Wonderful Jesus!

A Time of Preparation!

Matthew 16:21- From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. NKJV

Have you ever been to a gathering where you were asked, “If you found out that you were going to die next week, what would you do?” You try to think of the things that you haven’t done, things you keep putting off, places you haven’t visited yet, to figure out what that last week should look like. Well, no one asked Jesus this question, but one day He announced that He was on the brink of death and got busy!

This is totally contrary to how we think! Let’s keep it real! We really would be the ones making plans for the final week of life. Maybe we would want to gather all the family together and have one last party? Or maybe we would want to slip away with our spouse or immediate family to create those last few memories? In a movie I saw years ago, a woman found out she was dying and spent her final days finding a wife and mother to take her place. (I’m not that woman!)

When Jesus understood that He was at the end of His life, that death was imminent, Matthew said that He began to tell His disciples about what was getting ready to happen. Peter had just finished his declaration that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus had just commended Peter because of this revelation from the Father, and now begins the time of preparation.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (bold and italics are my emphasis)
Matthew 16:21 NKJV

Jesus tells His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem. He tells them that when He gets to Jerusalem He is going to suffer at the hands of the elders of Jerusalem, the chief priests, and the scribes. He elaborates on what that suffering will be when He tells them that He will be killed, and on the third day He will rise. What happens next is both shocking and revealing:

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Matthew 16: 22-23 NKJV

What is shocking is that Peter thought he was in a place to rebuke the Lord! Peter had just finished acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! So how do you form your lips to rebuke the Son of God? Peter told Jesus that nothing like that was going to happen to Him! No one was going to kill Him!

What’s revealing about the situation is that when Jesus gave His rebuke it was to Satan! Was he calling Peter, Satan? I think so! The Greek word “santanas” means adversary, and the Greek word for offense is “skandalon” which means trap. When you use these words together in this sentence, Jesus could easily be saying to Peter that he was His adversary, a trap for Him. In other words, you are trying to trap me like an adversary would! And then again, Jesus could easily have been rebuking Satan himself! Who also desired to trap Him. Maybe He was knocking out two birds with one stone!

As Jesus was preparing His disciples for His coming crucifixion He dropped them a hint:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV

Jesus just finished telling His disciples that He is going to die, and then He brings up “taking up our cross”. He hasn’t yet revealed that He will die on the cross but isn’t it interesting that immediately following His declaration of suffering and dying that He mentions the cross? Maybe it’s just me!

Then Jesus goes to Galilee, and while they are there, He again tells of His future death and resurrection. Notice how in both tellings, Jesus tells of His death, and of His resurrection.

Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
Matthew 17:22-23 NKJV

They missed it! They heard that He was going to be killed, but they missed that He was going to be raised from the dead. Because had they heard both parts of what He said, they would have been rejoicing, looking forward to the greatest miracle of His ministry. Instead, they were sorrowful! But fortunately, Peter had learned his lesson and made no comment.

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
Matthew 20:17-19 NKJV

Jesus has made it to Jerusalem with the twelve disciples. He pulls them aside and tells them again that when He gets to Jerusalem things are going to change for Him. He will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn Him to death. They will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, scourge, and crucify Him. And on the third day, He will arise!

This time He gives them more details of His impending death and resurrection! He tells them of the betrayal that is getting ready to happen. The Jews will turn Him over to the Gentiles. The Gentiles will kill Him without a cause. But that’s not what He wants them to focus on. He wants them to realize that the resurrection comes after the crucifixion!

There’s room to shout right here! Baptists love to hear this truth! They get really excited when you start talking about what happened at the crucifixion wasn’t the end of the story! Then they all start shouting about early Sunday morning!! Well, I am not ready to go there quite yet, but it’s hard not to!

For the disciples, this was a time of preparation. Jesus understood the impact that His physical death would have on His disciples. They truly loved and respected Him. They followed Him because they believed in Him. They saw Him do miracles that we have only read about! They saw nature bow to His will and the physical bodies of many respond to His words. So, they needed to be prepared for the upcoming events, that they might know and understand that this was not the end for Him or for them! It was so much more!

Have the situations of life felt like they were overwhelming you? Do you feel like some things have died that you weren’t ready to let die? Have you felt as if the darkness was crowding in and you can’t see your way out? Can I suggest to you that it isn’t over? Not if your trust is in God!

Jesus prepared His disciples for what was to come, and He has been preparing you for this day, also! He said:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NKJV

Wonderful Jesus!

The Lord is Good!

Psalm 136:1 – Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

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This is a great day to give thanks to the Lord for He is not only good, but He is also so good! He is good to you, whether you admit it or not! He is good to me, and I certainly do admit it! He’s good to my family! He’s good to my friends! And He is good to those who don’t like me because He is good and He can’t help Himself! It’s just His nature!

The psalmist gives us a whole list of reasons why he believes the Lord is good! When mixed in with the phrase “for His mercy endures forever” we can tell that this is some type of song or doxology where the people repeat the phrase after the leader. But I want to pull out what the psalmist is saying and then at the end I will add the phrase back in.

