Walking Free

Some of the Unbiblical Beliefs of Mormonism-

2012-02-11T06:13:00.005-06:00

Mormonism, also know as of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), has been in the forefront of the news lately. In part it is because of Mitt Romeny who is running as a Republican candidate for president and also because of the horrific story of Josh Powell who killed himself and his two sons a week ago tomorrow. With the surge of Mitt Romney's popularity I, a former Mormon, have been asked some questions about what the Mormon Church teaches in regard to their essential doctrines.

Throughout it's history Mormonism has been considered a Christian cult because of their extreme departure from the essential doctrines of the biblical Christian faith. I have taken to use the term "Biblical Christian" more often because so many of tranditional terms such as "Christian" or "Evangelical" have become meaningless. In the next day or two I'll be posting some brief explanations of some Mormon doctrines.

JESUS:

Polytheistic--Jesus attained godhood. He was merely an example of what Mormons can do. He is one of many gods. Jesus is simply a spirit being like the rest of us.

Christ is the eldest brother of all Mormons. He is also the offspring of God. He was created just as is anyone else. He is the brother of Lucifer.

Deny the virgin birth of Christ. Jesus was conceived by Adam-god and Mary. He was not begotten by the Holy Spirit.

Christ was a polygamist. Brigham Young believed that Mary and Martha (sisters of Lazarus) were wives of Christ as was Mary Magdalene.

Christ's death on the cross was not sufficient. Mormons must also obey laws and ordinances of the Mormon gospel. His death brought only immortality.

GOD THE FATHER:

God is only one of many gods. There is only one god for this earth, but other gods rule elsewhere.

Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother begat all the spirits that ever were created. Human spirits have always existed.

"Eloheim" is the greater god--father of the earthly god, Adam. Adam is the god of earth and begat Jesus.

God is their literal father was their physical, actual father in the pre-existence.

SALVATION:

Mormons are saved by works. They must obey all the laws and ordinances of the Mormon gospel. They believe in a general and individual salvation.

There is a second chance for salvation after death. Mormons baptize for those who died without the opportunity to hear the Mormon gospel.

Salvation is progressive. Mormons believe in a hierarchal order of kingdoms of glory (telestial, terrestial, celestial and sons of perdition). Mormon salvation is unsure. They never know if they have done enough good works and in which kingdom they may reside for eternity.

Salvation is affirmed by a "burning in the bosom."

A True Biblical Worldview Transforms Believers' Lives--Part III

2012-02-09T22:08:00.004-06:00

In II Peter 1:3 God says that “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” In other words, His Word is sufficient; it is enough to tell us everything we need to know about life and how to be holy like Jesus. So the first step in our two step process is to know what the Bible says and what it means. We need to realize that this is a lifelong process! Read God's Word daily and consistently. Listen to godly men and women teach the Bible. Study commentaries from trusted teachers.

The second step in the process is to apply what you learn so that the Holy Spirit can transform your life. Remember God’s goal for you is to please Him and to look more and more like His Son Jesus Christ. Once you have learned what God wants you to do, think, act or say, you have to do it. It can be very hard sometimes to obey the Lord. It can cost you a lot to do so. But the benefit of deep fellowship with the Lord is simply priceless.

Ask yourself some of the following questions:
• Did I find a promise of God I need to believe?
• Is there a command I need to obey?
• What warning should I heed?
• Is there a specific Christian doctrine addressed?
• Is there a lesson or universal truth?
• What examples to follow or avoid given?
• Do I need to change:
1. Places I go?
2. People with whom I interact?
3. Things I listen to or look at?
4. Words I say?

The Bible will affect every area of our lives! Some of these include:
• How we relate to our family, neighbors, friends and other Christians.
• God’s definition of good and evil—not society’s definition.
• Godly criteria for our books, movies, TV programs, music, sports, friends
• How many and what kind of possessions do we have.
• Where and how we serve others around us.
• What we believe and why.
• Who to marry and how to raise children.

Someone once said that a belief can make you change your mind but conviction can change your life. A wise person will live a life of transformation. She believes deeply enough in the promises, commands and encouragement of the Lord to apply His truth to her life. The Holy Spirit takes God’s Word and reprograms our way of thinking. His goal is that we will live to please God, and do His will which is always “good and acceptable and perfect.” There is simply no other way to become more like Christ than to study His Word, submit to His Holy Spirit and to work out your salvation in fear and trembling. Becoming more like our precious Savior is our life’s call. There simply is no greater reason to study the Word of God. To Him be the glory.

A True Biblical Worldview Transforms Believers' Lives--Part II

2012-02-08T19:35:00.004-06:00

God's goals for a believer include our pleasing and glorifying Him and being transformed more into the likeness of Jesus Christ. We might truly desire to hit the mark do all these things but we often fail. Like the Jews of old our lips may praise Him but our hearts can be far from Him. One way we can discover what lies in our inner man is to address some penetrating but critical issues:
• I am obsessed with __________
• If only ________ would happen I could be content.
• _____________ makes me feel worthwhile.
• I would defend and protect ______________ at any cost.
• My greatest fear is ____________________.
• My greatest pleasure is___________________.
• If I no longer have ______________ I get angry, sad, depressed or panicked.
• I spend most of my day ____________________.
• The most important thing in the world to me is _______________.
• When I let my mind wander I think about ____________________.
• The reason I get up every morning is ________________________.

God wants us to change! He doesn’t expect us to be perfect but to grow. We put off the old self and put on the new one. There are some key truths in Philippians that encourage us. God Himself enables us to be different. First, Christ began the change process and is committed to completing it (1:6). Thus we are never alone in the process. Second, God wants us to not only change our behavior but our hearts or desires as well (2: 12-13). Third, the words “I can’t” really are no longer permitted for a person who has a biblical worldview. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (4:13).

God’s target is to transform us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. What be believe is critical to our being transformed! The first area that needs to change is our thinking (Romans 12: 1-2). A biblical worldview is crucial to the process. Second, we must change our desires (II Corn. 3:18; Psalm 37:4). Finally, we must change our behavior (Eph. 4: 22-32; Colossians 3: 1-4).

God wants, even requires, those who believe in Him to please Him and be transformed into the likeness of His Son. So how do we do all of that? The basic process is to find out what God wants us to do and then simply to do it! The Holy Spirit renews and transforms us as we study and obey the Word of God. Those two steps are vital. Find out what God wants you to do, think, say or believe and then obey Him.

God has a marvelous goal for us and here are just a few things that God promises happen in those who meditate on His Word: righteousness and blamelessness; freedom from shame, guilt and reproach; purity and victory over sin; rejoicing and delight; bounty; counsel and guidance; revival and strength. It continues with understanding and trust; hope and comfort; good discernment and knowledge; wisdom and restraint; single mindedness and purpose; lovingkindness and faithfulness; redemption from oppression and truth, mercy and peace. What encouragement it brings our hearts as we know our precious Lord and Savior better and to obey Him more fully.

A True Biblical Worldview Transforms Believers' Lives

2012-02-07T21:44:00.004-06:00

Last night I had the opportunity to teach at the Mother / Daughter group at my church. It was such a wonderful time of fellowship. I spoke on the topic of a wise woman develops a biblical worldview. I spent most of the time addressing the principle that a true biblical worldview will transform our lives. Here are my notes from the session.

To be “wise” means to make good choices. We want to act and think in right ways and not wrong ones. Wisdom in its highest form means to know God and to glorify Him. we Study His Word to find out what He requires of us. Then we do it. A worldview is how we think about the important things in life. Our worldview enables us to understand and make sense of the important matters surrounding us. It is a framework of our basic beliefs that shape our responses. A worldview is like the lens on a set of binoculars that help us see things more clearly.

There are all kinds of “worldviews” in which people can believe. One of the major concerns in a worldview centers on a person’s belief about God. Who says: “There is no God?” (Atheists). Who says “God is all or in all”? (Pantheists). Who says “God is a distant Creator who made the universe and stepped back to let it run on its own”? (Deist). Who says “there are many gods”? (Polytheist). Who says “there is only one God”? (Monotheist). Finally who says “there is only one Triune God?” (Christian).

An even more specific issue is the one Jesus asked Peter in Matthew 16:15: “But who do you say that I am?” What a person believes about Jesus Christ is the most critical question a person can ever answer. Everyone’s eternal destiny depends on getting the right answer! That’s why the Bible is so very vital to a Christian worldview. I Thessalonians 2:13 tells us very clearly what God thinks about the Bible: “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” God Himself says that the Bible is His very Word. It also states that God's Word will perform the work of sanctification or making us holy and more like Jesus Christ.

The Scripture speaks of two purposes in a Christian's life. First there is God's purpose and His will for us. The other is the default position of us "doing what is right in our own eyes" as did the Israelites of old in the Book of Judges. God's aim for us is given in such Scriptures as:

II Corinthians 5: 9: "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent to be pleasing to Him."

Romans 8: 29: For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren."

I Corinthians 10:31: "Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

In short, God's will for the Christian's life is to please Him, to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ in His holy character and to bring God glory. We as believers want to do these things and truly think that we are successful in so doing. We often fall short of the target. Rather we obey our flesh and please our selves. The New Testament speaks of the fact that we can and often deceive ourselves. But there is hope. The Holy Spirit who began a good work in us is faithful to complete it! Tomorrow we'll look more closely at some penetrating questions we can ask ourselves that enable us to see more clearly if we truly have a biblical view and really are living in a manner that pleases the Lord.

Psalm 119--Benefits of Bible Study Part II

2012-02-06T10:52:00.006-06:00

Psalm 119 contains a litany of benefits of God’s Word. What David wrote here is an outstanding declaration about the value of the Bible. It is the most lengthy of the psalms but one never tires of it. Ten synonyms describe the Word of God. He calls it Law, Word, Promise or Saying, Commandments, Statutes, Judgments, Precepts, Testimony, Way, and Path. A person’s response to them includes delighting, obeying, meditating and rejoicing.

Verses 1 to 8 state that God blesses our obedience to His Word. Verses 9 to 16 tell of the power of the Word to keep us from sinning when we hide His precepts in our hearts. Verses 17 to 24 indicate that discernment is given to those who learn His truths. Also mention is given of the delight in godly counsel that comes from the Bible. The section in verses 25 to 32 promises renewal and refreshing for the downtrodden and sinful. It recognizes the wisdom of always placing God’s Word in front of us.

The list of benefits continues. Verses 33 to 40 describe the abject power of the Word to transform our lives. Knowing God’s Word leads to reverence and fear of the Lord. The passage in verses 41 to 48 states that those who trust in the Bible have an answer for his enemies. Here is promised victory and liberty from shame.
God promises rest and comfort through His Word as He states in verses 49 to 56. God gives hope and comfort in affliction He will revive those who need it. Isn’t this a time when we do NEED it? The lawless forsake His law but the faithful keep it and remember the Lord’s name in the night. Verses 57 to 64 describe the need to persevere in the Law of the Lord. He is our portion! He is gracious to do what He has promised.. Verses 65 to 72 describe the inestimable value of God’s statutes in good times and bad. The psalmist recognizes that even when he was afflicted, God used that to teach him His Law.

The section of verses 73 to 80 lists insights in the Bible. Our very existence is from God! He fashioned us in our mother’s wombs. God comforts us as a loving father who is faithful to discipline us. God provides us godly companions who also love His statutes. Verses 81 to 88 bring comfort. The psalmist almost fainted waiting to hear from the Lord through His Word. Weakened and shriveled he awaited the Lord’s vindication. God sustains us.. He intervenes in our lives. He helps us. Matthew Henry this says of verse 86 ‘God help me’ is an excellent, comprehensive prayer; it is a pity it should ever be used lightly and as a ‘bye-word.”

Verses 89 to 96 confirm the eternality of the Bible. God’s Word is the surest thing in all the universes. His Word is fixed in heaven. It’s settled in heaven far from the reach of men. The text in verses 97 to 104 guarantee that divine wisdom comes from the ways of God. When we obey the principles contained in His Law, we refrain from evil and its negative consequences. His Word is a Lamp and a Light in all situations. God’s Word has answers for everything pertaining to live and godliness.

Verses 113 to 120 depict the relationship between the Word and those who reject it. There is no relationship between light and darkness. Reject God is to reject His truth. Those who reject the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will pay the penalty of eternal destruction. They will thus find themselves forever away from the power and presence of the Lord. (II Thessalonians 1: 7-9). The only way out for unbelievers leads directly to the Lake of fire. Separation and deliverance are granted in verses 121 to 128. God will deliver us from arrogant oppressors.

Joy and communion are promised to believers in 129 to 136. God makes our steps firm and we will walk without faltering! Iniquity will NOT have victory over us. God’s face shines upon His own. Zeal for God’s Word is found in verses 137 to 144. Others may forget and neglect the Word of God but the zealous will not. Stability comes to those who meditate on biblical truth. Verses 145 to 160 describe the secret to getting a hold of God. We must meditate on His promises and bring them to bear in our lives.. When the enemy is near, God is nearer still.

Finally the end of Psalm 119 speaks of the perfection of God’s Word and our prayer and praise through it. A deep respect and awe for the Law of the Lord preserves the faithful from turning traitor to God. Wisdom and peace come when we train ourselves to think, act and speak biblically. There is great delight in reading and obeying God’s Word!

Psalm 19 Benefits of Bible Study Part I

2012-02-05T21:37:00.004-06:00

Psalms 19 and 119 list significant benefits gained from Bible Study. I want to take a jet tour of the merits for all who are students of God’s Word.

Note in Psalm 19: 7 that “The Law of the Lord is perfect restoring the soul.” No other book is perfect for none other is written by God. The Koran, the Book of Mormon and the writings of Buddha and Freud inspire millions of followers. The Bible alone is the very Word of God. Inspired, inerrant and infallible the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 40:8:”The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

This perfect Word restores the soul. It transforms people. The promises of God encourage a hopeless heart and heal a broken one. The Gospel changes a hardened rebellious person into a loving and redeemed one. Restored means free from decay, sorrow or death. “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” This wisdom is not a natural but a supernatural one. It’s a wisdom is one God honors and rewards.

Verse 8 states: “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” Don’t we long for that which is “right” in our relativistic world? God never varies and neither does His Word. There is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17). His precepts aren’t true today and false tomorrow. They aren’t true for some and not true for others. The world changes constantly but never the Lord. And in that we can be glad.

“The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Oh how the world needs more purity. God’s Law contains no alloy, pollution, contamination or dilution. It is pure.. Our sin tainted eyes are enlightened to His eternal truth. Verse 9 indicates that God’s Law is clean, eternal and altogether righteous. God’s Law convicts the sinner of his need for Savior. It also sanctifies, makes holy the believer. Filthiness brings decay and death, but moral purity brings incorruptibility. Reverence for the Lord is eternal. That’s why Revelation 21: 25-27 describes the heavenly temple as one where "nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

In verse 10 King David describes the value of God’s Word. He says it is far more desirable than gold and sweeter than a honeycomb. There is nothing more precious. Back in the time of David gold and honey were the most valuable of all things. He used the phrase “the drippings of the honeycomb” because the purest honey is that which drips from the comb and is not pressed out. David knew the intrinsic and immeasurable worth of the Word of God. Do we?

Verse 11 indicates God’s Word warns His servants! The nonbeliever hates correction. They persist to do what’s right in their own eyes. The person who heeds God’s plentiful warnings is rewarded. Obedience always brings blessing! Verse 12 tells us that the Word defines sin. There is no one who accurately discerns her sins. She knows herself best who knows the Word of God best. When we confess the sins which we know we should pray for forgiveness for those still hidden. I John 1:9 avows that when we confess known sin, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. What a promise!

Verse 13 continues this same thought. David prays that God would keep him back from presumptuous sins and their rule over him. We all have faults that are secret to us and others but known only to God. Sin is an unforgiving and relentless tyrant. We must pray as Jesus instructed in Matthew 6:13: “And do not lead us into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” Never forget as John Calvin has so rightly stated that our hearts are idol factories. Gratefully God grants us forgiveness and we “shall be acquitted of great transgression”. We will never be sinless in this life, but we can strive to be blameless.

The Psalm ends with a plea from the Psalmist. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” Our words and thoughts are to be equally glorifying and pleasing to the Lord. Our greatest concern should be the same as David’s. As a servant of the Lord we should strive to please Him. May we yearn to read what the Lord requires and may He find us acceptable in His sight.

Faithful Stewards of God's Word

2012-02-04T21:12:00.005-06:00

This past month I have been studying why and how to study the Bible. It's been a very convicting process! Among the most important things I've learned is that we must not study to gain knowledge but study to apply God's truth to our lives. God wants transformed hearts not just informed heads! Mere belief may change our minds but deep conviction will change our lives. May the following list help us all to understand how vital it is to not only learn what God requires of us but also to do it. There simply is not greater resting place than to trust and obey the Lord.

1. Crave the Word – 1 Peter 2:2
2. Believe the Word – John 2:22
3. Love the Word – Psalm 119:97, 127-128
4. Long for the Word – Psalm 119:20, 40, 131
5. Delight in the Word – Psalm 1:2, 119:35, 143
6. Rejoice in the Word – Jeremiah 15:16, Psalm 119:111,162
7. Treasure the Word – Job 23:12, Psalm 19:10-11
8. Esteem the Word – Psalm 138:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:13
9. Reverence the Word – Psalm 119:161
10. Honor the Word – 2 Thessalonians 3:1
11. Trust in the Word – Psalm 119:42
12. Sing the Word – Psalm 119:54,172, Colossians 3:16
13. Meditate on the Word – Psalm 1:2; Joshua 1:8
14. Memorize the Word – Psalm 119:11, 16, 61, 128-129, 176
15. Abide in the Word – John 15:7, 1 John 2:23-25
16. Obey the Word – Deut. 17:19-20, Joshua 22:5, Psalm 119:67, Luke 8:21, John 14:15, 17:6, 1 John 2:3-5, 5:2-3
17. Be Conformed by the Word – Psa. 119: 133, 1 Tim. 6:3, Tit. 1:1
18. Not to be ashamed of the Word – Romans 1:16, 2 Timothy 1:8
19. Contend for the Word – Jude 3, Titus 1:9
20. Defend the Word – Philippians 1:7
21. Suffer for the Word – 2 Timothy 1:8
22. Do not neglect the Word – 1 Corinthians 9:16
23. Be empowered with the Word – 1 Thessalonians 1:5
24. Hope in the Word – Romans 15:4
25. Live the Word – Ezra 7:10, Philippians 1:27, James 1:22-25
26. Take heed to the Word – 1 Timothy 4:16
27. Rightly divide the Word – 2 Timothy 2:15, Nehemiah 8:8
28. Retain the standard of the Word – 2 Timothy 2:13-14
29. Read the Word – 1 Timothy 4:13; Colossians 4:16
30. Share the Word – 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 2 Thessalonians 3:1
31. Teach the Word – 2 Timothy 4:1-5
32. Exhort with the Word – 1 Timothy 4:13
33. Preach the Word – 2 Timothy 4:2
34. Tremble at His Word – Isaiah 66:2

This is a very convicting list. At the first of the year I began a reading program developed by Professor Horner. There is a group on Facebook who are also using his program to read through the Word of God. It's called "3560" because we read 10 chapters a day every day for a year. I've tried other reading programs but none have been as successful as this one for me. I am grateful to get up everyday and spend some time systematically reading His Word. It is transforming my life which is the very purpose God gave it to us!

Parables of Jesus--Lost Coin, Sheep and Son Part V

2012-02-03T20:43:00.003-06:00

Verse 32 is an interesting one. It basically reflects the character of God. “We HAD to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.” We HAD to celebrate. It’s NOT a father’s heart to cancel the celebration. A loving father rejoices when the wayward child returns. So it is with God. When a lost child returns home, He will not cancel the party because He cannot. To do so would be to violate His own nature. God welcomes the sinner with welcome arms and He must share a joyful meal with them.

What did Jesus say was His purpose? He came to do the will of the Father. What Jesus was doing with tax collectors and sinners is what the Father does in heaven. The deity of the Lord Jesus and the grace of God are the themes of these three parables. The underlying principle is that “God actively seeks the lost and rejoices when they’re found.”

But there is an interesting omission in the story. Did the older brother enter the house or not? We don’t know for Scripture doesn’t tell us. Jesus left that part out because it is the precise lesson He taught. To reject the Father’s gracious treatment of the most unworthy of sinners is to deceive ourselves about the need for grace and to forfeit a relationship with the Father that is based on grace alone. As long as the religious leaders then and now stay angry at the grace shown to sinners, they stand outside the Father’s house.

We too can resemble the elder son. We can be in the Father’s house as a servant and not a child. We may be good, moral and respectable, even dedicating our lives to doing the right thing; but we can miss the real relationship between an Abba, a daddy and His child. We can miss the love, grace and welcome of God He extends in Christ. The appeal of the Father to us is “Come in.”

We too can resemble the younger son. We may be in the distant land squandering our resources and being poor stewards of all that God has granted us. Perhaps the money has run out, the famine has come in but we aren’t yet feeding the pigs. We are desperate and insane thinking that going home is never again possible. We fear that the Father may accept us back as a servant but not a son. To us the Lord shouts “Come home.”

Our response to the “lost and found” among us reflects exactly what we really think about God. Do we rejoice, truly rejoice, when a sinner comes home? Do we ache and yearn for those outside the kingdom to come in? Do we seek the lost as passionately as does God? God longs for everyone to come and rejoice at the celebration of a sinner reconciled to a holy and loving Father through His Son. Isaiah 55: 6-8:

Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

Parables of Jesus--Lost Coin, Sheep and Son--Part IV

2012-02-02T19:52:00.005-06:00

In verse 21 the son asks forgiveness of the father. In verse 22 the father said to his servants “QUICKLY bring out the BEST robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and verse 23 bring the FATTENED calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.” Instead of punishing his rebellious child, his father sent slaves to get him the finest clothing and a ring. Then he ordered for the celebration to begin. It wasn’t just any old celebration either. He told them to bring the fattened calf—the very choicest one. What incredible love and grace. What forgiveness. The issue of his past folly and foolishness was forgotten. His lost son had been found. Restoration was complete.

Enter older brother stage left. The younger brother represented the sinner, the tax collector who entered the kingdom of God because they came to Him with a repentant heart. They knew they needed to return to Him and be forgiven by him. The attitude of the older brother however, resembled the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ day. They had the same attitude toward the sinners as the older son had toward the younger son.

The older son was working in the field. He was the hard working responsible one of the pair, a credit to his father. In his eyes, the elder son had done the right thing by his father. But people can do the right thing and not be “righteous” before God. Our good works don’t save us, Jesus does. The older brother thought he had done what his father required but he lacked a relationship with him. As he approached the house when he heard the celebration. He asked one of his servants to explain what was going on. The older son was furious about the fact that his father rejoiced over the return of the ne’er do well.

In Middle Eastern custom there is no doubt of the duty of the elder son. He is to play co-host for his father’s party. Verse 28 tells us that the elder brother was so angry he refused to go in the house. He publicly insulted his dad by behaving in a humiliating and hurtful way. In essence, the older son would rather NOT have the fellowship with the father than accept his father’s treatment of his younger brother. The religious leaders of that day were angry with the message Jesus was proclaiming. They refused to enter the kingdom Jesus offered.

Just like the elder son, the Pharisees would not have fellowship with Jesus because of His treatment of people the Pharisees considered prodigals. They put themselves outside the Father’s house. The father in the parable according to custom could send a servant to order his son in the house. But verse 28 states that the father himself went out to plead with him to come into the feast. Jesus ate with Pharisees as well as sinners. Jesus didn’t desire to exclude them. His message was an invitation to everyone.

Verses 29 and 30 record the elder brother’s response. Basically, he served of duty and his chief concern was for himself. Verse 29 “I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I may celebrate with my friends.” Basically he was full of complaints against and contempt for his father. He spent many more years physically present with his father, but he had no grasp of his father’s heart. The elder son labored not out of love but a desire for reward. He was a servant not a son of the father. The respectable son in essence was a rebel lost in his own father’s house.

Such is the status of the religious leaders. God had granted them the law, the covenants, the prophets and the patriarchs but they rejected them all. In verse 31 the father explained to the elder son “Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.” The Jews are God’s chosen people, but they rejected the Father’s Son. Once again we see the grace of God extending to all.

Parables of Jesus--Lost Coin, Sheep and Son Part III

2012-02-01T22:45:00.007-06:00

Finally Jesus tells the third parable of the three. It’s been known as the Parable of the Lost Son and His Older Brother or more commonly the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The aim of the story is the same as the two prior to it. Jesus more fully expands on the concept of God’s immense grace and love for the lost as well as God’s appeal to the older brother. This addition is important for it directly spoke and was intended for the grumbling scribes and Pharisees.

In verse 11 Jesus relates that a man had two sons. We started out with 100 sheep, 10 coins and now two sons. The younger son requested an unusual thing by asking his father to give him his share of Dad’s estate. Maybe you’ve seen the bumper sticker that says “I am spending my children’s inheritance.” This young man’s request had to hurt the heart of his father. Note he didn’t want a loan, he wanted an inheritance. In essence he was saying ”Since you won’t hurry up and die, can I have the money now?”

Some experts in middle Eastern culture tell us that the younger son was actually expressing a wish for his father to die. A father could initiate a conversation about inheritance but never a son. Kenneth Bailey in Poet and Peasant states “To my knowledge in all Middle Eastern literature (aside from this parable) from ancient times to the present, there is no case of any son, younger or older, asking for his inheritance from a father who is in good health.”

I think Christ wanted people to understand how wayward was the younger child. This was no ordinary rebellious kid. It is evident from verse 12 that the father acquiesced. I doubt it was done meekly or without discussion. I’m not a parent but I know plenty of you and watched you personally interact with your adult children. When they are dead set on doing something you don’t agree with, you use every form of persuasion available to encourage them to make a different choice. Sometimes a parent is helpless to prevent a course of life leading to destruction. Just ask mine. There comes a time to let a rebel go.

The father divided the estate according to Jewish law with one third going to the younger son and two thirds to the elder son. The father left himself particularly vulnerable by distributing not only his money but his property as well. The word for estate in the Greek is “Ousia” which means substance or property. Verse 13 indicates that the younger son “Gathered everything together” which means he may have sold everything to get ready cash.

Then the verse states he went to a distant land. Isn’t it interesting that we turn our backs on our family, friends and neighbors when we rebel? It’s interesting to me that we can run, but we can’t hide. Verse 30 indicates that the prodigal’s brother knew he wasted his money on prostitutes. He partied so hearty that he squandered everything.

Then the consequences came. The chickens came home to roost as I like to say. The foolish young man runs OUT of money but INTO a famine. He’s desperate enough to feed the pigs. Imagine a Jewish boy desiring to eat pork. Notice in verse 16 it says “and no one was giving him anything.” Isn’t that typical of people’s response to an irresponsible person? Sometimes you just have to say to a person who continues to be irresponsible “You made this bed now you have to lie in it.” Until there is evidence of a repentant or soft heart, you only enable a person in rebellion.

Note verse 17 says “But when he came to his senses” The period of brokenness is starting to have its effect. There is an insanity to sin. Some have often said “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” The young son has figured out that his rebellion doesn’t pay. Neither by the way does ours.

Verse 18 shows the new condition of his heart and mind. “I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight". The first step in repentance is the realization that we have sinned against God. The young son finally took responsibility for his actions and choices. He alone brought the calamity in his life. Rebellion against the father always bring bondage not the freedom it SEEMS to promise.

Verse 19 reflects that while the young son understands his father’s desire to provide again for him, he still misses the desire of the father’s heart. The son knew that when he took his inheritance he had forfeited all his rights as a son. The best he could hope for was to be a hired hand. Even though he left rebellious, he was ready to return repentant. It must have been hard to swallow his pride and come back to the village he once disdained.

In my opinion verse 20 summarizes the entire chapter for it captures the very heart of God. “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Not only was the father WILLING to receive his son, he had been looking for him. This was not the time for the father to listen to his son’s well rehearsed speech. At a distance only a broken heart can leap, he recognizes his son and understand his need. Only a loving, grieving father will run when his son walks. The son hasn’t even had a chance to express his repentance but still the father is racing toward him. That’s grace.

We need to know that in middle eastern culture older men didn’t run. The father was an old and wealthy landowner. Robes and riches don’t make running in a field easy and his dignity would make it even less likely. God does the same. Once a repentant sinner turns to Him, he learns that God is already looking for him to come eager to run and meet him. Before he ever gets near to God, he discovers that God has first come to embrace him.

Parables of Jesus--Lost Coin, Sheep and Son Part II

2012-01-31T21:12:00.005-06:00

In Luke verses 4-7 Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. One sheep out of 100 has become lost. The man leaves the 99 other sheep to go and find the lost one. When he does find it, he rejoices with his neighbors. He wanted His followers to understand that when one person is lost and out of the “sheep fold” God searches for Him ardently. God refers to people as sheep often. John chapter 10 teaches the Parable of the Good Shepherd and Psalm 23 says “The Lord is my Shepherd.” It’s imperative to bring one lost sheep into the herd of true believers through the process of repentance. The lost sheep represents the sinner or tax collector that the self righteous Pharisees rejected.

Shepherds each night counted their sheep not only out of duty but out of love. Each sheep was known by name and if one was lost, the shepherd would safely secure his flock and go search for the lost one. When he found it, he carried it on his shoulders, with the belly of the sheep up against his neck and the legs snugly against his chest. Then he called his neighbors and celebrated and rejoiced with them. The gathering of his friends shows the tremendous depth of his profound joy. He couldn’t celebrate alone, he had to share the good news with others.

Verse 7 teaches that God is the same. When one sinner repents, God calls for rejoicing. He is not simply marking our names in the Book of Life like some distant bookkeeper. He so longs for lost souls that He pursues them and then when the wayward sheep is brought into the fold, heaven itself can hardly contain His joy. The 99 righteous and the other self justifying Jews thought they didn’t need to repent. They believed that their works made them holy. God and all of heaven was more pleased with the repentant broken heart of one of the despised sinners than all the long prayers which the teachers of the law and Pharisees made.

Jesus then talks about the lost coin. Again the message is basically the same but the emphasis changes slightly. This time Christ is reflecting the intensity of the search. Verse 8 says “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?"

The word Jesus used for coin is drachma in the Greek. It’s a silver coin referred to only here in the New Testament which equaled about a day’s wage. It was of immense value to a woman back then. She lost a silver coin not base metal as iron or lead. The silver was lost in dirt, like a soul plunged into worldliness and the darkness of the enemy.

She takes great effort and worry to find it. She first lights a lamp, then sweeps the house and searches until she finds it. The lamp represents the gospel, the light of Christ God shines into people’s hearts not to show Himself the way to us; but to show us the way to Him. Once again God’s heart is to bring lost souls to Himself. Verse 10 tells us that once again there is immense joy among the angels in heaven when one sinner repents. The point would have been clear to Jesus’ listeners: the sinners with whom He was associating with were extremely important to God.

Parables of Jesus--Lost Coin, Sheep and Son

2012-01-30T20:18:00.006-06:00

The passage is Luke 15:3-32. There are three separate parables contained in this one section all concerning the essence of God’s heart-His love. He passionately seeks that which is lost and rejoices when a sinner repents and receives everlasting life through His Son Jesus Christ.

The first three verses give us the setting. All the tax collectors and the sinners were coming to Jesus to hear Him. The Pharisees and scribes grumbled about the company Jesus kept. The religious leaders considered some people as hopeless and beyond the reach of God. Tax collectors in the Lord’s time were not merely unpopular. As agents of the hated Roman Empire, they were complete outcasts. Because they commonly dealt so often with Gentiles, the tax collectors were religiously “unclean” as well.

