Tuesday, January 31, 2017

IN A GOOD PLACE

Gen. 28:10-12 Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone for a pillow and lay down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down on it.

Jacob was in a good place; he was in a place where he would meet with God. How long has it been since you were in a good place? It is so easy to get distracted and get in a place where we don't hear from God. It's easy to let the things of life take the place of God in our lives. How do we keep ourselves in a place where we can hear from God?

One of the most obvious things we can do is to read our Bibles faithfully. God speaks through His Word. It is there that God has made known to us His ways. It is there that God instructs us on how to live holy lives. It is there that we find renewed encouragement as we see God working in the lives of others. It is there that we are given hope for both today and our tomorrows. It is there that we see ourselves as God sees us. God continues to speak to us today when we faithfully read His Word.

Another thing we should be doing faithfully is pray. God speaks to us in prayer. When we intentionally set aside time in our daily living to spend time in the presence of God, God speaks to us. He tells us about ourselves. He tells us what He wants us to do. He tells us who we ought to pray for. It is in our prayer time that we are drawn closest to God. It is there that we have intimate fellowship with the Lord.

Another thing we should be doing is being in a place of worship, a place where we express our adoration for God and give Him praise and thanksgiving. Whether we are in a group setting with other worshipers or by ourselves, we need time alone with God. We need to appreciate the handiwork of God in, and outside of, us. God speaks to those who sincerely lift up their souls in worship.

Monday, January 30, 2017

WHAT DO YOU VALUE?

Gen. 27: 36 Esau said bitterly, "No wonder his name is Jacob, for he has deceived me twice, first taking my birthright and now stealing my blessing. Oh, haven't you saved even one blessing for me?"

Esau blamed Jacob for his troubles, but in reality he was to blame. Earlier he had given to Jacob his birthright in exchange for some food. He was famished and deemed food at the moment to be more important than his birthright. As the first born son, he was entitled to double the blessings from his father. He was to be held in high esteem in the family and essentially the primary heir to the family name. Esau did not value his rightful place in the family lineage as more important than his hunger pangs.

Now, with the help of his mother, Rebekah, Jacob had fooled Isaac and took away Esau's blessings from their father. It was not the right thing to do, but it worked. Isaac elevated Jacob to the position as heir of the family's lineage. He was to be the one God would bless to carry out His promise He had made to Abraham and Isaac. We are not told why God allowed this to happen, but we trust in God's sovereign will. God knew the heart of both men and knew which one would be a better vessel to use to fulfill His promise.

Bitterness is the natural response of the heart who forfeits God's blessings. Hopeless and helpless is the soul who does not value God in his life. There is an emptiness that cannot be filled by the things of this world. Any satisfication that is gained from worldly things is fleeting, leaving the soul in worse shape than before. Ignoring God always creates a void in the soul that never can be filled. Misery is not uncommon when God is rejected.

Don't be like Esau who valued life without God's blessings. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Seek the pleasures of heaven and not the earth. Value highly God's role in your life and you, like Jacob, will be blessed. It is far better to be at peace with God and have nothing on earth than to have everything the world has to offer and not have God.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD

Gen. 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug a well.

God had just appeared to Isaac and promised him His blessings. Isaac was God's chosen vessel to help carry out His promise to Abraham. God promised Isaac what He had promised to Abraham and told him to not be afraid, that He would be with him, that he would have many descendants, and that they would become a great nation.

Isaac's response was a good one. He immediately built an altar and worshiped the Lord. There are times in which the Lord draws near and blesses us. He reassures us of His promises to take care of us, to be with us. How do we respond to God during those times when He is near and precious to us?

The only good response is the same response Isaac had. He paused from whatever he was doing, built an altar and worshiped the Lord. He understood the importance of turning to God to thank and praise Him. He understood the importance of humbling himself before God. He understood that God alone deserved credit for his blessings and future.

We, too, need to always acknowledge God's presence and role in our lives. We need to humbly bow before Him as our Lord and God. We need to give Him the credit due Him. We need to praise the Lord and give Him thanks for the bountifulness of our blessings. Anytime is a good time to pause and worship the Lord. Anytime is a good time to acknowledge the Lord's presence with us and give Him thanks and praise. Anytime is a good time to delight yourself in the Lord. The Psalmist declares that the Lord blesses those who delight themselves in Him (Psalm 37:4).

Saturday, January 28, 2017

TAKE GOD SERIOUSLY

Gen. 26:5-6 "I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, regulations, and laws." So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

A severe famine had struck the land and Isaac had given thought to going to Egypt with his family. God paid Isaac a visit and told him not to do it. He reminded Isaac of His promise to bless his father, Abraham, in the land and multiply his descendants there. His promise was that through Abraham's descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

Abraham was promised such a huge blessing because he listened to God and obeyed Him. He didn't just obey Him, he obeyed all of God's requirements, commands, regulations, and laws. In other words, Abraham put his feet where his mouth was. He didn't just believe in God's laws, he lived them. He did his best to walk the walk of his talk. He took God and His ways seriously and as a result God kept His word to Abraham through his son, Isaac.

Imagine what could happen if we were to live like Abraham lived. God blesses those who take Him and His Word seriously. He honors those who honor Him. One of the things that most people struggle with is taking God seriously enough. I don't believe there is enough effort put into trying to live by God's standards. We don't think holiness is that big of a deal. We want just enough of a relationship with God to get by. We don't want all that God has for us or want to do all that He requires of us.

Is it any wonder why there is such shallowness in most who profess to be Christians? Don't be like most. Come out from among them and be like Abraham. Obey all the requirements, commands, regulations, and laws of God to the best of your ability and see what the Lord will do for you.

Friday, January 27, 2017

WHY PRAY?

Gen. 25:20-21 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddam-aran and the sister of Laban. Isaac pleaded with the LORD to give Rebeckah a child because she was childless. So the LORD answered Isaac's prayer, and his wife became pregnant with twins.

