Some People Just Don't Want to Believe

 November 1, 2024

Friday

I just listened to a YouTube post that featured people who attempt to dissuade people from a belief in God. The first speaker was a young man who has been claimed to be a philosopher. I found it hard to believe that he was. He used erroneous arguments which I didn't find logical. First, he attacked how some Christians act. While it is true that some Christians act terribly, that in no way says anything about the existence of God. He also reasoned that the world would be a drastically different place if God is the benevolent God that Christians claim that He is. I suppose this young man doesn't give mankind any credit for the way we have made the world. Romans 5 tells us that sin entered into the world through Adam. God did not create the world in its present state. We, not He, messed up the world. He spoke of the evils done by religious people who didn't believe as others did. They executed those they considered heretics. In this case, he argues that it wasn't because they didn't believe but that they believed something different. He gave the testimony of a well-known atheist who had become a Christian as only saying that it was her experience, not her proof that God existed that made her change her belief. Again, that has nothing to do with whether God exists, one way or the other. It means that a woman who clung to the doubts whether God existed had come to the conclusion that not only did He exist but that He loved her and gave Himself up for her. He makes other claims that are simply false. He believes that all great discoveries were done by atheists. Of course, we all know this isn't true.

One speaker said that he was eloquent. I thought he hadn't really thought out his arguments. His arguments followed fallacies that he should have known were fallacies if he is truly a philosopher. They sounded a lot like something that guys would say in a bar to convince each other rather than giving compelling reasons to cause others believe as they do. While this may be common for politicians, it should be far from the lips of a philosopher.

The real reason that he doesn't believe is something he doesn't want to admit. He simply does not want to believe. He will not bring himself to the point where he must know that he doesn't know. (He did call himself an agnostic. I could see that he has fallen into that trap. An agnostic doesn't know because he cannot say that he has made a thorough search. No one can say they have made a thorough search when they can't find the existence of God. They simply haven't looked in every place. He calls himself an agnostic to avoid being pulled into that hole.) He is conclusive. He appears very sure of himself.

He ignores the fact that time must have a beginning for time to exist. He ignores that life must have a beginning and has no idea how it came about. (He cited the survival of the fittest. I am not sure many evolutionists would make that argument any more. Gradual mutations make an organism weaker.) He ignores that the conscience has no logical place in a purely evolutionary world order.

No, the existence of God is plain to him but he refuses to see Him.

Romans 1:19–20 (NASB 2020) ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Are Evil Spirits Real?

 October 31, 2024

Thursday

For the most part, Halloween is benign. It is a fun time for children to dress up and get candy. Some parents may object to the candy part. Candy is just one of the things we must do in moderation. The same goes for Halloween. Going too far can be dangerous.

Most people do not believe in evil spirits. The Bible says they are real. There are many testimonies in the Bible of those who have been possessed by evil spirits. Jesus speaks to the evil spirits. He cast them out. He sends them into pigs. He doesn't truly destroy them even though they may cast themselves into the sea. That time is reserved for the end when they shall go into the Lake of Fire. I really don't know what happens after that.

(I had surgery today and am on something called oxycodone. I really don't know what that stuff is but I understand a little more why the Greek word for sorcery is "pharmakea." Sounds a lot like pharmacy, right? It isn't evil in itself but it could easily become evil.)

So, do we still need to be concerned about evil spirits? There is no evidence that they have been removed from the world as of yet. Their possession of others is much more subtle than it was in the New Testament. Yet, some of the things we have called psychosis may indeed be evil spirits. Evil spirits cannot inhabit believers in Jesus for the Holy Spirit moved in when we became believers. We have no reason to worry about ourselves. We do have reason to be concerned for others. Jesus said it was to our advantage that He went away and the Holy Spirit would come.

I have only seen one person throw themselves on the ground and make growling sounds. I don't think this is the way evil spirits normally act unless they are confronted. After all, Judas had an evil spirit enter him to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3). Evil did not cause him to growl or throw himself on the ground but it might have been argued that it cause him to hang himself. Evil can surely have an affect on us without us being possessed by evil.

What do we do about it? If we are serious about attacking the areas Satan has claimed (even though he can only do what he has permission to do) we will come across  evil spirits. A lot has been made of casting out these spirits and I can't say that won't be what happens but movies have made it into magical incantations rather than battles in spiritual realms. There is more power in whom we are in Jesus than the words that we say to cast out demons.

Acts 19:13–16 (NASB 2020)¹³ But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, “I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!” ¹⁴ Now there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this. ¹⁵ But the evil spirit responded and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

So, as the oxycodone I took about forty minutes ago takes real effect, remember that evil spirits are real but you have nothing to fear because greater is the one in you than he who is in the world.

The Daily Challenge

 October 30, 2024

Wednesday

Each day is a challenge. There are no days off. Jesus told us to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily.

Luke 9:23 (NASB 2020) ²³ And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

There are a couple of things that I realized about this scripture that I never realized before. The verbs have different tenses and moods. For example "wants" is in the present tense. It is a continuing wish. It means I will continue to want this want if I am to want this want.

"Come" is also present tense. It makes sense when set with want. I must have something to want and I want to come after Jesus. I want to get close to Him. However, this is not a command. It is an offer from the Lord. He is saying, "Do you want to go with me?" Most are saying, "Naw, I'm good, " and we stay in the same state that we are in. We know Jesus but we don't know Him intimately. We never see miracles. In fact, we don't want to see miracles. We love the status quo. We want just enough Jesus to get to heaven.

But if we do want to come close to Him, He tells us what we must do. He says that we must deny ourselves. That word "deny" is aorist. It signifies a completed action that happens once. There must come a moment when we decide to deny ourselves in such a way that we don't want to go back to indulging in ourselves again. We cross a line from which we would never want to cross back over. Few people make this commitment. After salvation, it is the biggest commitment a person can make. It says, "I will deny myself so that I can come with Jesus. I'm not going back from this." No, it doesn't make us sinless. I makes us committed.

Then, we come to the phrase "take up his cross." This one is aorist, as well. It is a completed action that happens once. It is also an imperative. Of course, it must be understood with "daily." Each day, we are commanded to take up our cross if we are to follow Jesus. Each day it will be a completed action. Each day it will be a decision we will make or we will not take up our own crosses.

Thus, comes the challenge for today. Your cross is not something that is thrown on you that you can't avoid. Your cross is something you choose to take up so that you will die on that cross today. What is it that will put the flesh to death that you need to take up today?

But remember, this is an invitation. You don't have to do this to go to heaven. You don't have to do this to be a good Christian. Most people will see you as better than most if you just stay out of trouble. You only need to do this if you really want to follow Jesus.

So, are you going to take up your cross today?

The Old Man Has to Go

 October 29, 2024

Tuesday

I hear people say things like, "Everybody is basically good." Are they? What basis are we saying that everyone is good? Do they think that everyone who comes into this world is good until something bad make them bad? That certainly isn't what the Bible says.

