Christianity

Capturing Our Thoughts

2 Comments / March 12, 2024

What are you thinking about right now? At this very moment? We are all thinking all of the time. It’s not like we can’t think. The question is what are we thinking?

Have you ever stopped to consider how every sin, wrong attitude, and bad habit begins first with a single thought?

It is that point in time, when that first thought comes, that we should harness it and take control. Instead, all too often, we follow the thought off into the wilderness, where we allow it to run free and take us wherever it will. Well, at least I do. I won’t presume to speak for you!

Think with me, if you will, about the sin of worry. I guess this is rarely viewed as a sin anymore. Although, if we say we follow Christ and we take a moment to be honest with ourselves, we must recognize worry and anxiety for what they are: A blatant lack of trust in our faithful God.

But the anxiety and worry that steals our peace begins with a thought. “What if…?” or “Maybe…” and we allow our thoughts to wander, until we’ve ended up in such angst of soul that it completely crowds out any of that peace we are promised in God’s Word. Along with this often comes sickness and disease, for a constant state of worry and anxiety affects us physically.

If we had just controlled that first thought…

Or how about the sin of grudge-holding? This, too, begins with a carefully nursed thought about someone who has hurt or offended us. We think about what happened; we ignore or downplay any fault we may have had in the situation; we offer no grace or mercy but, instead, chew and gnaw on our hurt and offense until it grows into dislike and eventually ends up in cold indifference or hot hatred.

But these grudges also steal our peace. They hurt us far more than they ever hurt the person we are thinking about. Living in a state of constantly “being offended” and holding on to hurts is exceedingly unhealthy for body and soul.

Look at any sin, bad habit, or wrong attitude you struggle with and identify that first thought that gets the ball rolling. It doesn’t take long if we but take a moment for introspection. Whether it’s gluttony or treating our spouses in an unloving way; telling a “white lie” or a big “whopper”; watching something we know doesn’t please the Lord or reading a book we know full well we shouldn’t read; perhaps it’s responding to a Christian brother or sister in an unkind way or just being in a constant depressed and pessimistic state…all of these begin with one uncontrolled thought.

So what can we do? How do we take control of our thoughts? We get a bit of insight in God’s Word in the book of 2 Corinthians–

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;   (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

From these verses we can learn a few important things about taking our thoughts captive.

First, we must recognize that the war we fight is not carnal. It’s spiritual. We are fighting a spiritual battle. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 6 and tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil! We cannot expect to change our thought patterns or win any battle without our armor on. That’s a post for another day, but suffice it to say there is much to think about in that last half of Ephesians 6 if we are someone who struggles to control our thoughts.

Second, we must realize that our thoughts exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Whether they are doubts about the biblical account of creation or they are thoughts of distrust and frustration with God’s plan for our lives, we are exalting our own thoughts against the knowledge of God and what we know about Him from His Word. We aren’t left in the dark here. He has been so kind and merciful to give us His Word, where we find out Who He is, what he’s like, and what He desires from us, as His created beings. We have all the knowledge of God that we need. We exalt our own thoughts against that knowledge when we choose to think unbiblically.

And, third, controlling our thoughts takes intention and action. We are to cast down imaginations and bring into captivity every thought. It’s not just going to happen one day. We must be proactive in identifying the troublesome thoughts and then cast them out and bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

I wish I could give you a list of instructions to help you accomplish this difficult task. As always, I am working on this right along with you. I still find myself ending up in places of worry and anxiety that are absolutely crippling at times. I think we all have our different challenges and struggles. Yours may be something else. But Satan knows our weaknesses and the chinks in our armor, doesn’t he?

But we aren’t left to our own devices. We can’t miss that important phrase that says our weapons are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds. We can win these difficult “thought” battles that we fight against our flesh. But we won’t win them without God’s help.

I can tell you one thing that has helped me a lot. I mean A LOT. And that is scripture memorization. I first started out learning individual verses that had to do with anxiety a few years back when I found myself really struggling. As I would lay in my bed at night, I’d start saying these verses to myself when the fearful thoughts would come crashing into my mind. It is hard to describe the peace that would come as I intentionally chose to move my mind from my sinful thoughts to the truth of God’s Word.

I then moved to a few chapters of scripture and some longer passages. These, too, have been such a blessing. Currently, I am working on the last half of Ephesians so these verses have been on my mind. When sinful thoughts come, I try to move my mind to meditate on scripture I am working on.

It is quite amazing to me that I can even memorize at my age. I think if we give an effort God will meet us in it. And even though I can’t always say every verse perfectly, it is quite wonderful how snatches and phrases come to mind as I live my life. It truly does make a difference when God’s Word is hidden in your heart.

What also has amazed me is how much more I can meditate on God’s Word when I memorize a passage. I have never been a good one at meditating on God’s Word. Living a busy life with a long to-do list does not yield much time for meditation. But I have found with scripture memory, I can meditate on God’s Word at times that I would normally waste on futile thoughts, such as when I am in the car or when I am waiting in line somewhere and, most often, when I am laying in my bed at night before I fall off to sleep.

I encourage anyone reading this to begin memorizing scripture. Nothing will help you cast down your wild imaginations or take your sinful thoughts captive like hiding God’s Word in your heart.

Capturing our thoughts is no easy task but it is quite essential if we long to live a victorious Christian life. Because every sin begins with a thought.

