Month: October 2024

10/31/24

“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people.” 1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬. Sometimes we think that the call to be witnesses for Christ is only a New Testament idea. Others imagine that it is only a call for those in spiritual leadership, like preachers. But these words of King David to Old Testament Israel remind us that God has always called His people to be His witnesses. He calls all of us to make His deeds known in this world. From Old Testament to New, we find this call of God and this great privilege, to be witnesses for the Living God. And may we understand, to be His witness means much more than simply telling someone about Jesus and what He did. The truth is, we are supposed to be living Godly, Christlike lives that actually make His deeds known to those around us. If we are true children of God, they should be able to see what God has done and is doing in our hearts and lives. They should know that we are not the same, sinful people we used to be. And this is where this church generation is miserably failing! We talk about what Christ has done for us, but we too often fail to show what HE IS DOING IN US. By His grace and power, let us make His deeds known. May our lives testify, that what He’s done IN US, He can do in them.

10/30/24

“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.” Psalm‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬. Once again in this verse, the psalmist David is comparing the joys of real relationship with God to the fleeting pleasures of this world. He thinks of the momentary happiness men find in their times of material increase. How happy they were that their coffers grew and their storehouse increased. It is much like people do today when they get a little more of the material things they desire. But David had already discovered, that nothing in this world, no human pleasure, could compare with the ‘exceeding gladness’ that God places in the hearts of His true children What a great blessing this is! How blessed we are that one day, through Jesus Christ, He took away our sadness and filled us with His gladness. How it gladdens our hearts to know that our sins are forgiven and we are washed clean in the precious blood of Jesus. How glad we are that we are beloved children of the Most High God. What gladness it brings to know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, God is our Father and the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts. And what gladness it brings to know that we have a place in Heaven prepared for us. Let us rejoice with the words of songwriter: ‘Jesus has come and my cup’s overrun; Oh, say, but I’m glad’.

10/29/24

“There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift Thou up The light of Thy countenance upon us.” Psalm‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭KJV‬. The psalmist David recognized that most people are only interested in the ‘good things’ of this world. Their attitude is, “Where are the good times, and good feelings? Where are the good things and pleasures that this material world has to offer?” But thank God, David also knew that the only true goodness in this world was in God. He understood that all of the things that seem good on a material level are only fleeting. They are here for a moment and then gone. And ultimately they have no value. But when we come in to right relationship with God, and He lifts up the light of His countenance upon us, then we can truly experience the best that anyone can ever enjoy in this world. Today it is still the same. Most people, even those in religion, are looking for and pursuing all of the good things they can find in this world. But God help us to understand, the greatest good we can ever experience, is to walk in personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To have His favor upon our lives and to rest with His smile upon us, is the highest good possible in this world.

10/28/24

(Part 3) “…God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬ ‭KJV‬‬. One of the most damaging results of men’s ungodly ideas is, that it causes people to look at themselves and others as something common or ordinary, less than God created us to be. And perhaps the greatest damage of all has been done by what is called ‘The theory of evolution’. This devilish philosophy has been accepted by most of modern society and it has caused humanity to devalue human life in staggering ways. Most people no longer believe that we are created by God and in His image, each in a unique way that causes us to be of infinite worth. Instead, people look at one another as common, with no real value placed upon life. Besides the wars and genocides, this attitude has caused the murder of almost 1 billion unborn babies. Everyday it causes racial and ethnic prejudice resulting in more and more human cruelty. But let us believe God’s Word which reveals the preciousness of every soul. Let us believe that every soul matters to God, and they should matter to us as well. Let us be sure that every soul is precious and worth more than all this material world.

10/27/24

(Part 2) “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬ ‭KJV‬‬. For many souls in our world this profound truth comes with great joy. It tells us that we all matter to God. It means the soul that has been rejected by men, despised and held in contempt by others, is not common or ordinary in God’s eyes. They are a precious soul worth more than all this world. Many souls around us struggle with a sense of low self worth. They often despise themselves. Even many children struggle with this also. They feel unimportant and less than others. How important it is that we as God’s people get this message out to needy souls: ‘It doesn’t matter who you are or how people evaluate you, you still matter to God! You are not common or ordinary. You are important to your Heavenly Father. He created you so that you could enjoy a fulfilling, personal relationship with Him. And He loved you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to suffer and die upon a cross for you’. By God’s grace, let us proclaim this glorious message to all souls. And let us live demonstrating that we believe every soul matters.

