DESPERATELY WICKED

 

DESPERATELY WICKED

Jer. 17:9-10 “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” NLT

If we are honest about it, most people do not have a clue as to just how bad the human heart really is without Christ. Most people see themselves in a much better light than God sees them. Most look at others and consider themselves just as good, or better, than them. Most do not see themselves as bad people. They believe that they are good enough just as they are and when they die, they will go to heaven.

God does not see us the same way that we see ourselves. He knows what the heart is really like behind our “goodness” or persona. He looks at the heart and if He does not see the righteousness of Christ blanketing it, condemns the soul to hell. He knows that without Christ no one can ever be good enough for heaven for the heart is by nature sinful and deserving of hell.

God searches every heart and examines every motive. He knows the reason why we do what we do and judges us accordingly. He does not cater to our sins. He has shown us clearly how we can get rid of our sins and be good enough for heaven. He has given us opportunity to choose whether or not we will accept the righteousness of Christ as our own or depend on our own. Because He loves us, God provided a way for us to get rid of our sins, Jesus. Only Jesus can forgive and take away our sins. Each day lived without Christ is one day closer to an eternity in hell.

God declares very clearly and boldly that we will get what we deserve. Our living will either affirm our belief in Him or it will betray what we profess to believe. We will be judged not by what we believe, but how we live. Faith without the works proving it is not saving faith. Saving faith is holy living. Without it, no one will see God.

It is impossible to fool God. You will get exactly what you deserve when you die, heaven or hell. The choice is yours to make. Choose today whom you will serve. As for me, I choose to live in Christ and go to heaven when I die. Will I see you there?

PEOPLE WILL FAIL YOU

 

PEOPLE WILL FAIL YOU

Jer. 17:5 This is what the Lord says, “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the LORD…..” NLT

This verse reminds us of a very real danger in the Church today. There are a lot of people today that gather a following solely based on who they come across as being. Because of the technology available to us, people with a lot of charisma are easily noticed. People with strong personalities can gain a following fairly easily. People can be put on a pedestal without a lot of problem and with very little real scrutiny. People follow people, many of whom are dangerous people to follow.

Whenever churches are built around individuals, there is a real danger of people being led away from the Lord. Most people are not students of the Word and will believe whatever they hear without examining whether or not it lines up with the Scriptures. When error is cloaked in truth, there is a weakening of faith. Soon a stand is taken on things that simply are false teachings. It then is an easy step to turn away from the Lord, all in the name of truth. No one should be believed unless what is proclaimed is the truth of the Gospel.

We must be vigilant caretakers of the truth. We must never allow anything but the truth of the Gospel to be taught and proclaimed in the Church. We must quickly challenge those whose message is not sound Biblical teaching, and if the message is not changed to line up with the Scriptures, the messenger must be removed immediately from leadership in the Church.

It is also imperative that we be very careful about what we read from popular pastors and leaders in the Church. Just because someone has a following and is in a prominent position does not mean that what they write is true or edifying. Many hearts are turned away from the Lord by digesting the writings of so-called leaders in the Church.

Our allegiance must always be to the Word of God, not the messenger of it. God declares that those who follow man rather than the Word are cursed because their hearts are turned away from Him. Fix your eyes solely upon the Lord, the author and finisher of our salvation. Flee from those who draw people to themselves. Flee from those who clamor for the spotlight. Don’t let anyone or anything turn your heart away from the Lord.

NO COVER-UPS

 

NO COVER-UPS

Jer. 13:23 Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you always do evil. NLT

There’s a huge difference between covering up your sins and your sins being forgiven. People are cover-up artists when it comes to their sins. We masquerade well the true nature of our souls. Many put on good fronts. They are good people doing good things, in and outside of the church. They have the respect of those who know them. They may even be leaders in the church and community. It’s not all that hard to come across as being a good person. With a little bit of effort, a person can stay out of trouble and be well-liked by those who know him.

But, who a person really is cannot be covered up. Beneath the appearance of goodness lies the soul. And, the measure of goodness of the soul is not based on the goodness of one’s living. The Lord declared that before God no one is good. We are born into this world without Christ, and we will die without Christ unless we turn to Him for the forgiveness of our sins and let Him rule our hearts. No one can live well enough of a life to change the nature of the heart. Only Christ can change the evil heart of man into a righteous heart before God.

God is not impressed by what impresses us. He does not acknowledge the good deeds we do without Jesus in the heart. There will be many who will stand before God standing on their own righteousness thinking that it will be good enough to get them into heaven, and God will declare them unknown to Him. Only Christ is our righteousness before God. He is the only way our souls can be made right before God. Jesus forgives those who come humbly before Him, own up to their sins, and confess them to Him. When a person does this, God no longer sees him as unworthy of heaven but embraces him as His child. And his sins are forever wiped out of God’s memory; he is a new creation in Christ.

If you are trying to make it to heaven by being and doing good, it will never work. You are a sinner bound for hell until you let Jesus be your Savior and Lord. It is impossible to cover up your sins with your goodness. God sees right through it and sees your sinful heart. Repent now and let Christ be your righteousness and holiness from God.

YOU CAN'T HIDE

 

YOU CAN’T HIDE

Jer. 13:23 Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you always do evil. NLT

You may be able to hide who you are from others, but you can never hide who you are from God. It’s easy to appear to be who we are not. We can do the right things, say the right things, be in the right places, and hang out with the right people, but if the heart is not right with God it doesn’t matter. There are so many of us who know how to come across in a positive light. We want to be looked upon as children of God. We don’t want others to see our downside, the side that is prone to wander away from God.