God’s Impending Wrath

1 Comment / March 5, 2024

There are some things that are not fun to write about. Today’s topic is one of them. But my study of Revelation has led me to reflect on this subject and yesterday I felt I must dig into this both for myself and for my readers who are studying Revelation with me in the 2024 Bible Reading Challenge. As I’ve been studying, I thought it might be helpful and, yes, even encouraging to share what I have been learning with all of my readers.

I have to be downright honest and let you know right now that the last few chapters of Revelation have challenged my understanding of God and Who He is. Chapters one through five were amazing as I learned of God, His love for His people, and contemplated being in the Throne Room of God. But as I moved into chapters six and those that follow, where we begin to see God’s wrath poured down on earth, I began to struggle a bit. How could a loving God do this? This was the question that kept coming to my mind.

Of course, at the end of the day, reading a book like Revelation simply requires our faith in our God, who knows infinitely more than we do. We must submit to His will, even if it doesn’t seem “fair” to us. This is critical in any book of the Bible we read, but perhaps none more so than in our study of Revelation.

But, remembering that God’s Word is so cohesive and consistent, I sat down for a few moments to really ponder what God has to say about His wrath throughout the Bible. What I found both comforted and encouraged me. I hope it will do the same for you.

First, it is important to get some context regarding God’s justice. Why must a good God be a just God? To help us understand this, let’s think about a human judge in a court room. When someone breaks the law, it is the job of the judge to give the offender a sentence that matches their crime.

If the judge said, “Oh, you didn’t mean to murder that man? Oh, you poor thing. Just go on and go free then,” OR “Oh, you can’t afford an iPhone so you stole one? Oh, my, what a terrible life you must have, not being able to afford something so basic. You certainly don’t need a jail sentence to make your life worse,” what would we think of him?

Yes, we’d think he is a TERRIBLE judge. And it would lead to an even more TERRIBLE society. The judge’s decision to let a criminal go free would not be a loving one, it would be an irresponsible one. You see, we need justice as a framework for goodness and love. The world can’t be good or loving without it. We see this in real-time through the corruption of society and the lack of true justice in our fallen world.

God is no different. He cannot let sin go unpunished. We are all born sinners and deserving of wrath. A good and loving God cannot let the sinner go unpunished. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY! Let’s take a brief walk through the Word and discover some of important truths about this subject of God’s wrath.

1. God has made a way of escape.

For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)

God has provided us a way of escape from His wrath through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus took our punishment! He died so that we could be saved from our sins and stand righteous before God. Think about that glorious TRUTH for just a moment!

2. God clearly tells us that no one has any excuse.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23)

From these verses, we can see that every person has the opportunity to choose or reject God. All people who have ever lived are without excuse. Isn’t that a comforting thought? God has not just condemned man without first giving him the opportunity to escape His wrath.

3. God is longsuffering towards us and not willing that any should perish.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Why has God not poured His wrath down on this wicked world sooner? How can He watch all of the evil that takes place in this world day after day after day? It is because He is patient and He loves us. He is not willing that any should perish. But Revelation tells us that day will come. Oh, if you have not yet believed on Jesus Christ, I pray you don’t delay for the day of God’s judgment IS coming.

4. God warns us of His coming wrath.

 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. (Isaiah 13:9)

 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:26-27)

God, in His lovingkindness, has warned mankind that judgment is coming. It’s all throughout the Bible. We have been warned.

So, as I read and study Revelation, I have to understand that the man who has rejected God is deserving of God’s wrath. But, God in His lovingkindness provided a Savior to cleanse us from our sins and to give us the right to stand righteous before Him–not clothed in our own righteousness (for Isaiah tells us in chapter 64, verse 6 that our good works are as filthy rags before Him) but clothed in Christ’s righteousness ALONE! And God has not only made a way to escape judgement, but He has made it possible for all people to know about this way, He has been longsuffering and patient with us, and He has warned us of what is coming if we don’t choose Christ.

One thing that keeps coming to mind as I have been studying Revelation is that these horrific judgments upon the earth and its inhabitants are temporary. But hell is not temporary.

Oh, how my study of Revelation and God’s wrath gives me more zeal to share the Gospel! How I pray it gives anyone studying with me more zeal to share the Gospel. We get so caught up wondering what people will think about us that we hesitate to share the glorious TRUTH.

Christ died for us and rose triumphant over death so that we could be saved. And this will not only save us from God’s wrath which is coming to earth but, more importantly, it will save us from God’s eternal wrath.

Oh, that we may be filled with boldness and courage to share God’s wonderful plan of salvation as we reflect on God’s impending wrath.

How Our Enemy Works

2 Comments / January 18, 2024

Last night we decided to watch a movie. We settled on a golf story that was rated G. It seemed well produced with a few familiar actors. As it began I noticed a verse from Isaiah flash up on the screen. I was distracted and didn’t take the time to read what that verse was. (I’ll come back to that later.)

As we settled in to watch, we enjoyed the story of a young golfer who had lost his way. Quite unsuspectingly, we ended up at the spiritual crux of the film, which was about 60 minutes in to the 90 minute film.

It started off quite innocently enough. Turning to the young man, his older mentor asked him a very good question:

What do you want people to say about you when you’re gone? What will your epitaph be?