The Bible says that everyone one of us inherited our sin nature from Adam. We come into this world with an inherited sin nature. For example, I have a big nose. My dad had a big nose. I inherited my nose from him. I didn't do anything to get this nose. It didn't look like such a big nose when I was born. Yet, it was there all along even when no one could see it.

That's the way the sin nature is. We are born with a sin nature. You can't see it when we are born. It continues to show itself as we get older. It was there all alone even when no one could see it. Our sin nature came from Adam through whom sin entered the world.

It should not surprise us that sin becomes prevalent in a world with people who inherit a sin nature. The sin nature is present and can't be improved. The effects from the sin nature may be quietened but they will not go away. The sin nature will guarantee that we will sin. A sin nature doesn't mean that we will become as bad as we can be. It guarantees that we will not live a spotless life. It guarantees that every person needs Jesus.

Yet, it is the same sin nature that fights becoming a Christian. Maybe that is why most people become Christians before they are adults. The sin nature hasn't put down roots as deep in the young. It is much less likely that an adult will trust in Christ even though an adult should understand more clearly why they need Jesus.

Think about it: you become a Christian and the Holy Spirit moves into your life where the sin nature was able to do what it wanted. There must be a radical change or there is going to be a great war. The flesh, our old lives, listened to the sin nature. Our spirits now hear the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Spirit and the flesh are in opposition to each other. Something has to change if the Christian wants to live in true peace. The Christian must surrender to the Holy Spirit. The sin nature doesn't go away. It is just less prominent.

So, how are you doing with your sin nature? Are you filled with the Spirit and the sin nature no longer rules or are you void of the fruit of the Spirit and you look as if you are a non-Christian? Is there true joy in your life or are you fighting for happiness?

Yes, you know if the sin nature is in control. Are you going to do something about it?

Romans 5:12 (NASB 2020)¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—

We Are His

 October 28, 2024

Monday

What would happen if all the church members showed up for church on one Sunday? There would be traffic jams. There would be a lack of parking. The seats would be more than filled for people would be carrying in chairs. People might not get to sit in the seat they have been sitting in for over thirty years. The preachers would think they had gone to heaven.

But it hasn't happened. It is not likely it will happen if there isn't a great revival and even then, I doubt if all the church members would show up. Somehow, people have gotten the idea that the God who sent His Son to die for them is more boring than the life they can live on the outside. They would rather attend sporting events or even practice a sport than come to church. They would rather drink coffee and watch the sun traverse across the sky than to go to church.

Do you really believe that God would sacrifice His Son just so that you would be bored? Is there some divine prank being played on all the Christians attending church? Or is it that some people love God more than others? Some people have decided that it is better to be God's slave than to be out on their own. They have decided that walking with Him is much better than walking on their own. They seem to be allowing the Holy Spirit to lead their lives. They seem to really know God.

Thinking that a Christian is his own to do whatever he pleases is a lie from the devil. We have been bought by the blood of Jesus. We have no right to call the shots when they deviate from getting or staying close to our Lord. The Holy Spirit who lives in us longs for us to walk with the Father. He knows that this is where true joy resides.

I know that God did not save us to bore us. He did not save us so that we could simply live like we don't know Him. He saved us for Himself. He calls us to Himself.

But those who can't see this have never been able to truly know what this is. On the outside, the Christian life looks boring. On the inside, when God speaks, leads, provides and works the believer is brought into His presence with worship on His lips. He prays because knows to whom he is talking. He reads the scriptures that tell the stories of God and move him even closer. He tells others because it is the most exciting thing he has ever experienced.

If Christians really knew this experientially, our churches would all be full this Sunday. 

We are His. It is why Jesus came for us. 

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NASB 2020)¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Never Give In

 October 27, 2024

Sunday

I watched a few college football games yesterday. I have known for a long time. It is not over until it is over. Teams that appear to be beaten can come back. God seems to thrive on that idea.

It appears to be over when Abraham and Sarah have gotten too old to have children. It appears to be over when Moses leads God's people to the middle of the Red Sea. It appears to be over when Joshua's army is beaten by the small town of Ai. It appears to be over when Lazarus dies. It appears to be over when Jesus is crucified. There are many more of these stories in the Bible. 

Maybe you are in one of those positions. You have done all that you know to do. Yet, no matter what you do, it still appears to be over. Now don't get me wrong. There are times when it really is over. It was over for Saul when God told Samuel to anoint a new king. It wasn't immediate but it was over. What is the difference. No the fat lady doesn't have to sing! It isn't over until God says its over.

The prophet Nathan told David that the first child born to him and Bathsheba would die. David fasted and prayed anyway. The child died and David knew it was over. He held out hope until there was nothing to hold out hope for. It was over when God said it was over.

Saul begged to be reinstated as a long-standing king but it was over because God had said that it was over. It was over because God said it was over.

So, hold out hope until God says its over. Pray and ask if it is over. Keep trying to succeed. You don't know what God can do just yet. Calling it quits when God says keep going is the worst thing you can do.

Each and every one of us faces trials that knock us down. We must continue to get up. We fight a difficult fight, we finish a hard course, we win an uphill race. The crown we are awarded is one of a laurel wreath worn by the victor of the contest.

Winston Churchill once said, "Never give in. Never give in. Never. Never. Never Never." It will be hard but you will never win by quitting early. Yes, you will know when God says it is over. That just means He has something else. And tackling something else isn't giving in.

Hearing from the Holy Spirit

 October 26, 2024

Friday

The Holy Spirit speaks to me. As I write this, I am thinking, "This sounds like, 'I see dead people.'" It sounds a bit schizophrenic to many. I suppose if someone told me that they heard voices, I would think the same. Yet, it is still true. The Holy Spirit speaks to me.

I know He could, but I cannot say that I have heard Him audibly though it sometimes seemed like it. I mean, there was a clear message as if in a sentence but I knew my ears didn't detect a sound. The message went directly into my spirit.

I not saying that the Holy Spirit is so loquacious that He drives me crazy, but He gives me enough information to let me know what will happen or what I should do. That doesn't mean that I know all that will happen but I have been praying and He has revealed what would happen, at times. They aren't regular, though. I think I'm on a "need to know" basis with Him. The most important thing is that He leads me in what I am supposed to do.

He speaks to me sometimes when I read the scripture. I suppose I should say that He always speaks to me when I read the scripture but it wouldn't be true. Too many times, I am not listening. He could be speaking but you couldn't prove it by me. Communication requires a reception on the other end. I am not always listening. When I am, the scriptures come alive because they speak clearly. 

Sometimes the Holy Spirit speaks to me when I am praying. This is when He is clearly speaking because my spirit is truthfully listening for Him to speak. It isn't like a phone conversation. I don't get an immediate response. I prayed for a long time before I heard from the Spirit. I guess I need to really want to hear. Yet, the Spirit speaks to me.