What difference does prayer make? Have you ever asked yourself that question? There are things that we pray for that we never see come to pass. There are people and situations that never change. After awhile doubts begin to creep in. You wonder what is the use to pray since nothing seems to come of it.

Isaac prayed for Rebekah, his wife, to have a child. We don't know how long Isaac had been praying for her. We don't know if Rebekah herself had been praying for a child. All we are told is that God did indeed hear Isaac's prayer and allowed Rebekah to become pregnant. We do notice though that Isaac's prayer took on a sense of desperation. They wanted a child so badly; he pleaded with God.

Sometimes God doesn't seem to move when we pray because we aren't persistent enough. We don't get what we want when we want it so we give up on God and quit praying. Jesus told us when we pray to not give up, to keep on praying with faith believing. He told us when we pray persistently in the will of God that what we pray for will come to pass. We also need to pray with purpose. We need to want what we pray for from the depths of our souls. At times we need to plead with God.

God answered Isaac's prayer; He gave him what he prayed for. But notice, God not only allowed Rebekah to have a child, she became pregnant with twins! God gave much more than what was asked for! Trust the Lord when you pray and don't give up. Pray in the will of God until the Lord opens up heaven's doors and honors your prayers. God does indeed answer the prayers of His children when they pray.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

GOD IS FAITHFUL

Gen. 24:6-7 "No!" Abraham warned. "Be careful never to take my son there. For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my offspring. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a young woman there to be my son's wife.
     Abraham was old and wanted to provide a wife for his son, Isaac. He instructed his trusted servant to go find a wife for Isaac. The servant had asked Abraham if it would be okay to take Isaac to her and let him live there if she would not be willing to come to Isaac. Abraham would have nothing to do with that idea.
     What jumps out at me is the reason Abraham gave his servant for not letting Isaac settle in a different land. God had made a promise to Abraham many years before and Abraham was standing strong on God's promise. Even though he had not yet seen the promise fulfilled, he trusted in God. He had lived a long life and had not yet seen what God had promised. Yet, Abraham believed God. He refused to give up on God. He knew that God was faithful and would keep His word to him. 
     It's so easy to just give up on God when things don't come together as we think we should or when we think they should. It's easy to blame God when His promises don't seemingly come to pass. We pray and ask the Lord in believing faith to change things. We stand on the promises of God and expect to see the changes. Many stumble and fall over God's delays or when He acts in a different way than when expected.
     Abraham knew that God was faithful and would keep His word. He believed that God would provide a wife for Isaac and that she would come to him in his own land. God promised and Abraham stood on His promise. We may not always see what we want to see when we want to see them from God, but God is faithful. He never makes a promise He does not keep. You can trust God and build your life on what He says.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

IS YOUR ALL ON THE ALTAR?

Gen. 22:18 "….and through your descendants, all nations of the earth will be blessedall because you have obeyed me."

Abraham did the unthinkable. He had just willingly laid his son Isaac down on an altar to sacrifice him to the Lord. For all intents and purposes, Isaac was no more. Abraham had given him to the Lord because that is what God had demanded of him. It was at the very last moment that God stayed the hand of Abraham and spared Isaac’s life.

How willing are we to give to the Lord our all? Are we willing to let go of anything the Lord asks of us? Perhaps the Lord has called your son or daughter to go across the world to serve Him. Perhaps the Lord has called your child to do things that you are uncomfortable with or does not fit into your plans for your child. Perhaps the Lord is calling your spouse to do something that you don’t want to do. Are you willing to lay your all on the altar and let the Lord have it all?

The Lord blessed the world because Abraham obeyed God and willingly gave his all to Him. We have no idea what the Lord wants to do through our children. They may rise up and have worldwide influence, or they may just impact a very few amount of people for Christ. The point is that we may very well hinder a mighty work of God in our children’s lives by our unwillingness to let go of them and entrust them to the Lord’s care. We may ultimately be a great stumbling block for the salvation of many souls if we withhold from Him our all.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid, or are you holding something back from Him? It may not be your children. Are you withholding any part of you from the Lord? You will never be who God wants you to be until you give Him your all. The Lord blesses greatly those who give Him all of their heart, mind and soul.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

ABRAHAM'S LOVE TESTED

Gen. 22:15-17 Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven. "This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son, I swear by my own self that I will bless you richly. I will multiply your descendants into countless millions, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore.

Abraham loved the Lord more than anything else on earth. He loved his wife, Sarah, and Isaac, his son, with all his heart, but not more than the Lord. He was willing to give up the only son God had given to him through his wife as a love sacrifice because God asked him to. It was the ultimate test of Abraham’s faith and love for God. Because Abraham did not just say he loved God, but proved it, God not only spared Isaac’s life, He promised to bless Abraham richly by giving him more descendants through Isaac than could be counted.

The issue before us today is," How much do we really love God?" We say we love Him and our allegiance is to Him, but is it really? In what ways do we really put the Lord before anyone or anything else in our lives? How does our love for Christ affect us? Is it reflected in all we do and say? Does our love for Him cause us to pause and consider how we act and think might reflect on Him or affect our relationship with Him? Do we give Him the best of our lives or the leftovers?

The true test of our faith and love for the Lord is seen in what we are willing to give up for Him. He probably will never ask us to do what He asked Abraham to do, but He does demand that we give Him our whole heart, mind and soul. He commands that we give Him all that we are before we give priority to anyone or anything else. He asks us to willingly keep Him first in our allegiance. He will not bless those who have divided loyalties.

To whom or what are you loyal to? Before you answer that too quickly, your loyalty is determined by the amount of time, energy and passion you put into something. It is what you are willing to invest your life into. It is more action than it is talk. It is what drives you, what defines your life. What has the most prominence in your life? What do you spend the most energy and time pursuing? Be honest with yourself.

If you are truly loyal to the Lord and He is your lord, you will follow and obey Him explicitly, no matter how difficult it may seem to be. The Lord honors and blesses the lives of all who are loyal to Him.

