GOD IS ON HIS WAY DOWN

 

Are you suffering quietly, thinking no one is noticing, hearing, or feeling your pain? Take heart, whatever your plight! God has seen it all—the injustice, the poor health, the isolation, the sadness, the heavy financial burdens, and all the other issues. And He has heard your cries and prayers. Be comforted, He is on His way because enough is enough!

On a larger scale, He came in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, over two thousand years ago to crush and defeat Satan, sin, and death. Through that one act, He is offering freedom to all people; He’s inviting all to put their trust in Jesus and be saved from sin and death. 

On a personal scale, He has purchased all who believe in Jesus for Himself, making us His children. Satan and the powers of darkness are constantly working against us, but God is aware and is working behind the scenes, maintaining control. We have no idea how much or what we’re delivered from every second or every moment. But God knows. He’s in control!

Although saved, we still have issues because of our sinful nature and the work of the enemy; we groan, cry, pray, and are quite often discouraged. Where is God when sin and evil are on the rise, children get shot and killed in school, politicians are lying to us, scams are all over the place, and nations have secret agendas? Where is God in all of this? Our question is, “Doesn’t God care?”

God cares! He sees all our circumstances, pain, and worries, and is intervening in ways we cannot fathom, behind the scenes. Therefore, let’s take heart; He has made us many wonderful promises we can hold onto. When the Israelites were suffering under the rule of an Egyptian pharaoh who knew nothing about Joseph and the history of the Israelites, God appeared to Moses and appointed him to go and deliver His people from captivity.

These are God’s words: “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:7-8). So, as we look at the chaos around us, let’s encourage each other—God is on His way!

Enough is enough; He is on His way to bringing a permanent solution to our plight. One of these days, soon, we will hear the trumpet call of God, and we will be out of here so fast, the rest of the world will be in shock, wondering what happened. And just as He promised to deliver the Israelites, and did, so has He promised us and will! “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). 

Just as God promised to take the Israelites to a wonderful place of their own, so has He promised us a wonderful place-heaven, where our troubles will be over and joy will be ours forever. “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:3-4).  

This is wonderful news; our Lord is on His way! Let’s look forward with excitement, wonder, and gratitude to His appearance any day now. Amen! “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:21 KJV).

CHRISTMAS

 

God planned Christmas, the birth of Jesus, before the foundation of the world, before creation. What was His reason, you might ask? He knew how the devil would interfere with His creation and intentions for man, thus causing a separation between Him and man. 

He could have prevented the interruption but didn't, because He wanted man to love, trust, and obey Him willingly: by choice. He, therefore, put a plan into place that would defeat the devil, give the fallen man a second chance, and thereby restore His broken relationship with men. 

The first Christmas was only the beginning, the first in a series of events constituting God's redemptive plan. In the first step, Christmas, God became man, in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life among sinners, showing them the way back to God--through grace, for He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). 

The next event was His death. He willingly laid down His life, suffered at the hands of sinners, who crucified Him. He told His disciples, “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily” (John 10:17 NLT).  They buried Him, sealing the tomb with a huge rock to ensure His disciples wouldn’t be able to move Him out. The devil who motivated them must have thought he had won this fight, but God had a surprise for him! 

The third was His resurrection from the dead. The morning of the third day, there was an earthquake, an angel rolled the stone aside and sat on it. The angel comforted the women who had gone to embalm the body. “Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen” (Matthew 28:5 NLT). Jesus came back to life, delivering a crushing blow to the devil once and for all. Jesus will never die again. Death and the devil were both defeated. That death paid for the sins of all who'd repent, ask for forgiveness, and accept the sacrifice made on their behalf. Because He rose from the dead, those who believe in Him shall also rise someday. 

Fourth, He ascended into heaven as His disciples watched with broken hearts. Angels assured them, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:11 NLT). 

The final event will be Jesus’ Second Advent. This time, He’ll come not as a baby, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords, and He will set up His kingdom. At His coming, every eye shall see Him (see Revelation 1:7), but it'll be too late for those who have not called on Him for salvation. Judgment and punishment will be all that awaits them, 

As you celebrate Christmas this year, don’t just go through the motions. Understand that God loves you very much, and longs to enter into a personal relationship with you. How do you plan to respond to the One who has gone to such trouble to demonstrate His love for you? He has freed you to love and serve Him willingly. The window of opportunity is limited; it'll close for each person when they die, or when Jesus returns. Nobody knows when either one is going to happen (see Matthew 25:13). I encourage you to call on Him today. As the Bible says, “Today, when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7 NLT). The Bible also asks, “What makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus Himself?” (Hebrews 2:3 NLT). The answer to this question is obvious—no one can escape punishment if he or she chooses to not respond to God’s love. Decide today! 

CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE CALLED TO PRAY, NOT TO WORRY!

