Lessons from Lemuel’s Mother

“The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him: Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.” [1]

She is obviously referring to multiple uncommitted relationships based on pleasing one’s fleshly desires and instead of a relationship with one woman that places God and others before oneself.

“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.” [2]

She taught her son that there a good reason to avoid using harmful substances to one’s body… they impair one’s ability to fight for the causes that really manner such as loving God and one’s neighbor and caring for the afflicted.

“Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” [3]

Rather than being preoccupied with pleasing himself (as people with great power tend to do), he was to rescue perishing people, make good judgments, and advocate for people who did not have their basic needs met.

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” [4]

Here she counters her earlier warning about “women” with the inestimable valuable of a virtuous wife: one wife, who is committed to their relationship.

“She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” [5]

Surely only God could give such a woman to a man.

“Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” [6]

She not only respects her husband, but she helps others to respect him as well.

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.” [7]

She has been with the Lord and He has taught her how to use her mouth and tongue to build up and not tear down. She surely is more valuable than many rubies.

“She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” [8]

She helps her husband bear the weight of providing for the health of their family.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” [9]

Unlike the men who pursue the women who use feminine wiles to win the temporary praise of the masses, Lemuel is marry a woman who will be a blessing to his children and his praise as well. Incidentally, the word praise comes from the old French word "preisier” which means to prize. Lemuel’s mother taught him to avoid women and substance abuse, do what’s right in God’s eyes and for others, and marry UP! Good advice!

[1] Proverbs 31:1
[2] Proverbs 31:4-5
[3] Proverbs 31:8-9
[4] Proverbs 31:10
[5] Proverbs 31:11
[6] Proverbs 31:12
[7] Proverbs 31:26
[8] Proverbs 31:27
[9] Proverbs 31:28, 30

Lord Jesus, You Are...

“Lord Jesus, You are...
Worshiped by millions of angels...
The focus of adoration in heaven...
Help us here on earth...
To know Your matchless worth...
To esteem You higher than...
Worldly riches...
Worldly pleasures...
Worldly approval...
Grant that we would...
Render abundant praise...
Lavish thanksgiving...
Celebration with songs...
Unto Your Name alone...
Unmute our lips...
To proclaim Your salvation...
To everyone.”

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” [1]

“Look carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God... lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” [2]

“Help us, dear Lord Jesus, to follow the example of Moses who by Your Spirit and Word knew Your matchless worth. Let us not be like Esau who traded his blessed inheritance for temporary pleasures. For it is in Your Name we pray. Amen.”

[1] Hebrews 11:24-26
[2] Hebrews 12:15-17

Meek & Humble People

Meek and humble people
Amidst the rebellious and arrogant
Trusting in God,
Experiencing God's presence
Experiencing God's gladness
Experiencing God's love
Experiencing God's songs
God Almighty saves them

“Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressive city!
She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the Lord,
She has not drawn near to her God.

The Lord is righteous in her midst,
He will do no unrighteousness.
Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He never fails,
But the unjust knows no shame.

I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
‘Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.’”

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 5, 12, 16-17

ομολογώ

The primary Greek word for “confess” is homologeo (see above) basically means “to say the same word.”

homo - same
logos - word

To be a confessor of our Lord Jesus Christ is to say the same thing that He is saying in His Holy Word - the Bible.

Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [1]

To be a follower of Christ is to be one who believes and confesses that Jesus Christ alone is the way to the Father... the way to eternal bliss after this life is over. The Gospel is that Jesus Christ accomplished everything that was needed for our salvation. We receive salvation from Him as a free gift with no merit of our own... “by grace you are saved.” [2]

We need to beware of confessing or believing something that is other than what Jesus said. “Obscurantism is, obscuring the Gospel by emphasizing things that are actually external to the Gospel as being central to it. The end result is a false gospel that becomes a stumbling block to those Christians and churches are trying to reach. Syncretism is the mixing of Christianity with something else so that it becomes a different gospel. Syncretism can take place with a positive-thinking gospel, a nationalist emphasis, or emerging culture.

When anything is added to the message of the Gospel, the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ is compromised and another gospel can be created that is, well, actually not the gospel. In this, obscurantism and syncretism are closely related, each leading to the creation of a false gospel.” [3]

[1] John 14:6
[2] Ephesians 2:8
[3] christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014/june/avoiding-pitfall-of-syncretism.html

Glory & Honor to Our Redeemer King

“He by whom all things were made...

was made one of all things.

The Son of God by the Father without a mother...

became the Son of man by a mother without a father.

The Word Who is God before all time...

became flesh at the appointed time.

The Maker of the sun was made under the sun.

He Who fills the world lays in a manger,

Great in the form of God,

but tiny in the form of a servant;

This was in such a way that neither was...

His greatness diminished by His tininess,

nor was His tininess overcome...

by His greatness.” [1]

“He was in the world,

and the world was made through Him,

and the world did not know Him.

He came to His own,

and His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him,

to them He gave the right to...

become children of God,

to those who believe in His name:

who were born, not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.” [2]

[1] Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 187

[2] John 1:10-13

The Word of God

Once upon a time in a land faraway, the Director of Hong Kong Youth for Christ, David Chu, passed onto me an illustration that the Navigators had passed onto him.

He asked me to hold out one finger. He asked me if I could hold onto the Bible very well with one finger.

My was answer, "no". He said that trying to hold onto the Bible with one finger was like trying to remember the Word of God with only hearing others preach about it.

He proceeded to add that we needed five fingers to hold onto the Bible so tightly that no one could pull it from our hand. Each finger was a metaphor for a method to retain Bible knowledge. (Please see the attached pictures.) When I gripped the Bible with five fingers, it was difficult for Director David to pull it from my hand.

The Apostle Paul who wrote much of the New Testament and planted churches in Asia minor taught his young disciple, Timothy, in a similar way. He wrote to Timothy:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” [1]

King David, one of God's greatly used men of God, wrote:

“Your Word [Lord] is very pure; Therefore, Your servant loves it.” [2]

“Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.” [3]

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word.” [4]

Let us endeavor to hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God - the Bible.

[1] 2 Timothy 3:15
[2] Psalm 119:140
[3] Psalm 119:159
[4] Psalm 119:9

Thank You Jesus for Caring for Souls

“The Lord said [to Jonah], ‘You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than 120,000 persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?’” [1]

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Long-suffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” [2]

[1] Jonah 4:10-11
[2] Psalm 86:5, 13, 15, 17

A Faithful Witness for Christ

We have a High Priest [Jesus Christ] who sympathizes with our weaknesses. He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. [1]

“He [Jesus Christ] is...
despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

We hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised,
And we did not esteem Him.

Surely, He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God and afflicted.