A sinner was the lowest of the low, the dregs of society. When the Pharisees used the term they weren’t necessarily describing some notorious evil person. More commonly it referred to ordinary people who lived with indifference to the ritual and rigor of religious practice. The religious leaders called them am h’aretz, “the people of the land, the clueless, the unclean.

These two groups may have been outcasts from religion, but they were in on spiritual truth. They sought it directly from the mouth of the Master. Jesus knew their hearts and welcomed their presence. What an incredible Christ. He who welcomes the hopeless outcast. The self-righteous religious leaders kept far away from such low life. But not Jesus. He ate with them. These leaders who claimed to know God were offended by the kind of people Christ attracted. As a response to their prejudice Jesus told them three parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son.

All three parables teach essentially the same message—that God is vitally concerned with the repentance of sinners. Because of the opposition from the teachers of the Law Jesus told three parables. All three speak of things or a person being lost and then found, and of rejoicing when the lost is found.

Some people view these parables as teaching a believer’s restoration to fellowship with God. They reason that someone cannot lose something he doesn’t possess, so the first two parables must represent children of God who come back to Him. Also, a son is already a son, so the third parable must be teaching that people who are believers can be restored to fellowship with God.

Others interpret the parable to mean that “lost” people (those who haven’t believed in the Lord) can come to Christ. Luke 19:10 states “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” God cares passionately for those who are separate from Him for any reason. Whether the passage speaks only of “lost” in terms of unbeliever or if it refers to a believer who is out of fellowship with the Lord; the major point is that God’s nature is to seek and restore people to Himself.

Parables of Jesus--The Prodigal Son in F Major

2012-01-29T21:50:00.007-06:00

I want to share with you something called “The Prodigal Son in F Major.” I've tried to locate the name of the author but havent been successful. It is a witty version of Parable of the Prodigal Son.

"Feeling footloose and frisky, a feather-brained fellow forced his fond father to fork over the family finances. He flew far to foreign fields and frittered his fortune feasting fabulously with faithless friends. Finally facing famine and fleeced by his fellows in folly, he found himself a feed-finger in a filthy farmyard. Fairly famished, he fain would have filled his frame with the foraged goods of the fodder fragments left by the filthy farmyard creatures.

‘Fooey’, he said. ‘My father’s flunkies fare far fancier,’ the frazzled fugitive found feverishly, frankly facing facts. Frustrated by failure and filled with foreboding, he forthwith fled to his family. Falling at his father’s feet, he floundered forlornly. Father, I have flunked and fruitlessly forfeited family favour.’ But the faithful father, forestalling further flinching frantically flagged the flunkies.

Fetch forth the finest fatling and fix a feast. But the fugitive’s faultfinding fraternal firstborn frowned on the fickle forgiveness of the former folderol. His fury flashed. But fussing was futile, for the far-sighted father figured such filial fidelity is fine, but what forbids fervent festivity. The fugitive is found. ‘Unfurl the flags…with fanfares flaring. let fun and frolic freely flow.’ Former failure is forgotten…folly forsaken…forgiveness forms the foundation for future fortitude.

The text is Luke 15:3-32. There are three separate parables contained in this one section all concerning what I believe is the essence of God’s heart-His love. He passionately seeks that which is lost and rejoices when a sinner repents and receives everlasting life through His Son Jesus Christ.The overarching principle is that God actively seeks the lost. He pursues them and the Spirit regenerates those whom the Father has chosen and the Son has redeemed to genuine faith. There is much meat in these three passages.

Parables of Jesus--The Fig Tree Part III

2012-01-28T20:07:00.007-06:00

Luke 21:24 warns “Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap.” I have always wondered what “dissipation” means so I looked it up in the dictionary. It means a wasting or squandering; an idle or frivolous amusement or diversion; an indulgence. Jesus is telling us not to waste our time on meaningless pursuits.

There are many past times and pursuits that in and of themselves are not evil. But we must be careful not to let it overtake our lives. I have seen people whose life is totally absorbed with a hobby, a sport or a passion. Idolatry can at times be very subtle yet very real. People don't fashion ours out of metal or wood. Yet judging by the amount of time and resources they invest in it, an idol exists nonetheless.

Jesus then warns against drunkenness. Again He cautions us against extremes. To be drunk is to be out of control of our faculties. It’s not only alcohol that can dull our senses. Other drugs and addictions are equally potent. Christ expects us to be “sober” to come to our senses and to make wise choices. II Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Here Paul teaches that if we are to accomplish God’s will for our lives, we must be sober or in control in order to do it.

Finally, Jesus warns against our hearts being weighed down with the worries of this life. Matthew 6:31 describes the basics of life as “Do not be anxious then, saying “What shall we eat? Or “What shall we drink?” or “With what shall we clothe ourselves?”Verse 33 gives God’s answer to these issues. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things will be added to you.”

Everything and I mean everything we have is given to us from the hand of God. Your job, your family, your material possessions, your talents and abilities are all directly from the palm of the Father. Don’t fool yourself that it’s about you. It’s not. Every breath you take is by His grace. Once again, all of these things will pass away. What lasts for eternity is His kingdom and His righteousness. You would be wise to ardently pursue the only thing that is forever. God says if you do that, He will provide everything else. The principle is that followers of Jesus are to live free of the world’s ways.

The Gospel of Mark ends the parable with the warning to “Be on the alert.” The Gospel of Luke finishes it by telling us that Jesus continued to teach in the temple during the day but at night He would go out to Mount Olivet. He states that all the people would get up early in the morning to hear Him teach. By the way do we get up early in the morning to hear Christ teach? The Book of Matthew ends the parable with the description of the wise servant.

Jesus compares the faithful Christian who watches for the Lord’s return to the head of a house. Verses 45 to 51 in Matthew 24 tell the story. Here Jesus tells us that the wise servant is the one who is obedient to all that his master asked him to do while he was absent. Christ has told us what we are to do while He is away. Matthew 18:19-20 summarizes our work “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” God wants us to be about His business until His Son returns for us.

The faithful slave feeds his household and we are to do it by providing them Jesus who is the Bread of life. Jesus compares the faithful servant with a wicked one who according to verses 48 and 49 ignores the warning of his master’s return and beats his fellow slaves and squanders his possessions. This is symbolic of one who says she is a Christian yet chooses pleasure and the world’s ways to the extent of caring nothing for the outsider who is starved for the Bread of Life.

Remember when Jesus commanded Peter to feed His sheep in John Chapter 21? He expects us to do the same. Don’t be so obsessed with pleasure, money, men, materialism, career, family and the like that you neglect to feed yourself and others around you. The food that is eternal is described in John 6:32-33 “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

Are you sharing the bread that comes out of heaven and gives life to the world? Pray that God grants you not only the opportunity to share, but He empowers you to do so. Then watch Him work during the next few days and when He does answer your prayer and gives you a chance to feed some sheep, do it. Reach out humbly and give of that which you have been given and tell them about Jesus and what He did for you. The true Christian is serving the Lord by feeding others, fulfilling opportunities God has given.

Each of us is to live like this. Don’t worry about failing or making mistakes. Don’t let the enemy condemn about past sins. I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

A basic belief of Christianity is Jesus will return. It is the believer's great hope. He is coming back. We will see Him again. Until then, may He find us faithful to feed His sheep. The leaves on the fig tree. Summer is not far away. Jesus told us to “watch.” What a comforting hope we have knowing Christ is coming again for us. We ought to live our lives in the light of the fact that we are to stand someday in the presence of Christ Himself. Regardless of whether it’s another 10 years or another 10 hundred years, we will stand in His presence someday.

Whether we know Christ as Savior or whether we don’t we will stand in His presence someday. If we are a believer in Christ, we will stand before Him and account for our lives in terms of how well we lived for Him here. He then determines our reward. If we stand before Christ and have never accepted Him into our life, we stand there to be judged by Him. Once again Jesus is very clear about the destiny of the evil servant, the non believer if you will. Matthew 24:51 says referring to the master’s response to the evil slave “And shall cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth.” We must live our lives in light of the fact that we will stand before the presence of the Lord. He is coming back. May He find us faithful “feeders” when He comes.

Parables of Jesus--The Fig Tree--Part II

2012-01-27T19:53:00.005-06:00

In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus again uses some symbolism. Here Christ has devoted much time to the teaching of what will occur in the future. The entire chapters of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 address the subject of prophecy and the ultimate return of Jesus Christ. Jesus gave His followers some signs that would precede His second coming. With the illustration of the fig tree in Luke 21:29-33; Matthew 24:32-36 and Mark 13:28-32 Jesus encourages us all to watch the signs of the times in light of Biblical revelation. He calls us to be aware, to be on guard and to be alert for His return. In the Mark passage some variation of the phrase “be alert” occurs six times. The principle is that God’s children should live watching for Christ’s return.

Mark 13:34 compares our watchfulness to a man who leaves his house and puts his slaves in charge. He assigns each one a task and commands the doorkeeper to stay on the alert for he didn’t know when his master would return. Verse 36 indicates he could come suddenly and find the doorkeeper asleep. We are to keep watch because we don’t know the day the Lord will come. The limits of the end time scenario are known only to God. We aren’t to date set nor climb a roof top and just wait. We are to be about the Father’s business--growing in His grace, sharing the good news with others, and living a life glorifying God. Watchfulness is commanded but apathy is not.

Verse 34 indicates that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” This verse has created much controversy. One explanation is that the word “generation” means the Jewish race. Another explanation is that the generation that sees Israel begin to put forth leaves will also be alive when ALL these signs are fulfilled. If this is the case then we are living in exciting times. In 1948 we began to see signs of Israel’s return to her land and nationhood. After 2000 years when most of the world believed that the Jews had been hopelessly scattered throughout the world and forever discarded as a nation, miraculously, Israel is again occupying the land of her forefathers. More recently evidence is emerging that Jews are in the process of serious preparation to rebuild the temple. An event that must occur before the second coming of Christ.

Verse 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Jesus remind us here of the fact that His Words are both authoritative and eternal. There is very little that will last forever at least in its original state. Basically it boils down to God, His Word and people. II Peter 3:10-11 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,” What “sort of people” are you? Is God Word vital to your life? Do you study it to show yourself approved to God? Is it a table decoration or a doorstop in your home?
Jesus tells us very clearly the importance of His Word. I exhort you to take Him seriously, especially during these days when lies and deception abound. It is so easy now to listen and follow beliefs that are not taught by the Bible. Satan is deceiving even the true believer. We are the devil’s greatest enemy and yet his greatest trophy.

The passage in Matthew verses 37 to 39 likens the coming of the Son of Man to the days of Noah. Noah and the seven others who joined him in the Ark were definitely in the minority back then. They alone had the saving faith in God. Just as Noah’s age closed with God’s judgment so will be the world situation when Christ returns. Back then judgment was unexpected and not believed by the vast majority of people. The same will be true again. As in Noah’s day people marry, work, enjoy recreation, establish careers and homes and ignore God. They know nothing until judgment comes.

Christ’s judgment will take the world by surprise. Judgment will come to all those who reject Jesus and the fact He died on the cross for the sins of mankind. If you know Jesus you have been cleansed by faith and God sees you as righteous before Him. If you don’t know Jesus, you can. Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Pray to God, ask forgiveness of your sin and invite Christ to live in you from now on. Repentance is critical to Christianity. God knows your heart’s request and He is faithful.

If you have already come to faith in Christ, share the good news with others who haven’t. Remember the eternal destiny of the “tares” those who don’t have faith in Christ. Jesus shared His truth with all. So must we do so. Jesus told His truth in different ways and so can we.

Parables of Jesus--The Fig Tree Part I

2012-01-26T19:09:00.005-06:00

Another of Jesus' parables is that of the fig tree. It’s found in Matthew 24: 31-32, Mark 13:28-29 and Luke 21:29-31. Note that the short parable is tucked among Jesus’ teaching about the end of the age and His second coming in all three chapters. Luke 21:29-31 Then He told them a parable, “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near.” Verse 31 gives Christ’s explanation “So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.”

Historically the fig tree has played an important role in Israel and Jesus used it more than once symbolically. In fact, if the fig tree crop failed, national calamity came upon the land. The productivity of the fig tree was seen as a token of peace and divine favor. The fig tree differs from most other fruit trees in that its fruit is green and inconspicuous, concealed among leaves until near the time of ripening. If the promise given from a distance by the leaves be not fulfilled on approaching the tree is a hypocrite like the one Jesus cursed in Mark 11:13 and Matthew 21:19. We’re going to these verses for just a moment in order to examine another instance of Jesus and a fig tree. Here Jesus was hungry and came upon a leafy fig tree. A fig tree first produces fruit and then the leaves come to full maturity afterward.

Jesus grasped the teachable moment with His disciples. He saw the leaves from a distance but upon drawing closer to the fig tree, it was evident there was no fruit. He knew the leaves were an empty promise. Basically the tree was all show and no fruit. The fig tree in these verses represented the “fruitless nation of Israel” who had all the show of their religious works and the law, but no real fruit of repentance and acceptance of Christ the Messiah.

In essence, the leaves on the fig tree indicate that the fruit is ripe, for the fruit comes before the leaves. Therefore, Jesus, seeing the “leaves of profession” if you will had every right to expect some sort of “spiritual fruit.” This fig tree was basically hypocritical, leading one to believe that because of its leaves to expect fruit but there was none. It wasn’t long after Jesus Christ cursed the fig tree that the lack of Israel’s spiritual fruit would be abundantly evident. For in just a matter of a few days in spite of all their religiosity, the crowds would soon cry “Crucify Him.”

The fig tree is often symbolic of the nation Israel and Christ’s condemnation of it was a warning to the nation itself. God came to Israel in the person of His Son Jesus Christ to gather His fruit. The withering of the fig tree here in Matthew 21:19 was a prophecy of the Romans totally destroying Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D.

Parables of Jesus--Soils Explained

2012-01-25T21:51:00.004-06:00

Luke 8: 11-15 is Jesus' explanation of the seed and soils. Seed is God's Word or His Gospel. The four soils illustrate the human heart. In Matthew's parallel passage to Luke's account Chapter 13 verse 19 says in part: "The evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart." The heart of the hearer is the spiritual equivalent of soil receiving the seed of a farmer's planted crop.

In essence all the soils are the same. The dirt in and around a field is the same dirt no matter how hard, shallow or weedy. The difference in the soil's condition has to do with external influences. All soils could receive the seed if they were properly prepared. The only one who is cultivated bears a crop. The same is true with the human heart. The essence is the same but it's conditioned differently depending on outside factors that influence it. A basic teaching of this parable is a person's response to God's truth depends upon the preparation or condition of the heart.

Verse 12 describes the wayside or unresponsive heart. This person has a shut mind and a hardened heart. The Old Testament calls it "stiff-necked." Such an individual does not want to understand or even try to do so but remains unconcerned, inattentive, indifferent, negligent and often hostile. He wants nothing to do with God whose truth bounces off him. Satan's angels represented by the birds snatch the truth away.

Many people have hearts like that. You shower them with truth but it just lies there. It doesn't penetrate and it doesn't stay. Satan comes right along behind it and grabs it up. Each time you speak truth to them and share the Gospel you have to start all over again. This group includes both the anti-religionists and the antagonistic religionists. These are those who remain on the fringes true religion but stay stuck in their ritual and good works.

Verse 13 describes the shallow superficial heart and mind. The seed was received and with joy at first but in a short time it withered. These people show wild enthusiasm until tough times come. And tough times do come. No thought is given to count the cost of following Christ and His teachings. It is a quick emotional pick me up, a spiritual high, and instant gratification without any grasp of the sacrifice of true discipleship. I fear that Christianity these days cultivates this soil. We encourage people to follow Christ and get their problems solved, their pasts resolved and their financial debt absolved, but we don’t communicate the cost of true repentance and brokenness—issues basic to His message.

Guard against the shallow response filled with cheer and smiles but void of any evidence of heart felt change. As James said Sunday “God doesn’t respond to half hearted commitments.” The truth is that there is only one thing more costly than discipleship and that is disobedience. Pride and selfishness are the marks of superficial dirt, true humility and repentance are evidence of the good, clean soil.

Verse 14 describes the soil choked by weeds. This is the heart preoccupied with worldly matters. The one that is overloaded with pleasures or cares, so cluttered with things and time demands, so filled with worries that there is no time to grow in His Truth. How can you tell a worldly person? Simply observe how he spends his time and his money. Be careful because good deeds can trick you. We can get so busy with ritual, religion and ministry that we ignore Bible study, prayer and fellowship with the Father. Remember that the good is often the enemy of the best. Matthew 6:24 warns that “you cannot serve God and money.” This soil is the most deceptive because we don’t recognize the depth or tenacity of the weeds until we are nearly choked to death. Weed your garden daily. Confess your sins and pull out any weeds of worldliness.

Verse 15 explains the good soil. This person possesses the receptive and honest heart. Matthew 13:23 tell us the results of a soft heart toward God’s Word. “The one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty.” This is the climax of the parable. The reward of a receptive heart toward God and His word. Jesus indicates that there is a huge field cultivated and ready to receive the seed. Good seed bears abundant fruit. As we know from the parable of the fig tree, fruit not foliage is the true mark of the believer. Matthew 7:16 teaches “You will know them by their fruit.” The amount of fruit we will bear differs according to the degree we hold fast and persevere in holding out His Word as truth in the field surrounding us.

Parables of Jesus--The Soils

2012-01-24T19:21:00.004-06:00

Jesus is the sower of the seed. All four Gospels record the truth of Christ and John 14:6 states: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." In the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13: 37 it says: "And the one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man"--a reference to Christ Himself. Jesus is the one who sows His Word in the hearts of those who hear Him.

The seed is the Word of God, the sower is Christ and the four soils represent the "heart" of the individual hearer. The heart in Scripture often indicates the intellectual, willful and emotional capacity of the individual. A message was being proclaimed that was heard. Verses 12, 13, 14 and 15 all indicate that everyone heard the Word. But there were varying responses to the Word or seed in the parable.

Verse 5 tells us that some seed showed no signs of life at all. The first condition of the soil was the hard-packed dirt of the road bordering the field. Palestine was covered with fields. No fences or walls surrounded them, so the only boundaries were narrow paths. Travelers from all over used the paths. The method of sowing by scattering caused some of the seed to fall on the paths. The ground was beaten hard, packed down, uncultivated and never turned over or loosened. The continual pounding of travelers' feet, along with the hot and dry climate, would so compact the soil that nothing could penetrate it. The seed would lie on top and the birds would eat it.

Verse 6 says some seed quickly germinated and sent up shoots but the soil was shallow. "Rocky places' did not refer to soil with stones in it; any farmer who cultivated a field would remove all the stones he could. In Israel, however, strata of limestone rock bed run through the land. In places the rock bed juts up so close to the surface that it lies only inches beneath the topsoil. As seed fell and germinated there the roots would soon reach rock and have no where to go. With shallow roots the young plants would be leafy making them appear more spectacular than the surrounding crop. But when the sun came out there were the first to die because the roots weren't too deep for moisture. The crop shriveled up long before it could bear fruit.

Verse 7 talks about weedy soil. This soil on the surface looked good--rich, deep, tilled and fertile. At spring time it looked clean and ready. The seeds landed and germinated but the fibrous roots of weeds hidden under the surface also sprouted and inevitably choked out the crop. Weeds that are native to an area always have an advantage over cultivated crops. The weeds live where they flourish naturally. They planted crop is a foreign element needing cultivation and care. If the weeds get a foothold in the soil, they dominate the ground. They grow faster and send out their leaves, which shade the planted crop from the sun. Their stronger roots soak up the moisture and thus the good plants are choked out.

Verse 8 describes the good soil. This soil is soft unlike the hard wayward soil. It is deep unlike the shallow ground. And it is clean unlike the weed- infested soil. Here the seed bursts into life and brings forth a tremendous harvest.

In verses 9 and 10 Jesus explains to His disciples His method of teaching in parables. Note in verse 10 He tells them that "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not hear." In other words a true disciple of Jesus has been given the ability to understand the Word of God. We have the Holy Spirit who illuminates the Truth for us.

Parables of Jesus--The Sower and the Seed--Encouragement to Study

2012-01-23T21:07:00.006-06:00

Gardening and agriculture were often used by Jesus to explain to His disciples a deeper spiritual truth. When Jesus was sitting in the boat at Galilee speaking to the large crowds, His eye might have caught someone walking along the path in a wheat field throwing seed. Such an image gave Him an opportunity to teach His disciples the importance of a receptive heart toward the truth of God. The parable is sometimes referred to as the parable of the sower because Christ Himself sowed His Truth into the lives of His followers. It's also referred to as the Parable of the Soils because Jesus describes four basic types of soils which represent the different hear conditions of persons who hear His truth.

The parable is found in Luke 8: 5-15, Matthew 13: 1-9 and 18: 23 and Mark 4: 3-25. The main text will be Luke 8. According to verse 11 the seed is the Word of God. Seed is an appropriate illustration of the Gospel. It can't be created only reproduced. God doesn't call on us to create our own seed and message. His Word is the only good seed.

If you are going to grow in the kingdom of God, you're going to do it just like a seed that's been planted in the ground. How does a seed grow? Not all at once but gradually. God intends for the seed to grow constantly--24 hours a day--a little all the time until it accomplishes what it was created to do. God intends for His truth in us to grow.Many of us don't operate that way spiritually. We study and pray very hard for a few days and then quit. Then, when some disaster comes, we make a mad attempt to pray and stand on the Word, all the while realizing that for some reason, we're just not as strong as we used to be or perhaps as we should be.

There is no such thing as an overnight success in the Kingdom of God! Real strength, real growth comes as you consistently keep the Word before your eyes, in your ears and in the midst of your heart. Not just when you want to or when you feel like it, but constantly, like the seed, a little all the time. God always has blessing follow our obedience.

Make up your mind to begin that daily process of constant growth today. Determine to start putting the Word in your heart consistently. Every day a line here, a line there--a CD sermon here, a CD sermon there. Begin to act as though the Word is true every hour of the day regardless of what comes or how you feel. Keep adding to your faith, meditating on it, confessing it twenty four hours a day seven days a week.

Parables of Jesus--God the Teacher

2012-01-22T23:28:00.004-06:00

Jesus lived a perfect life and was the embodiment of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. His life shone through His teaching and became the light to men. By rejecting His teachings the Pharisees and Sadducees in essence rejected Him. He never had any formal training in religion nor did He ever study speech; yet when it came to His public ministry, multitudes hung upon His matchless teachings and marveled at His striking words. They still do.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, had insight as to the source of Jesus' wisdom and power. John 3:2 says in part: "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher." Constantly Jesus affirmed that His teaching, preaching, healing and ministry as a whole was but the accomplishment of the Father's will. He was not only a teacher sent from God, but a teacher who as God. John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." In the next 10 verses John explains that Jesus was God, the life and according to verse 9: "There was the True Light which coming into the world, enlightens every man." Isn't that precisely what a good teacher does? Enlightens every man?

Jesus' teaching was authoritative because it originated from God and not Himself. Those who knew God and sought to do His will would know whether the teaching was from God or was his own. The Life Application Bible lists some telltale signs of glory-seeking teachers:

They insist on using their titles and credentials. They are preoccupied with their relative positions in the program or breaches in protocol. They take the credit for success rather than giving it to God. They habitually take more than the allotted time to speak.

We study the parables of Jesus so that we can understand the subtle hidden meanings of Christ, the perfect teacher, wants His disciples to know. Parables had many uses. Peloubet's Bible Dictionary says:

They withdraw the light from those who love darkness. They protect the truth which they enshrine from the mockery of the scoffer. They leave something even with the careless which may be interpreted and understood afterward. They reveal, on the other hand, the seekers after truth. These ask the meaning of the parable and will not rest until the teacher has explained it. In this way the parable did its work, found out the fit hearers and led them on.

The reason we study the parables of Jesus is simply that He is the Truth and He is the teacher sent from God who is God. Jesus first came supported with divine inspiration and divine authority. He came armed with the power of Truth not a sword. He will soon return with the power of the sword. Nicodemus used a title that signified that Jesus came to reveal God and the truth of God to the people. In addressing Christ as a teacher sent by God Nicodemus was putting himself in a position of a learner seeking to ask about the great truths that Christ had been teaching.

Parables of Jesus Who Is the Truth And The Teacher

2012-01-21T20:41:00.007-06:00

So why study the parables of Jesus and not the writings of Aristotle, Socrates or even Shakespeare? Why Jesus? Matthew 24: 35 answers that "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." Only true Christians can grasp the hidden meanings of Jesus' parables and God's Word in general. For we have the Holy Spirit to illuminate God's Truth. He literally dwells within us. He brings to remembrance God's Truth. He teaches us. He convicts us with His Word and comforts us through it.

Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." The Bible is the revealed Word of God and he has entrusted it to His children. There are secret things that are known only to the Father. Note however that this verse promises that the truths God reveals to us are ours forever!

We study the parables of Jesus Christ because He is the Truth. John 14:6 states: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Me." How important it is to allow God to inscribe the Scriptures on our hearts. Satan can't snatch a truth God has chiseled in us. According to the parable of the sower Satan can seize the truth that falls beside the road and is trampled under foot and eaten by birds. The intense study of the Word has mammoth effects on all spiritual disciplines. Study deepens our prayers, illuminates our lives, enables our fasting, frees up our giving, safeguards our stewardship, increases our tithes and enhances our fellowship.

The written works of human authors may or may not touch or affect us. I remember in college when I took English Literature. I read a passage and be moved to tears while the person next to me sat stoically. Even today, movie and book reviews can't agree. Some will rave about a show or book, while others say it stinks. Have you ever looked at a piece of art and tried to decide the artist intent? Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don't. Only God's Word never returns void. Only the Bible does what God intends for it to do. Isaiah 55:11: "So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth. It will not return to Me empty without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding IN THE MATTER for which I sent it." (Emphasis Mine).

We study the parables of Jesus not only because He is the truth, but also because He is the teacher. When the Gospel writer John described the Incarnation of Jesus he said in John 1:14: "The LIFE was the LIGHT." (Emphasis Mine). What made Jesus' teaching so life changing, so illuminating was the holy life behind them and pulsating through them. What Jesus was in Himself gave weight to what He taught. Truth and personality were one. His life was not detached from His teachings. While I was in college so often my professors would teach one thing and their private life reflected another. Not so with Jesus. His life was not detached from His teaching. His life verified them. He not only proclaimed the truth, He was the Truth who became flesh. His life was the totality of His Words.

Umphrey Lee in his work "Live of Christ" reminds us that:

The most important factor in the work of every successful teacher is his own personality. What he says and does gets most of its force and significance from what he is. This at once suggests one of the secrets of the unique influence of Jesus as a teacher. His words and deeds were the spontaneous expression of a character that was complete in its symmetry and infinitely rich in its resources, and this gave to them an inexhaustible wealth of means.

Parables of Jesus--Truth and the Pharisees

2012-01-20T18:17:00.004-06:00

The Bible is the greatest work of theology, literature and history ever written. God has preserved it through the eons of eternity. He unified the Truth through a variety of authors, time spans and literary styles. He blends the Old Testament and New to create a panoramic view of His Son Jesus Christ. God is quite prolific for He wrote sixty six books alone which provide the answers to discover our past, understand the present and attain hope for the future. The Old Testament points ahead to the New and the New points back to the central event in all history--the Cross where Christ died for our sins.

Of the sixty six books of the bible five are commonly called historical. They are the four Gospels and the Book of Acts. The parables of Jesus Christ are found throughout the four Gospels. These four books of the Bible comprise about forty six percent of the New Testament but contain nearly one hundred percent of the direct words of Jesus Christ. The Gospels teach us that the beginning of Jesus' three year public ministry Jesus preached not only to the religious leaders in the synagogues but also to the multitudes of common people outside of them. He taught the Pharisees, Sadducees and the Scribes who gathered in the temple. As Christ confronted the pride and deception of those false leaders and teachers, it became increasingly difficult for Him to preach in their synagogues.

The Pharisees were a sect of Jews who were very closely organized, very loyal to society and to each other, but were separate from everyone else even their own people. They pledge to obey all facets of religious traditions to the tiniest detail and were sticklers for ceremonial purity. Basically they believed that their good works would save them.

The Sadducees were another Jewish sect who accepted the written Law but rejected the oral traditions of the Pharisees. They denied the resurrection and the spirit world in general. They were a small group but generally held the high priesthood. They were the aristocrats of their day while the Pharisees were the rigid realists. The scribes were a class of learned men and were called "lawyers", "doctors" and "rabbis". They were the professionals of their day. They developed an extensive and complicated system of teaching known as the "tradition of the elders." They were laymen not priests who devoted themselves to the preservation of the law.

As Jesus denounced their belief systems in the synagogue, obviously their resistance and their resentment against Him mounted. They watched and listened with a critical eye and ear ready to accuse and trap Him. Their actions and words only served to confuse the people. Therefore Jesus took His ministry "outside" the synagogues.

About the same time in His ministry Jesus also departed from His pattern of preaching to the multitudes. Those seemingly enthusiastic throngs who poured out to hear John the Baptist in the desert now flocked to hear Jesus on the seashore proved basically indifferent to His message. Their reaction was especially true of His harder teachings. As Jesus' message became convicting, people rejected Him choosing rather to follow their flesh. They heard Him with their ears, but would not give Him their hearts.

Matthew the Gospel writer explains why Jesus now taught in parables. Chapter 13: 34-35 says: "All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet; I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD". Jesus Christ quoted Psalm 78:2 and thus indicated He was the Expected One. Those who rejected Him and His message would no longer understand. His disciples, not just the twelve, but all who followed Him would comprehend His revelation of the hidden mysteries that explained the course of the Kingdom of God in the world before His glorious return.

A parable is simply a comparison of two objects for the purpose of teaching. The word is found in the New Testament forty six times. It also occurs in the Old Testament fifteen times. The Greek word is paraballo which means to lay by the side of or to compare. Jesus would use an everyday example of something to teach a spiritual truth. Parables were used prior to Christ, but He was the only One who used them in the New Testament. With parables Jesus could reveal spiritual truth to the spiritually readied mind and heart while at the same time conceal it from others.

Parables of Jesus as Truth

2012-01-19T20:39:00.005-06:00

Parables were a main form of teaching for Jesus. There are different ways that humans gather information. Earthbound beings have two general ways of human knowledge: reason and experience. While both are critical to our understanding of our world, they both are limited. Human reason and experience can't answer the bigger questions that loom beyond ourselves. "Who am I?" "Why was I born?" "Where am I going?" "Where is history going?" Unless there is another source of knowledge those kind of questions remain unanswered.

Mankind has throughout the ages attempted to discover these truths. We know of great numbers of gurus, sages and wise men who limited by their reason and experience nonetheless tried to resolve the greater issues. Masters of philosophy, eastern religion, cults and new age have attempted to explain the purpose and meaning of life. Yet the search continues for they have failed. Man continues his search until it ends in God's eternal truth. Isaiah 40:8 states: "The grass withers, the flower fades but the Word of our God stands forever."

Unless there is a third source of knowledge, a source that carries us beyond the limits of human reason and experience, there is no hope as we search for meaning. The Bible as a whole, including the parables of Jesus Christ, claims to provide this source of knowledge. It's "revelation" which means that God has revealed Himself and His ways to man in Holy Scripture. This is crucial to orthodox Christianity. We believe the Bible to be the absolute Word of God. If the Bible were not totally accurate then it must have at least one error in it. Now if everyone could agree on where that one error occurs then the problem might be resolved. Liberal Bible commentators deny that the Bible is inerrant and infallible so how can it be trusted. The Bible is completely true. If not, we have no reliable source of judging which part is true and which is not.

