Slave To Sin…..

When people are slaves to sin, what exactly does that mean? It means when people lie, become proud, and curse others, they become ensnared by their actions. They fail to see its ramifications. They become the victim of their own demise. The become controlled by their own desires. It spiritually blinds them, limiting them in their ability to see and recognize truth. This in turn prevents them from doing the “right thing”, such as saying you’re sorry, or forgiving someone’s trespass against you. When sin entangles you in its web of deceit, you become its slave. You become controlled by its power, and end up losing the ability to cope. People don’t realize that when you give in to sinful behavior, you sacrifice your freedom in Christ. You slap the Hand that feeds you. Everything that follows becomes self-inflicted. All the ills that happen are the result of willfully disobeying what you know to be true. You become a victim of your own doing. It’s like locking yourself up in a prison cell, then wondering how you got there. We bring on our own suffering when we give into to sin. And the saddest part is, we won’t have anyone to blame but ourselves.

11 Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with Your power, and bring them to their knees,O Lord our shield.12 Because of the sinful things they say,because of the evil that is on their lips,let them be captured by their pride,their curses, and their lies. Psalms 59:11-12

It’s A Guarantee….

When it’s in God’s will, it’s a guarantee. It may not happen as you see fit, but it will happen. The key is trusting, obeying, and carrying on with life as it’s worked out. David was being hunted down by King Saul. He had every right to worry and wonder “why” God was allowing this. But deep down inside, he knew he had to trust God, for God had told him he would be king. God doesn’t make promises that He doesn’t keep. If David knew he would become king, then he knew Saul wasn’t going to end his life. The same is true for believers. When God promises us to take care of us, never leaving or forsaking us, why do we allow ourselves to be distraught when things don’t go our way? It may not seem like it’s true or going to happen, but faith is all about taking the next step without seeing exactly where to place your foot. It’s how God operates. Trust me on this one. Trust God with His promises.

17 “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” 18 So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh. 1 Samuel 23:17-18

26 Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men, 27 an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. 28 So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape. 29 David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi. 1 Samuel 23:26-29

Heart Of The Gospel….

What is the heart of the Gospel message? There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent. Believers are witnesses of this. If you are not working out your salvation, showing the world the transformation that has taken place inside of you, then maybe you have forgotten the Gospel’s core message. If you minimize sin, you trivialize the Cross. If God isn’t the center of your being, your witness won’t be effective. If He is the substance of your life, your testimony will honor Him by pointing others to Him. Isn’t that the goal of being a follower of Christ Jesus?

45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And He said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’48 You are witnesses of all these things. Luke 24:45-48

Constructive Criticism…..

Constructive criticism, who likes it? Any criticism is hard to take, but it’s when you learn to be honest with yourself, you learn to see it with new eyes. I’ve always told myself anytime someone has any advice, words of wisdom, criticism, or negative comments, I would weigh them all under the scrutiny of truth. When you look at yourself in a mirror, you will see the real you. You will see all of your imperfections. You will see what you like and dislike. It’s the same way with handling others’ comments, you take out what’s true and apply it to your life. And you throw out the bad, that which isn’t true. When you see yourself under God’s sovereign authority you are able to handle people’s words, because you know God is working on your character. God uses people to communicate His intentions. It’s like gold being refined in the furnace. It’s takes immense heat to separate the pure gold from all the impurities mixed in with it. In the same way, criticism, harsh remarks, advice, and the like, are God’s way of testing us to see if we are ready to move forward in our development. In order to be more like Jesus (which is the goal of the sanctification process all believers must experience), we have to get to the point of independently being dependent upon God. One of the surest ways of knowing your journey is headed in the right direction is how we handle criticism. God tells us that we don’t need to worry about what to say when we are brought before people demanding answers, for He will give us the words to say. The key is being close to Him, pursuing Him daily. This helps us look at ourselves from His perspective. It’s where humility starts and ends. It’s where pride isn’t allowed to reign. It’s what these proverbs are all about. Handling criticism shows us where we are on our journey with God. How you handle it, shows us our spiritual maturity. It all starts with a healthy reverence for God, and an honest look at ourselves. So the next time you receive criticism, pray about it, ask God to reveal what its purpose is. Separate the necessary from the untruth, and apply the truth to your life, while throwing out the lies. You’ll find yourself growing in understanding, and at home with the wise. Before you know it, people will be coming to you for this blessing (God-given ability) you’ve trained yourself to develop, it’s called wisdom.