Thought-provoking, isn’t it? After a few moments more of conversation regarding this, the young man thanked his mentor for all his help…which led to the older gentleman going on to encourage the young golfer towards his version of god (no capital because it wasn’t God at all!)–

(queue moving music) And I quote: Don’t thank me. Thank Him (pointing upwards) because God is all around us…inside each of us. If you listen, there’s a still small voice of truth leading us….talking to us…and telling you that you can see God’s face. Feel His presence. Trust His love.

No sin. No wrath. No Savior. Just look within and there you will find God. What blasphemy!

Now, this movie, which gave the impression of being a Christian movie, complete with encouragement to read the Holy Bible and go to church, ended in a very enigmatic way. It pointed you to a website. I decided to go there, and while I found a reference or two to Jesus, I could find NO Gospel. The first thing I did find was a testimony regarding the attacks the “enemy” (Satan) had made on the film during its production.

Oh. My. Goodness. How clever of Satan, right? Attack a film that is ALL HIS to begin with to give the message validity in the eyes of Christians. That is how our enemy works.

That bit of advice that man gave his protege was not biblical. It was satanic. It was pure mysticism and completely against scripture. Jeremiah couldn’t put it any plainer in verse 9 of chapter 17–

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

When I want back to look at just what verse they had used at the beginning of that film, I saw that it was verse completely taken out of context to promote this wicked lie that was nestled into this G-rated film.

See how our enemy works? He produces these innocuous movies, using out of context verses, and gradually changes the belief system of those who don’t know their Bibles and what it really says.

Until most of those who would claim Christianity do believe those words that man said. After all, who doesn’t love a religion that tells you to look to yourself (while claiming it is God) for the answers?

This belief–the belief to FOLLOW OUR HEARTS–is the core of mysticism and occultism. This belief is what will lead the world into the coming one-world religion.

Along with this core belief comes a very innocuous “Jesus”. He is a kind and loving man who doesn’t care if you keep sinning or if you follow after that heart of yours. He just wants to support you in whatever you want to do.

A friend of mine put this so succinctly yesterday in a comment. I asked her if I could share her thoughts with you. (Thank you, Susie!)–

[Modern-Day Christianity] is so one sided where Jesus is loved as the caring, loving, gentle, “give me everything I want when I want it” person, to the neglect of obedient walking, sin confessing, holy living, fear and reverence of God….

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have both of those sides to them. We cannot have one without the other.

To put it bluntly, God gets to call the shots. He is God. We don’t get to reinvent a fluffy nice Jesus who gives all I want without me walking obediently to God’s Word, and avoiding or neglecting parts of scripture where God seems harsh. “Keep yourself in the love of God” means to keep the love of God in view always as you read scripture.

What we have today is a selfish lop-sided religion world-wide.

Amen! But you need to understand that this is not without purpose. To get a bunch of people claiming to be Christians but living for themselves; listening to themselves; obsessed with themselves is a BIG win for Satan. For these people believe they are saved. They use the right terms, they sing songs of praise to Jesus, and they have their devotions. Oh, how burdened I am for these people who are living for their own dreams, their own promotion, their own desires and yet believe they are saved.

Maybe that is you? Oh, if it is, may I call you from a self-centered life to a God-centered life? May I encourage you to read the actual Bible rather than a devotional that just makes you feel good? Learn what biblical Christianity is from the scripture. It is there alone that we learn to know God and begin to understand our sinful nature and just how lost and hopeless we are without Jesus.

In Sunday School this past Sunday our teacher said something very profound:

If [Christianity] doesn’t impact your life, it’s not real.

He was referring specifically to turning from sin and worldliness. If we aren’t actively trying to do this (albeit imperfectly!)…if we aren’t even conscious of the fact that we should be doing these things, we should be concerned. Have we been duped into believing the lies of the enemy?

I keep a pair of crocs by the front door where I leave the dogs out. Sometimes I need to go out to check on something or to encourage them to come inside. Lately, I’ve been finding one croc all over the place. Sometimes it is in the kitchen, other times the sun room. This morning I found one under a blanket in the family room.

Our lab, Dixie, likes to steal shoes. She doesn’t usually harm them but simply grabs one shoe and moves it for some reason. I find shoes at the most unexpected places.

True biblical Christians are like this. We will find them everywhere across this world. Sometimes in unexpected places. I’ve had the great privilege of getting to know some of you through this blog. I’ve heard the testimonies of some from missionaries or through YouTube. And, in other cases, I’ve read their biographies.

While there is a great tsunami of apostasy that has invaded evangelicalism, God still has His faithful remnant spread across the world. I pray that we all study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15) and consistently examine our hearts (2 Corinthians 13:5) to be sure that we are part of that remnant. And that we work diligently to share the TRUE Gospel amidst the flood of false gospels that abound.

(And, one final thing in conclusion– be so careful what you watch. Do not watch even one movie, read one book, or listen to one podcast without intentional discernment. Satan knows full well that some Christians won’t watch, read or even listen to certain things and so he uses things that we assume to be free from worldly influences to share his message. Pay attention to the philosophies that are infused into innocuous packages.)

Always More to Learn

3 Comments / December 12, 2023

This morning when I came downstairs, my dogs started barking as soon as they glanced out the side windows by our front door. I saw a township truck with a man setting out a flag that said “road closed”. I waited until he had gone and then left the dogs out.

