Choose a Devotional Below:
A New You Burden of the Cross Eggs Carrots and Coffee Fathers Day Fire Insurance Growing Cold I Cant See You Judging Lord On the Lam or on the Lamb Self-Control Shopping Carts Sins Bite Smiling In the Storm Stay or Go The Fear of God Thy Will Be Done Who Am I
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A New You
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16, ESV)
Have you become a new you? When a man has truly been regenerated and transformed into a new creation he cannot help but tell the world (Acts 4:20). It is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that makes you into a new you and it is the new you that brings glory to God. Maybe nothing has physically changed outside of a man, but everything inside has over gone a complete transformation. It may be an immediate and dramatic transformation that happens in the blink of an eye, or it may be a gradual process that takes a lifetime. Either way, there are things that stand out when one comes to Christ, repents, and becomes a new you.
A transformed and regenerated man begins to see life in a completely different way. Perhaps a smile graces the face that had been frequented so readily by a scowl or frown. You begin to overlook slights and offences. You give honor to others and thinks of ways to give glory to his Creator rather than himself. You seek to give credit, not take it. You seek to be humble and submissive instead of proud and arrogant. Gratitude and grace overflow from the heart of the Christian so steadily it cannot be contained or silenced. And that gratitude motivates you to tell the world about Christ. You are thankful for everything.
Accompanying this renewed heart is a desire to serve others. These acts of service, or “good works,” are constantly spilling out of the new man because of his gratitude for the saving grace and continual intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ. They come from a repentant and redeemed heart; nowhere else.
Finally, regenerated hearts are not very concerned with the views of the world but are greatly concerned with the views of the Lord. We strive to please the Lord with our lives and the world notices. We look different. Our very nature is changed into a beacon of hope to a lost and dying world, attracting the hurting and lonely and showing the love of Christ to the world. Is that you? Are you a new you?
Burden of the Cross
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:1-5, ESV)
No one has spoken truer words than this: there is freedom and rest in Jesus Christ. Every heartache, every pain, every sin, and every addiction has already been conquered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Our Lord has taken all of our burdens and afflictions upon Himself and has made a way where there was none. He has given hope to the hopeless (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17), sight to the blind (Luke 4:18), freedom where there was captivity (Luke 4:18) and life where there was death (Romans 6:23). Jesus asks us to drop our burdens, completely surrender to Him, and pick up His cross. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For my yolk is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)
The peace and freedom that comes from making Christ our King is completely unsurpassable. We cannot contribute or add to this peace because it is the sole work that has been done by God. However, if we forget that Jesus Himself is our shelter and our refuge we may fall into a trap. It is the trap in which we begin placing additional burdens upon our backs and upon the cross that Christ has already carried for us.
Focusing on our imperfections will steal our joy and place upon us a burden that we just cannot bear. It is impossible to live our lives as perfect Christians without failure. It is not a question of if we fail but when we will fail. But Jesus loves us enough to have already carried the cross and paid for that sin. This is no way excuses our sins: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:1-3, NIV). But when we fail we must not only acknowledge our failures and repent, but may actually rest in the grace that He gives us and have the peace that can only be found through knowing Jesus Christ personally. That is the burden of His cross, not our own.
Eggs, Carrots, and Coffee
But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It’s like a fragrance that fills the air. (2 Corinthians 2:14, GW)
A young man was going through some extremely difficult times in his life. He was beginning to have many doubts about everything, including his faith. He was even wondering if he could continue living in this broken and fractured sin-filled world. The young man struggled through his embarrassment and finally asked his father for advice.
The young man’s father brought him into the kitchen, filled three pots with water and placed the pots on the stove. Inside the first pot he placed an egg, inside the second pot he placed a carrot, and inside the third he placed one single coffee bean. The father ignited the burners under each pot and kept the pots exposed to the flames until the water began to boil. After only a few minutes the father pulled the egg out of the pot, placed it in his son’s hand and asked, “What has changed?” The son replied, “It was soft inside and is now hard.” Next, the father removed the carrot and placed it in his son’s hand. He asked, “What has changed?” The son replied, “It was firm and is now soft.” Lastly, the father poured some of the water from the pot containing the coffee bean into a cup and asked, “What has changed?” The son replied, “The coffee bean has changed the water around it into coffee.” The father said, “And so it is with us. We must never allow our hearts to become as hard as this egg or allow our courage to fall apart as this carrot. We must be the coffee bean that changes the environment around us.”
