The Missing Works of the Lord

 July 9, 2024

Tuesday

There is little doubt that America is less Christian that it once was. Statistics reveal that less people attend church each year. Biblical standards seem to be sliding off of a cliff. Right is no longer right and wrong is no longer wrong by Christian standards. Many people want to go back to the time when Christians ruled the media and airwaves. Going backwards is rarely the right answer. So, maybe we should go forward.

Christians are good at seeing the outward actions without seeing the inward ones. Nearly all of the churches mentioned in Revelation had some great outward actions. Nearly all of them had fatal flaws too. Most Christians in America would be satisfied if more people attended their church without any changes being made. In other words, they would like to return to 1955 but have no idea what was really going on in 1955.

The problem is not superficial. The problem isn't that we can't reproduce 1955 either. The problem is that we are not seeing God work among us. We are preaching a good news gospel without seeing God have any part in it. I ask you, Can you tell me about any works of the Lord in your church? Now, don't try to make up something. I mean, when God works, it is easy to see. Splitting a sea, water stopping when the Jordan was crossed and seeing the walls of Jericho fall weren't things that people could ignore.

When it was said that Jesus couldn't do many miracles in Nazareth, it was the unbelief of the people that kept these miracles from happening. God would not act without receiving glory. The people weren't about to give Him glory so He didn't act. Is that what is going on today? Are we a generation who doesn't know the works of the Lord?

Look at what happened in the Book of Judges.

Judges 2:7 (NASB 2020) ⁷ The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

Then, a new generation was born.

Judges 2:10 (NASB 2020) ¹⁰ All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and another generation rose up after them who did not know the Lord, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.

The first generation served the Lord. The elders who survived after Joshua served the Lord. The next generation neither knew the Lord nor His works. This seems the best way to have a diminishing number of people serving the Lord. God works among a people who serve Him. Those who don't give Him glory do not see His glory. This is what I believe is happening to us today.

Now, I realize that some have decided that God doesn't do miracles anymore. They will be quick to explain away everything the Lord has done. On the other hand, there are those who want to claim that every last thing that happens is an act of God. They claim every disaster is His judgment. They claim every good thing as coming from Him. Too often, these are so vague that only a few people will say that these are works of the Lord. Thus, we are a people who do not know the works of the Lord. We don't know them for we haven't seen them.

So, I ask you to join me in asking God to do a work that we can't deny comes from Him. Pray that there will be little doubt that it is Him. Pray that His manifest presence is known by those who believe first so that they can identify Him and proclaim Him to others. Pray that God will do something that man cannot duplicate. Pray that we will give Him all the glory. Then, pray that we will return to serving Him completely.

If we do this, it won't be 1955. It will be better.

The Pattern of Obedience

 July 8, 2024

Monday

Sometimes a quiet time takes longer than other times. It is always necessary to read the scriptures around a scripture. Some of the worst heresies I know come from taking scripture out of context. There are times when that must be extended because it tells a story. Such is the case of Abraham's servant who found a wife for his son, Isaac. It is a long story but it is truly worth the time reading it today.