He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

He poured out His soul unto death,
He was numbered with the transgressors,
He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.” [2]

“I am thankful that You, Jesus Christ, are my high priest. I don’t deserve You. I cannot earn You. But I worship and love You. Thank You for suffering for me. I am an unworthy sinner. You are my hope. You are the hope of all people. Please help me to be a faithful witness for You.”

[1] Hebrews 4:15
[2] Isaiah 53:3-7, 12

THE HEAVENLY VISION

Paul told King Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” [1]

What was the heavenly vision that JESUS gave to Paul?

The heavenly vision is a mission...

Open their [the nations’] eyes
Turn them from darkness to light,
Turn them from the power of Satan to God,
So that...
They receive forgiveness of sins...
And an inheritance among those...
Who are sanctified...
[set apart for divine use]
by faith in Me [Jesus Christ]. [2]

The vision that Jesus gave Paul was the same mission that Jesus gave His church...

“Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” [3]

Go and do!

The first two letters of God’s name are:

G O

The last two letters from right to left are:

D O

TO BE OBEY THE HEAVENLY VISION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE GREAT COMMISSION, WE MUST BE A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST ON A MISSION TO BRING OTHERS TO FAITH IN HIM... AND TO FOLLOW HIM.

Let’s go and do...

[1] Acts 26:19
[2] Acts 26:18
[3] Matthew 28:19-20

On The Very First Christmas

A Divine Son left His home

He left the best food

He left the most beautiful vacation spot

He left the best fellowship

He left the place where He was loved

To do what?

To be born into human body

That could suffer and die

Placed as an infant

In an animal's feed box

To serve us

To walk with us

To enrich our lives

To bring us to heaven

To heal out broken hearts

To set us free

To save our souls

To open heaven doors

For you and me

Heaven is a Wonderful Place

“Heaven is a wonderful place,
Filled with glory and grace.
I want to see my Savior’s face,
Because heaven is wonderful place.” [1]

When we realize how wonderful God is and how splendid His eternal kingdom is, it seems a small thing to obey His will. For example, Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. The heroes of the Christian faith embraced and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. They desired a better country, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared a [heavenly] city for them. [2]

“The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” [3] The brighter days happen as we grow in Christlikeness. The final outcome of our walk with Christ is a better and heavenly country.

[1] Words and music by O.A. Lambert, © 1958, 1964 SACRED SONGS
[2] Hebrews 11:13-14, 16, 25
[3] Proverbs 4:18

Praying for Persecuted Christians

Is it possible that a government would show favoritism to those who abandon God? Would a government of man destroy places of worship to God? Would one of us, a human being, flatter and praise godly people who forsake godly living? Would there be anyone to resist such corruption? Could deceivers infiltrate the godly and betray their trust? Could godly people die martyrs’ deaths?

Yes, there, will always be agents of the evil one in high places and with much power who seek to destroy God’s people.

The Lord gave Daniel a prophecy about Antiochus IV Epiphanes long before he rose to power. And, yes, he did carry out atrocities against people who were faithful to God.

“…therefore he [Antiochus IV Epiphanes] will be discouraged and turn back [to Israel] …and show favoritism toward those [Jews] who abandon (break) the holy covenant [with God].

Armed forces of his will arise [in Jerusalem] and defile and desecrate the sanctuary, the [spiritual] stronghold, and will do away with the regular sacrifice [that is, the daily burnt offering]; and they will set up [a pagan altar in the sanctuary which is] the abomination of desolation.

With smooth words [of flattery and praise] he will turn to godlessness those who [are willing to] disregard the [Mosaic] covenant, but the people who [are spiritually mature and] know their God will display strength and act [to resist]. They who are wise and have spiritual insight among the people will instruct many and help them understand; yet for many days some [of them and their followers] will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder. Now when they fall, they will receive a little help, and many will join them in hypocrisy. Some of those who are [spiritually] wise and have insight will fall [as martyrs] in order to refine, to purge and to make those among God’s people pure, until the end time; because it is yet to come at the time appointed [by God].” [1]

Thankfully, Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his regime are no more. However, after the Romans defeated the Greeks, the Romans persecuted the people of God. Nero burned Christians alive to light his garden at night. He also fed them to wild animals. He forced Christians parents to watch their children suffer.

Let us pray for persecuted Christians: “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” [2]

When the Apostle Peter was imprisoned, constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. In response to the church’s prayers, the Lord sent His angel, and delivered him from King Herod and from the expectation of those who wanted him to die.” [3]

Pray that God would sustain their faith: “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” [4]

Pray for the spread of the Gospel: “…Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” [5]

Pray for pastors as they are primary targets of persecution: “I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” [6]

Jesus invites us to continually come before God with prayers for justice. [7]

Pray that God will provide for their needs. “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” [8]

More information is available through Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors.

[1] Daniel 11:30-35 Amplified Bible
[2] Hebrews 13:3
[3] Acts 12:5, 11
[4] Matthew 10:22
[5] 1 Peter 3:15
[6] Mark 14:27
[7] Luke 18:1–8
[8] 3 John 1:2

Daniel’s Faithful Witness

The enemies of Daniel said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” They made a law that Daniel could not obey. Sound familiar? The penalty for breaking their anti-Biblical law was the death penalty. [1]

“God sent His angel to save Daniel because he did no wrong to God or to the king.” [2]

“No injury was found on Daniel because he believed in his God.” [3]

The men and their families who sought to destroy Daniel were destroyed by the very method by which they sought to kill Daniel. [4]

The king wrote to all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, saying, “I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” [5]

God’s faithfulness embodied via Daniel’s life-choices yielded great glory to God throughout the world. At first, it seemed that God’s will was against Daniel, but in the end, God was greatly glorified in him, and Daniel was also honored.

[1] Daniel 6:5-9
[2] Daniel 6:22
[3] Daniel 6:23
[4] Daniel 6:24
[5] Daniel 6:25-27

What a resume! Who would hire him?

In stripes above measure,
in prisons more frequently,
in deaths often...
5x I received 40 lashes less 1.
3x I was beaten with rods;
1x I was stoned;
3x I was shipwrecked;
24 hours in the deep [water];
in journeys often,
in perils of waters,
in perils of robbers,
in perils of my own countrymen,
in perils of the non-Jews,
in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness,
in perils in the sea,
in perils among false brethren;
in weariness and toil,
in sleeplessness often,
in hunger and thirst,
in fasting often,
in cold and nakedness—

Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

The Apostle Paul.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28

The High Priest Knows Our Pain

This morning as I read Psalms,
I thought of Jesus Christ.
He cared so much about people…
That He upset those who didn’t care.
Politicians and priests…
Wanted to destroy Him.
Those who followed Him…
Caved into the angry crowd’s…
View of Him.

When thinking of Christ,
We think of His miracles,
His teachings,
His wounds and death,
But what about His heart?
His closest friends…
Betrayed Him.
All He had left was…
His Father God.