10/26/24

(Part 1) “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬ ‭KJV‬‬. When God sent Peter this vision, and he went with the men sent by Cornelius, he finally began to realize what all this meant. This profound message of human equality was to be made clear in a very public way. And of course, a part of this message was against all sinful prejudice. In many ways Jesus had demonstrated this truth before the disciples. He had healed the daughter of gentile mother and the servant of the Roman centurion. He ministered to the Samaritans. He made friends with those held in public contempt, like tax collectors and prostitutes. And yet, it took this extraordinary vision for Peter to finally realize this truth was intended to be applied in a universal way. But we should each ask ourselves, have I been willing to receive this revelation? Has God revealed to me that every human being is equal in His eyes? Do we realize that we are not better than or above anyone else? Let us humble ourselves to accept this life changing truth and allow God to apply it to our hearts.

11/25/24

(Part 3) “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amos‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬. As we consider this amazing truth of God being our Divine Ally, we should be thankful that in Jesus Christ, God has condescended to walk with us in personal relationship. As our Ally, He defends us and fights our battles because He is always with us. But how can 2 individuals walk in this relationship if they are not agreed? Agreement is fundamental to our covenant relationship with God. And certainly we should know that God does not agree with our sinful or selfish ways. Part of the nature of sin is that it disagrees with God. The sinner believes his own way is better than God’s way. But a part of true salvation is believing God’s way is best in all things. We know God is Holy, so He cannot agree with anything that is impure. This means that our hearts and lives must change in order to walk with Him. To walk in agreement means our will must be submitted to His will. It means we cannot pursue the things of this world because that is not the way in which our Ally walks. Because He is seeking first the kingdom so must we. Because He pleases the Father in all things so must we strive to do so. And because He hates sin, we also must hate sin. By God’s grace, let us walk in agreement with Jesus Christ, Who is our Divine Ally.

10/24/24

(Part 2) “But if thou shalt indeed obey His voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.” Exodus‬ ‭23‬:‭22‬ ‭KJV‬‬. As we rejoice that God is our Divine Ally, we also should pause to consider what this means on a relational level. Allies are individuals or groups who enter into agreement because they share common goals and objectives. There must be a degree of likemindedness and harmony of purpose if we would enjoy the benefits of this relationship. Among nations, there are treaties and with individuals there can be contracts. But between God and man there is a Covenant. When men establish these relationships there is always input from both sides, because men are equals. But we should understand, in this Covenant between God and man, God alone sets all the conditions, both for us and for Himself. And as result, it is always man who must be willing to change, in order to come into agreement with God. Our ways must come into harmony with His ways. Our will must be submitted to His will. This is an aspect of our Covenant relationship with God that many religious people don’t want to consider. And yet, this blessing of covenant relationship cannot be ours until we are willing to meet God’s conditions. By God’s grace, let us humble ourselves to walk in agreement with Our Divine Ally.

10/23/24

(Part 1) “But if thou shalt indeed obey His voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.” Exodus‬ ‭23‬:‭22‬ ‭KJV‬‬. As God was giving these instructions about how the Israelites were to live, He reminds them also of this great and precious promise. Many places in scripture this promise is repeated in different ways. And from these promises we should understand that a part of the covenant God has made with His people is, that He will be our Ally. And of course, as New Testament Christians this promise is ours as well. But let us consider what a great blessing this is, to have the Almighty God as our Divine Ally. This means that the One Who has all power and wisdom will be with us against every enemy we face. It means God has committed Himself to protect and defend us from those who would do us harm. It means we can have a sense of safety and security because ‘no weapon formed against us can prosper.’ Because God is our Ally we can have sweet rest in our souls. We don’t have to worry that the enemy will be too strong for us or use some sneak attack when we are not aware. Thank God, the One Who knows and sees all is watching out for us.

10/22/24

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬. In these words the Apostle is describing the reality that we live in a mortal body, with all of the weakness and limitations this fleshy body brings. He is not saying that we walk in sin, or allow ourselves to be controlled by fleshy habits. He makes this clear in Galatians 5:16, ‘we walk in the Spirit, so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh’. It is important for us to understand these things so that we can be prepared for the real battles of life. As children of God, we are not to ‘war after the flesh’. This means that our real battles are against spiritual enemies and not against people and personalities. We have God’s promise in the next verse that He will provide us with all of the necessary weapons for our spiritual battles. And they are mighty weapons! But He also makes clear, that our weapons are not carnal, or fleshy. This is one of the ways that satan attacks our souls. He tries to get us to react emotionally and enter into a fleshy battle, when the real battle is in the spiritual realm. When we give in to that, we always are defeated. By God’s grace, let us walk humbly, always yielded to God’s Spirit, allowing God’s love to flow through us. Then we will be victorious in the battles of life.