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04/03/06
TRUTH WITH NO FINE PRINT

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:20 "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen."

I saw a picture of a decorative flower cart in a mail order magazine. The advertisement pictured it with several normal sized flowerpots and said that it was 43" in length. I got real excited about this bargain because I had just recently seen one at an antique store, which cost about seven times the amount of the one in the magazine. I thought the huge difference in the price was because the flower cart had to be assembled. I figured that even with the shipping cost, I would still save much money and have a beautiful cart for my plants on the patio. I was kind of proud that I had made this incredible find.

To my surprise, however, when the cart was assembled, it turned out to be much smaller than what the picture indicated. I thought there must be a mistake so I looked up the item in the catalogue to make sure that I had not misread the measurements and to verify that I had received the correct item. Sure enough, the magazine read 43" in length, but in very fine print to the side, it said, "w handle" or with handle. The length of the handle was counted and included as part of the length of the cart. I guess that all of the flowerpots shown on the cart in the picture must have been miniature ones. The advertisement was misleading to a degree, and I could have sent the cart back, but the cost of the postage was nearly as much as the cart. After the shock and disappointment, I enjoyed a good laugh at myself because it was entirely my fault for not paying attention to the fine print.

This incident reminded me of the goodness of God and the integrity of His word. We don't have to be on guard when God speaks, for He is never misleading and His promises are never empty. All of His words are true. When He told us that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life, that is exactly what He meant. There is no fine print to distort this promise. If you believe on Him and receive Him into your heart as Savior and Lord, you will be saved. His words are never meant to deceive. When He painted us a picture of Heaven by saying that the streets were of pure gold and the gates were made with huge pearls, He was speaking the truth. He was not trying to lure us into Heaven by showing us an enlarged photo of an actual miniature. He declared His love for us and said that His mercy endures forever, and we can believe it, for He does not hide a lie beneath the mask of truth. He said that He was anointed to bring good tidings to the meek, bind up the broken hearted, and preach the gospel to the poor. He also said that He would give us beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. He will never repent or back away from these promises. If He has spoken it, it will come to pass, for He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). All of God's promises are yea and amen and we can always depend upon His Word because there will never be any fine print to nullify His truth. +++

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04/05/06
MATTERS TOO GREAT FOR ME

Scripture: Psalms 131:1 "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me."

David was a great leader and warrior who conquered tens of thousands. He was a man who worshipped and communed with God. He was also the king over a great nation. Yet, even though he had great position and much prestige among the people, he did not allow his heart to become haughty or his eyes to be lifted up in pride. In speaking to the Lord, he expressed his childlike trust. He said, "Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me."

David did not have the answers to all of life's questions. He was human and he went through all of the ups and downs, just as we do. There must have been many things that he did not understand, for there were times in his life when things were really rough. David's life was in jeopardy when King Saul desperately tried to kill him after he had served Saul faithfully. David faced defeat when his city was burned and his family was taken captive. He faced discouragement when his own men blamed him for the incident and wanted to stone him. He was betrayed by his son, Absalom, who tried to take his kingdom from him and his wife mocked him when he worshipped God. He suffered great grief when he lost his young son to death. Then he also had to bear the burden of shame for the sin he committed with Bathsheba and the guilt that he suffered for having her husband killed in battle.

David certainly had a lot to think about as these things may have tried to plague his mind. Yet he made a decision not to allow things that were too high to occupy his thoughts and overwhelm him. He determined to keep his spirit free by keeping his thoughts on God. He recognized that God knew the beginning and God knew the end and that was enough for David. Like David, there are many things in our lives that are crying out for answers. Regardless of how long we analyze and rethink the situation, we can't find the solutions. Questions still remain, "Why do the young die? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the wicked prosper?" Questions that are too high for us only bring confusion. To have peace in our lives, we must come to the same conclusion that David did. We must discover that there are some things that God doesn't share and determine that we will not exercise our minds in those areas. We must let it all go and allow it to rest in the hands of an all knowing and loving God. +++

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04/06/06
AUDIENCE OF ONE

Scripture: I Chronicles 28:8 " ... and in the audience of God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that you may possess this good land ... "

King David desired to build a temple for the presence of the Lord, but because he had been a man of war and had shed blood, God disallowed him this honor, and at the word of the Lord, David put aside all of his hopes and desires. In obedience to God, David gave the pattern of all that the Spirit had put in his heart to his son, Solomon, and allowed him the honor of building a house for the Lord. David was able to lay down his dreams and visions because he was a man after God's own heart and sought only to please Him. He knew that success with God was not measured in ones achievement but in faithfulness to His word.