As we progress through our Christian walk, we are guaranteed to face extreme conditions that will turn up the heat and test us. Don’t allow the circumstances of your life and your environment to make you too hard or too soft. When the heat gets turned up in our life we have the opportunity to release the aroma of Christ to others around us- to fill the air with the sweet smell of our Savior’s love. We may even completely change our environment. Be the bean.
Father’s Day
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. (1 Timothy 2:8, ESV)
If you want to get to know a man, all you need to do is get him to start talking about his father. From our fathers we learn what it means to be a man. From our fathers we learn acceptance or rejection, humility or pride, gentleness or abrasiveness, integrity or deception, courage or fear. Our father’s hands are either hands that help and heal or are hands of hurt and heartache. We pattern ourselves after the prominent male figure of our lives because that is the way God has designed the family. There is no greater honor, and no greater responsibility, on this earth than to be a godly father. It is one of the most difficult tasks in this life, but it is the honor, the responsibility, and the growth through difficulties that are the rewards of being a godly father.
Fathers are honored to reflect the image of our Heavenly Father, lead our families, and to be included in the creation of human life, but are we really treating fatherhood as the honor and the privilege that we should? We must also understand fatherhood as a permanent duty. It is a calling that we can’t just quit because it gets tough. We are called to protect (1 Tim 6:20), provide (1 Timothy 5:8), take responsibility (Galatians 6:5), teach (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Proverbs 22:6), father the fatherless (James 1:27), serve with sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2), and bring our family to the cross of Jesus Christ (Joshua 24:15). This is your permanent calling and duty as a man. It is set in stone.
Honor your Heavenly Father and godly fathers everywhere by leading your family to the cross of Christ every day. If you have been given the privilege to represent, or re-present, our Heavenly Father, please ensure that you are representing the right image. Because God calls every man to be a father that bears His image. Every day is father’s day.
Fire Insurance
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2, ESV)
Many churches do not like to talk about sin. It’s uncomfortable and convicting, but as a result of this silence about sin many people have the wrong idea about confession, repentance, and what it really means to be “saved.” There are some that see the Christian faith as some sort of “fire insurance,” which saves them from the punishment of sin, but continue to live in their sinful lifestyle. This is not to say that we will not make mistakes and sin. I am speaking of the refusal to repent and willfully living a sinful lifestyle. Perhaps they may have even felt sorrow for things that they have done, but they have never actually changed their mind and sinful behavior. They want forgiveness for the very sins that they continue living in and refuse to discontinue. Sorry to put it so bluntly, but those in this category have not received forgiveness for their sins and are not saved from damnation. Unfortunately, they have the wrong idea of following Christ, and the church bears some of the blame for allowing them to have the wrong idea. When we come to Christ, He forgives our sins when we confess them and repent of them. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, ESV) There are three essential factors to consider here: confession, repentance, and forgiveness.
Confession: To confess simply means to agree. You are literally agreeing with God that you are a sinner, cannot save yourself, and need Jesus Christ to save you.
Repentance: Repentance is not simply feeling sorry for your sins. It means to completely change your mind and actions. It is when you are walking in the wrong direction, decide to stop, turn around and take a step in the right direction. (Psalm 119:128, Job 42:5-6, 2 Corinthians 7:10) It is walking with God as a friend in a personal relationship “in the light” every day of your life (1 John 1:6-7, NIV). Repentance is an active everyday decision- a lifestyle. It’s not one and done.
Forgiveness: Jesus Christ is the complete propitiation (all-covering atonement) for all sin. He gives us grace and we love Him for it. And that grace actually motivates us to reject sin. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:26-27, ESV)
If you read this and your conscience is hurting-if the Holy Spirit is convicting you of anything that needs to be made right-then make it right. Confess, repent, and find forgiveness, cause there’s no such thing as fire insurance.
Growing Cold
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
We all know people that say, “I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian.” I used to say that myself, but if we are to be an obedient Christian, you must (Hebrews 10:23-25). Obedience is not the only reason we gather, however. We gather to hear God’s Word preached accurately and truthfully. We gather to pray and to worship. We gather to fellowship. And we gather to bear each other’s burdens and build each other up (Galatians 6:1-2). Without these fundamentals of community, we will grow cold in our pursuit of Christ and in our relationships with others.