Monday, January 23, 2017

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

Gen. 22:14 Abraham named the place, "The LORD Will Provide." This name has now become a proverb. "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

You may be climbing up a mountain today. You may be facing a situation you just don’t know how to overcome. You may be so tired and weary from the climb that you just want to give up. You may be beaten down to the point where discouragement rules your heart. Hear the words of Abraham today, "The Lord Will Provide." Dear friend, no matter how big your mountain may be today, the Lord will provide what you need to conquer it. He will not fail you.

You may not see which way to go; the Lord will show you the way. You may not see how it is possible to overcome your mountain; the Lord will provide the means, one step at a time. You may be all alone in your struggles; the Lord will provide you with all the companionship you need. Whatever you may be dealing with in your life today, the Lord will provide all that you need to overcome and be victorious.

Dear friend, let these words sink deep into your soul; believe them. "The Lord Will Provide." Let the peace of God flood your soul. "The Lord Will Provide." Let your soul swell up in praise and thanksgiving. "The Lord Will Provide." Let your soul be strengthened and hope restored. "The Lord Will Provide." Humble yourself before the Lord and worship Him. "The Lord Will Provide."

If you are fortunate enough to not be climbing up a mountain today, don’t worry; you will. And when you approach your mountain, let these words resonate deep within your soul, "The Lord Will Provide." There is no such thing as an insurmountable mountain when Jesus is Lord and leading the way.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

IN GOD WE TRUST

Gen. 22:8 "God will provide a lamb, my son," Abraham answered. And they both went on together.

Abraham and Isaac were on their way to Mount Moriah where God had told Abraham he was to offer his son, Isaac, up on an altar as a sacrifice to Him.

Here was an interesting scenario. God had told Abraham to take his son, Isaac, up to the mountain to offer him up as a sacrifice to him. It was a very puzzling and difficult thing for Abraham. It didn’t make any sense at all for God to ask that of him. Isaac was the son God had given him in his old age; he was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. Isaac was dearly loved by Abraham and Sarah, his wife. God was asking Abraham to let go of the most cherished thing in his life, his son. Yet, Abraham’s love for God and confidence in God’s love for him moved him to obey. He didn’t understand God’s ways, but he did understand God’s character enough to know that God would provide for him.

Isaac too had some real testing of faith. He knew that a sacrifice required a lamb; yet, there was none. He had learned from his father the importance of sacrifices and how they were done. He knew that his father was going to offer up a sacrifice in obedience to God’s command. As they drew closer to the place of sacrifice, I believe that Isaac must have realized what was about to happen. He traveled along with his father, trusting in him because Abraham trusted in God. Isaac too had to have a strong faith in God in order for him to not revolt and flee from the moment of impending danger.

Buoyed by a trust rooted in the character of God whom they loved, they continued on in their journey. They did not know the whys or understand how this was going to be a good thing, but they trusted in God.

We too can trust in God when we are faced with circumstances that make no sense to us at all. We too can trust Him to provide what we need in our journey of faith. We can trust God no matter what, because trust is rooted in the character of God who is holy love and only does that which is good for us.

What is going on in life doesn’t always make sense to us. Will you trust in God? He never changes. His ways are always bathed in holy love. Be patient and God will provide what you need and it will always be good.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

ISAAC'S FAITH

Gen. 22:6-7 And Abraham placed the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, Isaac said, "Father?" "Yes, my son," Abraham replied. "We have the wood and the fire, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"

Much has been written and said about this event in Abraham and Isaac’s lives. It has been preached and taught how it relates to the love of God for us shown by His willingness to let Jesus come and die for our sins. It is good for us to meditate on God’s sacrificial love for us.

I want us to think for a moment about Isaac. Isaac knew what was needed in order for a sacrifice to take place. How? The only reasonable explanation is that Abraham had taught him by his words and actions. This wasn’t the only time Abraham had made a sacrifice to the Lord in the presence of Isaac. I am confident that this was a regular part of their lives.

Isaac trusted his father. Even though he did not understand what was going on, he knew that his father would not fail to do what is right before God. He knew that whatever was about to happen, his father could be trusted. At this point Isaac did not know he was to be the sacrifice, but Abraham did. Isaac rested in the faith of his father as they walked on together.

Abraham didn’t just teach Isaac about his faith; he lived it. Isaac knew that this offering they were about to make required the shedding of blood. He knew that this was the way in which man was to approach God. He knew there was no other way to be accepted by God apart from the shedding of blood.

Like Abraham, we need to not only teach the truth, but live it. We need to show others how important the Lord is to us by the way we live. We need to pass on to our children how much we love and value our relationship with God. Our living is our greatest teaching tool. God blesses those who live out what they believe consistently in their lives.

Oh but that we would be like Abraham. Oh but that we would all have such a love for God that we would be willing to give Him our all, no matter how much it may hurt us to do so. Do you love the Lord your God more than anyone or anything else in life? Do you? Are you willing to let the Lord test your love? When was the last time you laid your all on the altar before God and gave it to Him?

Friday, January 20, 2017

RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH, NOT WORKS

Gen. 15:6 And Abraham believed the LORD, and the LORD declared him righteous because of his faith.

We are counted as righteous before God because of faith and not works. We cannot make it to heaven because of anything we can do. To believe is not a mental exercise; it is a life we live. Saving faith is taking literally what God says about us and our need for salvation through Christ and embracing it for our own. We turn to Christ for forgiveness and then we act forgiven. We strive to forsake the sin that separated us from God. We set our path on submission and obedience to Christ, willing to turn our back on sinful thoughts and practices.

Many profess to be saved because of what they believe about Jesus, but it’s simply not enough. We must give Jesus permission to change us. We must let Him take away our sin and live like we mean it. God does not mess around with sin and neither should we.

Righteousness is living by what is right in God’s eyes, not our own eyes. There is a huge difference between the two. We tend to compare ourselves to others and feel good that we are better than many. On the other hand, God compares us to His Word and sees us in need. When we realize just how far short of God’s perfect law we live, we have no other recourse but to live in Christ and take on His righteousness for He alone has perfectly lived a righteous life before God.