Mormonism, a leading Christian cult with millions of members, denies that the Bible is the Word of God. Joseph Smith, "added" three books of his own to what God had to say in His Book. Deception and discrepancy abound. I know the lies because I spent the first 25 years of my life believing them. I can't remember a time as a Mormon when I was taught directly from the bible. I also studied psychology at a graduate level. There are over 450 to 500 different theories of psychology. I went nuts trying to decide which one or which combination of them was correct. It is crucial that we derive our Truth only from the source that IS Truth. Jesus said of Himself in John 6:14: I am the way, and the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but through Me."

The Parables of Jesus--Parable Defined Part I

2012-01-18T20:37:00.007-06:00

The parables of Jesus aren't just any parables. Christ and His Word is the only source of absolute Truth. The American playwright Arthur Miller, who wrote Death of a Salesman and who also was married briefly to Marilyn Monroe once observed: "In every successful drama there is something which makes a person say, 'Hey, that's me.'" The story becomes a mirror in which recognition produces understanding. Good writers of drama are able to help us understand and see things as they really are. Self awareness without a solution leads only to deep despair. Jesus is the Master at enabling people to understand how to properly see things. He also has the answer for any discomfort self awareness can bring. Once we come fact to face with our sin and how it separates us from God, we need the grace and mercy only Christ can give!

The parables of Jesus are like mirrors and allow us to see ourselves and the world as they truly are. Some parables are like veils and they hide the Truth from people whose response to Jesus indicated that they are under divine judgment. This is especially true of the parables recorded in Matthew Chapter 13.

There are some things to consider when reading the parables. First, they are not isolated stories. They were told to answer a specific question or address a particular situation. It is imperative to study the context in which the biblical authors place them. It is important always to ensure that the interpretation of a given passage of Scripture, parable or not, fits with all the revealed Truth contained in God's Word. So often people take a verse or two and try to establish a whole theology around it.

Second, the Jesus' stories are parables and not allegories. Although details may have symbolic significance, more commonly a parable is intended to teach only one main point. We need to seek the main truth firmly and not wander in the lush forest of speculation trying to assign meaning in the secondary details. Third, we need consciously to leave our 20th century western world behind. Jesus' stories draw on the common life of the 1st century Palestine. To hear Him properly we must be able to understand and grasp the scene and the setting in which the parable was related. This may take some effort on all our parts.

To study the parables is to sit at the feet of Jesus as did Mary of Bethany during the first century. Like she did, we choose the better thing as we read directly the Words of the Lord. The one thing that cannot be taken from us is our worship and heart for the truth of God. Luke 10:41: "But only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her."

Jesus--The Presence of Peace

2012-01-17T21:44:00.005-06:00

The text John 20:22 states: "And when He had said this (referring to peace be with you) He breathed on them, and said to them 'Receive the Holy Spirit'". By this He both enlisted and enabled His disciples to serve. We are to carry on the work He began. Only the believer can serve peaceably for we alone are vessels of the Spirit of Jesus Christ who is the presence of peace.

When Jesus Christ used the term "breathed" it is the same on God meant in Genesis 2:7 when the Lord Jehovah breated into Adam's nostrils the very breath of life. Jesus breathed on the Apostles so that they might receive divine power in the person of the Holy Spirit.

The task of the church throughout the ages is to evangelize a God hating, Christ rejecting sphere of unregenerate people, dead in their trespasses and sins and organized into a world system directed by Satan himself. How does the church accomplish this mission? Only by abiding in Him who is peace can the Holy Spirit convict a warring world of the need for a Redeemer. We are to be willed with the Spirit in order to be effective in winning this warring world to Jesus Christ.

John 20:23 declares: "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." The disciples didn't have the power to forgive sins (only God can do that) but Jesus gave them and us the privilege of telling new believers that their sin has been forgiven because they have accepted Jesus' message of salvation.

In Matthew 5:9 it states: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." If we are to partake of the presence of peace, we must first be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. The second step is to surrender your life fully to Him. The peace Christ offers is a safe and trustworthy one. The third step in being a peacemaker is to serve Him. Only when we have experienced peace WITH God can we relish the peace OF God. Then we can bring into the lives of those who are saved and those who are perishing the precious presence of peace in Christ.

Jesus--The Prince of Peace

2012-01-16T20:44:00.005-06:00

A famous French historian estimated that there had been 3,130 years of war in contrast to 227 years of peace from the fifteenth century before Christ to his own day. The world had seen 13 years of war for every year of peace. Today we live under the threat of nuclear annihilation. The most frightening part is that countries led by fanatics are closer to possessing weapons for another holocaust. The next world war may not be survivable.

Not only is man beset by outer turmoil but by inner discord as well. Anti-anxiety drugs are among the most frequently proscribed. Our phobias range from A as in acrophobia (fear of height) to Z for zoophobia (fear of animals). Only Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, can cure the heart ailment suffered by us all. Scripture tells that our hearts are deceitful above all else who can understand it. Peace comes only as we accept Christ's provision of forgiveness. It is not the absence of difficult circumstances but it's the inward experience of knowing we are free from the penalty of our sin. Only then can it be well with our soul.

Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. he is a marvelous blending of majesty and gentleness, of power and love, and of energy and calm. Christ came in all meekness and lowliness but no wimp is He. During His earthly mission He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, fed the multitudes and greatest of all overcame death. Now that's what I call power.

Perhaps it is to the Jew that the title of Prince of Peace is most precious. The children of Israel knew from the Old Testament that their coming Messiah would arrive with all power and glory. He would come and bring victory once and for all. Their Messiah would visibly restore the Throne of David. When they saw Jesus ride into Jerusalem they rightly acknowledged Him as ruler and king. But they missed His method. He came not to conquer their earthly enemies but their spiritual one. Through His demise on the Cross and Resurrection by the power of His blood; Jesus overcame Satan and gained victory over death. Jesus Christ in His First Coming didn't enter as a royal prince of this world but a prince of peace in the supernatural realm.

As Prince of Peace Jesus Christ empowers us in three primary ways. Ephesians 2: 17-17 tell us that He broke down the barrier of the dividing wall of our sin and reconciled us to a Holy God. We therefore have peace with the Father. Second, Christ came that we might have peace with ourselves. Colossians 3:15 says: "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." Third, because of our peace with God and with ourselves we can be at peace with one another. Romans 12: 18 states: "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."

Not only is Jesus Christ the Provider and Prince of Peace. He is the presence of it as well. He brings peace and thus so can those who abide in Him do the same.

Jesus the Provider of Peace

2012-01-15T21:49:00.003-06:00

Matthew 24 tells us that in the last days there will be wars and rumors of wars. II Timothy 3 states that in the difficult days men will be lovers of self, revilers, brutal, treacherous and unloving among other things. All one has to do is look around at the world at large and to the internal world of one's soul to see that indeed there are battles raging. Christ promised His disciples in John 20: "Peace be with you." By His death on the Cross and through His resurrection, Jesus ushered in the freedom from worry, fear and the anxiety not only of their day, but of ours.

The disciples had just been witnesses to the death of Christ and His burial in the tomb. They must have been terrified. Jesus' first words when He appeared to them were "Peace be with you." What a comfort it must have been to hear that from the mouth of the Risen Savior. In the Upper Room Discourse right before His betrayal and crucifixion, Jesus promised His disciples in John 16:33: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world."

In John's account of Jesus' appearing to His followers He actually came and stood among them--Christ in the flesh. Shock and disbelief had to be replaced with wild hope. The resurrection had transformed Christ's physical body. Luke 24: 27 says that the disciples "were startled and frightened." I can only imagine!

Thomas wasn't with the others for this first visit of Christ. We know he was skeptical toward the reports of people seeing Jesus. He wanted physical proof. As a bit of a skeptic myself, I take some comfort and find relief not in Thomas' double mindedness but in the Lord's response. A week later Christ did come to the disciples and this time Thomas was with them. Christ is willing to meet every one of us where we are. He met Thomas right in the middle of his doubt. Be we, once convicted of who Christ is, must also respond like Thomas with "My Lord and My God."

Not only did Jesus claim to be peace' the Old Testament writers prophesied that the coming Messiah would be a person of peace. Micah 5:5 states simply: "And this One will be our peace." In Isaiah 26:3 the prophet proclaims that "the steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace."

Ever since Adam and Eve fell and sin entered the world, the enemy and our flesh has brought discord and disharmony on all levels--among nations, races, genders, religious factions, political parties and families. Perhaps the most desperate is the unrest within our own souls. Jesus Christ came and declared: "My peace I give unto you." Not only is Jesus Christ the provider of peace, He is the Prince of Peace.

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus-- Resurrection Reason--Eternal Life

2012-01-15T06:21:00.003-06:00

Christ is not only the Resurrection; He also proclaimed Himself to the be Life. "Zoe" is the Greek word for life and is one of the major themes in the Book of John. The word occurs some 38 times in John, but by comparison only 7 times in Matthew, 4 times in Mark and in Luke 5 times.

From the earliest verses of John, the apostle describes that "in Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (1:4). Jesus famous words to Nicodemus (3:16) promise "eternal life." Jesus is the "bread of life" (6:35). People do not have life in themselves; they must receive it from an another source (6:53). Jesus is the One having words that impart life (6:68). He came with abundant life (10:10). He gives life to those who give Him trust (10:28). Jesus declares that "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but through Me" (14:6).

As Christ died on the Cross, Satan believed that he had won the victory. Just like at the Battle of Waterloo when General Wellington, the British General in charge of the command, sent a message to his homeland. The British guards went up on towers to proclaim the news by means of semaphores. Just as they had signalled the words "Wellington defeated..." a dense fog moved in and clouded everything. All of England mourned for hours at the bad news. However that afternoon, the heavy mist lifted and the whole city could see the message in its entirety. "Wellington defeated the enemies!" What a difference the whole truth made.

Satan was defeated in full at the Cross of Jesus Christ and with the resurrection of our Lord and Savior three days later. Paul says in I Corinthians 15: 22 that the dead in Christ are made alive again, that is in respect to their bodies for having eternal life in Christ they cannot die. For the living who are to be changed Christ says: "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last; and the living One; and I was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and Hades" (Revelation 1: 17b - 18). To them He will not say: "I SHALL BE your life" but He said that "I AM the resurrection and the life."

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus--Resurrection Defined

2012-01-13T19:20:00.003-06:00

Jesus did not say "I raise the dead" which of course He did. He also didn't say "I perform the resurrection" but He said "I AM the resurrection." It was a statement of fact not mere function. His resurrection is a tenet central to the faith I think soetimes an open tomb is a better symbol for the Christian faith than the Cross. For unlike Buddha, Mohammed, Joseph Smith or David Koresh, Jesus Christ alone rose from the dead. The resurrection sets orthodox Christianity from all other religious beliefs.

Resurrection in its simplest terms means a return to life subsequent to death. Although for the Christian to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord". (II Corinthians 5:8) one day the bodies of all the dead and living in Christ will rise to meet Him in the air at the sound of His voice (I Thess.4: 16-17).

In the Old Testament the most explicit passage on the resurrection is Daniel 12:2: "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt." Job states in Chapter 19 verses 25 to 27 "And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last He will take Hi stand on the earth. Even after my skin is flayed, yet without my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold. And whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me."

It is clear that the Old Testament saints foretold the work of Christ on the Cross and the work of the Father in raising His Son from the grave. By the power of Christ all the dead will be resurrected.

The nature of the redeemed in the resurrection is not described in great detail, yet the Scripture does not leave us totally ignorant. Philippians 1:21 says "who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." It is enought to know that we shall be with the Lord in our glorified state on a soon coming glorious day of His Return!

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus-I Am the Resurrection

2012-01-13T06:02:00.002-06:00

The story of Jesus' raising of Lazarus is given in John 11. In John's description of the miracle Jesus is "life" in its ultimate sense. In verse 25 the Lord claims emphatically that "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies." and verse 26 continues: "and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" I have spent much time ministering to widows and in the past seven months have had two very special ladies pass away. Twenty two years ago my beloved Grandma Betty died followed closely by the death of my precious Mom. It is at such times that the reality of death can literally suck your breath away.

In these verses the Lord claims the essence of Christian doctrine. those who believe in Him shall possess eternal life. Not only was Christ resurrected by so shall we all. Those who trust in Him possess eternal life but those who physically die without such faith are raised up to judgment. Just what exactly does it mean that Jesus is the resurrection and the life?

During the brief time of Jesus' withdrawal from hostile Jerusalem an incident occurred that led to His return. The event involved Martha, Mary and Lazarus none of whom John mentions in combination prior to this. They lived in Bethany, a village less than two miles from Jerusalem. Lazarus fell ill and the sisters sent a message to Jesus. Apparently the Lord and Lazarus enjoyed a close friendship for the message identified Lazarus as someone Jesus loved.

Martha was the older of the two sisters and certainly the more active. She probably was the one who sent for Christ when Lazarus first got sick. When Jesus finally did arrive, she ran out to meet Him. She told Him that if He hadn't tarried her brother would still be alive. She acknowledged Christ's power to heal. She also recognized that now Lazarus was dead, Jesus would raise him but she assumed it would be in the general resurrection that the Messiah had foretold.

Christ was offering an immediate resurrection but Martha failed to see that. Despite her pain and sorrow, her faith in Jesus did not waiver. In verse 27 Martha's response of "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world" show her to be a women of deep faith. Such a faith the same one Jesus wants from us all.

Martha then goes and gets her sister Mary. Mary repeats to Jesus the same thing Martha said about Lazarus still being alive had He come sooner. Mary's words were accompanied by her weeping. Mary, the sensitive spirit, may have been too overcome the the grief over her brother to say or do much else. At this point everyone present is expressing a conditional belief in the power of Jesus. They knew Him to handle sickness, but death had come and they thought it was irreversible. However, Jesus was about to do the very thing for which they had hoped. And He would do it right then.

Jesus had not delayed His journey out of a lack of love. He held all three friends in high esteem. But He immediately delayed after He received the message that Lazarus was ill. Despite the gut wrenching anguish He knew His delay would cause everyone, He stayed until His Father directed Him to do otherwise. Jesus' motive was full obedience to His Father. He knew God's timing and His purpose was always perfect. He realized that the Father wanted to do what was absolutely best for everyone and that which resulted in the greatest glory to Himself.

Jesus comforted those who mourned. He Himself was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled. Verse 35 says simply "Jesus wept." We don't know all the reasons He wept but perhaps He was moved by His grief and the grief of others. Maybe He felt a righteous anger at the power of sickness or death and sorrow over those who refused to believe in Him and His resurrection power.

Lazarus had been in the tomb four days but Christ comforted the mourners with the fact that he would rise again. He then ordered the crowd to remove the stone. Martha showed the limits of her faith with her response that there would be a stench. Christ's command to move the stone was for the crowd an opportunity to exercise their faith in Him. To move the tone meant that someone was coming out of the grave!

Immediately before He acted Jesus thanked His Father for already hearing Him. Then he called Lazarus out of the tomb by name. Augustine said that "Jesus had to call our Lazarus by name for if He hadn't, all the dead would have come out of their graves." Such is the resurrection power of our Lord Jesus Christ. The name "Lazarus" means "God is my help." The former corpse lumbered forth clumsily into the daylight. He rejoiced at the sight of sisters but more importantly at the sight of his Savior. Death was swallowed up in victory a most blessed foreshadow of things to come.

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus--Bread and Wine-Promise to the Christian

2012-01-11T21:18:00.007-06:00

After Jesus explained to them about the manna from heaven, He states some startling words about the eating of His flesh. Without a doubt this is a reference to the Lord's Supper. Jesus said: "This is My body broken for you. This cup is God's new covenant sealed with My blood" as recorded by Paul in I Cor. 11:24-25.

Here we are hearing of the need for each Christian to take the Son of God into his inner heart. We must "open wide" and partake of the symbols of Christ's sacrifice made to cleanse each one of us from our sin. The first mention of the bread and wine was when Abram had come out of a victorious battle and was journeying home. Genesis 14: 18 tells us that Melchizedek, the King of Salem and a high priest went out to meet Abram and brought bread and wine for him and his men.

Melchizedek blessed Abram and God and Abram responded by giving the him a tenth of all the spoils of war. We can see that in the first book of the Bible God foreshadowed the redemption to come through His Son Jesus Christ. To give of the flesh meant Jesus gave over His body to death on the Cross, so that by His death the world could have life. To eat the living bread means to accept Christ into our lies and become united with Him.

We as Christians are united with Him in two ways. First, we believe that His death on the Cross totally paid for our sin. Second, we devote ourselves each day to living as he requires. II Corinthians 5:9: "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." We rely fully on the indwelling Spirit of Christ to enable us to live the same selfless and pure life of Jesus Christ.

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus--Bread of Life's Promise to the Jews

2012-01-10T19:00:00.004-06:00

Jesus continues His explanation of Him as the "Bread of Life." He is not only the bread but also the "heavenly manna." In John 6: 32-33 He says: "Truly, truly I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who has given you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world."

The feeding of the 5000 brought memories of the manna in the wilderness. As stated in Exodus Chapter 16: manna was the incredible food by which God fed the Israelites during their years of wandering. Manna which has been described as tasting like wafers made with honey was given at the mercy of God alone. It was the only escape for the Jews from starvation. As they left Egypt they weren't able to provide for themselves through the normal ways of eating animals or from crops they had raised on their own.

Moses as the leader of the Jewish exiles was seen by the Israelites as the giver of this manna. The rabbis of John's day taught that whatever Moses had done, the Messiah would repeat. Therefore the Messiah would be a second Moses who would bring down manna from heaven. It wasn't Moses but God who was the giver. In Nehemiah 9:15 and Psalms 105: 40 manna is called the bread from heaven.

The Jews believed that manna was given because of the merits of Moses and when he died, it ceased. They thought that the work of Jesus to be inferior to that of Moses. Jesus had provided ordinary bread and only for one meal. They assumed that earthly bread could never take the place of the heavenly kind. But they were wrong. Since God was the source of it, the ultimate purpose of manna was to signal, to serve as a sign of the nourishment that was to come. This prophesied coming bread of heaven, manna to the Jews, would provide life for a dying world in the person of Jesus Christ.

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus--The Bread of Life

2012-01-10T05:34:00.006-06:00

In the Gospel of John the Apostle frequently selects a particular phrase to present a spiritual truth about Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself used natural examples such as bread, light and water to reveal deeper spiritual truths and taught that creation itself contains lessons and insights that point to Him.

In Chapter 6 John tells of the miracle of how Jesus fed the multitude of 5000 with only 5 loaves and 5 fish. This miracle is the only one reported in all four gospels. That fact testifies to its importance.

John tells us that Jesus looked upon the crowd with compassion. He began to question His disciples asking them where they might find sufficient food for a gathering that size. Philip, who had an accountant's mind, started to count the probably cost. Andrew had a hard time understanding the enormity of the task. But Christ wanted to show them His ability to provide abundantly and pointed out not only their need but also their inadequacy in meeting it on their own.

Andrew finally said that the only available source of any food was a small boy's meager lunch. The boy, however, gave all that he had to give and humbly put all he had in the hands of Christ. His willingness enabled Jesus to take the small offering and miraculously provide enough for everyone with some leftover.

After performing this miracle Jesus went away to a mountain and then crossed the lake in a boat to the other side. The people followed Him. Their questions in verses 28 to 30 indicate that they were still looking for added physical loaves of bread. Jesus' reply of "I am the bread of life" discerned that the seeking of the crowd was for the material and not the spiritual. Their motive was to feed their stomachs. They stood in the presence of holiness yet all they wanted was another meal.

When Jesus talked about the bread of life they assumed that He was talking about something in the natural. So they said "Give us this bread" in verse 34. They knew it was not to be ordinary bread for they had just witnessed a miracle. But they couldn't figure out what they would have to do in order to earn it. Jesus simply told them that the "work" they needed was only to believe in Him. God had sent this bread out of heaven.

The fact that Jesus claimed to be the bread of life implies a universal appeal. It presents Christ as the One and the only One who completely satisfies the deepest spiritual needs of all mankind. Just as the physical body hungers, so does the soul. Christ is the gift of God to meet man's most profound hunger. Bread is the staff of life for our bodies and Christ is the staff of life for our spirits. How fitting it is that Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, was referred to as the "House of Bread."

Jesus' promise to the multitudes then and now is that by taking Christ into our inmost being; we shall live forever. Bread is needed for its nutritional value and without it we die. Without Christ as the Bread of Life we die spiritually. Christ's invitation to the starving masses is Psalm 34:6 which states: "Taste and see that the Lord is good."

Personal Update

2012-01-09T05:08:00.007-06:00

I was going to post the conclusion of Jesus who said "I am the Vine" but I need to edit it greatly. Pastor Dan's sermon yesterday on the danger of those who profess to be Christians but aren't truly converted was deeply convicting. It's been a long month caring for a widowed friend of mine who fell mid December. She passed away yesterday morning. I am a bit mentally and emotionally weary. So I may finish the post at another time. The death of a loved one is always a good time to reflect upon our own mortality. I agree with Pastor Dan's suggestion to read through the Book of I John and examine your own heart to all those who profess the name of Jesus Christ. It also might be a good idea for some of you who don't.

"I Am" Syaings of Jesus--The Vine Part II

2012-01-08T05:44:00.002-06:00

It is important to realize that Christ’s being the true vine stimulates a person to some sort of response. Those refusing to be grafted onto the vine die for lack of the sustenance that the spiritual vine provides. The only successful way to live the fully abundant life is by clinging to the vine. The relationship between a believer and the Lord Jesus Christ is pictured by Him as that of the believer being a branch of Him. God the Father is the Gardener who oversees the whole growth process. Paul described the scene best when he wrote in I Corinthians 3:6 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”

The concept Christ portrays here is very basic. Abiding in Him results in bearing spiritual fruit. There is no such thing as one who abides in Him who doesn’t bear fruit. And, there is no way to bear fruit without abiding in Him.
Verse 4a in Chapter 15 states simply “Abide in me and I in you.” This is the responsibility of the branch, the Christian. For every one verse in Scripture which says that Christ is in us, there are ten verses that say we are in Christ. What a position of security, power and comfort.

The apostle John uses the term “abide” over 50 times in his writings. He used it 11 times in this chapter alone. Such repetition is used as a means of underlining the importance of a concept. Abiding connotes belief and in this context it is a belief in the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We are to rely and depend fully on His provision of life and strength which is only found in our Savior. An added idea fully present in the term “abide” is that of remaining, persevering or enduring. Abiding is the sole means of fruit bearing.

In order for us to become God’s goal for us of Christ-likeness, we must remain in constant contact with the Savior. Jesus set the example of abiding for us. The secret of the life of Jesus was His contact with His Father. Throughout His life, Jesus retreated to be with God. We must follow the example of the Lord and continually withdraw into the presence of the true vine. Such seclusion will include but not limited to time in God’s Word, prayer and intercession, confession of sin, silence before Him and a recommitment of a holy life lived out before Christ to the glory of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The specifics of abiding in Christ mean full obedience to the Word of God. The one who does this receives the assurance from Christ in John 15:7 that an abiding believer will receive answers to his prayers. The verse in John 15:10 states that we are to abide in Christ’s love if we keep His commandments. We are to love one another just as Christ loved us—a high calling no doubt. But a process made possible only through the process of abiding in the Son. Christ calls those who do abide and obey His friends. There is no more intimate a term for it includes us in the inner circle of God. Just like Abraham, the Father of the faith, we too, can become God’s friend and privy to His thoughts and secrets.

Abiding in Christ means simply to trust the Lord and obey His Word. Such is the essence of faith. The enemy would wish us to rely on our emotions and circumstances. But true belief trusts in the nature or character of God and in His promises in His Word. God chose us and in that fact we can find peace, assurance and comfort as we, the branches, cling to Him. Philippians 1:6 states that “I am confident of this very thing that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ."

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus--The Vine

2012-01-07T06:51:00.003-06:00

I believe the promises contained in John chapter 15 to be among the most potent and the most precious. There are in these verses a few key concepts upon which I wish to focus. First, it is critical that Jesus is the true vine. Only through Him do we have the power to grow and overcome. Second, it is only by abiding in Christ do we have the ability to avoid sin and accomplish all that God has for us to do. Third, only as a result of Christ being the vine and our abiding in Him can we bear fruit in His name and to the Father’s glory. The Holy Spirit empowers us as believers to love one another, to experience the fullness of joy and to do all that the Father asks of us in His name. Let’s first look more in depth at what it means that Christ is the true vine.

In this chapter Jesus gave instructions concerning how His disciples could maintain fellowship and fruitfulness in the difficult days which lay before them. The nature of the relationship Christ and His followers was to change from a physical one to that which was spiritual, and the means of sustaining this kind of relationship are described for us.

Jesus uses a well known analogy here to the Jews which is that of a vine. The grape vine was treasured by Biblical peoples in that its fruit was nourishing, its juice was satisfying, its shade was refreshing and to sit in it meant peace and prosperity.
Repeatedly in the Old Testament, Israel is pictured as the vine or vineyard of God. “Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt" (Psalm 80:8) the Psalmist wrote in praise of Israel’s deliverance. Hosea 10:1 states that Israel is a luxuriant vine. Jeremiah 2:21 stated “Yet I planted you a choice vine wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?” The Jews believed they were saved because of their religious heritage, but Christ said that the only salvation came through the life He laid down. No external qualification saves us, only the blood of the Lord can do that. Once again Jesus uses an analogy drawing upon the vast Old Testament scripture so that the Jews would know who He was and what He had come to do.

Not only was Jesus the vine, but He said He was the true vine. Repeatedly Jesus asserts that He is the only way to the Father in heaven. The word Christ used in the Greek is “alethinos” which means true, real, and genuine. To state that Christ is the true vine implies the reality of false ones. In the Old Testament the picture is of a degenerate vine—a vine gone bad and never fulfilled the purpose of Him who planted and cared for it. Thus the people who are connected to Christ, the real or true vine, are in reality the true people of God. By claiming to be the true vine, Jesus was in effect teaching the Jews that He is the Messiah and in Him the true destiny of Israel is fulfilled and consummated. The reason that we can become a part of the family of God is that Christ came, He died on the cross for our sins, and He was resurrected on the third day and through faith placed solely in Him we become the branches of the true vine. Therefore, Christ is the vine, we are the branches and God the Father is the gardener and the cultivator of the vine and its branches.

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus--Salvation and Freedom

2012-01-06T05:29:00.004-06:00

"If anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved....." Saved carries the idea of deliverance from danger. To say that Jesus is the door is to say that in Him there is given the full revelation of God and heaven.

The Jews often thought of the sky as a solid dome, above and beyond which lay heaven. It was natural to think of a door in that dome leading into the presence of the Father. Jacob said in Genesis 28:17 "How awesome is this place! There is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
The Psalmist says of God "Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; and he rained down upon them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. (Psalms 78:23-24).

Yet what Jesus was teaching is that whenever the Holy Spirit convicts and presents Jesus as the Savior, He opens a door for Christ to enter into the sinner's heart. The Holy Spirit serves as the porter or guard at the gate and allows the True Shepherd in. Jesus removed the barrier of our sin and guilt and He is the exclusive entryway into the holiness of God the Father. In John 14:6 He stated that no one comes to the Father except through Him. Any who dismiss this have no access to God regardless of how good or sincere their argument may sound.

It is Jesus alone who gives us entry into the presence of God. Others may guess and search; others may seek and come back with half truths. He solely can lead us directly into heaven and God's eternal dwelling place.

Not only is Jesus the only door of salvation but He is the door to spiritual freedom too. Many believers remain bound by their fear after they have trusted in Christ. They are afraid to leave the fold if you will. But coming in and out suggests activity. Coming and going for God. The Christian by God's grace has been freed to live a life of love.

Earning favor with God is no longer necessary as it was for the Jew under the law. But under grace we are free of its restriction and operate under the law of liberty referred to in James 1:25 which means we can love all mankind without partiality empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are not bound by tradition, law or religious piety.

When we place ourselves in Jesus' care, we discover the true freedom in and through Him. We frantically search for security when left to ourselves. Freedom in Christ does not mean being left to our own devices, but instead means living within the boundaries of His plans and directions.

In Deuteronomy 28:6 the promise is "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out." It is the promise in Psalms 121:8: "The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore." You see, the Christian is the only one who can safely and without stress meet herself coming and going!

"And find pasture" As the Good Shepherd Jesus provides green pastures for His sheep. He leads them beside still waters so they can drink calmly in peace without fear of harm. Every need is supplied for the one who has entered the Door "is blessed with all spiritual blessings" (Ephesians 1:3). The scene is one of sheep grazing peacefully in lush pastures. It's one of pure contentment and is a result of the gracious provision of the Shepherd.

It is Jesus alone who gives food for the soul. Our hunger is satisfied exclusively in all that Jesus Christ can be to us. The Shepherd feeds His sheep well to ensure their health. The enemy brings theft, death and destruction. Christ brings life and does so vitally. Life to the full doesn't mean freedom from difficult circumstances, uninterrupted emotional ecstasy or perfect human health. It doesn't connote problem free eternal bliss. But it does bring the quality, ultimate value and eternal reward of a life lived in relationship and obedience to God through Jesus, who is the door to such a life.

"I Am" Sayings of Jesus--The Door"

2012-01-05T03:04:00.002-06:00

Jesus came to give us freedom from the power, penalty and ultimately the presence of sin. The Enemy wants us to stay imprisoned in our sin. Our depraved nature serves as a jail. Jesus' death on the cross, however, frees us to live in the full abundance that He promised. All who believe will eventually and eternally live in total freedom.

John 10: 7-9: "Jesus therefore said to them again 'Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door, if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture."

In verse 9 Jesus promises first to be the Door of salvation -"If anyone enters through Me he shall be saved". He is the Door to spiritual freedom - "and he shall go in and out". Finally He is the Door to an abundant life -"and find pasture."

In order to understand more fully what Jesus meant we need to look in brief at the occupation of shepherding back in Christ's day. His significance as the Door is closely tied up with His being the Good Shepherd.

The larger house in Palestine had a courtyard surrounded by a high wall, and in the country places that courtyard served as a fold for the sheep at night. The courtyard had only one door, and at that door the porter or gatekeeper was in constant attendance. Any honest or known person would approach the porter and be granted entrance. Only a thief or robber with an evil purpose in mind would avoid the door, the only legitimate entryway. The bad guys normally tried to scale the wall. The man who cared for the flock entered by the door: the man out to hurt them sought other means.

The other picture of a shepherd with his sheep is of a fold on the mountainside, which was simply a ring of grass surrounded by a hedge of some sort. There was no door there but a mere opening. The shepherd would lie across it at night so that he was the door. No sheep could get out without his knowledge and no enemies could get in without it either.

The thieves and robbers were the false teachers of the day who tried to deny Christ's teaching and wanted to enter the fold through any other means except through Him.

Jesus taught that He was the shepherd and the door. As the source of eternal life--He's the door of salvation, through grace--the door of spiritual freedom and in peace and contentment --the door of abundant life.

Women of the Word--Proverbs 31--Questions and Considerations

2012-01-03T17:13:00.004-06:00

Read Proverbs Chapter 31

What was the author’s purpose in writing this chapter of Proverbs?

In what ways were you convicted after reading Proverbs 31?

How are the family and the home a place of ministry?

List all the roles the Proverbs 31 woman fulfills.

“Virtue” is a key concept in relation to this woman. Consult a dictionary for its definition and then list examples of how a virtuous person behaves.

