Archive for December, 2011

  • 10 Dec

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    I SHALL GO SOFTLY

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    “What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.”
    Isaiah 38:15

    Hezekiah was a truly outstanding king in Judah. He obeyed the Lord and removed many of the images of false worship from the land. It is said of him in II Kings 18:5, “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.”

    The Bible tells us how Hezekiah became sick unto death. He earnestly prayed to the Lord. God heard his prayer, and God mercifully promised to add fifteen, years to his life. How appreciative the king was for the gracious, transforming touch of God upon his life. Hezekiah’s thankful response to God’s goodness toward him included these words: “I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.” Hezekiah knew that his life had been extended. The phrase “go softly” carries the idea that he would walk humbly and gratefully all of his life, remembering the bitterness of his sickness from which he had been delivered. Hezekiah was determined never to forget how fortunate and blessed he was. The awareness of what God had done for him would serve to keep him in the right frame of mind for the remainder of his days.

    The way the Lord had blessed him would have an affect on the way he lived the rest of his life. Shouldn’t the same be true of each of us? God has been so good to us. He has provided salvation for us through the death of His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. No one ever cared for us the way our God cares for us. He has promised an eternal home in Heaven for each one who wholly turns to Christ and receives the gift of eternal life. He has placed us in a New Testament church where the Word of God is preached. God has made it possible for us to own a copy of the precious Word of God. He has placed His Holy Spirit within us at the time of our new birth, and has promised never to leave us. God has not added a mere fifteen years to our lives; He has added abundant and eternal life to our existence.

    May we never get over God’s goodness. The awareness of what He has done for us should affect the way we live. Our attitude along this journey of life should reflect how we have been touched and transformed by the gracious hand of the Almighty.

  • 09 Dec

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    THE DESIRE OF THE SLOTHFUL

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    “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.”
    Proverbs 21:25

    There is much in the Bible about the sluggard or slothful man. A slothful person is lazy, procrastinates, and makes excuses for his unwillingness to work. One might think that since the slothful man does not want to work, he has no desire to achieve or improve. Yet, the Bible says his desire is killing him. He wants to have certain things; however, because “his hands refuse to labour,” his desire only tends to frustrate him. He would rather do nothing and have nothing, than to work and accomplish something.

    God wants us to understand the value of hard work. It is honorable to work and disgraceful to refuse to labor. We all have heard complaints lamenting the fact that too few people are willing to work. This is an interesting phenomenon in our country. We hear that many people are without a job; but at the same time, employers are always looking for dependable workers. As parents and leaders, we should be teaching and training those under our care to see the dignity of honest labor. The opinion that the world owes us something or that our government is responsible to meet the needs of the lazy is wrong. The slothful man’s dreams will never come true because he is not willing to work for them.

    There is nothing wrong with seeking to prosper or having an ambition to succeed, especially when we want our successes to bring honor and glory to God. However, effort, toil, diligence, and discipline are the things dreams are made of. It takes work for dreamers to reach their goals and accomplish their objectives. For instance, one does not grow spiritually to maturity without a great deal of discipline and effort. We are to exercise ourselves unto godliness. A successful Christian family does not come about by desire alone. The desire must be accompanied by determination and effort. To reach others with the Gospel message and help believers become all they are capable of becoming takes the investment of time and concern from others.

    Many believers would like to have a more fruitful life for Christ, a stable and godly home, and a more effective ministry. Yet, their desire is only making them miserable because their hands refuse to labor. To see our godly objectives realized, we must roll up our sleeves and get to work.

  • 08 Dec

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    FANNING THE FLAME

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    “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.”
    II Timothy 1:6

    Paul admonishes his son in the faith to “stir up the gift of God.” This phrase paints a very interesting picture. To stir up means “to re-kindle or fan a flame.” One must assume that Paul recognized the need for Timothy to be stirred up. The implication is that our spiritual fire can grow dim and needs to be fanned back to fervency.

    Most of us have been there in our spiritual lives. There have been times when we have let our enthusiasm or zeal diminish. Paul’s language reminds us of those times around a campfire when the fire died down and the embers lost their glow. We have seen the transformation that takes place when that neglected fire gets some much-needed attention. Just stirring the coals or fanning the flame can restore the fire to its previous radiance. It is apparent that Timothy, like many of us, needed to be encouraged from time to time not to shrink back in his service to Christ. He was reminded in II Timothy 1:7 that God had not given him the “spirit of fear.” In I Timothy 4:12, Paul told Timothy to “Let no man despise thy youth.” Perhaps his youthfulness was a part of the reason for his timidity. In any case, it helps us identify with Timothy when we recognize the personal weaknesses that we also have.