But then…
When He took our sins…
Upon Himself…
He realized…
“My God, My God…
“Why have YOU forsaken me?”
It was for our sins…
That He suffered and died…
And rose again...
Triumphant over the grave.

He ever lives…
To intercede for us…
And to redeem us from…
Sin, Satan, and death…
All who will call…
Upon His Name…
Are SAVED!
We have a High Priest…
Who knows our pain!

“For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.

As for me, I will call upon God,
And the Lord shall save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.

Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” [1]

“Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know because God is for me.” [2]

[1] Psalm 55:12-14, 16-18, 22
[2] Psalm 56:3-4, 8-9

From Self Insufficiency To Spirit Sufficiency

“’Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God. ‘Therefore turn and live!’” [1]

A prayer: “Holy Spirit of God please move in us and through us to bring us to repentance of crossing holy boundaries (transgressing) and of iniquity (being unfair). Please grant us repentance unto life.”

“We have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the SPIRIT gives life.” [2]

In the world, there is a culture of death and condemnation, but in the Spirit of Christ, there is LIFE... HOLY, meaningful, and productive LIFE. As the prophet Zechariah declared, “’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” [3]

A prayer: “Heavenly Father, please forgive us for trying to live this difficult life in human strength and wisdom alone. Holy Spirit please live, move, and breathe in and through us. This I pray in the Name of JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

[1] Ezekiel 18:30-32
[2] 2 Corinthians 3:4-6
[3] Zechariah 4:6

Be at Peace God is Aware of You

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [1]

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” [2]

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” [3]

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” [4]

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” [5]

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” [6]

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” [7]

“Cast all your anxieties on Him [God], because He cares for you.” [8]

"Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for all those who wonder if their life really matters. Does anyone really care? Please speak to them through Your Word and by the gracious tender voice of Your Holy Spirit. Please breathe faith, hope and love into them Holy Spirit. Please let their hearts find peace and joy in You, dear Lord, for Your joy is our strength. Thank You Lord Jesus for enduring the cross and its shame to bring us to the Father. Thank You for blotting out all our transgressions and giving us new life by Your Spirit. Fill us afresh today. Empower us to be a blessing to those around us. It is in Your Name that I pray, Lord Jesus, Amen."

[1] Philippians 4:6-7
[2] Philippians 1:6 
[3] Romans 8:28 
[4] Joshua 1:9
[5] Romans 15:13 
[6] John 10:10
[7] Exodus 14:14
[8] 1 Peter 5:7

Taking God Seriously

They had a God-serving father. In fact, the Lord had used their father to bring about a revival of faith in their nation. Perhaps, they asked themselves why their father went to battle against Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt. Why did he have to die in battle that way? [1]

Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim king in place of his father Josiah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. [2] For eleven years, the prophet Jeremiah spoke God’s Word to King Jehoiakim directly and at other times only to his people. At one point, Jehoiakim burned Jeremiah’s writings in fire. He wanted to kill Jeremiah, but the Lord hid him. Sadly, Jehoiakim did not take God seriously. He ended up in a Babylonian prison.

After imprisoning Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his brother Zedekiah the king. [3] Jeremiah also brought God’s Word to Zedekiah for eleven years. Nine years into Zedekiah’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem. A year and half after that, he conquered the city. [4]

Nebuchadnezzar killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes along with all the nobility of Judah. Then, he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze chains for transfer to Babylon. The Babylonians burned down the king’s palace along with all the houses of the people. He also broke down the walls of Jerusalem.” [5]

The two sons of Josiah did not take God seriously and paid dearly for it. I wonder how many people today are not taking God seriously when it comes to their eternal destiny. It is one thing to lose an earthly temporary kingdom and quite another to lose a heavenly eternal one.

“Dear Heavenly Father, please help our race, the human-race, to take You seriously and yield their souls to You that You may save them and grant them eternal life. In Jesus’ Name I pray.”

[1] 2 Kings 23:29
[2] 2 Kings 23:34
[3] 2 Chronicles 36:10
[4] Jeremiah 39:1-2
[5] Jeremiah 39:6-8

Never Give Up On Love

“The princes said to the king, ‘Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the well-being of this people, but their harm.’” [1]

One of the enemy’s tactics is to misinform people about God’s servants. He seeks to sabotage the credibility of our testimony. He tells people that we have bad motives for trying to help them. Think about that!

For many years, God moved in the heart of Jeremiah to speak to his nation to save them from being conquered by the Babylonians. Rather than commend his loving efforts to spare them, the princes accused him of weakening people and of seeking to harm them. They threw him into a dungeon to rot. If God had not moved on the heart of an Ethiopian man to rescue Jeremiah, he would have died there. [2]

How did Jesus say to respond to the false accusations of people? He said, “I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” [3]

Jesus urged us to respond to false accusation with love, blessings, goodness and with prayers. It is easy to say, but difficult to do. May Jesus help us to love people no matter how they respond to our efforts. As singer Sarah Groves says in one of her songs, “Love is still a worthy a cause.” Never give up on love due to those who reject it.

[1] Jeremiah 38:4
[2] Jeremiah 38:7-13
[3] Matthew 5:44-45

Heeding Warning Signals

King Jehoiakim was twenty-nine, when a prophet named Jeremiah gave words of warning from the Lord to save his life and the life of his nation.

“The king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll... And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king.

Now, the king was sitting in the winter house… with a fire burning on the hearth before him. And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

And the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, as well as Seraiah… and Shelemiah… to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.” [1]

King Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of God. When he was 36 years old, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured him, bound him in chains and carried him off to a Babylonian prison. [2]

When God warns anyone of impending disaster, it is because He loves us. God wants to save us. It was King Jehoiakim’s stubborn bent on doing evil that brought about his demise. He threw God’s Word into a fireplace. He burnt the script, but God’s Word still came to pass.

“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for warning signals. Please grant that our hearts will be tender and that our ears will be attentive to what You say. We pray for our governmental leaders that they do not disregard You and Your Word the Bible to their own demise and to the demise of our nation. Please help both them and us to heed Your warning signals. To regard Your Word, the Bible, as true and infallible. For it is in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen.”

[1] Jeremiah 36:21-23
[2] 2 Chronicles 36:5-6

Conversion Is Necessary

The Lord suffers long with sinners but will execute judgment when there is no repentance of sin.

“This is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early, and speaking, but you have not listened. And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.’” [1]

The Lord speaks to those who are heading for destruction in hope that they will turn to Him and be saved. God can replace an evil heart with a good heart, but the sinner must ask God to forgive his or her sin, and to grant him or her a new heart. [2]

The people of Jeremiah’s day preferred to stay close to sin and far from God. This did not end well for them. An evil tyrant named Nebuchadnezzar rose up. He displaced, slaughtered, and impoverished them. [3] The evil that they reaped was greater than they sowed.

