Walk In His Ways

 "And keep the charge of the Lord your God:
to walk in His ways , to keep His statues,
His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies,
as is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;" I Kings 2:3

David the great shepherd of Israel was near death, and he was charging his son Solomon who was heir to the throne.  It is interesting that he didn't suggest Solomon get a management degree, or attend special leadership seminars.  He didn't give his son any hidden kingly schemes or tactics.  The charge David gave the next king of Israel was very simple yet powerful, he told him to obey the Lord.

  David had ruled forty years and the main lesson he had learned was to walk in obedience.  When we study the history of the kings of Israel we see the sad truth that most of the kings did not obey the Lord.  Those that did honor the Lord were blessed and protected.  Those that didn't honor the Lord, got what they desired, they were left on their own and it brought ruin.

I hope we can all learn the lesson of David.  When we walk in obedience to the Lord, it affords us great protection, and it paves the way for His blessings.

Jesus' Wonderful Grace

"However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."
Mark 5:19

We see here such a wonderful example of the grace of our Lord.  Jesus had sailed across the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gadarenes.  When He arrived a demon possessed man came out to Him and Jesus cast the many demons out of him, and allowed them to enter a herd of swine.  The man who had been uncontrollable was now free and at peace.  The people of the region responded by begging Jesus to leave their region.

Whenever I study this passage I'm amazed at the people who beg Jesus to leave.  How can anyone who had seen the miraculous power and mercy of Jesus plead with Him to leave!  I suppose I shouldn't be amazed, for even today there are many who want nothing to do with Jesus.  But here is where His wonderful grace is extended even to those who want nothing to do with Him.  The man who had been possessed begged to go with Jesus but Jesus would not let him.  Instead He told the man to remain in the region as a testimony to Jesus.  The people rejected Jesus but in His grace He leaves a witness behind to speak of His mercy and compassion.  What wonderful grace!

By the way, in the book of Acts we see the Gospel spread to this region and the Lord moved powerfully as the people received the Gospel readily.  We must wonder had their hearts been prepared for the Gospel seed by the plowing of the testimony of this man whom Jesus left as a witness?

Purpose In Your Heart

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion
of the king's delicacies...."  Daniel 1:8

Daniel had been taken captive to the city of Babylon, and he was chosen with some other young men to be trained to serve in the king's court.  They were to be put into a three year assimilation program.  This program was designed to conform these young men into the ways of Babylon, it included learning the language, laws, religion and literature of their of new land, this even included a change in diet. 

The first step taken by the chief eunuch in charge of the young men was to take away their Hebrew names and give them Babylonian names.  The changing of their names was a powerful way of saying that they were going to begin the process of a change of identity.

The young man, Daniel, knew who he was in the Lord and was determined not to allow his identity as one of God's chosen to be taken from him.  Though under extreme pressure from the culture he was held captive in, he purposed in his heart to remain faithful to the ways of Jehovah.  Because of his determined faithfulness God was able to use Daniel powerfully as a prophet and he is one of our greatest examples of true faith.

We live in a culture where we find ourselves under constant pressure to conform, and the way things have been going, I don't believe this pressure will ease up any time soon.  I believe God wants to raise up men and women to be prophets in this age, and He is seeking those who would be Daniels, and would purpose in their hearts not to conform to Babylon.  I want to be a Daniel, how about you?

Potter And The Clay

Isaiah 29:16  Surely you have things turned around!  Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; for shall the thing made say of him who made it, 'He did not make me?'  Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, 'He has no understanding?'

I found myself frustrated at panel of experts on one of the news stations again.  This time some professor was going on about the evolution of what is viewed as right and wrong, and the need to reform and update religious beliefs.  All who were sitting on this discussion panel with the professor seemed to nod in agreement and didn't question him at all.  In my frustration I began to question and argue with the man as if he could hear me through the television!  The segment ended with me wonder of how many people had heard this brief sound bite and took it for truth without even thinking about it.  I was frustrated, but I was also very hopeful.

Mankind surely has things turned around.  We are seeking wisdom and truth, right and wrong, but have removed God from the equation.  Man is looking for meaning in life, but will not seek the giver of life.  We who are created esteem ourselves as above the creator.  We see the fruit of our arrogance in a society whose foundations are being shaken, and that is what gives me hope.  I am hopeful because man has looked to man for the answers and has found no answers.  Perhaps we have come to the end of ourselves and will once again seek out God.  This is my hope and prayer, that we will see that we have things turned around and will repent and turn back to God!