I know people who are expecting the Spirit to speak with an audible voice. They expect something spectacular but that hasn't been my experience. It has been plain. There was never any shouting. Sometimes, it is simply knowing what is right in my heart. There is always peace when I hear Him.

There will be those who think you are unusual (that's putting it politely) if you hear from the Holy Spirit. Yet, isn't that what we are supposed to do?

Romans 8:14 (NASB 2020) ¹⁴ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.

Christians Living Abundant Lives

 October 25, 2024

Friday

John 10:10 (NASB 2020)¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.

Are there Christians who are living less than an abundant life? I think we can easily say, yes. There are Christians living life just like the world. They worry and chase after the things that the world chases. They try to fill themselves with these things. They have moments of happiness but they are truly never satisfied. There is always something to chase.

Why don't we leave them alone if this is the life that they choose? Actually, I think we have. They come to church infrequently. We hardly know who they are. It's funny, but they are the people who will say the church let them down when it was they who abandoned the church. What did they expect? Or is this just an excuse for living the life they have chosen?

We Christians can live our lives as if we do not know Christ. We can choose to claim we are saved while living a hedonistic lifestyle. We can choose to live our lives like the spiritually homeless. We can choose to live less than the abundant life.

Maybe that's the way the physically homeless look at it. (I am speaking of those who choose to be homeless.) They see our working lives as lives of slavery. We see it as a life of freedom. They can do what they want all day even if it amounts to nothing. We must produce something to keep the life we have.

The truth is that the Christians who live as if they don't know Christ will get to go to the same heaven as those who live a life for Christ. They just won't have any rewards there. I suppose heaven without rewards is still much greater than hell but it doesn't need to be that way. They could have an abundant life now and one with rewards later.

They just don't know what they are missing. Or should I say, they don't have any experience that reveals what they are missing now.

Choose an abundant life. Sure it has its challenges too. But they are worth it.

Light Has Come into the World

October 24, 2024

Thursday

Not everyone is militant toward Christians, but you must wonder why they are. Maybe they want to be told that our faith is just a religion that is practiced like a hobby that will not affect them. When we point out what sin is and the need for a Savior, they are indignant and take umbrage in our statements of righteousness. How dare anyone say that they don't have the right to live like they want to live!

Generally, people do not like to be corrected. Especially if the correction exposes them. While we should be gentle in our corrections, we still need to correct while admitting our own faults. Some people think that we think we are perfect. That is so far from the truth. Our condition is one of knowing what we should have and shouldn't have done. Our guilt is far greater than the one outside the faith who sins unknowingly. 

That should make us embrace repentance rather than resist it. That doesn't always happen because we have the same sinful nature that the worldly person has. We simply don't like being told we are wrong either. Repentance and confession are infrequent even among Christians. It shouldn't be that way.

I think it strange that we deny our own evil almost as much as the worldly person does. When I talk to people about hatred, they rarely tell me of someone they hate. When I speak of unforgiveness, they seem to have forgiven everyone.

Today, I took a train trip. I bid up to get in the Business Car but that was a mistake. A group of ladies who were evidently on a girls' trip sat in the four seats at the back of the car that faced each other. They constantly criticized and gossiped about family and friends. They talked of their own righteous actions while castigating the actions of family and friends. They supported each other in this mud fest. If I could separate them from their friends, I believe they would have told me that they have no one they hate or haven't forgiven. As long as we stay in the dark, our sins don't look that bad.

A sudden light turned on in a dark room is painful. We resist it by shutting our eyes tightly. We tell the one who turned it on, to turn it off. Or, as we often do, "Warn us the next time you are about to turn on the light." Spiritual light exposes our sins. That light can sting but it also allows us to get things right.

When we tell others of their sins, we must never do so smugly. We have come into the light and lead others into the light. Yes, it sets us apart but it doesn't make us better than others. It just claims that we are forgiven.

John 3:19–21 (ESV)¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹ But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Why Is It Okay for God to Be Jealous and Wrathful?

 October 23, 2024

Wednesday

Sometimes Christians get confused. On the one hand, they are told to be like God. On the other, they are told that it is okay for God to be jealous and have wrath but they can't. The problem is that they have determined that jealousy and wrath are always bad. They can't see that God is in a whole different category by Himself. 

Those in the military would be appalled by someone claiming medals and service that they neither earned nor served. They would not deserve the honor that they are claiming. This is true of us. We do not deserve the honor and praise because we are not God. He is the One worthy of praise. We aren't. Thus, it would be wrong for us to take what is actually God's. Therefore, He is a jealous God. He does not share His glory. It is His because He is also just. It is right that He has it.

When it comes to His wrath people do not realize that since all have sinned and, therefore corrupted His greatest creation. I suppose someone who is a great painter might understand that a masterpiece that is vandalized requires justice. The creator of that masterpiece has had his greatest creation corrupted beyond repair. The creator's wrath would be justified. We are God's masterpiece that we have corrupted. We have spray painted on this masterpiece. We have taken knives and cut the canvas. We have smeared mud on the surface. We deserve the wrath.

But God was not content with simply allowing His creation to be thrown upon the trash heap. He sought a way to restore us to our pre-corrupted status. The wages of sin is death. This is God's wrath for us. It is much greater than physical death. It is the continued condition of being far from Him. It is one day being thrown into a lake of fire that will never consume us. 

Jesus, God's Son, paid the price for us to abate the wrath we have waiting. We submit ourselves to Him in such a way that it changes who we are. Faith is acting on something believed. We repent of our sins and make a commitment to believe in Jesus as the One who took the wrath we have earned. 

So, God is jealous and wrathful but these are not the characteristics we should primarily see. His mercy comes to those who call upon Him. His love is everlasting.

Today Can Be Lost Forever

 October 22, 2024

Tuesday

Last night I packed so that I could meet my wife in DC and drive her back from a meeting she had this week. I would ride Amtrak up and drive her back. I keep a little packet of important documents with me when I travel. They include my passport, global entry card, passport card and a couple of Metro train passes. I couldn't find it anywhere though I spent hours looking. What bothered me was how irresponsible I was in losing these important identifications. I certainly don't need any of these things for this trip. I can easily get another Metro card when I get to DC. Yet, it is completely irresponsible to leave something as valuable lying somewhere so that you can't find them.

Today, I will spend some time seeing what I can do to get them replaced. I will call the places that I remember having them and see if they have been found. If not, it will cost me. Yet, I still castigate myself for losing them.

It seems that this is the way we lose things. We can lose a job, a marriage, or even a child by not paying attention to what is the most important things.

Jesus took His closest disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. They were asked to pray. They had just eaten a big meal. They did not know how important the moment was. They fell asleep. Jesus said, "Could you not pray with me for an hour?" An hour doesn't seem to be very long. An hour is easily wasted. It is lost before you know it. It was just one of the most important hours of their lives.