31 If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. 32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. 33 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. Proverbs 15:31-33

If God’s Spirit Left You….

Can you imagine what it would be like having to live knowing God’s Spirit left you? Saul did just that. When he didn’t follow God’s commands with the Amalekites, God removed His Spirit and allowed him a tormenting one. Imagine knowing God, having the ability to understand people, interpret the world from God’s point of view, and knowing your security is safe in God’s hands, then at the blink of an eye, it all being taken away. The only example that comes close to the destruction and havoc it would cause in your life would be how Judas acted once he felt remorse over handing Jesus over to the priests to be crucified. His desperation lead to his suicide. He couldn’t take the overwhelming remorse, guilt, shame, and most importantly loss of hope. We know God will never abandon us (Hebrews 13:5-6), but what if we abandon God to the point of Him granting us our desires to be left alone. It would definitely be a “Judas moment”, wouldn’t it? King Saul lived out the rest of his life in severe depression, paranoia, and hatred towards David. It eventually ended taking his own life, just like Judas. What a miserable way to live and die. God is so important in our lives, so don’t ever be like Saul or Judas. It’s the worst kind of life there is. Hell on earth, won’t compare to Hell after death, but it certainly will give you a taste of what God never intended for human beings.

13 But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. 1 Samuel 20:13

Being “Positive” vs. Encouraging With Truth….

There’s something to be said about “being positive”. It encourages others. It motivates others. It helps promote healing. The warning I would say we all need when it comes to positivity is this: truth must exist in our positivity or it’s just flattery. And we all know flattery gets us no where. It may earn us “brownie points”, but that satisfaction doesn’t last. Without truth, sincerity, enthusiasm, and intent, mean absolutely nothing. You can be the most sincere person in the world, and you can want to help someone so badly it hurts, but without truth, you can be sincerely wrong in your approach. Flattery is dangerous. It sets people up to later fall. A cheerful heart is a sincere heart, one filled with truth. When it brings truthful, sincere good news, there’s no wonder why good health follows. Truth is always something we must continually be pursuing. It’s necessary for life. When truth is pursued, accepted, and spoken freely, it heals a society. Anything else promotes decay. The next time you want to inject “positivity” into someone’s life, remember to be truthful, don’t make up your own truth just to make someone feel better about themselves. You just may inflict more harm than good.

30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. Proverbs 15:30

Prayers Of The Righteous….

The only reason America is still around is because of the prayers of the righteous. If we don’t continue to teach our children about God and His ways, America will literally become “History”.

29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29

A Reward That Keeps Us Going…

When justice prevails everyone rejoices. It’s in our DNA. God is just, He avenges all who do evil, who do not accept His offer of free grace. I’ve always believed God honors those that honor Him. This truth is again stated here in Psalm 58. David knew God. He didn’t live a perfect life, yet he was known as a “man after God’s own heart”. What does that mean? It means that when we “imperfect” human beings decide to follow God, we accept His Sovereign Reign. We accept all that comes with it, the good and bad. We do what He tells us to do. We repent when we realize our sin, and we rejoice when we realize God blesses us. We are to constantly draw near to God. When we do this, there is a reward for those who live for God. It’s a reward beyond description. A reward that keeps us going in times of great need. A reward that continues to give when we are at the end of our rope. A reward that only He can give. A reward freely given to us out of God’s great love for us. Who wouldn’t want this reward? Who would deny something so great? It only comes to those that pursue Him. David knew this, and he shared it with us through this psalm. I think we need to read it, and take heed, don’t you?

11 Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.” Psalms 58:11

Satisfaction And Contentment Killers….

I’ve always told myself there’s three things that will keep satisfaction and contentment away from my door: living in the past, basing a decision slowly on feelings, and comparing myself to others. Here in 1 Samuel 18, we see Saul comparing himself to David. When Saul heard the women sing, He was filled with jealousy, which eventually drove him to paranoia. His many attempts to kill David failed, and ironically led him to eventually take his own life. We live in a world that promotes all three of these detrimental, self-inflicting, pain creators. It’s just one more reason we need God. He sets the record straight by giving us a standard to live by which there is no comparison.