When David stood before the congregation of Israel to make known the plans and process of building the temple, he exhorted the people to search for and keep all the commandments of the Lord. David spoke from experience, for he knew the personal value of obedience to God and the rewards that came from keeping His commandments. He also knew the results of disobedience and sin. In his prayer of repentance that came about because of his involvement with Bathsheba, David prayed, "Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11). Sin separates you from the heart of God and destroys His purposes for your life. In the heart of David, it was a fearful thought that he would no longer have the privilege of enjoying the presence of and having an audience with God.

You could have the opportunity to stand before multitudes, but like David, you must come to the realization that the highest place that you could ever achieve is an audience with God. When you stand in His presence, you stand before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are in the glory of the Almighty God. You must be dedicated to seeking this awesome audience of One, for only He matters. The Apostle Paul said that it was a small thing to be judged by man or even by himself. His only concern was for the approval and praise of God (I Corinthians 4:3-5). Like Paul, God must be the One sitting upon the throne of your heart. You cannot allow yourself to be moved by the praises or the criticisms of men. When you pray, enter your closet and pray to this audience of One. When you sing praises, sing to His heart and not to the ears of man, and when you give, give as unto Him. God sees your heart and knows which audience you are seeking to serve. When you seek to honor Him in all that you do, He promises that you will possess the good of the land. +++

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04/07/06
LEAD ME TO THE ROCK

Scripture: Psalm 61:2 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

God made this day and we should rejoice and be glad in it, for He makes every day for our pleasure. Yet even though we know that this is true, we experience stress, disappointments, and things that we cannot fix or many times don't even understand. We approach the day with optimism, but amid the confusion we lose our sense of peace because our schedules become hectic and the issues that surround us become horrific. We must deal with illness, death, and situations in our relationships. There are also life changing decisions to be made and financial pressures to cope with. Many times these things leave our spirits totally overwhelmed.

However, God does dot want us to be overwhelmed by any problem, regardless of whether it is large or small. He sent His Son so that we could live in peace and have true joy every day of the year. God's Son, Jesus, is the Rock that is higher than you or me and He is our strength and our security. He is the one we can run to and the one whom we can depend upon when our situations and emotions try to overpower and upset us.

David declared that from the ends of the earth he would cry out to the Lord for help. He was at the end of his ordeal and he felt overwhelmed, but he had hope because he knew that there was one higher than himself. Yet, knowing about the Rock who is higher than us and any problem that we have and finding the Rock in times of pressure are two different things. David had a solution to this situation. He asked God to lead him to the Rock. David knew he would find peace and comfort in God's shelter, for God always met him at the level of his need. God will do the same for you and has given you His word of promise for peace and comfort. When you find your emotions stressed, your body wearied, and you are overwhelmed by any pressure, you can receive help by praying this same simple prayer that David prayed, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." +++

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A Word In Due Season
2nd Week of April 2006

04/10/06
VOID OF OFFENCE

Scripture: Acts 24:16 "I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward man."

The Apostle Paul was a godly man and very knowledgeable about the word of God. In fact, he wrote nearly three-fourths of the New Testament. Yet he never portrayed himself as being "holier than thou" because he faced daily struggles with his carnal nature just as you and I do. In fact he confessed to all of us that the things he wanted to do, he didn't do, and the things that he didn't want to do, he did. Life was just as challenging for him as it is for us, but he never became discouraged. He continually made an effort to press towards the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus in his life. He was very determined to complete the will of God by running the race that was set before him and finishing the course.