Worry is mental distress or agitation resulting from concern; the book of Proverbs points to its devastating effect: “Worry weighs a person down” (Proverbs 12:25). So, are you, or have you ever been, worried about anything? Although we are Christians and know better, and wish we could say we never worry, the truth is we all do; maybe not all the time or in all circumstances, but all the same it happens.

What do we worry about today? It could be health, our job, marriage, children, finances, and a whole lot more. We worry because we don’t have control over any of these issues, and we fear the potential outcomes could be nothing like we want. Simply put, we’d like to take control away from the One (God) who has it. We’d like to have enough control to decide how things should go. But when we worry, we’re wishing God were not in charge, so we can do things our way, so they turn out exactly how we want.

Worry is a waste of emotional energy and can have devastating consequences on our physical and mental well-being. The worst part is that, no matter how much or how long we worry, we don’t accomplish anything. The issues we worry about do not go away or change for the better.

Jesus asked His disciples, when He was teaching them about money and possessions, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27). The answer, of course, is a resounding ‘No!’ Jesus told them, although birds don’t grow and harvest their food, God feeds them. And knowing we are more valuable than they are should assure us that He will meet our needs. After all, if He died for us, He must also be interested in our wellbeing. After giving us His One and only Son, isn’t He able to provide for us? He is more than able!

God knows we have the tendency to worry, so He cautions us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6). Thanking Him should remind us of what He has done in the past, and encourage us to continue to trust Him. In addition to praying, He admonishes us: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). What a wonderful assurance!

If we make God our focus and live within His will, He will more than take care of the details of our lives. Let’s learn to hand over our problems to Him in prayer because He has the power and the resources to work them out. We’re so limited in ability, predictability, and resources that even if God gave us the control we long for, things would still not turn out as we want. Our best option is to submit to God and trust Him to work out the details for our good and His glory! 

HOW TO RESPOND TO THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF LIFE

 

I wonder if there’s a single adult out there who could say life has not had twists and turns for them. The truth is, I doubt that anybody could make that assertion; life is full of twists and turns that are unexpected and sometimes unexplainable. But sometimes, after the fact, things become clearer; other times, even later, nothing makes sense.

Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes, had a problem with playing favorites with his children; he loved Joseph so much more than the rest of his children. That led to the other boys disliking and being mean to Joseph (see Genesis 37:2-4). This hatred was so intense that when the opportunity presented itself, they sold Joseph into slavery; in fact, their first instinct was to kill him, but one of the brothers, Reuben, talked them out of that idea (see Genesis 37:20-22).

He was sold to a group of Ishmaelite traders who were on their way to Egypt; they, in turn, sold Joseph to Potiphar, the captain of the guard of the Pharaoh of Egypt (see Genesis 37:36).

One might wonder what went through Joseph’s mind. Where was God when all this was going on? Didn’t He care? Why didn’t He intervene?

Yet, Joseph, after being meanly treated at home by his brothers, sold into slavery, thrown into jail in Egypt because of false accusations by Potiphar’s wife, and then being forgotten by a jail-mate for two years, rose to be a top official in Pharoah’s government.

Wow! Where has God been? That was a lot of injustice in one person’s life. Did Joseph complain and mope around? I wish we could talk to him and put an end to the guesswork, but we can’t. However, his response at the end of this saga leads us to believe that he saw the hand of God at work in all of that. But what was his day-to-day attitude? How soon did he come to the conclusion that his suffering was not for naught?  

After many years of suffering, Joseph, as a governor of Egypt, was now in power! God used him to save lives during seven years of famine in the region. It was so bad; his own family came down to buy food. As the brothers became aware of Joseph’s role in Egypt, they were rightfully terrified! Joseph’s response, as I hinted before, was, “God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh-the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt” (Genesis 45:3-15). WOW!  

Have you ever gone through a bad experience that would just not go away? How did you feel, and how did you handle it? Can we, like Joseph, endure such adversity with grace and patience? We should be able to, by following God’s direction: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7), and understand that, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

May God help us to remind ourselves that problems don’t just happen; God is sovereign and allows them for a purpose. In addition, we need to lean on Him for strength and courage to endure whatever He allows for His glory!      

DON’T FORGET GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN THE PAST

 

God is faithful! He never goes back on His Word: “He always does what he says….  For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ and through Christ, our ‘Amen’ ascends to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:19-20). Based on His unchanging nature, we, His children, should live in confidence.

Too often, we live in fear and worry, as though we were orphans, or God our Father was an unreliable human father. Our Father is the King of kings and the Lord of lords; He has all power and can do anything and everything. Everything belongs to Him; after all, He called the world into existence by the Word of His mouth. As the Scriptures remind us, “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32) If God gave us His most prized possession—Jesus -- what can stop Him from meeting our needs?

Knowing who our Father is, how can we eliminate worry and fear from our lives?

Here are a few things we should do:

●     Live in obedience— “The LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right” (Psalm 84:11). God does, however, withhold blessings when we disobey. 