Righteousness is gained by faith and not by works. It is rooted in Christ and not man. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ alone for your salvation and you will be saved and declared righteous before God.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

WORKING TOGETHER

Gen. 11:5-6  But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.  “Look!” he said.  “If they can accomplish this when they have just begun to take advantage of their common language and political unity, just think of what they will do later.  Nothing will be impossible for them!.....”

United we can do great things, confused we scatter.  There is an important lesson here for the church.  There are so many different church bodies under the umbrella of the church.  Each body seeks to do their own thing.  We give lip service to our unity.  We major in our differences instead on Christ who unites us.  We limit our exposure to each other and seldom work together for the common good of Christ.  We are reluctant to have fellowship with each other out of fear of the affect it may have on our relationship with Christ. 

The church is divided and the effectiveness of reaching the world for Christ is weak.  We may have some degree of success, but nothing like what it would be like if we were to work together for Jesus’ sake and glory.  There is strength in unity.  There is much more creativeness in our thinking and the pool of our giftedness is much deeper.  There are so many benefits that we deprive ourselves of when each part of the body works independently from the whole.

If we want the Lord to come down and do a mighty work amongst us, we need to be one in heart before the Lord.  We need to humble ourselves before Him and together desire to work for His glory.  We need to be a people after His own heart, united together at the foot of the cross.

We need to keep our relationship with the Lord pure and wherever possible be as one for the sake of Christ’s witness in the church and world.  Christ unites, not divides, the church under His lordship.  Granted, there are church bodies who have wandered so far away from Biblical truth that we can’t have a common fellowship or ministry with them.  However, there are many church bodies that we should be having fellowship and ministry with that we don’t because they don’t label themselves like we do for ourselves. 

Let us seek to work together for the cause and glory of Christ in the world today.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

NOAH'S ARK

Gen. 8:20-21 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and sacrificed on it the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. And the LORD was pleased with the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people’s thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood."

Why was the Lord pleased with Noah’s offering? He offered up as a sacrifice those animals that the Lord had approved of for that purpose. Noah knew what pleased the Lord and he did it. He could have chosen any of the multitudes of animals on the ark for his sacrifice, but he didn’t. He chose to obey the Lord all the way. Why do you suppose his heart was so set on total obedience to the Lord?

God had taken notice of Noah’s heart before the flood. Of all the people on earth He was pleased with Noah’s faithfulness. God spared Noah’s life because his life was right with God. Not only did God save Noah’s life, He spared the lives of his family. Can you imagine how much gratitude Noah must have had at that time of his life? God protected him from certain destruction. And not only that, He spared the lives of those who were most dear to his heart.

God enabled Noah to do that which was seemingly impossible. He built the ark. Scripture doesn’t tell us how much help he had, if any. The ark was an imposing and impressive project. It was larger than anything else ever built at the time. It was built with much great sacrifice. Think about the massive amount of lumber and materials it took. Consider the amount of time and effort which were put into this project.

The ark was built at the expense of much mockery. I am sure that no one could ever figure out what the ark was going to be used for. It had to be built on land and because of its size it could not be moved. So here was this massive boat being built sitting on land. What good was it except to look at? Why would anyone build such a thing? What a waste of time, money, and energy! Had Noah gone mad?

With the help God provided, Noah built the ark. He had done what seemed like the impossible to do. How it must have blessed Noah’s heart to know that with God all things are truly possible! And when the ark was done, the animals ushered in, the door was shut, and the rains came, the ark floated without any leaks. Noah had plenty of time on the ark to think about these things and how the Lord had shown kindness to him. Is it any wonder that Noah did what was pleasing to the Lord in the offering he offered up to Him? The Lord was pleased with Noah and promised to never again purge the world of its population with the rains, even though he knew the heart of man and how it was prone to wander from Him.

May we too reflect on God’s goodness and kindness towards us and offer up to Him sacrifices that are pleasing to Him. The sacrifice that pleases God is the sacrifice of a heart totally yielded to Him, a heart that obeys God completely whether it makes sense at the time or not, a heart that trusts God to know what is best in all He gives us to do.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

GOD'S SORROW

Gen. 6:5-6 Now the LORD observed the extent of the people’s wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart.

The Lord is not blind to the evil in the world and in the hearts of people. He sees it all and it grieves His heart. I know He knows what is going on in the world and in the heart of people. He knows how bad things are and how bad it is going to get. He knows what makes people the way they are, what they think, and the desires of their heart to do evil. It grieves His heart over what man has become.

Man was created for fellowship with God. But because of sin, most people cannot have fellowship with Him. God longs for our fellowship, but because of sin He is deprived of it. He knows the devastating destructiveness of sin. He knows that because of sin many will never have fellowship with Him. He knows that all who live in sin cannot live with Him and will be cast into hell. He loves all mankind and it grieves Him to know that most will be doomed to hell for eternity. I can understand how there would be sorrow in the heart of God.

Is sin that big of a deal? Does it really matter when we sin against God? It certainly does to God. We should take seriously the matter of sin in our lives. Don’t put your head in the sand and ignore the importance of keeping your heart pure before God. The way we live is a life or death matter for our souls. Don’t make God sorry He created you. Don’t give Him cause to have a broken heart.

The Lord, our God, is holy in heart and He can only have fellowship with those who are likewise holy. The only way sinful man can change his sinful heart to a holy heart is through Calvary. Jesus died to take away our sin and make our hearts holy. As long as you stay connected to Christ, God can have fellowship with you.

Monday, January 16, 2017

ANGRY AT GOD?

Gen. 4:6-7 "Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked him. "Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it."

Why do we get angry at God? People are quick to blame God for whatever is wrong in their lives, as if it is God’s duty to make sure that everything runs smoothly with no trouble or sorrow. Somehow we have gotten the idea that God exists to make heaven on earth, that He is at our beckon and call to make sure that it happens. We are quick to accept and relish in the good of life, but have a problem accepting the bad. Somehow it’s God’s fault and He is duty bound to fix it.