Mercy characterizes this lady. What do the following verses state about mercy:
Psalm 86:15-
Proverbs 11:17-
Matthew 5:7-
Luke 6:36-
Romans 9:15-18-
James 2:13-

Six times the term “hands” are mentioned in these verses. Why might God repeat that phrase this often in describing her?

This person is industrious. What “management principles” does the proverb present?

How would you assess your management of time, money and resources including the emotional and spiritual realm?

Proverbs 31:30 talks about a woman “who fears the Lord.” What do the following scriptures reveal?
Deuteronomy 10:20-
Psalm 25:12-15-
Psalm 31:19-
Psalm 34:7-9-
Psalm 147:11-

What does your “fear of the Lord” motivate you to do?

In what area(s) of your life has God convicted you to seek improvement?

What practical applications has God given you this week from Proverbs 31?

Memorize Proverbs 31:30

Some applications we learn from this Chapter are:

• Make good use of your time.

• We are to be charitable in times of need.

• Our character reflects itself in our behavior.

• Serving others and meeting needs is a high calling from God.

• Fear God and live wisely and righteously.

Women of the Word--Proverbs 31 Women--Example of Exultation

2012-01-03T07:02:00.002-06:00

The most important model of the Proverbs 31 woman is mentioned in verse 30 “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Fear of the Lord means to reverence Him. Her secret is her godly character. She is physically charming and beautiful but those qualities may not last. Only what we are inside matters for all of the eternity. As Christians God’s goal for our lives is to be like Christ in attitude, action and heart. Fear of the Lord involves that combination of fear and love which combined constitute the piety of man toward God.

The core ingredient underlying the Proverbs 31 woman is her love for God. During the past weeks we have seen other women who deeply revere the Lord and whose sacrifices know no bounds. The world values charm, beauty and thinness but God examines the heart.

What practical steps does fearing the Lord involve? First, commit yourself to Christ. In the church age, the New Testament age, a woman who loves God is a woman who enjoys a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. When Christ rules your life, all that you do is an act of worship done as to the Lord and not to men.

Second, maintain an active life of spending time with the Lord. This is hard to do in these days of such a hectic pace and busy schedule. But my experience with myself and in watching others is that we make time for that which is important. It amazes me I can carve out the time to watch a TV show, but not to pray or read the Word. We live in a society and a time of instant gratification and if we don’t get fulfilled immediately we aren’t going to wait. Developing a relationship takes time and lots of it. It also takes an inordinate amount of sacrificial giving and selflessness. Isn’t the Creator of the Universe who seeks a personal relationship with you worth it?

Third, embrace God’s plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 states “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” God’s will for our lives is abundant living. That is not to say that there will not be problems. Anyone who proselytizes another and states something to the effect of “Accept Christ and your problems are over” is basically a liar. We are not promised problem free lives, but to be enabled by the problem solver. The Holy Spirit enables us to be overcomers in the midst of the most dire and difficult places.

The virtues of a noble wife are those that are extolled throughout the Book of Proverbs: hard work, wise investments, good use of time, planning ahead, care for others, respect for one’s spouse, ability to share godly values with others, wise counsel, and godly fear (worship, trust, service and obedience). Proverbs has stated repeatedly, these qualities that lead to honor, praise, success, personal dignity and worth, and enjoyment of life. In the face of the adulteress’ temptations mentioned often in Proverbs, it is fitting that the book concludes by extolling a virtuous wife. Young men and others can learn from this noble woman. By fearing God, they can live wisely and righteously. That is the message of Proverbs.

Women of the Word--Proverbs 31 Woman--Example of Equality

2012-01-02T03:38:00.002-06:00

Not only is the woman described in Proverbs 31 an example of effort, but also an example of equality. Throughout blog post series I have emphasized how much God values women and He considers them equal to men in His sight. It is true that we are different from males, but we are given the same importance as they. We have looked at the lives of various women and seen how God has used women in massive, incredible and varied ways. Women carried the gospel, they carried the Son of God and they carried the financial burden of Christ’s ministry.

Proverbs 31 indicates that a noble woman works outside and inside the home. She is like a merchant ship that brought unusual and fascinating merchandise from other places. She conducts business and does so successfully. While it is always wise to consider major purchases carefully and to seek counsel from others, there is no indication that this woman had trouble making up her mind on a course of action. She was considered an equal trade partner.

A noble woman enhances her husband’s standing among those who transact legal and judicial affairs at the city gate among the elders. Though she is obviously assertive and competent, she functions in a way that honors her husband’s leadership rather than denigrates it. She serves as a model of womanhood that stresses the positives of femininity without resorting to some sort of feminine manipulation. There is a world of difference between women who embrace their gender and accept the strengths that come with it and those who use it to get what they want. One can fully experience personhood whether they happen to be born male or female. We have talked about how Jesus fully encouraged every woman with whom He came into contact to be all that He created them to be.

Proverbs 31:26-30 extols the virtues of wisdom, faithful teaching and the value of a woman to her family. Women are intelligent, learned and educated people. In fact, it is to them that God entrusts the children. Mothers are teachers and influencers of children. We know that this early influence is extremely significant. Nor is it only the children she teaches. The effect of a woman stretches to her neighbors, other family members and friends. Whether she is instructing in a formal sense or mentoring in an informal one, a woman’s influence can never be underestimated. God intends for us to be well informed especially of His Word. We are a major method of imparting His Truth to the generations that follow. Do not neglect this solemn responsibility. Remain ever vigilant constantly looking for opportunities to change a life for eternity.

Verse 27 states “She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.” No one can tell me that women do not possess managerial skills or the ability to negotiate! Anyone who sorts through the tangled webs of relationships found within the four walls of a home and beyond is an expert in human relations. How could she eat the bread of idleness? Maintaining any semblance of a happy home in these busy, hectic and stressful days is a full time job. Women are pros at it. It may be accurate that a husband is the head of the home, but women are the hearts of it.

Her children call her blessed and her husband praises her. She is optimistic and enjoys her role in life. Her husband is proud to call her his own. Her children respect and appreciate her. It is something when a child comes to deeply appreciate any mother.

God created man and woman to complement each other. Women are to be helpmeets to their husbands. They need to respect them and work in tandem fulfilling their different yet equally valid roles. Jesus used the analogy of human marriage to reflect the intimate relationship between Him and His church. It is a high calling for us to reflect the Savior within the walls of our homes and outside the walls to all we meet. As the new year dawns may we be ever faithful to serve the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit in ways that bring Him the glory.

Women of the Word--Proverbs 31--Example of Effort

2012-01-01T06:11:00.002-06:00

One of the most noticeable characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman is that she is an industrious sort. The term “hands” literally appears six times and numerous other references are made to her work. She keeps the clothing current, clean and tidy. She willingly works around the house. She provides variety at mealtime by wise selection of nutritious and delicious foods. She gets up early to feed her family and ensures that all eat properly. Recently one of my close friends told a younger women that the most godly thing she could do is to fix her family a nutritious meal. What wisdom is that!

She is a wise and prudent shopper. She makes good deals and tracks down bargains. She oversees the supplies of the home and directs the help with compassion. How many of you do that? Have help I mean? She possesses an incredible work ethic and toils hard during the long day. She is well acquainted with making cloths and other material necessities. For those of us who barely passed home economics, she is a source of irritation for sure! I, like some of my friends, used to choose my food by the length of time it takes to cook it in a microwave oven. I didn’t buy anything with a cooking time over five minutes regardless of healthy it is for me. However, as I have aged I am convicted by the massive importance of healthy food prepared in healthy ways. Regardless of how many dishes I must wash afterward.

Not only does she toil inside the home, but also outside of it. Verse 16 states “She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.” Now I am impressed. The NYSE listing in the newspaper is Greek to me and this lady weighed all her investment options, purchased the land at what I am sure was a rock bottom price and then recoups her investment by planting a vineyard. It takes me a week to decide which socks, not stocks, to buy. I’d still be vacillating over a large piece of property.

The portion of the scripture that really convicted me the most was not only does this woman work, but also she has a good attitude about it all. She works energetically--verse 17 says “she girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong". Verse 13 states “and works with her hands in delight.” Now I don’t know about you but early in my life the saying in my childhood home was you can make me do it but you can’t make me like it. Not a good start for growing up into a Proverbs 31 person.

After all her efforts toward her family, home and career she has some energy left over for the poor and needy. Her selflessness and generosity extend to those less fortunate than she. What a model she makes to those who come after her. Many in our culture want to throw money, usually governmental money, at the social problems of the day. Christians are to be deeply involved in such issues. We are not granted the freedom to sit in ivory towers or holy huddles and expect others to care for the down and out. We must serve where we are called.

This lady not only runs a smooth household from day to day, but she also prepares for the future. Verse 21 states “She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.” She is ready for any emergency. Nothing takes her by surprise. Winter does not cause her to panic. With today being New Year's Day and winter started officially about 10 days ago this is a most timely warning. Women are the caretakers and nurturers and we must prepare our homes, closest and refrigerators for the harsh weather ahead.

We can see why the author mentions the lady’s hands so often. She truly is an example of effort. In what position are your hands? Are they clenched tightly from years of bitterness, anger and hurt? If so, your hands must ache and only hurt you. You don’t allow God to give you anything. You refuse to receive all God or anyone else has for you. Arms tightly enfolded around your middle cannot hug another nor receive hugs from anyone. Are your hands open only to receive? Are you out to get all you can get? Do you grab and go? If so, you are in violation of Jesus’ own words recorded by the apostle Paul in Acts 20:35. “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Are your both your hands fully open? The place of balance and godliness is to be able not only to serve but also to allow others to serve you. Jesus was the perfect model of such healthy boundaries. He would minister intensely and then retreat with his selected beloved friends or to be alone with the Father. We must learn to do the same.

Women of the Word--Proverbs 31 Woman

2011-12-31T06:18:00.003-06:00

I don't know the source of this lengthy quote describing the life of a woman. I don't think it was intended to describe a Christian woman in particular but it does remind me very much of so many women I know.

Women have strengths that amaze men. They carry children, they carry hardships, they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. The sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

Women wait by the phone for a “safe at home” call from a friend after a snowy drive home. Women have special qualities about them. They volunteer for good causes. They are pink ladies in hospitals, they bring food to shut-ins. They are childcare workers, executives, attorneys, stay at home Moms, biker babes and your neighbors.

They wear suits, jeans and they wear uniforms. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up for injustice. They are in the front row at PTA meetings. They vote for the person that will do the best job for family issues. Women have a lot to say and a lot to give. Women walk and take the extra mile to get their children in the right schools and for getting their family the right health care.

They write to the editor, their congressmen and to the powers that be for things that make for a better life. They don’t take “no” for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They stick a love note in their husband’s lunch box. They do without new shoes so their children can have them. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally.

Women are honest, loyal and forgiving. They are smart, knowing that knowledge is power. But they still know how to use their softer side to make a point. Women want to be the best for their family, their friends and themselves. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a new marriage. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They have sorrow at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think that there is no strength left.

A woman’s touch can cure any ailment. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. She can make a romantic evening unforgettable.

Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes. They live in homes, apartments and cabins. They drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin!

Women do more than just give birth. They bring joy and hope. They give compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. And all they want back is a hug, a smile and for you to do the same to people. How true it is that the world is a much better and kinder place for the fact that women are in it.

The Proverbs 31 woman is an example of excellence. She is a model of perfection. While she reflects the author’s definition of an ideal woman, I don’t think we can compare ourselves to her and end up condemned. It's unclear whether or not the author is describing an actual woman or one that may be a delightful and goldy combination of attributes. Regardless she serves as an example to all women who long to live to please the Lord.

The final chapter of Proverbs is designated as the words of King Lemuel. The commentators differed on who actually is the author of the chapter. Obviously who ever it was wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It would take God to define perfection. Whether there is an actual king named Lemuel, whether the words were penned by his mother or whether Lemuel is a variation of the pet name given Solomon by Bathsheba is not clear. Whether or not the chapter was written by a man the influence of a woman is obvious.

The final section of Proverbs is an acrostic poem exalting a noble wife. Each of the 22 verses begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The wife of noble character is mentioned in Proverbs 12:4 and Ruth was called “a woman of noble character” in Ruth 3:11. The word for noble character is translated “capable” in Exodus 18:21. She is indeed a rare find for verse 10 of Proverbs 31 says her price is far above rubies. Rare as she is we can learn much from her examples of effort, equality and exultation.

Women of the Word--Rahab--Questions and Considerations

2011-12-30T05:13:00.003-06:00

Read Joshua 2, 6:17-25 and Matthew 1:5

According to Joshua 2:1 and James 2:25 how was Rahab designated? What impact does an image have on a person's life?

Why did God would choose such a woman?

How quick are you to judge others and yourself based on some occupation or socioeconomic status? What are some scriptural passages that speak against it?

Rahab lied (Joshua 2:4) Why? Did God honor her deceit? Is it ever appropriate to lie?

What attribute(s) of God does Rahab acknowledge in Joshua 2:11?

Read Joshua 2:17-21. The spies told Rahab to do something to avoid death. What was it and what does it signify?

List other examples in Scripture that come to mind that are also symbolic as is the scarlet cord:

Rahab risked everything in her leap of faith. What risks are you taking for God?

Describe the “deal” she made with the spies in Joshua 2:12-13 and their response in 14, 17-20. What does the “deal” she struck tell us about the first evidence of a “born again” believer?

What are some of Rahab’s strengths? Her weaknesses?

Rahab’s obedience set an example. What do the following verses teach us about it:
Leviticus 26:2-13-
Deuteronomy 28:1-14-
I Samuel 15:22-24-
Jeremiah 7:23-
John 3:36-
Acts 5:39-
Acts 5:32-
Romans 6:16-
Hebrews 5:9-

What does Matthew 1:5 teach us about God? What is Rahab’s legacy?

Record any insights God gives you through Rahab’s life:

Memorize Hebrews 11:31

• We are to be deeply concerned for the salvation of others.

• Regardless of how heinous, ugly and repulsive our sin, the scarlet blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cover it all.

• God mightily honors the weakest of faith.

• Women serve as an oasis of life in the midst of violence and battle.

• God works through people others are likely to or do reject.

Women of the Word--Rahab--The Redeemed

2011-12-29T06:13:00.002-06:00

Rahab, the renegade and the radical is now Rahab the redeemed. Webster’s dictionary defines redeem “to buy back or to get back; to convert into gold or silver coin or bullion.” Rahab the harlot lived in Jericho the worst of the cities of the Amorites. God commanded Joshua to desolate it. God chose to save Rahab and her family from the destruction. Under the protection of the scarlet line, Rahab and all her kindred were brought out of the house.

God sent the spies to Rahab not to indulge in sin with her but to prepare the way for Joshua to take Jericho. She saved the spies not out of pity or expediency, but because she knew they were servants of the Lord. In turn she was saved. Joshua 6:17-25 tells us that the spies she had hid brought her, her parents and her brothers and all that she had out of her doomed house, and made them secure within the camp of Israel. When God redeems us through the blood of Jesus Christ it is total and it is secure. God’s intent in redemption is to forge objects of rejection into trophies of grace.

The threefold reference to Rahab in the New Testament reveals how she became a faithful follower of the Lord. She had been taken from the pit of depravity and placed among the saints in the genealogy of the Savior. According to Matthew 1:5 Rahab was the mother of Boaz, and the great grandmother of King David. Only four women are mentioned in Matthew’s account of Christ’s ancestry. As the result of her marriage to Salmon whom some believe to be one of the spies whom she had saved God honored her. God made her an ancestress in the royal line of which Jesus came as the Savior of lost souls. Out of all the women who ever lived she and three other Gentile women are listed by name for all of eternity in the Word of God.

The writer of Hebrews highly recommends Rahab for her radical faith. He gives her a place on the illustrious roll of honor. A harlot is named among other Old Testament saints who triumphed because of their faith. “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she received the spies with peace” Hebrews 11:31. The reference to Rahab as a harlot revealed the glory of God in its highest. What a suggestive touch is the phrase “with peace.” Rahab a woman with a history of violence against and around her was known as a woman of peace. In the midst of doom and destruction the scarlet cord the symbol of the Prince of Peace calmed her.

The Apostle James adds to the New Testament record. He states Rahab was justified not only by her faith but her works (James 2:25). There is no contradiction between these two aspects for Rahab’s courageous deed was but faith in action. As Fausset puts it:

Paul’s justification by faith alone means a faith, not dead but working by love (Galatians 5:6). Again, Rahab's act cannot prove justification by works as such, for she was a woman of bad character. But as an example of grace, justifying through an operative as opposed to mere verbal faith, none could be more suitable than the saved “harlot.” She believed so as to act on her belief, what her countrymen disbelieved; and this in the face of every improbability that an unwarlike force would conquer a well armed one, far more numerous. She believed with the heart, confessed with the mouth and acted on her profession at the risk of her life.

What an example Rahab set for us. This once radical renegade was radically redeemed. Rahab’s name means “wide” or “broad” such was her faith in the true God of Israel. May we be women of such deep faith that God can do the same in and through each one of us.

Women of the Word--Rahab--The Radical

2011-12-27T21:50:00.003-06:00

Rahab was not only a renegade, but also she was a radical. The dictionary defines radical as “extreme, thorough, going to the foundation or roots of something.” Rahab was extreme in terms of her devotion to others. She risked her life giving protection to the spies. When she told the king’s messengers the lie she committed treason. The penalty for her if caught was death. God worked in her to enable her to promise protection to the spies. In spite of the sacrifice she said “I will not betray you. Follow me.” That seems pretty extreme to me.

Rahab offered to shelter the spies and aid them in escape. She received from them the promise that when they returned to her country, along with Joshua and his army, she and her family would be spared alive. Rahab, the radical, was devoted to her family. In spite of her profession, she fiercely protected the safety of her loved ones. Hers was the not the hard heart of selfish protection. She included her family in the life-threatening bargain.

What enabled Rahab’s boldness in making the deal with the spies? First verse 9 basically says that Rahab believed the Lord, the God of Israel had given them the land. Though the army of Israel had not yet crossed the Jordan River, Rahab stated in effect the battle is won. Second, she revealed to the spies the priceless information that the inhabitants of Jericho as well as the rest of Canaan were utterly demoralized. This data was music to the spies’ ears.

Note the critical verse 11 “When we heard it, our heats melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” This is Rahab’s statement of faith. The rest of Joshua Chapter 2 describes how Rahab acted on her declared belief. Her faith in the God of Israel motivated her to put her life in jeopardy to protect enemy spies. She trusted the fact that God was going to give them that land. She turned to the living and true God.

May our Christian walk be that radical.The response of the spies was immediate and decisive. Basically they made a “hesed” agreement with Rahab. For those of you have studied Ruth you know about hesed. The word is found some 250 times in the Old Testament. It means loyal, steadfast, or faithful love based on a promise, agreement, or covenant. Sometimes the word is used of God’s covenant-love for His people and sometimes, as here, of relationships on a human level.

The spies laid out the conditions of the agreement. First, her house must be marked with a scarlet cord hung from the window. The cord must be clearly visible. It had to be seen by the Israelite soldiers again and again as they marched around the walls. A battle was going on. God, the angels along with the enemy and his demons must all know which house is ours. Ours is the one marked with the scarlet cord of Christ’s blood.

Second, Rahab and her family were to remain in the house during the attack on Jericho. If anybody would wander out and was killed the guilt for his death would be his own, not the invaders. Once God tells us what to do about a circumstance then we too must stay inside while the battle rages. Once we toss the scarlet cord outside the window, we must resist the temptation to engage in the fray. The battle belongs to the Lord.

The spies left after they again emphasized that they would be free of this oath of protection if Rahab exposed their mission. Rahab agrees to all conditions and immediately she ties the scarlet cord in the window. She probably hurried to tell her family and gather them in the house. The door of the harlot’s home was a door to safety from the judgment soon to fall. How quickly we too must obey when God reveals His will for our lives. Like Rahab our immediate obedience can save our lives and the lives of others around us. It pays to be radical.

Women of the Word--Rahab--The Renegade

2011-12-27T07:37:00.003-06:00

Webster’s Dictionary defines renegade as a person who abandons his religion for another. It is also a person who abandons a party, movement, or government and goes over to the other side. It means a traitor or a turncoat. Nothing excites me more than to be a renegade given that definition. Rahab defected from her pagan practices to believe in God. She also defected from her government to honor the One who rules overall.

Rahab is described as a harlot. Reading the commentaries brought me confusion. Some wanted to “lessen the blow if” you will. They had to somehow legitimize that God would choose such a woman as Rahab the harlot. In order to do that the writers determined that harlot means an innkeeper or a person who took in boarders. It is true that Rahab was certainly an industrious and a hard working businesswoman. She cared for herself and her family devotedly. God chose a harlot to manifest in its fullest His glory. Rahab the harlot ultimately became Rahab the redeemed.

The original Hebrew language leaves very little doubt harlot means just that. Three times the Bible refers to Rahab as the harlot. The Hebrew term “zoonah” and the Greek word “porne” have at no time meant anything but harlot—a woman who yields herself indiscriminately to every man approaching her. Prostitution may be regarded differently in Biblical times than it is now, but God still speaks the same.

Biblical harlotry always connotes moral repulsion and social rejection. Rahab the Reject was her original state. Praise God He didn’t leave her that way. Praise Him He doesn’t leave us in our original condition either. The important principle is that God uses the rejected.

Rahab’s house built on the city wall provided both lodging and favors to travelers. It was constructed such that a stairway lead up to a flat roof that appeared to be a continuation of the wall. How providential that God chose this house to send His Israelite spies. The spies had been sent by Joshua to determine the best route into the city. God had already decreed that Jericho and in fact all of Canaan would be taken back after the 400 years of Israelite captivity in Egypt. The battle was sure. The spies were sent to find out how to penetrate the seemingly impregnable wall around Jericho.

It makes sense that the house of ill repute would be a good “cover” for two young men. Who would suspect them? Had not the people of Jericho seen men of all ages, occupations, and walks of life enter Rahab’s doors? It was from the prior travelers that Rahab had learned the facts of the Exodus of Israel, the miracle of the Red Sea and the overthrow of Sihon and Og. When the two spies of Joshua sought cover in her house, God had prepared her and the house for them.

The two spies were in dire straits. The Amorite pursuers were hot on their trail. Verse 1 of Chapter 2 tells us that Rahab hid the spies. She risked her life to do so. Seeing the messengers of the king of Jericho Rahab hid the men in the flax on top of the roof. When asked she told the messengers that the spies had left by way of the Eastern Gate. They flee in the complete opposite direction that Rahab told the spies to go.

Was her lie justified? It is a tough question to answer. The commentators themselves struggle to agree. According to the Bible lying is wrong. I see no room for compromise on that issue. Some writers believe that Rahab had a clear call from God. His Holy Spirit chose her for a mission. A godly mission outweighs the laws of the land. If a nation’s laws disagree with God’s laws then we must follow God. For example, we as Christians should stand firmly against our current abortion and proposed homosexual marriage legislation. When the laws of a state conflict with the God’s revealed will, then we must obey the law of God.

Another explanation is possible. At the time Rahab lies to the messengers she has yet to publicly declare her faith. Verse 11 is the point at which she acknowledges the God of Israel. She was used to lying to protect herself and her family. With her means to make a living it is rough to always tell the truth. Rahab was born and raised among the depraved Canaanites. Lying was natural to them. She may have seen no evil in the act.

To excuse Rahab for indulging in a common practice is to condone what God condemns. The lie of Rahab was recorded but not approved. The Bible approved her faith demonstrated by her good works but not her falsehood.

A combination of factors contributed to her lie. God is very clear. Lying is a sin. Rahab told the lie prior to her “conversion” experience. God used her lie in spite of it being wrong. Genesis 50:20 states that “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

Spiritual maturity is gradual not instantaneous. The answer may be that as she responded in belief to the message she heard about God’s works, she later responded to further messages concerning God’s standards of life and obeyed. None of us remain the same renegade we were when God found us.

Women of the Word--Rahab--Introduction

2011-12-26T07:44:00.001-06:00

One night, at 11:30pm, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her—generally unheard of in the conflict- filled days of the 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.” Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

This young man had some things in common with Rahab. First, he had courage. He was willing to risk doing something which at that time was very unpopular. Racial tensions ran high in the 60s. Bigotry brought violence. The man stopped anyway and lent a desperate “widow to be” a hand. Rahab did the same in opening her home to the two spies.

Second, the man acted boldly on the basis of a little bit of evidence. He knew it was raining and that an older woman was in distress. He realized the risk he took in offering her help. He did it anyway. The risk of doing the right thing on behalf of another outweighed any personal danger. Rahab knew a battle was coming and she risked her life for the life of her loved ones.

Third, even though the man did not know it at the time, what he did brought great reward. He had no idea he was helping Mrs. Nat King Cole. It wasn’t until the TV came that her full identity was revealed. Rahab had heard a little bit about the God of Israel. She obeyed him and did the right thing in spite of sparse knowledge. God honored her greatly when Jesus came through the lineage of Rahab. In the next few days we will look more closely at this once renegade who was radically redeemed.

Women of the Word--Mary--Questions and Considerations

2011-12-25T06:20:00.002-06:00

Read Matthew 1:16-2:23; Luke 1:26-2:52 and John 19:25-37.

What do we learn about Mary’s background, heritage and social circumstances from these passages? What does her name mean?

Why did God chose Mary to bear His only begotten Son?

What sacrifices did she have to make as a result of her privileged position?

What sacrifices are you willing to make to honor your call by God?

Elizabeth, overcome by the Holy Spirit, honored Mary in Luke 1:39-45. Mary’s response is recorded in verses 46-55. What do her words tell us about her character? Why?

What role did angels play in Mary’s life?

Mary led a holy life. What do the following Scriptures state about holiness:

I Peter 1:15-16-
II Corinthians 7:1-
Exodus 20:3-
II Peter 1:3-
Ephesians 1:4-5-
Hebrews 12:1-
Psalm 25:8-10-
Romans 12:1-2-

In what areas of your life do you need to be more holy?

What may have been the hardest part of being the Messiah’s mother? The most rewarding?

Mary obviously knew and loved God. Read these passages and record what God tells us about love:

Matthew 10:37-39-
Matthew 22:34-38-
John 13:34-35-
John 14:19-24-
I John 4:7-21-
I John 5:1-5-

How would you assess your love for God and for others?

List any insights God has given you from the life of Mary:

Memorize Luke 1:38
• God honors holiness and expects believers to lead holy lives.

• God’s best servants are often plain people available to Him.

• God’s plans involve extraordinary events in ordinary people.

• A person’s character is revealed by his or her response to the unexpected.

• Often our greatest suffering is God's greatest mercy to us.

Women of the Word--Mary-Mother of the Messiah

2011-12-24T05:54:00.002-06:00

Not only did Mary give birth to Jesus the Son of God, but also she nurtured Him for the next thirty years. He grew up in a poor Nazareth home. We now know the social consequences of such an environment. Theirs was the ghetto of the day. Mary, like all mothers, did everything a doting Mom could do to shape his character. She bore other children to Joseph but obviously Christ was special. From the spiritual perspective we know that Jesus "waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him” and that He “increased in stature and favor with God and man.” The influence of His Heavenly Father was evident. The human side of Christ was subject to the home control of Joseph and Mary.

I am sure as parents they struggled with the same issues any poor parents do. Mary could not give Jesus financial security. When she presented the divine infant in the temple, all she could offer was a pair of pigeons—the offering of the destitute. She could not introduce Jesus to the culture of the age. A forced exile to Egypt prevented that. What did she give her most adored Child, the King of Kings?

First of all she gave Him life. He was delivered of her body in the literal sense of the word. He became bone of her bone and flesh of her flesh. “Hers was the face that unto Christ had the most resemblance.” She and Joseph gave Him a home permeated with holiness, loyalty and love. After all Jesus did engage in three years of intense ministry. He was the quintessential preacher. Had He His mother in mind when He said “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God?”

Mary fostered a sense of God’s presence. While it is clear that the divinity of Christ made Him uniquely the God man. Mary maintained her own close relationship to God. Jesus must have been influenced profoundly by her example. How important it is for mothers of this day to be transparent enough with their children to allow them to witness a personal walk with Christ. Obedience was a prominent trait in Mary’s own life. Christ’s life defines the term. His mother ensured that not only was Jesus obedient to His earthly parent but also to His Heavenly One. Further, it was evident that the one book in Mary’s home was the Old Testament. From the Magnificat we know Mary studied and memorized God’s Word. Her devotion to the Word of God bears testimony to her character. It explains God’s selection of her to bear His Child.

From the first months of life Mary the Mother of the Messiah experienced deep grief. At the Infant’s dedication in the Temple Simeon said to Mary “A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also.” What heart rendering words are these. Granted Mary witnessed much to encourage her. No one but Christ had angels herald his birth or heard the shepherds recount the vision they had seen. No one had wise men come from afar to celebrate the arrival. Jesus had to have a conscious awareness early on in His life of the purpose and mission for which His Father had sent Him. A mother knows her child’s heart and I am sure Mary knew too.

When Jesus is 12 years old, Joseph and Mary make their usual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Afterwards, the boy remains behind. Assuming he is in the caravan, his parents seek Him among friends and relatives. Unable to find Him they return to Jerusalem. Three days later they find Him in the temple surrounded by teachers and rabbis. Mary asks Him “My Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” He answers “Did you not know that I was bound to be in my Father’s house.” She doesn’t understand. As a young lad, His mission is clear.

A wedding is held at Cana in Galilee. Jesus, His disciples and His mother are among the guests. When the wine gives out Mary tells Him “They have no wine left.” He says it is no concern of His. Jesus actual response recorded in John 2:4 is “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” Sounds like a rebuke to me. His mother tells the servants to do whatever He asks. They fill six jars to the brim with water. Her once little boy turns the water to wine. Jesus performs His first public miracle. Mary must understand just what it is Her Son came to do. She can no longer impose her will upon Him. He has come to accomplish His Father’s will.

Regardless of her personal pain, Mary remains faithful to Her Son and Her Savior. After a double circuit of Galilee during which crowds gathered around Jesus for ministry, so much so that He had little time to “eat bread,” His mother and brothers came to tell Him to take care. Now anxious for her Son’s physical well being Mary implores Him to avoid exhaustion. Jesus replies “My mother! Who is My mother and My brothers?” He points to those who had followed His teachings and become His disciples. “Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother.” He now acknowledges only spiritual relationships.

Mary’s greatest piercing came with the Cross when she witnessed the degradation, desolation and death of the One whom she had given birth and whom she intensely loved. Calvary was the crown of sorrow for both Jesus and Mary. When Christ is condemned to die on a cross according to the manner of criminal execution, Mary follows Him there. She stands near the Cross with her sister among others. No other woman in all of history has ever had to witness such brutality. No woman could ever understand her silent inner grief. What a testament to His mother that right before He gave up His Spirit He nods to His beloved John and says “Mother, there is your Son.”

The last glimpse we have Mary is heartwarming. She is among the group of believers gathered together in the upper chamber. She is mentioned last in Acts 1:12-14 after the list of disciples. She takes her place among those awaiting the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Mary’s devotion and obedience know no bounds. How faithful are we in comparison? She followed Jesus to death and awaited the newness of life. The last mention of Mary is a happy one. We see her praying along with her sons whom she had possibly led into full faith as well as the other disciples who had met to pray and await the gift of Pentecost. Even Mary the mother of the Messiah recognized her need for a personal Savior who just happened to be her Son.