But not only an hour can be lost. A day, a week, a month, a year, and a life can be lost. Unlike my documents, a marriage isn't lost in a day. It is lost because one or both of the people in the marriage didn't protect it. They lost it because they let it slip away. That is true with raising children, working a job and living out your purpose. Most Christians do not get out of stage two of maturity. They will trust in Christ for salvation. The Holy Spirit comes to inhabit them and they ignore or disobey everything He leads them to do. They are saved but act like they aren't for the most part. They will not be lost but the life they could have had will be.

Proverbs 24:33–34 (ESV)³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, ³⁴ and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Please don't let this day pass you by. Don't lose it because you have treated it as if it has no value. Yes, listen to the Lord and obey

God in Time of Struggles

 October 21, 2024

Monday

Just about everyone cries out at one time, "Where are you, God?" Everything goes south. Every attempt fails. The best result you have had in weeks is breaking even. You wonder what you could have done for God to have forgotten you. You blame yourself for all the failures. Anxiety begins to command your mind. And you hang onto hope when there is no evidence that hope will produce anything.

It is at that moment that we must ask ourselves, "Am I being faithful?" Can that be more important than being successful? What does faithfulness do for you when you are failing?

Maybe we should ask Jesus.

Many of His disciples abandoned Him at His greatest time of need. He appeared helpless after being arrested. They beat Him, flogged Him, and scourged Him. They made fun of Him and spat in His face. There didn't appear to be anyone on His side. He is physically driven to exhaustion and hung on a cross to slowly die. Even then, there were those who ridiculed Him. Then, He died. 

It sure didn't look like faithfulness was all that important then. A couple of days later that all changed.

If we take what we can see, we will be depressed when we should be elated and elated when we should be depressed. We will compare ourselves with others. Condemn ourselves for what we can't seem to reach. And cry out:

Psalm 22:1 (NASB 2020) ¹ My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my help are the words of my groaning.

Yes, those were the words of Jesus, too. He had good reason for His Father had turned away from Him because He bore all of our sins. 

No, that isn't what we should cry. We should claim one more time:

Romans 8:28 (NASB 2020) ²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

If we are faithful in His purpose, we will have all these bad things come to our good. After all, Jesus' death was for our ultimate good. It just didn't look like it at that moment.

Sometimes we forget that God is working all the time. Sure, we all would like to recognize His working. But often we can only see that in retrospect. We must remember that He is working around us and in us. Just wait, you'll see.

Set Your Mind on the Spirit

 October 20, 2024

Sunday

I have a long history of being sinful. In fact, it is what I do when I am not paying attention. It is my regret as soon as I start paying attention. The Apostle Paul would write:

Romans 7:19–20 (NASB 2020) ¹⁹ For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰ But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

My mind has such a pattern of sin that it has made ruts in my behavior. I fall into the ruts and continue along until I realize that the ruts aren't going to take me where I want to go. Getting out of these ruts takes a moment. Staying out of these ruts takes a lifetime. I must admit that I can't live the life that I would like to live if I continue to live it in my own strength.

This means I must walk by the Spirit. This means that I must allow His strength to overpower the sin that is in my flesh. Yet, my flesh does not give up easily. It fights to the end. I become most vulnerable when I start thinking that, "I've got this." I have never really gotten this. I just deceive myself when I think I do.

Galatians 5:16–17 (NASB 2020)¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.

If I am to walk by the Spirit, I must set my mind on the Spirit.

Romans 8:5–8 (NASB 2020) ⁵ For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

There is the root of the problem. My mind is naturally set on the flesh. That is the default setting. I must set it on the Spirit. So, today, I choose to set my mind on the Spirit. Then, I won't have those failures that I seem to continue in. 

So, I pray: Lord, please set my mind on the Spirit. I want to walk in the Spirit today. Amen.

He Who Is in You

 October 19, 2024

Saturday

I like college football but I don't watch as much of it as I used to. It seems that teams today can't hold onto their leads like they used to. I remember when a team got ahead by four touchdowns and you could change the channel to watch a different game. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Teams come back while the other teams are celebrating their wins. The celebration ends when they realize they aren't winning anymore.

That seems to be the same way people live their Christian lives. They have a great victory and let their guards down. Satan hasn't given up. He keeps pegging away until he appears to have devoured these once victorious believers.

Satan attacks us at our weakest moments. He tempted Jesus after Jesus had fasted for forty days.

Matthew 4:1-3 (ESV) ¹  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²  And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³  And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  

Satan attacks when we are idle.

2 Samuel 11:1 (ESV) ¹  In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

This was when David saw Bathsheba bathing on a roof. He was tempted because he was not doing what kings did. He remained in Jerusalem.

 Satan attacks when we are humbled.

Jesus rebukes Judas for complaining that the expensive perfume poured on Him by Mary could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus told him that he should leave her alone for she was doing something good. 

Luke 22:3 (ESV) ³  Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.

Satan uses each opportunity to tempt us. Peter thought he could never deny Jesus but he did. Paul says that the good he wants to do, he doesn't do. We are vulnerable at all times. We must not let our guards down.

You should expect an attack by Satan today. This is not prophecy. This is the nature of Satan. He will tempt you to do what you shouldn't do. He will tempt you to be still or silent when you need to act. It doesn't matter what your successes might be. He is crouching at the door.

Should we be defeated by this? By no means! Satan is not greater than He who is in us. We merely need to be alert and act in the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 John 4:4 (ESV) ⁴  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

 

Loving God's Word

 October 18, 2024

Friday

I heard a guy say that one of his hobbies was golf when I knew he had only played golf once in his life. I don't think doing something one time makes it a hobby. A hobby is something that you carve out time for. It is something you love.

I hear people talk about how much they love God's word when their lives do not reflect it. They don't bring a Bible to church with them. They don't speak of biblical things. They seem to be clueless when a Bible story is referred to. I don't think they love the Bible like they say they do.

People say what they think will enhance their status with others. It doesn't matter if it is patriotism, hard work or telling their mommas that they are loved. They will say they do things a whole lot more than they actually do them if they think that others will esteem them or include them because of it. Something tells me that they won't say how much they love the Bible in a secular group that doesn't attend church. 

If you love God's word, you will read, study, memorize, meditate and apply it to your life. Your life will reflect someone who loves God's word. You will have treasured it, stored it away for times it is needed and kept it safe in your heart. It will become your stability in refuting the arguments of non-believers. It will be your encouragement when things go bad. It will be you teacher when you need to know how to do something. It will be your rod of discipline when you get out of line. It will change your mind from one being conformed to the worldly thinking to being transformed to know the will of God.

Psalm 119:11 (NASB 2020) I have treasured Your word in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Psalm 119:11 (NIV) ¹¹  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11 (ESV) ¹¹  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

So, which translation is right? Is the Bible to be treasured, hidden or stored in your heart? The answer is: 

All three!