As Paul made his journey through life, he not only tried to make sure that his actions were in alignment with God's word, he also disciplined his inner nature. He said that he exercised himself in the area of his conscience because he didn't want anything to stand between him and God or between him and his ministry to others. He made a deliberate effort not to be an offence with his words and actions. You would think this would have been easy for someone as spiritual as Paul. Yet, another translation speaks of Paul's efforts in a more graphic way by saying that he "mortified or put to death his carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires." Paul's act of self-discipline felt like death to him, but he kept himself under control so that he could maintain a clear, pure, and blameless conscience towards God and towards men.

Regardless of how spiritual we may judge ourselves to be, we all have to deal with this spirit called offence because even when we have the best intentions in mind, our words or actions can be an offence to those in our midst. Consider Peter who began to rebuke Jesus because Jesus spoke of His own soon coming suffering and death on the cross. Peter declared that he would never let that happen. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "You are an offence to Me because you do not savor the things that be of God, but those things that be of men" (Matthew 16:23). Peter was thinking merely from a human point of view. He actually meant well but he did not fully understand the spiritual implications of the matter. Jesus was destined to suffer at the hands of men and die a cruel death on the cross because His blood was the only thing that could redeem man from his sins.

Physical exercise is a daily routine and we must do no less in the spiritual realm, for Paul said that he exercised himself "always" in the area of his conscience. As you face this day with its challenges, I encourage you to try to remember his words and personal determination and follow his example. In as much as possible, keep your heart and actions under control. Exercise yourself in spiritual matters and savor the things that be of God so that you can develop and sustain a conscience that is void of any offense towards God and towards man. +++

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04/11/06
THOSE WHO SEARCH

Scripture: Luke 19:5 Jesus said, "Zacchaeus ... come down for today I must abide at your house."

Zacchaeus was the chief among the publicans, meaning that he was over the other publicans who were tax collectors for the Romans. The publicans had very bad reputations, often abusing the tax system through extortion. Because of his position, Zacchaeus had become very rich, yet there was something lacking in his life. One day, he heard that Jesus was going to be passing by, and because Zacchaeus was little in statue, he climbed into a tree to get a better glimpse of Jesus. Can you imagine how Zacchaeus must have felt when Jesus stopped underneath the tree and spoke directly to him and called him by name?

This story is like many others in the Bible. It's a story of a man seeking God and at the same time a story of God seeking that same man. Zacchaeus was in the tree looking down when Jesus stopped and looked up. Even though Zacchaeus was probably trying to hide, Jesus knew exactly where he was physically and also spiritually. Jesus knew all of his secrets and was aware that he was caught in a web of deceit and greed. In His mercy and grace, Jesus told Zacchaeus that He intended to go to his house and eat that day. Jesus wanted to fellowship with the chief of the publicans. He wanted to sit at the table of a thief and for this, Jesus was criticized. Verse seven says, "When the people saw it, they murmured, saying, He has gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner."

Jesus was always found seeking out those with needs, whether rich or poor. It was never difficult for Him to minister to the unclean and outcast. He had no problems reaching out and touching the diseased and those who were living in moral degradation. He continually left the religious folks and gave Himself to the prostitutes and the thieves. He forgot about the laws and it's harshness and allowed His heart to be tender towards the rejects of society. Verse ten says, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost." He was looking for those who needed help and He continues that search today. He knows your secrets and where you are lacking. He knows where you are hiding and He also knows your name. He knows your desires and He is waiting for you to approach Him. Like Zacchaeus climbing a tree, when you diligently seek to make contact with Jesus, He will respond and invite Himself to come and abide with you. +++

A Word In Due Season
3rd Week of April 2006

04/17/06
WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?

Scripture: Matthew 16:15 "But whom do you say I am?"