●     Trust His promises- “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1). God has made us numerous promises; the only way we can find His promises encouraging and helpful is to trust that He does not lie, and therefore will do what He has promised.

●     In addition to trusting His promises, let’s claim them. At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus commanded them to move the stone away from the tomb’s entrance. Martha, one of Lazarus’ sisters, objected because she was sure the smell would be terrible: after all, he had been dead four days. But Jesus’ response to that was: “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” (John 11:40)

●     Remember His provision in the past

Would you like to confidently trust God when situations look bleak? We can learn from Abraham’s example. Abraham, formerly known as Abram, was a pagan. Yet he obeyed God’s calling to leave his country, family, and all that he had known, and go to a place he knew nothing about. Although he had never had any direct dealings with God, he believed what God told him: “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I’ll show you. I will make you into a great nation. … All the families on the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham obeyed, apparently without question or hesitation. Years later, when he and his wife Sarah were old, beyond child-bearing age, God gave them a son, through whom the promises made to him would be fulfilled. So far, so good!

God later asked Abraham to go and sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on a mountain in the land of Moriah (see Genesis 22:2). Again, Abraham obeyed! Why didn’t he hesitate, or ask for clarification about how he was going to be the father of many nations if the son of promise is dead? But of course, God stopped Abraham in time; Isaac’s life was spared and he lived to be the father of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Abraham had learned to trust the God of creation completely. Everything God promised had come to be so far; he had no reason to doubt. He figured God was able to raise Isaac to life, even if he had sacrificed him. Do you remember any prayers God has answered or any promises He has fulfilled in your life? Based on the demonstration of His faithfulness and power in the past, can you trust Him completely with both the present and the future? Can you obey Him even when it makes no sense?

There’s a chorus to a song that should serve as a reminder for all of us: “Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God has done; count your blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings, see what God has done!” 

When difficulties and challenges come our way, let’s recount God’s past provision and blessings in our lives, in the lives of others we know, or that we have heard about. If He answered or did something in the past, He is able to do it again. He doesn’t change. His power and abilities don’t diminish with time.       

Abraham, being human, was not perfect, but is a good example of trust and obedience; let’s imitate that aspect of his faith and complete trust in God! 

YOU COULD BE DEBT-FREE

Do you ever wish you were debt-free? How and when can that happen? You would need to start by identifying your debtor, figuring out how much you owe, when payment is due, and how to settle that debt. So, who are your debtors? What would you do if you couldn’t afford to pay that debt? You might file for bankruptcy or try to find someone to pay on your behalf.

I’m sure my questions so far make you think of your financial obligations. While they are important, I’m actually talking about your spiritual debt, which you may not even know you have. This is what God says: “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standards” (Romans 3:23). How did we fall short? “When Adam [our ancestor] sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 15:12).

God, being holy and just, has to punish sin, and He declares what the punishment is: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Although He has clearly stated the punishment, He has also shown us how to be debt-free—how to receive debt forgiveness. It isn’t that our sins will be swept under the carpet, but rather, someone else has already taken our punishment on Himself—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God’s justice is therefore satisfied in Christ.

We each have a role to play. Although Jesus paid our debt, each individual has to personally accept Jesus’ payment as their own, and pray, asking God for forgiveness based on that. Anyone who does not take this step cannot benefit from Jesus’ work, which means that person will have to pay for their own debt through death, also known as eternal separation from God in hell.     

What would you like to do now, or have you settled this issue already? If not, where would you go if you died tonight: heaven or hell? This question is important because “Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you are not sure where you’ll go, I’d like to encourage you to call on Jesus today; tomorrow might be too late. You can repent and ask for forgiveness only while you’re alive.

 If you have prayed and asked God for forgiveness, I’d like to welcome you to the family of God. He has forgiven you and adopted you into His family, and has come to dwell in your heart through His Holy Spirit. Now you are His child—a new person: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

So, as a new person, where do you go from here? The Holy Spirit is going to direct you as you pray and read the Bible: “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). As you obey what you read, your desires and interests will begin to change gradually to line up with the Bible. You should focus on becoming more like Jesus: “You must be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 116). In addition, seek to join other believers for fellowship, prayer, and studying the Word of God. And don’t forget to share your experience with others who need to do the same thing. Again, welcome to the family of God; rejoice that God has removed your sins as far away as the east is from the west, never to be brought up again. Your debt is fully paid! 

OUR DISOBEDIENCE HURTS GOD

Disobedience is neglecting or refusing to obey; not doing what is commanded, or doing what is prohibited, and not being observant of duty or rules prescribed by an authority.

Beginning with Adam and Eve, God has communicated with people through instructions and commands. The first couple were instructed what to and not to eat, plus they were told to name the animals and to multiply and fill the earth. Later, Noah was asked to build a large boat, bring in his family, the animals, food, etc. At the end of the flood, God let them out of the boat, blessed them, and commanded them to multiply and fill the earth (see Genesis 9:1). After many years, God called Abraham and asked him to leave his native country, relatives, and family, and go and start life all over in another land (see Genesis 12:1). And now, through the Scriptures, He commands us to turn away from sin, trust in Jesus for salvation, and live godly lives.