Remember Your God

 "Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying,
let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? 
For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians that that we should die in the wilderness."
Exodus 14:12

I often wonder how the Children of Israel could have had such little faith.  Sure, they were in a tough spot, the Red Sea was in front of them and Pharaoh and his army were pressing down upon them from behind.  They had no escape in any direction and they knew that the Egyptians would show no mercy, but how could they have forgotten all that God had done for them so quickly?  The Lord had delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt by His great power through the plagues, and had even gone before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  They were in this dangerous circumstance because they had been following the Lord!  Yet, they were fearful and even rebellious.

Usually when I begin to question the faith of the Israelites, the Lord will open my eyes to see myself in their actions.  As I wonder at their lack of faith, I'm reminded of my own lack of faith.  There have been many times when the Lord has miraculously answered prayers, and I have confessed that I would never doubt Him again only to doubt Him again.  If we are honest with ourselves I believe we can all identify with the weakness we see in the children of Israel.

If you find yourself in a season of doubt or a place where there seems to be no escape, it's time to remember your God.  The Lord knows where you are and the troubles you face, He has never failed you, and He never will fail you.  Replace panic with prayer and fear with trust.  If you are in a Red Sea moment, heed Moses command to Israel, "Do not be afraid.  Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord..."

Stepping Out

 "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap."
Joshua 3:13

Faith is something that requires our action. To truly believe by faith, means you act upon that belief.  As Christians we often use the term "step out in faith".  Notice the priests caring the ark before Israel literally had to "step out in faith" into the Jordan before the Lord stopped the flow of the river.  The priests stepping into the water proved they had true faith.  The Apostle Peter was called by the Lord to walk to Him on the sea, and Peter literally had to "step out in faith" upon the water for that miracle to occur.  Peter stepped out of the boat, showing he had faith in the word of Jesus.

We are called to be men and women of faith.  We are to live by faith, meaning we truly put our trust in the Lord and His promises.  Far too many give mental assent to the truths of God but those truths don't impact the way they live.  The days we are living in demand a real vital active faith.  May we be a church that will always "step out in faith"!
 

Forgiven

 "He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."  Micah 7:19


This is for anyone having a hard time believing that God will forgive your sins.  Notice the two things He does to our sins or our iniquities.  First we are told He subdues them.  To subdue means literally to trample down!  Think about it, God's desire is to go after the sin that brings ruin to your life and crush it, to grind it down so it has no affect upon you.

Next we are told God will take our sins and cast them into the deep parts of the sea.  He doesn't keep your sins around to remind you how bad you are or how unworthy you are.  God removes them where they are unseen and not remembered.

The assurance of God's mercy is found in the cross of Jesus Christ.  In Christ our sins are crushed and our iniquities are cast away.  Are you bound by sins past or present?  Find freedom and forgiveness in Jesus who died for you.
 

Guide With The Eye

 
Psalm 32:8 "I will guide you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."

I was on a police chaplain ride-along when we got a call for a possible break-in at a home.  When we arrived at the home, we went around to the backyard and found a door ajar.  We had been joined by another officer and when they saw the open door, both men pulled their weapons.  My adrenaline started pumping immediately and I focused on the two officers communicating without speaking a word.  There were nods, and hand signals, and I think I even saw a sort of wink.

The story doesn't have an adventurous conclusion, the men entered the house and discovered there had been no break-in, it was just a door that was left open.  I was fascinated by the way the two policemen were able to work together so well and communicate in a tense situation without words.  Clearly they knew and trusted each other, and had worked together often.

An important part of my walk with the Lord is my communication with Him.  I love it that He tells me that He would guide me with His eye.  I'd prefer He guide me with His eye, because the alternative in Psalm 32 is being dragged about like a horse or donkey!  To have the Lord guide with His eye requires that I know Him, that I trust Him, and its important that I'm looking at Him!  I'm longing for the day when the Lord doesn't have a difficult time getting through to me, He won't have to shout or flick my ear, all it will take is a nod or a wink.