Why is the Lord good in the psalmist’s eyes:

Because it is He alone who does great wonders! I’m thinking of a whole lot of great wonders!
Because it was His wisdom that made the heavens! He continues for several verses speaking of the beauty and majesty of creation. Six days! And here we have it! A planet created especially for us to inhabit! He’s so good! Earth is the perfect distance from the sun to provide us with light and warmth. It is tilted at the perfect degree to keep us from floating away and to keep us anchored to the land (at least that’s my understanding of gravity). There’s a magnetic field that surrounds the Earth that protects it from cosmic rays and solar flares that they say would fry us. I mean He created it perfectly for us!
Because He struck down the firstborn of Egypt. We’re familiar with the Exodus! The plagues He put on the Egyptians to demonstrate that He alone was God! How in the beginning everyone experienced the plagues, but He soon stopped letting the plagues affect His people! He is so good!
Because He divided the Red Sea in two that Israel might pass over to the other side. Not on muddy land, but on dry land! That’s one of those wonders I was thinking about!
Because the Egyptians didn’t have enough sense to realize they couldn’t stand before Almighty God, so they drowned in the Red Sea. There was a documentary on the remnants of wheels and chariots in the Sea. He’s so good!
Because He struck down the kings that opposed His will to give the children of Israel the Promised Land. Great and powerful kings. Living inside of walled cities like Jericho! But He caused those walls to crumble on a shout! Isn’t He good?
Because He gave them a land they did not cultivate, houses they did not build, and wells they didn’t dig!
Because He remembered them in their lowly state and rescued them from their enemies! Time and time again. One judge after another. He just kept on delivering them!
Because He gives food to all flesh! Miraculous provisions. Manna in the wilderness, and quail for days! Water out of rocks! Jehovah Jireh!
Then the psalmist interjects the phrase, that He is good because His mercy endures forever! It is God’s mercy that He continually extends to His people that makes Him such a good God! In essence, such a great God!

Those are some pretty powerful reasons why the Lord is good! But you cannot read the word of God without walking away from it realizing how very good God is. I’ll jump to some New Testament goodness to prove my point:

Because a Savior was born to us who would save us from our sin! The angelic host was so excited that they burst out of the world of invisibility into the visible world to sing His praise!
Because He proved over and over again that He is good!
Because He healed the blind!
Because He healed the lame!
Because He opened the ears of the deaf and the tongues of the mute!
Because He raised the dead!
Because He cared about a woman caught in adultery!
Because He delivered the demon-possessed!
Because He demonstrated a love for righteousness and a hatred for hypocricy!
Because He ministered to the poor, the forgotten, the ignored!
Because He gave His life for us that we might be free!
Because He rose from the dead and yet lives! He is so absolutely, positively good that it makes me want to shout and run around this room!!

I think you are probably with me! I think you see that God was good, that He has always been good, and that’s why He is still good and will continue to be good! Every single time He gets involved, goodness comes on the scene because He is just that good!

I can give you a list of all the things that He has done for me. We know I only touched the surface of His goodness in the Scriptures! But it is here, that I will allow you to take up the mantel of praise. It is here that I will say, now you take over! How has He been good to you?

Do you have a job? Whether you like it or not, you have one! He is so good!
Do you have food on your table, and clothes on your back? He is good!
Did you make it through the pandemic? Yes, and He is good!
Do you have your right mind? A mind to serve the Lord? He is amazingly good!
Are you saved? Born of the Spirit of the living God? He’s good I tell you!
Are your family members saved? His goodness knows no end!

Go ahead and give Him some praise because He never gets tired of being good. He never stops being good. He never debates about being good. He is simply good.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 136:1 NKJV

Wonderful Jesus!

A Lesson Worth Learning!

Jeremiah 35:2- “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” NKJV

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We all have a favorite bible story or several favorites. I’m no different in that respect although I have many, and this one is at the top! To me, it paints a beautiful picture of the obedience God wants from His people, and His displeasure when it is not given.

Jeremiah was told by God to go to the house of the Rechabites. As Jeremiah converses with the descendants of the house of the Rechabites, we are given some insight into who they are and what they believe. Before this encounter, there isn’t much knowledge in the Bible about the Rechabites. One commentator suggests that the Rechabites are descendants of the Kenites, Moses’ in-laws.

When Jeremiah arrived at the house of the Rechabites, he was to invite them to the house of God and offer them wine to drink. Jeremiah did as God asked him to do. When the wine was offered to the Rechabites, they responded in this manner:

“We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever. You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’
Jeremiah 35:6-7 NKJV

They refuse to drink the wine. Not only do they refuse it, but they explain to Jeremiah why they are refusing it. It is here that we learn more about them.

They are descendants of Jonadab the son of Rechab. Their father commanded them that they were to never drink wine. This command was extended to their descendants forever. Jonadab also told them that they were to be nomads, not owning a home, planting a vineyard, or laboring as farmers, forever. And apparently, they had kept his words throughout the centuries.

Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed. But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
Jeremiah 35:8-10 NKJV

Isn’t it amazing how faithfully they fulfilled the words from their ancestor, Jonadab? Every son, daughter, and wife in this family followed this edict. To the letter. Not only did not drink wine, but they also lived as nomads, until Jerusalem came under siege. There is no mention of rebellious members who refused to follow the sayings of Jonadab. As a matter of fact, they stated that they had done all that Jonadab had commanded them. That’s some kind of obedience!

Did their reaction to the offer of wine surprise God? Of course not! God had Jeremiah invite them to the house of God because He knew how they would respond. He already knew that they were obedient to the word of their ancestor, and their faithfulness in carrying out that word had His attention! He also knew that he was getting ready to make a point, using this family that had gotten His attention with their obedience. It speaks well of them!

Obedience is not a word that society appreciates today. In the traditional wedding vows, women have asked to have the phrase “obey their husbands” removed from the vows. Parents don’t believe they should “force” their children to do anything they don’t want to do. This leads us to children who believe that they can negotiate with their parents, ignore them, or simply defy them. Therefore, you can pretty much forget them obeying in a classroom, or in society when they act like this at home!

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to obey My words?” says the Lord. “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father’s commandment. But although I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me.
Jeremiah 35:13-14 NKJV

Listen to God’s heart! A man spoke a simple message to his sons and told them not to drink wine and they obeyed him. Yet He, the God who delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh, gave them the Promised Land, and defeated their enemies before them, asks for obedience, and they refuse to give it! Can you imagine the picture that God is painting here? What did Jonadab do that caused his descendant to have such loyalty to him and his words in their actions? Did He split the Red Sea that they might crossover on dry land? I think not! Did he give them houses they did not build and wells they did not dig? We know he didn’t! And yet they obeyed him! God was not happy!

