Is This You, Lord?

 August 8, 2024

Thursday

Have you ever wondered why Zechariah was rebuked for asking the Lord how he could know that it was true that John the Baptist would be born to him and Elizabeth and Gideon who kept asking the Lord if it was Him with meal he served and the fleece he put out wasn't? It seems that Gideon asked many more times than Zechariah did, yet Zechariah was made mute until he acknowledged that John would be his son's name. So, let's look at this.

First, let's look at the context. Where was Zechariah? He was taking his turn to light the incense in the holy of holies. No one else could be with him. Only on Yom Kippur were others allowed in. Who did he think was speaking to him unless it was God or one of His appointed angels? No one else could go in for that would have been blasphemous.  The process of elimination should have led Zechariah to know that it was the Lord or His representative who was speaking to him. It must be someone prepared to enter by his holiness.

Second, let's look at the message. Zechariah and Elizabeth who were advanced in age, meaning they could not have children because the time has passed, would have a son. This must be the best message that Zechariah could ever have heard. He does what so many people do when God gives a promise. He looks on the human side and says that it can't be. What would be the purpose of anyone else giving him such a message. It should have been something he wanted to believe.

Third, let's look at the promise. If you know that it must be God who is giving the promise, it would be an affront to say that it can't happen. Why should he need more proof? But Gabriel gave Zechariah the proof. He struck him dumb. This probably isn't the proof that Zechariah was looking for but it was effective.

So, the child is born and Elizabeth who must have believed from the beginning wants to name the child John Zechariah is asked what the child shall be called. He complies. Now, he has the faith to raise the herald of the Lord as a Nazarite. Now, he knows for sure that it is better to believe the Lord right away.

Gideon didn't have these reasons for believing. The Lord was patient and proved Gideon that he was to do what Gideon didn't believe he could do.

So, listen and do exactly what the Lord says, exactly as the Lord say and exactly when the Lord says.

Luke 1:59-64 (ESV) ⁵⁹  And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, ⁶⁰  but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” ⁶¹  And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” ⁶²  And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³  And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. ⁶⁴  And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 

Lord, Help My Unbelief!

 August 7, 2024

Wednesday

Some circumstances are desperate. The burden is not only great but it seems to continue forever without any end in sight. Hope bleeds out of us like a punctured tire. We can't move nor no what to do. Very few people are good atheists at this point. They pray just like everyone else does. They beg God like everyone else does. They bargain with God just like everyone else does.

The question is: Do you honestly believe God will answer you? If not, there is no real reason to pray. If so, you know that the answer will involve faith. Faith involves waiting for God to act. Faith proves that you believe that God will answer.

So, you say: I want to believe. That is the same thing that the man said whose son could not be healed by Jesus' disciples. Jesus asked the man if he believed. Belief appears to be necessary to perform the miracle.

Mark 9:24 (NASB 2020) ²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

Now think about this for just a moment. Maybe your first prayer shouldn't be to have your burden removed. Maybe you should be praying that your unbelief is removed. Unbelief is a barrier to faith. While it does not prevent God from acting, it does hinder Him from acting. God will not act with someone who will not realize who is acting. In other words, if you are planning to explain away what God has done, God will be reluctant to act.

When Jesus was asked why His disciples could not heal the young man He answered:

Mark 9:29 (NASB 2020) ²⁹ And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything except prayer.”

That father of the ill son said a prayer: Help my unbelief! When you find yourself in a situation that cannot be solved except for the Lord's intervention, you pray, "Help my unbelief!" before and after you make your request to God. If you don't plan to give Him all the glory afterwards, you didn't mean anything by praying that God would help your unbelief. You never believed it.

It isn't just atheists who would need to pray this prayer. Each of us find himself in desperate times eventually. There is no way we can solve the problem. So we go to the Lord. Can He solve it? We ask ourselves this question. We know we want to believe He can and will but there is nagging doubt. We eventually cry out, "Lord, help my unbelief." This may just be the most powerful prayer you have ever made.

You Can't Do Godly Things with Human Strength

 August 6, 2024

Tuesday

Let's admit it. Trying to do spiritual things using our own flesh is boring, tiring and wearisome. Let's take a few examples of this.

We can't understand the scripture apart from the Spirit revealing it to us. We get frustrated and often come up with wrong applications of the scripture because we are allowing the flesh to guide us. It just seems foolish. And it is.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB 2020) ¹⁴ But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

We are trying to use the natural part of us or the flesh to accept the things of God and they won't jive with what the world says.

Worship is boring when we are trying to worship with our flesh rather than with our spirits. Jesus said that those who worship God must do so with spirit and truth. Well we just dealt with the truth. Now, the spirit is necessary for worship.