God, being the Creator and in charge of everything, does not need instructions from anyone; we can petition Him, but nothing more. It is encouraging, however, to know that God has our welfare at heart, and so His instructions are for our good: not because He wants to be bossy. He has the right to be whatever He chooses and does not have to answer to anyone. He loves to bless us and help us to thrive, but the only way He will to do that is if we obey Him.

When we choose to go our own way and not obey Him, we give Him no choice but to:

●     Withhold blessings—Adam and Eve were cursed when they disobeyed. When Cain killed Abel, he was cursed.

●     Punish us—Jonah went in the opposite direction of where his assignment should have taken him; God prepared a great fish to swallow him, and he was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights. (See Jonah 1: 1-17). When Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, lied to Peter and the Holy Spirit, they were severely punished, each dropping dead on the spot (see Acts 5:1-5; 8-10).

●     Cause Himself pain because of our pain.

It is quite evident through his relationship with the Israelites that God hates to punish us; He’d rather we obey so He can bless us: “Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever” (Deuteronomy 5:29). God is so ready to bless us in any way possible (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14). He literally begged them to repent so He could withdraw whichever calamity He had brought upon them. He had given them the commandment to not worship anything except Him, the One true God who, through performing all kinds of miracles, brought them out of slavery in Egypt. In the wilderness, He provided manna and quails for food, provided water from the rock, and made paths in the Red Sea and the Jordan River to get them into the Promised Land.

How else did they want Him to prove that He could and would take care of them? They disobeyed Him again and again, doing abominable things like sacrificing their children to Baal. God was flabbergasted and lamented because it had never even crossed His mind to command something like that (see Jeremiah 19:5). 

How about us, His children, today? Are we obeying Him? The honest answer is NO! We don’t obey all the time; we are selective in our obedience. Let’s consider a couple simple examples: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6). Which one of us obeys this command one hundred percent of the time? To our shame, we worry about health, finances, and you name it. How about “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Are we thankful in all situations, knowing that it is God’s will for us? No! When things are going well, we claim the glory for ourselves instead of thanking God for it. And when things are not going well, we find no reason or joy in giving thanks; we behave like the Israelites did in the wilderness, murmuring and complaining with no gratitude.

So, we see we are no different than the Israelites. May God help us to start taking Him seriously, and obey Him; after all, it’s for our own good! If we do, He’ll bless us for His glory, and He won’t have to lament over situations so much!

THE UNBORN ARE THE PLAINTIFF IN GOD’S COURT

GOD—This court is in session; let’s hear the plaintiff’s case.

UNBORN –Thank you, your Honor! It gives us great pleasure that we can come before you, King of kings, Lord of lords, the One who does no wrong, the One who is Just and does not let the guilty go unpunished. Your Honor, please hear us out.

Your Honor, You created us in our mothers’ wombs (Isaiah 49:1) and gave us 37 to 40 weeks in which to be fed, loved, and nurtured inside the womb: how much time You set for us to be fully developed and be born, to do what You have planned for us before the foundation of the world. However, our parents made lame excuses and interrupted our development. They yanked us out of our comfortable environments through the cruelest procedures imaginable.

They made excuses: they were too young, still in school, had no money, and didn’t have a place of their own. They apparently didn’t want children until they finished school and got jobs, money, housing, and spouses. Wow! Why didn’t they wait until they were ready to have sex? Why should we suffer to make life convenient for them? Your Honor, even worse, some of our parents actually have all these things already, but came up with another excuse to get rid of us. They convinced themselves and whoever would listen that they already had all the children they wanted and could take care of.

In the instances when our mothers wanted to keep us, our fathers objected and put so much pressure on our mothers that they relented. On other occasions, our fathers wanted us, but couldn’t convince our mothers to have us because our mothers can do whatever they want with their bodies! Your Honor, is it true that they have the right to do as they please with their bodies? Maybe so, but we are not their bodies; their bodies are housing us, only temporarily. Oh, and there were times when our fathers were unaware that we even existed; our mothers just decided on their own and got rid of us. 

Your Honor, there were times when we were the products of rape or incest, a very tragic situation indeed. But should we suffer for the behavior of irresponsible adults? No matter how we came to be, our rights should still be protected; we deserve to live. Another unfortunate situation, Your Honor, is where some of our mothers’ have run into health complications during their pregnancy; it was either our life or theirs. In those instances, Your Honor, shouldn’t they include you in the decision-making as to who lives or dies?     

Your Honor, our complaint is not only against our parents, but also against our grandparents, society, the abortion industry, and the government, for the roles they played in our demise. Some grandparents forbade our mothers: “You can’t bring a baby here,” they said; they threatened to kick them out of the house if they had a baby. Some said our mothers were too young, and some tried to dissuade their daughters by saying they couldn’t help with our care. Our own grandparents couldn’t love us enough to fight for us!