Both started barking madly and rushing towards the sign which sat across the road. I shouted for them to stop and both did hold their ground (thankfully) but they kept barking at the big orange sign.

I told them just how silly they were. That it was just a sign. But the big dog just kept giving nervous glances and fierce single barks at the sign throughout her entire time outside. It was comical, really.

But it was such a great picture of what I’ve been thinking about over the past week or so.

Last week, I took my oldest grandson to Chocolate World in Hershey, PA for his “grandma day” (“grandma day” is my golden opportunity to spend one-on-one time with each grandchild who lives locally. So fun!) We wanted to do something Christmas-y but I was limited by a later appointment and I couldn’t find anything local enough that was open on a Wednesday.

While we were there, we decided to watch the new movie “experience” they have. While we stood waiting, Hershey facts flashed up on the screen:

Did you know 25 million Reese’s cups are made every single day?

Did you know 200 tons of Twizzlers are made every day?

As I pondered these unknown facts, I thought about how many things in this life I do not know.

This goes for me spiritually, as well. Through the years, I have had friends who have challenged me on different things and according to scripture. Things I didn’t realize were offensive to God. And, in this, I was not unlike my dogs. We both did not know an important piece of information. While, for my dogs it was the knowledge that the sign did not present any danger at all; for me, it was the knowledge that what I was doing (or reading or watching) did present a real spiritual danger.

Because there are just always things we don’t know.

I am so very, very grateful that God uses His Word and brings people and situations into my life that constantly challenge my status quo Christian life.

This happened to me again recently. Someone asked me a question and it has really gotten me thinking again about something I’ve always done. Forever. But… when I run it through the grid of scripture, I have to admit that it is not something that pleases God. I never thought for even a second of my entire life that there was anything wrong with this particular thing (and yes, I am purposefully being vague). But that question my friend asked just keeps coming back to my mind. And when I consider scripture and what it says, I know that I have been wrong in this area. Even though it was in ignorance, it was still sin.

Isn’t it so kind of our heavenly Father to conform us, bit by little bit, into Christ’s image? His lovingkindness is such a blessing. We could never handle it if it was done all at once. The realization of what it means to live a pure and holy life before God would be completely overwhelming and discouraging if we were to fully understand all at once.

I am so thankful that God so gently and so kindly transforms us, as we are willing to yield what we thought we loved and desired to Him. As I think about the things I have been convicted about over the years, I realize that I don’t even miss them. I’ve written about many of these here on the blog through the years. Giving up some of these things was excruciatingly hard. I didn’t want to do it. And, yet, as I look back, I realize that God changed my heart so completely after my obedience (sometimes obedience that was quite reluctant and took years!) that I don’t even miss these things I thought I couldn’t live without.

And, so, I am going to, in faith, step out in obedience once again and turn from something I have really enjoyed but that God has so kindly shown me does not please Him. Trusting that once I choose to obey, it won’t even matter to me anymore.

I am thankful that we can always be learning and growing. That we aren’t stuck in some stagnant place without hope. Of course, as we learn and grow, we also learn that we are further from God’s standard of perfection than we ever realized (and just how much we need Jesus as our Savior!!!) and we grow in our knowledge of the depth our own sinfulness and in our understanding of the awesome goodness and amazing grace of God.

I know one thing, I certainly look forward to the day when sin will no longer reign in this mortal body and that all I will do and want to do forever and ever will be to praise and please God without any flesh getting in the way. What a glorious day that will be!

So Quickly Forgotten

5 Comments / November 14, 2023

A few months ago, I was reading an old commentary on the pastoral epistles by an author with the name of Homer Kent. When I turned to the back of the book, I saw a photo of a middle-aged man that looked a bit familiar. You see, by the time I was acquainted with who this man was, he was president of the college I was attending. I thought he was old and, if I am blatantly honest…pretty irrelevant. As a naive college student, I had zero appreciation for all he had accomplished (and written). And yet, here he had made this really helpful contribution to the Christian world long before I was even born.

But, my guess is that very few of you have ever heard his name. He lived, he worked for Jesus, and then he died. Some of his works live on, but they aren’t popular or considered classics. I doubt most of you have heard of them, either.

A few weeks back, we attended an event at the Christian school where our kids had attended high school. When our kids were there we were actively involved and knew lots and lots of faces. But five years after our youngest had graduated, we knew few people. And even fewer people cared if we were there or not. We had gone from being an active part of the school family to being completely irrelevant.

Around the time of these two happenings, I saw an Instagram reel that talked about how we won’t be remembered in a hundred years. We are all so quickly forgotten. Even celebrities aren’t really remembered all that much. Do you know or care who was a movie star in the 1940s? Fame and popularity are just so fleeting, on whatever level we have it (national, community, church, school).

And, in fact, even our descendants will probably know very little about us. I know so little about my great-grandparents and next to nothing about my great-great grandparents other than their names. And I’d even have to think hard about that.

We live and we die and we are quickly forgotten.

And while this Instagram reel was focused on the joy of the daily life and encouraged it’s listeners to stop worrying about the things that are so temporary (“If it’s not going to matter in five years, don’t spend more than five minutes worrying about it”), I want to take a moment and consider this beyond even that wise advice.

What I write here today won’t matter to most people in the world. And, in fact, even few Christians will read this or care about it. And if the Lord tarries for another hundred years, this will have probably gone the way of many other written words through the centuries. With this in mind, it changes my perspective and my priorities.