John 4:23 (NASB 2020) ²³ But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

We cannot worship God without the spirit doing so. Thus, people are always looking for entertainment without needing to have the Spirit enable our spirits to worship. Yes, this is the best way to make the sermon and even the music boring. Maybe that is why those who try to entertain rather that worship have unchanged congregants.

We can't do the work of God without the Lord either. Jesus said that we could do nothing if we tried to do spiritual things without Him.

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.

Just think of trying to do something that the Lord wants you to do without His strength. How could we ever suppose we can do godly things in human strength.

But an impotent church is normal today. It is because we are trying to do things for the Lord rather than with the Lord. We are trying to do things in our strength. We are trying to make sense of what we do with our human minds. No, that won't work either.

1 Corinthians 2:16 (NASB 2020) ¹⁶ For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Yep, you got it. We need the mind of Christ.

Do all that you do today in His strength and see how it turns out.

The Devil Uses God's Word, Too

 August 5, 2024

Monday

A church member goes out of town and visits a church. He comes back praising the preacher who uses the Bible to give him new truths that he never heard before. The preacher said that Jesus simply changed himself into the Holy Spirit to be with the believers. The church member claims that this came right out of the Bible. When I try to explain that this is a heresy called modalism, the man balks and says, "But the preacher used the Bible!" Using the Bible is not the criteria for truth. The whole word of God is the criteria. The devil frequently picks and chooses the scripture to get others to do as he wishes.

The devil said:

Matthew 4:6 (NASB 2020) ⁶ and he said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: ‘He will give His angels orders concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will lift You up, So that You do not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ”

The devil knows God's word. He is using it to cause doubt in Jesus who knows who He is. It will not work because Jesus has the whole counsel of God's word.

Matthew 4:7 (NASB 2020) ⁷ Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written: ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Jesus would not fall into temptation because He was the Word. He could not unknow the Word. He was all of it and, therefore, lived all of it.

This is not true for many. Unfortunately, we preachers haven't made our congregations aware of these tactics. We have failed to address the whole Word of God and therefore have produced Christians who are susceptible to the temptations of the devil as he twists the Word of God.

The other side of this is that Jesus knows the devil. He was there when Satan was kicked out of heaven.

Luke 10:18 (NASB 2020) ¹⁸ And He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

Of course, none of us were there when that happened since it did so before the creation of the world. We only have knowledge of Satan through God's Word and our own personal encounters with him. We are able to recognize him as we mature in our faith.

The best idea for most believers is to bring any new teaching to his or her pastor and elders. These are the people who have been assigned to watch over their souls. Eventually, that won't be necessary because the Christian has matured to the point that he or she recognizes the manipulation of the Bible. 

Truly, be careful folks for:

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.

Preaching the Word of God

 August 4, 2024

Sunday

I may scream if I hear one more statement or read one more article that says that church attendance is dwindling. Yes, this is true. Some are applauding the low attendance. Others are sounding an alarm that something must be done about it. It is in the latter case that we will get ourselves in the most trouble. There are a number of things we can do to increase attendance that will deviate from the gospel.

Paul told Timothy to preach the word "in season and out of season." He was telling him to preach when it is convenient and when it isn't. This just might be the moment that preaching the word isn't convenient. People are flocking to preachers and places where they can hear what they want to hear. Meanwhile, there are Christians who are claiming that others aren't preaching the word because their interpretation on tertiary matters differ. Now is the time we must make sure that we are preaching God's word. It is definitely "out of season."

The word of God must be preached clearly without regard to how it will be received. Some Christians may not agree with you. Some will not like to hear what the word says. Some will leave you for other churches who will give them what they want. Preachers must have tougher hides than they have had in the past. They will be attacked from both Christians and non-Christians when they preach the word of God. Preaching the word of God is in jeopardy when avoiding criticism becomes the focus. 

The word of God must be preached without using the "message" as a means of gain. Some may be preaching messages so that they can go to bigger churches. Others may want notoriety in their denominations. Crowds will often get the bigger salary at the larger churches. Being a big shot in your denomination doesn't hurt your book sales either. The preacher must answer the question before each difficult message: Would I preach this message if it meant that I would be fired, lose members or be martyred? Of course, it must be from the word of God or that question makes no sense.

The word of God must be preached in its entirety. No part of God's word should be avoided. Too many preacher give out their "sugar sticks" to the congregation over and over. They must leave those congregations because they only have so many of them. Preaching the whole word of God is a struggle that should keep the preacher in prayer and study. The preacher who has too much time to play golf with potential big money givers is neglecting God's word even if he builds large buildings, has massive budgets and increasing attendance.

Preaching the word must be at the core of the preacher's message. Self-help and psychology has a place but that place is not at the core of the message. The Bible must back up what the preacher says or it may be that it is just the preacher who is saying it. Antidotes cannot make up the message. It must be God's word.

So, attendance may fall. What difference does that make when it comes to preaching God's word? Should we shy away from the word to reach for greater attendance. Absolutely not!