What a powerful challenge this question was to the disciples of Jesus, and it remains a powerful challenge to us today, as we must also identify who Jesus is to us personally. Jesus had first asked the disciples what other men thought about Him, but His main interest was their own personal revelation. This knowledge that Jesus is the Son of the Living God comes only as God the Father gives insight. It is a supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit. When the disciples identified Jesus as the Christ, they were saying that He was the Messiah that the prophets had spoken about. He was the one that would be anointed to preach to the poor, heal the broken hearted, and do many other mighty miracles (Luke 4:18 & Isaiah 61). They were acknowledging that Jesus was not only the Savior, but that He was their healer and deliver, and in essence that He came to fulfill all scriptures pertaining to the Messiah.

It was upon this personal revelation that Jesus said that He would build His church. Acts 2:21 says, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." There is a saying that sums it up, "Sitting on a pew will not make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage will make you a car." Jesus is still in the process of building His church. Salvation comes only through a personal encounter with Him. And likewise the other things that Jesus came to fulfill as the Messiah only come through the personal realization and acceptance that He is willing and able to do those things. Many trust Him as Lord and Savior, but never release their faith to trust Him for physical healing, emotional restoration, or as the Shepherd that will lead them and meet their material needs.

God wants us to live in the total revelation that His Son, Jesus, is the Messiah. He wants us to receive all that Jesus came to provide. He does not want us to ignore the thirty-nine stripes that were laid on His Son's back for our healing or to forget that the chastisement of our peace has been paid for by the crown of thorns He bore. He also wants us to understand that His Son was bruised for our iniquities and that Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Everything that we need has been paid for by the precious blood of Jesus. Yet, these blessings can only come to us as we receive a personal revelation of who Jesus is and embrace a personal relationship with Him. Our active response to these two things will dictate our answer to Jesus' direct and profound question, "Who do you say that I am?" +++

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04/18/06
KEEP ON ASKING

Scripture: Luke 18:1 (Amplified) "Always pray ... do not turn coward, faint, lose heart and give up."

This scripture deals with a widow who received justice from a judge. The judge gives his account of the situation and explains why he granted her justice. He did not avenge her because he reverenced and feared God. Neither did he grant her petition because he had respect and consideration for her as a person. The judge avenged her because he began to realize that she was not going to give him any peace until she got some answers. Every time he turned around, she was there, and her voice was in his ears. She was bothersome and an intolerable annoyance to him.

In verse seven, Jesus said, just like this unjust judge, "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?" How many answers do we fail to receive because we quit praying and give up? James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." This speaks of Elijah's earnest prayers concerning rain. His was not a "one time" prayer. I Kings 18:42-43 tells us that Elijah cast himself down upon the earth, put his face between his knees, and prayed seven times until he saw that his answer was on the way. Effective prayer continues until there are results. It is like boiling a pot of water. Water must reach 212 degrees before it begins to boil. We can stand there and wait until it reaches 210 degrees and give up each time just before it starts to boil, or we can see the process through.

In Mark 8:22-25, Jesus put His hands on a blind man the second time before the man's vision was restored completely. And Daniel's prayer was heard from the first day that he prayed, but his answer was delayed twenty-one days (Daniel 10:12). Shameless persistent faith holds on until the answer comes. You must never give in to disappointment and discouragement if you want to experience victory. Luke 11:9 (Amplified) says, "Ask and keep on asking, and it shall be given unto you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door shall be opened to you." +++

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04/19/06
IF YOU HAVE BREATH

Scripture: Psalms 150:6 "Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord."

In this psalm, we are exhorted to praise the Lord for His mighty acts and for His excellent greatness. We are told to praise God with trumpets, harps, organs, and stringed instruments. The psalmist then concludes by saying, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." In other words, regardless of your circumstances, if you still have breath, you are to praise the Lord.

Notice the psalmist doesn't distinguish between those who are full of joy and those who are in mourning. Nor does he say let those in health and wealth praise the Lord. He says let everything that has breath give praise. If you are in trouble, but are still breathing, you are to praise the Lord. If you are bankrupt and don't know how you are going to feed your family or pay the bills, you are to still praise the Lord. If your spouse has left you and your best friend has rejected you, praise should still be in your heart and on your lips for who God is in your life. If you are in the midst of a mighty storm or a raging fire, you are to praise the Lord.