We may even convince ourselves that all is well with us and God. But, the Lord knows the heart. He knows whether or not we are all show and no go. He does not honor the living of those who are not right with Him. If your heart is not right with God, what you do is deemed to be worthless and useless to God.

If you have any question at all about your heart condition before God, examine the Scriptures. Let God’s Word show you how you are doing. God makes it very clear what we need to be like, what we should be doing and not doing, how we should think about things and others. A careful reading of the Word leaves no sin unturned, and it shows us the pathway of holy living.

It is imperative that we take seriously our heart’s condition before God. Before you try to live a Christian life, you must first let Christ make you one. Only Christ can change the heart of man from one that is evil to one that is righteous and holy. Only Jesus can make what we do acceptable to God.

BOAST ONLY IN THE LORD

 

BOAST ONLY IN THE LORD

Jer. 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says, “Let not the wise man gloat in his wisdom, or the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!” NLT

It is so easy to become proud of ourselves and brag on ourselves. It seems to come naturally. We like to see ourselves in a positive light. We like to think of ourselves as being successful. It makes us feel good to look at what we have accomplished in life. We like it when others recognize our accomplishments and admire us for it. It’s an ego trip that we all like to take.

However, we must fight the urge to do so. Our boasting must not be self-centered, but God-centered. We must never forget that the most important thing in life is to know the Lord. We must boast only about the Lord and what He does for us. We must acknowledge who He is and proclaim His goodness. We must be quick to speak of His love and take great delight in it.

Satan wants us to think about ourselves. He knows that as long as we are focused on ourselves and our accomplishments, we won’t honor the Lord. He takes delight in robbing the Lord of the credit and honor due Him. Let us not fall into Satan’s trap. Let us always be careful to honor the Lord with our praises. Let us take delight in Him and Him alone. Let us gratefully accept from His hand our blessings and bring Him glory through them. Let us be a people who dwell in the richness of fellowship with the Lord and take delight in Him.

If you find yourself thinking too much about yourself and what you have accomplished in life, repent now of your self-centeredness and let the Lord be the delight of your heart.

THE HARVEST IS FINISHED

 

THE HARVEST IS FINISHED

Jer. 8:20 “The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone,” the people cry, “yet we are not saved!” NLT

There is coming a time very soon in which there will be world cry similar to this. When Jesus comes to take the Church out of the world, the world will be in dismay. There will be an awareness that it is too late. The harvest is done; the day of redemption has come and gone. There will be many who will be in great agony and despair for they will know that they waited too long and were left behind. For those who listened but never took to heart the Gospel message, there will be the haunting reality that they are not saved.

We don’t know when that day will be. Right now the harvest is going on. The summer season is almost over. There are so many things happening in the world today that point to the soon return of Christ. There seems to be a deep anticipation in the Church today that we are in the latter stages of preparation for His coming. Much work yet needs to be done in the harvest field.

Jesus declared while He was on earth that the harvest field was ready. He sends many out into the field and those who can’t go, He sends to their knees to pray for the harvest and the harvesters. No one will be saved without those who pray for them and for those who go to them. We have an enormous task ahead of us. God is not willing that anyone would miss out on heaven and neither should we be. Jesus sends us out into the world to proclaim salvation and to disciple those who will believe. It is our mandate until Jesus comes.

There are so many in the world who know they are not saved and want to be saved, but don’t know how. They need someone who will care enough to come alongside of them and show them the way of salvation. Will you pray? Will you go? It is not enough for you to be saved. You are mandated to go and help others that they too may be saved. Will you do your part? If you really love Jesus as you claim to do, you will.

LISTEN TO GOD!

 

LISTEN TO GOD!

Jer. 7:24 “But my people would not listen to me. They kept on doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backwards instead of forward.” NLT

We need to think about what the Lord is saying to His people here. Although in this context the nation of Israel is being addressed, I believe it applies to us as well.

It is our nature to want to do what we want to do and not what God wants us to do. Ingrained within us is the tendency to be drawn away from God. We naturally want to resist the voice of God that guides us to Him. Whether you are a believer or not, it is true. Our sinful nature left alone will cause us to slip backwards away from God.

Our only hope of resisting our urges is to work hard on our relationship with Christ. We must resist the mindset that once we are saved, we can coast our way to heaven. We live by grace, but grace without works is no grace at all. It takes effort to stay connected to God. It is not possible to live in Christ and not be changed. He changes our natural desires to resist and pull away from Him. He changes the very direction of our lives. He changes our desires so that we will listen to Him and not shut Him out. The more we work on developing our ties with the Lord, the quicker our growth will be.

I don’t believe there is any neutral ground upon which we can stand as Christians. We are either growing closer to Christ or we are drifting away from Him. If we are drawing closer to the Lord, we are consistently reading and meditating on His Word. We are seeking ways in which we can become who God says we are and need to be. We are seeking ways to apply to life what God tells us to do. We as well are spending time in fellowship with the Lord, talking to Him, and worshiping Him.

Listen to the Lord. Let Him draw you closer. Learn from Him. Lean on Him. Let Him have His way with you.

STOP! LOOK! LISTEN!

 

STOP! LOOK! LISTEN!

Jer. 6:16 So now the LORD says, “Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, “No, that’s not the road we want!” NLT

Stop what you are doing right now and take a look at the life you are living. Are you living a life that you know God is pleased with? If not, why not? How did you get to where you are at right now? What took the place of God in your heart of first importance to you? What is keeping you away from God’s Word and your prayer closet?

Maybe you haven’t actually wandered away from the Lord and yet sense that something just isn’t quite right. Maybe you faithfully read His Word and pray, but deep down you know that you are not connected with God the way you should be. If this is you, take a moment and look once again at the life of holiness that God calls us to travel. It is a difficult and demanding road that perhaps you have chosen not to travel on much. You will never be close to God unless you strive to be holy, for He is holy. You cannot truly follow the Lord without fully surrendering your heart to Him and living a holy life.