For the non-preachers I would give this warning. Be careful that you are not rushing off to a new church that gives you what you want. It may not be preaching the word. If not, you have been unfaithful to God's word no matter what noble reason you are giving. Larger churches have better youth ministers, better children's ministries and more professional worship services. You may say that you are doing this for your children or someone else you have been trying to get into church. Think about it: You are trying to get them to the word of God by going to a place where the word of God is not preached? Does that make sense?

I would say to the non-preachers: Hear the word of God in season and out of season, too.

2 Timothy 4:1–2 (NASB 2020) ¹ I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Greater than Gold on Earth

 August 3, 2024

Saturday

 Many people believe in magic. They think they can have the power to change the rules of the universe. They think that their actions will somehow please God so much that He will give them whatever they want. They believe they can say the right words and make the greater sacrifices that will cause God to forget what His will is. Maybe this is why Star Wars and superhero movies are so well attended. It reinforces their beliefs.

Do the people think that manipulating God makes them a god? Some do and even say so. They will claim that they are little gods. It doesn't even seem ridiculous to them. They believe that their faith causes god-like power to do their will.

But what has the true Almighty God thought of their actions? He lets them live in their delusions. They have decided that they love themselves. They have decided that they do not want to worship the God of the Bible. The Bible is nothing more than a means of learning how to have god-like power. They tip their hats to God but expect Him to serve them. Loving God is always secondary to their own narcistic love for themselves.

These people do not realize that they have set themselves up as enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ for they do not preach the sinners' need for salvation but a gospel that calls every Christian rich on this earth and shuns the sacrifice of Christ. They often call Jesus a loser for not attaining what He could have attained as they are doing.

The prosperity gospel lures many people into this magical realm of saying the right words, claiming every want and denying the true nature of the person who loves Jesus. Jesus said that love would result in obeying Him. They have decided that Jesus must obey them.

Yet, when I see those who have so very little hear of these magical incantations, I understand the lure. Those who have been stepped on see the way to rise above others. They can have more than God desires for them. They can have what they desire. (Sounds a bit like Adam and Eve.)

Knowing Christ is not to know Him as Santa Claus. It is to know Him as Lord. It is to be His willing slave. It is to hold nothing back from Him. Knowing Christ is of far more worth than all the gold in this world. That gold will perish with you. Knowing Him lasts forever.

Philippians 3:18–19 (NASB 2020) ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, ¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things.

Afraid or Under Conviction?

 August 2, 2024

Friday

It seems that politicians and preachers have a lot in common. When they want you to come over to their side, they use fear tactics. If you vote for this candidate the world will end! You will burn forever in hell if you don't do as we say!

Now, each of these could be right but that is not an effective way to convince people. Fear tactics work as long as the fear exists. Fearful people are rarely passionate about their fears. They may tell their closest friends and those who already agree with their fears but hardly ever anyone else. There is a difference between being afraid and being convicted.

A convicted person does more than join the organization. A convicted person believes that the dire outcome is true but goes beyond the fear. Conviction becomes a part of the person. Fear only exists while the danger is prevalent. Those who have said a prayer of salvation but did so only because they were afraid without true conviction bought the insurance that they won't use until the time they need it. Those who are under conviction that Jesus is the means of salvation give their hearts to Him and follow Him all of their days. Conviction affects the heart. Fear affects the emotions.

Preachers often give messages that generate guilt. Guilt can be from conviction in the heart or from emotions. The person who is under conviction will decide to do something about what has made them feel guilty. For example, if the preacher gives a message on tithing, the emotional response is to write a check or put something in the offering plate. Conviction results in adjusting the budget so that tithing becomes a habit.

People who are merely afraid of hell, will say a prayer of salvation and get baptized. Since the fear is no longer fearful, they come to church irregularly. You can count on them at Christmas and Easter most years. You can count on them when they are in need of prayer. Other than that, you had better not count on them.

There are thousands and thousands of people missing each Sunday from church. They have no reason to come. They have been inoculated from the fear. They have no conviction.

I believe that many if not most of those missing every Sunday do not know the Lord. They believe they are saved from the words that they said in a prayer and the water that covered them when they were baptized. 

Peter preached on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit enabled the message to go to those who would not have known what he was saying. He told the story of who Jesus was and what He had done. The people listening were under conviction.

Acts 2:37 (NASB 2020) ³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”

They were "pierced to the heart." That doesn't sound like they were merely afraid. They were convicted. They were willing to change who they were to rectify their condition. So, Peter said:

Acts 2:38 (NASB 2020) ³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The evidence of their belief was that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is much different from saying, "You will no longer be afraid."

Do you possess the Holy Spirit? Did you follow others who were afraid of going to hell or were you under conviction that Jesus was your Lord? Only you know. And only one of these changes who you are too.