    Like Timothy, we have all been given the spiritual equipment we need to fulfill God’s will for our lives. However, at times, our spiritual fire loses its luster, often because of neglect. We have not provided the fuel to keep the fire burning brightly. We need to tend to the fire in our souls. Maintaining the fire is partly accomplished through meaningful daily devotions. As we pray, and let God’s Word speak to our hearts, confessing our sins to God regularly, we find that the flames of our spiritual lives stay burning. Sin quenches the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. The Spirit of God wants to fill and flow out of us in ministry to others. When He is grieved by our compromise or disobedience, our lives will not have the influence and impact that they should.

    When responded to and obeyed, the preaching and teaching of God’s Word keeps the blaze going in our lives. For those who know the Lord as Savior, a fire has been ignited in their souls. From time to time, it needs to be re-kindled and fanned; then, it will burn brightly for the Lord.

  • 07 Dec

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    BLOWING TRUMPETS

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    “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.”
    Numbers 10:1-2

    God instructed Moses to make trumpets that would be used “for the calling of the asembly, and for the journeying of the camps.” Different and distinct messages would be conveyed to the vast congregation by means of the trumpets. Trumpets would be used to assemble the entire congregation or call for a meeting of the leaders. They would sound warnings or alarms, give precise instructions for different tribes, call to arms to face enemies, and even communicate times of rejoicing.

    Several practical lessons can be derived from this system of communication. It would be imperative that the one blowing the trumpet give the correct message. A confused sound could cause great misfortune. A parallel is given in the New Testament concerning the preaching of the Word of God. Paul asked the church members in Corinth, “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (I Corinthians 14:8) Preaching should give a certain sound. It should be distinct and easily understood. People should not have to struggle to understand the message being sounded forth.

    There is also the responsibility of the congregation to be responsive to the message of the trumpeter. The communication of information from a faithful trumpeter will serve as no benefit if the message is not heard and heeded. When the trumpet began to signal a command, the people of Israel were to comprehend and obey the message. An ignored or misunderstood trumpet could spell disaster. Confidence on the part of the congregation was imperative. Without seeing the trumpeter, they would have to respond in faith. God compares the preaching of His Word to the trumpeter communicating a vital message. Just as the preacher should be clear in the message of truth he is declaring, the listeners must be attentive to hear and respond to what is preached. By faith, the listeners should decisively comply to the truth of the Scripture being proclaimed. To fail to apply the message could result in great disappointment and loss. The responsibility to alertly understand and obey the sound of the trumpet lies with each of us.

  • 06 Dec

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    ALWAYS DELIVERED UNTO DEATH

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    “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”
    II Corinthians 4:10, 11

    What benefit is there in our problems? There are several equally true answers to that question, but this passage clearly brings out one of them. Our trials have a way of bringing us to experience the death of our natural abilities, bringing us to the end of our sufficiency, that we might experience the ability and all-sufficiency of Christ in our lives.

    We all will face hardships, and those difficulties may come in several varieties. Paul spoke of being troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down. In spite of all that, we know that we are never forsaken, left alone, or without hope. We can always know that God is using our trials for our betterment. As these various forms of adversity come our way, they have the ability to introduce us to our inadequacies. Then, we are able to recognize the sufficiency of Jesus in our circumstances. The more this “death” works in us, the more His life is “made manifest in our mortal flesh.” At the same time that death is working in us, life is working through us toward others.

    It is helpful for us to understand this part of God’s program for our lives. His ultimate purpose includes taking us to be with Him in Heaven one day, but it involves much more than that. When we are saved, a part of Heaven comes to dwell within us through the Spirit of Christ. God wants to manifest, both to us and to those we come in contact with, how His Spirit can equip and enable us. However, one of the factors that hinder His working through us is our own sufficiency. When we are capable of handling the affairs of our lives, we tend to do things in our own ability or power. But, God in His wisdom knows that when we have problems larger than ourselves, we will be motivated to let Him work through us.

    Dying to self and learning how helpless we are can be painful experiences. We sometimes fight to maintain our sense of control and self-confidence. However, it is only in dying that we learn to live. May we not despair in our times of testing. When we think it is more than we can bear, we can know that the end of our sufficiency is the beginning of His.