Time Well Spent

 October 17, 2024

Thursday

I'm trying to use some idle time as I write this blog. My wife is part of the leadership of a conference, and the hotel has an earlier checkout time, so I don't really have a place to work. Therefore, I am at Panera Bread writing this blog. (By the way, I just had their potato soup and it was out of this world!) 

Honestly, I was just going to chill out and do nothing until I remembered that the Bible tells us to use every opportunity because the days are evil. That means two things to me.

One, if I am idle without purpose, there is a chance I will do evil. I will bet that each of the pastors, who were found in moral failure recently, was not focused on what he needed to do. He had allowed his devotion to the Lord to become idle. It's easy to lose focus.

In front of me is a couple having lunch together. They are both looking at their phones. There is no conversation. They don't even know what they are communicating to each other. What is on their phones is more important than the person sitting across the table. They have lost focus. I doubt if they are using the time as it should be used.

If they were rare, I would just be picking on them, right? However, there are several others of different ages doing the same thing. Phones may have become a curse for our generation. They distract us from what we should be doing. Yesterday, I saw someone texting away as I passed her on a very busy road. I heard a public service announcement that said that texting while driving was six times more dangerous than driving drunk. Have phones become an addiction?

Yes, I can lose focus and do something evil. I don't have to do evil with evil intent. I just lose focus and misuse the opportunity in front of me.

Secondly, not using the time in front of me, will allow others to do evil. I must think of what I am doing as a testimony. Others are watching me. Maybe they know I am a pastor. Maybe they notice that I am misusing the time I have. There is also the fact that my idleness is not encouraging anyone to be a disciple of Jesus. I hope this blog helps someone. (I am sure that not every one of my blogs does, but some of them might.)

Sure, I have downtime. Downtime needs to be limited. Too much downtime will put you in the grave. Just enough will keep you alive. Even downtime is using the time responsibly.

So, I have finished my lunch and will make my way back to the hotel to wait for Karen's conference to end. I will read a book on revivals in the early twentieth century. I will be energized to pray more fervently to see revival myself. I think it will be time well spent.

Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV)¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Still Tempted to Be God

 October 16, 2024

Wednesday

I am convinced that our fleshly nature wants to be God. I don't mean a god. I mean God Himself.

This morning I rode my bicycle to work very early. (It was before 5 AM.) There were still lots of people on the road. Some, I am sure, were on their way to work. Almost no one obeyed the traffic laws. One car turned right at a stop sign onto a major road at a speed I couldn't believe. He must have had great tires to hold the road. Others came and went well over the speed limit. It seems that no matter what the parameters are, people will break them. Evidently, the rules don't apply to them.

God holds Himself to holiness. He can do anything but will not do just anything because He is holy. That doesn't seem to apply to our picture of being God. We see ourselves as the God who can do anything for his own pleasure without the constraint of holiness. We can be as unloving, as unfaithful and as unyielding as we like for everything placed as a rule. We aren't far from driving on the shoulders, ditches and even the wrong way. We aren't that far from a complete loss of civilization. This will be the rebellion that Paul speaks of in 2 Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (ESV) ¹  Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, ²  not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴  who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

We seem to be in the midst of this rebellion. It has not gained full force as of yet because it is still being held back.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 (ESV) ⁵  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶  And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.

Who is holding him back? I believe it is the Holy Spirit. However, even though the Spirit is in the world today, believers are far from being filled by Him. The average Christian doesn't know who the Holy Spirit is for He has been so quenched and grieved that there is very little thought of Him. Thus, the power of the Spirit is not taking hold among Christians. And as that happens, the world gets darker.

Then, Jesus will come and the Spirit will be removed because the Christians will be taken with Him. 

Those who wish to be God are of their father the devil who thought he could become God. He tempted Adam and Eve to become God because that was his nature. He is still enticing people to become God. As Christians, we aren't doing such a great job of holding this evil in check.

Some might say, "Good!" because that means the Lord will return quicker. I really don't think that's the attitude of the Lord. He is patient so that all that will be saved, will be saved. That should be our attitude, too. We need to live holy lives that welcome the Holy Spirit. He is the power that pushes back the darkness and brings us and others into the light.

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) ⁹  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 

The Stuck Record of My Christian Life

 October 15, 2024

Tuesday

Many people are rediscovering vinyl records. They claim that they give a superior reproduction of the music that is recorded on them. My ear can't tell the difference but I am sure that some can. I remember vinyl records as getting scratchy. They could be broken. They would skip. And they would get stuck. Often, my Christian life seems like it gets stuck.

A stuck vinyl record would play the same groove over and over. I seem to repeat my mistakes and sins over and over. I know better but I get distracted. I know better but I get too emotional. I know better but I get filled with myself. Yes, that last one continues to be played over and over.

The problem is that I can't hold yesterday's filling of the Holy Spirit in. Yet, I act as if I don't need to be filled today. When I look at the scripture that commands me to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I see that the "be filled" is in the present tense. It denotes continuous action. 

You can't fill up a balloon forever. If you continue to fill it, it will pop. That would be true for a tire on your car, too. However, if the tire has a leak, you can continue to fill it at a rate that will not cause it to explode. The trouble I have with being filled with the Spirit is that I leak so badly that I must continually be filled. Yesterday's filling won't last until tomorrow.

So, right now, again, like I have done so many times before, I must say, "I am willing, Holy Spirit, for you to fill me." I want to be filled one more time. I don't want to forget that I leak. I want to continue to seek the Lord in this.

Maybe the next time the record comes around I won't be stuck. I will realize that I didn't lose the Holy Spirit but I was far from full.

Is that how you are too?

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV) ¹⁸  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 

When You Slip and Fall

 October 14, 2024

Monday

Satan's not going to steal my joy! He's not going to get to me!

Maybe you have said that too. Then, something happens and it brings anxiety or fear. Then, your hope is challenged by circumstances. Then, you see your joy and peace slipping away. Then, you realize that Satan was just waiting for you to put your guard down. He is rushing in to devour you.

He can't take your salvation but he can take your joy and peace when he tempts you. He has gotten permission to "sift you like wheat" and he is using every moment to ruin your testimony.

Truthfully, he wouldn't have had an opening if you had kept that close, intimate relationship with the Lord. After all, that was just last week; wasn't it? It doesn't take long to get from filled with the Holy Spirit to almost empty. It doesn't take long for the flesh to start demanding attention.

So, do you just grin and bear it? Absolutely not! You go to the Lord in prayer. You admit that you slipped. You cry out for a moment to come home again. Funny thing, you didn't know you had left until the anxiety came on you.

Thankfully, God is the father of all prodigals. Some go far away. Some not so far. Or rather just far away for Satan to get ahold of them.