And, yet the fruit of my labors may live on. The fruit of your labors, as well. If a person turns to Christ, it changes their legacy for forever. If a person’s life is changed through their study of the Word, they have an eternal impact on their families and co-workers and whoever God brings into their lives.

And I am, once again, reminded of Matthew 6:19-21 and Colossians 3:1-4. These verses remind us that we want to think on things above and build up our treasures there. If we can stay focused on this, then we can weather disappointing responses or hurtful remarks. We can handle rejection or just being ignored. We can stand strong through the antagonism and the hatred. Because these things are so temporary.

But as soon as we move our eyes to ourselves, we are so vulnerable. We get so entangled in our feelings and it strangles us and our effectiveness for Christ.

So let’s remember today what really matters and let’s encourage one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). While the world may so quickly forget us, the impact of our work for Christ will live on. May we keep doing the good works the Lord has prepared for us and embrace the opportunities He has given us to share the Gospel and support and encourage fellow believers.

Let’s point people to Christ. Let’s direct them to the Word. And let’s work through those unpleasant and very temporary feelings we may experience as we work, through keeping our eyes on things eternal.

And, may we remember: While our names may be quickly forgotten on earth, the impact of our works for Christ will leave a lasting legacy on the families that turn to Christ and walk with Him because of our courage to speak up and our obedience to serve Christ instead of self.

To God be the Glory!

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

It’s Simple Really

4 Comments / October 18, 2023

This morning as I studied my Bible, I got to thinking about something I heard yesterday in a sermon. Basically the thought was that false doctrines and teachings arise out of our lusts (for sin and for the world). This struck me profoundly.

The Bible’s message is actually pretty easy to understand. Sure, there are a few areas that are hard and we can’t really “get”. But, generally, it’s actually pretty understandable. The Bible clearly shows that we are lost sinners without hope and that salvation comes by faith in Christ alone through grace alone. There are NO works we can do to merit favor with God. It also clearly shows the terrible eternal destiny of those who reject Christ. Our call, as genuine believers, to please God, to turn from sin and worldly lusts and passions, to deny ourselves, to die to self, to call out false teachers, to expect persecution and antagonism for following the truth, and to turn from man’s vain philosophies (such as so-called “science”)… all these things are very plainly expressed.

So what is the problem?

The problem is that we want to “feed our flesh”. Oh, that awful flesh. It gets us into so much trouble. The old man wars with our new man and we can so easily lay our weapons down and stop fighting (i.e. rationalize and excuse our sin and worldliness away) if we but take a few verses out of context here or twist a verse or two there. And that’s how false doctrine is born.

As those who want to sincerely follow Christ, we must pray and ask God to open our eyes where we may be blind. We must ask Him to help us to follow the truth no matter the cost. This is a frightening prayer, isn’t it? And, yet, to be caught up in deception has far, far worse consequences than knowing the truth.

I was studying 2 Timothy 2 this morning and verses 3 and 4 of that chapter give us some guidance on how following the truth is even possible–

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

So, according to Paul, here in this chapter, we are to–

Endure hardship.

Remember that we are a soldier and God is our Captain (which means we are in a war!)

Do not entangle ourselves with the affairs of this life.

And there you have it: Three critical ways in which we must follow God’s Word, if we are to keep from being deceived and confused.

This is so much harder to live out than it is to write. The costs of following after God and His Word are very real and can be very painful. They can cost you relationships, material gain, jobs and careers, your beloved church home, and any other number of things.

But we must remember that it is worth it. Oh, so worth it. I am reminded of Paul’s words in another epistle–

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 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11)

Paul tells us all is rubbish when compared to the treasure of knowing Christ. May we remember this as we travel in the confusing landscape that makes up modern day Christianity.

Following God is simple really. But it isn’t easy.

Do You Want to Feel Better or to See Better?

3 Comments / September 27, 2023

The other day I was listening to a Lamplighter Theatre story and the introduction had a young boy who was quite distraught over recent news. He had gone to visit an older gentleman to talk and expressed his hope that he would help him feel better. The man laughed and said this profound thing:

I won’t help you feel better but I do hope I can help you see better.

I have been thinking on this ever since. How many of us prefer to feel better than to see better? We’d rather be blind and feel good, than to have clear vision and experience some pain in the process.

The pastor’s job is to help his congregation to see better. He is to preach the word, in and out of season–

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Many preachers (and authors and song-writers and popular social media personalities) refuse to do this because it is not what their listeners want. Their listeners want to feel good. Right now.

Paul tells us to expect that this time will come. Right after writing “Preach the Word!” in 2 Timothy 4, he writes this-

 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

He knew that eventually the visible church (as opposed to the remnant genuine church) would eventually turn completely apostate in order to take part in bringing in the antichrist. Paul gave us warning signs of what that would look like throughout his epistles. One of these warning signs is that people who claim to be Christians would be obsessed with hearing things that they want to hear; things that would make them feel better temporarily but that would be based on fables.

Instead of hearing the things that they needed to hear–things that would make them see better but wouldn’t necessarily make them feel better–they’d choose to believe fables and lies.

As we watch this happening around us–perhaps even in the lives of those we care about– it is important that we examine our own lives. What is our goal when we read the Word or listen to a godly preacher? Is it to feel better or is it to see better?