Jesus equated obedience to Him as a visible witness of our love to Him:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
John 14:15 NKJV

Although we live in the dispensation of grace and forgiveness, obedience is still held by the Father as important. Jesus recognizes how much we love Him by our keeping of His commandments, or obedience! He elaborates on this point by stating:

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
John 14:21 NKJV

Not only does obedience demonstrate how much we love God; but Jesus said that obedience gets the attention of the Father and the Son. Those who obey Him cause Him to manifest Himself to them. That’s powerful! I can imagine Jesus revealing Himself to those who obey Him in ways others just dream about.

Let’s see how God blessed the Rechabites:

And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” ’
Jeremiah 35:18-19 NKJV

Forever is a long time, and yet God promised that the Rechabites will always have a man to stand before Him. Even today, there is a descendant of the Rechabites who stands before Almighty God as a living testament to their obedience to their earthly father.

But to the disobedient Israelites, things did not go well!

‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.’ ”
Jeremiah 35:17 NKJV

I can see how their disobedience angered the Father. After all, it was Adam’s disobedience that caused God to drive him from Eden! Yet it was Jesus’ obedience that led us to righteousness:

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:19 NKJV

We should never take lightly times when we disobey the Father. As a matter of fact, when we realize that we have disobeyed Him, we need to repent, and then obey Him quickly. It’s not the person who says they love God who truly loves Him, but the person who simply obeys Him. That’s what Jesus said! But we can easily be noted as lovers of God when we are noted as being obedient to Him. That’s my goal, to love Him and to obey Him. Wonderful Jesus!

Trust the Cycle!

Isaiah 55:10 – “For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, making it bear and sprout, and providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater”…AMP

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Some of my favorite passages in the Bible are in regards to the truth of what God has to say about His word. We all know people who we consider, to be honest, and those we consider to be dishonest. But even the most honest person we know doesn’t have the track record that God has. God says what He means and means what He says. When it looks like the Word doesn’t work, we need to check out other scenarios for what really is happening!

Isaiah 55:11 states:

“So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11 NKJV

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, let us in on the secret of heaven. When He speaks, His words are not idle. When they leave His mouth, they accomplish what He sends them to accomplish. God didn’t say that it happens some of the time, He said it prospers in the thing for which He sent it.

I am sure this is a familiar verse to you, but have you read it in the Amplified Bible?

So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11 AMP

The Amplified version helps us to understand what God had to say about the reliability of His word!

A natural example of this is the water cycle. I am working on the water cycle with my students and as I was sharing that the water cycle has no beginning and no end because it is cyclical, I was reminded of Isaiah 55.

“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, Making it bear and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater…
Isaiah 55:10 AMP

God compares the water cycle to His word. We can all remember how we learned about the water cycle in elementary school. The atmosphere always has water in it. Because 75% of the earth’s surface is covered in water, this is easy to comprehend. Twice God separated the water from the Earth’s surface: during creation and after the flood. So there is a lot of water.

The water cycle is simple: The water in the atmosphere causes clouds to form. Those clouds release precipitation on the surface of the Earth in the form of rain, sleet, hail, or snow. The land is watered producing fruit, then it evaporates into the atmosphere and returns to the heavens, repeating the cycle. This natural occurrence is a forever reminder to the people of God that His word is fluid, never changing, yet always producing fruit! Always in motion, always constant!

Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Psalm 148:8 NKJV

Isn’t that a beautiful picture to help us to conceptualize the dependability of His word? Every drop of precipitation fulfilling His word! Every single word is being fulfilled.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Matthew 24:35 NKJV

I thought of Joab after I thought of the water cycle. He’s not liked by a lot of people, and for good reasons. But Joab served David, in most ways, like the word serves God. Whatever David’s desire was, Joab saw it done. David counted on Joab to accomplish things that seemed impossible, yet he figured that if it could be done, Joab was the man for the job. Now remember, Joab in some ways is a natural picture of the word in operation, not a complete picture. But he got the job done!

God’s word is much more effective in getting things done than Joab was. God said that when He sends His word, His desires are accomplished! Joshua spoke of the faithfulness of God’s word to the children of Israel:

“Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.
Joshua 23:14 NKJV

Joshua knew that his time was coming to an end. He had served the Lord with Moses, leading the people in war. Then he took over as the leader of the people of Israel and led them into the promised land. He didn’t have a perfect life, and things didn’t always go well with him, but he was absolutely convinced that God’s word had been faithful to the children of Israel. As a matter of fact, he said not a single word of all that God had said to them, had failed to come to pass.

On the day that Solomon finished building the temple and the ark of the covenant was brought into the temple, he began to pray. After praying, he stood before the people and said:

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
1 Kings 8:56 NKJV

That’s not our testimony! We look over life and feel as if we can find various ways in which God has not been faithful to uphold His word to us. We, in essence, call Him a liar. But He is not a liar! He shared these words with Balaam to share with Balak when Balak wanted to curse the children of Israel:

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.
has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Numbers 23:19 NKJV

Doesn’t this circle back to Isaiah 55? God said that if He said something, He will do it! When He speaks a thing, He will make it good! And we can trust Him because He is not a liar! Jesus confirmed this truth when He said:

You are of your father the devil…When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
John 8:44 NKJV

God is not a liar! The devil is a liar and the father of lies! God gave of His word in the form of the Bible so that we can learn to trust in Him and His word. He left examples in the heavens and the earth to remind us of the faithfulness of His word: the water cycle! His Word is so valuable and so much a part of Him, He sent His Word:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 NKJV

God spoke these words to Jeremiah:

“You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”
Jeremiah 1:12 NKJV

A more literal translation of this verse states that God is watching to perform His word. I’m preaching to myself today! I have been challenged this week to continue to trust His word to me because it won’t return to Him void. I share this with you in hopes that you will also challenge yourself to trust His Word like never before! Wonderful Jesus!