Your Honor, we have a case against society because they say we are not human until we are born; they are so wrong! We move, suck our thumbs, and feel pain, among other things. They also agree that the mothers have a right to do as they please with their bodies. We aren’t their bodies - we are human. How about our right to live? Doesn’t anybody care? Didn’t You say to Jeremiah, the prophet, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 NLT)? So, we were humans right from the beginning of conception.

The abortionist and their staff, day after day, leave home under the pretext of going to work, and their work is to kill us! How can killing innocent people be categorized as work? Killing is not work; it's murder! Would they murder their own children?

Now, your Honor, our case is also against the government. It failed to defend our rights as humans and to add insult to injury, it pays for us to get murdered. Shouldn’t the government put some law in place that protects us? We need the government to make some provisions to protect us; that’s the least we can ask for.

Your Honor, we rest our case, knowing that You are just and hate evil. We leave our concerns with You and trust that You will vindicate us, and make an end to this practice of murdering the unborn. This is our prayer, “O LORD, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth! Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve” (Psalm 94:1-2). Thank you!  

GOD—Dear children, I give you My Word! All those involved in interfering with My plans are going to answer to Me, no matter how long it takes. What don’t they understand about, “You must not murder” (Exodus 20:13 NLT)? Anyone who has played a role in your murder I will hold responsible unless they repent.

Your parents need to understand that I hate fornication (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). They also need to know that children are My gift to them (see Psalm 127:3); when they abort their children, they have broken My law, despised my gift, and committed murder. I will hold them responsible for all this unless they repent.   

My response to the government is this: “How long will you hand down unjust decisions by favoring the wicked? Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people” (Psalm 82:2-4 NLT).

To those who are indifferent to the situation and don’t speak up against this evil, I say, “Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, ‘Look, we didn’t know.’ For God understands all hearts, and sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their action deserves” (Proverbs 24:11-12 NLT).

My warning to all who directly or indirectly murder the unborn: “Their blood is crying out to me for vengeance, and I will avenge their blood unless you repent” (see Genesis 4:10). I am the LORD! 

RECONSIDER YOUR PRIORITIES

 

Priorities are the things, responsibilities, needs, and the like that you’d consider most important to you; things that you like to take care of before anything else. So, having defined the word, what is your most important need right now? We all have needs and we like to categorize them in a particular order based on how important or urgent we think they are, and how much time we have. However, there are times when what we consider the most important really isn’t as critical as we think; we’ve just categorized it wrong.

 Here’s a case in point. One afternoon, after Pentecost, Peter and John encountered a lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. That had been the lame man’s spot day after day, where he always sat and begged from those who passed by, going into the Temple. This man’s need appeared to be money to provide for himself. Many people would agree that in his situation—being lame and therefore unemployed-- money was his most crucial need.

Peter, however, thought healing was the man’s most pressing need. If he had health, he could work and take care of himself and would not need to depend on the kindness of others to survive. So, Peter did not give him a couple of coins and wish him a good afternoon, as the man might have expected. Instead, Peter got the man’s attention and then said to him, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk” (Acts 3:6). Peter took the lame man by the hand and helped him up; he received instant healing—he began to walk and leap, praising God. That man’s life was forever changed! I’d assume he stopped begging and went on to work to take care of himself!

How about you and me? What do we need the most? And what do we ask of God when we pray? Generally speaking, we often pray for our needs and those of our loved ones to be met. We pray for needs that just show up, our jobs, etc. But are those really our greatest needs? The Scriptures have the answer for us: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). For our needs to be met, we need to focus on God’s business, which is loving Him and obeying His Word. Loving Him will be evident through our obedience, our soul-winning efforts, and our eager expectation of His return. This should be our number one priority! And since God is faithful, we should rest assured that He will provide for us.

Also, the apostle Paul directs our attention to the same thing when he reminds the church of Colosse: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3). Our focus and priority should be on God and heaven.  

Let’s pray for God’s help so we’ll be able to put Him first at all times and in all things. Psalm 24:1tells us: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” If we believe this verse, trusting Him with our lives and needs should be easy. People, without us saying a word, should be able to figure out what our top priority is, simply by watching how we live our lives! Let’s take the time every now and then to make sure our priorities are in the right order: always with God at the top of our list!

 

 

 

IF THE FALL HAD NEVER HAPPENED

 

Have you ever thought about what the Fall meant for mankind? I think it was the saddest day in the history of the world; it was the moment everything changed from what God had intended. The first couple had been deceived by Satan to disobey God; sin had entered into God’s perfect world (see Romans 5:12). Mankind had fallen! What a loss! Life has never been the same since. The descendants of Adam and Eve--everybody who has lived since then (including you and me) -- inherited their sinful nature and the ensuing consequences.