6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. 7 This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands,and David his ten thousands!” 8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. 1 Samuel 18:6-9

Rash And Impulsive Decisions…..

I always wondered why King Saul sent David to fight Goliath? The fate of all Israel rested on a teenage sheep herder. How could Saul make such an impulsive, rash decision? He didn’t even know who David was. How could he trust David to do as he said he would do? It boggles my mind. The good news is it was in God’s plan for it to happen, but Saul didn’t know this because God’s Spirit had left him. Just goes to show us without a connection to God, we all make rash and impulsive decisions. We should, instead of being like Saul, go to God with all of our decisions; that way we at least know He’s taken part of the process. Involving God in our decision-making is rational, and the only way to be certain we went about it in the right manner. No guarantee things will be as we wish, but it does show God where we put our confidence (in Him).

32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:32-37

55 As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”“I really don’t know,” Abner declared.56 “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him.57 As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. 58 “Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said.And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.” 1 Samuel 17:55-58

Tormenting Spirits….

Here’s an interesting question/thought. Don’t know how much truth there is to it, but it’s true in this case. When you reject God, does God allow you to be tormented by evils spirits? Or better stated, does the absence of God’s Spirit leave you unprotected from tormenting, evil spirits? Saul was rejected by God as king. God’s Spirit left him. Since Saul no longer had God’s Spirit, he was tormented with a spirit that caused him to be depressed and fearful. Saul was tormented so much, that he had to enlist David to play the harp to help calm him down in times of great fear and worry. Was it the actual music that calmed Saul, or the fact it was being played by a Spirit-filled individual? I wonder if God allows this to go on in our lives? I just wonder why so many of us are depressed and full of anxiety? Why are we so discontented? Unhappy? Aren’t we the richest nation in the history of the world? Why are we like this when we’ve been tremendously blessed by God? Maybe the reason has to do with this topic. Maybe when we abandon God, He allows these evil spirits to torment us. Have you ever given this deep thought? The remedy is simply to ask God to forgive you and start (or get back to) following Him. Reading Saul’s story certainly motivates me. It clearly shows what selfish and desperate living accomplished; a life full of depression and fear.

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.15 Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”17 “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.” 1 Samuel 16:14-17

23 And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away. 1 Samuel 16:23

What’s In A Man’s Heart….

We live in a world where feelings dictate actions and judgements are based on so many superficial factors. It’s so refreshing to know God doesn’t base His judgements on this same criteria. God bases His judgements on what’s in a man’s heart. He doesn’t judge based on appearances, or smoothness of speech. He doesn’t let the fluidity of our talk sway Him in His decision-making. Only when we are right with God are our hearts secure in His judgements. When our hearts aren’t right with Him, we live in constant opposition to Him, and lack the ability to judge accurately. When God grants us access to His Spirit, we see what He sees, and our judgements are based on His standard. Only then, can we see people’s true self revealed with spiritual insight that only comes from God. If you want to eliminate racism, hatred, and violence, start with your own heart, then you’ll be able to see clearly with unblinded spiritual eyes.

6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:6-7

A Self-Administered Dose Of Humility….

Pride leads us to sin. It’s pride that motivates us to preserve self over others. It’s pride that causes us to rebel. And it’s pride that keeps people out of Heaven. God has consistently told us that He opposes the proud; that He hates pride. Why? Because it’s pride that keeps us from Him. If you want to be closer to God, give yourself a dose of self-administered humility today. It’s the best medicine for a rebellious spirit.

25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the property of widows. Proverbs 15:25

Sin Is Sin….

When we think of sin we always prioritize some higher than others. We may think murder is more sinful than lying. Or adultery more severe than covetousness, but neither are true. Sin is sin. Yes, God has a system that will reward and not reward us when we meet Him face to face, but that’s His system not ours. Here in 1 Samuel 15, we read that rebellion is just as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness is just as bad as idolatry. In God’s eyes sin is sin, even though we may not agree. It’s not based on our analysis. Jesus Himself said lusting is the same as adultery, and hating someone is the same as murder. James tells us that if we break the law in one tiny area, then we are guilty of breaking the entire law in God’s eyes. You see, sin is sin, and we can’t compare one to another. All sin is to call God a liar by our contradictory behavior. How much sewage do we have to swim in to start to smell like sewage? If we have this kind of disdain toward God when it comes to our view of sin, what makes us any different from King Saul? Nothing. God wants our obedience more than our sacrifices or offerings. It’s our obedience, our loyalty to Him that matters. When will we get this? Until then, I guess we will always compare sins and try to make ourselves feel better about it, instead of confessing it and throwing ourselves at the mercy of our God.