What we refuse to accept is that God is in control and His rule over life is governed by His holiness. God will never act outside of His holiness. He will never intervene in our lives to do good when there is sin lurking at the door. He never has, and He never will, condone sin in any way, shape, or form. He will not bless those who live in sin. He will allow suffering and troubles in this life as long as people allow Satan in their lives. We can’t have it both ways. This is not heaven; it is Satan’s turf, hell on earth. We live in a world that constantly reaps the consequences of sin. It will not change as long as God delays His coming to cleanse the world.

God does not promise to isolate us from sin’s consequences. He insulates those who trust in Him, but does not keep us from experiencing the consequences of living in a sinful world. So, don’t get angry and blame God for whatever troubles may come your way. Instead, live humbly before God. Make sure that sin does not lurk at the door of your heart. Stay true to the Lord always and refuse to let sin drive you away from God. God never promises to keep us away from troubled times, but He always promises to be with us and help us as we walk through them.

The right thing to do is to always strive to do what is right in God’s eyes.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

THERE IS MERCY WITH THE LORD

Gen. 3:22 Then the LORD God said, "The people have become as we are, knowing everything, both good and evil. What if they eat the fruit of the tree of life? Then they will live forever."

There is mercy with the Lord. God had explicitly forbidden Adam and Eve from eating of the true of good and evil. When they listened to Satan and ate of the fruit of the tree, they broke their covenant relationship with God. They were now sinners and would bear the consequences of their sin.

God had also planted the tree of life in the Garden. If man were to eat of the fruit of that tree, he would live forever. Because God loved man, He spared him from living forever under the curse of their sin. He banished man from the Garden and put angels around it to prevent man from returning to it. He lovingly protected man from an eternal life of sin.

God also provided man with a way to get rid of his sin. God does not want anyone to die in their sin so He sent Jesus to come and be our Savior. The soul of man is eternal spirit. Everyone will live on after they die. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and live for Him, we live on in heaven with Him. If we reject Jesus and die in our sin, we live on without Him in eternal hellfire.

Wherever we end up spending eternity, it will be by choice. God dignifies man by letting man choose where he will spend eternity. He has made himself known to us and we will be judged on the basis of our knowledge of Him. Our lives are a reflection of our choice. We can either live for the pleasures of earth or the pleasures of heaven. Choose carefully whom you will serve. If you make the wrong choice, you will have eternity to think about it.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

MALE AND FEMALE

Gen. 2:18, 20-22 And the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion to help him."….He gave names to all the livestock, birds, and wild animals. But still there was no companion suitable for him. So the LORD God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. He took one of Adam’s ribs and closed up the place from which he had taken it. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam.

The Lord is so good; He made us male and female as perfect compliments to each other. God perfectly knows every detail of what we are like, how we think and what we need. And He made it possible for our needs to be perfectly met. God designed us for each other. He made both man and woman with a need for each other. The fact that we are male and female is no accident. God purposely made us the way we are. God made us compatible, perfectly suitable for each other. God made us as he did so that we would be able to relate to each other on a level and in a way unlike any other relationship in all of creation.

The problems that we have adjusting to life and living within the boundaries of God’s designed plan for us can be traced to unhealthy and unbalanced relationships, first with God and then with one another. Bad relationships distort our understanding of who we are and what our needs are in life. They are the breeding ground for sinful thoughts and behavior. Sin distorts our perception of what is, and is not, acceptable behavior and relationships. It makes us see through darkened eyes and causes us to accept as normal and acceptable that which God says isn’t. Sin convinces us that we can live successfully without proper human relationships. Sin causes us to experiment with and embrace that which God says is sin.

Let us today give thanks to the Lord for his wonderful creative act of making us both male and female. Let us thank Him for making us compatible and complimentary with each other. Let us thank Him for bringing into our lives those who make our lives complete. Let us thank Him for His creative genius.

And, let us repent of the sin that causes us to want to change God’s design for proper human relationships. Let us repent of the sin that causes us to accept and support man’s distorted ideas about what is and is not acceptable human relationships.

Friday, January 13, 2017

GOD'S TREES

Gen. 2:9 And the LORD God planted all sorts of trees in the gardenbeautiful trees that produced delicious fruit. At the center of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It is good to eat from the tree of life. We need to feast on that which gives us eternal life. We need to constantly feed on things that keep Christ as the most valuable part of our lives. We must never stop feasting on those things which build us up in faith. There must be an insatiable hunger in our hearts for the things of God. When we stop feeding our souls, we soon grow weak and wither away from God. Our souls need food all the time and we will feed them, whether it is with godly food or that which poisons the soul. We constantly are faced with the decision with which food we will feast on.

It is bad to eat from the tree of God, the tree that exposes us to the knowledge of evil. There is no good that comes from knowing the evils of the world. We must develop a great distaste for the things of evil. There is no limit to how evil the heart can get. We must protect ourselves from knowing too much. We don’t need to know how bad people can get. Evil behavior makes good news stories. We seem to have a desire to know how bad others behave. But, is it good to dwell on those things? It is obvious that many feed off of those things and try to duplicate it in their own lives. How many times have you been tempted to do something just because you know others are doing it? Two wrongs never make a right. We need to change the way we look at things.

Also, we must discipline ourselves to not dwell on the bad ways people treat us. It is never a good thing to know all that others may be doing or saying against us. Rather than dwelling on their negativity, we should dwell on God’s goodness and love. It is always better to focus on that which is good than that which is evil.

It is far better to dwell on those things which build us up than it is on the evil around us that may cause us to be led into sin. We must discipline our minds to not dwell on evil at the expense of the good. We can’t avoid the evil around us, but we can choose not to let it control our thoughts and affect our behavior. Feed your soul on godly things and you will not let unholy things captivate your thoughts and affect your living.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

A DAY OF REST AND REFLECTION

Gen., 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation.