Genesis 24:1–61 (NASB 2020) ¹ Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. ² Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, ³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live; ⁴ but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” ⁵ The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” ⁶ Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there! ⁷ The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land’—He will send His angel ahead of you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. ⁸ But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free of this oath of mine; only do not take my son back there.” ⁹ So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him concerning this matter. ¹⁰ Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and went out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; so he set out and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. ¹¹ He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water when it was evening, the time when women go out to draw water. ¹² And he said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; ¹⁴ now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” ¹⁵ And it came about, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. ¹⁶ The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. ¹⁷ Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” ¹⁸ And she said, “Drink, my lord”; then she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. ²¹ Meanwhile, the man was taking a close look at her in silence, to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. ²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, ²³ and he said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to stay overnight at your father’s house?” ²⁴ She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” ²⁵ Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to stay overnight.” ²⁶ Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. ²⁷ And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.” ²⁸ Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. ²⁹ Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. ³⁰ When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. ³¹ And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside, since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” ³² So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have stated my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” ³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and slave women, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ Now my master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. ³⁷ My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; ³⁸ but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ ³⁹ Then I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ ⁴⁰ And he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; ⁴¹ then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’ ⁴² “So I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I have been going successful; ⁴³ behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the young unmarried woman who comes out to draw water, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; ⁴⁴ and she says to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’ ⁴⁵ “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ ⁴⁶ She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. ⁴⁷ Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. ⁴⁸ And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. ⁴⁹ So now if you are going to deal kindly and truthfully with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me now, so that I may turn to the right or the left.” ⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The matter has come from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. ⁵¹ Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” ⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. ⁵³ And the servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they got up in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” ⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” ⁵⁶ However, he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to my master.” ⁵⁷ And they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her.” ⁵⁸ Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” ⁵⁹ So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them.” ⁶¹ Then Rebekah got up with her female attendants, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

There are several things Abraham's servant did that reflect his belief that his service to Abraham was a service to the Lord. Let me list those things that should be a method for our own path with the Lord.

1. The servant clarified the task given to him. This is very important when serving the Lord. The task for Abraham at one time was to go where I lead you until I tell you this is the place. The clarity that God sometimes gives us is only the next task. He doesn't give us all the particulars. That just means we have to listen and follow Him all the way.

2. The servant committed himself to the task. Many Christians are willing to do anything for the Lord but make no commitments to do anything. In other words, they tell us that they will serve the Lord with all their hearts and fail to worship, witness, tithe, forgive, disciple, etc. A genuine commitment is needed and should be repeated so that it won't be forgotten.

3. The servant obeyed. He went without delay. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Too many people come forward in church altar calls who never follow up with what the Lord told them to do.

4. He went to the right place and to the right people. Abraham told him to go to his own relatives to find a wife for Isaac. This servant went where he needed to go rather than where he might have wanted to go. The Lord commands. We go wherever He leads.

5. He prayed that God would show him the woman Isaac should marry. He prayed that she would be a kind, caring, hard-working woman who would offer water for his camels.

6. He prayed again. Sometimes God answers our prayers right away but there should always be discernment when something seems a bit too easy.

7. He is completely honest with her and her family. He tells them the whole story.

8. He shows gratitude to the Lord for God's answer to his task. He worships God for the answer, not the woman or her family for seeing God's hand in this.

9. He keeps his focus on his task. When her family asks for more time, he states plainly that he must do what he has been given to do.

10. He completes the task. He takes Rebekah to Isaac and fulfills what his master has asked of him. It is very important to finish a task.

God gives us tasks. Will we follow this servant's example?

Prayer for the Atheists

 July 7, 2024

Sunday

I do not look at atheists with ire. I see them as misled. I see them as hopeless. I see them as people who need Christ but often will not allow themselves to realize it. We all operate with a limited amount  of knowledge. Their lack is in the spiritual realm. 

The life of the atheist must be one without an overall purpose. Yes, I realize that a person may choose a purpose in life but that purpose is exactly as stated. It is chosen. This means that it is not directed by any forces outside of the person other than the influence given by genetics, intelligence, environment being encouraged by others in their pursuit. They cannot say that they were directed by anyone or anything outside of these influences. Their purpose ends when they leave this world.

This seems hopeless to me even though I believe there are countless Christians who have no sense of purpose. The Christians may also be misled or not willing to seek God in their purpose. The atheists is not disobedient to their purpose. They don't believe it exists beyond themselves. They have closed their eyes to God as much as I have closed my eyes to atheism. The difference is that the atheist wants me to see what he can't see. I want the atheist to see what I can see.

The atheist sees my faith as a fairy tale. I see the atheist's fate as the sudden stop that comes after falling off of a cliff. The atheist sees my faith as a false hope. I see the atheist's fate as hopeless. The atheist will agree with the Apostle Paul if we have only hoped in a Christ who has not been resurrected:

1 Corinthians 15:19 (NASB 2020) ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But this is not the end of the story.