God is a whole-hearted lover. His essence is love. His loving heart can only bear with defiant and evil behavior for so long. Jeremiah told the people, “Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you.” [4]

The people preferred the preaching of false prophets over God’s truth-telling prophet. Jeremiah told them, “Do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’” [5]

Babylon was to the Jews of Jeremiah’s day as hell is to people of our days. It was a topic no one wanted to talk about and a future possibility everyone wanted to doubt. Jeremiah prophesied by the Word of the Lord that Babylon was going to destroy his nation if they did not repent and turn back to God. No one wanted to hear or take action on his message.

Today, the mission of the Church is to tell people that there is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain. Jesus spoke of hell more than any other person in the Bible. He spoke of it as a real place with real suffering. He was willing to become a real sacrifice for the sins of us people to save us from it. He also spoke of heaven as a real and wonderful place.

Salvation from sin always begins with repentance and faith in Christ. There must be conversion. “Heavenly Father, please give us the necessary boldness to warn those who are heading towards destruction, and please grant our listeners the grace to listen to us and be converted unto You.”

[1] Jeremiah 25:3-5
[2] James 4:7
[3] Jeremiah 25:8-28
[4] Jeremiah 26:13
[5] Jeremiah 27:9

Incentives To Repent

“The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.” [1]

God has great love for people. He tries from so many angles and methods to get us to repent of sin and to turn to Him. This is why the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ into the world. He knew that we needed a Redeemer. A Savior from sin! He knew that His goodness towards sinners would be a better incentive for us to trust Him than His pending judgments.

“Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” [2]

“Dear Heavenly Father, You who gave Your only begotten Son to die for us on the cross to take the consequences of the sins that we have committed against You and others. Please let Your Gospel be heard throughout the world today. Only through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ and through the infilling power of the Holy Spirit will the people of nations change. Help us to be Your mouths, hands, and feet as Jeremiah was to Jerusalem, for it is in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen.”

[1] Jeremiah 18:7-10
[2] Romans 2:4

Living on the Cutting-edge for Christ

“Even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’” [1]

The Ott’s, the Page’s, the Dinwittie’s, Art and Pastor Meyer… what did these people have in common? They all had a personal relationship with God. God was real to them, and they wanted God to be real to those around them. I was just a teenager then. I remember thinking, “How do they tolerate being treated like they are weird? Everybody’s trying to fit in, but they’re purposely whole-heartedly going after Jesus, and they don’t seem to care if people think that they are weird.”

Well, fast forward a few years, and guess what? God made Himself real to me too. I wanted the world to know about Jesus. On the extreme spectrum of responses to my sharing about Jesus with people, I met one man who threatened to beat me with a baseball bat and another who threatened to shoot me with a gun. These men had so much pent-up anger in them towards God. The last thing they wanted to happen in their day was to meet a Jesus-person. So, they took out their anger towards “god” and towards religion on me. Thankfully, the Lord spared me from harm on both accounts.

Is being insulted for the sake of trying to help others a bad thing? Apparently not, because even Jesus experienced reproach for the sake of trying to bring the Kingdom of God to people here on earth. Besides, sometimes the people who are experiencing the greatest frustration and anger with God are the very ones who are so close to falling in love with Him. They just need the right person to show up at the right moment in their life, and they will receive Christ, be forever changed, and be forever saved. …And THEY, like ME, will join the growing number of people who have experienced the REAL GOD not religion. Praise the Lord!

[1] Romans 15:3

Christ Not Barabbas

“At that time, they [the Romans] had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they [the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem] had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” [1]

“They [the crowd and leaders gathered at the hearing] said, “Barabbas!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.” [2]

“The Roman legions surrounded the city [of Jerusalem] and began to slowly squeeze the life out of the Jewish stronghold. By the year 70, the attackers had breached Jerusalem's outer walls and began a systematic ransacking of the city. The assault culminated in the burning and destruction of the Temple that served as the center of Judaism.

In victory, the Romans slaughtered thousands. Of those sparred from death: thousands more were enslaved and sent to toil in the mines of Egypt, others were dispersed to arenas throughout the Empire to be butchered for the amusement of the public. The Temple's sacred relics were taken to Rome where they were displayed in celebration of the victory.” [3]

Preferring a criminal and Caesar over Christ did not yield a happy ending for the people of Jerusalem. I believe this principal is true for any nation.

“Lord Jesus, please grant the nations (and my nation of America) good discernment of who to follow and who to abandon for the good of all concerned. I especially pray this for our children, grandchildren, and our descendants to come.”

[1] Matthew 27:16-18, 21
[2] John 19:15-16
[3] http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/jewishtemple.htm

Garment of Praise / Manto de Alegría

“You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called ‘My Delight Is in Her’
And your land ‘Married’;
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
…And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So, shall your God rejoice over you.” [1]

The Lord consoles those who mourn in Zion,
He gives beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” [2]

“Nunca más te llamarán Desamparada, ni tu tierra se dirá más Desolada; sino que serás llamada ‘Mi deleite está en ella’ y tu tierra, ‘Desposada’ porque el amor de Jehová estará en ti, y tu tierra será desposada. …y como el gozo del esposo con la esposa, así se gozará contigo el Dios tuyo.” [1]

“El Señor ordenar que a los afligidos de Sion se les dé gloria en lugar de ceniza, óleo de gozo en lugar de luto, manto de alegría en lugar del espíritu angustiado; y serán llamados árboles de justicia, plantío de Jehová, para gloria suya.” [2]

[1] Isaiah / Isaías 62:4-5
[2] Isaiah / Isaías 61:3

If My People

“If My people who are called by My name will 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.” [1]

Lies, hatred, betrayal, and abuse...

or...

Truth, love, loyalty, and healing...

“Father in Heaven, please forgive our nation of the many wicked things we have done and are doing. Please give us grace to humble ourselves before You. To pray! To want to SEE YOU! Please Holy Spirit do what we cannot do... help us reject wicked ways. Please hear Heavenly Father and forgive my nation’s sin and heal our land. May we bring You glory through Jesus Christ Your Son, I pray, Amen.”

“Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” [2]

[1] 2 Chronicles 7:14
[2] Psalm 108:12-13

How to Receive Salvation / Cómo Recibir la Salvación / 如何獲得救贖

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” [1]

“There is no other God besides Me,
A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.” [2]

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [than Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” [3]

Cómo Recibir la Salvación

“Si confesares con tu boca que Jesús es el Señor, y creyeres en tu corazón que Dios le levantó de los muertos, serás salvo. Porque con el corazón se cree para justicia, pero con la boca se confiesa para salvación. Pues la Escritura dice: Todo aquel que en él creyere, no será avergonzado. Porque no hay diferencia entre judío y griego, pues el mismo que es Señor de todos, es rico para con todos los que le invocan; porque todo aquel que invocare el nombre del Señor, será salvo.” [1]

“Y no hay más Dios que yo;
Dios justo y Salvador;
ningún otro fuera de Mí.” [2]

“Y en ningún otro hay salvación; porque no hay otro nombre [que Jesucristo] bajo el cielo, dado a los hombres, en que podamos ser salvos.” [3]

如何獲得救贖

“你 若 口 裡 認 耶 穌 為 主 ， 心 裡 信 神 叫 他 從 死 裡 復 活 ， 就 必 得 救 。 因 為 人 心 裡 相 信 ， 就 可 以 稱 義 ； 口 裡 承 認 ， 就 可 以 得 救 。 經 上 說 ： 凡 信 他 的 人 必 不 至 於 羞 愧 。 猶 太 人 和 希 利 尼 人 並 沒 有 分 別 ， 因 為 眾 人 同 有 一 位 主 ； 他 也 厚 待 一 切 求 告 他 的 人 。 因 為 凡 求 告 主 名 的 ， 就 必 得 救 。” [1]

“再 沒 有 神 ； 我 是 公 義 的 神 ， 又 是 救 主 ； 除 了 我 以 外 ， 再 沒 有 別 神 。” [2]

“除 他 以 外 ， 別 無 拯 救 ； 因 為 在 天 下 人 間 ， 沒 有 賜 下 別 的 名 [比耶穌基督]， 我 們 可 以 靠 著 得 救 。” [3]

[1] Romans / Romanos / 羅 馬 書 10:9-13
[2] Isaiah / Isaías / 以 賽 亞 書 45:21
[3] Acts / Hechos / 使 徒 行 傳 4:12

Asking For Forgiveness

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit, there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.’” [1]

Sin is a terrible partner. Why live with it? Why live with guilt? Unconfessed sin is unhealthy. It hinders productivity. It is better to confess our sins to God, to ask His forgiveness and to ask for His help and healing than to press on without Him.

God’s Word says that if we acknowledge our sin and confess it to God, that He will be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteous ways. Hallelujah!

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [2]

“Heavenly Father, please forgive us for trespassing past boundaries lines that you set for us (transgressions). Please forgive our unjust balances (iniquity). Please forgive us for failing to do Your will (sin). Help us by the power of Your Holy Spirit to change and to bring You glory. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

[1] Psalm 32:1-5
[2] 1 John 1:8-9

Not Guilty Thanks to Jesus

God imputes righteousness to those who believe His Word concerning Jesus, His Son, being an offering for our sin, and Him [Christ] being raised from the dead for our justification. To be justified is the same as being pronounced not guilty in a court of law. Those who believe in Christ HAVE eternal life.

[Abraham was] “fully convinced that what He [God] had promised He [God] was also able to perform. And therefore it [his faith] was accounted to him for righteousness. Now it [this divine message] was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It [righteousness] shall be imputed to us who believe in Him [God] who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.” [1]

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.’” [2]

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” [3]

Praise God for blessed assurances of salvation for us who believe in Jesus!

[1] Romans 4:21-25
[2] John 11:25
[3] John 5:24

Christ Our Redeemer and Propitiator

“For there is no difference; for ALL HAVE SINNED and FALL SHORT of the glory of God, being justified freely by HIS GRACE through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS.” [1]

Redemption is the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment or clearing a debt. Jesus Christ redeemed us. He became like us, human, so that we could regain the image of God once again. Christ exchanged His life for ours. He took the sin of our human race upon Himself so that whosoever believes in Him, whosoever has their sin-debt paid by Him, is REDEEMED unto God, purchased back to God... becoming a child of God.

“[Jesus Christ] whom God set forth as a propitiation by HIS BLOOD…” [2]

Propitiation is the action of propitiating or appeasing God. It is the action of atoning or covering or removing the sin that displeased God. Faith in Jesus Christ, the Propitiator, is the only way to please God and to be acceptable to God.

The Bible states that there is no other Name [than Christ] by which people are eternally saved. [3]

Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and Propitiator. Jesus is the only way to the Father. It is by the gracious merits of Jesus Christ credited to us that we enjoy a welcome into God’s presence and blessings.

[1] Romans 3:23-24
[2] Romans 3:25
[3] Acts 4:12

Conversions by God's Spirit

“Can a leopard [change] its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” [1]

Humanity is hopelessly bound to living a self-centered, self-pleasing life, contrary to God and under God’s condemnation, unless humanity (a human being) believes in Christ. God has ordained His Son to be the only liberator from the sinful nature. God has ordained that His Holy Spirit is only given to those who believe in Jesus Christ His Son.

Humanism is living according to the flesh.

A prideful human is contrary to God.

The Bible says, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” God is the only One who gives us new life, divine life, through His Spirit.

“Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God;
for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” [2]

Ever since Christ resurrected from the dead and ascended on high, He pours forth His Spirit on who all ask God’s forgiveness and believe in Him. Do you believe in Christ? If not, why wait?

The Lord says, “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” [3]

God’s forgiveness and Christ’s Holy Spirit yields transformation from the inside out. He removes our heart of stone and gives us a heart like His… full of love, joy, and peace.

[1] Jeremiah 13:23
[2] Romans 8:5-9, 11
[3] Isaiah 1:18

Praying for Others

Paul says the Holy Spirit helps us to pray. “...the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered. Now, He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” [1]

The Holy Spirit is an intercessor. If we want to pray for others, let the Holy Spirit empower and lead us. Paul says that He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Dr. E. Stanley Jones wrote, “In prayer you align yourselves to the purpose and power of God and He is able to do things through you that He could not do otherwise.”

Richard C. Trench wrote, “Prayer is not getting man's will done in heaven but getting God's will done on earth. It is not overcoming God's reluctance but laying hold of God's willingness.”

Hans Von Staden wrote, “When man works man works, but when man prays, God works.”

Dwight L. Moody wrote, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.”

[1] Romans 8:26

The Spirit of God

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” [1]

“He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.” [2]

The Holy Spirit is the breath of God. He fills with us with new songs of praise for our God. He is our Helper. He is our teacher. He reminds us of what our Lord Jesus Christ taught us. He helps us to trust God amidst the most adverse circumstances.

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” [3]

[1] Job 33:4
[2] Psalm 40:3
[3] John 14:26

Fountains of Living Water with God

The value of believing in Christ and maintaining our faith in Christ is not fully realized without the blessed assurance of a heavenly home with God when this life is over.

“These [the ones in white array] are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne He will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” [1]

No more hunger or thirst! What a wonder! Especially for the millions who are deprived of sufficient sustenance to survive in this world. “The sun shall not strike them, nor any heat.” What a blessing! Especially, for those who lived day after day in extreme temperatures. Such as those in refugee camps who lack air conditioning and fans.

The Lamb who was slain for the sins of humankind shall bring these who washed their garments in His blood to fountains of living water. They are refreshed. Their tears are wiped away by God.