Other paths of life seem so attractive. They offer much more immediate pleasure and so many are traveling on them. Sacrificing holiness of heart for immediate pleasure will always lead to unrest and misery for the soul. It will never satisfy beyond the moment. Yet, because it is so much easier to live for the moment instead of eternity, we often take the easy way. In fact, most will totally reject God’s way. They are not willing to pay the price for eternal life.

Dear friend, what about you? Do you need to stop what you are doing with your life and get off the path you are on? Do you need to take another look at the “old, godly way” and walk in it? You will never find rest for your soul unless you do. God promises peace, joy, love, grace, and soul satisfaction to all who strive to be holy.

ETERNAL TRUTH NEVER CHANGES

 

ETERNAL TRUTH NEVER CHANGES

Jer. 6:16 So now the LORD says, “Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.” But you reply, “No, that’s not the road we want!” NLT

Stop right now and think about this verse for a few moments. Don’t be in a hurry to do something else. I don’t know what your church upbringing was like, but chances are what church is like for you today is not the same as what it was when you were growing up. Times have changed, we have changed, and the Church has changed.

The church I grew up in was conservative in thought and practice. The Gospel was preached faithfully. Testimony time was the norm and not the exception. Altar calls were common. Wednesday night prayer meetings were normal where people actually knelt and prayed at the altar. Holiness was proclaimed. Revival meetings were a part of the church life. Church fellowships were an essential part of our social lives. There was great security, comfort, and stability in the church.

As I look back on my early church experiences, one thing that really stands out to me is that you knew where you stood on Biblical truth. You did not have different spins on truth. You knew the way to holy living and were often challenged to live it. You didn’t cater to people’s whims. You proclaimed the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Holiness was not an add-on to the Gospel message, it was the Gospel message. In many churches, holiness is never proclaimed.

In many churches today the Gospel message has shifted in emphasis. We like our Gospel to make us feel good and comfortable. We don’t like to be confronted with sin. We don’t like to be told we need to repent. We don’t want preachers to get specific about sin. We want sin glossed over. The Lord says, “Stop it!” He says, “Return to the message I first gave you. Pursue godliness and travel down its path. There you will find rest for your soul.”

Don’t be like the majority who say they no longer want to hear what God wants for us. Don’t let the masses dictate what your soul needs. Pursue godliness and you will find rest for your soul.

PAY ATTENTION

 

PAY ATTENTION!

Jer. 6:16-17 So now the LORD says, “Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.” But you reply, “No, that’s not the road we want! I set watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet!’ But you replied, ‘No! We won’t pay attention!’” NLT

Sound familiar? Some things never change. The Lord has always reached out to mankind and warned them to change their ways before it was too late. He has always tried to help man understand that to continue on in a life opposed to Him was both futile and fatal. We need to hear what God is saying to us today.

Notice that the rebellious spirit was emphatic. There was an attitude of strong rejection of God. There was no way they were going to listen to God, repent, and change their ways. Their defiance doomed them to a life without hope or rest for their souls.

If you are sinning against God today, “Stop right where you are!” Don’t be foolish and ignore the old, godly way He has shown you. Pursue godliness and you will find rest for your soul. Don’t be like most people who in their stubbornness and arrogance refuse to listen to God. Don’t insist on living like you want to rather than as God wants you to.

The message of God is crystal clear. He has warned you about the dangerous path living in sin leads to. He knows what lies ahead of you if you insist on dabbling in sin. He loves you and wants to spare you the pain and self-destruction that comes from sinful behavior and thought. He wants to give you peace and rest for your soul today. Will you let Him?

AN IDOLATROUS HEART

 

AN IDOLATROUS HEART

Jer. 5:23-25 “But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned against me and have chosen to practice idolatry. They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the LORD our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of plentiful harvests.’ Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.” NLT

Idolatry is the turning of our affections away from God and towards someone or something else. It is what we deem to be most important in our lives. It is robbing God of the love and devotion He deserves. It is denying God the gratitude of our hearts for who He is and what He has done.

Idolatry is sin and prevents God from blessing our lives. Where idolatry resides there can be no peace or joy from God. Any benefits that may come from an idolatrous heart are very fragile and fleeting. They fail to satisfy the longing of the soul. Don’t let sin take away from you the blessings the Lord wants to give to you.

If you want to make it to heaven, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, not just part of it. You shall put Him before anything else in your life. You shall acknowledge His role in your life as your Father. You shall not attribute to anyone or anything else the glory do Him. You shall live in awe of Him, for He is God, who provides for your every need.

Don’t be stubborn and rebellious. Don’t turn your heart away from Him. Don’t chase after the empty promises of the world. Don’t let the momentary pleasures of sin draw you away from God.

Let the Lord be your God. Let Him fill your life with His life. Acknowledge Him and give Him the glory and honor He deserves in all things and you will be truly blessed.

PLOW UP YOUR HARD HEART

 

PLOW UP YOUR HARD HEART

Jer. 4:3-4 This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. Cleanse your minds and hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of your sins.” NLT

The first thing we must consider today is, “Have we allowed our hearts to be hardened?” Before we answer this question, let’s pause for a moment and consider what that may mean to us. Our souls must be soft and pliable before God if we are going to be right with Him. We must be like soft clay in a potter’s hands. We must be able to be molded and shaped in any way the Lord wants us to be. We must be willing to let Him get rid of all imperfections in our lives. We must be willing to be made into what the Lord wants us to be and not what we want to be. We must be willing to be used to serve His purposes and not our own. We must be willing to let Him determine what goes into our souls and not us. It takes concentrated effort on our part to stay soft and pliable because sin hardens the heart. It contaminates the soul and prevents us from reaching our potential in the Lord’s hands.