23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” 1 Samuel 15:23

Why They Wanted Him Dead….

In case you run into someone who says, “Jesus never claimed to be God”. Here’s one more biblical text that demonstrates Jesus claiming He is God. When you’re honest with yourself, you must ask, “why did the Jews want Him dead?”, because He claimed to be God. It’s fact. Why do so many people claim Jesus never said it? They either are ignorant of the scriptures, or they are not willing to accept what these verses state. Either way, without a true desire to know God, it’s impossible to make an accurate statement about Jesus. We can’t proclaim truth, when truth isn’t a reality to us. Jesus is real. Jesus is God. The Bible makes it clear, but only to those who’s heart are fully devoted to God. Never forget this.

66 At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, 67 and they said, “Tell us, are You the Messiah?”But He replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe Me. 68 And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer.69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.”70 They all shouted, “So, are You claiming to be the Son of God?”And He replied, “You say that I am.”71 “Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard Him say it.” Luke 22:66-71

Rash, Impatient Decisions…..

Do you ever make rash, impatient decisions? We all do. Here in 1 Samuel chapter 13, we read one of King Saul’s decisions that affected Him the rest of his life. This impulsive decision caused Saul a lot of misery as he walked further into his reign as king. It affected Him so much, he battled depression, severe mood swings, and clinical paranoia the rest of his life trying to deal with it. If he had only waited. If he had only trusted God. I can’t answer this fully, but I can question why. Why didn’t Saul just ask God Himself for help? Why did he need to have Samuel there? If it was custom to have a sacrifice in order to know, why did he take matters into his own hands? He wasn’t a priest. He knew only priests could perform these duties, it was written in the law. Saul got desperate. He was so worried that he took matters into his own hands. How often do we do the same? How often do we try to step into the role of God and fix it ourselves? How often do we step into the role of God on all issues? We probably do it more often than we think. It’s no surprise that things don’t work out, is it? We were never given His role, it’s His job. And He is the only One qualified to do it, correct? Our role is to trust and obey, that’s where we best fit in on this earth. It’s only when we “play God” that big messes start to envelope us. Stop yourself from “playing God”. You’ll save yourself a lot of pain in the future. It’s more prevalent than you think. In Saul’s case he lost his reign as king, all because of his lack of trust in God. Make sure you don’t suffer this same fate. Draw closer to God, especially when you’ve been given the first step (faith). It’s trusting Him Who made us that determines our fate, not what we do in a panic or moments where we lack patience.

 Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 1 Samuel 13:7c-14

This Rollercoaster Ride Called Fickleness…..

Israel’s history can be summed up in Samuel’s farewell speech to the Hebrew nation. It’s like a washing machine: wash, rinse, spin, repeat. Israel’s behavior went like this: suffer under oppression, cry out to God, God rescues them, they lived reverently for a while, adopt the customs of the local pagans, rebel by worshipping idols, suffer, repeat. Samuel’s address gives remedy to this perpetual human behavioral cycle. Keep God in His proper place, and enjoy the benefits. It’s only when we take Him for granted by allowing our selfishness to reign that we join in this rollercoaster ride called fickleness. Remember God doesn’t abandon His people, His people abandon Him.

1 Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king. 2 Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you–an old, gray-haired man–and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. 3 Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before His anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”4 “No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”5 “The Lord and His anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”“Yes, He is a witness,” they replied.6 “It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.8 “When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, He sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. 9 But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so He handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.10 “Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship You and You alone if You will rescue us from our enemies.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety.12 “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. 13 All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.14 “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to His voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. 15 But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to Him, then His hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.16 “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. 17 You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 “Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”20 “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on Him. 21 Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you–they are totally useless! 22 The Lord will not abandon His people, because that would dishonor His great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you His very own people.23 “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve Him. Think of all the wonderful things He has done for you. 25 But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.” 1 Samuel 12:1-25

Tears In A Bottle….