They are before the greatest throne of all. The throne of God! God has turned their mourning into dancing, and He has clothed them with garments of joy. [2] Praise the Lord!

[1] Revelation 7:13-17
[2] Psalm 30:11

Testimony from the National Evangelism Seminar

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite could not come before Him. I know that I shall be vindicated. Who is he who will contend with me?” [1]

During our small group gathering, we each shared our salvation testimony. What surprised me was the commonality of content among us. There were four of us among the nine who had been brought up in religious homes where we tried to measure up to God and others in our own strength. That was impossible! We reaped deep despair!

Prior to being born again, we perceived God to be an angry overseer who was never happy with us. The enemy of our souls told us that the best option was to self-destruct. However, the real JESUS reached out to us and revealed Himself to be the source of true love, peace, comfort, and joy. Asking Jesus Christ to save us yielded the gift of blessed assurance... God loves us, wants us, and has secured an eternal home for us through faith in Jesus Christ His Son.

One person in our group said that the following Bible verses helped him to see the light, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [2]

Now, thanks to Jesus, our lives are meaningful, enjoyable and producing good fruit in both our lives and in the lives of others.

[1] Job 13:15-16, 18-19
[2] Romans 5:6-8

Loving God

Short biographies of the kings of Judah and Israel are found in the 112 chapters of the books of Kings and Chronicles in the Bible. The outcomes of their lives are measured by devotion to God and by service rendered to His people. Four of forty-two kings of Judah and Israel are said to have had a heart after God. The first commandment is to love God.

"My servant David kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes." [1]

"There was no king like him [Hezekiah], who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him." [2]

"Jehoshaphat sought the Lord with all his heart.” [3]

"Then the king [Josiah] stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul..." [4]

Sin separates us from God, so let us pray as David did...

"Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth,

and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." [5]

Truly, the best life is a life of love for God and people. 

"Dear Lord Jesus, please fill our hearts with love for YOU. Anoint us and fill us with YOUR precious HOLY SPIRIT."

[1] 1 Kings 14:8
[2] 2 Kings 23:25
[3] 2 Chronicles 22:9
[4] 2 Chronicles 34:31
[5] Psalm 19:12-14

Create in Us Clean Hearts O God

There is so much time, talent and treasure spent focusing on human politicians and legislators, but what our country really needs is a populace whose heart has been changed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Legislation in the USA has become as wind. It blows in the direction of whoever has the power at the time. What has it done for Americans?

We need a great awakening where people turn their hearts to God as the only answer to human need and say, “Heavenly Father, forgive us for the sins by which we crucified Your Son Jesus Christ. You have been gracious to us. We have been evil towards You. We have failed the first and foremost commandment which is to LOVE You God, and the second one to love our neighbors.”

Repentance unto life is based on love for God and others, “Forgive us Lord Jesus, for what we have done to You and to the people who You created in Your image. Please change our hearts O God! Please make us more like You.”

May we all pray as David prayed in Psalm 51:10-12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

“Holy Spirit, please speak to hearts today and call us to repentance of sin and to faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. For it is in the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.”

Lobbyist Pays Government 375 tons of Silver to Destroy God’s People

His rationale: 1) They don’t follow cultural trends, 2) They are civilly disobedient, 3) It is not in the government’s best interest to tolerate them

“Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents [375 tons] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.’” [1]

What did God’s people do?

They wept, fasted, and prayed. God worked everything out so that on the day appointed for their destruction, they were not destroyed. The lobbyist was, however, executed.

“Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” [2]

Let us pray for believers in the God of the Bible who are holding to their faith in Christ despite governmental persecution.

[1] Esther 3:8-9
[2] 1 John 5:4-5

Blessed Are The Meek

“The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the meek with salvation.” “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” [1]

“During a conflict, when we are unable to control or influence circumstances, our response may include frustration, bitterness, anger, and/ or withdrawal. But if we rely on the Holy Spirit, we can accept God’s ability to make our out-of-control circumstances work out for our good, and for the good of those around us. When exercising meekness, we may appear outwardly weak to others but in truth be inwardly resilient and strong. Sometimes we are placed in a position of weakness where we must persevere by dependence on God. The use of the Greek word ‘meek’ when applied to animals means ‘tame.’ In other words, such animals have not lost their strength but have learned to control the destructive instincts that prevent them from living in harmony with others.” [2]

“Lord Jesus, please keep us meek when meek is the last thing we want to be. Give us the wisdom to make the right choice in every circumstance. For Your glory and the blessing of those around us, I pray, in Your Name Jesus. Amen.”

[1] Psalm 149:4; Matthew 5:5
[2] Abridged: “Dictionaries – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology – Meekness”

Perfected Forever by Jesus Christ

Never feeling good enough… never feeling approved… always feeling guilt and shame is a miserable place to be. That is why the Gospel is such Good News. Jesus Christ with one sacrifice wiped out the sins of everyone who believes in and confesses Him. God does not remember our sins when we trust in Christ as our Savior and Lord.

No matter what we have done, no matter who we are, we can come boldly to the Holiest place, before God our Creator, and receive HIS help and HIS life to flow through us. Praise the Lord!

“…After He [Jesus Christ] had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, …let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day [of the Lord] approaching.”

Hebrews 10:12, 14, 17, 19, 24-25

Make God’s Praise Glorious!

God is our Creator and Sustainer.

He saves us from the evil one and from our sin.

Let all who know and believe in Him praise His Holy Name!

“He [Hezekiah] stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets.” [1]

King and prophets have endorsed worship music to the Lord!

The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. [2]

“…And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel.” [3]

“So, all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. Moreover, King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So, they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.” [4]

“So, there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.” [5]

One of the primary objectives of God’s people is to encourage and make way for people to worship the Lord with music and singing.

I love to praise and worship our Lord Jesus Christ with His people in His house.

[1] 2 Chronicles 29:25 
[2] 2 Chronicles 29:26 
[3] 2 Chronicles 29:27 
[4] 2 Chronicles 29:28-30 
[5] 2 Chronicles 30:26-27

Relying on the Lord for Salvation

Once upon a time, a King of Judah named Amaziah hired 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 talents of silver [$170,000 or $17 per man]. But after he did this, a man of God came to him, and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel.” Amaziah then asked the man of God, “But what shall we do about the 100 talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” The man of God answered him, ‘The Lord is able to give you much more than this.’” He listened to the man of God. The battle was won. [1]

The Lord graciously helps us when we trust in Him for salvation. He is our Savior! Saving is what He does.

Truly, our Lord Jesus Christ saves to the uttermost all who come to God through Him.

