A LOST SHEEP’S PSALM

 

I am a sheep and, by nature, very dumb,

I know when I am hungry, thirsty, and tired,

But don’t know how to get these needs met.

I know I don’t want to be prey to the wildlife out there,

But don’t know how to keep me safe.

Sometimes I am afraid and tired,

But have no idea how or where to find rest.

Oh, somebody, HELP ME!

Wait: I just realized what I need: a caretaker, a shepherd! A shepherd knows all

the things I need, and he has the resources and the ability to provide them.

This Shepherd found me when I was lost, wandering, and without hope. How sad: to be lost and not know it! I wasn’t

even aware of my condition.

He took me into His loving sheepfold and made me one of His own. Now I am His

forever; I’ve finally found love and a sense of belonging.

Since He brought me into the fold, things have changed drastically: He’s given me

many marvelous promises and the assurance I never had and never realized I

needed. He’s promised I’ll belong to Him forever; no one can ever snatch me from

His hands. I feel so secure in His care because He never slumbers nor falls asleep;

my waking moments are just as safe as the moments when I’m sleeping.

My loving Shepherd guides and leads me, so I don’t wander away, but if I

recklessly do, He comes looking for me and brings me back home safely. My

Shepherd is a fantastic Provider; He answers before I call, and while I’m still

speaking, He hears. Talk about being loved! He’s even promised blessings when I

obey Him. He doesn’t have to do that; after all, I belong to Him, and all I have

belongs to Him. Wow!

Are you a lost sheep? Then you need my Shepherd; I know what your life has

been like because I’ve been there. My Shepherd has room in the sheepfold; there’s room for you and everyone who needs a Shepherd. Call on Him today, and He will bring you in, provide for you, and keep you safe. The longer you wait out there, the longer it will take to find rest and comfort -- or you might not find it at all. 

I know as long as I live, He will pursue me with His unfailing love in all situations, and in the end, He’ll bring me safely home to live with Him forever! I encourage you to come to Jesus today; He is the great Shepherd of the sheep! 

 

 

SAME OLD TRICKS (THE DEVIL HAS NO NEW TRICKS!)

 

I've met people who do not want to discuss anything about the devil: such people often think talking about the devil is a way of elevating him or making him essential. The Bible admonishes us: "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Being ignorant of his ways could lead to our defeat in the fight, and our loss would mean disobeying our Father. How wrong! If we know he is our adversary, we should want to know him inside and out to detect when he is working against us.

So, what are the devil's tricks, and what are his goals? His tricks come in the form of deception; he misrepresents God with the hope that we would mistrust and disobey Him, thereby putting a rift between God and us. He makes us think God is withholding good things from us to make us miserable; that's what he did when talking to Eve about God's instructions to Adam, insisting God didn't want them to be wise (see Genesis 3:1-6). Below is how he makes us think it's okay to do what God forbids. And what are the devil's goals when he lies to us? He wants us to doubt God's Word and believe God is not looking out for our best interests, thereby causing us to switch our allegiance from God to him.

1)    Appealing to our physical needs/lust: We all have these; they are hunger, intimacy, etc. Remember, after forty days of fasting, the Bible says Jesus was very hungry (see Matthew 4:2). Being the Son of God, Jesus could have turned anything into bread or anything else He desired to satisfy His hunger. But what would have been the implication? It would have implied that He obeyed the devil, even though He knew what the Word said. God forbid! 

What would you do if you had a similar need and the devil suggested you steal, cheat, fornicate, or commit adultery? Well, remember what God's Word says about these situations? Jesus did: Thou shall not steal; a false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight; Flee from sexual immorality; Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled (see Ex 20:15; Proverbs 11:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Hebrews 13:4). Being able to recall such Scriptures should caution us and help us realize when what we are about to do is contrary to God's Word.   