We can prevent a lot of our sin problems by watching the company we keep. When we linger in the presence of sinners, sin often rubs off on us. We see and hear things that infiltrate the mind and conditions it to be accepting of sin. Like seed planted amongst thorns, our growth is often stymied and stunted. We lose our effectiveness as a witness and child of God.

We must take sin seriously and cleanse our hearts and minds of it. We may not like it, but if we want to live holy lives, we must do it. We must confess our sins and change our ways. We must be willing to change what entertains us. We must be willing to change what we think about. We must be willing to change everything that hardens our hearts towards God.

The alternative is not very good. God’s anger is poured out on those who refuse to repent and be softened before Him. God does not spare the soul from hell who will not strive to live free from sin. He is gracious and forgiving towards those who sincerely try, but to those who don’t, He has no mercy.

Are you letting sin into your soul to harden it? Get rid of it while you can before it sets in place permanently and makes you the object of God’s wrath.

INSINCERE SORROW

 

INSINCERE SORROW

Jer. 3:10 “But in spite of all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry,” says the LORD. NLT

Israel and Judah had fallen away from God. Their attempts at reaching out to God were feeble at best. They wanted all of what the world had to offer and yet retain a semblance of their religious identity. God was an afterthought in their lives rather than a forethought. God was turned to only in times of great distress and danger. Sincerity was not their strong suit.

Many of us are just like that today. We too lack sincerity in our walk with God. We too want to have what the world offers and still be identified as followers of Christ. We too give lip service to Christ and not heart service. There is a shallowness in the life of the Church today that is downright scary. We are easily worked up emotionally and think that is godliness. We become so caught up in ourselves that we fail to move on to the deeper life of holiness. We accept with our minds holiness of living, but not with our hearts. We fail to sincerely pursue godliness in our thinking. We treat living in Christ as if it doesn’t really matter. We think that a “profession of faith” at some time in our lives will automatically get us into heaven. Our sorrow over sin is more that we got caught than it is a sorrow that we have disobeyed and offended God.

We think that it is enough to “worship” the Lord an hour or two out of our week. We think that as long as we put forth some effort to be Christ-like that it is good enough. We think that holiness is an option, not a necessity, in our lives.

We think that as long as we repent of our sins it’s okay to repeat them. We somehow get the idea that God doesn’t care what we do. We think that He loves us and will overlook our lack of holiness, that God is not as strict and demanding towards us as He was to those who lived before Christ.

I wonder what the Lord thinks about the way we think and live.

TWO EVIL THINGS

 

TWO EVIL THINGS

Jer. 2:13 For my people have done two evil things. They have forsaken me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! NLT

God is charging the Israelites with two things here: they have forsaken Him, and they have built their lives on things that have no value at all for their souls. We need to look at ourselves as well and ask ourselves if God might say the same thing about us.

Have we forsaken God? Obviously, we can declare that most people have. We cannot go anywhere outside the church without facing unholy people. But, what about inside the church, can we be accused of forsaking the Lord? Have you or I forsaken the Lord? Let us pause for a moment and take a serious look at our lives.

Are we living out God’s Word as we should? God makes it clear that we are to live holy lives before man, lives that are characterized by godliness and not sin. How much sin do we allow to creep into our hearts? We don’t always know it when sin creeps in, but most of the time we do. We are not as careful as we should be about letting sin influence what we do, say, and fill up our minds with. When we are careless about sin, we are in a sense forsaking the Lord. We are not standing guard over our souls like He expects us to. We are not keeping Him the first love of our lives. If we love Him, we will obey Him.

Are we keeping the Lord the primary focus of our lives? Does our love for Him determine how we live? Do we love people or things more than we love the Lord? If such is the case, we have forsaken Him.

Are we building our lives on things that have no soul value? The Living Water cannot be contained by the soul that is not made of eternal material. Living for the things of the world prevents the soul from holding onto eternal life. No matter what it is, the only thing that will keep God in our hearts is our faith in Him. A life that is not faith built and faith led will not see God.

We must understand this. Living for anything other than the Lord is a one way ticket to hell. If Jesus is not your Savior and Lord, you are not going to make it to heaven.

Examine your soul today. Is it cracked? Is it keeping Christ in? Is it full to overflowing? Or, is it running dry? Ask the Lord to repair your damaged soul. Confess your sins and let Him remove them from you so that you can live a life that is full of Him and pleases God.

YOU MUST GO

 

YOU MUST GO

Jer. 1:6-8 “O Sovereign LORD,” I said. “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” “Don’t say that,” the LORD replied, “for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken. NLT

Maybe you understand all too well Jeremiah’s lament. Maybe you too have been given a task to do by the Lord and all you can see is your inadequacies. Maybe you too have argued with the Lord and expressed why you can’t do what He has given you to do. Or, maybe others have so convinced you of how inadequate you are that you don’t see yourself as being able to serve the Lord beyond your comfort zone.

Hear what the Lord is saying to you today. No matter what you, or others, may think about you, you ARE able to do what God is sending you to do. The Lord doesn’t send His children out on their own to sink or swim. He goes with them to take care of them as they go. The Lord is with us to show us exactly what to do and how to do it. He is with us to strengthen us for the task set before us. He is with us to calm our fears as we step out in faith. He is there to empower us to so that we don’t quit because of the people who may oppose us. He is there to give us all the resources of heaven to use as we obey Him. There is no excuse for not doing what the Lord gives us to do.