What Does Trouble Teach You?

2 Timothy 3:10-11-But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. NKJV

I’m not a runner, but when I was in BootCamp, I had to run daily. Every single morning we ran around the base or the track to train for our physical readiness test. I was never at the front of the group, usually falling behind before the time was up; but someone would always be there encouraging me to stay with it. On the day of the test, I was determined to qualify because I wanted to be done with this running stuff. As a weaker runner, I was on the front line for the mile and a half trek around the track. The whistle blew, and off I ran, keeping up with the pacer. I was handling my own because I had trained for this moment! As we came around for the end of the run I tripped over someone’s foot and fell. I promise you it wasn’t my own feet. And that ended the run for me. I would have to run again on another day. My disappointment was great and I wanted to quit!

Life has a way of tripping us up! Or as I believe it, the enemy of our souls is always looking for a way to knock us out of the race! If we keep living, one day we might find ourselves flat on our faces! Ready to quit! But this isn’t the time to quit, it’s the time to persevere!

Paul understood perseverance. In his letter to the Romans, he wrote:

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4 NKJV

The Oxford dictionary defines perseverance as the persistence in doing something even when it is difficult or there is a delay in achieving success. Paul said that when we go throw tribulations, hard times, or difficult situations that make us want to throw in the towel and quit, there is another alternative. We can allow those challenges to produce perseverance in us, the ability to keep going in spite of what is happening around us.

That day on the track when I had made it to the end of my run, only to fall in defeat, I wanted to cry like a baby. But that’s not what I did. I was told to meet the trainer on the track the next morning, and so I did. Every day until it was time to be tested again. This time, there were only a few of us, but for some reason, the run seemed easier. As I ran with my coach, she set up a good pace for me, and we finished the course together. I was so proud of myself! I finished! I didn’t give up! I kept at it and met my qualifications so that I could move on to the next level of training.

Paul was qualified to write that tribulations produce perseverance.

…From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NKJV

Paul was basically saying, if you think you are having a hard time, let me give you a reality check. I worked hard! I was in prison often. I almost died several times. The Jews beat me five times, I was stoned, and three times I was shipwrecked. (Has this happened to you?) I was in the water for a night and a day waiting to be rescued. I traveled so much that my life was always in some type of danger, either from the waters I traveled on, robbers, the wilderness, wild animals, hunger, thirst, cold, etc. And on top of all of these things, I had the churches that I found on my mind and heart.

This Paul, that many believe struggled with his Christianity said, his difficulties taught him to persevere. But he didn’t stop there, he said that his perseverance produced character in his life, and it will do the same for you. Character refers to integrity, honor, moral fiber, even your reputation. How we handle the tough times in life speaks to our character. More people need to work on character development than ever before!

I recently read a novel where a minor character was bent on killing the main character. At the end of the book, the antagonist spoke of how hard his life had been because they had exposed him for being a cheat and a liar. That led him to drink and to take drugs, which led him to sell drugs, which led him to prison. Stay with me for a second.

What can happen in our lives that will turn us bitter, causing us to give up and throw in the towel? What are we willing to allow to pull us from the truth of what God has for us to a life that brings shame and destruction? What hardship will cause us to walk away from the only One who can truly deliver us?

Paul said that he endured a lot of things, but God delivered him out of all of them:

…what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
2 Timothy 3:10-11 NKJV

Paul is really applauding Timothy in this verse. He tells Timothy that he noticed the fact that Timothy had been an excellent follower. According to Paul, Timothy followed the teachings that Paul taught him with care. He followed the life that Paul lived, his purpose, and his faith. He even followed Paul’s example of longsuffering, love, persecution, etc. Timothy didn’t follow Paul because of hero worship. He followed Paul because he saw the life and relationship that Paul had in Christ. One that he desired. And so he figured that was the way he wanted to live his life!

Paul didn’t allow trouble, persecutions, or hardships to teach him how to quit. Neither did Timothy! They learned to persevere through the tough times. When the waves got rocky, they held on to the ship! When the lashes whipped across their back, they thought of what Jesus endured for them. When they were hungry, it was time to fast. When dangers surrounded them, in Jesus they trusted.

I believe that we can also have this testimony. We don’t have to crumble at the sign of trouble, at everything the devil throws at us. I like what Paul had to say about him and us:

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 NKJV

We are not just conquerors, although that would have been sufficient enough. We are more than conquerors! We just have to determine before we go through, that we will get through with His help! Don’t let trouble teach you to quit! Let it teach you how to finish strong! He’s running with you, encouraging you, strengthening you, assuring you that you can make it! Wonderful Jesus!

Safe and Secure!

2 Corinthians 13:14- The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. NKJV

Photo by Flex Point Security on Unsplash

What comes to your mind when you think of the word safe? I remember when I was in the military overseas, our base was a safe haven for me. Part of the sign had the acronym USAF on it, and every time that I returned to the base I would think, you’re safe!

As the world calms down over COVID-19, we are feeling safer as we intermingle with one another to the point of removing masks mandates even in public places. Yet, at the same time, there is a war being waged in Ukraine and COVID is the last thing that they are concerned about! No matter where you are currently located in the world, and no matter what situation you find yourself in today, there is a safety that is guaranteed in Him!

Paul wrote these precious words of encouragement:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV

As we go through life aware of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ there are a couple things to be grateful for. The first is our salvation that is provided through His grace. None of us would have security in where we would spend eternity if we had not embraced the grace of the Lord. It gives a peace that surpasses understanding that no matter what happens to us in the present world, His world is ours when we transition this life.