One Sunday, Martin Luther stepped to the podium and noticed a certain man was missing from the pew in which he had always sat. After three weeks absence the Luther became concerned for the man and decided to visit him. Later that evening, he stepped up to the open front door and cautiously walked into the man’s home. The man was sitting quietly, alone in front of his fireplace. Without saying a word, Luther walked over to the fireplace, grabbed the tongs, and pulled out a glowing red ember. He placed the glowing ember at the man’s feet, on the cold stone hearth in front of the fireplace. They both watched in silence as the ember slowly cooled until there was no warmth or color left. Without even looking his way the man said to Luther, “I understand. I will be there next Sunday.”
Don’t grow cold my friend.
I Can’t See You
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (Psalm 18:6, NIV)
One day, when my oldest daughter was about three or four, we were talking in the living room when, in the middle of our conversation, she suddenly decided to leave. She simply walked off into the other room to do her own thing. After only a few minutes she suddenly realized that she was alone and became scared because she could not see me. She yelled out in a panic, “Daddy! Where are you? I can’t see you!” I smiled warmly and said, “I’m still here. I’m just around the corner.” I heard footsteps running down the hall in my direction as she came around the corner at breakneck speed and slammed into me. She wrapped her arms around my leg and hugged me like only a child can. Immediately, I thought of how God hears our cries when we are afraid and feel alone.
Our Heavenly Father is always there listening and paying attention to us (Psalm 53:2, 14:2, 33:13). There may be things around us making it difficult to see God sometimes, or maybe we have simply walked away to do our own thing. No matter our situation, God is still there listening to us, waiting for us to cry out to Him and come running around the corner. He will answer you when you call out to Him (Psalm 34:4). He will reach out and take hold of you and rescue you when you are in trouble (Psalm 18:16). He will embrace you, show you compassion, and love you (Luke 15:11-32). God never left you, even if you can’t see Him.
Judging
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (Matthew 7:1, NIV)
The words “don’t judge” are said a lot these days, but more often than not, people misuse this passage of Scripture. They take this verse completely out of context to curb any attempt of accountability for sinful and immoral behavior. Unfortunately, some Christians are either unable or unwilling to explain this text. Unable due to ignorance, unwilling due to cowardice. Ignorance is easy to explain, they don’t care to know so they don’t know. Cowardice, however, is usually out of fear of offending. But, why is speaking the truth so offensive? If we are doing what is right, why would we be offended by truth? The offense that is felt is most likely not what you are saying but rather what the Holy Spirit is saying. It is He that convicts Christians and non-Christians alike of sin and guilt. And it is sin, or rather exposing sinfulness to the light that is what offends.
Now, instead of assuming what Scripture says, let’s read what it actually says about “judging.” “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5, NIV) Clearly, the intent is not only to discern right from wrong, but to ensure that you are not doing the same thing. Remember, the speck and plank are both the same material- the same sin.
Additionally, the word “judge” has been massively misrepresented. “Judge not” is better translated “condemn not continually.” It means don’t be condemning people out of self-righteousness. Christ does not tell us to be silent in the face of sin. In fact, Jesus says the opposite: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17, NIV) Paul reiterates this to the church at Corinth when one of them had been sleeping with his father’s wife (1Corinthians 5:1-5)! Paul tells the church to “put him out of fellowship” and to “hand this man over to Satan,” because he had already “judged” this Corinthian. However, accept him back if he repents and changes his ways.
The words of Jesus are pretty clear when we read them in their entirety. We must never condone what God’s Word clearly condemns, and we are to occasionally correct our brothers and sisters. But when correcting we must do it in love and with the right intent. We all need some correcting from time to time and we must do it with patience, understanding, love and compassion. But, before you even think about correcting someone else you must first ensure that you are not doing the same thing.
Lord
Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28, ESV)
Scripture does not describe Jesus as a good teacher or a great guy. The Bible does not tell us that Jesus was just a solid dude that taught solid principles, or that He was a prophet or an angel. Scripture describes Jesus as “the Christ,” (Messiah) the “Son of God,” “God made flesh,” and “Lord.” In fact, 185 times in the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as Lord. This Greek word for Lord is “kurios” (koo’-ree-os) and it literally means, “supreme in authority, master, God.”
If Jesus is supreme in authority, and master of everything seen and unseen, and God, then He has the right to do anything He wishes with everything and everyone (Romans 9:21). He owns it all (Psalm 50:7-15). He bought us all. The entirety of humanity that has been created in His image (1 John 2:2), at a price that is incomprehensible (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23) and He has the right to govern what we do, what we say, what we think, what we feel, where we go, and how we operate in life. Because He is the Lord of our lives (Ephesians 1:19-22).