The Lord told Jeremiah you MUST go. Jeremiah wasn’t told wherever he was to go or whatever he was to say; he was just told he must go. It’s not for us to decide the task or the details. We are just to obey. Now, we do have the option of not obeying, but as Jonah found out when he tried to not go and obey, the consequences aren’t so good. God never sends us out without a purpose or a plan on how to complete the task He sets before us.

When we obey the Lord it is good for our souls and good for those we are sent to. Don’t resist God’s will for you. Trust and obey Him. He will go with you and help you each step of the way to complete His will for your life.

GOD'S KNOWLEDGE OF US

 

GOD’S KNOWLEDGE OF US

Jer. 1:4-5 The LORD gave me a message. He said, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” NLT

What a wonderful thing to know! The Lord knows us before we even develop in the womb. Don’t ask me how He knows us then, but He does. If only we could somehow let this wonderful truth get a hold of us! I suspect that if we were to truly believe it is so that it would change a lot of our thinking today. Much of the discussion about human life would change. Abortions would happen a lot less frequently. How we take care of life as it develops in the womb would change. How we value human life would change. Everything changes when we grasp the fact that God has knowledge of us from the moment life is created.

Each life is known and special in God’s sight. Your existence is not unnoticed or unknown. God knows who you are and cares about you. No matter how others may have treated you in the past or are now treating you, God knows you and loves you. He longs to take you into His arms of love and let you know you are special to Him. He wants you to know today that your life has enormous meaning to Him.

The Lord not only knows us, but He has plans for us. Everyone’s role in life is different, but everyone has a role to play. Many times, we never discover what our role is because of sin we allow into our lives. Many times, we get selfish and stubborn and not open ourselves up to what God wants us to do. Many times, we allow the world to determine the direction of our lives.

The Lord shows us what He wants us to do when we wait before Him with willing hearts to follow Him into whatever He has for us to do. We wait before Him with pure hearts eager to do His will. He puts us into our place of service when we give Him permission to do so.

Are you living out God’s plan for your life? Do you know for certain that God has led you to where you are today in life? Are you impacting your world for Christ today?

The Lord knows you and has known you from the moment of your conception. How does that make you feel? God has His fingerprints all over your life. You are special in His eyes. He knows you and has wonderful plans for you. He has brought you this far and will lead you the rest of the way if you will let Him.

Let God have His way with you, and you will see just how wonderful His plans for your life really are.

GOD'S PLAN FOR YOU

 

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU

Jer. 1:4-5 The LORD gave me a message. He said, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” NLT

What has the Lord appointed you to do? God made it very clear to Jeremiah that his life was no accident. God knew him before he came into being. God knew just how to orchestrate Jeremiah’s life so that he would be properly equipped to do what He had in store for him to do. God had a specific plan and purpose for Jeremiah’s life and He wanted him to know about his life’s purpose. Knowing what it is that God created him for would help Jeremiah to stay strong and true to the Lord throughout the many stormy times of his life.

Is every life orchestrated by God like Jeremiah’s was? I am not knowledgeable enough to speak authoritatively about that. I do believe that there are no accidental or mistaken human life. God gives each life a soul and they are born to have life in Christ and have fellowship with Him. We are created for God’s own good pleasure, but so few ever realize their purpose in life or find Him. Sadly, most fall into the darkness of sin and never find their way out. For those of us who do find our way out, we discover that God does have a plan for our lives, and we prosper the best when we live it out.

God gives each of us all the tools we need to fulfill His plan for our lives. We are uniquely gifted to do what we do. No one can step into our shoes and be us. God makes available to us all the resources of Heaven to help us reach our potential. God assigns each of us a task to do, and when we do it, we find real peace and contentment in life.

It is important for us to know what it is we are to do with our lives for the Lord. If you don’t know what your role is in the Kingdom of God, then you need to wait before Him until you do. You need to spend time studying and meditating on the Word. You need to spend time getting to know the Lord intimately. You need to open yourself up to the Lord and let Him have all of your heart. You need to give Him all of your resources and giftedness. When you give Him your all, the Lord will show you how to best serve Him and bless you as you do it.

GOD MAKING NOISE

 

GOD MAKING NOISE

Is. 66:6 What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the LORD taking vengeance against his enemies. NLT

Have you given any thought to what kind of noise the Lord is going to make in His house? Think about it. The Temple takes on two forms today: the Church and the believer. We are compelled to ask, “Is there anything in the Church or us that may cause God to take vengeance on us? Is there sin in the house? I believe we need to take a serious look at ourselves and answer the question.

What is behind the things we do? Do we embrace all who embrace Christ as Savior, or do we shun some? Do we seek to grow in grace and our knowledge of Him, or do we become complacent and satisfied with the status quo? Do we seek to justify ourselves, or do we allow the Lord freedom to work in our midst and ourselves?

The Lord is coming to judge the earth and the Church as well. Many who believe they will escape God’s wrath won’t. Many churches will be left behind when Jesus comes because of their defiant stand against Biblical truth and the way they handle the truth. Many will realize too late that there is only one Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ. It is not too late to repent. But we must do it now, for today is the day of salvation. When the Lord comes back, it will be too late. He calls those making all the noise His enemies.

God spoke to Elijah in the quietness. It was in the quietness that Elijah was able to hear God’s voice. There is very little quietness in the Church and in our lives today. We seem to be bent on drowning out God’s voice. We surround ourselves with noise to the point where we get nervous in the quiet. It makes me wonder if all the noise is meant to keep us from hearing from God like we should. I suspect that many of us do not want to hear God speak because we know that He would speak to us of sin. We entertain ourselves with the noise in the hopes that God won’t get too close to us. We try to keep Him at arm’s length so that we don’t have to repent and change. Much of the noise we surround ourselves with is terrible, and the noise the Lord will make when He cleans house will be terrible.