Satan is after you. He is just looking for the right opportunity.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV) ⁸  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 

Never Waste a Mistake

 October 13, 2024

Sunday

About thirty-three years ago the church I was serving got a new pastor. Mike Glenn came to Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, TN and was amazing. However, the first time he baptized, we forgot to tell him which waders to use. One of them had a hole in it. The problem is, if you don't know that you won't know it until you are in the water. Mike went ahead and baptized. He was wearing a light colored suit with light pants. It looked like he just didn't make it to the bathroom. I was called back to his study and burst out laughing the moment I saw him. He wanted me to get his wife to bring another suit. There just wasn't enough time for her to get it and bring it back to the church. So, Mike preached in his wet pants.

I learned something valuable that day. Never waste a mistake. Mike told the congregation what happened. They laughed and he endeared himself to the congregation. He was human. He humbled himself and made himself a whole lot bigger at the same time.

If we let God work when we make mistakes, we will see Romans 8:28 come alive. God will cause the good to come upon us even when something bad has happened. On the other hand, we can make a bad thing worse if we want to.

Admit what happened. Don't try to cover it up. Be humble and let God work. Those are things that have gone with me for a long time now. Mistakes that are covered up become larger. Mistakes that are admitted become learning opportunities.

Romans 8:28 (ESV)²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Some Characteristics of the Self-Righteous

 October 12, 2024

Saturday

If you have read this blog, you know that I have said that self-righteous people can be as mean at they want to be. They are right and they can condemn anyone who is different and doesn't agree with them. But tonight as I was riding my bicycle home from church, I realized some other things about the self-righteous.

Self-righteous people do not know that they are self-righteous. In fact, it might not have even occurred to them. They might notice that they are looking down on others. They might even see themselves as humble servants of God. They look good on the outside but are full of hypocrisy on the inside.

Matthew 23:27 (ESV)²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

Self-righteous people do the right things but do not give grace to others.

Matthew 23:23 (ESV)²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Self-righteous people do the work of Satan in the name of God.

John 11:47–53 (ESV)⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” ⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰ Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” ⁵¹ He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, ⁵² and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. ⁵³ So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

Self-righteous people actively seek people who are exactly like them. They want others to join them in their crusades of self-righteousness.

Matthew 23:15 (ESV)¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Self-righteous people seek the praise of men rather than humility.

Matthew 23:1–7 (ESV)¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, ³ so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ⁵ They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ⁶ and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

The real problem isn't the self-righteous people. The problem is that any of us can become self-righteous. We all have blind eyes on our sins. We all want some praise from men. We all think that doing what is right will make us righteous. At least, we think that in the flesh. So, we must diligently watch to see our self-righteousness. We will notice it when we are confronted by someone who disagrees with us. We will not listen and we will oppose that person. We may even say that we are doing it for God. We won't give grace. 

Beware for self-righteousness may overcome you before you know it.

Matthew 23:12 (ESV)¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Is Everyone Spiritual?

 October 11, 2024

Friday

As I have said before, we all communicate by what we know. Therefore, when a Christian says "spiritual" the non-Christian relates that to something he or she knows. Thus, everyone becomes spiritual with a different definition. We are thought of a spiritual and religious and they think of themselves as spiritual and non-religious.

A Christian is spiritual because the Holy Spirit dwells inside him. He is not necessarily spiritual because he dreams dreams or sees visions. I actually believe that a lot of non-Christians have dreams that can only be described as spiritual in a secular sense. It will not be the same as the Christian's experience. The Christian will understand the dream by the interpretation of the Holy Spirit. The non-Christian comes up with his own interpretation.

Sometimes non-Christians will admit that there is a God. They will even state that He does miracles. They think that people try to get on His good side by being religious. They have no idea that they could have a personal relationship. They have know idea that they could actually experience God. This is why they might believe that there are many paths to God. They might believe that God lets all people into His heaven. They might believe that they came into this world innocent and any sin that was committed was because the world influenced them to commit it. Through all this, they think of themselves as spiritual.

Today, I heard a man say that we are all spiritual beings. He is somewhat right. We all possess a spirit but our spirits are dead to the Holy Spirit until we become Christians. Our spirits receive communication from the Holy Spirit. Our spirits can grow if we obey and remain almost dormant if we quench or grieve the Spirit. It bothers me when a person who claims to be a Christian has no communication with the Spirit. We must possess the Spirit to be Christians.

I am also distressed when I see a Christian being controlled by their sinful nature. That means that they are not full of the Spirit. That means they are grieving the Spirit. That means they are far from God even if they are so "religious" that they go to church every week. The Holy Spirit should be more than a name we banter around on Sundays. He must be active in our lives. We must let Him become active. The non-Christian sees that backslidden Christian as normal. 

Lastly, I am bothered by those who are self-righteous. They believe they know more than everyone else. They evidently know that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. They would know this if they were full of the Holy Spirit. Those who think they are close to God but are actually far away often can't see the distance. Those who are full of the Spirit are grieved over the distance that exists between them and God. The non-Christian despises the self-righteous.

There should be such a difference between our interaction with the Holy Spirit that the non-Christian would immediately know that there is a difference. Then, maybe they would say, "I am not spiritual like you." Then, we could have an honest conversation to tell them how they could be.

Romans 8:9 (ESV)

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

A Need for the Need

 October 10, 2024

Thursday

In a church I served, one of my congregation went to jail. His wife came to me franticly saying that we needed to get him out as soon as possible. He promised that he would never engage in the things that put him in jail again. I called some people and raised the bail he needed to get out. He was back at what put him in jail within four hours. Sometimes you need to stop for a minute when someone has a dire need. Maybe they need that need.

God doesn't always answer prayers the way we pray them. He may appear that He is silent but in reality He will bring about that which is necessary when it brings Him glory. Sometimes we need to remain in our need. Those who rush to remove the need may not be acting for God.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh. God allowed him to keep it because Paul was made strong by that thorn in the flesh. Some would have rushed to get treatment for Paul. They would have worked against what God had planned.

Jesus remained on the other side of the Jordan when He heard that Lazarus was sick. The fact was that it would have made no difference if He had taken off for Bethany immediately so He stayed two more days on the other side of the Jordan. Jesus was two days away from Bethany. The men who came to get Him to return with them had taken two days to reach Jesus. Doing a little math, since Lazarus was dead for four days when Jesus arrived, Lazarus had died at the time the men coming to Jesus arrived. If Jesus immediately left for Bethany, Lazarus would have been in the grave for two days. That's not the way it would have looked to Mary and Martha. They would have known silence for the four days of their brother's death. They would have known that Jesus waited two days before coming to them. They knew He loved them but they could hardly understand His absence.

When Jesus said that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death, His disciples probably thought that Lazarus was going to get better. They wouldn't have thought they needed to leave immediately either. Thus, when Jesus said that He was going to Judea the disciples were reluctant because they thought that it was dangerous for Jesus to return to Judea. When He told them that Lazarus was asleep, them must have been under the assumption that he was still alive. Sleep would help him get better. They certainly didn't understand Jesus saying that He needed to wake him up.