Women of the Word--Mary Mother of Jesus--The Magnificat

2011-12-23T06:56:00.002-06:00

Luke 1:26 to 2:52 contains Mary's response to Gabriel's announcement that she would bear the Savior! It is not surprising that Mary is such a predominant figure in the world. She uniquely was chosen by God to bear His only begotten Son. Mary’s selection is so exclusive that some religious systems have seriously considered deifying her. Recently the Catholic Church entertained the possibility of making Mary a co-redeemer with Christ. This is a non-scriptural, blasphemous step if taken. Mary was the human mother of Jesus Christ. God never elevated her or any other human being to the status of godhood. As we studied Eve, we know that the enemy’s basic aim is for us to believe that we too can become like God.

The Bible teaches us much about Mary. Her name is a popular one and it has altogether some twenty variations including Maria, Marie, Miriam and Miriamme. The name Mary occurs 51 times in the New Testament. As a name Mary is related to the Old Testament Miriam, to Mara, the name Naomi used to describe her affliction and to Marah the name of the bitter water reached by the Israelites in their wilderness journeys. The essence of the name means “bitterness” derived from the notion of sorrow, trouble, disobedience and rebellion. As we shall see Mary’s life was full of sorrow and trouble as she nurtured the Savior of the world. She however was the opposite of rebellion and disobedience. In fact, she stands as the model of submission to the will of God. May each one of us reflect such holy devotion to our Heavenly Father.

The Gospels and the Book of Acts relate some facts about Mary’s life. Mary was pregnant with Jesus before she lived with Joseph; Joseph was the legal but not the biological father of Jesus; Joseph and Mary had other sons and daughters; the family lived in Nazareth and was well known there; the adult Jesus left the family to be about His Father’s business; Mary followed her Son as He ministered and Mary and her other children joined the early Christian community. Mary a devoted mother exemplifies how we should so live. John 1:46 asks “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Indeed the very best thing ever to occur came from there. Jesus Christ the Savior of all mankind while born in Bethlehem called Nazareth His own home town.

Luke 1:28 states “And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” The angel Gabriel is addressing the beloved Mary. He announces to her the good news that God is going to miraculously impregnate her with His Son. She solely was God’s chosen vessel. While we know nothing of her beauty or her pedigree, we know that she was poor. Poor in terms of socioeconomic status, but not in terms of poor in spirit. Why did God choose her?

God's choice of her to be the mother of the Incarnate Son is as mysterious as the conception of Him within her virgin womb. God did not choose a city but He went to a remote and inconsiderate town. He went to a poor dwelling not a palace. He went to the lowly partisans not to the great and learned. The gentle and lowly Mary of Nazareth was the Father’s choice as the mother of His beloved Son.
We know that Jesus was to be “holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners." Mary’s young life reflected the same attributes. When Gabriel announced to her the news of the upcoming events, God was acknowledging her spiritual fitness, indeed her fitness in general to nurture the Savior. This human mother would give physical birth to Christ, guide His boyhood years, surround Him with motherly love and attention and then release Him to His Father’s calling. We know that the ultimate end of Christ’s life was an untimely and heinous death on the cross for the sins of the world. Mary was the only human to witness both the birth and the crucifixion of Jesus.

May was not only holy but she was humble. Mary would have been the last to claim any sort of praise for herself. Born a sinner just like any one else, she had her human faults and needed Christ as much as anyone. Mary’s response to God’s Annunciation reveals her godly and humble character.

Luke 1 tells us that Mary willingly yielded her body to the Lord. Verse 34 states “Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” This was not a question of doubt, but curiosity. She was merely seeking facts not proof. In verse 38 Mary boldly declares her submission to God’s will for her life “And Mary said, Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done tome according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” When God reveals His will in our lives I hope we can be equally willing. Mary’s heart obviously belonged to God before the angel even appeared. Our hearts must be His also. Only then can He entrust us with a most spectacular assignment reserved especially for us.

God then acts according to His character. Where God’s finger points, His hand provides. He now sends Mary to visit her older, pregnant cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judea and greets Mary upon her arrival. At Mary’s words, the baby leaps in Elizabeth’s womb and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit. She voices God’s blessing upon Mary and upon the child she is now carrying. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” Mary responds with a hymn of praise to the marvelous working of her God. What a marvelous song of rejoicing is the Magnificat.

Mary’s words reveal her essence. Luke recorded the intelligent poem in verses 46 to 55. It is a hymn of highest order. This gem of spontaneous love for God is one of the best in all of Hebrew poetry. It is the best of any poetry period. The lyric expresses Mary’s inward and profound personal sacred and unselfish joy. A student of God’s Word she also recognizes her faith in the Messianic fulfillment. She not only worshipped the Creator of life in her womb, but also Him who was growing in it.

The ode reflects her before mentioned humility. She is but a lowly maiden from a remote village. God regarded her low estate. Jesus said of Himself “ I am meek and lowly in heart” and such poverty of spirit is among the beatitudes mentioned by Him in Matthew chapter 5. Christ was born in a stable by a Hebrew maiden with nothing to call her own. Only God could effect such a scene. Mary humbly accomplished what God had called her to do. She responded with gratitude and praise for all God had done for her. In spite of all the difficult circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ such as an out of wedlock pregnancy and no one to attend the birth, Mary responded magnificently.

Women of the Word--Esther--Questions and Considerations

2011-12-22T05:05:00.003-06:00

Read the Book of Esther

What do we learn about Esther’s heritage, family and her position in life? What do her Hebrew and Persian names mean?

Both Esther and Queen Vashti assert themselves in relation to the King but their methods differ. Describe each woman’s tactics.

List some of Esther’s strengths and weaknesses.

The main character in Esther is never named. Who is it and why no mention of the person?

A key concept in the Book of Esther is the total sovereignty of God. What do the following verses teach us:
Isaiah 55:8-11-
Proverbs 21:1-
Matthew 24:35-
Ezra 6:22-
Psalm 139-

Esther risked her life to save her people. How did Esther respond to Mordecai’s request in Esther 4?

Has God ever challenged you to put your faith on the line for the cause of Christ? How?

Esther fasted and waited on God for three days. What do the following state about waiting on God:
Isaiah 40:31-
Psalm 32:6-7-
Psalm 46:10-
Hosea 12:6
Micah 7:7-

Was Esther idle while waiting on God? Explain you answer.

Consult a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia and define the term “on that night” in Esther 6:1? Do you believe in coincidences? Give an example of how God has used circumstances to reveal His will in your life.

Briefly summarize how God “turned the tables” on Haman and all the enemies of the Jews. What does this teach us about God?

God wants us to celebrate all His victories. What do the following verses show us about rejoicing:
Leviticus 23:40-44-
Deuteronomy 12:18-
Ezra 6:22-
Psalm 31:7-8-
Isaiah 19:19-
I Corinthians 13:6-
Philippians 4:4-

List any insights God has given you this week as you studied the Book of Esther.

Memorize Esther 4:14-16

• There are no coincidences. God is sovereign over all.

• When you can’t see God’s hand, trust in His heart. Even if everything appears and feels hopeless it is not.

• God is our defender. When facing a hated enemy, ask God to give you abundant courage.

• God puts us in certain circumstances to be used by Him. We must be willing to risk even if we risk alone.

• Seek other godly believers in times of crises. Fast, pray and listen to godly counsel. There must be no Lone Ranger Christians.

• Earthly grandeur is transitory. You can’t take it with you.

• Love and be loyal to your godly heritage and guardians. Dutifully obey your faithful natural or foster parents. Be radical to your Christian heritage if you are blessed with one.

Women of the Word--Esther--Successful Sovereign

2011-12-21T05:45:00.002-06:00

The curtain rises on Act Three. Haman is dead but his decree to destroy the Jews is alive and well. The king’s fury against Haman is satisfied now that the traitor hanged on his own gallows. On the same day the king gives Queen Esther the property of Haman. He gives Mordecai his signet ring. The same one Haman used to issue the decree of destruction. Later Esther asks the king to issue a decree to correct the one sent out earlier by the wicked Prime Minister. The king directs Esther and Mordecai to write it. How true it is that we reap what we sow. Haman the bearer of death is dead. Esther and Mordecai the faithful are about to be used by God to save His people.

The decree was issued post haste via couriers mounted on the king’s own horses. The king granted the Jews permission to defend themselves. They are allowed to slay anyone who might attack them and to seize their goods as spoils. The city of Susa claims the Jews and in the provinces many people profess Judaism out of terror. God revealed Himself as the Protector of His People and many responded. When we as believers entrust ourselves to Him in the midst of a deadly decree, He can draw others to Himself through our courageous stand.

Months later, the day arrived. Throughout all the Persian provinces, Jews assemble. God’s people always should meet crises together. We were never intended to fight the enemy solo. Ruler and officials help them out of fear. The Jews slaughter thousands including the ten sons of Haman. Evil begets evil and the consequences of a person’s sin visits the third and fourth generation. The king grants Esther her request to fight a second day and to hang Haman’s sons on the gallows as well. The wicked plot of Haman recoiled upon itself. Mordecai, the devout Jew records the events. He sent out a letter requiring Jews annually to call the dates “Purim” after the name “Pur”. They call it that because Haman had cast a lot (pur) to ascertain a favorable day for carrying out his plot to destroy the Jews.

To this day the Purim Festival is celebrated mid March when the roll of Esther is read in Jewish synagogues all over the world. As they read it, they spit as the name of Haman is mentioned. In essence, they say “Let his name be accursed or Let his name be blotted out.” The next day they come together for a feast in memory of the courage of Esther and to celebrate the Providence of the One true God. Our actions and our choices leave a legacy. We can either be booed or hissed off the stage like Haman or we can deliver a stellar performance as did Queen Esther the Sovereign’s.sovereign

Women of the Word--Esther--Secreted Sovereign

2011-12-20T05:45:00.002-06:00

Esther Chapter 2:1 states “After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.” These things included an unsuccessful military campaign against the Greeks. After his defeat the dejected king returned to an empty palace. He decides to hold a beauty contest to replace the deposed Queen Vashti. The king was to be the sole judge.

Enter the star. One meaning of Esther’s name is star. It comes from the name of the star Venus, which in Greek is “aster”. Her name in Hebrew is Hadassah. It means myrtle. Myrtle branches are still carried in the procession of the Feast of Tabernacles signifying peace and thanksgiving. Esther is definitely the star of the stage. Her name appears 55 times in the ten chapters. The name of no other woman in the Bible is recorded so often. Only Sarah, whose name appears as Sarah thirty five times and as Sarai sixteen times, comes near to approaching this record. Of course, this is no small actress. She turns in quite a performance.

Esther had been reared by Mordecai, a Benjamite official at the palace gate. He had obviously heard of the king’s beauty contest to replace former queen. Esther, educated as a daughter in the house of Mordecai, a wise and devout Israelite, she learned from him the glorious truths of God. She refused the idolatry so common among her fellow contestants. In the middle of this its rich Persian kingdom, she was in touch with a power not counted in terms of silver and gold.

King Xerxes chooses Esther from all the women entered in the pageant. Of course, Esther was not as much the king’s choice as God’s. She is now in place for what will be the best performance of her life. The king had no idea Esther was a Jew. Mordecai told her not to tell. The Jews then were a captive people and anti-Semitism always has been a curse in the nations of the world. Did God command Mordecai to have Esther keep the secret or not. Scripture does not specifically say. We can say that regardless the providence of God overrides everything.

Queen Esther is the favorite not only among the king, but also the people. She won them over with her sound judgment, her fine self-control and the ability to think of others first. It is not too long before she learns that Haman, her husband’s right hand man, hated her people and demanded that they bow down to him. This Hitler like Haman hated the Jews and became intent on annihilating God’s people. Such is the person God has called Esther to face.

Esther is deeply distressed when Mordecai the devout Jew refuses to bow to Haman. In fact Mordecai refuses daily and publicly. Haman is furious to say the least. Haman casts a lot and issues a decree that the Jews are to be destroyed. The king gave carte blanche approval to whatever Haman decided. Unknowingly the king puts the love of his life in danger. We must be careful to trust those around us with undiluted influence. Never give yourself over to another person to that degree. You could lose that which you love the most.

Mordecai wears sackcloth and ashes at this gate. He mourns deeply for his people. Mordecai believed the decree and knew it could not be changed. The Jews responded with fasting, weeping and mourning but no mention is made of prayer. When we are in trouble God wants us to call out to Him. Our moaning won’t change things. Only He can intervene to save us. Mordecai sends a message to Esther. He challenges her in verses 13-14 “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than the all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?’ Only God the great screenplay writer could compose such a line.

Esther accepts her own divine destiny and asks her people to fast with her. During the three day fast she prepared to go before the king to intercede for her people. If the king, a capricious man, was in a good mood, she might gain her point; if not, she could lose her life. One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is found in the Book of Esther. Chapter 4:16 says in part “And thus will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” What courage, what trust and what resolution she displays. Oh if we Christians could be so bold in the face of our mortal enemies.

On the chosen day she went before her husband and he did ask her to come forward and speak. But instead of issuing her request directly, she invited him and Haman to a banquet. He was astute enough to realize something was on her mind, yet she conveyed the importance of the matter by insisting on a second banquet. Haman was elated. A banquet in his honor he thought. Now in the good graces of the king and queen he could do away with his hated enemy Mordecai. God had other plans.

After the first banquet the king could not sleep. God reminded him through the reading of the Chronicles of a former assassination plot. Mordecai overheard the plot and warned the king. It was this precise night God chose to remind the king that Mordecai saved his life. Xerxes lost no time in honoring Mordecai for that act. Long story short, during the second banquet Esther told the king of Haman’s plot against the Jews and Haman was doomed. There is grim justice in Haman’s death on the gallows he had built for Mordecai and it seems fitting that the day on which the Jews were to be slaughtered became the day their enemies died. Esther’s risk confirmed that God was the source of her security. The star shone perfectly in her performance.

Women of the Word--Esther--The Selected Sovereign

2011-12-19T06:43:00.002-06:00

The Book of Esther celebrates the overturning of a plot to exterminate Jews throughout the ancient East. The dominant world power is Persia. During the reign of King Ahasuerus of Persia an orphaned Hebrew girl named Esther wins a beauty contest and becomes his queen. On the advice of her guardian, Mordecai, she does not reveal that she is Jewish. Meanwhile Haman, the king’s Prime Minister, sets in motion a plan to kill Jews throughout the empire. Mordecai pleads with Esther to save her people, and she risks her life in order to secure the king’s intervention. In a dramatic reversal, the story ends with the Jews slaying their enemies on the date Haman had set for their destruction. God is a God who does what He promises no matter how bleak the circumstances.

The story of Esther unfolds like a screenplay. The main characters include King Ahasuerus also known as Xerxes I King of Persia. Vashti was the queen at the beginning of the story. Mordecai remained at the palace gate daily and served as the foster father of Esther He was a godly Jew who acted as her personal and trusted advisor. Esther was the successor queen and the heroine of the story. Haman was the Prime Minister who actually is symbolic of the diabolic enemy he served.

The first act begins with the king and the leading men of his provinces including Haman celebrating with a six-month feast. The festivities end with a seven-day feast in the court for the men while inside Queen Vashti is entertaining the women at their own banquet. Kind of like a men’s and women’s retreat occurring simultaneously. When the King and his men are drunk the King orders Vashti to appear and let him display her beauty to all his equally inebriated guests. Vashti refuses.

Why did Vashti refuse? Scripture does not specifically say. My opinion is that the king requested her to do something crude and undignified. He was drunk and sensuality was a besetting sin for him. He wanted everyone to see Vashti, his treasure, his crown jewel as it were. He did not honor her as a valued object of his devoted affection. He treated her rather as a sexual object, a trophy of his manhood if you will. Frankly I think Vashti had a lot of guts back then. Of course, the sovereign Sovereign was working His will to have Vashti removed and Esther in place as queen.

Vashti’s refusal infuriates the king. How dare she not show up to his “guys night out” party. The whispers echo throughout the feast that the queen had refused her husband. Although she was right to refuse his request to flaunt her beauty, she might have considered the impact for her spouse. He was mortified. The whole kingdom was impacted by her decision.

Some people believe that Vashti should have obeyed the king. Regardless of her personal dignity, she should have laid that aside and come to the party. I guess that’s a question we will have to ask her when we see her. God accomplishes His will anyway. I believe God would never want a woman to subject herself to that kind of ungodly and out of control environment. Had the King and his men not been drunk he wouldn’t have made the crude request in the first place.

The result of Vashti’s choice was a crisis meeting of the king’s cabinet. What do we do with the “first lady” who won’t obey the king’s command. One of the king’s men Memucan speaks up. He worries that if the other women hear what Vashti did, they would all do the same. Men are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. If they would do that, then this massive rebellion won’t have a chance to take hold. The men decide to issue a decree that wives shall give honor to their husbands both great and small. Queen Vashti is set aside and we never hear from her again. The stage is set for Esther, the Sovereign's sovereign to enter.

Women of the Word--Mary & Matha-Questions and Considerations

2011-12-18T05:14:00.002-06:00

Read Luke 10:38-41; John 11:1-46 and John 12:1-11

What do we learn about the background of Mary and Martha?

What contrasts do you see between the two? Any similarities?

Do you think one sister loved Jesus more than the other? Why or why not?

List any evidence you see of the sisters’ friendship with Jesus Christ. What significance does this have for your life?

How can Mary and Martha’s relationship serve as a model for friendships of women with differing temperaments?

Both sisters sought freedom. What do the following verses state?
Isaiah 61:1-
Psalm 102:19-20-
Matthew 10:8-
John 8:31-36-
Galatians 5:1-
I Peter 2:16-

In what area(s) of your life do you need to be set free?

Compare both sisters’ reaction to the death of their brother Lazarus.

How did Jesus respond to the news about Lazarus? Why?

In what ways did Mary and Martha honor Christ?

Martha’s hospitality was commendable. What does God say about being hospitable?
Genesis 18:4-8-
Romans 12:13
I Timothy 5:9-10-
Hebrew 13:2-
I Peter 4:9-

Who do you resemble more Mary or Martha? Why?

List any insights God has given you this week from the lives of Mary and Martha.

Memorize John 11:5

• Use things and love people, don’t love things and use people.

• God uses His closest friends to bring Himself the greatest glory. (He severely tests those whom He loves and those He knows can pass).

• The busyness of life can become a barrier to knowing God. (We can be so deep in serving Him that we fail to know Him).

• Offer the very best to Christ. (We must give to the ultimate limit of all we are and all we have in sacrificial love to Him).

• Don’t let your hope be too limited—Christ can do all things. (Trust the Lord with every care, responsibility and sorrow).

Rejoicing at a Wedding--Back Tomorrow

2011-12-17T16:00:00.002-06:00

My sweet "adopted niece", Sarah, got married today and I haven't had time to post another Women of the Word article. It was such a beautiful ceremony and certainly one that honored Jesus Christ. She and her husband Casey brought such glory to the Lord throughout the service and the Gospel was proclaimed. What a blessing it was to be in attendance. I'm off to rejoice with them this evening! So I plan to be back tomorrow and post a regular post. Congrats to Casey and Sarah! I look forward to all that the Lord will do in and through your marriage....

Women of the Word--Mary & Martha--Questions and Considerations

2011-12-16T04:11:00.002-06:00

Read Luke 10:38-41; John 11:1-46 and John 12:1-11

What do we learn about the background of Mary and Martha?

What contrasts do you see between the two? Any similarities?

Do you think one sister loved Jesus more than the other? Why or why not?

List any evidence you see of the sisters’ friendship with Jesus Christ. What significance does this have for your life?

How can Mary and Martha’s relationship serve as a model for friendships of women with differing temperaments?

Both sisters sought freedom. What do the following verses state?
Isaiah 61:1-
Psalm 102:19-20-
Matthew 10:8-
John 8:31-36-
Galatians 5:1-
I Peter 2:16-

In what area(s) of your life do you need to be set free?

Compare both sisters’ reaction to the death of their brother Lazarus.

How did Jesus respond to the news about Lazarus? Why?

In what ways did Mary and Martha honor Christ?

Martha’s hospitality was commendable. What does God say about being hospitable?
Genesis 18:4-8-
Romans 12:13
I Timothy 5:9-10-
Hebrew 13:2-
I Peter 4:9-

Who do you resemble more Mary or Martha? Why?

List any insights God has given you this week from the lives of Mary and Martha.

Memorize John 11:5

• Use things and love people, don’t love things and use people.
• God uses His closest friends to bring Himself the greatest glory. (He severely tests those whom He loves and those He knows can pass).
• The busyness of life can become a barrier to knowing God. (We can be so deep in serving Him that we fail to know Him).
• Offer the very best to Christ. (We must give to the ultimate limit of all we are and all we have in sacrificial love to Him).
• Don’t let your hope be too limited—Christ can do all things. (Trust the Lord with every care, responsibility and sorrow).

Women of the Word--Mary & Martha--Sincere and Sacred Sympathizers

2011-12-15T06:38:00.005-06:00

To honor Christ for the return of Lazarus from the grave a feast was prepared. Friends gathered in the house of Simon six days before the Passover festival. A supper was given for Jesus. Martha served and Lazarus was among the guests. Mary took her usual place at the feet of Christ. This time she brought with her a vial of costly perfume, pure oil of nard. Mary’s love again was silent but powerful. She was silent in the house of Martha, silent at the grave except for her weeping and in Simon’s home she was silent. The only time Mary said anything at all was her agreement with Martha that her brother need not have died if Jesus had come sooner. Acts of unspoken love are often the most powerful.

The box of spike-nard was worth nearly a years salary. Mary listened to the Prophet in Martha’s house, she knew the High Priest at Lazarus’ grave when Jesus wept and now she anointed the feet of the King. Gratefully she wiped His feet with the only thing available her hair and the whole house was filled with the fragrance. The aroma not only of the nard, but also the Rose of Sharon permeated the place.

Judas Iscariot, the treasurer of the group took issue with such largess. Only Judas the traitor would determine that such an act was wasted on Jesus. Our hearts are revealed through our words. Judas kept his heart in the money bag he carried. Where is your heart? Is it at the bank? Is it in the hands of another? Does some sort of sin have it totally wrapped up? Or does God of the universe possess it entirely?

Mark 14:6-9 tells us the response of Jesus to Mary’s deep devotion. “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” Mary recognized the validity of anointing the live body of Christ and not His corpse. Jesus spoke a lasting memorial to Mary for her sacrifice. Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world will be in memory of Mary’s love and unselfish goodness.

Martha raised no objection this time. She looked upon her sister’s gracious act and silently agreed. For all we know Martha may have played a large role in purchasing the nard herself. The service of Martha remained the same, but she herself was changed. She was no longer cumbered by tasks but had learned to sit quietly and soak in the fragrance of her Rose. At last Martha, too, had chosen that good part which could not be taken from her.

God had selected these three siblings to reflect His Son’s glory. In all three lives Jesus was honored, esteemed and worshipped. Each one had their role to play. God calls us to play our parts in the same way. We are to worship and lift up the name of Jesus. He gifts us individually and God formed us in the womb for a purpose uniquely ours. I think the poem entitled Ten Little Christians by an unknown author summarizes how important it is that we as believers rely upon one another and allow God to meld us together as one body glorifying Him.
Ten little Christians standing in a line
One disliked the pastor, then there were nine.

Nine little Christians stayed up very late
One slept too late on Sunday, then there were eight.

Eight little Christians on their way to Heaven
One took the low road, then there were seven.

Seven little Christians chirping like some chicks
One disliked the music, then there were six.

Six little Christians seemed very much alive
But one lost his interest, then there were five.

Five little Christians pulling for heaven’s shore
But one stopped to rest, then there were four.

Four little Christians each busy as a bee
One got her feelings hurt, then there were three.

Three little Christians knew not what to do
One joined the sporting crowd, then there were two.

Two little Christians our rhyme is nearly done
Differed from each other, then there was one.

One little Christian can’t do much ‘tis true
Brought his friend to Bible study, then there were two.

Two earnest Christians each won one more
That doubled the number, then there were four.

Four sincere Christians, worked early and worked late
Each won another and then there were eight.

Eight splendid Christians, if they doubled as before
In just a few short weeks, we’d have 1,024.

In this little jingle, there is a lesson true
You either belong to the building or the wrecking crew.

Women of the Word--Mary & Martha--Sorrowful Sisters

2011-12-14T05:47:00.003-06:00

The next incident in the lives of the sisters was the death of their brother Lazarus recorded in John Chapter 11. Without a doubt Mary and Martha loved their brother but we do not read of Martha’s tears, only Mary’s. It is clear that Mary was the more emotional, reverent and respectful. Her focus was internal and introspective. That does not mean that Martha’s grief was any less than Mary’s. It just means that people as a result of different temperaments, personalities and life experiences often react differently to the same circumstance.

The sisters sent word to Jesus that “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” How true it is that in times of crisis we seek the Lord. Mary and Martha knew of Christ’s power and comfort. It was He they sought. Scripture tells us that Jesus did not hurry to Bethany upon hearing the news. By the time He did arrive Lazarus had been in his grave for four days. Jesus wanted them to learn that His delays are not denials, that He knows the exact moment to release His power. He knew that this was a death that would result in Him being glorified as the Son of Man.

Martha arose quickly and ran to meet him while Mary sat at home nursing her sorrow. She threw herself at Him. “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you.” Martha’s faith and confidence in God’s omnipotence was displayed in her statement. Jesus then instructed Martha about the reality of the resurrection. Martha’s knowledge of God’s Word was evident. She knew her brother would rise again. What she didn’t realize was the reason for Jesus’ delay. He would raise His beloved friend right then. He wanted everyone present to know that He alone is the resurrection and the life. John 11:27 gives us Martha’s statement of faith “She said to Him, “Yes Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” Martha “got it” and hurried off to get Mary.

Mary was in no way behind her sister in her love for her departed brother, her faith in the Lord Jesus and in her belief in the final resurrection. The tears of Mary moved Jesus. Verse 35 states “Jesus wept.” Just as there are times for tough love, how many more there are for tender love. The Son of God wept. How true it is that in every pang of a human heart the Man of Sorrows shares a part! His humanity was never so evident.

At the grave Martha gave vent to her impulsive feelings again. When Jesus commanded the stone to be removed, Martha resisted. Four days was enough time for death to have sufficiently ravished the body of Lazarus. The stench of death was real. However, Jesus is the resurrection and the LIFE. Jesus uttered the all-commanding word and Lazarus came forth with a body fresher than it had been in years. It is true that in Him we LIVE.

What tears of joy the sisters must have shared. Jesus had performed the miracle of miracles for His beloved friends. The physical miracle resulted in many spiritual miracles. The record says in John 11:45 “Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.” God’s will for the tragedies in our lives is to bring about new life which glorifies Him. Never despair in the middle of a crisis God always works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Women of the Word--Mary & Martha--Separate Servants

2011-12-13T06:30:00.002-06:00

We find the first mention of Mary and Martha in a position of servanthood. Three stories of the sisters are told in the gospels. The first is related by the physician Luke and is found in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus and His disciples have traveled to a village and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. Martha’s name means “lady” the feminine form of “lord.” She apparently owned the home. We don’t know much about her family other than the fact she is the elder sister of Mary and Lazarus. Some believe that she may have been the daughter, wife or widow of Simon the Leper and that upon his death she inherited the home. Others think that Martha may have been a near relative of Simon for whom she acted as hostess. Regardless, she was obviously the one in charge.

When Jesus left His home to engage in public ministry we don’t ever read where He returned to the comfort of His own roots. Rather He often went to the domicile of His friends, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. What a blessing to have such close non- family relationships where we can feel right at home.

When Jesus arrived, He found Martha busy and distracted by all the details of dinner. Her younger sister Mary, quiet and introspective, sat at the feet of Christ. Martha was the one given to hospitality. Mary chose the spiritual instruction she knew would flow from the lips of her Savior.

Martha was affluent and she shared her wealth in meeting the practical needs of Jesus and His followers. It was to her home He came. She opened her home and her heart to Him and His friends. For those of you equally given to hospitality you can recognize the sacrifice involved in meeting the needs of others. I would imagine from what we read about Martha, no one had to worry about untidy rooms, lack of food or neglect of any need.

As is so often true of the elder sibling Martha took upon her shoulders a heavy responsibility while the younger children felt the freedom to sit back and enjoy the feast. Luke tells us that “Martha was cumbered about much serving.” Cumbered means distracted. I Corinthians 7:35 states that “This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted attention to the Lord.” The details of hospitality are important, but we should never choose them over Him.

Martha’s complaint was registered in two parts. The first was directed to Jesus Himself. I admire her fortitude to ask the Son of God “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?” That took some guts! I understand how Martha felt. I have felt the same way when my younger sister Nancy would come into dinner at the last minute and sit at the table waiting to be served. I had spent a lot of time preparing the meal and watching her sit there I simmered along with the food. The sense of injustice was just too much. It irritated Martha to see Mary, cool and idle, while she was busy with the accommodations for the visitors.

She then asked Jesus to have Mary help her “Then tell her to help me.” Martha, too, wanted to sit at the feet of Christ and take in all He had to say, but she could not pull herself away from the earthy details. Martha would not presume to call her sister away from Christ. In her vexed state of mind she included Jesus in the rebuke and asked Him to release Mary from her position of meditation to help out with the more practical duties.

Jesus rebuked her, but did not condemn. He appreciated her efforts in making Him and the others comfortable. He reminded her of the importance of spiritual matters over those of the world. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” How important it is for us to do the same with those in our lives. When others around us are choosing the affairs of the world over their relationship with Christ, we must firmly remind them of the “good part.” It is very hard for the tender hearted to display “tough love”. Some circumstances demand it however. Jesus held Martha, His friend, accountable and so must we. We must always choose our inner communion with Christ and remind others to do the same.

Women of the Word--Mary Magdalene--Questions and Considerations

2011-12-12T05:19:00.004-06:00

Read Matthew 27:33-28:1; Mark 15:40-16:9 and John 20:1-18

What characteristic of Mary Magdalene impresses you the most? Why?

What do we learn about Mary’s background and social status?

What facts about Mary Magdalene’s life led to her deep devotion and gratitude to Christ?

Why might have God chosen a woman to be the first witness of His Son’s resurrection?

How was Mary Magdalene a “trophy of God’s grace”? How did God glorify Himself in her life?

Scripture states that Jesus delivered Mary Magdalene from seven demons. Do you believe the demons were literal ones or not? Cite verses to explain your answer.

Can you recall a time in your life when God worked a difficult, painful or hopeless circumstance for your good?

Mary is a model of faith. What do the following verses state about faith:
Habakkuk 2:4-
Matthew 6:30-33-
Matthew 17:20-
Romans 5:1-
Galatians 3:22-29-
Colossians 2:3-7-

We learn from Mary Magdalene that women are vital to Jesus’ ministry. How are you fulfilling your ministry in the name of Christ?

Mary possessed a servant’s heart. According to these verses what characterizes a servant:
Psalm 123-1-2-
Psalm 31: 14-16-
Isaiah 41:9-13-
Matthew 20:26-28-
Luke 16:13-
Colossians 3:22-24-

What do you think Mary Magdalene thought and felt as she watched Jesus die on the cross?

Summarize the scene in the Garden described in John 20:1-18. What do we learn about Mary and about Jesus?

List any insights God has given you from the life of Mary Magdalene.

Memorize John 20: 18.

• Demonic influence is real and literal. We must guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

• Those who are obedient and faithful grow in spiritual understanding.

• Women are faithful followers of Jesus and minister in practical ways.

• Jesus relates to women as He created them as people who reflector God’s image.

• The freedom Christ brings from sin and bondage to the god of this world should evoke great gratitude from us.