God will not be mocked. He will judge sin in the Church and in our lives. We must quiet ourselves before Him and let Him have His way with us. The Lord will wait only so long before He takes vengeance on His enemies, those who live in sin and mock His holy name.

A HUMBLE AND CONTRITE HEART

 

A HUMBLE AND CONTRITE HEART

Is. 66:2b “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.” NLT

A humble heart is one who knows who he is without Christ and who he is in Christ. He understands that without Christ he made a real mess of his life and was not able to be good enough to ever please or be accepted by God. He understands that without Christ he was bound for hell and deserved it. He understands that he owes his salvation to Christ alone and has no hope or help from God apart from Him. A humble heart is a grateful heart for all the workings of God in him to make him holy.

A contrite heart is a broken heart over sin. He knows that he has sinned against God and is truly sorry because of it. He knows that he has no one but himself to blame for his sin. He knows he has no righteousness apart from Christ and comes to Him for it. A contrite heart is one who determines in his heart that he will do better, that he will with Christ’s help, go and sin no more.

One who trembles at God’s Word understands that the Word of God is absolute, that it is God’s final and only standard for living. He understands that God’s standards are so much higher than anything that he can achieve on his own. He understands that he falls so far short of God’s standards and must constantly examine his heart in light of it. He understands that he must conform himself to what God says, no matter how difficult it may be for him to do so. He understands that God says what He means and means exactly what He says. He regards God as one to be highly respected and revered because He is God.

God promises that He blesses those who have humble and contrite hearts who regard His Word with the highest of respect and seek to conform his ways to it. God blesses those who regard Him as the one who holds eternal life in His hand and judges the soul according to how he responds to Him and His Word. God’s blessings are on those who know that their salvation is serious business and live accordingly.

God blesses those who are humble in heart, broken in spirit and have a high regard and respect for His Word.

GOD HAS MADE IT ALL

 

GOD HAS MADE IT ALL

Is. 66:2a “My hands have made both heaven and earth, and they are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken. NLT

Whatever your beliefs may be about the origins of life and the universe, God declares that He did it. He does not leave any room for doubt in His Word; He created the heavens and the earth. Right from the beginning of His self-revelation, He declares that He spoke into existence all things. He declares that in a matter of six days everything came into being out of nothing but His mind and mouth. To say that it didn’t happen that way is to undermine the reliability of the Scriptures and our faith. If God’s Word cannot be trusted to be true in all it declares, then it can’t be trusted to be true in anything it declares.

The Bible doesn’t tell us the exact details of how everything came together and became what it is. I believe that instantaneously everything came to be what it is by the power of God’s spoken word. He knew what He wanted, what was needed, how they needed to be, and He made it that way. I believe that God has the power to create something out of nothing to make it look like it has been forever. I believe that God has the power to create every known detail of what is known to exist and those things which we don’t even know exists. I believe that God purposely created all things the way they are so that life as we know it and need it to be on earth is what it is.

God created all things: heaven, the universe, earth and hell. He created the uniqueness of every form of life as they now exist, or ever has existed. He created all things uniquely beautiful and gave each one purpose for their existence. He created all things exactly as He knew they needed to be and nothing was created flawed. All of creation is God’s handiwork and speak of His glory.

Our response to God should be that of bowing down before Him in admiration, appreciation, and adoration. Let the wonder of it all fill your soul today. Give God the credit due Him. Don’t try to figure it all out and find a way to explain existence apart from Him. God said it, God did it, and God is keeping it altogether. Someday God is going to change things; He is going to create a new heaven and earth, and it will be so full of His glory that we can’t even imagine how wonderful a place it will be. In the meantime, let us just open our eyes up and enjoy the wonder and beauty of the world we live in. God created it for our enjoyment. Let us sing forth His praises today.

BETTER DAYS ARE COMING!

 

BETTER DAYS ARE COMING!

Is. 65:17-19 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth—so wonderful that no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more.” NLT

There are better days coming! The Lord has a plan for us that far surpasses anything we have ever known. He is creating a new heaven and a new earth. The process has already begun. When the time is right and the process is complete, it shall be put in place. This new heaven and earth will be so wonderful that every memory of this earth and life will be wiped from our memories.

In that day there will be so much joy that our praises will fill the new heaven and earth forever and ever. There will be nothing there that will ever make us sad or weary again. Happiness will be everywhere. Everyone there will be a delight to be around. Everyone will get along with everyone else. There will be no pecking order, no selfish ambitions, no self-promotions, no using of anyone for personal gain, no personality disorders to content with, nothing that will cause fellowship to be broken.

In that day the Lord will take great delight in us. He will be able to walk freely amongst us because there will be no more sin in us. His presence will be seen and felt everywhere. There will be perpetual joy and happiness, no more weeping and crying will come from us. There will be nothing there that could ever cause us to be sorrowful or grievous of heart again.

What a wonderful place the Lord is preparing for us! He is working today to prepare us so we will be fit to dwell there. Don’t hinder the work of the Lord in you to change you and make you holy. He loves you so much and wants to make sure you don’t miss out on the place He is preparing for you. Let Him have his way with you.

GOD WILL JUDGE ALL SIN

 

GOD WILL JUDGE ALL SIN

Is. 65:6-7 “Look, my decree is written in front of me; I will not stand silent; I will repay them to the full! Yes! I will repay them---both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors,” says the LORD. For they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. I will pay them back in full!” NLT

The Lord is speaking here to the Israelites. He is warning them about what to expect when He is ignored. The Lord will not stand silent. He will mete out justice when man sins against Him. The Lord may seem to be silent while the world is living in sin, but be assured, He will judge sin in the world. The Lord has never failed to keep His Word and never will. No one gets away with sinning against God. NO ONE.