But look at the results for the waiting. Some came to know Jesus. But also, the wheels were truly set in motion for Jesus' crucifixion. 

Our prayers seem to rush to relieve the need. That isn't always what should be done. We should pray what God wants us to pray. We need to join God in what He is doing rather than tell God what to do. Taking someone out of their pain may be the thing that causes even greater misery. It may give them a powerless testimony. It may keep them from maturing in the faith.

So, answer me this: Would you rather give your prayer requests to someone who will always pray that you get out of the pain you are in or someone who will pray that God gives you relief as soon as the pain has accomplished what God wants for you? Think about it.

John 11:6 (ESV)

⁶ So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Fighting the Good Fight

 October 9, 2024

Wednesday

In an offhand remark this past Sunday I said, "People want me to read that their dad fought the good fight, finished the course and kept the faith when they never entered the fight, never ran and certainly had little to show for their faith." Last night someone said I didn't repeat that in both services. It was an offhand remark. I didn't plan to say it in the first place. I didn't think of saying it in the second place. But after I was reminded that I didn't repeat it in the second service, I thought about it.

I had never realized that those who ask me to read that about their dads (I can't remember anyone asking for anyone else.) do not realize what Paul is talking about. They apparently think that Paul is talking about life in general. Thus, life is a fight; it is a course and the faith is the strength to get through it. They cannot understand this statement because they are too far outside its meaning.

When you fly, flight attendants often pass through the cabin giving drinks to the passengers. I believe that it gives the passengers something to do. It isn't enough to really satisfy any hunger. If anyone really thought of it, they would realize they were over 30,000 feet above the ground in a long metal tube in a thin atmosphere with the temperature hovering around 50 degrees below zero just a few feet from them. The thought of that is too far outside what the passengers are thinking for most of them to think of it. I guess snacking on a half of a can of a soft drink and munching on the smallest possible bag of chips helps.

Interpretation comes from things that are known. There must be a connection between the things known and the things interpreted. When someone lives completely outside of spiritual understanding, scripture is interpreted by the secular world. The Holy Spirit interprets God's word for those who are spiritual. The world does it for those who are not.

The Apostle Paul gave his life to Christ and lived it for God's glory. He went where God led him and did what God called and led him to do. He did so when things were good and when they would have broken most people. He lived his life so that there would be nothing left at the end. Thus, he fought the good fight, finished the course and kept the faith. The faith of Paul was more than a cliche'. It was a reality.

I want to say to people who read this verse, "Tell me about the fight that you are in to obey the Lord; the course you are taking and the faith you are espousing." Yes, tell me how you have suffered for it. Then, maybe you can say what Paul said. Otherwise, you may have lived your life for what you thought was right but it wasn't for the Lord.

2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV) ⁷  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  

Does God Still Do Miracles?

October 8, 2024

Tuesday

Have you ever wondered why we don't see the miracles that occurred in the Bible? Some have said that this is because God no longer needs to do miracles after He sent His Son. Some have simply said that after the completion of the New Testament, the miracles were stopped. It is really hard to find scripture that supports those ideas.

Do you believe that God could still do the same things He has done in the Bible? Isn't that what we are asking Him to do when we pray for the sick? Aren't we asking Him to heal? Aren't we asking Him to change the expected outcome when we ask for provision? Aren't we asking for the unexplainable? So, why so few times do we hear of miracles today? Let's examine a couple of facts.

Jesus did not do many miracles in His home town.

Matthew 13:58 (ESV) ⁵⁸  And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Their unbelief kept Jesus from performing miracles. Does Jesus lose His power when people won't believe? The answer is, No! So, let's examine another scripture.

Isaiah 42:8 (ESV) ⁸  I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

People who will not believe in the works of God will deny that the miracle happened as long as they can. They will find another reason that excludes the possibility for a miracle to explain what happened. God acts for His glory. He will not act when it will simply be discredited.

I went to a lecture by a neurologist a few years ago. In the question and answer time I told him the story of one of our church members. That member had been called to a hospital because his sister had shown no brain activity for several days. They called the family together so that could say goodbye. They all gathered by the bed, prayed and sang a hymn. Then, the time came to turn off all the machines that made their loved one appear to be alive. (This sometimes takes a bit.) In the middle of the night, she woke up and told the hospital staff that she was hungry.

I asked the neurologists if he could explain that. He said, "They didn't know how to read the machine that monitored brain activity." Really?! No one at the hospital knew how to read the machine. It didn't matter that the doctor who was caring for her cried when he saw her alive. It didn't matter that all the hospital staff were praising God for a miracle. This neurologist knew more than anyone else. He couldn't bear to say that he couldn't explain how something like that could happen. He wouldn't even entertain the idea that a miracle could happen. Do you really think that God will share His glory with that neurologist?

Our lack of belief doesn't take away God's power. Our lack of belief denies God the due glory because of His power. So, God refuses to act with miracles when there is so much unbelief.

I still believe in miracles. I have seen more than one cancerous tumor disappear overnight. I have seen couples have children who were told it was impossible. I have seen provisions of money arrive at exactly the right moment. I have seen miracles! 

On the other hand, I don't believe God needs to perform for me. He is still God and chooses when He will act with a miracle. God can still do all that He did in the Bible. So, praise Him right now, whether you receive a miracle or not. He is still the Almighty.

Is the Lack of Attendance at Church Really the Problem?

 October 7, 2024

Monday

Many newspapers have reported that the number of people attending church is shrinking. So, churches are trying to get more people to come to church. If they do, they report the numbers even though those numbers represent people who have left their churches to attend this one that is growing. What we haven't realized is that the problem is not in the numbers.

Each person must have a reason for attending church regularly. If they can miss a few weeks, they can miss even more when they think nothing is missing from their lives because of their own lack of attendance. The "growing" churches are giving people a reason for going to church. If fact, they are giving people a reason for leaving their present church to go to the "growing" church. 

In some cases, the new church has a definite presence of the Spirit of God within it. The people are being changed by the Spirit. They have been made hungry for God and they come to be filled by serving Him as Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34) These churches have learned something that most haven't. The problem isn't in the number of people attending church. The problem is people who have not changed because the Spirit of God is not in them.

Saving faith changes people. It is more than saying a statement of faith. It is opening oneself to the reception of the Holy Spirit. It is not working for salvation to be saved; it is salvation working in the person who is saved. Churches are reaping the harvest of easy believism that left people baptized members of the church but not truly belonging to Christ. 