I am deeply convinced that this is one area that we, the body of Christ, must pay attention to. We have somehow convinced ourselves that it is okay to treat the Lord’s Day like any other day of the week. We no longer see it as a day set apart by the Lord as a day of rest and worship. We fill up the Lord’s Day with so much activity and distractions that we scarcely even know the Lord is in it. For many they have to go back to work in order to rest up from the busyness of His day. Many of the things we do are good things, maybe even necessary, but I wonder what the Lord thinks about all our busyness. How can we spend quality time with the Lord when we are so preoccupied with other things? When was the last time you spent the Lord’s Day in quiet reflection and rest?

Whether you honor the Lord on a Saturday or a Sunday doesn’t matter. Whatever your conviction is about the day to worship the Lord, do you really do it? Do you set aside a day in your week to rest in the presence of Christ for renewal? Do you focus on Him in worship? Or, do you justify yourself filling up your day of worship with activities and work that you could and should reserve for other days? When was the last time you spent quality time with the Lord for a whole day?

The Lord set aside a day for rest from his labors and proclaimed it to be holy. He told us this for a reason. He set an example for us to follow. Is it any wonder why so many of us struggle in our walk with Him? Is it any wonder why so many of our churches are struggling? If we fail to honor the Lord with a day of rest and reflection on Him, we can’t expect him to bless us in the rest of our lives.

One more thought. I wonder what would happen if the church were to set aside a day in which nothing else was on the agenda but to rest in the presence of the Lord. I wonder how many people would show up or stay around for such a day. Could we stand doing nothing for a whole day but to rest and wait on the Lord? Maybe we should fast from all of our busyness sometime and see what might happen. I suspect that we would sense God’s presence in a way we haven’t before. The Lord will not renew our strength as long as we are too busy to wait before Him.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

WE ARE UNIQUE

Gen. 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let us make people in our own image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all lifethe fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals." So God created people in his own image: God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.

We are unique, set apart from all the rest of creation. We have souls which never die; we are spiritual beings. We have the ability to reason and make choices based upon our reasoning ability. We have the ability to grasp who God is and respond to Him. We have the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. We have the ability to love and be loved, to accept God or reject Him. We have the ability to discover and create new things. We have the ability to subdue creation and use it for our good. In other words, we are created in the image of God.

But, man messed up his privileged status. Man made a choice to sin against God. He became knowledgeable about sin and became subject to its consequences and condemnation. Man became a victim of his choices and hopelessly out of fellowship with God. Shame and guilt were introduced to his soul. His innocence was forever taken away. His pathway to God was no longer an easy road. Life became very difficult for him to live. Pain and suffering became his lot.

God recreated man at Calvary. He made it possible for man to once again have fellowship with God. Jesus made it possible for man to break free from the bondage of sin and respond to God’s love for him. We are now able to think clearly about life and eternity. We now are able to understand how to live so that we will be able to live with God, both now and eternally.

Man was without life until God breathed into him life. Spiritually we have no hope apart from God breathing into us His life. He is the breath of our souls. If we don’t allow Him to breathe for us, we are spiritually dead, bound for an eternity in hell. It’s as simple as that. In order for Him to breathe for us, we must cooperate with Him. We must let Him into our hearts and have control of us. We can trust Him to keep us alive and healthy. Let go and let the Lord be the breath of your life.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

IN HIS IMAGE

Gen. 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves…"

Mankind is not the product of some evolutionary process. We are not some accident of nature. We are the product of God’s creative mind and heart. God made us in his image. We are like God is. We have the reasoning ability of God. We have the ability of God to appreciate beauty, to love and be loved, to make choices, and to live with the consequences of our choices. We are like God in the sense that from early on in our conception we are eternal beings. God is spirit and we are too, albeit our spirit is encased in flesh and bones. Like God, we have capacity for heart fellowship. We are like God, but we are never equal to God.

Notice that God declares Himself to be more than one. We know He is three distinct personalities in one: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are like God in His entirety. We have characteristics of all three personalities of God, blended together to make us unique and wonderful creations.

When we try to explain ourselves apart from God, we rob ourselves of any logical reason to exist. Only in God’s creative act do we find cause to believe we are special and life is worthy to live. Only in God’s creative act do we find reason to have hope, joy, and peace. We are made by God’s design in His likeness. Think about it. We are more than our existence on earth. We are eternal spiritual beings who have the capacity to enter into a relationship with God. We have the capability of living a holy life like God who is holy. We can be who God created us to be; it is our choice to make.

"Thank you, our Father for making us who we are. Thank You for making me, me. Thank You for your thoughtful design. Thank You for making me a mirror image of yourself. Help me, Lord, to live up to your expectations for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen."

Monday, January 9, 2017

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD

Gen. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

God never set out to prove himself to us. He doesn’t give us any more information about himself other than He is. He tells us exactly what we need to know, in the beginning God. If we don’t get it here, the very first book of the Bible, we are going to have a very hard time getting much of anything from the rest of the Bible. God is. Period. He always has been and always will be who He is, God. We can’t understand God’s origin, because He has none. We can’t understand His power, because He has the power to create all things. We can’t understand His mind, because He is the one who thought of all of creation’s details--from the minutest to the most majestic. We can’t understand His goodness because it is cloaked in His holiness. There is nothing about God we can know or understand about God apart from what He reveals to us. And, what God has chosen to reveal to us is only what we can handle. He cannot be contained by our limited ability to comprehend.

God begins his Word with the declaration of His existence. We start with faith. God is and He has created all things. We don’t depend on man’s knowledge about where we came from or how we came into being. God conceived us and brought us into being. We are the workmanship of His hands. We are who we are because we are His, the product of His design, not some accident of nature that evolved over millions of years. God exists independently of man’s understanding of Him. He always has been and always will be, God.

Everything that exists has the thumb print of God on it. It is what it is because it is exactly what God intended for it to be. There is no part of creation that does not have a reason and purpose for its existence. What we don’t know God does. By faith, we rest in God, the creator of all things.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

COME TO JESUS

Rev. 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let each one who hears them say, "Come." Let the thirsty ones comeanyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge.