  • 05 Dec

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    THE DISCIPLINE OF EXCELLENCE

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    “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
    Ecclesiastes 9:10

    The Scripture gives us instruction to avoid the hindering attitude of mediocrity. It is understandable, and should be appreciated, that the Word of God repeatedly warns us of the danger of being half-hearted about our work. We need these cautions because we have a natural tendency to be or do less than our true potential. Jesus rebuked the Laodicean church for being lukewarm. We are urged in many places to serve, to sing, and to love God with our whole heart. God wants our best, and excellence should be our objective.

    Where should we expect excellence in our efforts? Our text tells us we should give our best in “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do.” It has been said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right.” The Bible does not make a distinction between important things and less important things. We are encouraged to pursue excellence in whatever we do. As a matter of fact, it is probably true that carelessness in the smaller things promotes negligence in the larger things. We know that Jesus promised that faithfulness in a few things would be rewarded with opportunity in many things.

    Our text tells us that after the grave, certain opportunities for service will be lost. It is in this life that we are privileged to labor for the Master. One day, it will be too late for us to do what we have been given to do now. Jesus said in John 9:4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Every day we draw closer to eternity. What we intend to do, we must do now. We ought to have a sense of urgency about serving God while we have the opportunity. Our day of resting from our work will come.

    In the meantime, we should be busy. And how would the Lord have us to go about our calling and place of service? Whatever it is that we find to do, we are to do it with our might. There ought to be a commitment on our part to give God our best, and always do our best. With God as our Helper, let us determine not to offer to Him that which costs us nothing. Let’s not be satisfied with mediocrity in our involvements. One day, we will answer to Him for our stewardship, and we want to know that we did our best for the Master.

  • 04 Dec

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    IN THE EVIL DAY…STAND

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    “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
    Ephesians 6:10, 13

    The Christian life is a spiritual battle. As Paul warned the Ephesian church of the spiritual conflict they would encounter, we also need to realize that we have an
    adversary, the devil, which wants to discourage, defeat, and even destroy us. We are encouraged to withstand and to stand in the “evil day.” There will always be spiritual attacks against those who love and serve the Lord, but some days the intensity of the warfare is noticeably stronger. These days are what could be referred to as the “evil day.” There will be evil days; days of greater than usual temptations and attack. There will be days of intensified spiritual warfare. We should not be surprised when we have periods of spiritual conflict, when the enemy relentlessly barrages us with lies, accusations, and false imaginations. If we are in the battle and are engaged in service for the cause of Jesus Christ, the enemy will do all he can to distract and discourage us.

    The good news is that we have been given adequate provision for the most evil of days. We have been given God’s Spirit and power. We are challenged to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” We dare not stand against the enemy in our own power, but in the power of God’s might. Our strength is in the Lord. The battle is not ours but the Lord’s. The devil’s attacks may be more than we can withstand in our own might or power, but they are not more than our Savior can handle.

    When we face an evil day, we need to make sure we are trusting in the Lord and not ourselves. We have been provided given spiritual armor to protect and equip us in the evil days. By faith, we must take inventory and make sure we are spiritually prepared for the spiritual attacks that we know will come. We do not want to face our enemies without “the whole armour of God.” We are exhorted that “having done all, to stand.” We are to do all that we know to do, and then stand. We are to submit to God, confess our sins, seek His face, ask for the Lord’s help, stay faithful to God, remain in His will, and stand. In God’s Name and in His power, we can stand against the wiles of the devil in the “evil day.”

  • 03 Dec

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    REBELLIOUS BY NATURE

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    “Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.”
    Deuteronomy 9:24

    Moses is recalling the journeys of the Israelites, which included the all too frequent stubbornness of God’s people. They had been rebellious against the Lord for as long as Moses could remember. This is not to say that there were not times of surrender and obedience, but they were consistently insubordinate to God’s leadership and commands. This is not the kind of behavior we would want others to remember us by. Their rebellion was seen in their disobedience to God’s commandments, like when they chose not to go up and possess the land that God promised them. The Bible teaches that direct disobedience is a form of rebellion. The people of Israel were also guilty of not believing God or trusting His ability and leadership. They depended on their own wisdom and preferred their own agenda.

    These characteristics are still to be found in the lives of God’s children. We all will have times when we struggle with some aspect of God’s will, but we must guard against any spirit of rebellion or unbelief. These tendencies are common manifestations of the sinful human nature that all of us are born with. We are all sinners and have all been guilty of disobeying God, failing to believe His promises, and ignoring His voice.