James spoke of this plainly but the Church today doesn't know what to do with it. They know that no one works for salvation so they believe that no one will need to do anything because of their salvation. That is exactly what James addresses when he says, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:26)

What we don't want to admit is that our church rolls are full of lost people. They made a statement that said that Jesus was their Lord and Savior but they had no idea what they were saying. Many of them were children who were trying to please their parents or grandparents. They have no faith today because they never had any. Once they could go their own way, they didn't need to perform like a Christian. They believe that they will go to heaven because they have made their statement and were baptized. What else is there for them to do?

Lost people who represent themselves as saved people cannot live great testimonies of faith. The people outside the church can't tell the difference between the lost and the saved. They see the person who claims to be saved acting exactly like or even worse than their friends who do not claim to be saved. Why should anyone give his or her life to Christ when it makes no difference?  If God will allow this person who claims to be saved and acts sinfully to enter heaven, He must allow them in because they have lived better lives than those who claim to be saved. At least, that is their reasoning.

Yet, we must ask: Why don't people realize that they aren't saved? The reason is that the truly saved aren't allowing the Spirit to do much in their lives either. If someone does "catch on fire" in the church the church is likely to tell him to calm down. After all, we don't really want to any Christian fanatics, do we? After the great evangelist, DL Moody was initially saved, the people in his church went to his uncle to tell his nephew to calm down.

What we need is a group of people who are so moved by the Spirit that they will pray earnestly for Pentecostal power to fall on the church. This group may be small at first but it must grow. It must not give up. It must cry out to God in humility, confession, repentance and commitment. It must not stop even when it sees the first drops of God's Spirit fall on the church. 

Our problem is not getting people to come to church. Our problem is in those who are dead inside the church. Will you be one of those people? 

What a Church Must Be

 October 6, 2024

Sunday

A church is a gathering of Christians who agree to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Their efforts are focused on reaching people with the Gospel, teaching them the whole of the God’s Word and obeying what they have learned. Each church is unique in the methods employed to achieve their goal of making disciples. That is because each church has a unique collection of members, different environments in each church’s community and a particular history in which the church has existed. Thus, each church must be carefully attuned to hearing God’s call for that church. Simply copying what another church has done may bring what the world calls success, but it does not require a church to be on her knees to hear God’s call. We must be a church on our knees.

I have a quote from C. H. Spurgeon in my office. It says: “Most of us are far to great for God to use us; we can preach as well as anybody, make a sermon with anybody—so we fail! Take care, brethren, for if we think we can do anything of ourselves, all we shall get from God will be the opportunity to try.” Yes, we can copy what others do and see our church grow in size, but we will never see what God truly has for us using this method. We must be a church that hears and obeys God.

Some churches build excitement with their antics. They have superior music and a very motivational preacher. That excitement attracts people. Jesus told His disciples: “You are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The excitement in the early church came from the works of the Spirit among them. We must be a church full of the Holy Spirit.

This is not the way of many churches. Our responsibility is to be what we need to be rather than telling others why other churches are wrong. Our responsibility is to walk with God regardless of who walks with us. Our hope is that our church is not unique. Revival often spreads to many churches across denominational lines. Churches that walk with God rejoice in His work in other churches. We must be a church that walks with God.

The Bible says that: “All scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” The properly received scripture will make a receptive person equipped for every good work. We must be a church of the Bible.

The Wretched Man That I Am

 October 5, 2024

Saturday

I keep a quote from C. H. Spurgeon on my wall to remind me who will do the great words of God. It says, "Most of us are far to great for God to use us; we can preach as well as anybody, make a sermon with anybody-- so we fail! Take care, brethren, for is we think we can do anything of ourselves, all we shall get from God will be the opportunity to try." And I must admit, I have tried over and over again.

We can do nothing without Christ. We can try as hard as is humanly possible but godly things cannot be done without God. Sermons can be preached but they will not accomplish the will of God. Teaching can be taught but it will not accomplish the will of God. Even great dreams can be dreamt but they will not accomplish the will of God. All of these things will be our will done in our power to result in our own glory. Even if they seem great before men, they will never amount to anything before God.

My own trying is often because I want to help God go beyond what He can do. Can you imagine that? I am going to help God! In reality I know that I am just trying to make myself look better than I would look otherwise. I don't know why I think that operating under God's power would make me look worse. I am like Saul offering the sacrifice before Samuel arrives. He was scared of what would happen if he waited on what God had told him to do. If he would have waited his kingdom would have lasted forever.

So, it is often not a matter of knowing the right thing to do but a matter of doing the right thing. Knowing the right thing to do means nothing when it is disobeyed. I guess the Apostle Paul would agree with me.

Romans 7:14-25 (ESV) ¹⁴  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ¹⁵  For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ¹⁷  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ²⁰  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ²¹  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²²  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ²³  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.  

Fear Will Not Produce Revival

 October 4, 2024

Friday

I went to college before personal computers. Almost none of the college students in my dorm had a TV. We found our entertainment elsewhere. One of the students on my dorm hall had a huge snake. (Truthfully, any snake is huge to me.) That snake needed to be fed live mice. (I know some of you are already disgusted with this.) He would go to a store or get some mice that had been experimented on- actually I don't know where he got them. We would gather around a large terrarium which housed the snake to watch.

Initially, the mouse was extremely afraid. It ran around frantically looking for a way out. It realized that it was next to a snake and intuitively knew what would probably happen next. Meanwhile, the snake remained perfectly still. The mouse stopped his frantic behavior and went about sniffing in the terrarium. The snake moved slowly to get in position to strike. Suddenly, the mouse is in the snake's mouth. It was over even though the mouse struggled for the next several minutes.

The point is that the mouse adjusted to the fear. It adjusted to being in a cage with a snake. The fear motivated the mouse for a short time. That is what happens when people are motivated by fear. Initially, they want safety more than anything else but when the predicted fearful outcome delays, they go back to their lives.

Yes, I know that God moved in amazing ways when people heard, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and "Payday Someday" but while these sermons may have brought an initial reaction from fear, they did not produce revival by themselves. Only the Holy Spirit can bring revival. Without His drawing people to God we are merely scaring people into our baptistries. They will believe they need nothing more than that because it will alleviate their fears. They will go back to their lives with their spiritual insurance policy in hand.

We need a genuine Holy Spirit revival that will last for years, not a momentary flash of evangelism. 

When God's people followed after the Baals, God took His protective grace away. They suffered for eighteen years until they finally cried out to God. God sent judges who led his people back to worshiping Him alone. This happens again and again in the Book of Judges. Years pass while people served other Gods. God gives them over into the hands of others. They cry out and God comes to the rescue.

Isn't it time for us to cry out now? We are under rulers who believe abortion is a right. They seek to reward the ungodly. They look after their own interests alone. They lead us down paths that forget God. Shouldn't we cry out to God for deliverance? Shouldn't we seek revival?

I seriously doubt if revival will come from our politicians. Revival will come when God's people cry out to Him again. It will start with a few in prayer meetings. It will grow because God's people will put away their own idols and worship Him alone. Isn't it time?

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV) ¹³  When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, ¹⁴  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.