2)    Pride and Arrogance/Ego: Have you ever been tempted to be a show-off for recognition and the like? God hates pride and arrogance (see Proverbs 8:13). The devil asked Jesus to jump off the temple's highest point. Again, he twisted Scripture, saying: "He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:11 NLT).” This promise is about God protecting us in our everyday lives, but not necessarily when we want to show off or intentionally try to commit suicide. Of course, He might still intervene, but the promise is not claimable under the circumstances we engineer. For instance, if you go to bed with your doors and windows locked, you can confidently claim His protection, but why should you if you intentionally leave yourself vulnerable? 

3)    Materialism: Have you ever had to choose between material gain and integrity? In Matthew 4:8-9, the devil asked Jesus to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world with their glory (things that already belonged to Him anyway).  For example, how would you respond if asked to be involved in a cover-up scheme for a reward? Jesus knew exactly how He should respond in His case, and He did: "Get out of here, Satan, for the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him’" (Verse 10-11). In other words, "No, not on your life, Satan!". 

OUR RESPONSE TO TEMPTATIONS

Jesus quoted Scripture with every temptation (see Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). He knew the appropriate Scripture for each situation. Do you? The knowledge of Scripture and how and when it applies is of utmost importance. In addition to knowing the Scriptures, we need to have a love for God expressed through obedience to his Word: "Loving God means keeping his commandments" (1 John 5:3 NLT).  

Satan's tricks can often be traced to one of the above (lust, pride, materialism). Our obedience to the Word of God is our surest way of defeating the devil and maintaining an uninterrupted, loving relationship with God our Father. Let's get into the habit of putting the devil in his place like Jesus did: "Get out of here, Satan!" In addition, let's put and keep on the whole armor of God to guarantee our victory in the fight (see Ephesians 6:11-18).

TAKING A SERIOUS LOOK AT FORGIVENESS

What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is defined as acquittal or pardon of sins. When the courts acquit a felon, he is no longer held responsible for his crime; he walks away free from all charges and consequences. In the same way, when God forgives our sin, He no longer holds it against us; He treats us like we never sinned! Awesome!

Have you ever been seriously offended by another person, like family, friends, neighbors, or strangers? How did you respond? Even if they apologized, you probably thought to yourself, “I can never forgive,” or “I’ll forgive but can never forget!”

In Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matthew 18:23-27), He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a king who was updating his accounts with servants who had borrowed from him. One of the servants owed him a huge amount but could not pay. When the king announced his verdict, the servant begged for a time extension, promising to pay back all he owed. The king responded not by extending time but by forgiving the whole debt.

Can you look back and name individuals who owe you a debt? Have you half-heartedly or completely forgiven them? Is your relationship with them restored, or do you try to avoid contact with them?

The circumstances for the forgiven servant changed rather quickly; he failed to forgive another servant who owed him much less than he owed the king. When the king found out, he was thrown into jail, to stay there until his debt was fully paid. Ouch!

At the end of the chapter, Jesus warned, “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” As followers of Christ, we should take this seriously because Jesus was talking to the disciples - and that is exactly what we are.

In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), we ask in verse 12 to be forgiven as we forgive others. Do we mean half-heartedly or completely? How would we fare if God forgave us half-heartedly? At the end of that passage, in verse 14, Jesus said, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Can we really afford not to be forgiven by God? The answer should be “No” for each child of God! What would the implication be for not being forgiven? Hell? May God forbid!

Lord, please help us to be obedient to your Word and love each other as you have loved us. You forgave our sins and chose to remove them from us as far as the east is from the west. We’ve escaped hell because you’ve lovingly forgiven us, and shouldn’t we forgive others? Help us, Lord, to follow your example and do the same with those who hurt us; help us to let go of all hurt and replace hurt with love. Thank you in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen

LOOKING AT WORRY WITH THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE

 

 

Worry gives way to anxiety or unease, allowing one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. Although that is true, I've learned another way to define it. Worrying is taking over another person's problem or responsibility without being asked. It means the issue in question is beyond my ability to solve and has not been assigned to me. Insisting on solving the problem is an indication that I am impersonating the One whose responsibility that problem is; I am attempting to take over God's job. The last time I checked the want ads, only vacant positions were posted, and God's work was not on the list. Nevertheless, even if advertised, nobody on this planet is qualified.  

