Human Reasoning and Eternal Decisions

 March 14, 2024

Thursday

Many times human reasoning can keep us from the Lord's will. Take for example the story of Saul offering the burnt offering when Samuel doesn't show up at the allotted time. Let's look at the circumstances.

The Philistines have gathered for a battle. Saul is trembling in fear. People are deserting him. He had already waited until the previously agreed time for Samuel to arrive. Samuel would offer the burnt offering. It was commonly offered before a battle. It was a statement of complete commitment to the Lord. Saul knows it must be offered before the battle. He, therefore, took it upon himself to offer the burnt offerings.

1 Samuel 13:8–9 (NASB 2020) ⁸ Now he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.

Human reasoning would tell us that Saul was in a predicament. He waited upon the agreed upon time. He took it upon himself because he was afraid to wait in longer. His men were already deserting. The battle would be difficult with the men he had. Losing more would almost assuredly mean a defeat. This is all human reasoning.

The burnt offering was not just a ritual performed so that the soldiers could fight with complete confidence. A complete commitment to the Lord is not found in the ceremony. A complete commitment is found in complete obedience. Offering the burnt offering without Samuel was the same as offering it without the Lord. There was no complete commitment for their was no complete obedience.

Saul was trusting in his army rather than the Lord. His human reasoning got in the way of obedience. People using human reasoning don't think that Saul did anything wrong.

I have heard the same argument made by ladies who do not understand why Mary could be praised for listening to Jesus while Martha was doing all the work. Their human reasoning says that Jesus should have made Mary get up and join Martha.

Luke 10:40–42 (NASB 2020) ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Human reasoning said that the meal must be served sooner rather than later. Human reasoning said that it was more important to prepare the meal than to listen to Jesus. Human reasoning was wrong. Can you imagine getting to sit and listen to Jesus? That would never be taken away from Mary while the meal that Martha was fixing would come and go.

The Bible tells us:

Proverbs 14:12 (NASB 2020)¹² There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.

Some things seem right to us and many others but they are not evaluated on an eternal level. They are seen to be the best we can do today. The Lord looks beyond today. He leads us to an abundant life. The life that stays on the human level is a life of death. We are not responding to the Spirit. We do not have the life God intends for us.

Make sure today that you live beyond human reasoning. Completely obey the Lord. Listen to what He tells you to do. Live for eternity.

Living Like the Lord Will Return Today

 March 13, 2024

Wednesday

I am a planner. I love to plan what the future holds. I would plan for the Lord's return if I knew the date. But I don't know when. No one who knows when. So, I must live like His return will be today.

Doesn't it seem strange that there have been many people who have predicted the Lord's return throughout history? They stir up the people. Some of their followers have sold all they have and gave it away right before the predicted date. They proved their faith in the date but the day comes and passes without the Lord's return. 

I just read the Parable of the Virgins:

Matthew 25:1–13 (NASB 2020) ¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; ⁴ but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. ⁵ Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. ⁶ But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

The prudent virgins brought extra oil in case the groom was late. The others predicted when he should come. They did not have the oil needed to keep their lamps burning. This parable is not about what oil represents or falling asleep. It is purely about being ready for the Lord's return. It tells that there will be a day when the door to the kingdom of heaven will be shut. Those on the outside cannot get in because the Lord doesn't know them. They have never been His.

All of the virgins were surprised at the grooms coming. All of them had fallen asleep. But five of them were prepared for a late arrival. These are the ones who were admitted to the wedding feast. 

The Lord could come today. Those who do not know Him will not be meeting Him in the air. I am sure that some will come up with a scientific explanation for the event. They will soothe their fears with an assurance that science can explain this. Others will come to the realization that what they learned at one time was true even though they, themselves, had not trusted in the Lord. They will know they have been left behind.

So, I will use each opportunity the Lord gives me today to tell those who will listen about the salvation of the Lord. Salvation is a work of the Lord. Giving out a testimony for the Lord is my job. I want, as the Lord wants, all to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. I want others with me when He returns.

I must live like the Lord will return today.

The Words the Devil Hates

 March 12, 2024

Tuesday

Have you ever thought what strategies the devil is going to use against you? Let's realize who he is and that will indicate what he desires to do. 

The devil hates God intensely. He, therefore, hates all that God loves. He hates you and he wants what God has. Therefore, he desires to keep as many people away from God as he can. If he can't keep you from salvation, he will do his best to steal what salvation offers on this earth. He wants to steal your spiritual joy, your manifest presence of the Lord, your eternal rewards (not salvation but what you have earned), and your testimony of your relationship with the Lord. It isn't that those things don't exist. It's the fact that you don't know them anymore. 

What does the devil need to do to take these things from you? He needs to get you away from God's word, God's people and God's work. If he can do this, he is as successful as he will ever be. He is condemned. There is an eternity of judgement waiting for him. He just wants to hurt God as much as he can before he faces his eternity.