Chin Up

 
 "For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, 'Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.'  Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands."  Nehemiah 6:9

Nehemiah's enemies were relentless in trying to halt the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.  A main tactic used was to bring fear upon the people so as to weaken their resolve and overwhelm them.  The enemy mocked, threatened, lied, and even hired some false prophets, all with the hope of stirring up fear to stop the work.  Notice the great example of Nehemiah, he wasn't distracted or afraid, he just called out to the Lord and went back to work!

The enemy that withstood Nehemiah is the same enemy who would seek to halt God's working in our lives.  He would seek to bring fear and discouragement to weaken our resolve in pursuing the Lord's best.  If fear is creeping in, turn your thoughts and heart heavenward to our victorious King, call out to the Lord, and get back to work. 

Alan Redpath had a saying that I love using to muster courage in myself and others.  To hearten one in the midst of a battle, Redpath would say, "Chin up, knees down."  Don't be afraid, take a powerful stance for battle, knees on the ground in prayer, and eyes fixed on the Lord!
 

Complete Trust

And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature."  Numbers 13:32

Moses had sent out twelve men to spy out the promised land.  The men had returned with an abundance of fruit from the land, but gave the people a bad report.  With fear they described the people who inhabited the land.  Their conclusion was that if the people went into the land they would be devoured.

It would seem very odd that God would through mighty wonders deliver His people from Egypt, and then lead them into the land he had promised them, only to have them swallowed up.  Yet, that is what the spies reported to the people, and the people believed them.  Because the Children of Israel did not trust the Lord they were not able to enter into His promises.

I wonder how many times we mirror Israel's lack of faith.  There is that little nagging fear in most of us that keeps us from trusting God completely.  We shy away from total trust, as if the God who died for us would lead us to places that would devour us.  God's promises are sure, He loves us and we are under His grace, so let's trust Him!
  

Are You Praying?

"Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench."
I Kings 18:38

The four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal had called out to their god for at least six hours.  They hollered and danced and cut themselves but after all that time and ruckus, we are told "there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
After the prophets of Baal had finished, Elijah stood and said a very short prayer that takes up only two verses of the Bible, and at the end of his prayer, God heard and answered by consuming the sacrifice with fire from heaven.  Out of curiosity I timed myself reading the short prayer of Elijah, and it took me twenty one seconds.  Think about it, the pagan prophets prayed six hours and nothing happened, Elijah prayed twenty one seconds and the power of God reigned down.

There are some good lessons from this.  The first obvious lesson is you can pray all day to nothing and nothing will happen.  Second, the length of the prayer isn't as important as faith in the One you are praying to.  God hears our prayers and answers our prayers.  Are you praying?

They Had Been With Jesus

 
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus."
Acts 4:13

Peter and John were on trial before the rulers, elders, and scribes after they had healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple.  Peter presented their defense, which really wasn't a defense, because all he did was boldly proclaim Jesus.  The leaders were amazed at the two apostles because they answered with clarity and confidence though they were untrained and not highly educated.  The only answer the religious leaders had for these two fishermen who spoke with such authority was that they had been with Jesus.

How excellent that what struck the leaders about Peter and John was not their great looks or powerful statures.  The council was not in awe of their great oratory skills, degrees, titles, or intellect.  They simply recognized that these guys had been with Jesus!

I pray this might be the same testimony of our church.  That we will be a people set apart from the ways of this world.  That the love and unity known here will be the evidence that we are a people who love and hang out with Jesus Christ!

O My Enemy?

 So Ahab said to Elijah, 'Have you found me,
O my enemy?'  And he answered,
'I have found you, because you have sold yourself
to do evil in the sight of the Lord.'
I Kings 21:20

Elijah had never pulled a sword on Ahab or physically assaulted him.  He never attempted to take his life or to rob his throne, yet Ahab saw him as an enemy.  Elijah had called the king to repent, and for the nation Israel to return to God, and because Ahab had sold himself to evil, he saw the prophet as an enemy.

In reality, Elijah calling Ahab to repent was a very loving and friendly act.  It would have been very unloving and unfriendly for Elijah to ignore and not confront the rebellion of Israel and her king.  Because Elijah would not turn a blind eye to the king's sin but called him out, Ahab hated him and considered him an enemy

You may have noticed that Christians may not be the most popular people around today.  Whenever we proclaim the Gospel it is a reminder to those who hear it that something is not right in their lives and they need to turn to God.  Like Ahab, most people don't want to hear that their lives are on a dead end road, so you might be thought of as rude, or pushy, or judgmental or even an enemy.  This should not surprise us because Jesus said it would be this way. What people might think of us makes it difficult, but ought not keep us from sharing.  Please pray everyday that in some way you will be able to with love share the good news!