All posted jobs have listed requirements, training, experience, etc. Likewise, if God's position were published, the applicants would have to meet specific criteria. So, here are the qualifications. To apply for the job, the applicant must answer 'Yes' to all of the following:

Have you ever spoken anything into existence? "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3 NIV).

Have you ever created any living thing? "The Lord God formed the man…and breathed into his nostrils …, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7 NIV).                                                                                                 

Have you ever raised the dead? And he did! "Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out" (John 11:43 NIV).

Have you ever gone a month or more straight without slumber or sleep? "He who watches over you will not slumber, indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:3-4 NIV).

Can you see what is happening worldwide, simultaneously, every second of the day? "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good" (Proverbs 15:3 NIV).

Can you tell what someone is thinking, going to say, or doing before they do? "O LORD, you have searched me, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord" (Psalm 139:1-4 NIV).

Did you or anybody you know die and then come back to life without seeing decay? Here's the psalmist's prophecy about Jesus: "My body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay" (Psalm 16:9-10 NIV).

Do you love unconditionally 100% of the time? "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? … neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39 NIV).

Do you forgive and also forget 100% of the time? "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34 NIV).

Can and will you take on the punishment others deserve? "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8 NIV).    

How many questions were you able to answer "Yes" to? You are disqualified from taking over God's job if you answered 'No' to any of the questions.

The next time you have something to worry about, ask yourself, "Am I God?" if you can honestly say 'No' to that question (and you can!), then it's time to pray and turn over the problem to the One who can solve it with ease--God. He knows where all the puzzle pieces fit and what the finished puzzle will look like. He invites all His children: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV). 

GOOD WORKS IS THE BREATH OF FAITH

The book of James gives us a perfect analogy for vibrant Christian living. It says, "Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works" (James 2:26 NLT). We all know what happens when people stop breathing—they die. At the end of Jesus' crucifixion, for example, He announced: "It is finished!" then He bowed His head and released the Spirit (see John 19:30). Without breath, Jesus was pronounced dead!

Our faith must be alive and active if we claim to be Christians. If not, it will be categorized as dead. How can we claim that the Spirit that gives us life lives in us while we don't exhibit the signs of life? We need to take a serious look at our claims and ensure they are not false. If faith without good works is dead, then good works are what we need to keep faith alive.

What do good works look like? Good works are actions that make a person right with God, like trust and obedience. For example, Moses fled to Midian to escape the Pharaoh of Egypt, who wanted to kill him for a murder he had committed. Although he had run for his life, he obeyed God and returned to Egypt to go and free the Israelites. He obeyed God because he trusted Him to keep him safe. What good is our faith if we can't trust and obey God?

  Obedience should then direct us to meet the needs of others, show kindness, love them (see James 2:15-16), and forgive offenses. In short, we should love others as ourselves. James uses the example of a brother or sister with a need you could meet but don't, and instead wish him or her well (see James 2:15-16).

Many claim they believe in God but don't have a personal relationship with Him. We can't expect such people to do good deeds because they don't have the Holy Spirit working in them. Those of us who are the temple of the Holy Spirit (Christians) should be able to demonstrate faith in tangible ways. James expresses it like this, "I will show you my faith by my good deeds" (James 2:18 NLT).  

God has shown my family His amazing love through the obedience of His children and unbelievers alike. My family has been the recipient of the good works of many godly people who didn't know us from Adam but took us in, in the name of love and treated us like family. The needs they met included housing, transportation, encouragement, and friendship. I pray that the Lord will be gracious to the descendants of these dear saints of God. And may He make me a blessing to others as He sees fit.

Dear brother, dear sister, is your faith dead or alive? Your works should tell you! To keep faith alive, we must demonstrate trust and obedience towards God and love and serve others in Jesus' name.