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Women of the Word--Mary Magdalene--The Messenger

2011-12-11T05:53:00.001-06:00

Mary was among the last people to behold her Savior as He gave up His life on the Cross. She now would be the first person, let alone woman, to behold the risen Savior in the tomb at the Garden. God chose her to witness the pivotal truth of Christianity—the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity boasts of a risen Savior. Buddha, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Mary Eddy Baker, Jim Jones, David Koresh and a host of other false leaders died and are still dead. Christ alone lives to make intercession for the sinner and the saved.

Early on that first Easter morning Mary Magdalene peers into the tomb where they had laid Christ. Seeing it empty she wept. John Chapter 20 tells us that Mary ran to John and Peter to tell them that “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him (verse 2)”. The disciples return to the gravesite to verify her account and finding it true they return to their homes. Mary stays.

In deep grief, she again looks into the tomb. What confusion she must have felt at the sight of the body less grave. This time she sees two angels sitting at the head and feet of where Jesus’ would have laid. They inquire about her weeping and she states “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” Oh for us to weep when we lose sight of our Lord and Savior. How many times have we turned away from Him with a hardened heart seeking our own way? Mary is profoundly sorrowful when her Savior is missing.

Turning around she beholds a figure standing there. Mary thinks Him to be the gardener. However, it was her Jesus who spoke to her “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Confused by the question and in fact all of the preceding events she answers Him “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” How faithful and how persevering is she. What a model she serves for us. As Christians do we pant for Christ? Do we ardently seek Him refusing any less than to experience His presence in full? Never one time did she think about herself. Her thoughts were fully focused on Him whom she loved.

Then He who is the Word of God speaks: “Mary!” She fully recognizes her Jesus, the shepherd of her soul. “Rabboni” she replies. The old familiar intimacy in tact she casts herself before the risen Lord. From the depth of her heart she holds Him and He replies “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”

Jesus has just commissioned Mary Magdalene to become the first messenger of the gospel—a resurrected Son of God who overcame death now lives again and is about to ascend back to His heavenly Father. Have we all embraced this fundamental truth of Christianity? Has every one here seized the meaning of what Mary saw? Jesus Christ is alive and victorious over sin and death.

Mary Magdalene the once demon possessed maniac now is the blessed messenger. She who ministered to Christ during His earthly mission now is sent by Him to tell the disciples the good news. She received the message directly from His lips. God does honor our faithfulness. Don’t give up, give in or give over to discouragement or despair. He is faithful even when we are not and He stands ready to honor us with a closer knowledge of Him. Let us never take for the granted the sacred privilege of sharing His gospel with others. The lost world is dying to hear the truth.

Although this is the last glimpse we have of Mary Magdalene, I assume that she was present with the women who assembled with the Apostles in the upper chamber. Acts Chapter 2 records the coming of the Holy Spirit and the Day of Pentecost. Mary Magdalene would now be among the few to have heard the good news from the very mouth of the resurrected Jesus Christ and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. I can only imagine what a story she told of what Christ did in her life. May we be modern day Mary Magdalenes as we spend our days regaling others of all that Christ has done in our lives!

Women of the Word--Mary Magdalene--The Minister

2011-12-10T06:08:00.002-06:00

Now freed from the hands of the prince of the air, Mary Magdalene was empowered to serve the only true Lord. She, along with other women healed by Jesus, combined to make a fiercely loyal band of female disciples. She particularly became a generous helper and first among women who gave to Christ from her substance. She left her home in Magdala to follow Jesus constantly. She and the others attended to the many needs of Christ and His disciples as they traveled from town to town.

Mary is mentioned fourteen times in the gospels and from references to her we can see clearly what she did and how she did it. A striking feature in eight of the fourteen passages is that Mary is named in connection with other women, but always heads the list, implying that she occupied the place at the front in service rendered by godly females. In five instances she is mentioned in the gospels alone and in connection with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is clear women then and women now minister deeply to the concerns of Jesus. Women need one another.

I heard recently of 10 things only women understand:
10) Cat’s expressions
9) The need for the same style of shoes in different colors
8) Why bean sprouts aren’t just weeds
7) Fat clothes
6) Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time
5) The difference between beige, off-white and eggshell
4) Cutting your bangs to make them grow
3) Eyelash curlers
2) The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made AND
The Number One Thing Only Women Understand
1) OTHER WOMEN

Mary was a devoted follower of her Lord and she listened to His every word, traced His every step and shared His difficult life. She went with Him to the agony of the Cross where she watched Her Beloved die the most excruciating death known to mankind. She had been with Him on His last trip from Galilee to Jerusalem. Mary was present at His mock trial. Some of His intimate friends had already deserted Him, but not Mary. Mary was present in Pilate’s Hall and listened as he pronounced the death sentence of Christ. She witnessed the spitting and beating and the final torture of His being nailed to the tree. Her broken heart absorbed His bitter cries. She stood helplessly by as the soldier pierced His side. As soon as Jesus dismissed His spirit, she and the other Marys inquired how they could secure His bloody body for burial. As Christ was removed from the cross Mary watched carefully to see how and where He would be laid. Mary the maniac, now Mary the minister was about to become Mary the messenger.

Women of the Word--Mary Magadalene--Maniac to Minister

2011-12-09T05:00:00.002-06:00

Scripture does not tell us a whole lot about Mary Magdalene’s background. All four gospel writers mention her. Luke reports that she is healed by Jesus and then serves Him throughout his ministry. Matthew, Mark, and John present her as a foremost witness of the crucifixion. All four evangelists place her at the tomb of Christ. Mark and John list special appearances of the risen Jesus to Mary Magdalene alone.

Mary was from Magdala a town flourishing with a fishing industry located on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee. The name Magdala means “tower or castle”. Dye works and primitive textile factories added to the wealth of the community. Her occupation is unknown but she traditionally is known as the very wealthy woman and significantly contributed to Christ’s ministry in very practical ways. It may be that she was someway connected to textile production even though scripture does not mention it specifically.

Some of her contemporaries were Jesus Himself, the 12 male disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus’ Mother Mary. She may have been called Mary of Magdala because she had no family to supply her surname. There is no record of her parentage, her marital status or her age. She did apparently have the freedom to serve and follow Jesus to such an extent as to appear free from family constraints.

Some theologians and commentators are of the belief that Mary Magdalene was connected to the unnamed woman in Luke 7:37. The Jewish Talmud lists her as having an unsavory reputation and because of the harlotry practiced in Magdala the idea developed that she was a prostitute. There is not an iota of evidence of such an accusation from the Bible however.

Scripture is clear that she was possessed of seven demons. Mark 16:9 states “Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons". Some commentators indicate that this supposed “demon possession” was not literal but represented some sense of mere sin. Others suggested is it some form of baffling physical or emotional condition.

I propose that Mary’s demon possession was exactly that. Luke 8 speaks of the demoniac at the Gadarenes. He ran around nude and lived in the tombs. He possessed supernatural strength and even though bound with chains and shackles he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. Matthew 17:14-23 describes the demon possessed boy who often fell into the fire and often into the water. Unless it is clear in the Scripture employs literary devices such as metaphor, simile or hyperbole it is best to assume a literal and grammatical interpretation. Thus I believe Mary Magadalene was demon possessed just as the Gospels declare.

Although Mary was a woman of high standing and comfortable social status, she suffered from periodic insanity. With seven demons possessing her it is obvious her suffering was extreme. Jesus must have found her a crazed lunatic with her peace of mind and her control of the will destroyed. She must have been a sight to behold. The eyes of a demoniac are a clue to what is happening on the inside and there is an evil dark glaze. We are not told what weakness or grounds that existed in Mary which allowed the demons to enter. We do know that Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior and ruler over all delivered her from all seven of the evil spirits.

Jesus laid eyes on her and saw past her current state. He saw in her a minister of His grace and truth who would be a blessing to Him and others. In His authoritative voice He commanded demons to come out and stay out. He set her free. This once maniac now sat peaceful with her sanity restored. Now “clothed and made whole” she was ready to become one of the most devoted women disciples to follow Christ.

Mary’s devotion to her Lord flowed from her love and gratitude for what He had done in her life. When you have experienced the depths of hell at such a deep level you have a better appreciation of just what it is Jesus conquered. Those who have suffered much are comforted much by the blessed presence of Christ. Saved from the terrible power of hell, Mary Magdalene was now ready to be a minister in the fullest sense of the word. When Christ liberated her, He unleashed the highest virtues of sacrifice, fortitude and courage. He does the same for us today.

Women of the Word--Leah Questions and Considerations

2011-12-08T05:39:00.003-06:00

Read Genesis 29-31:34; and 48:7. What do we learn of Leah? What does “Leah” mean?

Leah’s sister was Rachel and they were both daughters of Laban. Compare and contrast the two sisters.

Like Leah and Rachel, some women perceive other women as “the competition”. Have you ever been a victim of this and how did it feel? Have you ever treated another woman that way?

Despite all of the hurt and rejection Leah suffered God honored her. What are some of the ways He did so?

What qualities of Leah do you admire? Why? What are her weaknesses?

List the twelve tribes of Israel (Jacob’s twelve sons) and give the mothers of each (refer Genesis 29:31-35; 30:4-8.10-13, 18-20,22-25 and 35:16-18).

Leah’s growth of faith in God is seen in the names of her six sons. What do the names mean? Through whose line did Jesus descend?

Leah was mistreated by many and she was an object of Laban’s deception. What do the following scriptures say about the brokenhearted:
Genesis 29:31-
Psalm 34:18-
Psalm 147:3-
Psalm 51:17-
Isaiah 61:1-
Isaiah 57:15-

Is polygamy ever God’s will? What do the following state:
Genesis 2:23, 24-
Exodus 20:17-
Matthew 19:4-10-
I Corinthians 7:1-3-

Where was Leah buried? (refer Genesis 49:31) Rachel (Genesis 48:7) Jacob (Genesis 49:29-32; 50:12-14)? What is significant about this if anything?

List any insights God has given you from your study of Leah?

Memorize Genesis 29:31

• Solemn choices should not be made on mere external appearances. We must value what God values--the heart and character.

• God never sanctions polygamy. We must hold fast to the truth of one man married to one woman for life.

• God hates idolatry in any form. We must forsake every idol and follow the one true God.

• God’s will for your life always lead to peace and piety. We must resist the flesh and the enemy. If not, there will be chaos.

• Honor God in all you do. We must let everything in our lives be a reflection of our gratitude to Him.

Women of the Word--Leah Part III

2011-12-07T05:45:00.002-06:00

God decreed that this Leah, the object of deception and the other woman, Leah the lesser loved would bring glory to His name throughout eternity. There is much evidence in the life of Leah to convict her of being a child of God. First, the names of her sons reflect her love of her heavenly father. Second, the longevity of her life and her loyalty to Jacob shows her devout devotion. Third, her very place of burial is a testament to her piety.

Leah gave birth to six sons total. Her first son was Reuben. His name means “Behold a son”. Leah praised God for looking favorably upon her. “It is because the
Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” Simeon connotes “Hearing”. This son was given to Leah since God had heard her cry because of Rachel’s hatred. Such a name as Simeon is a lasting testament of answered prayer. Levi, the next to be born implies “Joined.” Leah rejoices hoping that now her husband would love her and that through Levi’s birth she would be more closely united to Jacob. Levi’s line is the one chosen by God as the tribe of priests.

Judah means “praise.” He was Leah’s fourth son. Certainly the Lord had been good to both Leah and Jacob. From total selfless worship she declares “Soli Deo Gloria” I will praise the Lord. I believe that the birth of Judah is sufficient evidence that God’s intended wife for Jacob was Leah. We know that it is through the line of Judah that Jesus Christ comes. Leah’s lineage, not Rachel’s brought forth the Savior. Leah has two more sons. Issachar whose name means “rewarded.” God had rewarded Leah with fertility and she responded with thanksgiving. Her sixth son was Zebulun implying “Endowed or Honored.” God had endowed Leah and she had honored Him.

It is interesting to note that Leah the first wife lived much longer than Rachel. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin her second son. It was Leah who throughout the long years remained faithful to Jacob. In fact, it is most likely that with the death of Rachel, Leah was the one to raise her son Benjamin. It was Leah who God chose to bury in Canaan the promised land along with Sarah and Abraham. Rachel was buried in Bethlehem at a sight called Rachel’s Tomb. Ultimately Jacob was buried with his parents, grandparents and his wife Leah next to him.

Leah the one who lacked the outer beauty of her sister possessed the inner beauty Rachel failed to develop. Kuyper reminds us “There are two kinds of beauty. There is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is a beauty which God grants when by His grace men are born again. That kind of beauty never vanishes but blooms eternally.”

Women of the Word--Leah--Part II

2011-12-06T06:15:00.002-06:00

Seven years pass and Jacob marries Rachel according to Genesis 29:28. He finally gets the love of his life. Even though Jacob has now married two women we never see God sanctioning such an arrangement. The culture embraced it but it wasn't mandated by God. In fact the biblical sanction is one man, one woman for life. Polygamy only brings heartaches and headaches. This man Jacob has plenty of trouble in his family from here on and it all can be traced back to his own methods which he used. The chickens come home to roost. God promises to work all things together for good and even though He never approved of this dual marriage business, God moves in spite of Jacob’s sin.

Verse 31 of Genesis Chapter 29 is the crowning testament to Leah’s godliness. Even though Jacob took Rachel as his second wife and she was the preferred spouse, God loved Leah. The verse states “And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.”

Leah must have known Jacob’s love of his heart was her sister Rachel. Still Leah genuinely loved Jacob and was true to him the length of her life. While Jacob was infatuated with Rachel’s beauty and loved her, there is no indication in scripture that Rachel loved him in the same way. H. V. Morton states “Rachel remains one of those women with nothing to recommend her but her beauty. She is bitter, envious, quarrelsome and petulant. The full force of her hatred is directed against her sister, Leah.” I think Rachel may have been the source of the saying that “beauty is only skin deep.”

There are evidences in Rachel’s life of trusting in the world’s ways rather than in God. Genesis 30:2-3 indicates that Jacob and Rachel revert to the practice of the day that we first learned about with Sarah. Rachel, still infertile, gives her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob. Instead of relying on God’s timing and His will, she resorts to fixing things herself. In fact, Leah is guilty of the same choice. Two sons, Dan and Naphtali, are born to Jacob through Rachel’s maid Bilhah. Two more, Gad and Asher are born to Leah’s maid Zilpah.

Rachel also tended toward mysticism. Reuben, Leah’s first-born son found some mandrake plants which some considered as aphrodisiacs. Rachel felt they would help her conceive. Basically she bargained with Leah for them. Leah got a night with Jacob in return for Rachel receiving the magic love potion. But it was Leah who became pregnant that night and she later gave birth to her fifth son Issachar. In spite of Rachel’s reliance upon superstition God accomplishes His will for Rachel. Verse 22 says He opened her womb and the beloved Joseph was born.
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Not only did Rachel fail to wait on God for His provision but also Genesis 31 reveals Leah’s and Rachel’s ingratitude toward their father Laban. Jacob is preparing to flee from Haran and his father-in-law. While they may seem justified, the two sisters in verses 14-15 state that basically their father counts them as strangers and devoured their inheritance. It was probably the only time they agreed upon something. Laban had exploited his daughters’ wealth and had lost their good will. They were willing to leave their father.

But note one thing in verse 19. Rachel stole her father’s household idols—not Leah but Rachel. This shows the pagan influence in Rachel’s life. Perhaps she told herself she deserved them since Laban had deceived her by giving Leah to Jacob first as his wife. Whatever the reason, Rachel’s hardheaded self-interest almost brought disaster. The theft of his idols caused Laban to stalk Jacob. How desperate we become when something threatens our idolatry.

Now it is Rachel’s turn to deceive not only her husband but also her father. Laban arrives and confronts Jacob about the theft of his household idols. He first searches Leah’s tent but they are not found there. Rachel is the culprit. She put the idols in her camel’s saddle and sat on it in her tent. She excused herself from standing. She is as clever as her husband and her father. How strong are the sins of a family. It appears that the whole clan starting with Sarah and Abraham is filled with manipulators, liars and deceivers. Rachel may have been the preferred, but Leah was the pure. In future posts we'll see how God used her faithfulness for His glory.

Women of the Word--Leah The Lesser Loved

2011-12-05T05:27:00.002-06:00

My Dad was an excellent bridge player and his reputation is that no matter what kind of hand he is dealt he plays it better than anyone. Leah is a stellar example of a person who was dealt a bad hand but played it better than anyone. She was a woman used as an object of deception by her father. She was the “other woman” in a polygamous marriage with her lovelier sister Rachel as Jacob’s wives. But she was a woman that an omniscient God used mightily for His purposes. Let’s look a little more closely at her story so we can discern what applications God can use in our lives.

Genesis Chapter 29 begins the story of Leah. Jacob the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham was seeking a wife. He went to the well of Haran to water his flock. God providentially sent him there. Water was very scarce and the stone atop the well was very heavy. Jacob, in line with his independent nature, tells those gathered to roll the stone away and water the sheep. They reply that they cannot do so until all the flocks are gathered. Rachel a shepherdess and the younger daughter of Laban came to the well with her flock.

Laban was actually Jacob’s uncle. Jacob’s mother Rebekah was Laban’s sister.
Jacob sees Rachel and is smitten by her vast beauty. On his initiative Jacob moves the stone and waters his flock. Verse 11 states he kissed Rachel. Now in order to understand Leah’s story we need to look briefly at Jacob Mr. Do It Yourself.

Jacob was the younger of the twins born to Rebekah and Isaac. God prophesied in Genesis 25:23 that “The Lord said to her, Two nations are in your womb. And two peoples from within you will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.” Esau was the older brother and Jacob the younger. Jacob whose name means “deceiver or supplanter” later tricks Esau to sell his birthright for a bowl of soup. He then receives his father Isaac’s blessing by pretending to be his older brother. Jacob’s early life reeks of selfish independence and deception. Such is the man who comes to the well of Haran.

Laban is cut from the same mold as Jacob. He is the father of two daughters—the aforementioned gorgeous Rachel and the elder Leah. Genesis 29:17 states that “Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.” Rachel was the beauty queen. There is a saying that men use when they want to say something nice about an unattractive woman. It’s something to the effect of “She has very pretty eyes.” Such was the lot of Leah.

God used Laban to turn the tables on Jacob and to teach him a lesson about the damage of deceit. It is true that we reap what we sow. Jacob loved Rachel and agreed to serve Laban for seven years in order to win her hand. The seven years pass and Jacob comes for his wife. Verse 23 describes Laban’s deceit “And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went into her.”

Paybacks are tough! It was the custom back then that the woman be heavily veiled during the wedding ceremony. Jacob had no idea that he had spent the night with Leah. I must assume that either the veil stayed on all night or the tent had no nightlight. But whatever the reason Jacob did not realize until morning that his wife was Leah not his beloved Rachel. When he confronted Laban about the deception, Laban tells him that it was not the custom in his country to give the younger first. Laban agrees to give Rachel to him for more labor. Jacob enrolls in God’s school of discipline for another seven years.

It is difficult to discern what Leah must have felt. She surely had years of frustration and pain living under the glare of her more beautiful sister. Her father had to deceive Jacob to even get her married off at all. But we shall see that God loved her and He knew her whom He called. Even though she was the “object of deception” and the “other woman” God chose her to be the loyal wife and the mother of six sons half the number of the 12 tribes of Israel. One of Leah’s own sons was Judah through whom the Savior would come. Leah’s name means “weary”. Although Leah must have tired of Rachel’s heartless and cruel treatment, Laban’s using Leah as on object of deception and Jacob’s preference of Rachel to her as a wife Leah remained faithful to her Lord.

Women of the Word--Eve Questions and Considerations

2011-12-04T05:39:00.003-06:00

QUESTIONS:
Eve was created for purpose. According to the following Scriptures what does God say about woman:
Genesis 2:18-20-
Genesis 2:22-23-
Genesis 1: 26-28-
I Corinthians 11:8-9-

Define the following two terms:
Helper –
Suitable-

Eve was the first woman. Look up these Scriptural references and identify other great beginnings:
Genesis 1:1-
Genesis 2:27-
Genesis 2:2-3-
Genesis 2:22-24-
Genesis 3:6; 2:16-17-
Genesis 3:21-
Genesis 3:15-
Genesis 9:1-6-
Genesis 11-

Satan’s subtle deception led to Adam and Eve’s downfall. Read Genesis 3:1-6 and note the progression of the enemy’s deception. According to Genesis 3:6 in what ways was Eve tempted? (Refer I John 2:16 and Matthew 4:3-11)

In what areas of your life are you susceptible to the enemy’s deception?

The following Scriptures give some general principles God has given to Christians. Briefly state the principle and how it contributes to a godly marriage:
Ephesians 5:18-
I Thessalonians 5:18-
Ephesians 4:26-
Colossians 3:23-
Ephesians 4:31,32-
Romans 12:13-
Philippians 4:6-7-
Philippians 2:3-4-
Romans 13:8-

In the Bible God uses marriage to describe the relationship of Christ to the individual believer. What are some of the parallels you see between these two relationships?

Eve was the first mother and God gave her an opportunity to partake in divine creativity. There are many ways to be creative such as composing a poem, giving birth to a project or bringing forth a new friendship. What kinds of activities make you feel connected to God as Creator?

God allowed Eve to share with Adam in having dominion over the earth. In what ways are you being a good steward of God’s gifts? Are there areas in which you could improve?

List any personal insights you have received through the Holy Spirit by studying Eve:
MEMORIZE GENESIS 1:27-28

CONSIDERATIONS

• Even though woman was created second, we are not second class citizens. We must recognize our equal but separate function and purpose before God.

• Love places limits and freedom matures with boundaries. We must hold firm and obey God given restrictions. Doing so brings liberty.
 When you live outside God’s boundaries, you live like the world and receive the world’s answers to your problems.
 Choices made outside the will of God make us vulnerable to the enemy.

• Women as mothers and wives wield dramatic influence over their children and husbands. We must encourage our families to follow God and not lead them away from Him. When others love us, we can easily lead them into sin.

• Women with their God given emotional and intuitive gifts are more susceptible to deception and seduction. We must study the Word of God for ourselves not to be easily misled.

• Women have a tendency to act independently and impulsively. We must seek the counsel of God our mates and other committed Christians.

Women of the Word--Eve The First Temptation

2011-12-03T06:29:00.003-06:00

The fall of man is recorded in Chapter Three. The role of Eve in the narrative is significant. It is she who interacted directly with the serpent, Satan’s representative. The focus of their meeting was the conversation God originally had with Adam. Eve was not present to hear for herself the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Perhaps the fact that she received the command second hand contributed to her vulnerability to Satan’s deceit.

Women were also created by God to be the nurturers, the intuitors and the compassionate care givers. Such a nature may have made Eve more susceptible to suggestion and seduction. Women as a whole are more suggestible. In fact most cult members are women and frequently women lead them. The enemy knew Eve’s weaknesses and he knows our weaknesses. He will take advantage of every one of them.

Satan’s subtle strategy is to twist the Word of God. Notice in verse one of Genesis three the serpent says “Indeed, has God said, You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” God had specifically forbidden them to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. His first step is to raise doubt.

The doubt leads to Eve’s distortion. In verse 3 she misquotes God’s Word—a deadly mistake I must say. “God has said, You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.” God never said anything about not touching it. His prohibition was strictly not to eat from it. How we need to know His Word specifically in order to stand firm against the wiles of the devil. Even the must subtle of distortions are deadly.

In verse 5 Satan continues to question the character of God. “Surely you will not die!” He is really saying if God is God and God loves you why did He set such limits Eve? The serpent has successfully contradicted God and substituted his deception for His Truth. This caused Eve to shift her focus from all that God had given her to the one thing He had withheld. Discontentment reigns.

Satan’s strategy then and now is threefold. He first appeals to the physical appetite. The tree was good for food. Then he appeals to personal gain “you will not die.” Finally he states that by eating of the fruit Adam and Eve would be like God knowing good and evil. His final assault is to the pride of life to power and to glory.

He tried the same tactic with the Lord Himself. The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is told in Matthew 4, Mark 1 and Luke Chapter 4. Satan appealed to Jesus to turn the stones into bread so He could eat (the physical appetite). Then he told Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle and have the angels bear Him up. He would not hurt His foot (the appeal to personal gain). Finally Satan tells Jesus he would give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would fall down and worship him (the power and the glory). Jesus rebuked Satan at every temptation with the Word of God. Our strategy in spiritual battle should be no less the same.

Eve bit not only the fruit but also the bait of Satan. She not only disobeyed but also enticed Adam to do the same. He however had the personal responsibility for his actions. Even though Adam blamed Eve and God for his transgression and she blamed the serpent, they were each other solely to blame. The results of the fall were dramatic to say the least.

Immediately their eyes were open and they knew they were naked. Innocence was forever lost. In an attempt to cover their new sense of guilt they made fig leaves to cover their nakedness. The leaves could conceal but never cover the guilt. Such an act was the beginning of religion. Religion is man’s attempt to seek God through his own good works. In verse 21 God made garments of skin and clothed them. It was the first record of a blood sacrifice and symbolic of the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, the only acceptable covering to the Father.

God decreed judgment upon the serpent, the woman and the man. The serpent was cursed to go on his belly all of his days and eat dust. The judgment upon the woman was pain in childbirth and the mutual partnership with Adam would now contain conflict and inequity. The judgement upon the man was toil in his work. But the greatest consequence God had warned them about was death. They died that day. Not in a physical way, but spiritually.

Chapter 3 verse 15 however is pivotal in the history of mankind. It is the first prophecy. Even though Adam and Eve had sinned with all of its disasterous consequences, God made provision. God foretold of the coming of Christ to die for the now sinful mankind. Here God judges Satan. The struggle between good and evil would be perpetual. Satan loses. Satan appears to win through the suffering of mankind throughout the ages and even at the cross with the death of Christ. But Eve’s seed would bruise Satan on the head. Christ’s resurrection from the grave is the final victory over sin and death. Jesus Christ, the seed of Eve the life giver brought the reality of eternal life.

Women of the Word--Eve The First Wife and Mother

2011-12-02T06:47:00.003-06:00

Not only was Eve the first woman created, she was the first wife and the first mother. Adam needed a helper and God fashioned one to the specifications of his need and brought her to him. It was Adam’s job to husband her that is he was responsible — to care for, protect, provide for and cherish her. Males, as the physical design alone would show, are made to be the initiators. Females are made to be the responders, the receptors. Such is the definition of the Hebrew word “Ishshah.”

Genesis 2:24 states “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh”. God’s intent that marriage was not so much a civil contract as it is a divine institution. God’s will is for one man and one woman to marry for life. In fact, God so esteemed this pattern that God called Himself Israel’s Bridegroom and Israel His Bride. Christ is the Head of the Church and the Bridegroom to His Bride, the body of all believers.

The essence of the Creator’s design is that man and woman are made for each other. God was obliged to make for man a helper who was his equal. The woman is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. The genders need one another. In fact, God created them male and female. It intrigues me that God did not find the need to create any other genders. Two were “very good”.

Closely linked to the concept of wife is the fact that Eve was the first mother. Our roles as wives and mothers are intricately entwined. After God had presided at the marriage and gave Eve away to Adam, Eve gets pregnant. I guess you have to hurry if you are commanded to be fruitful, multiply and fill the whole earth. There was the intervening fall into sin which we’ll discuss in just a minute. But Eve and Adam set about populating the earth. Eve’s first child was Cain whose name means “gotten” or “acquired”. Eve acknowledged that she had gotten the man-child from God. Eve was the first participant in the human creative process. Abel her second son was born. His name means “that which ascends” or a “vapor.” Abel grew up and followed God obeying Him totally. Cain rebelled and ultimately over the years of bitterness and jealousy Cain killed Abel. Thus Eve became the first mother to know the travail of not only the physical birth process but also the excruciating pain that can come from the lives of children themselves.

After the crime and banishment of her first son and the burial of her second, Eve conceived and gave birth to Seth. She said “God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, for Cain slew him.” Eve named her son Seth who not only means “appointed” or “put” but can also be translated as “seedling” or “germ.” Although and Eve had been the first to sin, God eventually brought redemption through the “seed” of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eve acknowledged her faith in God’s redemption, love, mercy and provision. Seth’s line produced Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ. God never gave up on Eve the first victim of the enemy.

Tomorrow we will look at Genesis Chapter 3 and the fall of man and how was the first one to be deceived...

Women of the Word--Eve

2011-12-01T05:26:00.004-06:00

This morning the Bible Study at my church is going to celebrate a feast. We have patterned the food we'll eat after the Feast of Purim celebrated in Jewish synagogues today. We've been stuyding the Books of Ruth and Esther since September and are coming to the end of the study. It's been a rich and edifying one. We've learned much about God, these women and the other people in their lives. We've learned some history and have seen the Gospel portrayed throughout both Old Testament Books. It's been a glorious time and I come away forever changed.

Woman play an important role in redemptive history. So many if not all false religions, oppress women. Christianity and Judaiasm are the only two that give women the proper role assigned to them by God Himself. Whether we speak of Eve, the first mother or Mary the mother of the Lord and Savior or Mary Magadalene the first evangelist and one of my favorite biblical characters; women have been used mightily by God throughout history. I hope it will be a fascinating journey the next few weeks for all who read here. I think it appropropriate to start with Eve the first woman.

Eve was the first of many things. She was the first woman to live upon the earth. She was the first wife. She was the first beautiful woman and the most beautiful the world has ever known. Eve was the first and the only woman born without sin. She was the first on earth to be assailed by Satan when he tempted her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She was the first dressmaker for she fashioned a garment of fig leaves to cover her nakedness. Eve was the first mother and the first mother to have a son who was a murderer.

Eve, the book of Genesis tells us, was the first person to pronounce that name by which God typically reveals Himself to people with whom He binds Himself in covenant. She was the first to receive the divine prophecy of the Cross of Christ in Genesis 3:15. While it was true that Eve was the first to be deceived by Satan it is equally a fact that God used the lineage of Eve’s son Seth and the Mother Mary to bring into the world the Savior Jesus Christ to deliver us from sin. Being the first of one’s kind brings a distinction known to no other.

There are three names applied to the first woman. She is called “woman” because she is taken out of man. “Woman” is more of a generic designation than a name. Literally it means “Man-ess”. Both Eve and her husband are called “Adam”. Male and female He created them…and called their name Adam. (Genesis 5:2). Equal but separate partners were these “Adam.” Eve, the name given her by Adam after the fall, means “mother of all living.” She is the original life giver or mother of all who have life. Not only was she the seed of everyone in a physical sense, but it was through the woman’s seed that the Son of God would bring eternal life by His death on the cross.

Let’s explore the fact that Eve was the first woman created by God. That God did not give man dominion until man had a woman standing by him is evidence enough of her exalted place in the creation. God seeing the incompleteness of man wanted to find a helper suitable for him. God made a helper equal to him and who shared in the same processes of creation in which he shared. The word for man in Hebrew is “Ish” and the word for woman is “Ishshah” which means the other part of man. She is the one who responds and answers him.

Genesis 2:21-22 tells us that Eve was created by God out of the rib taken from the man. Eve was beautiful in form and figure. She alone can claim Paradise as her place of birth. Dr. Henry Matthew in describing Eve’s formation from the side of Adam states that “God didn’t take her from the head to be his superior, or from the foot to be his inferior, but He took her from his side to be equal with him, to be along with him.” God’s purpose in creating woman is to be the other half of man.

Genesis 2:18 asserts that “Then the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” The Hebrew word is “ezer” which means made of the same substance. Partner is a good definition. An “ezer” is an agent of equal or superior strength. God is the only other entity to whom the Old Testament applies this Word. Eve, then, was in mighty good company. Even though Adam had been created first and thus had leadership over the woman, God never intended for that to be construed that men were superior to women.