    Thank God that through Jesus Christ we can be forgiven of these acts of rebellion. We are grateful that, at the time of our salvation, we received a new nature as the Holy Spirit of God indwelt us. The new man has a desire to obey and please God. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and hate the sins of pride and rebellion. God requires obedience from His children. Small compromises and acts of disobedience, when not seriously dealt with, can lead to habitual sin.

    As parents, one of our primary goals is to teach our children to promptly obey. Because we want them to cheerfully obey God, we should require them to obey their parents. When children are permitted to disobey and ignore their parent’s commands, they are being conditioned to continue in that pattern. Also, if we expect them to obey God with their lives, they need to see this behavior in their parents. Rebellion characterized our lives before we came to know the Lord. But as believers, we need to develop lives of obedience to God and faith in His Word.

  • 02 Dec

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    DOING MY PART

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    “For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.”
    II Corinthians 8:13, 14

    God never intended that only a few people carry the entire burden of the ministry in His churches. God was using the Apostle Paul to teach the church members at Corinth about the grace of giving and how they should grow in this spirit of generosity. One can imagine that some might think, “But, what about me? If I am giving my resources to help others, who will help me? Should I sacrifice alone?” The answer is that God wants all of us to do our part.

    Many times we have heard statistics claiming that twenty percent of the people usually contribute eighty percent of the work. This is supposedly true in many realms of professional life. If indeed this information is accurate, then eighty percent of the population is not doing its part. This should not be true among the Lord’s churches. Everyone should be contributing.

    It is not God’s plan that “other men be eased, and ye burdened.” The word burdened speaks of being pressured or troubled with the responsibility. We all should want to serve the Lord, but we do not want anyone to be overloaded because he is carrying more than his share of the load. God wants us to be active, but not to feel that we are required to do more than our part. The same can be true in the home when one member of the family is not willing to contribute and help ease the load of others. Family members can be greatly discouraged when they are doing all they can while others are being slack. We must recognize and rid ourselves of any tendency to allow others to carry the load that God expects us to shoulder. Unfortunately, this mentality is also seen at times in the Lord’s churches. A small minority of the congregation is responsible for the majority of what is being done.

    Every member should be doing his or her part in Christian service through the church. Everyone should be praying, giving, serving, and witnessing. When you think about it, why would anyone want someone else to do what God would allow us to do? Imagine the effectiveness and influence of our churches, both in our communities and around the world, if everyone was cheerfully doing his part.

  • 01 Dec

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    PLEASING THE LORD

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    “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
    Psalm 19:14

    It was in David’s heart, as it should be in ours, to please his Lord. He desired that what he said and thought might be acceptable in God’s sight. This should certainly be at the center of our purpose in life, to live in such a way that He will be pleased with us.

    As in all things good, Jesus is our perfect example on this subject. In John 8:29 Jesus said, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” As the sinless Son of God, Jesus never failed to do those things that pleased the Father. Obviously, none of us could make such a claim; nonetheless, it is in our hearts to please Him. We know when we have behaved in such a way that the Lord is not pleased, and it grieves us. If a person is truly saved, there should be a profound interest in pleasing God. We want to please Him because of what He has done for us.

    David referred to God as his Redeemer. Because He has redeemed us, saved us by His grace, and rescued us from our lost condition, we want to please Him. We have been
    forgiven, and we belong to a new Master. He has purchased us with His own blood and promised to take us to Heaven when our time on this earth is finished. Not only did David speak of the Lord as his Redeemer, but also as his strength. He helps us and strengthens us daily as we depend on Him. He is our constant Companion and the
    Source of our comfort.

    We long for Him to be pleased with us. David mentioned two specific examples of ways that we want to be acceptable to our Savior. We want “the words of my mouth” to be acceptable in His sight. The Word of God and our personal experience testify to the importance of controlling our words. Our words should be truthful, accurate, edifying, and kind. We should not be dishonest, deceitful, condemning, or harsh with our words. David was concerned also that his thoughts, “the meditation of my heart,” would be pleasing to the Lord. Because God knows our thoughts, it is important that we keep our hearts and motives right. We should seek to keep our minds dwelling on things that He will be pleased with. What a worthy challenge for our lives, to keep our thoughts and our words such that God would be pleased with them.

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