I think something really important to remember as we consider this is that, while we may not feel better in the moment, the good feelings will come. God promises peace and joy and these are not empty promises. When we surrender our will to God’s and when we choose to obey His commands in scripture, feelings of peace and joy do come.

As a friend once told me: Our feelings should function as the caboose and not the engine as we decide what will drive our decisions and choices. Feelings generally follow after our right choices.

We can compare it to a doctor who must administer bad-tasting medicine or painfully dig out an infection that has set in in a wound. These things do not feel good when they are happening but, in the long run, they make us feel so much better. What would we think of a doctor that just bandaged an infected wound, rather than to deal with the real issue? And, yet, this is so often how spiritual infections are treated by preachers and teachers. They don’t want to hurt or offend anyone so they never get around to lovingly telling their hearers the plain truth of scripture.

We may not like what we are reading or hearing from the Word and it may not make us “feel better” in the moment, but if we choose to submit to and obey God’s Word, we will see better. We will not only be given correct perspective but we will begin to understand why it is so important. And…eventually…we will feel better as we honor the Lord with our lives.

So what are you looking for when you study scripture or listen to a preacher? To feel better or to see better?

What matters to you most? That you are happy? Or that you are holy?

I am afraid many of the lies will reap eternal ramifications. We must pray for protection from the abundant lies around us that sound so very appealing. May we not grab on to any of these simply to feel better temporarily. For in the long run, an infection that is not cut out will kill you.

The World is Quickly Passing Away

3 Comments / September 1, 2023

Today’s air was crisp and fall-like. This kind of weather makes me anticipate autumn, which is just around the corner now. As I walk around my yard, I see that many of the flowers are done blooming. The ones that remain are starting to look straggly; some have mildew on their leaves. Their time to shine is almost gone. In a few short months, they have brightened our world and then passed out of existence. Like a shooting star that gives sparkling light for a moment and then disappears.

Last night I was scrolling through Instagram for a few minutes. A retro reel came up that was from 1980. It was a promotion video for ABC and across the stage pranced people I hadn’t seen on TV or anywhere else for twenty years or more. They were the beloved stars of the popular sitcoms from that day. As I watched the reel, I realized that those people are just like the flowers and the shooting stars. Here one year and gone the next. No one knows what happened to those TV stars and most people do not care what happened to them. They are on to the next big name. The next big series. The next. The next. The next.

The public’s affection and adoration is so short-lived. We see this across all spectrums. Popularity and adoration are here one day and gone the next.

I was reading an article by Horatius Bonar* today and it fits perfectly with all of this. I want to share a bit of it with you today (you can read it in its entirety here)–

The things that are seen are temporal. Ours is a dying world, and here we have no continuing city. But a few years — it may be less — and all things here are changed. But a few years — it may be less — and the Lord shall have come, and the last trumpet shall have sounded, and the great sentence shall have been pronounced upon each of the sons of men.

There is a world that which does not pass away. It is fair and glorious. It is called “the inheritance in light.” It is bright with the love of God, and with the joy of Heaven. “The Lamb is the light thereof.” Its gates are of pearl — they are always open. And as we tell men of this wondrous city, we invite them to enter in.

How often do you think about that undying world? Jesus warns us about storing up treasures on this earth where they can be destroyed and encourages us to, instead, lay up our treasures in heaven, where nothing can destroy them (Matthew 6:19-21). Paul encourages us to set our minds on things above rather than things of the earth (Colossians 3:1-4). Both Paul and John remind us that this world is passing away (I Corinthians 7:31; I John 2:17). Isaiah tells us that all men are like withering grass and fading flowers. Here for a short season and then gone on to eternity (Isaiah 40:6-7).

Bonar explains the quickly passing world like this–

The world is passing away — like a flower. Beautiful, very beautiful; fragrant, very fragrant, are the summer flowers. But they wither away. So fades the world from before our eyes. While we are looking at it, and admiring it — behold, it is gone! No trace is left of all its loveliness but a little dust! O man, can you feed on flowers? Can you dote on that which is but for an hour? You were made for eternity — and only that which is eternal can be your portion or your resting place. The things that perish with the using only mock your longings. They cannot fill you — and even if they filled, they cannot abide. Mortality is written on all things here — immortality belongs only to the world to come — to that new heavens and new earth wherein dwells righteousness.

Of course! As believers longing to follow hard after God, we know this is true. But, oh, am I the only one who gets so terribly distracted by the things here on this earth?? Why do I find myself still trying to be filled by the temporal things at times?

I guess that’s part of the battle of the flesh we all face. But it’s good every now and again to be reminded that there should be a battle regarding this. We should be intentionally trying to focus on the Lord and on things above, remembering that this life and all things with it are so quickly passing away.

Horatio Bonar reminds us that there is but one thing that should be settled for us all as we journey through this brief life: Where will we spend eternity?

I’d like to share what he wrote here because it’s so important. It’s rather long but I hope you will take the time to read it. And I hope that it is a blessed reminder to you as you consider your own eternal destiny and the eternal destinies of those you come in contact with everyday. Perhaps you will agree wit me that what is written here makes the things of this world pale in comparison. Here’s what he writes–

The world is passing away — what then? This is the question that so deeply concerns man. If the world is to vanish away, and man is to live forever — then of what importance is it to know where and what we are to be forever! A celebrated physician, trying to cheer a desponding patient, said to him, “Treat life as a plaything.” It was wretched counsel. For life is no plaything, and time is no child’s toy, to be flung away. Life here is the beginning of the life which has no end; and time is but the gateway of eternity.