But the other side of grace is that we have the benefit of the Benefactor! Jesus, Himself is available to us and is with us. No matter where we go, no matter what we do, we have access to Him and His ability. He is with us while we are parenting. He is with us when we get married or have an unfortunate divorce. He is with us as we navigate the world around us. Never leaving us to fend for ourselves. Paul said the grace of Jesus is always available to us, which includes not only His ability but Him! That’s incredible!

And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:33 NKJB

As the disciples lived for Jesus in a Jewish and worldly Roman empire, great grace was upon them all. Their way wasn’t easy, but His grace was sufficient! Throughout the New Testament, Paul continuously reminded us that the grace of Jesus was with us! What a blessing to know that we don’t have to do life without His grace, His ability, His power being available for every situation at all times!

Then Paul tells us that the love of God is with us always! When I lay in bed, thinking about God, His love is paramount in my mind. I think of His love all the time, but last night I was especially focused on His love. The verse that resonated in my heart was John 3:16-17:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17 NKJV

What held my attention was how much God loves people. Jesus didn’t come to save “good” people. He came to save us all, and all of us were sinners headed to hell before He intervened in our lives. Yet, we casually look at humanity through eyes of superiority as believers, instead of through His eyes of love. He so loved the world, and He so love us!

The love of God is always with us! I remember Him telling me that whatever I went through in life, His love was there for me! And it is there for you!

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5 NKJV

Paul wrote that God’s love has been poured out into our hearts. Not dribbled, but poured out! And in another verse, that is equally familiar to us, Paul stated:

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NKJV

These words encourage my heart on a regular basis. God’s love is with me, and as such, I am safe and secure! Whose love can compare? None! What can separate me from His love? Nothing!

Another thing that crossed my mind last night, as it has previously, is that His love never condemns. Jesus wasn’t sent as an expression of His love to condemn the world! He was sent that the world might be saved! How many times have people walked away from us feeling condemnation instead of love? What a shift in thinking we must experience to truly show the love that we have been shown!

Then there is the communion of the Holy Spirit! Look at the abundant God we serve! First, He makes sure we understand that grace is always available to us through Jesus. Then, He makes it abundantly clear that His love is never-ending. Lastly, He reminds us that we have the communion of the Holy Spirit available to us. Are you getting this picture in your head? Are you sensing the reason that we can live in safety and security? He’s wonderful!

Communion of the Holy Spirit is not the taking of the communion elements. This communion is fellowship, koinōnia! Jesus tells us that the communion of the Holy Spirit is available to us forever!

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
John 14:16 NKJV

The Holy Spirit makes God and Jesus real to us. When we commune with His Spirit, we are able to see the reality of who God is. I may have shared this before, but I will share it now.

I clearly remember laying in my bed one night and weeping before God over some things that had truly hurt my feelings. As I lay there, all I kept thinking was how much I needed to be wrapped in arms that would say to me, “I love you! I got you! It’s going to be okay!” Those were not the words I was speaking or thinking to the Lord because I was just silently crying out to Him, trying not to awaken my husband.

Then suddenly, I felt as if I was wrapped in a blanket. Like swaddling. Warmth overtook me and peace flooded my being. As He held me and rocked me in the cradle of His arms, I fell asleep. When I awaken the next day, I was rested and assured that things really were going to be alright! And they were!

Communing with the Spirit of God is so much more, but I have learned that He is certainly with me and for me. He never turns me away, He’s never too busy, and He doesn’t need a long explanation to know what’s going on because He is always there.

But we also commune about life. Sometimes I will ask Him if He thought something was as funny as I thought it was. There are times I just say to Him, I know you saw that! I know you heard that! Are they serious?

This verse is such a source of encouragement. I didn’t even feel like I needed encouragement today. But as I write this blog and share of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I feel strengthened where I didn’t even realize I was weak. I trust you will walk away from this post feeling equally as encouraged in Him today. Amen! So be it! Wonderful Jesus!

What God Are You Serving?

Exodus 20:2-3-“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.“You shall have no other gods before Me.” NKJV

Material blessings are great! When we purchased my new car I was excited to get it. After riding in our last car for over 10 years, I was ready for some newer technology; especially a new navigation system. When we remodeled our home I was beyond delighted. It was the plan when we purchased it, but it was almost 3 decades later when it became a reality. Typically, when we think of idolatry, we think of material possessions, and those things are certainly on the list. But in this blog, I want to explore some other things that we can substitute in the place of our wonderful Lord!

The first thing that God told Moses when he was given the Law was:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.“You shall have no other gods before Me.
Exodus 20:2-3 NKJV

When Satan approached Jesus in the wilderness, his goal was to get Jesus to accept his lordship:

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Matthew 4:8-9 NKJV

But Jesus wasn’t interested in the lordship of Satan, and neither should we be interested in it. The difference is that Satan doesn’t come to us, reveal who he is, and then ask us to bow to him. Nope! That’s not how he works. What he does is hide in things that are not so obvious to trick us into serving him. Let’s expose some of his hiding places!

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
Philippians 3:18-19 NKJV

Paul is really blunt in this verse. He talks about those whose god is their belly. Is Paul just addressing our physical appetite for food, or something else? The Greek word for “belly” in this verse is “koilos” and it refers to the entire physical cavity, the hole in the abdomen, according to the Vine’s. The literal translation for “koilos” is the word hollow which is an unfilled space. Metaphorically, it refers to the innermost part of the inner man. Let’s look at both!

Food is an important part of the day. We wake up thinking about what we are going to eat, and we go through the day planning lunch and dinner. Our lives are centered around food. When a fast is called, our bellies begin protesting from the minute we first hear the word “fast”. Many diseases plague our bodies due to the foods we eat, and still, we continue to eat them. This is a form of our bellies being our god.