Before man was ever created, God knew that most would reject Him. He knew that there would be those who would follow after the wickedness of their hearts and spurn Him. He decreed in heaven that those who reject Him and lived in sin would pay in full the price for their rebellion. Because the Lord loves us, He created us with the freedom to accept or reject His love. He longed for a people who would love Him in response to His love. He has so much love to give and considered man worth the investment of His love. Yet, because He is holy, He cannot ignore the sinful heart. He cannot accept into His presence any sin whatsoever. Those who live and die in sin must spend eternity in hell for man’s soul never dies.

The next time you are tempted to sin, remember this truth. The Lord knows all about every sin you commit or propose to commit. He knows every sin in your heart and mind, and He holds you responsible for them. The only way you are going to avoid paying the price for them is through the shed blood of Christ on the cross. You have no hope for God’s mercy apart from the righteousness of Christ given to you on the cross. Jesus is the only way you can be forgiven and avoid God’s wrath against your sin.

If you know Jesus today as your Savior, praise Him for His salvation and for protecting you from God’s judgment. If Jesus is not your Savior, run to Him right now while you can. Confess your sins before Him and ask Him for His forgiveness. He will forgive anyone who comes to Him with a sincere heart.

SEARCHING FOR GOD

 

SEARCHING FOR GOD

Is. 65:1 The LORD says, “People who never before inquired about me are now asking about me. I am being found by people who were not looking for me. To them I have said, ‘I am here!’” NLT

If there ever was a time in history in which people were searching for God, it is now. Albeit, most are searching in all the wrong places; nevertheless, there is a real interest in God. Life’s events often trigger a search for God. When things happen that are out of anyone’s control or ability to change, God is looked to. Man looks for God when he is utterly helpless and in desperate need.

We must stay alert for those around us who are searching for God so that we can help them to discover the truth about God and not some counterfeit idea about Him. There are so many absurd things that are being said about God, how to reach Him, and how He affects human life. We must be grounded well in our own relationship with Him and in His Word so that we can help others avoid being sucked into the false teachings in the world and church.

Satan is a master teacher and deceiver. He convinces most people of things that are not true about God. He begins by casting doubt in the mind about the absolute authority of God’s Word. He masterfully leads people away from the Word and interjects other perceptions of truth in the mind. He disguises untruth with the truth until the untruth prevails. He twists the Word, takes it out of context, ignores parts of it, adapts it, and alters it so that it is totally different than what it is. He makes it sound good and attractive so that those who are searching for God won’t find Him.

People looking for God need people who know the truth and are able to lead them to Him. They need people who are not afraid to seize opportunities given to them to speak out for Him. They need people who are able to help them find the Lord. The Lord longs to have a relationship with those looking for Him. He cannot be found in the false teachings of the church. He cannot be found anywhere but through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. There is only one way to heaven where God is, and that is through Calvary.

People who never before were looking for God are now searching for Him. They are everywhere you are at. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see those who are looking for Him. Ask Him to help you be the one to take them by the hand and lead them to Him. He is near and wants to be found. People need people like you and me to show and them and tell them the way to Him.

INFECTED WITH SIN

 

INFECTED WITH SIN

Is. 64:6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. NLT

Sin drives us away from God and keeps us away from Him. Sin clouds our thinking and causes us to think we are good enough for God on our own and as we are. Sin is like a cancer cell in the soul. If left untreated it multiplies and soon takes over by destroying the good cells of righteousness. If not caught in time, it cannot be treated. There is nothing good about sin left unattended to in the soul.

Sin must not be left untreated. It will suck the life right out of the soul. It will so alienate the soul from God that there is no more joy or peace for living. There is no such thing as an “innocent sin.” There is no such thing as a little sin. Sin is sin and must be dealt with in order for there to be peace with God. Some have the idea that because we live in grace and are children of God, it doesn’t matter, that we don’t have to concern ourselves with the sin that creeps into the soul. But, it does matter! God commands us to be a holy people, a people after His own heart. We cannot be holy before God while harboring sin in our hearts.

Don’t put off dealing with sin. Humble yourself before Christ, confess it, and ask Him to forgive you. He will do it, but only if you ask Him to. He will not force forgiveness on you. And, He will not forgive you if you only partially give Him your sin. You must open your heart up to Him and give Him permission to come in and clean house, every sin lodged there.

It doesn’t do any good to try and hide some sin from Him. The Lord knows your heart and every sin there. You may deny that there is any sin there, but both you and the Lord know better. We are all guilty of sin. No one lives a sin-free life. We all sin and fall short of God’s perfect law. We all need our Savior. We all need His righteousness and a soul free from sin.

A heart right with God is one who humbly knows he needs Christ’s forgiveness and turns to Him for it. It is impossible to be good enough to not need forgiveness.

HOW CAN GOD LOVE THEM?

 

HOW CAN GOD LOVE THEM?

Is. 64:5 You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways. But we are not godly. We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us. How can people like us be saved? NLT

We understand how God can be receptive to the godly. It’s not hard to understand how the godly are favored by Him. It is hard for us to grasp how God can save the ungodly, those who constantly live in sin. We easily dismiss the ungodly as being beyond the reach of salvation. We understand how good people are easily loved but fail to understand how bad people can be loved by a loving God.

Maybe you see yourself as being too much of a sinner to be loved by God. No one is beyond the scope of God’s love. He loves all people equally, regardless if they love Him in return or not. He loves all because He is love. He longs to have a relationship with everyone, including you. He gladly welcomes all who come to Him for the forgiveness of their sins and a life in Him.