What Shall We Do?

 "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Acts 2:37

It was Pentecost and Peter had just preached the first sermon of the newly birthed church.  Peter's message was simple and powerful as he clearly explained the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  After Peter had put forth the evidence and prophecies, he stated the clear conclusion that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah.  The people were convicted and three thousand received Jesus that day!

One of the reasons you might resist the gospel is that if you truly believe the gospel, that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and in three days was raised from the dead, it demands a response.  One cannot be ho-hum about this powerful message.  The promise of salvation, freedom, peace, and life in Christ, begs an answer.

Those who heard Peter's sermon felt a powerful conviction and wondered, "What shall we do?"  Peter told them they needed to repent and be baptized.  His charge was that if they believed the gospel, there would be a change of direction and a willingness to live for Christ.  Do you believe the Easter message?  If so, you need to repent and turn to Jesus, and give your life over to His lordship.

Don't Miss Him

"Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, that things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes."
Luke 19:41,42

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the day that Israel had longed for was upon them, and most of them missed it.  How could they have missed it?  The long awaited for Messiah had openly come to Jerusalem, as was prophesied in Zechariah 9:9, and He was not recognized.  The city was packed with pilgrims preparing for Passover, and THE LAMB of God was with them but they ignored Him.  Israel looked for another kind of king, so Jesus was rejected.

I was eating breakfast at a bagel shop, and a man sitting near me began reading headlines from the newspaper to his wife.  After reading about five headlines he set the paper down and said to his wife "what's going on?"  I'm sure most of us have echoed the same sentiment as we have witnessed world events.  The fact is, what's going on is that the world is going through birth pangs in preparation for the second coming of Jesus.  Sadly just as many in Jerusalem were clueless on Palm Sunday, many today are just as blind to God's moving in the world.

There was a small remnant on Palm Sunday who understood that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and they praised Him and blessed Him.  I want to be one of those today, who discerns the times and points to the coming of Jesus Messiah.  Lord open our eyes!

To Die Is Gain

"For I am hard-pressed between the two,
having a desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is far better." Phil. 1:23

Paul knew what he was talking about, for he had already seen that which was 'far better'.  The glory of heaven that he had seen was so far beyond his comprehension that he didn't even have the words to explain it.  In this verse, his only description of heaven still fills us with longing and wonder, for he says it is "far better".

To depart describes a ship being loosed from its anchor to set sail.  What a marvelous picture we are given of leaving this world. In these bodies we are anchored to earth, but one glorious day, we will be loosed from these anchors, and be set free to join our Lord!   To die is gain.
 

Do It Again

"When all that generation had been gathered to their Fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord, nor the work which He had done for Israel."
Judges 2:10

I had read an account of a pastor who was visiting a church in Scotland.  It was the church of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army.  Booth had begun a dynamic work of God that had reached the poor of Scotland, England and eventually spread worldwide.

The pastor entered the church and was moved by a young man standing before a portrait of Booth.  The young man was weeping and quietly praying.  This pastor edged nearer to hear the prayer and he was taken as he heard the man just repeat over and again, 'do it again, Lord'.

Our faith cannot be based on what God accomplished through our parents or grandparents. Our faith cannot rest in what God has done in previous generations. We need God's hand to be mighty among us today.  Our faith needs to be alive and vibrant...energized by what God is doing today.

The world needs the church to be alive.  This generation needs to taste His mighty work today.  May we all pray as one...'do it again  Lord'!

Head Scratcher

"And she said, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!'  So he awoke from his sleep, and said, 'I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!'  But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him."  Judges 16:20

Back in my high school football playing days, I had a coach who would always use little sayings to get his point across.  He seemed to understand the point he was making but half the time I had no clue what he meant.  After a play he might grab me and say, 'good job, that'll work coming or going.'  I would look at him as if I understood, but to this day I don't know what he meant.

There was one saying he had whenever someone made a mental mistake, and we all understood exactly what he meant, he would say, 'now that was a head scratcher!'  I bring up this little high school football memory because when I study the life of Samson I find myself saying quite often 'now that was a head scratcher!'