The fact is, Jesus is not just Lord of my life, your life, and of every Jesus follower. He is also Lord of every lost and alone person. He is even Lord of every wicked, sinful, and rebellious person as well. As Lord of all, He could make us serve Him, if that was all He wanted from us, but He wants us to love Him- to choose Him and willingly live our lives for Him and give our hearts to Him. We ought to willingly and joyfully live our lives for Him because He willingly gave His life for us. We live for Him because He died for us.
There really are only two types of people in this world: people that surrender to Jesus and people that do not. We submit or rebel. We obey or disobey. We love Him or we love ourselves. We give Jesus total control, or we try to control. We accept Jesus completely or we reject Jesus completely. But whether you surrender to His authority or not makes no difference in the matter of His Lordship. He is still the Lord of all regardless of our decisions. Is Jesus your Lord? Is He your Master, your God, and your best Friend? Have you given Jesus Christ supreme authority of your life? If not, do it today.
On the Lam or on the Lamb?
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, NIV)
If you have ever seen an old black and white mobster movie you have likely heard a character named Paulie, Tommie, Mikie, or Mugsy say something about running from the law. They would have said something like, “Hey Paulie, you heard about Mugsy? He got pinched for that stickup ‘n he’s on the lam!” The plot in these movies are usually quite similar: someone broke the law, they run from the law, and they are captured or killed by the law. I have never seen one old mobster movie where the character turns himself in to face his crime. They always run.
Like these mobster movie characters, I feel a temptation to run from the law when I break it. I screw up and do something stupid and, rather than turning myself in and facing the consequences, I run. I run from the conviction I feel after falling into temptation and disappointing my Father. I avoid facing the only One that can take that conviction away- the Lawgiver. But just like it does with old Mugsy, the law always catch up to me.
Believers in Jesus Christ don’t need to run. We don’t need to fear the law. Jesus faced the law for us, and He alone satisfies the requirements of the law. He paid for all of our faults and failures, and He is the reason we don’t have to run. If you don’t know Jesus, or if you have been running from Him for a while, stop running. Turn yourself in. Give your life to Jesus today and know peace with the law. Be on the Lamb.
Self-Control
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. It is better to control your anger than to capture a city. Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. (Proverbs 16:32, 25:28, NIV)
Two men stood staring at a high wall surrounding them. One man stood with a smile on his face content with his life and thankful for the high wall. This man saw the wall as his protection from the many harsh seasons and from any outside threats. The other man stood with his whole body clinched in anger, his face scowling at the wall. This man did not want to be confined inside the wall. He wanted autonomy at all costs. For him, the high wall was nothing more than a prison and he intended to escape.
One day, the second man devised a plan to escape. He had resolved to leave this prison no matter the cost. He scaled the wall with such determination and blind fury that he had not bothered to slow down or to look past the wall he just scaled. With one last push, the man leapt with joy over the top of the wall, but now faced an ending he could not escape from. For all of his striving and hard work, all he had earned himself was a means to his own end. All that waits for this man are jagged rocks. He was his own undoing.
The wall that was surrounding these men was in-fact a tall guardrail that offered protection from the many dangers, not imprisonment. When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead our lives, one of the many fruits He produces is self-control. Self-control serves as a wall to protect us from our own temptations and to provide us with a shelter from unimaginable dangers. But the man that puts no restraint on his passions and desires is defenseless. He is always in danger of being carried away by his own sin and destruction. Be a patient man. Be a protected man. Be a self-controlled man.
Shopping Carts
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. (Romans 7:18-25, NLT)
Every time I go to the grocery store, I seem to get stuck with the worst shopping cart there. Sometimes it’s the cart with a loose wheel that wobbles back and forth and causes the whole cart to shake. Sometimes it’s the cart with the wheel that always wants to turn. You try to keep it steady and straight down the aisle, but eventually your hands and arms tire and you crash into something. That wheel is so difficult to keep from veering off course, it’s like it has a bent for that direction. The third kind of cart that waits for me finds all the rocks. It finds the big rocks, little rocks, and the in-between rocks. I hit these rocks and it feels like I hit a brick wall. They get stuck in my wheels and I drag them with me, leaving a deep scar in that pretty polished floor. I just can’t get rid of that pebble and let it go, and it leaves scars along the way.
Whether we are dealing with weak and wavering faith that wobbles and shakes, a sinful bent we resist that never seems to let up and drains our strength, or a tendency to hold onto things that leave deep painful scars, the answer is always found in Jesus Christ. He is the One that holds us steady when we are shaky. He is the One that strengthens us while He guides us and keeps us on point when we are veering out of the aisle. And He is the One that enables us to forgive and let go of the rocks that we have picked up along the way and find healing from the scars. Whichever shopping cart you find yourself pushing, the answer is always found in Jesus!