We are prone to look down on the ungodly, but what we fail to grasp is that all of us who are saved were amongst the ungodly. Each of us were just as they are now, sinners in need of a Savior. All of us constantly sinned against God before our salvation. None of us knew what it was like to be loved by God. All of us willfully did not let the Lord into our hearts. All of us once were subject to the wrath of God.

Instead of looking down on the ungodly, we should have compassion on them. They have enough people in the world who look down on them and judge them for the way they choose to live. They need people who genuinely love them and care for their souls. They need people to help them find their way out of their sinful lives. They need people to accept them for who they are and prayerfully be a witness of God’s grace before their eyes. They need people who believe in who they can become in Christ if they would only surrender to Him.

How can anyone be saved? It is only through God’s grace and His out poured love on our lives. No one deserves it, but all can have it. God desires a relationship with everyone. He knows that all won’t accept His offer to save them, but that doesn’t change His love for them. God won’t give up on the lost and neither should we. Someone cared enough about you to love you while you were a sinner and pointed you to the Lord. Someone prayed for your salvation. Will you do the same for someone you know?

GO OUT! PREPARE!

 

GO OUT! PREPARE!

Is. 62:10 Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. NLT

The thought that jumps out at me here is the mandate to go and prepare a way for people to return. As Christians, we are sent out into the world. We are to go out amongst those who are not Christians. We are not very good at doing this. We want people to come to us, not we go to them. We would rather remain cozy and comfortable than get our hands dirty by going into the cesspool of sin to reach whom we can.

We are to prepare the way for people to return. We are to make a way for people who want out of their sin to get out. It may take us thought and work, but if we are willing, we can help people find their way to Christ. Many people remain in sin because no one has been able to show them how to get out of it in a way they can understand. Everybody has a basic need for Christ. Ask the Lord to show you how to be an effective witness to someone you know.

We are to smooth out the road. The way to salvation is often complicated by the doings of others. Some people who profess Christ make a mess of things and perhaps leave a bitter taste in the mouths of unbelievers. We can help smooth the road by not being like that. We can live holy lives before the world so that the world can see what Christians should really be like. We can by our actions and words refute the failures and weaknesses of faith of others. We can live in such a way that others will want what we have by removing the obstacles others have placed on the path.

Examine your life and talk. What kind of a witness for Christ are you? Do you turn people on to Christ or turn them off? Are you a boulder in someone’s pathway or are you a smooth pathway to God? Let all who see you see Christ in a positive light. Let all see that Christ can really change us into a holy people. Let all see what life is really like when Jesus is both Savior and Lord of life. You may very well be the only one who someone sees Christ through. Strive to be the person God wants you to be.

OVERWHELMED WITH JOY: PART TWO

 

OVERWHELMED WITH JOY: PART TWO

Is. 61:10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. NLT

“I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.” Why do most people dress up when they get married? Isn’t it because one’s wedding is an honorable and memorable day in the couple’s lives? It is a day in which a public commitment is made to live in a relationship with each other in ways they never had before. It is a day of great joy and excitement that they want to share with family, friends, and God. It is the beginning of the process of blending two lives into one that lasts until death.

The day of salvation is like that. It is a very special and unforgettable day in the life of a person. It is a day in which life is forever changed. It is a day of not looking back wishing it had never happened. It is a day of looking forward to what is yet to come. It is a day of commitment that binds the soul to God for all of eternity. It is a day of great joy and excitement. It is a day to be shared with others over and over again. It is a day in which the old passes away and all things become new.

Oh dear friend, revisit that wondrous day. Remember the joy you knew when Christ saved you. Recall the changes He has made in your life. Renew the commitment you made to Him that day. Let the joy of salvation reclaim your soul today. If your soul has become stale and you have taken your salvation for granted, flee to your Savior and let Him rewash you in His precious blood. Let Him put on you a new robe of righteousness so that you can once again know the joys of your salvation.

Losing that sense of joy doesn’t happen overnight. We get busy with life and put it on the back burner of our lives. We neglect to read God’s Word and pray. We find excuses to not be in church. We forget how important it is to keep our souls constantly fed. Before we know it, we are spiritually dry, absent of the joy we once knew.

Now is the day of salvation; now is the day to return to your first love for God.

OVERWHELMED WITH JOY: PART ONE

 

OVERWHELMED WITH JOY : PART ONE :

Is. 61:10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. NLT

When was the last time you were overwhelmed with joy at the thought that Jesus saves and that He has saved you? Be honest. If you are like most of us, you don’t live on an emotional high much of the time. You simply do not get all excited every time you think of salvation. It doesn’t mean that it is not real or precious to you; it’s just not possible to always feel the excitement of it. Yet, it is good to think about what the Lord does for us in salvation. It ought to cause us to appreciate it more and bow before Him in thanksgiving, praise, and love.

He has clothed us in salvation. Without clothing we are embarrassed to be seen. Clothing covers up our flaws. It covers up parts of the body that should not be seen by others. It keeps us warm. It protects us from the elements. It makes us more attractive to others. Clothing comes in a wide variety of styles and sizes. We wear our clothing differently. And, we wear our clothing for our common good; it helps to keep us from tempting others and being tempted by them. Now, consider how salvation does these things for us. We call it God’s amazing grace.

He has draped us in robes of righteousness. Robes add to the ability of clothing to keep us warm. They are often used to add distinction to our appearances. They sometimes speak of honor and dignity, and even authority.

Let the joy of the Lord flood your soul today as you bask in the wondrous glow of your salvation. Lift up the name of Jesus, thank Him for saving your soul, and praise His holy name. Put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. You are a part of the family of God!