1 Corinthians 15:20–21 (NASB 2020) ²⁰ But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. ²¹ For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

I pray for atheists even if they don't want my prayers. I pray for the miracle of faith to come to them. I pray that they realize that there is a purpose for each of them that comes from beyond this world. I pray for their joy in finding this. I don't want any of them to leave this life without Christ.

Watch Your Heart with All Diligence

 July 6, 2024

Saturday

One time I went with my wife to a party hosted by a company she does business with. They rented a bar and provided food and lots of alcohol. The band was extremely loud and the crowd was singing along with them. People were acting outside of normal. They were acting like they were on spring break but they were years beyond college. Men and women were dancing wildly. Most of the people were not with their spouses. I may be wrong but I had the sense that some very bad decisions were going to be made this night. I had no alcohol, but the atmosphere of loud music and frantic people made my mind fuzzy. I sensed I needed to leave within a few minutes.

Some will say that I just don't want people to have fun. They will say that everyone there was a consenting adult. They might say that their decisions would be their decisions. Why not let them have a little fun? They have a point. Why not have some fun?

This morning I read the story of David and Bathsheba. David got up because it was too hot to sleep. He walked in the cool air on the roof. He saw Bathsheba. He inquired about her. He had servants bring her to him. Maybe David wanted to have a little fun too. But the fun got out of hand.

I am not sure that David intended for all this to happen. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. It isn't like he didn't know it was wrong. He just thought that he could go about his business. Consequences didn't allow him to do so. His fear of discovery made things worse. I am sure the palace inhabitants knew what happened. He just didn't want it to get out. After all,  they were singing his songs in worship.

David failed to do what I suspected many others at tthe party I mentioned were failing to do. He failed to guard his heart. If he had guarded his heart, he would have not given Bathsheba a second glance. You can't be expected to unsee what you have seen. You can refuse to look after you have seen. He went from poking the rattlesnakes to sleeping with them.

Though it is not a quote, I remember John Wooden saying something like: Watch your character over your reputation because your character is who you are and your reputation is just what others think of you. Character is more than having a good name. Character is deserving the good name. It must be diligently guarded. Otherwise, it can be filled with regrets.

So, watch your heart. Be careful where you are. Be aware of what you are doing. Notice where you are going if you continue to act like you are at the moment. Don't let anything like a crowd lure you into something that you wouldn't normally do.

Now, will you miss a little fun? Maybe. But it will be worth it.

Proverbs 4:23 (NASB 2020) ²³ Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

Be Ready for the Lord's Return (And the Day of the Lord)

 July 5, 2024

Friday

It seems that only those who want to draw attention to themselves talk about the Day of the Lord. You may consider that day to be coming for 2,000 years or from the beginning of time. It is always coming whether we know about it or not.

So let's get our facts straight. There will be a day when Jesus returns. There will be a day when we will meet Him in the air if we have not already passed from this life. God is patiently waiting for people to take salvation's walk with Him. There will be an end to God's patience. 

Salvation is assured for those who know the Lord. Should it make a difference if we are walking with Him now? The New Testament gives a resounding "Yes!"

Peter said it would make a difference.

2 Peter 3:9–11 (NASB 2020) ⁹ The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered. ¹¹Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

Paul said there should be a difference.

1 Corinthians 9:26–27 (NASB 2020) ²⁶ Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; ²⁷ but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Jesus said there should be a difference.

Matthew 24:40–42 (NASB 2020) ⁴⁰ At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴² “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

Now, do you think that the only way you know you will be ready for the Lord's return is to always be ready for the Lord's return?

Are All Professing Christians Going to Heaven?