But the other side of that is even worst. When there is a hollow in our inner man that we try to fill with everything but Jesus, it becomes our god.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5 NKJV

Paul gives us a list of things that are idolatrous: fornication (sex outside of marriage in any form), uncleanness, passion, evil desires, and covetousness. These things are part of the life of the unsaved person, but if we are not careful to obey Him and His word, they could slip up on us and fight for His Lordship in our lives! They will never satisfy the cavity of your soul. But they will cause you to bow to them and worship them.

Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
Acts 14:11-13 NKJV

What had the people seen Paul do? They saw him perform a miracle! A man was crippled from birth. Paul saw faith rise in his heart and commanded him to stand up! When the man stood, his legs received strength and he was healed. That’s amazing! The people were so excited about what they saw happen as a result of Paul’s words that they were ready to worship him and Barnabas. Even to the point of making a sacrifice!

Don’t shake your head in disgust! People worship others every single day. Pastors are worshipped because they are famous, or wealthy, or even anointed. Their word is law and people flip over backwards to accommodate them. Celebrities are worshipped for their looks, their money, their home, their followers, and a host of other reasons. It’s not worship, you say! It is, when spending time with them on social media beats going to church, reading the Bible, or praying. It is when the pastor can get you to do things that no one else can get you to do!

People worship is as dangerous for the person you worship, as it is for you to worship them. Do you recall what happened to Herod when the people gave him praise?

So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Acts 12:21-23 NKJV

Whether or not Herod led the people in this folly we don’t know. But we do know that they attributed his words and his charisma to that of a god. Not to God! But to that of a god, and there is a difference. One leader was so elevated that his adulterous relationships was said to be sanctioned by God because he was God’s man. This is dangerous on every level for the body of Christ. Sin is sin! And advocating the sin of any person, for any reason, is sin itself.

Moses expressed these words about God:

Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
Deuteronomy 4:39 NKJV

God spoke these words through the prophet Isaiah:

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God…Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ”
Isaiah 44:6,8 NKJV

Well, I don’t have time for anymore examples, but suffice it to say, idolatry comes in many forms. It’s not just making an idol of stone, brass, or gold and worshipping it that is idolatrous. Idolatry is worshipping anything and anyone other than God! When we have such an amazing, faithful God, why would anyone want to worship a counterfeit? Wonderful Jesus!

Sometimes There Are No Do-Overs!

Luke 15:25-28- “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing…‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ “But he was angry and would not go in.”

Our pastor preached from the passage in Luke about the prodigal son yesterday. As we were talking about the service and tossing around different points that the parable could have been making, I had this thought, “the older son missed an opportunity”.

In our text, we have two brothers. One who left home and spent all of his inheritance living life in the fast lane. Then we have the older brother who is at home, responsible, taking care of business, and doing what was expected of him. One day, he comes home to what sounds like a party. When he asked a servant what was happening, the servant tells him his brother has returned and they are having a celebration. He is so upset about this event that he refuses to go in.

Here is his missed opportunity! He had a chance to welcome his brother home and to rejoice with his family. He had an opportunity to demonstrate agape love and forgiveness. He was in a position to offer his brother restoration. But he missed that opportunity because he was angry and hurt. He allowed his emotions to dictate his actions and therefore, he missed an opportunity to have a stronger, more meaningful relationship with his brother, and his father.

Our emotions are not to be the compass of our lives. We are not to give in to them, allowing anger, hurt, and disappointment to keep us from walking in love, from letting our light shine, or from pleasing the heart of the Father. When we do, we put ourselves in a position to miss out on something else that God is wanting to do.

Saul missed the opportunity to be a great king!

So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, “What have you done?”
1 Samuel 13:9-11 NKJV

Saul hadn’t been king for long. When Samuel was ready to anoint him king they could not find Saul. Therefore, Samuel had to ask the Lord to show him where Saul was at. They found Saul hiding amongst the equipment! Then several chapters later, Saul takes it upon himself to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
1 Samuel 13:13-14 NKJV

Disobedience! Samuel told Saul that he could have been a great king! He could have had a kingdom that would have lasted forever, but he disobeyed the commandment of the Lord, and the Lord replaced him with someone else! He had the opportunity, but he messed up and lost it. So sad!!

Our disobedience is equally as sad! When we fail to do what God has told us to do, we are disobedient. When we do the things that God told us not to do, we are disobedient! Saul did not repent, neither did he learn his lesson. Not long after that God told him to wage war against the Amalekites and to destroy everything and to kill everyone. But Saul did not! He even lied about it!

Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”
1 Samuel 15:13 NKJV

Not only did he lie about it, but he also tried to justify his actions to Samuel. The people took the plunder, Saul said, to sacrifice to Samuel’s God. And to make matters worst, for some reason, Saul spared the king. But neither Samuel nor God was impressed.

So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
1 Samuel 15:22 NKJV

Chosen to be king, by God is the best recommendation one can have. Yet, Saul missed the opportunity to be a great king because of his disobedience. How many lives have been ruined, or dreams forfeited, because of disobedience? Too many!

What about Esau?

Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”
Genesis 25:29-30 NKJV

How can you sell a birthright? Maybe you didn’t realize that a birthright could be sold, but Jacob did! And when Esau needed food from him, the payment was his birthright! I know there are some other dynamics going on here, but the one I want to focus on is Esau missing his opportunity to receive the birthright of the blessing from his father.

When the time came for Isaac to bless Esau, Rebecca and Jacob deceived Isaac and Jacob received the blessing. When Esau showed up to be blessed, there was nothing left for him. Isaac told Esau that not only had Jacob received the blessing but Jacob would be blessed.