If God kept track of David’s tears, by collecting them in a bottle, what does that say about God’s care for those who pursue Him? What does that say about God’s concern for our sorrow? What the world longs for, and yet can’t find, God provides in abundance for those who seek Him with all of their heart. David knew this; it’s recorded in the Psalms. It’s evidence for all to read of what’s possible when you accept God’s ways and dedicate your allegiance to Him. Are you missing out on this experience? Do you ever feel all alone when you are mistreated? There is a way. There is Someone Who will bring you comfort, and grant you the peace that surpasses all understanding. There is Someone keeping track of your tears. Reach out to Him today. Ask Him to help you. God will never deny a pleading, genuine call for rescue. Never. He will grant you life-giving light, and the path you walk on will never be too dark to travel.

8 You keep track of all my sorrows.You have collected all my tears in Your bottle.You have recorded each one in Your book. 9 My enemies will retreat when I call to You for help.This I know: God is on my side!10 I praise God for what He has promised;Yes, I praise the Lord for what He has promised.11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?What can mere mortals do to me? 12 I will fulfill my vows to You, O God,and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for Your help.13 For You have rescued me from death;You have kept my feet from slipping.So now I can walk in Your presence, O God,in Your life-giving light. Psalms 56:8-13

Weeping May Tarry Through The Night, But Joy Comes….

If there’s one guarantee in life, it’s this: God will take care of believers. It may not seem like care to some, or help to others, but He will not let those who have placed their trust in Him fall. Every step, every decision, every action, will point to His protection for His faithful ones. Some may ask, “What about those who suffered horrible deaths because of their faith?” I will answer with this: Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. In the end, being with God in Heaven, is the ultimate proof of His love and care for us. When someone dies a violent death, we always think, “what a horrible way to die?”, but I think it’s only a process, their soul is now in paradise. Death and suffering are only temporary for those who believe. God has a destination far better off for those faithful to Him, so much so, He guarantees it. He will never let us slip out of His hand. He will never let us fall away. Now that’s comfort you can always count on.

22 Give your burdens to the Lord,and He will take care of you.He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalms 55:22

Our Possessions Will Possess Us When….

Here’s a simple truth: when you are on God’s side you don’t need things to bring you joy. The most important things in life are not things. Having material possessions is a blessing from God, but having them without His presence in your life only guarantees turmoil. Think about it, without the right perspectives, your possessions will possess you. Your thoughts and actions will always be focused on how to keep them, how to maintain them, how to spend your money on fixing them when they break. It will take your focus off of the most important things. It will cause you to place things before people. It will occupy your thought-life on the temporary instead of the eternal. If you allow your affections to be solely on this world, you’ll spend the majority of your time devoted to this world, and miss out on what truly lasts and brings you permanent joy.

16 Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. Proverbs 15:16

Know Who Butters Your Bread…..

Humanity has a common, identifiable, and repeatable cycle: come to God, get comfortable, take God for granted, stray away from God, suffer, cry out to God, repeat. What is it that drives this pattern? The fact that God is not tangible? Air isn’t tangible but we seem to use it daily. Three minutes without it, and you’ll know you desperately need it. When we want something, not need it, and we ask God, He just might give it to us just to show us what stage in this cycle we are in. It will eventually lead to the suffering section, and thus back to Him. If only we could stay in the close to Him section, we would save ourselves a lot of frustration and pain. Selfishness will always be a thorn in our side, but it doesn’t have to lead to straying. Making God the priority in your life is the first step in breaking the cycle. Keeping Him there is the second. Knowing Who butters your bread helps you maintain a consistent accountability that helps prevent the straying. It’s up to us to pursue God, the results are up to Him. You will not regret living a life where God is the priority. And more importantly, it’s not what you think the world portrays it to be.

1 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want Me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned Me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” 1 Samuel 8:1-9

= 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home. 1 Samuel 8:19-22

Complicated By The Way We Deal With Them….