What then? You must, O man, make sure of a home in that world into which you are so soon to pass. You must not pass out of this earthly tent without making sure of the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. When you have done this, you can lie down upon your deathbed in peace.

One who had lived a worldly life at last lay down to die; and when about to pass away he uttered these terrible words, “I am dying, and I don’t know where I am going!”

Another in similar circumstances cried out, “I am within an hour of eternity, and all is dark!”

O man of earth, it is time to awake!

“How can I make sure?” you ask. God has long since answered that question, and His answer is recorded for all ages: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! I have never done anything else,” you say. If that is really true, then, as the Lord lives, you are a saved man. But is it really so? Has your life been the life of a saved man? No, truly. It has been a life wholly given to vanity. Then as the Lord God of Israel lives, and as your soul lives — you have not truly believed, and you are not yet saved.

“Have I then no work to work in this great matter of my pardon?” None! What work can you work? What work of your can buy forgiveness, or make you fit for the Divine favor? What work has God bidden you work in order to obtain salvation? None! His Word is very plain, and easy to be understood: “To him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom 4:5) There is but one work by which a man can be saved. That work is not yours, but the work of the Son of God. That work is finished — neither to be taken from nor added to — perfect through all ages — and presented by Himself to you, that you may avail yourself of it and be saved.

“And is that work available for me just as I am?” It is! God has brought it to your door; and your only way of honoring it is by accepting it for yourself, and taking it as the one basis of your eternal hope. We honor the Father when we consent to be saved entirely by the finished work of His Son. We honor the Son when we consent to take His one finished work in the room of all our works. We honor the Holy Spirit, whose office is to glorify Christ, when we hear what He says to us concerning that work finished “once for all” upon the cross. Forgiveness is through Christ Jesus, who is Son of God as well as Son of man! This is our message.

Forgiveness through the one work of sin-bearing which He accomplished for sinners upon earth. Forgiveness to the worst and wickedest, to the farthest off from God whom this earth contains. Forgiveness of the largest, fullest, completest kind; without stint, or exception, or condition, or the possibility of revocation! Forgiveness free and undeserved — as free as the love of God, as free as the gift of His beloved Son. Forgiveness ungrudged and unrestrained — whole-hearted and joyful — as the forgiveness of the father falling on the neck of the prodigal! Forgiveness simply in believing; for, “by Him, all who believe are justified from all things.”

Could salvation be made more free? Could forgiveness be brought nearer? Could God in any way more fully show His earnest desire that you should not be lost, but saved — that you should not die, but live? In the cross there is salvation — nowhere else. No failure of this world’s hopes can quench the hope which it reveals. It shines brightest in the evil day. In the day of darkening prospects, of thickening sorrows, of heavy burdens, of pressing cares — when friends depart, when riches fly away, when disease oppresses us, when poverty knocks at our door — then the cross shines out, and tells us of a light beyond this world’s darkness, the Light of Him who is the light of the world.

*Horatius Bonar was a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived during the 1800s. His poems, hymns, and religious tracts were loved by many during that time and since.

Tiny Seeds Yield Lots of Fruit

2 Comments / August 1, 2023

I noticed an interesting plant springing up in the midst of the impatiens. At the one end of this flower bed next to the garage looked like what would be some type of squash or pumpkin. I remembered that my husband had thrown an old pumpkin there at the end of the season and forgot to remove it until much later. Could it be from that?

Before I could decide what to do, my husband had pulled the plant out. After all, we don’t want a pumpkin growing in the midst of our impatiens!

But when another healthy seedling sprang up, I asked him if we could just leave it grow. I wanted to see what it was and what would happen.

And so this summer we have a giant pumpkin plant at the front corner of our home, growing like…well, “like a weed”. It’s enormous (as you can tell from the photo above). It has a bunch of flowers and early fruit on it and looks like it will yield much.

Isn’t that so amazing when you stop to think about it? A pumpkin was carelessly discarded and spilled out its seeds and then one of those tiny seeds grew into this enormous plant filled with fruit?

What a great reminder! Those little seeds we carelessly toss around will do the same. Whether they be seeds of kindness or seeds of discord; seeds of self-discipline or seeds of laziness or addiction; seeds of anger and grudge-holding or seeds of forgiveness; seeds of doubt or seeds of faith; seeds of gratitude or seeds of complaint; seeds of worldliness or seeds of godliness… whichever seeds we choose to carelessly sow will spring up and turn into a plant that yields lots of fruit.

One of the biggest problems with our current culture is our lackadaisical attitude towards our future. We think only of today. But those seeds we are planting today will yield fruit in our lives and the lives of those we love. It would be best to really examine what seeds we are planting today. If we are going to be stuck with an enormous plant full of fruit, may it be a thriving plant of good fruit.

God tells us in His Word that we will reap what we sow—

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Our lives and the lives of those around us tell us this truth, don’t they? You can’t escape the sowing of bad fruit. No matter how much we would wish to. Actions always have consequences.

But this principle also works in an opposite and wonderful way. If we sow good seeds, we will reap the fruits of righteousness and blessing.