If you have breath within your being, you are to forget your ill fate and adverse circumstances and praise the Lord, for you still have hope because God is able to change your situation and restore all things. Look at some instances in the scriptures where praise prevailed. In Habakkuk 3:17-18, even though the prophet's vines, fields, and cattle were not producing, and things were getting very lean, he still rejoiced in the God of his salvation. His praise did not depend upon what he had but who God was. In II Chronicles 20:21, Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go before the army with praises unto the Lord. As they sang, God caused the opposing army to fight against itself, and Jehoshaphat won the battle. Praise confuses Satan. In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God at the midnight hour. They were waiting to be executed, but God opened the doors of the prison by means of a great earthquake and set them free. Praise brings deliverance.

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts is perfect towards Him (II Chronicles 16:9). God is continually looking and listening for those who are worshiping Him with their hearts and praising Him with their lips. When you begin to set your love upon God in this manner, Psalm 91:14-15 declares that God will be with you in trouble, He will answer you, He will honor you, and He will deliver you. Praise is a mighty weapon so if you still have breath, praise the Lord. +++

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04/20/06
CHOOSING YOUR BATTLES

Scripture: Proverbs 26:17 "He that passes by and meddles with strife that does not belong to him, is like one that takes a dog by the ears."

King Solomon spoke very wisely concerning the business of battles. He warned us about getting involved in situations that do not belong to us and described these actions as meddling. For sure, there are many challenges in life and battles will come to the best of us, but Solomon said that if we are not careful in our choices, we will end up being like someone who grabs a dog by the ears. In other words, when we meddle in the wrong battles, they bite back. Solomon's words reminded me of a small and fierce dog that our family used to have. He would have never harmed those to whom he belonged but I pity the stranger who would have tried to grab him by the ears. Even if they had been trying to help him, their good intentions would have been misunderstood and unappreciated.

So it is with life. Choosing the battles that we should get involved in is a difficult matter, for our actions can be misunderstood and unappreciated. So when conflicts present themselves, whether it is our battle or someone else's or whether it is a huge conflict or small skirmish, our first strategy should be to go to God for counsel. God is awesome and His knowledge and ways are much higher than ours. He showed us His wisdom and His mighty power in the battles that were fought in the scriptures. David was a small shepherd boy, but he went to battle against Goliath, the giant warrior. He chose this battle because Goliath was mocking God and defying the armies of Israel. When David's own brothers questioned him about his choice to fight, David answered them with the words, "Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29). David not only chose to defend the cause of God, but ran towards the battle that was set before him and killed the giant. Yet, there were other times when God specifically instructed men not to go against their enemy in battle. When the enemy came against Jehoshaphat, he sought the Lord, and the Lord told him that he didn't need to fight the battle, for the battle belonged to the Lord. God told Jehoshaphat to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord had a unique plan and instructed him to send worshippers into the battle instead of warriors. When the people began to sing and to praise the Lord, God sent an ambush against the enemy and they destroyed themselves (II Chronicles 20:22).

There are battles that we are destined to fight and many times we are called to fight them alone. Like David's situation, the cause may be greater than our own small world, but we can be assured that if God sends us into the battle, He will be our shield and defense. There will be other challenges that we are to simply praise our way through as God fights for us. God may say, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" or "pursue the enemy and take back you territory." Our battles may be conflicts in relationships, financial hardships, problems with our children, health issues, or spiritual matters. Regardless of the challenge, the battle belongs to the Lord, for the Apostle Paul said that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. We must understand that the devil is not an easy foe to recon with, but God in His mercy has provided us with His own armor and spiritual weapons. God didn't tell David, who was known for his wonderful praise and worship, to go out singing before the giant and neither did He tell Jehoshaphat to go against the enemy with a few stones and a sling. Like these mighty warriors, our battles will be won while we are on our knees in prayer. So let us get God involved when we are choosing our battles and make a determination that we will not meddle or grab just any dog by the ears." +++