DON’T BE TOO QUICK TO JUDGE

 

We all judge situations and other people’s actions verbally or non-verbally. In fact, we feel so strongly about what we think that, often, our response is to single-handedly judge, convict, and condemn them. You might be thinking to yourself, “Not me. I don’t do that!” Yes, you do; no one is exempt from this behavior.

Even King David of Israel faced that challenge. Through Nathan, the prophet, God told him a story in which a wealthy man took advantage of a poor man. David offered his opinion about the situation without being asked; he immediately blurted out his frustration, judged the case, and pronounced a guilty verdict with the death penalty. “As surely as the Lord lives, any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and having no pity” (2 Samuel 12: 5-6).

Before the conversation with Nathan, David, who had multiple wives and concubines, had coveted a poor man’s only wife, Bathsheba, committed adultery with her and got her pregnant. He tried unsuccessfully to cover up his sin. He had the poor man killed, thereby saving face. With the husband out of the way, he married Bathsheba. He had the nerve to pronounce death on the offender. Unfortunately, we all do that; we pronounce judgment before we hear the whole story! Why did his own situation not come to mind as he listened to the story about the rich man and poor man?

On the other hand, when we do wrong, we make excuses for ourselves or cover up our actions. Why are we so forgiving of our own sins and so critical of others? We condemn them without mercy. The Scriptures tell us, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2).

Until David was confronted about his sins, he was very judgmental of another person whose offense was minor in comparison. Again, the Scriptures tell us, “If you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? … You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it” (Romans 2:21-23). 

Before we judge others, let us put ourselves in the offender’s place and ask ourselves how we would like to be treated. If we decide we don’t deserve forgiveness, grace, mercy, or a second chance, only then should we cast our stones. Jesus said to the crowd who brought the woman caught in adultery, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” (John 8:7).

This does not encourage condoning wrongdoing; we must speak out but not necessarily judge and condemn.

Once king David was confronted, he admitted his wrongdoing: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13), and was instantly granted forgiveness: “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin” (2 Samuel 12:14b).

In Psalm fifty-one, David poured out his heart, and demonstrated remorse for his sin, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stains of my sins. … You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. … Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. … Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness” (Psalm 51:1-14).

Let’s be careful how we judge others because we could be judging and condemning ourselves! Look deep into your heart. Have you ever thought and blamed someone for wrong things in your life, or do you sin in any way? Only God has the right, knowledge, and power to judge because He is holy. 

PROVE YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!

As we all know, carrying a particular family name implies you’re their child; you don’t have to prove anything. Not so with God; if you claim to be God’s child, you must prove it. You have to pass a test.

Our way of life as children of God is the testing ground. The Holy Spirit lives in all Christians, bearing fruit in our lives and thus proving we are God’s: “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). If we claim to be Christians, these qualities should be evident in our lives.   

In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches about loving one’s enemies, contrary to what the traditional law (not the Law) says, and explains that it is proof that one is a child of God: “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. … If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:44-48).

When Saul successfully led the armies of Israel against the Ammonites, some people wanted those who opposed Saul’s kingship to be killed. Saul could have agreed to that to get even with his enemies, but instead, he responded: “No one will be executed today, for the Lord has rescued Israel” (1 Samuel 11:13).    

Similarly, when it became evident that David, not Jonathan, was going to be the next king, Saul tried to kill David to ensure that it didn’t happen, and David knew it. However, on more than one occasion, David had the opportunity to kill Saul if he wanted to. Still, he didn’t and stated: “I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one” (1 Samuel 24:10). For all that David endured at Saul’s hand, nobody would have blamed him if he had taken revenge.

In addition, don’t we expect God to forgive us when we are in the wrong? Of course, we do! If we’d like God to forgive us, we must forgive others. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).

So, let’s love others as we love ourselves to prove to the world that we are God’s children, and the love of the Father abides in us!