Verses 26-28 in Genesis Chapter One reveal God’s purpose in creating male and female. We are to have dominion over the earth and to be fruitful and multiply. God chose to manifest His aspect of creation through His agents here on earth. Women are uniquely gifted to be the life givers. We have equal authority over the earth and its creatures. Virginia Fugate states that “Woman was not an after thought of God. Her essence was created from the beginning as integral part of the species called mankind.”

Tomorrow we'll look at the fact that Eve was the first wife and mother and the first to be tempted by the devil.

Prayer and Fasting Part III

2011-11-30T05:50:00.003-06:00

For the modern Christian church the idea of fasting is foreign. We aren’t likely to hear many sermons on fasting nor are there many books written about the subject. But the lack of information doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t have meaning and purpose. Fasting is a concept developed by God, commanded by God in the Old Testament and practiced by Jesus in the New Testament. God doesn’t impose it upon His people.

It's not my heart to force anyone to do anything. To do so reminds me of a little girl who was getting ready for Sunday school class and was running a little behind time. “Lord, please get me to Sunday school on time” she prayed as she left the house in her freshly ironed dress. “Please don’t let me be late for Sunday school” she pleaded as she ran along the sidewalk. All of a sudden she stubbed her toe on a crack and tumbled down. “Lord, I asked that You please don’t let me be late. But you don’t have to shove me either.”

Sometimes we feel like God is shoving us. That’s not true. When we think it might please the Lord to fast, it should always be for His glory and our good. Remember though that Jesus said “when you fast” not “if you fast.” Paul, perhaps the most spiritually mature believer who ever lived, fasted for three days according to Acts 9:9 right after his Damascus Road experience. Obviously there are reasons for people to fast. What are they? What do I get out of it?

First, I must emphasize again that the motive must be right. We don’t fast for what we get out of it. We fast unto God before the eyes of the Father who sees in secret. Self-centeredness cloaked by piety won’t cut it. Fasting, like prayer, must originate in and with God in order to be effective. It is God who gives us the burden. Our responsibility is to choose to obey or not. In order for any of us to respond however, we have to admit to the rightness and need of fasting. God determines the length, the time, the nature and the spiritual objectives of the fast. We must gladly obey.

Perhaps one of the strongest advantages of fasting is to increase the humility so essential to personal holiness. We talked earlier about the deadliness of pride. Nothing kills pride as quickly or as surely as self-denial especially in relation to something as necessary as food. Doing without the basics of life humbles us and enhances our dependence upon God. I am a severe asthmatic with a bad back. I am never more humbled than when I realize that as the praise song says “Every breath I take I take in You and every move I make I make in You.”

Ezra 8:21 “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.” Isaiah 58:3 “Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice? Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers.”

The sequence of moving from humility to repentance is a natural one. Humbling oneself makes us aware of our deep sin. The major and minor prophets spoke often of the need for God’s people to repent. Israel fasted in the days of Samuel, and so did the returned exiles in the time of Nehemiah (I Samuel 7:6; Nehemiah 9:1,2). Ezekiel was given a vision of the judgment of God coming upon Jerusalem because of its abominations (Ezekiel 9:4-6).

It is my opinion that the modern church would do well to humble itself. We have become very haughty and self-centered. We need to lose sight of our puny selves and turn our eyes upon Jesus. God needs to break our hearts over our own personal sin, the sins of the church, the nation and the world. We have become hardened and lax in the confession and repentance of sin. Fasting helps immensely to foster our awareness of our missing the mark.

Fasting also enhances the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There is greater power to preach the truth and share the gospel, power to pursue holiness and power to overcome times of crises. Praying people are powerful people. How much increase in the Holy Spirit would we experience if we both fasted and prayed? Someone once said that you can tell how popular a church is by how many people attend on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular a pastor or evangelist is by how many people attend on Sunday nights. You can tell how popular Jesus is by how many attend the prayer meeting.

God has provided a dynamic for every believer through His Truth. Divine energy is available through the Holy Spirit. I have personally experienced power and grace in times of violent temptation. I know that I know that fasting has contributed to my victory. Fasting starves the carnal flesh and allows the mind and body to be freed to focus on matters of the spirit. What changes would be wrought in the church, the nation and the world if God’s people sought the renewal of the Holy Spirit in a time of fasting, prayer and repentance? Personally I think we could better attack the gates the hell. How many reservations in the pit could we cancel?

If through fasting we can overcome the body, what power may be released? Paul teaches in I Corinthians 9:25-27 “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it may slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

Fasting is also a valuable tool when seeking God’s guidance. God does still guide us and desires for us to know His will in matters. There are times when discerning what pleases Him may be hard. Fasting is a key that sometimes unlocks the door. Daniel Chapter 10 states that Daniel had been in mourning for three weeks and did not eat any tasty food, nor meat nor wine. A message had been revealed to Daniel and his fasting enabled him to understand the message and he had understood the vision. The apostles were used to seeking God’s guidance through fasting. Acts 13:1-3 “Now there were at Antioch in the church that was there, prophets and teachers….While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

We cannot assume that fasting is a guarantee of guidance. Those who fast put themselves in a position through which the Holy Spirit has greater access.
When our minds are not on the matters of preparation and planning for meals we are freer to focus on learning from God. Our minds are clearer, our Spirits are readied, our hearts are open and are ears are cleared to hear all the Holy Spirit reminds us in His Word.

Throughout the ages one of the greatest benefit of fasting is the power gained in spiritual warfare. Fasting does not bring bondage but rather deliverance. Isaiah 58:6 “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?” We know that Jesus fasted for 40 days before facing the temptation in the wilderness. That alone is enough evidence for me! Jesus fasted before engaging in conflict with Satan, shouldn’t we?

An increasingly large number of people are bound by habitual sin of all kinds. Cults, false religions, demonic doctrines and Satanism deceive multitudes. Our schools are war fields, our homes are barren, are churches are dead and our hearts are hurting. Worse still, there are Christians bound by fear, resentment, jealousy and uncleanness. These are indeed demon possessed times. What is the solution? Certainly prayer, worship, and repentance to the point of falling on our faces before God are all included in the answer.

God’s power is being unleashed upon the world in these last days before the return of His Son Jesus Christ. Demonic forces are not going to let go without a fight. Satan has thrown off the fetters and is waging all out war. So must we as Christians. We must employ every weapon available to us. Among those is the blessed and powerful discipline of spiritual fasting. I am not implying that fasting is ever a substitute for the Truth of God. Never is the Word of God and His truth to take a back seat.

The time is near for the Return of Christ. God has given us as His children all we need to be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. We are to be a people of His Word, of worship, of fellowship and of prayer. Let us not forget to add fasting to the arsenal of spiritual weaponry. I close with a poem called “They Fasted” by Arthur Wallis.

On Sinai’s mount, with radiant face,
To intercede for heaven’s grace
Upon a stubborn, wayward race,
He fasted.

Once lifted from the miry clay,
When opposition came his way
This soldier-king would often pray
With fasting.

A seer, possessed of vision keen,
Who told the troubled king his dream,
Had light on God’s prophetic scheme
Through fasting.

The prophetess in temple court
Beheld the Babe the two had brought;
For Him she long had prayed and sought,
With fasting.

He came to break the yoke of sin,
But ere His mission could begin
He met the foe and conquered him
With fasting.

“Set these apart,” the Spirit bade.
A spring, that soon vast rivers made,
Broke ope’ by men who as they prayed
Were fasting.

“So shall they fast when I am gone”;
Was this no word to act upon?
Ask countless saints who fought and won
With fasting.

When we shall stand on that great day
And give account, what shall we say,
If He should ask us, “Did you pray—
With fasting?”

Prayer and Fasting Part II

2011-11-29T06:11:00.002-06:00

Now we know a little about what fasting is and why we do it, what keeps us from it? What are the barriers to fasting? Perhaps the most obvious one is that which Jesus points to in Matthew 6:16-18 when He says don’t fast to be noticed by men. Don’t do it as a mere public ritual. The motive must be right and the heart toward God. If we fast only as a duty alone, not only does it lose its point, but also its power. Jesus made the same indictment against ritualistic prayer and almsgiving. God always examines the heart and motivation of the act and is never impressed with the act alone. I think ritualistic behavior is one of the main reasons unbelievers turn away from Christianity. They can spot a hypocrite at a hundred paces.

In order to avoid ritualistic fasting, do it privately, in secret and don’t put on a gloomy face. Go about business as usual. I love that fact that Esther was busy preparing a banquet during the three days she fasted. Now that’s what I call non-hypocritical. Only God could empower someone to fast while cooking. You aren’t doing it for show, but rather for a God ordained purpose. Don’t do it because it’s a rule in the church or because you might be more spiritual if you do. We are all familiar with the fact that Catholics didn’t eat meat on Fridays. It started out in the Catholic Church that no food was to be eaten until three o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday and Fridays. Soon the tradition was that Friday was fish day.

Another barrier to fasting these days is the history of asceticism associated with it. The Bible talks a great deal about self-denial and selflessness. Asceticism basically means a religious doctrine that one can reach a high spiritual state by rigorous self-discipline and self-denial. The Stoics were the best at it. They developed a very complicated system of disciplines to fight the flesh. For the Christian the power does not come in some form of self-denial or positive thinking but through sanctification by the Holy Spirit.

There are a number of dietary regimes that resemble fasting but are not. Starvation is not fasting. Neither is a hunger strike. Nor is any form of hunger pact when two or more people agree to abstain or to starve until some wish is granted or some goal obtained. The following story illustrates that fasting is not mere abstention from food.

The little old couple walked slowly into McDonald’s that cold winter evening. They looked out of place amidst the young families and young couples eating there that night. Some of the customers looked admiringly at them, thinking, “Look, there is a couple who has been in love most their lives, 60 years or more!” As the woman took a table near the back, the little old man walked right up to the cash register, placed his order with no hesitation, paid for their meal and carried the tray to the table….one hamburger, one order of French fries, and one drink. The little old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and cut it in half, then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles. He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them. As the man began to eat his few bites of hamburger the crowd began to get restless, now thinking, “That poor old couple. All they can afford is one meal for the two of them.”

As the man began to eat his French fries one young man stood and came over to the old couples’ table. He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple to eat. The old man replied that they were just fine—they were used to sharing everything. The young man noticed that the little old lady hadn’t eaten a bite, but was just occasionally taking her turn sipping the drink. Again, the young man offered to let him buy them something more to eat. That time the little old lady explained that no, they were used to sharing everything together. As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face with a napkin the young man could stand it no longer. He finally asked the little old lady “Ma’am, why aren’t you eating? You said that you share everything…what are you waiting for?” She looked at him sweetly and answered “The teeth.”

Ritual, asceticism and false fasts are three barriers to fasting. When we fast in order to dictate a direction of God’s will or to manipulate Him in anyway our fasting is based totally on selfishness. Fasting requires humility and God will not tolerate a proud heart. To fast piously is only to miss meals. God denounces selfish fasts in Zechariah 7:5 “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?” In other words, was it merely an external form of ritual or was your heart right toward Me? God is questioning the motive. We don’t jump through hoops to please Him. We love Him and therefore please Him. Jesus condemned selfish fasting again in Matthew 6: 16-18 when He said “They have their reward.” When the heart is right, the ritual is right, when the heart is wrong, nothing we do will work.

Two related barriers to true fasting are extremism and some form of emotional mania. A good thing taken to an extreme becomes bad. Some people fast to ridiculous lengths. Fanaticism is always a lurking danger in any Christian discipline. God blesses us with the communion of the Holy Spirit and when our hearts and heads are receptive He will guide us in all things. When we are in control and seeking some sort of emotional experience solely, we are in peril of allowing the enemy to come in and manipulate our emotions. Ecstasy is not the reason for a fast. Nor is it to relieve some form of emotional distress. Fasting is a sacred duty and privilege and is not to be undertaken under deceptive circumstances or for questionable purposes. Nowhere in scripture does it indicate that one is to fast in order to receive or experience some form of psychic bliss.

One other hindrance to a genuine fast involves spiritual pride. When we engage in any activity with the purpose of showing ourselves as superior to others, we are on shaky ground at best. In fact, I dare say we may be straddling the San Andreas Fault. God’s Word tells us clearly that He is resistant to the proud. James 4:6 “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before a destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Spiritual pride is far more common than most of us recognize. We can realize pride is around. We start to compare ourselves to others. Watch out. Pride is rearing its ugly head. Confess it right away. Avoid any form of it when you undertake to honor God by obeying His leading to fast.

We’ve looked at a few of the barriers to fasting. I want to reiterate that fasting is not commanded, but recommended in Scripture and practiced by the Lord Jesus Christ. There are some tremendous benefits to fasting. I want to end with those in a post tomorrow.

Prayer and Fasting

2011-11-27T16:34:00.004-06:00

We need to begin with a definition of what is fasting and some of the reasons why we do it. God never commands us to fast. He does command prayer and the study of His Word. We know however from the gospels that Jesus practiced fasting. Matthew 4:2 states “And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” Luke 4:2 also describes Christ’s temptation in the wilderness “for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.”

Jesus’ own words in Matthew 6 lead us to assume that fasting was a regular part of life for people in that time. Verses 16 to 18 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Note that twice Jesus said “when you fast” and not if you fast. It was assumed that people were fasting.

One of the reasons we fast is that Christ did so. If we were to ask the question “What would Jesus do?” The answer is He fasted. Some of the great Bible saints mentioned as fasting include Moses, David, Elijah and Daniel. In the New Testament we have seen that the Lord fasted as did His disciples. Nor did only the men fast. In the Old Testament Hannah and Esther fasted and Anna in the New Testament. Luke 2:36-37 “And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.” The list goes on and on.

Church history is replete with people who fasted. Among whom are the great Reformers such as Luther, Calvin and Knox. The list is heterogeneous. We find Jonathan Edwards, the Calvinist along with John Wesley, the Armenian and David Brainerd having fellowship with Charles Finney. The discipline crosses all denominational boundaries. Those who are serious in their walk with Christ find themselves adding fasting to their prayer life.

In the Old Testament public fastings were common. Some of the reasons for public fasting were to repent of transgression or to ward off calamity. I Samuel 7 relates how after twenty years the Israelites finally turned away from Baalim and Ashtaroth toward the one true God. Verse 6 “And they gathered in Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.” Queen Esther who risked her life by approaching her husband King Xerxes asked the Jews to fast for three days. Haman, the wicked prime-minister had decreed that the Jews were to be exterminated and the King signed the injunction. God used Esther to ward off the total annihilation of the Jewish race.

Another Old Testament reason for fasting was mourning over a death. I Samuel 31:13 tells us that the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead fasted for seven days after the deaths of Saul and his sons. David fasted and lay all night on the ground when his son with Bathsheba was sick and dying.

The Mosaic Law prescribed only one public occasion of strict fasting and that was on the great Day of Atonement. The Old Testament practice of the Jews was to observe various reasons of fasting. One primary purpose was to manifest a profound humbling of the soul before God in repentance and mortification on account of one’s sin; it was not unusual to put on sackcloth, tear the garments and scatter ashes over the head.

In the New Testament two primary reasons of fasts are listed. The first is alluded to in the Matthew 4:2 and Luke 4:2 references when Jesus fasted for 40 days prior to engaging in spiritual warfare with the devil. Acts 13:3 and 14:23 indicate that in calling or setting apart leaders or ordaining others to perform a specific mission for God fasting and prayer were involved.

Basically a fast is an age-old practice, common in many religions and involves the cessation of eating for an agreed time, but requires the drinking of water at least, unless extreme circumstances demand otherwise. God commanded fasting in Old Testament times but Jesus modeled it a spiritual duty to which believers sometimes would resort. The Christian is not commanded to fast but the Word encourages the discipline during those times when an inward powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit is needed.

There are a number of methods and varieties of fasts. The longer fasts in the Bible were observed for 40 days. The normal fasts lasted a single day to three days. Some times the participant went without food and water. Other times only a certain type of food was prohibited. As stated before the time and reasons for fasting differed. God will guide the Christian in the particulars of an individual private fast. The only necessary requirement is a pure and willing heart. The intent of Christian fasting is not to instill a new law or rule, but to be a source of intimate delight as one draws closer to God.

Prayer and Fasting An Introduction

2011-11-27T05:56:00.003-06:00

David R. Smith wrote a small book entitled “Fasting: A Neglected Discipline. I agree with his title. II Timothy 3:1 states “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.” In The Greek the term “difficult times” is translated in Matthew 8:28 as demon possessed. We are living in difficult demon-possessed times. Ephesians 6:2 encourages us to “Put on the armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

Three times in Chapter 6 we are exhorted to “stand firm.” In verses 14 to 18 Paul exhorts us to gird your loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness and shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Take up the shield of faith to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

No soldier in his right mind would leave for battle undressed. That’s why Paul chose the analogy of a fully suited Roman soldier. Not only do we need to don the defensive armor of truth, righteousness, faith, gospel of peace and salvation, we must also carry the two offensive weapons of prayer and the Word of God. It is true that fasting is not mentioned in these verses. But if we are in such violent and vile times as to be referred to as “demon possessed days”, we must make use of all the weapons God has provided in our arsenal. We are fools not to do so.

Fasting is important and in recent church history I fear we have lost the its impact. It saddens me that I have had numerous women throughout the years ask me what is fasting. I can remember thinking to myself what a tragedy that we no longer teach about fasting. It is true that fasting is not a major biblical teaching, nor is it a foundational doctrine of the faith, nor can it ever replace prayer or the study of God’s Word in importance. Fasting is not a cure all for all the ills of the world or the church. It does have purpose and can be very effective when done with pure motives and a right heart.

As we look more closely at what Scripture says about fasting I think we will realize that fasting cannot be easily separated from prayer. The two are presented together. As David R. Smith states “A praying Christian should fast sometimes, and a Christian who declares that he believes in fasting should be regular in his times of prayer. A Christian who fasts regularly, but hardly ever prays, is either in danger of becoming a fanatic, or else not a Christian—in the way that the Bible understands the meaning of the word.”

Prayer Assessment

2011-11-25T19:28:00.004-06:00

The other day I ran across a series of questions to assess your prayer life. I thought I might post them here today. Some of them are quite sobering. I think it wise that those of us who claim the name of Jesus Christ examine our lives to see how and where we may be better pleasing to the Lord. So in the name of further sanctification here's a list of questions upon which you may wish to reflect.

INTERCESSORY PRAYER
• What circumstances impel you to pray for others?
• Are you a person people ask to pray for them? Why or why not?
• Do you have at least one person with whom you pray?
• Give an example of a time when God answered your prayer on behalf of someone.
• What inhibits your prayer life? How can you overcome it?
• What motivates you most to be faithful in prayer?
• Where is your favorite place and time to pray?
• Do you really believe in the power of prayer and does your life reflect it?
• What other things in your life competes for your prayer time?
• Describe the relationship between prayer and God’s Word.
• Why do you pray?
• How do you react to unanswered prayer? Do you have current unanswered prayer?
• What is the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer?
• Who in your life is a model of a “prayer warrior?”
• Are you comfortable in praying with others? Alone?
• What specific concerns could we be praying for you now?
• What do you think it means to “pray without ceasing?”

Some time ago I read an article entitled “Empty Waving.” It told of a terrible accident in which several youth were killed when their car was struck by a train. At the trial the watchman was questioned: “Were you at the crossing the night of the accident?”

“Yes, your honor.”

“Were you waving your lantern to warn of the danger?

“Yes, your honor” the man told the judge.

But after the trial had ended, the watchman walked away mumbling to himself. “I’m glad they didn’t ask me about the light in the lantern, because the light had gone out.”

How many of us are waving empty lanterns in our prayer life? How many of us struggle to pray at all, let alone see God’s power manifest in answer to our prayers? How many of us neglect our prayer life out of frustration and emptiness? I pray that God will renew and restore us to be the blazing lantern He intends for us.

Prayer

2011-11-25T07:59:00.003-06:00

I had mentioned in earlier posts that in BSF this year we are studying the Book of Acts. Within a matter of a few weeks I czme under the conviction that it would please the Lord if I prayed more often and with a specific spiritual focus. I also believe it is a wise thing to encourage other Christians to pray more often for others but equally important WITH them. I was very grateful for the Thanksgiving Service at my church on Tuesday night when we did pray corporately. In light of my personal conviction about prayer I wanted to post some scriptures regarding prayer for your personal edification.

“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:14

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart.” Luke 18:1

“And all things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive.” Matthew 21:22

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

“Then the king said to me, What would you request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 2:4

“In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” Psalm 5:3

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty tings, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

“Call upon Me in your day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” Psalm 50:15

“You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:2-3

“In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” John 16:23

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving let your requests made known to God.” Philippians 4:6

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:19

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17

“And He said to them, ‘This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:29

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42

“”Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh weak.” Mark 14:38

“Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints.”

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. I John 5:14-15

“Trust in Him at all times, O people’ pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8

“Lord teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1

The Holy Spirit--The Longevity Test

2011-11-23T22:19:00.002-06:00

Once we test everything against the Word of God and then examine the fruit of it in our lives, the third step is to determine the long term consequences and impact. Matthew 6:33 teaches “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” We spend much of our time listening and following advice that helps us in the material realm. Watch any TV talk show or listen to the radio. We’re bombarded with expert advice on everything from raising children to raising chickens, from financial investments to future invasions, and from jobs to junk. I’m not saying that the matters of this world aren’t important; but eternity is a very long time. Wise people consider the eternal consequences of their choices.

It seemed wise for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day to accumulate wealth so that their future would be secure. But Jesus commanded “Do not worry about your life” He gave several reasons: 1) A person is more than his physical body. 2) He emphasized His Father’s care for all creatures and 3) No one even by wise planning for the future can extend life even for a single hour. Careful planning is not a sufficient substitute for faith.

I am not saying that we aren’t to take care of our bodies. I Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19 tell us that the believer’s body is the Temple of God. Nor am I saying we are to be morally irresponsible. God calls us to be good stewards of all He entrusts to us. But we are to focus on the eternal consequences. Some people are so wrapped up in their careers and money, they forget that you can’t take it with you. The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:19-20 not to store up earthly treasures, but heavenly ones.
Jesus’ life was focused on one thing—doing the will of His Father. As young as 12 years old Jesus was about His Father’s business.

In Luke 2:29 Jesus asks his parents who had been searching for Him: “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” It's interesting to not that the Greek translation could more aptly be rendered: “Didn’t you know I had to be about My Father?” Jesus was all about doing what His Father commanded. He lived only to bring His Father glory and to do His Father's will.

Are you “about your Father?” Not about your spouse, your home, your children, your job, even your church or your ministry as much as you are about your “Father?” Is the focus of your life the same as the focus of Christ? God is interested in our daily needs and we are told in Matthew 6:11 to pray about them. “Give us today our daily bread.”

In the parable of the prodigal son, God promises provision. In Luke 15:31 the father, who represents God, spoke to the elder son and said “Son, you have always been with me, and all this mine is yours.” I Corinthians 3:21-23 “So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to you.”

We need to model Jesus and focus on spiritual not temporal things. When Jesus had needs, big or small, He simply reached out and took hold of the Father’s provision. Did He need money to pay His taxes? Did He need a donkey on which to ride into Jerusalem? Does that mean we quit our jobs? No it doesn’t. Jesus worked as a carpenter to support Himself and His loved ones. But He realized that God was the ultimate provider of all things.

We must set our sights on the things that will last for eternity. When we boil it down, eternal things include God, His Word and people. Our homes, our bank accounts, our cars, our land, our clothes, and our cosmetics will all be destroyed when God creates the new heaven and new earth. No doubt He has blessed us immensely in the natural realm. There’s nothing wrong with that. The question God asks us at the judgment seat is not “How much stuff did you have?” but “Who do you say my Son is?” That pretty well clarifies our priorities doesn’t it?

What is important is that which lasts. Our lives build our legacy. There are innumerable forces today that communicate with us. To what will you listen? What will you heed? My prayer is that the Holy Spirit convict you to test the spirits. Compare everything to the litmus test of God’s Word. Scrutinize each lemon and lime to determine if the fruit is good or rotten. Finally, discern the long term, the eternal consequences of each action.

Roxanne Brant in her book “How to Test Prophecy, Preaching and Guidance” concludes “Test the spirits; prove all things and keep feeding on God’s Word, growing in the knowledge of God and growing in His grace as you walk in the light of His Word. Keep yourself in the love of God, awaiting Jesus’ return and remember that only God is able to make you surefooted and enable you to stand blameless and exultant in the Presence of His glory with might shouts of everlasting and jubilant, triumphant joy.

The Holy Spirit--The Lemon and Lime Test

2011-11-22T22:33:00.004-06:00

One Bible verse that the unbelieving world quotes often is Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” When Christians speak the truth, the world often answers with “Do not judge!” Even Christians respond that way. This passage isn’t about not judging. It’s about hypocrisy. Verse 5 says “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Jesus didn’t teach that judgments should never be made. We are to remove a speck from the eye of our brother. The Lord’s point was that a person shouldn’t be habitually critical or condemnatory of someone’s “speck” when we have a “log”. The principle is that sometimes judgment is needed but those making them must be certain of their own lives. We need other mature believers in our lives who can pray for us and share truth. They point out the specks in our eyes having cleaned out the logs in their own eyes. Jesus’ teaching is against hypocrisy, not Biblical accountability. The “lemon and lime” test means we are to critically discern what we see, think and hear and examine the “fruit” it brings.

In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus warns us against the teaching of false prophets. He tells us in verse 16 and verse 20 “You will know them by their fruits.” Basically Christ teaches that if something is of God, the fruit of it will be good, if it is of the evil one, the fruit of it will be bad.

False prophets dress in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. People can look good on the outside and appear to have everything under control. They can be in ministry with all the external trappings of success. They can be kind, benevolent and merciful outwardly, but their interior motives are destructive and deadly.

Some time ago there was a TV news station that documented the disastrous effects of a pyramid scheme that had recently swept the nation. Outwardly the scheme appeared innocent. Women invited their friends to “dinner parties”. Naive women came at the encouragement of trusted friends. The guests assumed their friends had their best financial interests at heart. Not true. The so called friends were looking out only for themselves. In order for them to get wealthy they had to recruit friends, coworkers and others to “invest” (and I use the term loosely) $5,000 in an illegal pyramid scheme. The devastation was obvious. Broken long standing friendships, legal entanglements and arrests, financial ruin and devastation. The problem? Nobody examined the “fruit” of these so called “dinner parties.”

I’ve mentioned Galatians 5:17-23 numerous times. Here Paul compares the deeds of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit. Flesh leads to immorality, strife, outbursts of anger, lust, jealousy, factions, envy and the like. Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. You must test everything regardless of the source. If the words produce discord, dissension, strife, jealousy, division and rebellion, watch out you are hearing the flesh and Satan talking. If the words of wisdom brings unity, love, peace and faith you are more likely listening to a servant of God.

Remember the first test is the Word of God. We must compare anything to the source of absolute Truth. Jesus said a good tree brings forth good fruit and a bad tree brings thistles and thorns. Good spiritual fruit won’t come from spiritually bankrupt lives. Jude 12 and 13 teach that wicked prophets are like clouds which drop no rain, driven before the winds, caring only for themselves and not others. They are like trees in harvest time which bear no fruit. They are useless and for all their fine promises, cannot perform. Their end is judgment.

This is not to say that God’s true servants won’t have trying times. They do. We still must compare their lives, works and words to the truth of God. We must judge the fruit and ask the Holy Spirit to confirm the truth for us. I am sure you’ve heard it before “We are called to be fruit inspectors.” You can’t trust blindly!

The Holy Spirit has given us His Word and the ability to understand it. Hebrews 5: 13 and 14 teach that if a person partakes only of spiritual milk is unaccustomed to the word of righteousness for he is but a mere babe spiritually. However, verse 15 avows: "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

Yesterday while doing some grocery shopping there was a discount rack in the corner of the produce section. The fruit had obviously been off the vine far too long. It was smelly, soft and nearly putrid. It was past time for the food to have been removed. Then I turned around to the bins of colorful, healthy and good fruit. What a marked contrast. The first disply would have likely made someone very sick, but the second could bring health. We are called to inspect the fruit not only of others' lives but our own. Do our lives manifest the good fruit of Jesus Christ or the putrid fruit of the flesh and the enemy?

The Holy Spirit--The Litmus Test

2011-11-21T20:29:00.003-06:00

Webster’s Dictionary defines a litmus test as involving litmus paper and a liquid. The paper is very absorbent and has been treated with a purple coloring matter obtained from various lichens. It’s used as an acid-base indicator in chemical analysis and the paper turns blue in bases and red in acids. The paper is dipped into the liquid and when pulled out either turns red or stays blue. It’s important to accurately determine the acidic level of a liquid. As we know excessive acid burns and causes great damage to anything it touches.

That’s true in the spiritual. The litmus paper is the Word of God. When we don’t know the Word of God and compare everything we hear or see to the principles found in it, we can get severely burned. I need not mention what happens to those who disregard it completely and die outside of Christ.

We must put all ministries, urges, circumstances, teaching or information to the acid test of truth just as a metallurgist tests his metals. First, we must thoroughly search the Word of God. Don’t believe everything you hear no matter how well known or charismatic the teacher. We must all become “Berean Christians.” In Acts 17:11 Paul describes the believers in Berea and the habit they had of thoroughly testing his teaching. “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

Do you “receive the Word with great eagerness?” Is reading and studying the Bible boring for you? Do you neglect it? Do you fall asleep during sermons or lectures? Are you interested in the things of God or does the world hold your attention? Are you more likely to watch “Survivor” on TV than to sit and read the Bible in order to “survive” these difficult days?

Do you “examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Monday night as I was driving I was listening to the radio. A woman who served as a Nazi in Germany when she was in her late teens and early twenties was giving her gripping testimony. I failed to get her name, but I will never forget her words. She talked about being brain washed. She said that no matter how ardently or passionately you believe something to be true, it can still be evil. What a practical principle is that. Hitler nearly ruled the world and destroyed the Jews based on evil but ardent beliefs.

Paul warned the Galatians about a “gospel contrary to what we have preached to you” in Galatians 1:8. Many people go to their graves having spent their entire lives believing a lie. You see, they and a myriad of others failed to examine the Scriptures daily. How about you? Are you in a consistent and steady study of God’s Word? During these last days, demonic doctrines abound and even true believers are being deceived. Don’t be among them. Dedicate yourselves to the love of God’s law. You wouldn’t starve yourself physically for days on end. Why would you starve yourself spiritually?

Second, you must examine the Truth. The source of Truth is God’s Word alone. Don’t spend a lot of time studying the counterfeits. The devil fosters enough lies that you could invest a lifetime and never hear them all. New age thinking, humanistic philosophy, parapsychology, cults and occults, eastern religions, “isms” of all kinds abound. Remember the litmus test is ‘IS IT SCRIPTURAL?”

Jesus said in John 17:17 “Your Word is truth.” Isaiah the Old Testament prophet declared in Chapter 8 verse 20 “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.” That means they have no light in them. And we know that Jesus is the light of the world. Why listen to lies? Why believe false doctrine? The Word of God, the Bible, is the only objective standard of Truth in the World today. EVERYTHING we encounter must be measured against the litmus paper of God’s Word.

We must examine THOROUGHLY. We must search the TRUTH. Finally we must remember TENDERNESS. God has done a great work in my heart to teach the Truth with love. Ephesians 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.” God is so tender toward us. We must be equally tender with others. Satan, the father of lies comes to kill, steal and destroy. We must speak truth to those around us. The truth brings eternal life in the hereafter and abundant spiritual life in the here and now.