Sins Bite
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. (Galatians 6:1-5, ESV)
A young boy named Scott had a job as a newspaper delivery boy. Early one morning, while peddling his bicycle down the road, and with a pouch full of heavy Sunday newspapers, he spotted a dog lying motionless across the street that looked in desperate need of help. The dog was whimpering and wining and showed obvious signs that it was recently hit by a car. Desperately wanting to save the poor hurting dog, little Scott leapt from his bike, dropped his pouch of papers, and ran up with his heart and his hands out to help. However, even while looking helpless and eager for help, the dog turned and bit young Scott drawing blood. Unfortunately, the dog lashed out against its only hope for help and died shortly after.
We can be like that hurting dog lying injured in the road, and sometimes we can be like the little boy, Scott, running to help out the hurting with our heart in our hands. The important thing to remember is that hurting people sometimes hurt people. Even within the church. We are bound to make mistakes and hurt each other as we mature in our walk of faith. If someone has hurt you, give them grace and forgive them (that is not to excuse poor behavior which must be corrected and addressed gently and in love). It is easier said than done, I know, but it is a requirement of Christ. We also must be cautious when dealing with the wounds of others and remember that, if we are not careful, we may get bit. Bear your brother’s burdens and help them out when you can. But, watch out and be cautious. Sins bite.
Smiling in the Storm
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14, ESV)
A young boy was standing all alone in the middle of a field surrounded by a violent windstorm. Even while this boy was, quite literally, being blown off of his feet by the gale force winds, he had a big ear-to-ear grin on his face. The young boy was being pelted in the face with cold rain, hail, and even debris. Still, in the midst of all this turmoil the young boy was actually laughing and carrying on as if it had been a midsummer’s day. Shocked and terrified to see his son in such obvious danger, the boy’s father ran outside, gathered him firmly in his arms, and quickly brought him inside the house. Now, safely inside the house, the father looked down realized his son had a stick and some string in his hand. The concerned father asked his son what he was doing outside with the stick and string. The boy answered, “I was flying a kite.” “You were flying a kite in the middle of a storm! How do you even know the kite is still there?” the father asked. Smiling, the boy said, “because I can feel the pull and tug. Storms are when I feel it most!”
It is funny how we feel a stronger connection to God in the middle of a storm. We feel the pull and tug of the Holy Spirit powerfully and pointedly guiding us, growing us, teaching us, comforting us, and even chastising us. God is revealed to us so much more intimately in the middle of our storms of life. Take comfort knowing that the glory of God rests on you through it all and keep smiling in the storm.
Stay or Go?
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:38-39, ESV)
In home churches all over the world followers of Jesus Christ gather together in secret locations to avoid persecution. They gather to worship, fellowship, teach, pray, study and listen to the outlawed Word of God and share to in the Lord’s Supper. They worship, fellowship, teach, pray, study, listen and share every day as if their life depended on it, because it does.
Imagine you live in a country where professing the name of Jesus was a capital offense punishable by death. The very possession of just one page of a Bible, regardless of translation, denomination, or theological position, meant immediate imprisonment or even death. You risk your life, and the lives of your entire family, every time you meet in the shadows. Every week you see new men and women come to worship with reckless abandon as tears uncontrollably run down their faces. Your heart sinks as you suddenly notice that there are faces missing from the crowd you saw last week. Another week has past, and another brother or sister has been killed for Christ. Then another, then another. Suddenly the door is kicked open. Pieces of the shabbily built door fly across the room as dozens of soldiers fill the room and surround you. One tall well-built man steps in front all the rest of the soldiers and addresses the crowd. “Anyone unwilling to die for Jesus tonight may leave right now! You have ten seconds!” Half of the people in the room jump to their feet and run for the door screaming, “I am not a Christian!” You drop to your knees, close your eyes, and accept the probability of a martyr’s death. You know very well that in this part of the world the entire room could be gunned down without reservation. After a few seconds that seem like eternity, you slowly open your mouth to speak, “I am a Christian. If I must die for Christ tonight, then I must die. But I will not deny Christ.” But this soldier doesn’t kill you. He closes the door and turns to speak to you. “Nor will I deny Christ. Now that all of the spies and apostates are gone let us truly worship the Lord!”