When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”
Genesis 27:34 NKJV

Isaac did speak a blessing over Esau. But it was nothing in comparison to what he spoke over Jacob. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews had to say about this situation:

Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
Hebrews 12:16-17 NKJV

Esau sold his birthright for food. This incident tells us two things about Esau. The first thing was that he was undisciplined. The second thing is that he devalued the things of God. These things go hand in hand. An undisciplined lifestyle is a life that has no respect for the holiness of God. A person who has no regard for the righteousness of God is a person who has no discipline. Esau lost his opportunity to be blessed by God and his father. He was undisciplined and took for granted his place in his father’s heart.

That’s what I see in the lives of undisciplined people. They take God’s grace for granted, not realizing that one day they can do something to cause them to miss out on what God has planned for their life! Lord, let it not be us!

I can go down the list of missed opportunities that I have heard about over the years. Books are written, songs are sung, and movies are made that broadcast the lives of individuals who have missed out on opportunities.

God is not the God of just a second chance. He’s the God of another chance. We can trust that those missed opportunities in His hand can be a blessing that we will not have room for. He can turn things around on our behalf. But also understand that those strong emotions, disobedience, an undisciplined life, and devaluing the things of God are most definitely ways to miss things that He wants to do in our lives. And sometimes people of God, we need to understand that there are no do-overs in life! So don’t miss those opportunities when they are presented to you. Wonderful Jesus!

Don’t Be Foolish!

Romans 1:21- Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. NKJV

The Bible has a lot to say about foolish ways. It characterizes those individuals who reject God, His ways, and His wisdom as foolish; refusing, or unable to obey Him. When Jesus walked among men, He spoke repeatedly about those, who by their very actions, show disregard and opposition to the Father. In today’s blog, I want to share a few of these things to remind us not to be foolish!

Jesus shared a parable with His disciples of a foolish young man. In the parable, the man had been blessed immensely with the yield of a great harvest. His harvest was so great that he began to think about what he could do with his goods.

So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
Luke 12:18 NKJV

Jesus said that the man came up with the idea to make bigger barns for his goods and his crops so that he could store them up for himself. You might be thinking that was his choice to make. And it was! But the young man showed his foolishness when he made the following observation:

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”
Luke 12:9 NKJV

This young man was only thinking about himself! His goods were to be stored up so that he could live the high life, heaping pleasures on himself. Before you start thinking that you don’t have to worry about being foolish in this way because you are not wealthy, let me stop you!

God’s blessings are upon us all. We may all be at a different place financially, but we can all attest to the fact that we are blessed. When our goods and finances are only about us, our lives, our vacations, our family, and our needs, then we are responding like the rich young ruler. We’ve been blessed to be a blessing! Things didn’t end too well for the young man:

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
Luke 12:20 NKJV

I know of a person who lived their life as a miser but died wealthy and alone. After their death, others benefitted from those millions. People they didn’t even know got to spend that money. That’s foolish! Being a blessing to others because you choose to bless them is much better than dying and having strangers enjoy the fruit of your labors! The young man’s heart was darkened to the needs around him and his foolishness led to his demise.

Jesus spoke another parable of a foolish individual.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Matthew 7:26-27 NKJV

Don’t be offended if you have built a house on the beach! But haven’t you noticed that during hurricane season, the houses on the beaches are the most vulnerable? With new technology, builders have figured out how to anchor them a lot better, but they are still in a vulnerable position to be destroyed. Some of these homes suffer damage on a regular basis and the people just keep rebuilding. That’s foolish!

Jesus said that if you build your house, spiritually or naturally, on the sand when the rain and floods come, your foundation isn’t strong enough to withstand the beating it’s going to get. Therefore, He encourages us to build on rock, a firm foundation. In this parable, He equates sand to those who are too foolish to obey the teachings of His word. They have a lot of philosophies and theoretical mumble jumble to oppose His teachings, but He calls that type of living, foolishness! Living life based on your feelings, your emotions, your ancestors, or any other thing that is not the Word of God is just plain foolishness!

The last example that I have time for today is the five foolish young women!

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them
Matthew 25:1-3 NKJV

This parable has several meanings. Mostly, this parable is about the church as a whole, but for today, I’m looking through the lens of individuality. There were 10 people, five of them were wise, the Savior said, and five of them were foolish. The wise virgins or young women had their lamps with extra oil with them. The five foolish young women had their lamp with no extra oil.

As the young women awaited the bridegroom, they all fell asleep. It took him some time to show up. But when he finally got there and they were all awakened, it was midnight.

Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
Matthew 25:7-9 NKJV

The oil in the lamps of the foolish young women is either out, or low and they are in need of more oil. So they have to go find some oil at midnight. Oil in the Bible has always been representative of the Holy Spirit. I don’t have the time or space to prove this point today, but it is a scriptural truth. Remembering that Jesus is speaking a parable about the kingdom, He is using oil to reference His Holy Spirit.

Jesus is saying that trying to live this life without His Spirit is just plain foolishness! As you go through this life, it will seem as if He is taking too long to come! But having His Spirit in your life is a safety net for you! His Spirit will keep you in the darkest hour! His Spirit will lead you when you can’t see your way! His Spirit will uphold you when you are tired. And when you fall asleep, His Spirit will wake you up!! To ignore His Spirit and to think that you can do life on any level without Him is just plain foolishness! Don’t be foolish!

What are my takeaways for you today? Don’t be foolish regarding the blessings in your life. Jesus encourages us to help others when we have more than they do. I was watching an interview with Melinda French Gates, ex-wife of Bill Gates. She spoke about why they give so much money away. She said that they have more money than they could ever spend in their lifetime and giving it away doesn’t take away from her lifestyle. Therefore, they use it to change the course of people’s lives. That’s wise. Am I saying she is a Christian, nope! But she is demonstrating the wisdom of God in this area of her life!