“He [Jesus] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” [2]

[1] 2 Chronicles 25:6-7, 8-9, 11
[2] Hebrews 7:25

Daring to Speak FOR God when Speaking AGAINST God is Trending

Zechariah is a not-so celebrated Bible hero. His father saved a king. That king executed Zechariah. Why? He dared to speak FOR GOD when speaking against God was trending.

“He [the Lord] sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, ‘Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’

So, they conspired against him [Zechariah], and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. Thus, Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his [Zechariah’s] father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, ‘The Lord look on it, and repay!’” [1]

The kindness Jehoida had shown Joash was that he saved Joash from being killed by his mother Queen Athaliah. Jehoida hid Joash for seven years. He raised him for seven years and ensured that he was enthroned as king after his mother was executed.

The Lord repaid Joash for his iniquity (unequal treatment) against Jehoida and his son Zechariah. During the very next spring, the Syrian army came against him with a small company of men and defeated Joash’s much greater army – why? – because Joash had led his people to abandon the Lord. Not only that, but Joash was wounded during the battle, and later assassinated while in lying on a bed in a recovery room. [2]

Zechariah is undoubtedly enjoying a heavenly time with his Creator and Redeemer.

“Lord, please turn people back to You. Help me and Your people to speak FOR YOU even when speaking against You is trending.”

[1] 2 Chronicles 24:19-22
[2] 2 Chronicles 24:23-25

Wise Men Still Worship Jesus

The three wise men chose to worship a baby born to a poor couple than a king who had soldiers to do his bidding. They chose to travel a far distance to worship Jesus rather than stay at home. They chose to bring Jesus gifts rather than spend money on themselves. Wise men (and women) still worship Jesus.

King Jehoshaphat also chose to worship the Lord and to rely on his singers of praise more than on his soldiers. The Lord worked a mighty miracle for Jehoshaphat and his people as they simply praised and honored the Lord.

Be assured that worshiping the Lord with His people is the wise thing to do. The Lord gives victories to those who worship and honor Him.

“Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.’ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

‘Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.’

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

So, when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.

And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore, the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.

So, they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord.

And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.” [1]

[1] 2 Chronicles 20:20-22, 24-30

Paying a Price to Speak for God

I remember the first time that I received an honorarium for speaking at a church. I was surprised. I was thankful that a church would even let me stand in their pulpit and talk about God.

Recently, I was enjoying fellowship with another pastor, and we were talking about the state of our nation and the state of Christian witnessing in the USA. He made a joke about non-prophet organizations. That is, Christian organizations and churches that lack prophetic luster.

Micaiah spoke what God told him to speak and paid a price for it. He spoke the truth to an evil king. As a result that king ordered Micaiah to be incarcerated and to be fed with the bread and water of affliction.

“Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of Him?’ So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.’ And Jehoshaphat said, ‘Let not the king say such things!’” [1]

If ever there was a time that our nation needed to hear from the LORD, it is NOW.

“Holy Spirit of God, please help us to speak God’s Word with anointing and prophetic precision. Please make us bold to speak, like Micaiah, so whatever needs to be said is said even if we have to pay a price for it. This we pray in the Name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Amen!”

[1] 2 Chronicles 18:6-7

Persevere! Satan Fails! Christ Wins!

“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north.’” [1]

Lucifer was once an angel in the congregation of heaven. He wanted to take the head pastor’s place, namely Christ’s. His goal has not changed.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians…

“The son of perdition opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” [2]

The devil wants to be God. He wants to fill God’s house with impostors who do his bidding. Impostors who will force out the true believers!

Jesus addressed a situation like this that was happening among the Christians in Philadelphia:

“Indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere...” [3]

Satan had placed impostors among the Christians in Philadelphia. The impostors tried to convince the Philadelphians that Jesus did not love them. In due season, Jesus compelled the impostors to acknowledge that He loved the Philadelphians.

Brothers and sisters, persevere!

One day, people will see the devil for who he really is and ask, “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?” [4] He is no match for Christ or Christ’s followers. He fails! Christ wins!

[1] Isaiah 14:12-13
[2] 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
[3] Revelation 3:9-10
[4] Isaiah 14:16

Everlasting Life

Do you believe in the Heavenly Father who sent His Son Jesus Christ to save you from your sins and to give you everlasting life?

If so, you shall not come into judgment when you die. You have passed from death into eternal life.

If you have not believed in the Father who sent His Son, ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, and confess to Him that you believe in Him, and that you want Him to save you.

Salvation is a gift. You receive the gift of salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ by praying to and believing in Him. He is your Savior.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him [the Father] who sent Me [the Son - Jesus Christ] has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24

Humiliation that Blossomed into Joy

“The Scripture which he [the Ethiopian] read was this:

‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.’

‘I ask you [Philip], of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” [1]

Led to the slaughter...
Silent
Humiliated
Deprived of justice
Martyred
From this scenario, Philip preached Jesus.

How many of us are willing to be humiliated, be deprived of justice, be martyred, and remain silent? But what does the Scripture say?

“Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” [2]

Jesus foresaw the coming joy even while on the cross. His joy is souls like you and me saved for eternity. He brought us to His Father and made us sons and daughters. We will soon be in heaven together with all who have come to faith in God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. Hallelujah!

[1] Acts 8:32-35
[2] Hebrews 12:2

Lord You Amaze Me

“And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.” [1]

“As a teen, You Lord brought me to the Book of Jeremiah. You gave me the model of man who sought to turn His nation back to God by speaking Your Word.

At twenty-one, You brought me to the Books of Kings. You moved me through these narratives to cleanse my “land” (my life) of TV shows, music and literature that did not exalt You, and to be wholly given over to You.

At fifty-eight, you revealed to me that Jeremiah is the author of the Kings. He emphasized Your work to halt his nation’s apostasy. You did not want people to turn from You and suffer losses. You are the Prophet, Priest, and King that our nations need to prosper!

I trust You Lord to work through me by Your Spirit so that I am a faithful voice for You. Please continue to call a distant humanity back to closeness with You through my life.

You Lord Amaze me!”

[1] Mark 6:51

A Choice To Make

Pilate set Barabbas and Jesus before the religious leaders and their followers. Never mind justice! Let the lynch mob decide! The people were stirred up against Jesus. Jesus had healed their sick. He had fed their hungry. He had told them about the Kingdom of God. Barabbas, on the other hand, stood for violence and rebellion. Barabbas was the devil incarnate. Who would the people choose?

Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

Pilate knew that the chief priests had betrayed Jesus out of envy.

Pilate asked them, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

They cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has He done?”

They cried out all-the-more, “Crucify Him!”

“So, Pilate, wanting to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” [1]

Barabbas and the collective consensus of the crowd or Jesus?

The Apostle Paul was in prison for the Christian faith when he wrote, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” [2]

Paul wanted to “know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” For what? So, he could take part in Christ’s resurrection. [3]

The resurrection from the dead to an eternal heavenly reward is of much more value than having governmental and crowd approval.

