Month: May 2023

“that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬. This was part of the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the believers at Colosse. But more important, it is the desire of Jesus for all of God’s children. This is His Word to His church. ‘That you might walk worthy’ means that you live as a Christian should. This includes living to please God in all things which causes our lives to be spiritually fruitful. Paul did not have the idea as most modern religious people do, that they would live to please themselves and somehow God would overlook their selfishness. Rather, he clearly understood and taught that the true Christian life is one of seeking to please God in all that we do. This is one of the things that separates true Christianity from the false form of religion that so many have today. A true Christian desires and seeks to please God in all things. There is no division in our lives between the secular and sacred. All of life is sacred to God’s children. We seek to please God as much in the home or on the job as we do in the church. This is because in the New Birth we have been granted a new nature. Now we have a God given, inward desire to please the Father in all things. Let us be those whose live always to please God!

“And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Hebrews‬ ‭6:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬. This verse is talking about Abraham and the many years he waited for God’s promise to be fulfilled in his life. It says he ‘patiently endured’. Most of us know that waiting for what we desire and expect is not easy. We have been programmed by a ‘hurry up’ mentality and ‘instant gratification’ attitude that greatly hinders the patient endurance which is so necessary as a part of genuine faith in God. But the reason that Abraham could endure is because he was convinced God’s promise is true. He knew God was faithful. Even so, we must decide if we are going to believe God’s promise, no matter how things may appear in the present. No matter if it takes years of praying and waiting. No matter if we must patiently endure all through our life. Yet we know, because God says it, it is true! The reality is, if we expect to see God’s promise fulfilled in our lives, we must hold on in faith, patiently enduring the test of time. As we do, the day will come for us even as it did for Abraham, when we see God’s promise fulfilled. By faith let us stand on the promise of God. His time is always the right time.

“And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him…” Matthew‬ ‭14:29-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬. It is a wonderful thing when a soul responds to the call of Christ, as Peter did. To take those first steps of faith, in spite of all the things against us, is a blessed experience. But soon, we realize that this is not easy. There are powers that war against us. And if we are not careful we can get our eyes off of Jesus and on the things against us, to the point that we begin to go down. But may we always remember to look again to Jesus, to cry out to the only One Who has power to save us. And thank God, when we cry out to Jesus, He is always there to reach down His strong and loving hand to catch us! And may we be honest in confessing this isn’t only about the new believer. Many times in our Christian experience we become so distracted and burdened to the point we feel like we are going under. But let us always keep that humble spirit that is ready to cry out to Jesus. Thank God His mighty hand is always reaching out to us.

“And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.” Nehemiah‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬. When Nehemiah made this request he expressed an understanding that few believers seem to grasp today. He knew that as a servant to the king everything depended upon the king being pleased. In order to have the king’s resources he must have the favor of the king. Today many people imagine that God is there simply to please us and provide for our needs? They see Him as a utilitarian God. As a result, they are always asking for what they want and what pleases them. But do we realize as Christians that the God we serve is the King of glory? He is the One Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is a great King, there is none like Him! So if we truly want to have our King’s authority and resources with us, then everything depends upon His pleasure and whether or not we are living in His good favor! This basic understanding will change the way we approach everything in life. The question is not what pleases me or what do I want. The only question that matters is: Does it please my King?

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬. As this chapter opens the Apostle says, “Because I have this ministry, I faint not”. Here in this verse he repeats that same basic idea. It is because he knows he has been called by God that he will not give up his work for God. He recognizes that the purpose God has given him, to reach souls for God’s glory, is one that he dare not lay aside. It was this God given cause that kept Paul faithful and committed to the end. Even though his physical body was slowing down and many enemies were against him, yet he knew that the cause of God was the most important thing in his life! And that is what kept him pressing on in his ministry. Today it seems most believers have forgotten, that we all are called by God to be a part of this same ministry. We all are called to be His witnesses. So we all share in this same God given cause of reaching lost souls for the glory of God. And no matter our age, God will use us to help souls if we will not faint. Even as our bodies slow down and weaken, our spirits can continually be renewed for this great purpose. Every day we can pray and intercede for needy souls. By God’s grace let us keep this cause ever before our eyes. And as we do, we will not faint.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” 1 John‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬. How different our lives would be if we could realize that the Creator of this universe, the God of all glory, He is the One Who has poured out His great love upon us! He is the One Who loves us unconditionally, with an everlasting love. If we would take time to better understand and rest in His love, so many things we go through would be seen in a different perspective. The Bible tells us that ‘faith works by love’. The more we believe and understand His love, the more our faith is strengthened. Then we will begin to realize that our struggles in this life are not because God is cruel or overbearing, as some people wrongly imagine. Instead, we will believe that the One Who loves us truly is working all of these things for our eternal good. We would always know, as God’s children, that we are loved even when we struggle. We’re loved even when we try and fail. We are loved, not because of what we do, or how good we are, but because God is love! We would realize that everything He calls us to, every command He gives us, is qualified by His great love. We would understand, that because of His love, He always seeks for what is best for our lives. And by His grace , we would love Him more, because He first loved us.