The term speaking the truth in love literally means “truthing in love” which has the idea of maintaining truth in love in both speech and life. Does your life reflect the truth? Would those around you realize that you not only know Jesus Christ, but that you love Him? Do your words, actions, thoughts and habits show your heart? What an incredible blessing and privilege to be used by God to spread the good news!
The litmus test for us is the Word of God. The Bible is the very first place we go to determine if something is true. We must accept it is the absolute truth. We must examine it thoroughly and finally we must remember to be tender with it.

Heart of the Holy Spirit

2011-11-20T19:08:00.005-06:00

The fact we sin is a given. Take heart there is hope. Christ longs for us to come to Him and be forgiven. I John 1:9 promises: “If we confess our sins, He is faithfulness and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We need not fear Christ. Satan wants us distant from our Lord. He commands us to draw near. It need not be scary that Jesus sees us.

Jesus’ heart toward us is one of love and reconciliation. He loved us so much He died for us. Not many of us can name one other person who would give up his or her life for ours. I have a former friend whose sister was in kidney failure. My friend donated one of her own kidneys to her sister. Such a sacrifice was an incredible confirmation of her love. Would she have given her life for her sister? I don’t know.

I don’t have any children. Many of you do. Maybe you would give up your life for your child, but would you give up your child’s life for others? That’s what God did. He gave His only begotten Son for us that we might be reconciled to Him forever. Colossians 1:19-20. “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” God sent Christ the sinless God/man to come and die on our behalf that we might be reconciled to a Holy God if we confess our belief in Jesus.

There is another who sacrificed her Son. His mother Mary watched Him die a horrible death on the Cross. Mary, who like the rest of you mothers, bore the Son of God in her womb for nine months. She labored and delivered Him in the midst of a manger. She reared Him and taught Him. Then when He was 33 years old, she watched Him die on a cross. She loved Him enough to let Him die for millions of us who weren’t even born yet. That was the heart of God working through her. She sacrificed so that we would benefit.

Are you willing to make sacrifices for others? Are you willing to give of your time and resources so that others may benefit? When the elderly neighbor needs a ride to the store, do you go? When your friend is sick, do you take her kids for the afternoon or cook her dinner? When children need a teacher for Sunday School or someone to be in the nursery do you volunteer? Our lives are to be a holy sacrifice to God.

I recently studied the feeding of the 5000. Jesus had spent the day ministering to the needs of others. He heard just heard of the beheading of his cousin the beloved John the Baptist. The crowds swarmed needy and demanding. I’m sure He was tired, hungry, and hurting. But He set His own needs aside and fed them. He used the event to teach His disciples to do the same. Matthew 14:14 explains “When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.” He felt compassion for them. That is the heart of God toward us.

I want to end with Charles Spurgeon again. Jude 24 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.”

Resolve in your mind that wondrous word, "faultless!" We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in His work of love, we shall reach it one day. The Savior who will keep His people to the end, will also present them at last to Himself, as “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish.” All the jewels in the Savior’s crown are of the first water and without a single flaw.

All the maids of honor who attend the Lamb’s wife are pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in His own blood until we are white and fair as God’s purest angel; and we shall be clothed in His righteousness; that righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively faultless; yea, perfect in the sight of God. We shall be unblameable and unreproveable even His eyes. His law will not only have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin.

Judgment, memory, will-every power and passion shall be emancipated from the grip of evil. We shall be holy even as God is holy, and in His presence we shall dwell for ever. Saints will not be out of place of heaven, their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them."

That is God’s heart toward us.

The Holy Spirit--Sins that Grieve Him

2011-11-19T21:24:00.005-06:00

Sin hurts the Holy Spirit and it separates us from Him. Like any other person distance in a relationship causes pain. The Spirit is fully capable of emotion. Ephesians 4:30 says “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” Hebrews 10:29 teaches that anyone who has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified has insulted the Spirit of God’s grace. We insult the Holy Spirit when we sin.

What sins grieve Him? Any and all sin grieves the Spirit of the Lord. Tucked in Ephesians 4:30 passage about not grieving the Holy Spirit is mentioned specific sins most having to do with the tongue. Verse 29 states “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Oh how important is this! People speak evil to one another. Harsh condemning words depress and discourage sometimes even destroy a life. Oft times parents and others are repeating what they themselves were told. “You won’t amount to anything! No one will ever want you!” On and on wounding words, painful darts, penetrate the heart. The result is a defeated and deeply wounded person who struggles in many major areas of life.

Are your words encouraging? Do they build up others or tear them down? Have you spoken evil against another? Does what you say lead others to Christ or drive them from Him? How do you talk to your husband, your children, your friend? Our speech should communicate encouragement to others. Our speech must be on a higher plane than that of the world. We can have fun and enjoy life but we must refrain from filthiness, silly talk and coarse jesting according to Ephesians 5:4. Humor has its place but our humor should not be dirty or filthy. God loves laughter. His Word tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that “A cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine.” But when it is at the expense of God’s character, another’s character or our own character, the medicine becomes a poison. A very wise person said, “We must never compromise holiness for the sake of humor.”

Verse 31 of the same passage tells us to put aside all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander along with all malice. Why? Because sin hampers the Spirit’s working in our lives and affecting others for evil. Another MAJOR tool of the enemy and the flesh is bitterness. Many wasted lives result from unforgiveness. Often people speak from bitterness. When they do it crushes those around them. How this grieves the Holy Spirit!

Acts Chapter Five describes yet another sin against the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira lied. They sold a piece of property and kept back some for their own. Verse 3 Peter confronts them “Ananias, why has Satan filled you heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?” Verse 4 “You have not lied to men but to God.” Ananias died. His wife came in three hours later and lied also. She died. God takes lying very seriously. Gratefully we don’t drop dead when we lie, but I highly recommend we avoid it. Each time we lie, a small part of our holiness is compromised.

I Thessalonians 5:19 “Do not quench the Holy Spirit.” In verses 16-22 Paul teaches us how not to do that. First, we are to rejoice always. We need to worship and praise God. Second, we are to pray without ceasing. A prayer-less life is a powerless life. Third, in everything we are to give thanks. A life of gratitude pleases God. Fourth, we are not to despise prophetic utterances. Do not be indifferent to the Word of God and those who teach it. Fifth, examine everything carefully; hold fast to the good and abstain evil. We must guard our hearts above all else and filter everything that comes into our minds. In these latter days the world inundates with filth and evil. Turn away from it. Cling to what is good.

We as Christians must stand for morality in a godless age. A few weeks ago a good friend and I were talking about her taking a radical stance for Christ. She knew what was right but she struggled. Finally she said “Wendy if I do that I’ll be a freak. People will think I’m nuts.” I didn’t hesitate. “Yes you will be a freak” I told her. “But at least you’ll be a ‘Jesus freak.” I invite you to join her. Become a “Jesus freak” if you aren’t one. I don’t mean be an offense in a negative way. I do mean be so sold out to God that you are willing to sacrifice yourself to be known publicly as belonging to Him.

The Holy Spirit is a person. Sin inhibits His presence, power and performance in our lives. I ask you to invite Him to search your heart and allow Him to reveal anything that keeps you distant. When He does reveal sin confess it and turn away. Don’t argue, don’t rationalize, don’t excuse—confess and turn away. Only then will you experience the full peace, love, and joy that He comes to give us.

The Holy Spirit--Unholiness is Sin

2011-11-19T06:43:00.004-06:00

II Peter 1:4 “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” God intends for us to become partakers of His nature. If there is one aspect to God that sets Him apart from mankind, I believe it is His holiness. In fact, it is the HOLY Spirit we are studying.

Merrill Unger defines holiness as a “separation” or a “setting apart” and is a general term to indicate sanctity or separation from all that is sinful, or impure, or morally imperfect; moral wholeness. The term is used with reference to persons, places or things. In relation to God holiness is on the one hand, entire freedom from moral evil and upon the other, absolute moral perfection. I Samuel 2:2 “There is none holy as the Lord” and Revelation 15:4 “Thou only art holy.”

The New Compact Bible Dictionary defines sin as “anything in the creature which does not express, or which is contrary to, the holy character of the Creator.” It goes on to explain that Adam and Eve were created with a holy, godly nature in fellowship with God; as a result of their sin their nature became corrupt; they became hostile to God and guilty before Him; and they involved the whole human race in their corruption and guilt. The essence of sin is living independently of God. The solution to the problem of sin is found in Christ, in the redemption provided by Him.”

Sin taints everything. It brings death and destruction. James 1:14-15 describes what I like to call the sin cycle. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” Lust, sin and ultimately death is the vicious cycle. Lust that knows no master.

There is an analogy in the physical realm. It’s a bit graphic and I apologize to you animal lovers. But it describes the unrelenting pull of lust and the consequences of sin. In Alaska when the natives want to kill wolves, they take a razor sharp knife and stick it into the frozen ground where wolves have been spotted. Then they drip warm blood over the knife and let it freeze. They continue the process until a heavy chunk of frozen blood hangs tenaciously to the knife underneath and covers it completely. Then the Alaskans leave. The wolves come and ravenously lick the blood. They continue their gorging down to the knife which kills them. Such is the sin nature of people. What stops us from dying is the interceding grace of God through the Holy Spirit. He convicts us of our sin, leads us to the blood of Christ. Then He works Christ’s holiness in us.

I Peter 1:16 states: "Because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” Our hope in Christ and our new birth should lead to a lifestyle of holiness. Those chosen for new birth are also called to be holy. In the verses just prior Peter exhorted his readers to prepare to meet the challenge of obedience by adopting a new mind set. The price of redemption calls for reverence and obedience. Obedience involves purifying ourselves and practicing holy living.

In short, Peter says to 1) prepare our minds for action. Remember the battlefield is in the mind. We must fight to be holy. 2) Be self controlled. This means to be free from every form of mental or spiritual excess. 3) Set your hope. Fix and determine your actions and thoughts upon Christ alone. 4) Do not conform to evil desires. Our inner life is reflected in our outer walk. Holiness in the spirit reflects holiness in our actions. Though absolute holiness is not possible in this life, all areas of our lives should be in the process of conformity to Christ. 5) Be holy. Christ paid a tremendous price for those who believe to enter into relationship with a holy high God. Holy living is motivated by a God fearing faith which does not take lightly what was purchased at so great a cost.

The Holy Spirit is the key agent in our holiness. He leads us into God’s will and He instructs us in the Word of God. His presence in the believer will sustain, empower, and keep the Christian. The Spirit will preserve the mind, soul, body and spirit of the believer. He cleanses us from sin. He longs to shower God’s love upon us and within our hearts so His love overflows out of us up to God and over into other lives. The Spirit heals, transforms, revitalizes and sanctifies our human emotions. He renews our minds. He changes our hearts.

A hymn Take Time to Be Holy describes the process and result of holiness:
"Take time to be holy, speak oft with the Lord. Abide in Him always and feed on His Word. Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak. Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. Take time to be holy. The world rushes on. Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone. By looking to Jesus like Him thou shalt be. Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see. Take time to be holy let Him by thy guide. And run not before Him whatever betide. In joy or in sorrow still follow Thy Lord. And looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word. Take time to be holy be calm in thy soul. Each thought and each motive beneath His control. Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love. Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above"

The Holy Spirit--Sins Against Him

2011-11-17T21:47:00.005-06:00

I want to share with you a devotional by Charles Spurgeon. It’s based on Nehemiah 9:20 which says “You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, And You gave them water for their thirst.”

He gave us “Thy good Spirit.” Common, too common, is the sin of forgetting the Holy Spirit. This is folly and ingratitude. He deserves well at our hands, for He is good, supremely good. As God, He is good essentially. He shares in the threefold ascription of Holy, holy, holy which ascends to the Triune Jehovah. Unmixed purity and truth, and grace is He.

He is good benevolently, tenderly bearing with our waywardness, striving with our rebellious wills; quickening us from our death in sin, and then training us for the skies as a loving nurse fosters her child. How generous, forgiving and tender is this patient Spirit of God. He is good operatively.

All His works are good in the most eminent degree: He suggests good thoughts, prompts good actions, reveals good truths, applies good promises, assists in good attainments, and leads to good results. There is no spiritual good in all the world of which He is not the author and the sustainer, and heaven itself will owe the perfect character of its redeemed inhabitants to His work. He is good officially, whether as Comforter, Instructor, Guide, Sanctifier, Quickener, or Intercessor, He fulfills His office well, and each work is fraught with the highest good to the church of God.

They who yield to His influences become good, they who obey His impulses do good, they who live under His power receive good. Let us then act towards so good a person according to the dictates of gratitude. Let us revere His person, and adore Him as God over all, blessed for ever; let us own His power, and our need of Him by waiting upon Him in all our holy enterprises; let us hourly seek His aid, and never grieve Him; and let us speak to His praise whenever the occasion occurs. The church will never prosper until more reverently it believes in the Holy Ghost. He is so good and kind, that it is sad indeed that He should be grieved by slights and negligences.

” Spurgeon says it well. May we never neglect or slight the Holy Spirit.

Satan’s motive toward people, especially the believer, is wasted lives, destroyed witnesses, stolen blessings and ultimate destruction. He uses lies and sin to accomplish his evil works. He is subtle and scheming. His hand is evident. But he is defeated. Satan is against us. God is for us. Satan’s ways lead to death. God’s ways lead to life. Satan fosters deception. God fosters truth. Satan brings bondage. God brings freedom. Satan’s fruit is anger, anxiety and angst. God’s fruit is life, liberty and love. Satan encourages towards sin and rebellion. God encourages us toward obedience and surrender. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Chemists have developed “a hardness scale” to rank certain elements, metals and materials found in the natural realm. The scale is from one to ten. Talc, the element found in talcum powder is considered a one. Chalk is a two. Steel is a 7.5. Can you guess what is a ten? In the natural it is a diamond. In the supernatural it’s a human heart so hardened as to reject the free offer of grace from God through Jesus Christ.

Sin is serious business. Praise God for sending the Holy Spirit for it is He who currently restrains sin in the world. Believe it or not things could be much worse. Sometime ago I read that there were 43 murders every day in New York City. I’m sure that statistic shocks most folks. But the reality is that if it weren’t for the Holy Spirit’s presence here and His restraining influence upon the world, the 43 murders would be 43,000. We find it difficult to wrap our brains around the fact that we are sinners apart from grace. We are depraved human beings and as I John 2:7-10 describes us as either children of God or children of the devil. Verses 9-10 “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin; because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

The Holy Spirit--The Peacemaker

2011-11-17T06:19:00.003-06:00

The Holy Spirit gives us protection from death, denial and dread of evil. He brings power in our lives to minister, maintain and manifest Christ to others. He also brings us peace--peace of mind, peace in the midst of trials and peace with God.

Change is hard for me. Statistics show that these days are filled with it. Change moves me out of my “comfort” zone. I love the term COMFORT zone. I much prefer to be in control of my life, thank you very much. I particularly hate it when change is alongside disappointment or adversity. My fleshly response is anxiety. I hate anxiety. I’d rather eat beets than have a panic attack. Panic paralyzes. It also threatens my sense of spiritual balance and drives us to do foolish things like overreact, overeat and over everything.

The opposite of panic is peace. Peace comes from the Holy Spirit and is foremost among His fruit. His peace is a steadfast reminder that God is in control of all things. Our minds control our thoughts which rule our emotions. Isaiah 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in You.” The peace that the Holy Spirit gives is not dependent on circumstances. At times it’s a peace in spite of them.

The enemy’s greatest battleground is our mind. Spiritual defeat or victory travels at the speed of a thought. II Corinthians 10:5 commands us to take every thought captive to Christ. The Holy Spirit brings peace of mind, but also peace in the midst of trials.

Peter Marshall tells a story that describes peace better than I ever could. “At one time a famous artists’ association announced a contest. All pictures entered in the competition were to depict “peace.” The winner would receive a large sum of money. Paintings of all sorts were submitted. There were serene pastoral scenes; placid lakes; an intimate cottage scene, cheerful and snug before a cozy fireplace; untrammeled vistas of freshly fallen snow; a painting of a tranquil, windless dawn in muted opalescent colors.

But the painting selected by the judges for the first prize was very different from all the others. It depicted the height of a raging storm. Trees bent low under lashing wind and driving rain. Lightening zigzagged across a lowering, threatening sky. In the center of the fury the artist had painted a bird’s nest in the crotch of a gigantic tree. There a mother bird spread her wings over her little brood, waiting serene and unruffled until the storm would pass. The painting was entitled very simply “Peace.”

Ever feel in the middle of the bird’s nest? Remember that Christ who calmed the storms of the sea can calm every other kind of storm. Matthew Chapter 18 tells us that the disciples fretted and stewed as the winds and water raged, Jesus was asleep in the boat. Why? Because He knew the Father was in control of everything. Are you worried? Is your boat tossing to and fro? Are your winds and water raging? Jesus was still Master even if He were asleep. God the Father never sleeps. The Holy Spirit is the balm of calm.

After His resurrection Jesus appeared many times to His disciples. He often spoke these words as He stepped into their presence. “Peace be with you.” Not only are we empowered by the Holy Spirit with peace of mind and peace in the midst of trials; but most importantly we have peace with God. Jesus died that we might be reconciled to God the Father. Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We don’t have to pay a price, Christ paid it all.

It is the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Christ. Satan’s work is the opposite. He accuses us that our sins are too great and our faith is too small. If we are to overcome Satan and experience the peace with have God, it must be through the Holy Spirit’s ministry. He explains the reality of Christ’s work on the cross and forces our focus there. The hymn rightly teaches:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

The Holy Spirit convicts of our need for a Savior and He encourages our daily dependence upon Him. We can’t come to Christ without the work of the Holy Spirit and we can’t live the Christian life with Him either. Regardless of how you look at it, it’s about Him not us. The power to live a victorious life originates in the heart of God but flows to the heart of the believer through the Holy Spirit. We can overcome the flesh, the world system and the enemy. Praise the Lord we aren’t left as orphans. Christ promised The Helper and He is here. And He is here with His power, His protection and His peace.

The Holy Spirit--The Encourager

2011-11-16T06:18:00.002-06:00

Much mention is made in the Book of Acts about the power of the Holy Spirit. He came in order to enable believers to minister, maintain and manifest the love of Christ to a lost and dying world. There is much evil in the world today. We grow weary of the bad news. While Satan is powerful and Scripture calls him the god of this world, the Holy Spirit remains sovereign over all.

Acts 1:8 states “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” What is amazing is that God calls people then and now who are weak, weary, and sometimes even weird and He makes them trophies of grace. He empowers them to minister to others. This past week has been hard but I am so grateful for the men and women the Lord has raised up to come alongside and encouarge. We truly need one another. The Spirit makes us one unified whole and to speak truth into one another's lives is greatly encouraging. We need to hear truth often.

Once we get saved we are called into ministry. If that weren’t true, God would take us home as soon as we confessed Christ. God leaves us here to be Christ to the world. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts and fruit so we can serve others—believer and unbeliever alike. All true Christians have the Spirit and thus His power to minister in us. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”Believers are God’s workmanship in whom and through whom He performs good works.

Not only are we empowered to minister but also to maintain. We can grow weary in ministry even if we don’t get weary OF it. Galatians 6:9 “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” We may have problems and difficulties but the Holy Spirit comforts, encourages and edifies us to keep going. That’s not to say we shouldn’t rest. We shouldn’t work ourselves into the ground. God doesn’t need any Holy Spirit juniors. The Senior Sovereign can handle everything just fine thanks.

Christians may become discouraged with spiritual good works because the harvest is often long in coming. In the face of this reality Paul charged the church not to give up because the harvest is sure. The reaping will come in God’s proper time, which may be only in part in this life and in full in the life to come at the judgment seat of Christ. Ray Boltz’ song, “Thank You for Giving to the Lord” talks about people who poured out their lives serving others. They didn’t see the results until heaven. My favorite line is Thank you for giving to the Lord, mine was a life that was changed.” Are you weary? Don’t give up. God will reap a harvest.

The Holy Spirit gives us power to minister, to maintain and finally to manifest. We are called to be like Christ and to be His witnesses. Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Verse 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” We are to witness of Christ’s character and His cross.

I want to share with you a story entitled “It’s Only A Quarter.” Several years ago a preacher moved to Houston, TX. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought “Oh, forget it, it’s only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company already gets too much fare; they’d never miss it. Accept as a gift from God and keep quiet.”

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then handed the quarter to the driver and said “Here, you gave me too much change.” The driver with a smile replied, “Aren’t you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do, if I give you too much change.” When the preacher stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, and held on and said “O God, I almost sold Your Son for a quarter!” Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.

Christians are ambassadors for the Lord. We are His emissaries here in a foreign land. Heaven not earth is our home. II Corinthians 2:15 says we are to manifest the aroma of Christ to God among those who are saved and those who are perishing.
May we be encouraged BY the Holy Spirit and encourage others relying ON Him.

The Holy Spirit--The Protector

2011-11-15T06:26:00.003-06:00

Psalm 68:20-21 “God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death. Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, the hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.” The Holy Spirit protects us. Without Him we commit spiritual suicide. The first thing He protects us from us death. In the Psalm David praised the Lord God who bears believers’ burdens and saves them from death. We, who are in Christ, are delivered from death.

In Jesus we are given eternal life. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” One of the basic fears known to mankind is the fear of death. Christians need not fear it. We can embrace it for we know that we shall dwell with the merciful, good and loving heavenly Father for all of eternity. We are all going to die some day. The harsh reality is that unless the Lord tarries we are all going to die. Jesus has removed the sting of death for every one who trusts in Him. The Holy Spirit seals us until the day of redemption. We are secure in that sealing.

Not only does He protect us from death, He also protects us from denial. The Holy Spirit is the illuminator of God's Word. He teaches us the truth and applies it to our lives. The Spirit uses the Word of God to sanctify us and make us more like Christ. He transform us by the renewal of our minds. He washes us by the regeneration and renewl of the Holy Spirit. I John 2: 27-28: "As for you, the anointing which you receive from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught, you abide in Him. Now, little chidlren, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming."

Satan is the deceiver. His goal is to oppose God’s will. He wants us to believe that good is bad, bad good, heaven is hell and hell heaven among other things. The Holy Spirit is the One who provides the focus for seeing ourselves and our world. He is the Great Physician and in this case He’s an opthamologist. I’ve had radial kerotomy surgery twice on each eye. I have 16 spokes on each cornea. However, I was so blind that even surgery didn’t totally correct my vision. I still need glasses to see 20/20.

The same process occurs in the spiritual realm. We are born as depraved sinful creatures. We belong to the Father of lies. When the Holy Spirit comes and converts our hearts, we confess Christ and believe in Him. The Great Physician then slowly begins to correct the distortions we have believed. He leads us into the ways of Truth. Christ is that Truth. John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. Someday according to I John 3:2 we will see perfectly. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will SEE Him just as He is.” The Holy Spirit sees in you and me what He will make out of us. I’m thankful God is not through with me yet. I’m kind of glad He’s not through with you yet either!

The Holy Spirit protects us from death, denial and finally from the dread of evil. Proverbs 1:33 “But he who listens to Me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” Are you weary of evil? Does it seem like Satan is winning sometimes? Ready to throw in the towel? Don’t! The Holy Spirit guards you. We need not fear evil.

Praise be to God, I don’t have to dread evil. I used to be terrified of the enemy; not anymore. Psalm 37 is replete with references to the end of the wicked versus the end of the righteous. Some of what God says about the wicked amd the righteous is that the Lord cuts off the evildoer. The wicked perish; they vanish like smoke. They will be no more and soon cut down. The Lord laughs at the evil person for his day is coming. The sword enters their own heart and their bows along with their arms are broken. God protects the righteous. They will inherit the land. They live eternally and delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Though a believer may fall he won’t be utterly cast down. The saints of God won’t be forsaken nor will his descendants have to beg bread. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

The Holy Spirit protects. He guards our hearts, minds and bodies. He protects us from death, denial and the dread of evil. He does a lot more for us. He gives us Holy Spirit power.

The Holy Spirit--The Conqueror

2011-11-14T06:09:00.003-06:00

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” For those of you who have no struggles or conflicts, whose life is one of ease and comfort, whose kids and husband are perfect, who are financially secure, emotionally and physically healthy and mentally stable you can stop reading. The rest of us need to continue. The Bible has a lot of negative things to say about our ability to do anything for God. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the Word has a lot to say about God’s ability through the Holy Spirit to do really great things through weak and sinful people.

When Jesus was speaking to His disciples in the Upper Room He promised them they would feel weak and powerless. He also said He would never leave them nor forsake them. John 14:12 “Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than then he will do, because I go to My Father.”

I was talking to a lady a few days ago who had known Christ two years. She was lamenting the difficult struggles she currently faced and how hard it was to be a believer. She told me that she had lost friends and her family was angry with her. She lives on the edge of failure and she wanted to give up. I asked her if she would rather not have know Him? “Oh no,” she replied, smiling at the thought of Jesus, “Now I think of it, He is worth it all.” It’s not an easy path, but Jesus makes it worth it all. Not only is Jesus Christ worth it all He is our all in all.

What folly to quench the conquering Spirit of Christ. We can succeed in the world. We can serve mammon. We can gather the world’s riches. We can become an intellectual giant. What a tragedy it is to reject Jesus as the Son of God. He is God. Christ is far far more than a good person. He is God who came to die for those who believe. Dr. Sproul states that the miracle is that God saved us from Himself. We can gain the whole world yet have nothing. “What profit a man who gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Mark 8:36.

The Holy Spirit lives in us to enable us to overcome. Paul relied fully on the Spirit. It amazes me to see how many times Paul prayed for boldness to preach. Paul was a spiritual giant whose power came from God. I Corinthians 2:3-5 “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that you faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

Living the victorious has nothing to do with health and wealth but everything to do with pleasing God. II Corinthians 5: 9: “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to the Lord.” We can face every opposition, trial and the greatest of suffering in a way that pleases the Lord. When we come to the back side of a tragedy, we give Him the glory for seeing us through. Overcoming faith survives the onslaught and praises the Lord throughout it.

The overcoming power of the Holy Spirit causes us to love people you didn’t think you could or when you didn’t think you could do so. It means to know it wasn’t you but Him in you. It’s facing the fears and at times “doing it afraid.” Sometimes the victorious Christian life is just getting out of bed period. It’s a deep down awareness that God has intersected our life with a joy and freedom that isn’t rational or explainable without reference to Him. It’s not missing Him, but knowing Him.

The Holy Spirit conquers our flesh and our enemy. God didn’t promise we wouldn’t struggle. We can know some things in the midst of battle. We have the Holy Spirit and we can pray to our Father in Heaven, asking what we want and receiving what we need. We can seek the Word of God and the Spirit will convict, teach, reprove and comfort. We can receive power to minister in those areas and to those people He puts in our path. We can gradually overcome our fears, our doubts and our sins; and be the type of believers God intended. We can be freed from addiction, bad relationships, harmful pasts, destructive behaviors and walk in grace and liberty.

We can know beyond a doubt we belong to God and that our future destiny is assured. The wonderful thing is that we don’t have to do anything to get the Holy Spirit to come along. There isn’t a system to follow, a book to read, a principle to put in place. We don’t have to muster up more faith, more love, more forgiveness or more godliness. The Holy Spirit is who He is. His job description as written by the Father is to come along Christians who struggle with the flesh yet do what is necessary to get them home holy and blameless. He is the conqueror.

There is a portion of stanza from an old hymn that "Juanie" one of the widows I visit quotes often. It was written by Horatio Plammer and the hymn is titled "Yield Not to Temptation" The first stanza in full is:

Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each victory will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.

Personal Update--Conviction About Prayerlessness

2011-11-13T14:57:00.004-06:00

I know my few readers were expecting another post on the Holy Spirit. I plan to do that again tomorrow. In BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) we are studying the Book of Acts. So far I've been deeply convicted about two things: my own prayerlessness and lack of a bold witness for the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. This past week I have been quite burdened for some friends and fellow believers who are facing some dire situations. The Scripture commands us to pray for others. Let us labor for the spiritual well being of others this day and in the days to follow. It's so easy to say a few quick words on our way out the door. Someone once said that prayer is the hardest work of all.

I don't know who or what the Lord has brought near you. I'm not sure who reads the blog and who God has laid on your own heart. I am convicted that we need to pray more and talk less about our circumstances and those of others. In I Thessalonians 5:17 it says to "pray without ceasing". Luke 18:1: "Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." Ephesians 6:18: "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverence and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with bodlness the mystery of the gospel."

May we spend some time this very day interceding for others. May we boldly approach the throne of grace and ask the Father to do mighty and wondrous things in the hearts of others and our own hearts as well. May we fully embrace the sacred privilege we have to converse with the Heavenly Father through His Son. May we take our sacred charge seriously and boldly present the Gospel to others and to preach it to our hearts too. I'll pick up tomorrow with the posts about the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit--The Communicator

2011-11-12T06:24:00.003-06:00

We know that the Holy Spirit teaches us the truth. John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” It is the Spirit who helps us to identify the truth of God that the world doesn’t recognize. Through the Spirit’s abiding we can understand God’s will and His ways. The world can’t do that. They are lost and confused. Believers are enlightened and illuminated. Without a radio, radio waves go undetected. The Holy Spirit goes undetected by the unbeliever. He fine tunes the Word of God for the believer and allows us to hear God.

Second, the Holy Spirit works in prayer. Romans 8:26 tells us that the Spirit intercedes for us when we do not know how to pray as we should. Acts 4:31 tells us what happens when we pray. “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 13:1-5 tells us how the prophets and teachers were ministering in Antioch. The Holy Spirit said “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then when they had fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went…” The Holy Spirit is vital to the communication between us and God in prayer.

Another means God works is through the church. Romans 12:5 says “We are members of one body we belong to one another.” It is simply impossible for a person to be sanctified outside the workings of the church body. The number of "one anothers" given in the Bible is alone sufficient for us to realize God works holiness and Christ likeness in us as we interact with others. Those who believe it's "Jesus and I" are simply self deceived. Godly counsel, Christian compassion, family fellowship and are few of the major means the Spirit works through a local body. Isolation results in disaster.

A number of years ago I watched a TV program about conjoined twins who had been adopted. The parents decided to surgically separate the twins. The show chronicled the process. What amazed me was the emotional impact of the separation upon the two girls. Obviously there were tremendous physical battles to overcome. The interesting point to me was the psychological adjustment. The twins struggled to relate to one another. They were lost without the intimate physical attachment. They had been one body and now were two.

I wonder if God doesn’t see His Body of believers as conjoined spiritually. Webster defines the term meaning “to join together, unite, combine.” God intends for us to be in deep intimate fellowship with Him and one another. Acts 2:41-42 explains what will happen when we are so closely linked. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and man wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” Oh to keep feeling a sense of awe at the works of God! Don’t you long for that? I do. In order for it to occur, we must allow the Holy Spirit to bond us in unity and preserve the fellowship continually.

Finally God works through circumstances. We are studying the Book of Esther at my church and God's providence through seemingly coincidences is overwhelming. God is abjectly sovereign over the events of man. He is fully in control of redemptive history. We are not mere robots in his hands but He superintends over all that happens. All of it. The Holy Spirit is the Person actively regenerating, convicting, consoling, comforting, guiding and causing all things to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Don’t be deceived by your circumstances and fail to consult God’s Word about them. Always test your life against the written and revealed Word. I’ve known people, and have even done it myself, who will justify all kinds of sin and unwise choices assuming God was guiding when He wasn’t. It’s the Holy Spirit who enlightens the mind, awakes the heart and frees the soul.We read the Spirit-inspired Word. We wait, pray and trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we walk by the Spirit and not the flesh.