Here’s a simple concept: we all try to escape from life’s troubles. Some do it with drugs, and some with alcohol. Some work 24/7. Some ignore it all together. David, here in Psalm 55, chose God to help him deal with his troubles. He knew God was the only answer. If all people in the world knew this, do you think there would be all the problems there are? Probably not. Most all of our troubles are complicated by the way we deal with them. David chose God to help him. What method do you choose in dealing with yours?

1 Listen to my prayer, O God.Do not ignore my cry for help!2 Please listen and answer me,for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.3 My enemies shout at me,making loud and wicked threats.They bring trouble on meand angrily hunt me down. 4 My heart pounds in my chest.The terror of death assaults me.5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me,and I can’t stop shaking.6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove;then I would fly away and rest!7 I would fly far awayto the quiet of the wilderness. 8 How quickly I would escape–far from this wild storm of hatred. Psalms 55:1-8

If You Want To Be Closer To God….

It’s really simple when you think about it. If you want to be closer to God, you have to prioritize Him in your life. He has to be your priority. Not number One, but the only priority in your life. Everything else is secondary, everything. Anything you place before God will be a hinderance to your pursuit of Him. Anything you desire or treat as more important will be a deterrent to your closeness with Him. As the first commandment states and Jesus reiterates, you must love Him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Until you understand this, your pursuit of knowing Him will be limited. Why? Because He knows your heart. Until you show Him how serious your commitment is to Him, you’ll only have a paper-thin relationship. It’s only by truly worshipping Him, giving all of your heart, soul, and mind in pursuing Him, that He reveals more of Himself to you. Anything that gets in the way, is called an idol. Rid yourself of all the idols you willingly or are even unaware of in your life. Then pursue Him whole-heartedly. Your life will change, and you’ll never be the same again. Stop putting it off, start today. Make that commitment, and watch your eyes be filled with spiritual sight. If you’re serious about coming to know God personally, or returning to Him from a “spiritual vacation”, put into practice this principle. It’s the only way.

3 Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then He will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord. 1 Samuel 7:3-4

God Is Real (Israel)……

The story of the Philistines returning the Ark of the Lord is fascinating. Being pagan worshippers, they did not know what to do with it. They had captured it in a battle, but God had caused a horrible plague on all the people and towns that fought and took it. The wiser of the men told the afflicted people to send it back. They devised a way to see if the plague was from God because of the Ark. The cows they chose were new mothers, so their instinct to return to their newborn calves would be great. If the cows walked toward the nearest Israelite town, then they knew God’s hand was in this. Sure enough, the cart in which they pulled went straight towards the Jewish town. I can’t help but think that deep down inside every single human being knows God exists. The problem lies in what we do about it. Even pagans know God exists, when they suffer enough, they will try to appease Him. The Philistines suffered enough, from the tumors that God has brought in a plague, when they captured the Ark. They were smart enough to piece together all the stories they had heard about the Egyptians suffering from the plagues God brought on them. So they devised a plan to prove it was God that inflicted this pain on them. The only problem with this is there’s only one way to please God, it’s through faith in Jesus. It’s showing God that you know Him and trust Him. All the sacrifices and gifts you make or attempt to send God, will never make you right with Him. It’s only through Jesus’ atonement on the cross and our faith in this truth that makes us right with Him. The only way you’ll ever be forgiven and satisfy God, is through Jesus. God is real. Think about it for a second. GOD ISRAEL.