“Holy Spirit, please empower us to be witnesses for Christ regardless of the suffering that we may experience. Please don’t ever let the shouts of pain in our ears ever become louder than the choruses of hallelujahs from heaven’s distant shores. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

[1] Mark 15:6-10
[2] Philippians 3:7-8
[3] Philippians 3:10-11

Rejoicing In The Lord

God’s presence among His people is His witness to the world.

“May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.” [1]

The Lord beautifies His people with grace.

“The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.” [2]

Our response is to speak to others about the lover of our souls: Jesus Christ.

“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” [3]

[1] 1 Kings 8:57, 60
[2] Psalm 149:4
[3] Philippians 1:18

Joy In The Holy Spirit

“The Spirit helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” [1]

“The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” [2]

“The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.” [3]

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” [4]

“Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” [5]

[1] Romans 8:26
[2] Romans 14:17
[3] Ephesians 5:9
[4] Romans 15:13
[5] Psalm 144:15

Walking In The Spirit

“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” [1]

Don’t try to serve God in your own strength. Eagerly wait for the hope of God’s righteousness being brought to light to those around you by the Holy Spirit. By faith – trust in God to show up.

I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” [2]

The key to walking as Jesus walked is to be filled and overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Even Jesus testified to His hometown folks that was God’s Spirit that anointed Him to do the works of God. [3] Jesus casted out evil spirits by the Spirit of God. [4]

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” [5]

We don’t want to go around flexing our muscles like some kind of victorious sports figure. Pride leads to a fall. We want to be humble. God gives grace to the humble. [6] We want to walk in a demonstration of power by the Holy Spirit.

[1] Galatians 5:4-5
[2] Galatians 5:16-17
[3] Luke 4:18
[4] Matthew 12:27
[5] Galatians 5:24-25
[6] 1 Peter 5:5

Heirs of God through Faith in Christ

“Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’

Therefore, know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

So, then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

‘The just shall live by faith.’

We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” [1]

Faith in God is the link between us and Him. The law points to our need to receive righteousness from God to be in a right standing with God. All that came before Christ was to prepare for us His arrival, and then, to be heirs of His heavenly kingdom.

[1] Galatians 3:6-7,9 11, 14, 24, 26, 29

Tamrat’s Life was Transformed by Jesus

Tamrat was a guerrilla fighter for the communist party in Ethiopia. He ended up in prison. He tried to end his life twice. Jesus appeared to him while he was in prison. He felt his life was worthless, but then, the Son of God, appeared to him and asked him to follow Him. Jesus appeared to Tamrat a second time and that is when he acknowledged Christ as his Lord and Savior.

After Christ converted him, he received his first Bible. He was told to start his Bible reading adventure with the Gospel of John, but he opened his Bible and the read the first verse his eyes fell upon, and that verse was Psalm 119:67: “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your word.”

The Lord has taken Tamrat to 32 states and over 40 countries since his conversion. His life was transformed by Jesus.

The Divinity of Christ and His Saving Grace

In his letter to the Christians in Galatia, Paul wrote that his apostleship was not from or through man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. Thus, he placed Christ on equal status with God the Father. “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)” [1]

He named Christ as Deliver when he wrote, “Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age...” [2]

He declared Christ divine when he wrote, “The Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” [3]

Jesus Christ is more than a man. He is the Son of God. He is Emmanuel. God with us!

Christ revealed Himself to Paul for the sake of saving him from his sins and to call Paul to be his ambassador to the world. Paul wrote…

“For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…” [4]

Paul was against Christ and Christians, that is, until Christ revealed Himself to Paul. After that divine encounter, Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, preached the Gospel to the Gentiles (the non-Jews). He was a different man with a different purpose.

People were saying, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” [5]

I praise God for His grace. Christ is still revealing Himself to unworthy sinners and calling us to be His messengers today. To God be the glory!

[1] Galatians 1:1
[2] Galatians 1:4
[3] Galatians 1:11-12
[4] Galatians 1:13-16
[5] Galatians 1:23

The Difficult but Divine Mission

“I [Jesus] say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” [1]

It goes against the grain of human nature to love people who curse you, hate you, spitefully use you and persecute you. A hurtful word and a nasty betrayal can cause much agony in a good person's heart. How can any human love someone who purposely tries to hurt them?

Recently, I have been reading about David in the Bible. God called David a man after his own heart. David treated his enemy Saul well. Saul believed and propagated false accusations against David. He had his 3,000 best soldiers searching to destroy David. On two occasions, David had opportunities to kill Saul, but abstained from doing so. In this regard, David was perfect like his Father in heaven. Even after Saul died in battle, David spoke well of him. This is where David demonstrated his love for God, not any god, but the God whose Son died on the cross for evil people. David’s treatment of Saul was God’s sunshine and God’s rain on an unjust and evil man.

As we pursue life, liberty, and happiness, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us exude Christlikeness in a world that is unlike Christ. Christ will help us. Lives will be transformed! Including our own! To God be the glory!

[1] Matthew 5:44-48

Love & Forgiveness

David heard that the Philistines were attacking and robbing the people of Keilah. He asked the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord said to him, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.” [1]

David and his men struck the Philistines with a mighty blow and saved the people of Keilah. [2]

After that, David heard that King Saul was coming to attack him. So, he asked the Lord, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand?” The Lord replied, “They will deliver [betray] you.” [3]

They were ready to betray David after he delivered them from their enemies. How did he feel about that? Was he bitter? Was he angry?

Well, thanks to the Lord, he escaped from Saul.

Saul and his army continued to pursue David.

The Lord sent Jonathan, Saul’s son, to find David and strengthen him in God. Jonathan said to David, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you.” [4]

Saul had 3,000 elite soldiers searching to destroy David. But what happened next? Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding in the recesses of that [big] cave. David’s men urged him to kill Saul, but David only stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. [5]

After Saul left the cave and was a healthy distance away, David called out to him and said, “The Lord delivered you today into my hand… someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you. …See that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. …Therefore, let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”

Saul wept. He said to David: “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. …The Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. …May the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.

Saul went home. David and his men went up to the stronghold. [6]

After reading this story, I thought of how Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ. Jesus even urged Judas, saying to him, “What you do, do quickly.” [7] Jesus knew that God His Father would show the world through something so evil as betrayal, something so evil as the death of an innocent man, that He was indeed God’s Son… The Savior of the world.

Jesus set for us an example of loving His enemies and praying for them. While on the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [8]

“Lord Jesus, please empower us by Your Spirit to forgive and love people always.”

[1] 1 Samuel 23:1-2
[2] 1 Samuel 23:5
[3] 1 Samuel 23:10-12
[4] 1 Samuel 23:16
[5] 1 Samuel 24:1-5
[6] 1 Samuel 24:16-22
[7] John 13:27
[8] Luke 23:34