If you lived in this country would you still claim the name of Jesus Christ? Would you proudly wear the name of Jesus Christ if it meant that your wife, children, and everyone you love could be murdered? Pray for the persecuted church all over the world, and ask yourself, “Would I stay or would I go?”
The Fear of God
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. (Psalms 36:1-2, ESV)
There was a time in America when people had a reverence and a healthy fear of God. Then society changed and made the fear of God a primary focus. God was imagined as an old man in the clouds just waiting to vaporize sinners with a bolt of lightning. A few generations later, society changed again, as did it’s imagining of God. This generation viewed God as nothing more than love- completely void of righteousness, holiness, and justice. “God is love” became their mantra as they warped and twisted a godly attribute to suite their sinful lifestyle. The truth is: love is part of God’s character, as is kindness, mercy, and grace. But, so is justice, righteousness, and holiness. In-fact, the one that best describes the “I AM” is holiness. And God’s holiness is to be loved, respected, revered, and feared. Holy is the only description of God that is repeated three times in all of Scripture. (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8).
Interestingly, Scripture paints a clear picture of man’s reaction when faced with the holiness of God: fear. Fear unavoidably strikes their hearts and they immediately fall to their face, or they freeze in terror. However, immediately following their fear, God lovingly tells them, “fear not.” He shows His unfathomable love and kindness in the midst of the sinful man standing in His presence. The heart of man must always fear the holiness of God or he will never stop sinning. In his book, “The Knowledge of the Holy,” A.W. Tozer writes, “When men no longer fear God, they transgress His laws without hesitation. The fear of consequences is no deterrent when the fear of God is gone… In olden days men of faith were said to ‘walk in the fear of God’ and to ‘serve the Lord with fear.’ The self-assurance of modern Christians, the basic levity present in so many of our religious gatherings, the shocking disrespect shown for the Person of God, are evidence enough of deep blindness of heart. Many call themselves by the name of Christ, talk much about God, and pray to Him sometimes, but evidently do not know who He is. ‘The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,’ but this healing fear is today hardly found among Christian men.”4
God is not just candy canes and lollipops. He is holy and righteous too. His love cannot exist without His wrath poured out on the very sin that destroys those He loves. Refusing to punish evil is an unrighteous act and God cannot be unrighteous. He is all loving, yes, but He is all holy too- the all righteous Judge. And as such, He is to be loved, respected, obeyed, and feared.
Thy Will be Done
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:39-42, NIV)
It was three weeks before Christmas and a six-year-old boy really wanted a new bicycle. Every night for a week straight the little boy prayed, “Jesus, please give me a bike for Christmas.” The next week the boy watched his mother bring out the Christmas lights, decorations, and then the nativity. The boy saw how his mother slowly and gently unpacked all of the nativity figures, one by one, and carefully placed them in their proper place. When the mother placed Mary next to the manger, the boy asked, “Mommy, who is that woman?” “This is Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ,” she answered. Later that evening the boy took the figure of Mary from the nativity, ran to the backyard, dug a hole, and put Mary in the hole. He covered her up, went back inside and prayed, “Jesus, if you ever want to see your mother again, bring me a bike.”
That is a funny story that illustrates a deep desire in all of us to run our own lives and put our own will before God’s will. Remember, God’s plan is so much bigger than what we are able to see and it involves so much more than you and I. There may be something you need to sacrifice, or something you must go through that will inevitably hurt, so that God can use you as a powerful piece in His plan. Jesus Himself had to sacrifice his own life and He went through absolute torture in order to fulfill God’s plan for our redemption. If Jesus had not submitted to the will of the Father, there would be no sacrifice- the price for our sins would not have been paid and we would be eternally dammed. The forgiveness of our sins came at great sacrifice and pain, and that was actually God’s will. So, let us trust God and His will, especially when it’s painful. Let us pray, “Not my will be done, but Thy will be done; even if it hurts, Lord.”
Who Am I?
No one wants me,
Yet everyone will receive me.
I know of no mercy, nor grace,
No smile lay upon my face.
I may come to you soon or maybe some other day,
If you want me satisfied you had better pray
Run as fast and as hard as you might,
Nothing is hidden from my sight.
Whether you live a life of pain or pleasure,
Everything you have said and done I measure.
The battle for all eternity has been won,
The lone Victor over me? God’s own Son.
Your payment was made by Jesus- His blood and dying groan,
Repent and believe before you stand at The Great White Throne.
Now you know me in your last moment,
Stand tall you redeemed by Christ, for I am Judgement.
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28, NIV)