So, you are tempted to forego having a quiet time. It doesn't seem to be the end of the world. No one besides yourself knows that you did. Truthfully, you are now like most of the Christians in the world who missed their quiet times today. You'll catch up tomorrow, right? 

Do you think that telling the policeman that you will stop twice at the next light will work? No, you need that quiet time today for today. You can't have yesterday's quiet time today. It is subtle but it is an effective way to keep you away from God's word.

While there are lots of books saying that people are not attending church because they were hurt by the church in the past, that apparently isn't the main reason that people stopped going to church. According to surveys, the main reason is that they moved. They were either just too far away or moved to a completely different area of the country where they knew no one except their neighbors and co-workers who didn't go to church either. It was easy to fill in the time with going to the Y, grilling out and just relaxing. This is an incredibly effective way to steal your spiritual joy, your own awareness that the Lord is present and your testimony. Satan will probably leave you alone. There is no reason to upset what he already has.

Doing the Lord's work can be frustrating. It takes time. It prevents you from doing a lot of the things you would rather do. I, personally, have not had a three-day weekend in over forty years. That's the life of a pastor. Wouldn't it be great to take off when you want to take off and not have to worry about the hole you left in a ministry? You don't need a substitute because you aren't committed to anything. Sure, you go to church when you can. And you can when nothing else is planned. You don't even realize that all the rewards you have earned from serving the Lord can be lost. (1 Corinthians 9:27) The devil loves this. He couldn't be happier with you.

What are the words the devil hates to hear? He hates to hear of the joy of God. He hates to hear that God is well pleased with you.

 Matthew 25:21 (NASB 2020) ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’

So, he does his best to make sure that never happens.

The devil is seeking to devour you today. 

1 Peter 5:8 (NASB 2020) ⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

However, you have Someone he must answer to. You will have victory over him. You have had your quiet time. You will be in church to encourage and stimulate others to good works as they will encourage and stimulate you. You will hear the words that the devil hates.

1 Peter 5:9–10 (NASB 2020) ⁹ So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world. ¹⁰ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Who Produces Much Fruit?

March 11, 2024

Monday

I heard the following story:

A dad and his son are on a road trip through Amish country. Upon seeing all the horse and buggies the son asks his dad why the Amish travel that way.

The dad replies, "Son, they don't believe in cars."

"But, dad," the boy exclaims,  "Can't they see them?!"

Now, I would like to relate that to the experience of abiding in Jesus. Anyone who has experienced the power of the Lord working in their lives must know that it comes by Jesus abiding in them and they in Jesus. What appears to be accomplished through natural talents will amount to nothing. What is done in the Lord is everything. Those who have natural intellectual or charismatic talents may see the works of the Lord all around them but they do not adopt abiding in Jesus because they do not truly know Him. They have a belief that they more than doubt because they assume the apparent results in numbers justifies their own relationship. They may see the works of the Lord but they choose not to adopt abiding in Jesus as the means to accomplish His will because they do not need to. They are doing more with their natural abilities than what appears to be happening with those who abide in the Lord.

This may explain much of the so-called de-conversion stories I have read from celebrity pastors. Each of them is much smarter than me. Each of them is able to do things that I would love to do. Yet, their own superior natural abilities have become a hindrance because they cannot claim that what they have done is a work of the Lord. They know it is because of their own abilities. Thus, claims of the Lord working are foreign to them. They can de-convert because they have not seen the Lord truly work in their lives. If they did, they would never turn their backs on the Lord.

On the other hand, we may not know the full impact that abiding in Jesus will have. The person we lead to the Lord, the discipleship group that we lead or the moment we are moved by the Lord to fund a Christian project may have results that we can't imagine. We know that the Lord has promised us much fruit if we will abide in Him. We may not see the results of what the Lord will do through us. However, we will know that it is the Lord working in us.

So, you and I may never have our names in lights. Thousands of people may never hear us speak or buy our books. But there is something much more precious than these things. We know the Lord is working in us. We know that He has promised to produce much fruit through this. For me, this is enough.

John 15:5 (NASB 2020) ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

The Importance of Setting the Mind on the Spirit

 March 10, 2024

Sunday

Have you ever seen a company fire most of its sales force when times get tough? Probably not because that company is about to go out of business. It is gone before you can know they fired their sales force. They must cut back and they hope that their previous customers will continue to buy from them. They fail to realize that any company not enlisting new customers is on its way out.

They resemble the man whose doctor told him that he must cut out some of his wine, women and song or it was going to kill him. The man gave up singing. Failing to recognize what's important will kill your business, your church and your walk with the Lord.