1 The Ark of the Lord remained in Philistine territory seven months in all. 2 Then the Philistines called in their priests and diviners and asked them, “What should we do about the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how to return it to its own country.”3 “Send the Ark of the God of Israel back with a gift,” they were told. “Send a guilt offering so the plague will stop. Then, if you are healed, you will know it was His hand that caused the plague.”4 “What sort of guilt offering should we send?” they asked.And they were told, “Since the plague has struck both you and your five rulers, make five gold tumors and five gold rats, just like those that have ravaged your land. 5 Make these things to show honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps then He will stop afflicting you, your gods, and your land. 6 Don’t be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. By the time God was finished with them, they were eager to let Israel go.7 “Now build a new cart, and find two cows that have just given birth to calves. Make sure the cows have never been yoked to a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but shut their calves away from them in a pen. 8 Put the Ark of the Lord on the cart, and beside it place a chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors you are sending as a guilt offering. Then let the cows go wherever they want. 9 If they cross the border of our land and go to Beth-shemesh, we will know it was the Lord who brought this great disaster upon us. If they don’t, we will know it was not His hand that caused the plague. It came simply by chance.”10 So these instructions were carried out. Two cows were hitched to the cart, and their newborn calves were shut up in a pen. 11 Then the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart. 12 And sure enough, without veering off in other directions, the cows went straight along the road toward Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.13 The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they saw the Ark, they were overjoyed! 14 The cart came into the field of a man named Joshua and stopped beside a large rock. So the people broke up the wood of the cart for a fire and killed the cows and sacrificed them to the Lord as a burnt offering. 15 Several men of the tribe of Levi lifted the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors from the cart and placed them on the large rock. Many sacrifices and burnt offerings were offered to the Lord that day by the people of Beth-shemesh. 16 The five Philistine rulers watched all this and then returned to Ekron that same day.17 The five gold tumors sent by the Philistines as a guilt offering to the Lord were gifts from the rulers of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 18 The five gold rats represented the five Philistine towns and their surrounding villages, which were controlled by the five rulers. The large rock at Beth-shemesh, where they set the Ark of the Lord, still stands in the field of Joshua as a witness to what happened there. 1 Samuel 6:1-18

The World Cannot Hold Our Attention When…..

It’s one of the shortest sections in the NT. The widows offering is a tiny snippet of the “bigger picture” of what it means to have faith. One Sunday our pastor made an illustrative point about our faith that will stick with me for life. He had another person stand about 3 feet from him. He took out a sword, and pointed right at the observer’s chest. He then said, “this is exactly what happens to us when we make a commitment to follow Christ”. The closer you get it feels like you are dying, like a sword piercing your heart. The death of things follow. We feel like we are dying. Dying in the sense of all the things we used to love have fallen by the wayside in comparison to Jesus. At first it’s painful, but the closer you draw to God, the pain gets lighter and lighter. This is because the satisfaction of knowing you are “dying to self” in order to serve God takes away the allure of worldly things. Nothing can compare to the riches in Christ. The widow knew this, that’s why she gave it all. She knew God would provide for her. Jesus’ acknowledgement of her seemingly insignificant sacrifice shows us that when we are willing to give up the very thing that sustains us on earth (in this case money), there is a greater reward God grants us, eternal life. And that’s way more than we think, it involves treasures here in earth as well. Treasures without measure. Treasures money can’t buy. Treasures that are indescribable. Treasures that have no rival. They say the man who needs nothing is invincible, well, the man that dies to self for Jesus’ sake (to serve Him) is filled with such significance and duty, the world cannot hold his attention for very long. It’s part of the effect of receiving this indescribable gift of Christ. Don’t you want that gift? Then give God your best. It’s what He’s been asking of us since the beginning. When you give God your best, you live with no regrets. It’s a win-win every single time.

1 While Jesus was in the Temple, He watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them.4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” Luke 21:1-4

A Lifelong Commitment….

Being a Christian, a follower of Jesus, isn’t a one time, “I made a decision so now I’m good for the rest of my life”, kind of occurrence. It’s a day by day, lifelong commitment. It’s working out your salvation. It’s showing the world what transformation has taken place on the inside of you. Being committed, standing firm in your faith, is what God wants from us. It’s how our souls are redeemed, a one-time transaction that affects our everyday living for the rest of our lives. Your consistent commitment to God, shows Him He chose the right person for the task. It also shows us we are responsible and accountable in how we show gratitude to our Redeemer.

19 By standing firm, you will win your souls. Luke 21:19

Truth Will Come About….

Here’s a deep thought that just came to me. When the Bible talks about the religious leaders who were always trying to trap Jesus into an offense that they could prosecute Him for, there must have been some that believed Jesus when He spoke. Like in Luke chapter 20, we have the “pay taxes to Caesar” questioning situation. Some of the Pharisees told Jesus, “You teach the way of God truthfully”. Then later in the same chapter, when Jesus corrected the Sadducees about the resurrection, they told Him, “well said, Teacher”. I wonder if the ones that said this were believers? Maybe Nicodemus, or Joseph of Arimathea, or any others who believed when they witnessed Jesus speak and perform miracles? Maybe that was their way of showing Jesus where their true loyalty was placed. Maybe it was their way of acknowledging the truth without being excommunicated from the synagogue. Those would be perfect times for those “secret believers” to speak out, for there was no rebuking Jesus’ words. The truth has a way of “stopping the mouth”. Maybe I’m wrong about this, but maybe just maybe, my thoughts are accurate. God has a way of effectively communicating truth. He may use His enemies to get His point across, or even from the mouths of babes, regardless how or who He uses, truth will come about, even if the rocks have to cry out.