God had spent six days creating everything humans would need to be content and comfortable; at the end of each thing He created, “God saw that it was good” (see Genesis 1:4; 10; 12; 18; 21; 25; 31). Also, on the sixth day, He created Adam and Eve and put them in charge of everything. He even gave them the authority to name things whatever they wanted them called. Life in their world was beautiful and perfect; God always went to visit with them in the evenings; how beautiful! But on one fateful evening, when God went to visit, as usual, they were nowhere to be found. “Where are you?” God called out to Adam (see Genesis 3:9).

Mankind had fallen! Things went downhill rather quickly from that point on. There was disappointment all around—God was disappointed in them, and they were disappointed in themselves. This led to finger-pointing, and a blame game—Adam blamed God for giving him a wife who misled him. Eve blamed the serpent, and obviously, the serpent had no one to blame and had no excuse. God decreed a curse against each one of them, which has passed on to us (see Genesis 3:12-19); we are still working hard to earn a living, marriages still struggle, and women go through much pain to have babies. I know because I’ve been there. The serpent’s curse took a lot longer to happen, but that day finally came; the seed of the woman (Jesus) struck his head at Calvary! Hallelujah!

We will never know what life would have been like If the Fall had never happened. But thank God He did not give up on humans; before creation, He already knew what was going to happen and how He was going to remedy the situation. What a relief!!! He was determined to have a beautiful, lasting relationship with us, even if it killed Him, and it did! He sent His One and only Son, Jesus, into our sin-filled world to live a perfect life and die in our stead. So now, the way back to God is wide open; there is no longer a reason to hide from Him. We only have to repent of our sins, ask for His forgiveness, and trust that our sins are washed away by Jesus’ blood, and that they will never be brought up again: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). And then He puts His Holy Spirit in us to guide, direct, comfort, and reassure us of His unfailing love: “For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth” (Psalm 103:11).

So, what God planned from the beginning, regardless of the devil’s meddling, has happened—His Spirit lives in us! He has promised to bring us to heaven with Him someday, where we will see Him face-to-face and worship Him day and night. How glorious that will be!

And just like what He did at creation—creating everything man was going to need, He is making preparations for us, and when things are ready, He will come back and take us home, where we’ll get to live with Him forever: “Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:2-3, emphasis mine).   

Because of the fall and its associated consequences, life has been difficult and we struggle, but it won’t be much longer. Let’s take heart: “For the Lord himself will come down with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. … [we] will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with him forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Amen! 

ALLOW THE FAMILY TO HELP YOU

Are you a child of God? If you answer ‘yes,’ then you belong to the family of God. You have brothers and sisters in the family, and together you form the church, the body of Christ. As children of God, our experiences and struggles are similar because we have the same enemy-the devil.

He is after us, and his goal is to cause us to disobey God at any cost. That has been his scheme from the beginning. In the Garden of Eden, he contradicted God’s commandment, which led to Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, and the devil has not stopped messing with us. For this reason, the Bible admonishes us, the children of God, to be watchful: “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).

It will help us to take the Bible’s description of the devil seriously, so we do not fall prey to him and his schemes. So, how does the Bible describe him? He is referred to as our great enemy (see 1 Peter 5:8), and called the deceiver, liar, murderer, and destroyer: “You are children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44; also see John 10:10). If you knew you had an enemy who was all of these things and was actually trying to trip you up, how would you live? Most likely, you would be afraid, concerned, worried, and vigilant. You might also try to stay out of his way as much as possible, and if all else failed, you might go to the authorities to bring a charge against him or seek protection. 

The Bible tells us what our enemy is like, not so that we’ll be afraid or worried, but instead so that we’ll be careful and take cover to stay safe. How do we take cover? By constantly praying, avoiding places and situations where we might be vulnerable. This also means we need to spend quality time with the family, share our struggles and victories, and pray for each other. After all, the enemy is after all of us.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people saying “I’m okay” even when they’re not. The reasons could vary but do not justify the false statement.  The reasons could include:

●      “I don’t have enough time to share.”

●      “I don’t think you’ll understand.”

●      “It’s personal-it’s embarrassing.”

●      “I don’t want anyone to know I have problems; that might change my reputation.”

●      “I should be able to handle this on my own.”

●      “People might start to gossip about me.”

The truth is, the Bible teaches us to “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). If we’re not honest, people won’t know how to help us. When we share, we all learn from each other’s experiences, mistakes, and victories. As a result, we will grow stronger individually, and also as the church. The church will gain a better image in society, and the Lord’s name will be honored. Please, let’s be honest with each other. There’s no need to carry our burdens alone; a load becomes lighter and more bearable when more shoulders are underneath it.

Also, let’s learn to cut each other some slack so people are not intimidated to share and ask for help. “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, …” (Ephesians 4:2-4).

So, let us prayerfully and humbly share our needs and trials with each other; let’s not allow pride and fear to stop us from being what God wants each of us to be in the Body of Christ. God will honor our efforts and obedience!    

YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, BUT YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT

 

Can you think of something you need desperately, or might need in the future, but that you can’t or won’t be able to afford? Right away, my mind goes to medical needs, like medications, surgical procedures, or an extended hospital stay. Assume, for instance, that you’re too poor to afford what will save your life, but also too sick to work to earn an income for the payment. The only way you could get well is if another person paid on your behalf.

So, if another person offered to help, would you feel too proud to accept it? I hope not! But the truth is, many people have done that to their detriment, and others are doing it right now. I hope you’re not one of those people: time may be running out!

This scenario is parallel to what is happening in the spiritual world. We are all spiritually sick, and our diagnosis, according to God, is ‘sinner’: “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standards” (Romans 3:23). Why should being a sinner matter? It matters because God, the Creator, is holy and has standards by which we should live. Unfortunately, we are unable to live by those standards because we inherited a sinful nature from our original parents, Adam and Eve. And with that, we have the inclination to disobey God and do our own thing; we are all under the power of sin and death.

Do you know you are a sinner? Are you aware of the consequences of your sins? Do you have any idea how to get your sins paid for? The Bible tells us the consequence of our sin is death, which is a forever separation from God (see Romans 6:23). When Adam and Eve sinned, they were kicked out of the garden where God used to go to visit with them; they lost that closeness with God. 

There are many who think they can win God’s favor by being ‘good,’ but if they can’t be good all the time, 24/7, then doing good cannot be the required solution. Some others think they can gain God’s favor through other religions, but that is not it either. God has clearly shown us how we can be cleansed from our sins and our broken relationship with Him restored. “God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe in Jesus” (Romans 3:25). So, as we see, there’s nothing we can personally do to gain God’s favor; we have to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

If you are reading this and have never asked God for forgiveness through Jesus, please do that right now, because time is not on your side. This decision is good only if made while alive. Nobody knows how much longer they have on earth, so take this step and have the assurance of your sins forgiven, and that you’re adopted into God’s family. Someday, He will welcome you into His presence.

It’s like making a hotel reservation before a trip. No matter how late you arrive at your destination, you’ll know ahead of time where you’ll be spending the night. Please don’t miss this opportunity; don’t be like people who think they will do their best now and hope it will be good enough to get them into heaven when the time comes. But what do you think will happen when your best turns out to not be good enough (which it won’t be)? It’ll be too late at that point to do differently. Please let today be your day of salvation—the day you say ‘Yes’ to God through Jesus.

Dear friend, your eternal well-being depends on God’s forgiveness, but you cannot earn or buy it; you can only receive it as a gift from God: “God saved {saves} you by his grace when you believed {believe}. And you cannot take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9). I encourage you, based on these truths from God’s Word, to call on Jesus today!   

 

 

BE A FAITHFUL PARTNER

What does it mean to be a partner? A partner is a person with whom you do things because of a common interest or goal. As Christians, God has invited us into partnership with His Son, Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 1:9). This means we’ve been called to work alongside Jesus to accomplish His purpose. So, what brought Jesus to earth, why did He leave His heavenly throne, and what is His purpose?

 Right from the beginning, in the book of Genesis, Jesus was introduced as the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent’s head (see Genesis 3:15). Later, John the Baptist’s introduction of Jesus answers the question about why Jesus came. John said of Jesus, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” And again, on another occasion, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29; 36). Jesus announced His mission like this: “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” And again, “I sacrifice my life for the sheep…. The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily.” (John 10:10; 15; 17-18). Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth, therefore, was to pay the penalty for our sins, which is death (see Romans 3:23), and restore our relationship with the Father.

Since we’ve established Jesus’ purpose, we can conclude what our partnership with Him is to accomplish: soul-winning and growing the church into the image of Christ. For this reason, He chose disciples (us), and gave us the Spirit to identify us as His own, as well as power and authority, and then commissioned us, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).      

Now that we know exactly what our partnership calls for, let’s get busy and obey. Our partnership is with Jesus, but also with each other—God empowers us and we encourage each other, strategize, and then go. Even when we don’t go together, we fulfill different functions of spreading the gospel—one person might share (sow the seed), another person follows up (water the seed), God makes it grow, and another person gets to lead the individual to the Lord in prayer. And of course, all involved in the process should be praying for God to bring conviction and repentance. The apostle Paul expressed joy and gratitude to God for the partnership he had with the church in Philippi: “Whenever I pray, I make requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you heard it until now” (Philippians 1:5-6). 

Dear Christian, what have you been doing for Jesus, at home, work, in your neighborhood, and all the places you? Are you praying for people in any of these places? God has promised to be with us, so let’s not fear what people might say. He never fails! If you have been timid or have not taken this charge seriously, I encourage you to start now to be a faithful partner! Remember, your reward will be great in heaven. Partnerships don’t work very well when those involved don’t play their roles as they should.

