God’s. Your example and witness speaks volumes. The task may at times seem tedious, but when the rewards come, they’ll be immeasurable.

1 Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1

God is Love....

You hear people say, “God is Love”. It’s true, but He is also Righteous and Just. He shows us unfailing love and truth. Love requires truth. And the truth is God’s love for us includes Justice. May we come to know this truth and not allow it to deceive us buying into the world’s view of God. You can’t put Him in a box.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.Unfailing love and truth walk before You as attendants. Psalms 89:14

God is Always True to His Word, We Are Not...

Have you ever made a promise and then found yourself not keeping it? Our word should be very important to us. It should be more highly regarded than money. Regardless of the excuses we try to justify our failures when we don’t keep it, we honor God and the integrity it requires by apologizing and making right what we failed to keep. We must be careful in keeping our word, in that it can become a religious practice. We can unknowingly place too much confidence in ourselves and become a Pharisee because we do or not do things others do. That can puff up our chests with pride, causing us to look down our noses at others. The only remedy we have is to fail in comparison; comparison to God. I’m not an advocate of comparing, because it usually does more harm than good. However, when we compare ourselves to God something extraordinary happens. When we compare ourselves with God, we find that we don’t match up. This is a humbling experience. We may say, “Joe doesn’t do this or that, so I’m better than Joe”. This gives us a temporary sense of superiority, which makes us feel good. It’s only short lived. Jack comes along and is better than me at something, so I quickly fall off the “superiority train” onto the “poor me” desolate ground. We then play the “woe is me” game. This cycle continues throughout life, never allowing us to live in consistency. When we know God, and compare ourselves to Him, we learn our place. We are humbled, knowing we don’t compare, but at the same time feel loved in that humility. The difference between comparing ourselves to others and with God is Pride. Pride grows when we compare ourselves to others, and pride dies when we do it with God. God will not allow His glory to be shared with another, so our pride is killed off when we compare ourselves with Him. God is the pride killer. Its part of humility. It’s something I can’t fully explain, I just know it to be true. The point to all this is this, God is always true to His Word, and we are not. We should strive to be, but in that pursuit, keep the proper perspective of knowing our place. We know where our significance truly comes from and what we need to do when we fail. It’s so good to know that God never fails to keep His Word. And that is one of the greatest privileges of being His follower, isn’t it?

And You have done what You promised, for You are always true to Your word. Nehemiah 9:8c

Two Goals....

We have two goals as Christians. One, loving God with all of our hearts, souls, strength, and minds. This will glorify Him. And two, preach the Good News, trying to persuade others to trust in Jesus. We do this by loving our neighbor. It’s pretty simple, it’s just not easy. It can get complicated and messy, but God is honored when we pursue these two goals. And in return, He honors us.

28 Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” 29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:28-29

The Futility of Fighting God...

Here is one truth every one should be aware of. It is useless to fight against God’s will. The reason people do it, is the same reason Satan does it; hatred for God. They know it is useless to fight against Him, but out of their hatred towards Him, they want to turn as many people against them as possible (knowing they can’t win). Or at least cause followers to stumble. Now that is pure selfishness, not the love that they try to disguise it as. Beware, opposing God is wasting your life, the consequences aren’t worth the effort. We need to keep this concept in the front of our minds, so when we are confronted with the hatred, we respond in love with the truth. And hopefully that Love can rescue a deceived, lost soul.

14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is useless for you to fight against My will.’15 “ ‘Who are You, lord?’ I asked.“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting. Acts 26:14-15

Truth Cannot Be Suppressed...

Truth cannot be suppressed. It will always come out. If this were not true, why do people work so hard at trying to protect a lie?

28 A false witness will be cut off, but a credible witness will be allowed to speak. Proverbs 21:28

Stand Your Ground...

When I read Nehemiah chapter 6 I can’t help but think, “this is so relevant in today’s society”. Think about all the agendas being pushed onto us by unbelievers. Pro-choice, same-sex marriage, blending restroom usage, homophobia, marijuana legalization, anti-President speech, women’s rights, sexual abuse, and on and on and on. If people don’t agree with the agenda pusher’s stance, they are called names, plotted evil against, intimidated, and slandered. The agenda pushers will stop at nothing to rid society of truth; or at least truth seekers. Nehemiah faced this exact thing. He was slandered, named called, intimidated, and even had some of his own people turned against him. His life was threatened, and he was almost deceived by a fellow Jew into going into the Temple for protection. How did he respond? He stood his ground. He knew he sided with the truth. He knew this was God’s will (to build the wall). He knew that if he stood on the truth that God would fight for him. And it all came true. It wasn’t easy, it never is, but when we decide in our hearts to side with God, we will make it through. In today’s society we must have Nehemiah’s resolve. We must take it all to God. That way when the opposition comes, and it will come, we will be able to stand on solid ground. Regardless of what society tries to convince us to be true, God’s truth never changes. And that is comforting to know. Through all the name-calling, intimidation, and threatening that agenda pushers might bestow upon us, there’s one thing they don’t have on their side; Truth. And that Truth, being the ground on which we stand, sets us free. We are battling a spiritual battle, not one of flesh and blood. Stand firm in your faith, and God will protect you, by doing the fighting for you.

1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained–though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono.But I realized they were plotting to harm me, 3 so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”4 Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. 5 The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand, 6 and this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. 7 He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’“You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.” 8 I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”9 They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.10 Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.”11 But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” 12 I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. 14 Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me. The Builders Complete the Wall 15 So on October 2 the wall was finished–just fifty-two days after we had begun. 16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.17 During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah. 18 For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 They kept telling me about Tobiah’s good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me. Nehemiah 6