39 “Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. 40 And then no one dared to ask Him any more questions. Luke 20:39-40

No One Likes To Be Lied To….

No one likes being lied to. No one likes being deceived or taken advantage of. That’s where discernment comes into play. Why is discernment so important? Because God helps you spot pretenders; wolves in sheep’s clothing. If these Pharisees actually believed what they said about Jesus, they wouldn’t have wasted their time trying to trap Him (there would be no need). The truth defends itself. If they actually believed Jesus taught the way of God truthfully, they would’ve been eating with the disciples at the last supper. Discernment is essential in the Christian walk. Without it, the sheep your tending, just might be your persecutors in disguise, ready to devour you. Get into God’s word, and His Word will get into you. His spirit will enable you to see people as they truly are, and save you a lot of pain from being deceived. Discernment helps separate the wheat from the tares, and the sheep from the goats. God’s Spirit has a way of cutting through all the facades people put up; it spots the counterfeits by knowing the Real Thing.

20 Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 21 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Now tell us–is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”23 He saw through their trickery and said, 24 “Show Me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”“Caesar’s,” they replied.25 “Well then,” He said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”26 So they failed to trap Him by what He said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by His answer, and they became silent. Luke 20:20-26

We Find Out What We Really Are…

The only way to truly find yourself, is to lose yourself in God. God knows us better than we know ourselves. It’s by coming to know God, as the Bible tells us, that we truly find ourselves. We have to die to self. It’s exchanging Jesus’ life for our life. If we look inside of ourselves, as the world preaches, we will find out what we really are, sinners. The problem then becomes what do we do about it? We find out what we are by looking inside, but we don’t find “who we are” until we look to God, in Jesus. God knows our heart, trust Him with yours.

11 Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the Lord.How much more does He know the human heart! Proverbs 15:11

Those That Honor God….

One of my favorite scripture verses comes from 1 Samuel 2 verse 30. It’s a truth that is undeniable. When we honor God in word and in deed, God honors us. It may not be monetarily, but it will be priceless. The greatest gift God will ever give human beings is Himself; His presence. In the case of Eli the priest and his family, God took their lives because of their evil practices. Eli’s lack of discipline with his own sons cost them their lives. Samuel, on the other hand, did what was right in the Lord’s sight, and was rewarded with a very powerful and effective witness for God. The same is true today. Those that honor God, especially those who live in our “Post-Christian” society, will be honored by Him. I’m living proof. Honor God today by getting into His Word, sharing the gospel with someone, and relating with Him through conversation and prayer. When you do this, you’ll find the cares and worries of this world won’t be so bothersome, because you trust the One Who’s really in control. Those that honor God will be honored by Him.

30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be My priests. But I will honor those who honor Me, and I will despise those who think lightly of Me. 1 Samuel 2:30

Setting The Course For Chaos….

The reason why evil eventually fails is because it violates God’s order. It goes against what He has designed. Biology, common sense, and truth all have been trumped by the current trend of “feelings determine our reality”, setting the course for chaos. There is a way in which the world works, and no matter what man tries to do, when it violates this order, failure is inevitable. Any time you see man attempting to violate this order, just remember it won’t last, regardless if it’s popular. God’s ways and His order are what keep the world going, for He creates all things in Him and for Him. The only way His order would cease is if God withdrew Himself from the universe. And we know that will never happen. So the next time you watch the news or read an article about people promoting something that violates God’s order, remember it won’t last, it’s just another passing phase.

For all the earth is the Lord’s, and He has set the world in order. 9 “He will protect His faithful ones,but the wicked will disappear in darkness.No one will succeed by strength alone.10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.He thunders against them from heaven;the Lord judges throughout the earth.He gives power to His king;He increases the strength of His anointed one.” 1 Samuel 2:8c-10