Samson had come to the sorry spiritual state of not being able to recognize that the Spirit had departed from him.  He thought he would be just as strong as he had always been, not discerning that he was now moving out in his own strength.  Samson had accomplished many mighty feats by the Lord's hand, he had known the power of the Spirit upon him, but had now digressed to the place of walking in his own strength thinking it was the Lord's strength.... 'now that's a head scratcher!'

Samson's blunder ought to serve as a wake up call for all of us.  We can never be complacent or lazy in our dependence on the Lord.  "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.' (Ephesians 6:10)
 

Persistent Prayer

"And he said 'let me go, for the day breaks'.  But he said,
'I will not let you go unless You bless me."'
Genesis 32:26

If you were to do a study of the life of the Jewish patriarch, Jacob, you would discover that most of the time he sets an example you would not want to follow.  His life is filled with striving in the flesh. He was clever, true....yet relied on his own abilities and not the Lord.

In Genesis 32, we find the turning point in Jacob's life and an example for us to follow. Sadly, it took Jacob being crippled to bring an end to his self-will, yet from this we receive a powerful example.  In his brokenness, Jacob latched onto the Lord and would not let go and kept begging for the Lord to bless him.  As a church, we can easily fall into the trap of trying to reach the world by  our own wisdom, programs, and abilities. What the world needs is a church that understands its own inability, yet will desperately cry out to God on behalf of the world. My hope is that we will be  a church that will latch hold of God and persistently intercede for salvation and revival.

Gracious Invitation

 
"But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully and killed them."
Matthew 22:5-6

In this parable of Jesus, we are told of the response of some people to an invitation by a king. Judging by their response, you would think he invited them to a funeral or a time share presentation.  The astounding point of this parable is that the king hadn't invited them to something dreadful, but to something wonderful...his son's wedding feast.  Those invited should have been honored, but instead, some disregarded it and others were angered by it.

We have seen throughout history and even today the same response to our King's gracious Gospel invitation.  His summons is not something bad, but to a blessed eternal feast with his Son.  Sadly, rather than being humbled by His call, many ignore it or are angered by it.

We are the King's blessed servants whom He has entrusted with His divine invitation to man.  As we bring the King's call to the world, it's important to understand that man's rejection of the King's invite does not reflect on the wonderful grace  of His offer, but it reflects the nature and heart of man.  We must never allow indifference or flat out rejection rob us of the joy and goodness of the Gospel entrusted to us. Be bold & invite!

Remember Lot's Wife

"Remember Lot's Wife."
Luke 17:32

Do you remember Lot's wife? Sodom & Gomorrah were under God's judgment & about to be destroyed.  By God's mercy, two angels delivered Lot and his family out of the cities. When they were safely away, they were told to flee and not return.  When brimstone & fire began to rain down on the cities, Lot's wife turned around to go back and instantly became a pillar of salt.

What was it that made her want to go back? The cities and all that were in them were being destroyed yet amazingly she was drawn back!  We are left with the puzzle over why and for what?

Jesus gives us this sobering three-word warning as He was teaching the apostles about His second coming.  Since Jesus is coming back, we are to have a loose grip on the things of this world.  There is no treasure here on earth worth holding onto.  After the warning, Jesus gives a commentary on Lot's wife: "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it".
 

Make Him Known

 
"But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all the land." Matthew 9:25-26

Jesus had raised Jarius' daughter from the dead and not surprisingly the word of His mighty work spread.  Jesus didn't need an agent or publicist to make His name known. His fate wasn't plastered on billboards and there were no ad campaigns. Jesus brought life and He became known.

The best way we can make Jesus known in our time, is for us to fully live in the life He brings us by the Gospel. The world is desperate for His true life, may they see it in us!
 

Awake and Aware

"Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, 
seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8).

I wasn't yet 16 yrs. old when I took my behind-the-wheel driver's training. I remember very little of what my instructor said, except that he continually repeated "be awake, be aware".  We were told the reason for the repeated warnings was because not all drivers on the road were awake nor aware.  Over my many years of driving, I've been kept from a number of accidents because I've heeded my driving instructors warning.

Peter is giving us a very similar warning concerning spiritual warfare. The apostle knew of spiritual warfare and his exhortation is for us to be sober and vigilant. To heed this wisdom will save much heartache. As you walk with Jesus in the midst of this wild world, be awake, be aware!