 July 4, 2024

Thursday

I know that my Lord will hold onto me. My commitment to Him was sealed by the Holy Spirit. That is a settled matter. However, I am concerned that the scripture speaks of those who have gotten very close but do not know the Lord. They act so very much like they know the Lord that they cannot be distinguished from those knowing the Lord. In some cases, it is evident that even they don't know the difference between knowing the Lord and being a professing Christian. Yes, they profess to be Christians. They give, serve, worship, and pray like they are Christians. They are more than people who sometimes doubt their salvation. If they fall away from this pseudo-faith, they will become worse than they were before. The question is: How would they know?

2 Peter 2:20 (NASB 2020) ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

This scares me. It doesn't scare me because of my own condition. It scares me that I am somehow allowing or encouraging people to believe that they have an eternity in heaven when they don't. It scares me that by my own words, I have given them an assurance that will be met with surprise when this life is over. 

Now, I don't want people doubting their salvation but I also don't want them believing in a salvation that they do not possess. Maybe I should apply my own evidence for salvation when I speak to others.

I know the Holy Spirit is with me. He is more than just a conscience that makes me realize when I have done something wrong. He leads me in truth. He reads the scripture to me. He comforts me. He empowers me when I preach. He helps me interpret my own circumstances to make godly decisions. I know His presence.

I hear from the Lord. He speaks to me when I pray, when I read scripture, and when other godly people speak to me. I don't just believe in Him. I know Him. I know what it is to be forgiven. I know His love. I understand what Paul said when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

When I share this with people, will they believe me? Will they assume that their works and their history of saying a prayer which they were told was all they needed for salvation overrule their true need for Christ? 

I don't know. I know I can't assume that everyone in church knows the Lord. The scripture says that I must be aware of this. This is why I must not be a witness at church as well as outside the church.

The Ever-Present Need to Forgive Others

 July 3, 2024

Wednesday

We all have a sense of justice. Our God created us in His image. He is a just God. We have this justice inside us even if it has been corrupted by sin. On the other hand, we have avoided justice for our own sins by the sacrifice of Jesus. Make no mistake: justice was served. It just wasn't us who paid the price. It seems we should be grateful for our own forgiveness and welcome forgiving others and being forgiven by others. Yet, often, even Christians fail to do so.

Let's take the example of Jonah. Jonah didn't want to preach to Ninevah because he knew that God would forgive them if they repented. He fled so that they would not receive the word of the Lord and be destroyed. He had a special prejudice against them that would only make sense to someone who has this prejudice.

Prejudice is found in a superior attitude over others. It may be that they have hurt us and holding onto that hurt and refusing to forgive gives us a belief that we are superior to them. We might find them different and, therefore, despicable in our own eyes. We see ourselves as better and don't want them to receive anything good. 

But how can Christians have this attitude? We seem to justify the anger and unforgiveness just as the rest of the world does. God showed Jonah why he had no right to be angry in God's actions to forgive.

Jonah 4:1–11 (NASB 2020) ¹ But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. ² Then he prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster. ³ So now, Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” ⁴ But the Lord said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?” ⁵ Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city. ⁶ So the Lord God designated a plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah was overjoyed about the plant. ⁷ But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered. ⁸ And when the sun came up God designated a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life!” ⁹ But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death!” ¹⁰ Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. ¹¹ Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many animals?”

Jonah had forgotten the forgiveness given to him by God. This seems to be common among those who refuse to forgive. They cannot understand the grace given to themselves so that they can forgive others. Jonah did not do anything for the plant to grow over him. It was an act of grace by God, not an obligation. 

God took away that plant and Jonah had compassion for it. He had done nothing for the plant but still had compassion. God, therefore, gives grace to all that will accept it because He has compassion over His creation. If we walk with Him, we must also have compassion so that we forgive others.

The presence of God is made manifest when we forgive others. If we fail to do so, we do not have His manifest presence and can expect no forgiveness from God. Forgiveness is one of the litmus tests that indicate whether or not we are Christians. It is that important.

The need to forgive others is ever-present.