It is an open invitation for all, "Come." The heart of God is fellowship. He wants to have a relationship with everyone. He wants all to repent so that He can have fellowship with them. The Lord will not deny anyone who comes to Him for eternal life forgiveness and acceptance. He will satisfy the longing of every soul who comes to Him.

God created a thirst in every soul. There is a longing in the soul that needs to be satisfied. Man will always strive to quench his thirst, but only Christ can satisfy it. Everything man does is an effort to find that which satisfies. Everyone is looking for soul satisfaction. Some seek it in the things of the world, the pleasures of the world, or the religions of the world. Satan is a master deceiver and distracter. He knows how to occupy the heart of man so that he does not find his satisfaction in Christ. He knows how to convince man that other things will satisfy man’s longings other than Christ.

There is a huge price to pay when seeking satisfaction apart from Christ. All roads taken apart from Christ lead to self-destruction and ultimately to hell. The soul will never be satisfied unless Jesus is found. God freely gives eternal life through Christ to anyone who comes to Him. Whoever gets tired of chasing after those things which cannot satisfy and comes to Christ for the forgiveness of their sins will be saved and find what they are looking for. Only Jesus can satisfy the longings of the soul.

Dear friend, if you are a child of God today, only Jesus will satisfy the longings of your heart so don’t chase after the things or pleasures of this world. If you have let other affections take over your life, return to Christ who alone will make your heart content. The more you set your heart on Christ, the more content and happy you will be.

If you are not a child of God, don’t waste another moment of your life. Bow at Jesus’ feet, confess your sins, ask Him to forgive you, and then embrace Him as your Savior. You will be glad you did.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

HEAVEN!

Rev. 21:3-4 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever."

We are not home yet. We are not where God is at. He is amongst us and within us, but this is not where He dwells. God’s home is beyond description. It is a place where there is no sin, sickness, sorrow, soreness, or separation from God. It is a place that is filled with nothing but the glory of God. It is a place where all who live there are pure in heart and holy to the core of their being. It is a place completely devoid of all that is sinful and evil. It is a place of pure joy all the time.

There will be a shout from the throne of God declaring that we made it, that we are finally home. What a glorious moment that will be! The reality will hit us like a ton of bricks. All that we longed for will be before our eyes. The splendor and glory of heaven will be ours to enjoy forever and ever. Our faith will be done away with for then all faith will be made sight before our very eyes.

We live in a world that is dark with evil. Sin manifests itself in a multitude of ways all the time. There is no reprieve on earth from sin. Wicked is the heart of man and we cannot avoid it. In this world there is great pain and sorrow. We bear the consequences of sin in our bodies, minds and souls. It takes tremendous effort to stay away from sinning against God. It takes tremendous dedication and determination to live holy lives on earth.

In heaven what takes so much effort on our part on earth will be the norm. Everyone will be holy and pure in heart. Everyone will exercise godly love naturally. We will no longer need to stand guard over our souls, because no sin will be found there. We will no longer be plagued by selfishness, greed or pride. We will no longer feel alienated from God for God will be there with us always. We will no longer feel like we are all alone, for all who will be there will be lovers of God like we are. There will no longer be divisions amongst us, for we will truly be one in Christ.

Hang in there, dear friend. It will be worth it all when we get home to see Jesus and live with Him forever.

Friday, January 6, 2017

THE BOOK OF LIFE

Rev. 20:12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done.

Everyone who has ever lived will stand before God’s throne to give an account for how they have lived their life. God knows quite well what is going on in our lives and through our minds. He knows whether or not Jesus makes us tick or not. He has recorded in heaven how we live and whether or not Jesus is our Savior.

Now, whether or not there are actual books in heaven that God keeps to record each one’s life is not important to know. What is important is that God knows. He is able to distinguish each soul from one another, to know their hearts, and not forget any of it. He has personal knowledge of everyone and will hold everyone accountable for his life.

Those who are His have their names written down in the Book of Life. Each name written there has been put there by Jesus, written in the precious blood of Calvary. Jesus alone has access to the book. Only those who are truly saved will have their names written there. He alone has the authority to open it, write in it and reveal whose names are written there. On Judgment Day He will open the Book of Life and those whose names are written there will enter into heaven with Him.

God will reward those who have done well and judge severely those whose names are not written there. All of the redeemed will receive their just reward. Those who are the most faithful will receive the greater rewards. We need to be faithful in our love for the Lord. Those who are faithful will live life consistent with the life of faith, they will pursue and put into practice those things which produce strong faith, and they will let faith determine and impact the things they do, say, and think. Let us live so that great will be our reward in heaven.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

AT GOD'S JUDGMENT SEAT

Rev. 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead in them. They were all judged according to their deeds. And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death--the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life were thrown into the sea.

God makes it very clear, there is coming a Judgment Day. Every human being who has ever lived will stand before God, stripped of everything but their naked soul. God will know everything there is to know about the soul and will determine justly where we will spend eternity. His standard for judgment will be His holiness and the righteousness of Christ. God will show mercy to those who deserve it and judgment to those who don't. No one will escape their appointed time for judgment. Those whose names are recorded in heaven will be heaven and those whose names are not found will end up in hell.

There is a mystery surrounding God's judgment that we will never solve on earth. How He will judge fairly all humanity we will never know. There are multitudes of people who have never heard of Christ. There are multitudes of people who have never had the chance to hear. We don't know how God is going to treat them. We are told that all will be judged according to their deeds. God knows what we do and why we do them. We don't know what all will enter into God's judgment, but we do know that God is holy and will make no mistakes. Each of us will spend eternity exactly where we deserve to be.

The issue is not what we don't know, it is what we do know. Do you know for sure that you are ready to face God? The only opportunity you will ever have to be ready is in this life. There will be no second chances once you die. And, you may only have today to be ready. We don't know when our last opportunity may come to get right with God. Jesus wants to help you know for sure you are ready. Will you let Him help you today?