“to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.”Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬. What a blessed and comforting truth this is, that through God’s grace, we can be ‘accepted into His beloved family’. We don’t often consider how important this is to all human beings. We wonder why people are always seeking to be a part of something or join some kind of group. But the reality is, God created us with a need to belong and be accepted. He designed our natures with a desire to be a part of a family. And this is one reason that satan works so hard against the family. He knows when we are not part of a family that we will be trying to belong somewhere to some kind of group. But above all, God created us to be a part of His family! No matter what group we may try to join or where we may feel accepted, our souls will never be content nor satisfied until we become children of God who are accepted in His beloved family. Ever since the fall of man in the garden, people have been seeking acceptance. It is because they feel inside what Ephesians 2:12 describes as being ‘aliens and strangers’. And until we become a part of God’s beloved family, there will always be this tragic sense of orphanage. May we rejoice as God’s children, that we belong to God’s family and we are accepted in the beloved.

“that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the Word of life…” Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬. In these words the Apostle is reminding us of our duty as children of God. We are to ‘hold forth the Word of life’, even as we would hold a torch in the darkness. This tells how we should present the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must hold it out by our testimony so others can see the glorious light of our Saviour. We hold it as we would when offering food to a hungry person. We hold it out as we would when offering a drink to a thirsty man. But let us understand that this holding out the Word of life is not all about our verbal witness. Certainly we need to tell others about Jesus. But this passage makes clear that it is the holy, Christlike life of a Christian that truly witnesses to the power of the Gospel. We cannot shine as lights in the midst of this dark world if our lives are not clean. This is why we are called to be ‘blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke’. It is because our lives are supposed to represent to others the life changing and life giving power of the Gospel. And let us be clear, it is the message of Jesus that we hold forth! Our call is not to convince people to join a church or begin doing religious things. Rather, our call is to live so that our lives are always presenting the personal reality of this glorious Gospel.

“He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Psalms‬ ‭107:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬. How blessed we are that God sends His Word to us. His Word is sent to help us, cleanse us, bring healing to our souls and to deliver us from the destructive power of sin. He sends it in written form, with Bibles available for all of us to read and study. He sends the preached Word through ministers of God. Teachers bring the Word to us through lessons. God sends His Word through song, through the testimonies of His people and even nature itself speaks of the greatness of God. And God’s true people are living the Word of God for others to see. But the question is, how much are we receiving the Word? Are we reading it daily and hiding it in our hearts? Are we faithful to God’s house where we can hear the Word? Do we keep our spiritual eyes and ears open to see and hear the Word of God through the ordinary events of our lives? God is always faithful to send His Word because He knows how desperately we need it. But are we listening? God’s Word has power to deliver us and heal our souls. But it will only happen as we are willing to receive it.

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…” Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:27‬ ‭KJV‬‬. There are many things in this world that people try to find security in. Some imagine that they can become secure with enough money, or having a strong body, or being a part of some stable organization. And in these things is where most people try to find refuge. It is the place in which they feel secure. And yet, the reality is, all that is of this world is in decay and growing weaker. But what a blessing for God’s children to know, that our Refuge is the Eternal, Unchanging God! Many governments and businesses boast about being a ‘safety net’ for people. They claim that they will be able to catch us when we fall, as if they can maintain their strength without ever weakening. But as children of God we have the only truly secure refuge. We have the everlasting, unfailing arms of our Father beneath us! By God’s grace let us take courage in these uncertain days! May we rest in these promises of Who our God is! He is our Eternal Unchanging Father Who cannot fail nor change. We can always find refuge in Him.