The time to think about this is when we are young. Oh, we just have no idea how the seeds we sow will affect the rest of our lives and the lives of those we love. Many live with so much regret. But even as we age, it is never too late to start sowing better seed. It is just never too late.

Today is a great day for us to consider the seeds we have been sowing and to make a change. While none of us will ever sow seeds of righteousness always or perfectly, may that be our hope and may we work at this intentionally as we seek to walk with God.

(Update: For those of you who aren’t on Facebook, I just wanted to let you know that my husband’s surgery went very well. We are currently sitting in the hospital and as he sleeps, I decided to take a few moments and write. Thank you so much for your prayers!)

The Place of God’s Appointment is the Place of God’s Provision

1 Comment / June 13, 2023

Have you ever talked to someone who insists that God’s Will is something that goes completely against His Word? Perhaps they are walking away from a loyal and loving spouse because they are infatuated with someone else. Or they are taking an outrageous and irresponsible financial or physical risk, insisting that God has sanctioned this decision. Perhaps it is a mom that is making her career a priority rather than her family or it is the pursuit of a dream at the cost of far too much. Whatever it may be, Christians often expect God’s provision and blessing upon them in these choices they insist are God’s will.

But is this how God works? Does God bless and provide when we are in a place where we were never to be in the first place? I guess occasionally He may–simply because of to His tremendous grace and undeserved mercy– but that should not be our expectation.

In I Kings 17, God told Elijah to go to the brook Cherith, assuring him that He would send the ravens there to feed him. Elijah obeyed the Lord immediately. Verse 5 puts it this simply: So he did what the Lord had told him.

That’s all the information we have so we do not know if this cost Elijah anything. Although, we can imagine it must have been rather strange for him to expect food from a bird, much less one that was considered unclean by His people. That alone would have been a challenge that we can’t really comprehend very well. But Elijah’s provision came because of His obedience. He was fed by the ravens at a specific place. Had he chosen to ignore God or go to a different brook, he would not have had God’s provision or His blessing.

I am currently reading a book by Will Varner called The Chariot of Israel and it is in there that I was reminded of this important truth yesterday. I have been thinking on this ever since and considering the truth of this in my life and the lives of other believers I’ve met.

The author puts it like this–

The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. In other words, you’ve got to be in the place God wants you to be if you expect to claim the promise that God will meet your needs. This is the Old Testament counterpart of a New Testament truth that’s stated in Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” If I am seeking first the Kingdom of God, I can be assured that God will meet my needs. The place of God’s appointment is the place of His provision. Are you where God wants you to be? Then you can claim God’s promise that He will meet your need.” *

I think about this on my own life. I can think of one time, in particular, that my husband and I made an extremely difficult choice in order to please the Lord. We knew He wanted us to do a certain thing, although it was sure to cost our family so much. But we went ahead and did what we knew we had to do in order to follow God. And did it cost us? You bet it did. It cost us a LOT. It is one of the most painful times we have been through. BUT… looking back now, we can see God’s incredible grace and mercy carrying us through that time. And there were some amazing blessings that came because we chose to obey the Lord rather than rebel against His will.

So now when we look back at that time, it is with awe in our hearts at God’s faithfulness to us despite the difficulty of the path. We experienced His provision in a wonderful way because we were willing to travel the path He had made clear we were to go.

Of course, sometimes I stick my feet in the ground and just say NO, God, that’s too much. I just don’t want to. An example of that is the music I so loved. I’ve written about that often before. I told God, in no uncertain terms, that I would not give it up. I said this to Him for years and years. But as the battle grew more fierce in my soul, so did the conviction. It finally prompted me to ask God for help as I struggled with my unwillingness to do what I knew God desired me to do. And guess what? When I finally was willing to step out in faith and obey, again came tremendous blessing: God totally removed my taste for the music I had so loved. I still look upon that as a small miracle. I am in awe even yet when I think about it.

And, yet, I still struggle giving up certain things or walking the way I know God wants me to walk sometimes. Even after all of that. Isn’t that just ridiculous? Even as I write this, I can hardly believe my own stupidity sometimes.

The one thing I do know, though, is that the more we are willing to follow hard after God, denying self and turning from the world, the more blessing we receive. So that we don’t really miss what we thought we would miss. It really defies logic. God is so amazing! His grace is amazing and so is His provision! The same God that fed Elijah with the ravens is the same God still at work today in our lives!

Can you look back, as I do, and trace God’s amazing provision and abundant grace in your own life? If you have walked with God for any length of time, I am sure you can. His promises are not just empty words. They are proven true over and over again by those who are God’s own dear children. His provision is a very real thing to those of us that seek to love Him with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind (Mark 12:30).

And so I want to encourage you this morning to step out in faith and do what God has called you to do. It may be something as simple as sharing the Gospel with a co-worker or reaching out in kindness to an elderly neighbor. It may be giving up an ungodly TV series or leaving a church that is headed a wrong direction. Whatever it may be, know that your choice to follow God will not go unnoticed by Him but will lead to His provision and blessing as you seek to serve Him. He is so kind and so very faithful. He will keep you and He will change you.

Psalm 1 echoes this thought and so I wanted to share a few verses here this morning of this precious Psalm. I hope you will carry these words with you as you seek to follow God and do His will today–

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

*The Chariot of Israel by Will Varner, p. 23

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