I have seen many people who become homebound from church. I visited one who told me that she could go shopping and to the beauty shop but just couldn't make it to church. That, to me, will be hard to explain when she stands at the judgement seat of Christ. Refusing to go to church simply because it is difficult will result in a weakened faith. That weakened faith will crumble when the true difficulties of life hit.

Maybe people have never thought of what the important things are. They just don't see how they tie together. Who suffers if they don't have a quiet time? Who suffers is the skip church? Who suffers if they don't order their lives in a walk with the Lord? Even though few others will notice at first, they will notice immediately if they have a close walk with the Lord. They lost their first love. Their relationship with the Lord grows cold. Yes, it is gradual but it is also assured when we refuse to do what's important.

What is the hardest thing to do in the Christian life? One man who had a quiet time every day for twenty years said, "Having a quiet time every day." Taking the time to acknowledge that this is the day that the Lord has made, listening to God's word as one reads it to himself and praying that this day will be filled with obedience to the Lord is extremely hard to do. However, it is worth it. It reflects who you love. It sets your day on the right path. Your mind is focused on the Spirit. It brings life and peace.

Romans 8:6 (NASB 2020) ⁶ For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

Where Does Greatness Lie?

 March 9, 2024

Saturday

Just about everybody wants to be somebody. From the moment we can talk, we want to call ourselves "big." Our high school days were spent making sure we were included. We wanted to be with the "cool" group. We wanted others to notice how important we were. (Or at least not call us worthless.) Eventually, most people give up. They may want to be treated well as a customer but they have no concern about becoming the boss.

Does this desire come down between being served and serving? If the flesh is against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh wouldn't the flesh want to be served while the Spirit will serve?

This is where we throw Jesus' disciples under the bus while acting the same as they did. The mother of James and John asks if her sons can sit on Jesus' left and right when He comes into His kingdom. He questions whether they can drink from the cup He will drink from. They say they will and He admits that they will. However, Jesus doesn't grant them the greatness that they desire. So, the rest of the disciples who also want to be great become indignant with James and John. So . . . .

Matthew 20:24–28 (NASB 2020) ²⁴ And after hearing this, the other ten disciples became indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them. ²⁶ It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant,²⁷ and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

The question for a believer is: "Where do you want to be great?" Do you want to be great in the world or great in the Kingdom of God?

I heard a televangelist say that he had heard that heaven was paved with streets of gold but he wanted his gold now. How short sighted can you be? Would you rather have treasures on this earth that you can't take with you or treasures in heaven that are yours forever? It appears that many people would rather lease heaven than to own it.

We must ask if Jesus greatness was on earth. He never wrote a book. He never traveled very far. He was abandoned even by most of His closest followers when He was in His greatest need. Yet, His greatness is beyond anything the world has ever known. He sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. All believers will one day be judged by Him for their rewards in heaven.

Even in church we recount greatness. Each special speaker is introduced by the books he has written, the places he has preached, the number he has preached to and the decisions made from his preaching. It seems we haven't learned what Jesus said. The greatest is not the one who is the most well known. The greatest is the one who has served like a slave. This is why Paul will address himself as "slave of Jesus Christ" at the beginning of Romans. This is where greatness lies.

So, instead of seeking to be served today. Do something great. Serve others. The rewards are out of this world.

Do I Really Have Time for a Quiet Time?

 March 8, 2024

Friday

I overslept this morning. I never oversleep. Of course, I can't really say I never oversleep because I just did. It threw me off my routine. I quickly got ready to ride my bicycle to work. I forgot my watch and cell phone. Now, I'm really going to have troubles. So, I go back home for them. I am late starting. I need to collect myself. I need to stop and take a breath. If I am not careful, I will not have a quiet time this morning because I have reasoned that I don't have time. I can turn a mistake into something much worse.

Each day things can happen that are not on all of our "to-do" list. These things must be evaluated, sometimes corrected and adjustments to the day must be made. The most important items that we must do still must be the most important items that we must do. I know this but in the hurry of being late, I may forget them.

I have made Philippians 3:10 my life verse:

Philippians 3:10 (NASB 2020) ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

I want to know Christ. If this is true, I should let nothing get in the way of knowing Him. I must adjust my schedule so that I have the time set aside each day that I may acknowledge Him. Letting what I will do for Him is not as important as being with Him. I can't let my work be my worship. I must always see Him as my worship.

I cannot let time be my master. I cannot let others be my master. Ultimately, I must always allow my Master to be my Master. Each day I must remember this. Each day I must call Him Lord.

Jesus, Himself gave us a great example to follow. The scripture records:

Mark 1:35 (NASB 2020) ³⁵ And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time.

Jesus took time out of His busy schedule to seek His Father. The weight of the world was upon Him. His disciples would soon tell Him that everyone was looking for Him. However, He got away to have a quiet time.

Thus, I know I must keep the main thing the main thing. 

Make sure you have your quiet time too tomorrow and all the tomorrows you still have.