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

ON CHRIST'S THRONE

Rev. 3:19-21 "I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends. I will invite everyone who is victorious to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne."

Do you like to be disciplined? Most of us try to avoid it. We don't like the discomfort and pain that it often brings. We don't like to see ourselves deserving of it. We don't like to be shamed because of what we may have said or done.

The Lord disciplines those He loves. It can happen in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. More than likely He disciplines us when we wander away from Him and drift into sinful behavior. His discipline can come from the chastisement of others, His Word as we meditate on it, a lack of peace and joyfulness in life, the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, God withholding His blessings from us and allowing us to experience troubled times of life, etc. However the Lord chooses to discipline us, it is always for our good with the intention of drawing us back to Him.

The Lord wants you to pay attention to Him today and quit treating Him with indifference. He is waiting patiently at your heart door for you to open it up to Him and let Him in. He wants what is best for you and to save you from yourself. He wants to show you just how wonderful fellowship with Him really is. He will not force His way into your life. You must invite Him in and let Him lead you into a life of peace and joy. It may not be comfortable for you while He fixes things up in your heart, but the reward will be victory over sin and it will be great.

Think about what it means to sit with Christ on His throne. We cannot possibly grasp all that it means for us. In fact, we probably know very little of what it truly means. What we do know is that Christ sits on His throne with constant exposure to God on His throne and that He sits in victory over sin. There is never a moment in which Jesus is away from God in all His glory. The power and authority that is God's rests in Jesus. He does anything He desires to do because He always does what is holy with purity of heart.

When we sit with Christ on His throne, we become like Him. All that Christ is rubs off on us. We become like Him and are able to live holy lives capable of doing anything our hearts desire because we desire from pure hearts.

The Lord invites us to join Him on His throne. Are you sitting with Him today?

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

OUR NEED FOR THE LORD

Rev. 3:17 "You say, ‘I don’t need a thing! And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked."

It is a dangerous thing to get the attitude that you are just fine the way you are, that you don’t need anything else from the Lord. Whenever we begin to get the idea that we have arrived in our walk with the Lord and we don’t need to pursue growth anymore, we become fools in our thinking. In this life, no one ever gets to the point where they can stand on their own two feet and coast the rest of the way home to heaven. We need the Lord at all times and must always lean on Him and not our laurels for our salvation.

We stumble and fall whenever we become content with who we are in Christ. There must always be a need for Him and a desire for more and more of Him. We never have been and never will be self-sufficient in our spiritual lives.

We are easily convinced that we are where we need to be with Christ. What we must accept is that apart from a vibrant relationship with Him, we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked beings. Sin consumes the soul that tries to live independently from Christ. Sin takes over when we cease to understand our need for Him. When we lose our sense of need for the Lord, we quickly drift away from Him and lose our way to Him.

Take a moment, pause and think about what you need from the Lord right now. What are you facing that sure could use God’s guidance, strength, grace, wisdom, comfort, encouragement, or patience? Or perhaps, you need His forgiveness, greater faith, greater understanding of truth, or better understanding of yourself and your place in His kingdom. Whatever your need may be, we need the Lord, every day and every hour. Blessed is he who understands this life-changing truth.

Monday, January 2, 2017

GOD'S REPULSION

Rev. 3:14-16 "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen--the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!' "

There are so many professing Christians who need to hear this message over and over again. They are lethargic when it comes to their faith. They drift along in life without much of anything happening in their walk with the Lord. They profess belief in Christ and claim His forgiveness for their sins, yet that is about all that their faith amounts to. They go through life without much fire in their faith. They are not witnessing for Him, or seizing opportunities they are given to grow and serve. They are content to believe so that they won't go to hell when they die, but are not much interested in taking faith any further than that. Maybe you are one of them. They don't read their Bibles much or pray only when they are in need.

Jesus gives us this warning: it doesn't work. God does not accept lukewarm Christianity. It repulses Him when we treat faith as nothing more than fire insurance. He wants our passionate allegiance to Him. He demands it. If you are not set on fire for God, you are treading on dangerous ground. Only he who is passionate about God is able to accomplish anything for God. Passion is what drives us to do what we do.

Passion is what keeps us from living in sin. It is what keeps us seeking God. It is what keeps our flame of love burning brightly for God and others. It is what keeps us wanting to tell others about Him. As far as God is concerned, there is no such thing as a listless Christian.

A passionless Christian is no different than one who is cold towards the things of God. In fact, he is probably better off being cold than lukewarm. At least, someone who is spiritually cold is not pretending to be someone he isn't.

Hear what the Lord says about those who treat faith with such contempt, "I will spit you out of my mouth!" If you are treading water and not going anywhere in your faith, let the Lord fire you up now before it is too late.

Sunday, January 1, 2017

HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU HAVE

 

Rev. 3:11-12 "Look, I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write my God's name on them, and they will be citizens in the city of my God--the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And they will have my new name inscribed upon them.

The Lord is coming quickly, how soon we don't know, but when He does it will be very quick. We must always strive to be ready at all times. We must hold on tightly to the faith we have. We must not let anyone hinder us from living in Christ or for Him.

We must stay the course and live in victory over our sins. We who do are the pillars of the faith. We are in Christ and Christ is in us and that will not change. God puts His name on our hearts; we are children of God. Jesus will help us live up to His name and when He comes to take the church out of the world, we will be included in it.

Oh, what joy is ours! Heaven is our eternal home! We are not on our own, God is with us each step we take! God is not ashamed to call us His children. He goes the extra mile to keep us strong and steady in faith.

There is no greater pleasure than to know that God is for us. Think about it; Jesus today is preparing for us our heavenly home. He ministers before our Father on our behalf. He protects us from God's holy wrath. He stands before our Father and speaks on our behalf. We are loved by God! We are claimed by God as His own! We have been given a reason to live and die. No one can pull us away from our Lord as long as we cling to Him. Delight yourself in the Lord for when you do, He delights himself in you.