Living your life based on the teachings of the Word of God is wisdom, not foolishness, as the world wants you to believe. They are wrong and Jesus is right! Believing that you only need a Sunday morning relationship with the Word, is just plain foolishness! We need to obey the Word of God all day, every day! So don’t be foolish!

Embracing the truth of the Holy Spirit’s ability to bless your life, encourage your life, and protect your life is sound teaching! Living life without His presence is foolishness! Don’t be foolish! Wonderful Jesus!

Powerless to Stop Us!

2 Timothy 1:7- For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NKJV

We’ve finally gotten to a place where COVID isn’t dictating our every move and we can breathe a little easier! Or can we? As the world watches what is unfolding in Ukraine we can’t help but wonder, where will this all end? Fear is always looking for a way to overtake us, but God’s plan involves us overtaking fear!

The first part of this verse is really key to understanding the entire verse. For God has not given us the spirit of fear! We don’t have to do a Google search to figure out what is meant by the word fear. Fear enters our heart when we become anxious, worried, or distressed over something or someone that we generally have little to no control over. We have all experienced fear on some level! But the wonderful thing about fear is that it doesn’t come from God!

As I mentioned already, there is a lot of fear being stirred over what is happening in Ukraine. As I watched the build up of tanks outside of Ukraine, my heart began to stir on behalf of the Ukrainians. I can hardly stand to view the news coverage of what they are going through. I applaud their strength and tenacity to fight for their freedom while mourning for the country and its people. It’s enough to cause us all to fear. But as believers, we have been admonished by God to not embrace fear. So I choose to hope with them that this will end quickly and they will maintain their freedom.

The psalmist wrote these words that give me great comfort:

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
Psalm 91:5-6 NKJV

The psalmist didn’t write that we would not witness these things. Nor did he promise that they would never happen around us. But he encourages us to not be afraid of the things that happen during the night. He tells us that bombs, arrows, even bullets on the highway may be a reality, but we are not to take on fear. He said that we would experience world pandemics and a threat of destruction, but we are not to lay hold to fear!

The second thing Paul tells us about fear is that it is a spirit. And since he told us that it’s not from God, it has to be from lies we have embraced or the devil! In 1 John, we are told that fear involves torment. When we allow the spirit of fear to have a dominant role in our lives, we invite torment to come and reside with us! Torment has the power to make us miserable, to cause paralysis to sneak up on us. This is not from God!

David wrote these words:

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4 NKJV

That’s key when fear comes around. We must learn to trust in God. There is no getting over fear without trust in God. David said that when he put his trust in God, he was determined to not give in to fear. That has to become our attitude to walk free of fear!

Paul wrote that God did not give us the spirit of fear, but there are some things that God has given us. He has given us a spirit of power! Dunamis power! Why would fear and power be in the same thought in Paul’s mind? I am sure it’s because Paul is telling us that God has given us the power to conquer our fears.

Paul was actually encouraging Timothy in this passage. Paul fondly remembers the time he spent with Timothy. Paul told Timothy that every time he thinks of him, he stops and pray for him. An example that we can all follow. How many times do people come to mind that you haven’t seen or spoken with in a while? That’s probably a good time to stop and pray for them!

Paul reminisces about Timothy’s heritage of faith which he received from his maternal side of the family. Paul rejoices in the gift that Timothy received when he laid his hands upon Timothy and the Holy Spirit flowed through him. Then Paul encouraged, keep that gift flowing in your life. Don’t let fear overtake you or it! That’s not from God, so don’t receive it!

What God did give to Timothy, and to you, and to me, when He gave gifts, was the power to operate in the gift! Dunamis power to break the yoke of fear that would hinder us from operating in the gift, and the same dunamis to operate the gift! Isn’t that wonderful?

I know people whom God has gifted to sing, but they allow fear to keep them on the sidelines of life. The fear of standing in front of a crowd, or the fear of messing up, or not being good enough! Well, if that’s you, it’s time to break free of that spirit and allow God’s power to enable you to operate in your gift!

Then God gave the spirit of love! What a wonderful combination for service!

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2 NKJV

Service without love is difficult to appreciate! Those who work in the service industry and work as if they have a love for people and what they are doing, are gifted! And don’t you just love being serviced by them? How about when you enter a sanctuary and someone greets you as if you are their long lost relative? What a welcoming moment they have bestowed on you!

Whatever the gift, Paul is saying to us, God has given us the love that is needed to do the job! I’m a teacher in an elementary school. I’ve been teaching for almost twenty years. Some of my students and their parents have been quite the challenge. But I have never once said that I hated a single one of them. No matter what, I just keep forgiving, teaching, and walking in the love God has given me for them. Do they appreciate it? Sometimes I wonder! But I purpose to demonstrate the love of God, even when I have to repent of my immediate response of hurt or anger. I just keep walking in love!

Lastly, Paul wrote that God has given us a sound mind! Yes! And thank you Jesus! In my profession, I need it! But don’t you need a sound mind? Don’t you need the assurance that God has given you a sound mind?

Well, in this case, in keeping in mind what Paul is talking about, a sound mind refers to a disciplined mind. A person who walks in the knowledge of who they are in Christ, even in their mind. So when fear comes on the attack, you don’t lose your mind! Your mind stays at peace and in agreement with what God has already said about the situation! You resist the spirit of fear, and because you have a sound mind, you don’t give over to your emotions!

There’s so much in this single verse that Paul was writing to Timothy, and vicariously to us! There will always be something going on around us that we can get in fear about. There will always be a new task, step, or endeavor we can walk into, and fear will be hanging around! But when we understand what God has given us, to overcome that fear, it will be powerless to stop us! Wonderful Jesus!