In short, our responsibility in this partnership is to share the gospel earnestly and encourage converts to remain faithful to the Lord by studying the Word, prayers, and fellowship with believers. In addition, we should pray for them, and touch base with them often. May God be pleased with our efforts!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE HEART OF A BIBLE STUDENT

A student is defined as a person engaged in a study; one who is devoted to learning; a learner; a pupil; a scholar; especially, one who attends a school, or who seeks knowledge from professional teachers or from books; as, the students of an Academy, a college, or a university; a medical student. A Bible student, therefore, is one who is devoted to learning the Bible, by whichever means are available.

So, which means are available to those interested in knowing more about the Bible?

●     Personal study as one depends on the Holy Spirit for guidance, and maybe a concordance or applicable study materials.

●     Group study with like-minded believers.

●     Learning under pastors and other church leaders.

●     Attending a Bible school or seminary.

Why do we need to study the Bible? “Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Just like Ezra, we should be determined to know and obey God’s Word, and then teach it to others.

●     We need to gain knowledge of His will as written in His Word. The Bible is our instruction manual, teaching us how to do life; it is our GPS to navigate life in a way that helps us stay on track. “Anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” (1 John 2:17). “All who do what is right are God’s children” (1 John 2:29).

●     If we know the truth, false teachers cannot lead us astray. “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

●     We need to be able to prove its validity and usefulness. “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).

●     Obedience is how we express love for Him, but we can obey only if we know what His commandments are. “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Also, Jesus told His disciples, “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15).

●     We need to teach others as we fellowship with them, but how can we teach them if we’re unfamiliar with the material (Bible)? “So, if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:19).

If you’re a Bible student, you need to be diligent in your efforts by using all the resources available to you. The more you put what you learn into practice, the more meaningful it will be, and the more confidently you can share or teach others. And if you are a Christian but not a student of the Bible, I encourage you to start studying. The devil loves to create confusion and conflict around the Word of God; study it and don’t open yourself up to misinterpretation that will lead you to disobey God, and mislead others to do the same. Do you remember Satan and Eve in the Garden of Eden? Satan twisted the Word of God and got Eve to disobey Him, and then Adam got sucked into it and could not standing boldly for the truth he knew.   

Knowing the Word of God has great benefits; study it and live by it!   

DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT

 

Why does a judge need witnesses in a trial? Why doesn’t he rule on a case based on the plaintiff's complaint? He doesn’t because there could be more to the story, and ruling on a case without all the facts could lead to a wrongful verdict. The guilty could go scot-free, and the innocent possibly punished. An investigation is of utmost importance to knowing the truth.

The same is true of the Bible, the Word of God! To understand and apply what you read accurately; you have to investigate the Bible using the Bible. The truth in the Bible will always be the truth, but the details might not apply to a situation in question. For instance, in the Old Testament, murderers are supposed to be put to death, but people who kill accidentally are allowed to flee to sanctuary cities to avoid getting the death penalty: (see Numbers 35:15-19). Capital punishment then was only applicable to intentional murder—out of hatred, retaliation or for spot and the like. This is no longer the case.

Likewise, in John’s Gospel, we are told, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:13-14). However, in the book of 1^st John, we are told, “We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him” (1 John 5:14). God’s will for us is an important consideration when we petition Him for anything. So, if you ask for a million dollars in His name, do you think He will give to you if it’s not His will for you to have a million dollars? Of course not!

How then should you respond when you hear the prosperity gospel? Should you just claim and have things? How about God’s will and plans for your life? Although the Bible says, “Believe when you pray and you’ll have it” if it’s not what He wants for you, you can believe and claim all you want, the answer will still be “No!”

There’s one Scripture though, that has no ifs or buts about it; it can only be interpreted one way. And it is the way to salvation. All the following verses, for instance, mean the same thing; only Jesus can save from sin and restore man’s broken relationship with God the Father:

●     “There’s salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

●     In response to a jailer’s question: “Sirs, what must we do to be saved?” Paul and Silas replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

●     “For this is how God loved the world: ‘He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). 

●     Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

●     “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

●     “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us the confidence that we will inherit eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

●     Jesus said to a Jewish religious leader, Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God … I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans give can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life” (John 3:3, 5-6). 

There are many more verses that say salvation is only through Jesus, and I hope you understand and believe it, and act upon it. Call on Jesus today!

When Paul and Silas shared the gospel in Berea, the people listened eagerly, but then “They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men” (Acts 17: 11-12). How about you, how often and how seriously do you search the Scriptures for yourself? Don’t allow yourself to be misguided and deceived, which is what will happen if you are a lazy Bible student.

Dear reader, be an eager student of the Bible; read and prayerfully meditate on it, and allow the Holy Spirit to help you apply it to your life. And don’t forget to research what you hear, and ask questions if you need to; ask other Christians, pastors, parents, and may the Holy Spirit assure you of what you read and hear. Don’t just take one person’s word for it!