Is Christianity Real?

With all the religions out there, how can you know that Christianity is true?

How can you know whether the Bible actually gives the accurate and correct story of the world?

How do you know that Christianity isn’t just a fairy tale made up by people to help them cope with hardship and death and deal with life?

To this, Peter, in the Bible, provides us with a response.

2 Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 44:6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last;  Besides Me there is no God.  7 And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them.  8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?  You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me?  Indeed there is no other Rock;  I know not one.’ ”

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old,  For I am God, and there is no other;  I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’

Isaiah 48:5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, “My idol has done them, and my carved image and my molded image have commanded them.’

God himself challenges us to put him to the test, and he goes on record predicting things about the future that will come to pass. Roughly 1/3 of the Bible is made up of prophecies, including many about the promised Messiah, which predicted various things about his identity and actions.

According to one calculation, there are 365 Messianic prophecies from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), which Jesus fulfilled.  This is why the Dead Sea Scrolls are such a big deal: they date back to about 100 years before the birth of Jesus and confirm parts of Isaiah’s writings, which show us that the prophecies Jesus fulfilled were indeed written before his birth and were not later redactions or additions.

The word of God is reliable, and His commitment to fulfill His word of prophecy should encourage us.  He will keep His word to us!  Jesus is coming soon!

Donate

Glorious Sundays

You don’t see them as much anymore, but I still remember the little rides outside of stores for kids that you put a quarter in, and it just moves back and forth or up and down as though you were soaring in a rocket or riding a horse.  Small children would beg their parents to let them ride and then be joyful when they got to.

I also remember renting a small merry-go-round mounted on a trailer we would set up on October 31st when doing a Helloween outreach.  The kids loved getting on that simple little ride.   They enjoyed it and would ride over and over again.

Oh, how precious it is to see kids enjoy simple things without growing tired of them.  I’m like that about something.

I have known Jesus now for over 36 years, and before I came to know Him, I lived for Friday and Saturday nights.

My whole work week was mainly to get to Friday night so I could party and live it up with my paycheck.  I wasted many paychecks in that period of my history, too.

After coming to Jesus, my thoughts about a weekend changed dramatically.  Instead of wanting Friday to hurry up and get here, I couldn’t wait till Sunday!

To this day, I get excited about Sundays.  I was excited about Sundays when going to church meant listening to someone else preach and serving the needs of others behind the scenes in practical ways.

This love of Sunday was not about me preaching, even though I have preached for many years.  I was excited for years about Sundays before I ever preached for the first time in a church.

There’s just something about being together with other believers who also desire to worship Jesus and be washed by the word as it is spoken by a vessel for the Lord.  Being in His presence among the saints is a wonderful privilege I never wish to take for granted.  Seeing the Holy Spirit move through the believers as His gifts are on display and being encouraged by the ministry of those gifts is something of great value to me.

Now that we are in the last days and experiencing such confusion and ever-increasing hardships, trials, and persecutions, this kind of privilege is even more special and precious to me.  For me, it makes the passage in Hebrews ring truer and feel much more pertinent.

Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

I trust you have a fellowship you are a part of that you love because of the people who make it up and the presence of God that is active within it. If you do not have that, I encourage you to find one and begin to make it a part of your practice of privilege.

Donate

The Beauty Of Light

Can you imagine what things would be like without light, only darkness?

Some people struggle greatly every winter due to the shorter days of light.  I personally do not like the less daylight scenario.

In my state, there is a cave you can pay to visit.  In it, there is a lake with fish.  The fish are all blind.  If you visit the cave, they will briefly turn out all the lights so you can experience absolute darkness.  They do not leave them off very long because such darkness can affect the eyes.  You see, your eyes need some measure of light, or they will overwork themselves to find it, which can lead to blindness.  That is what happened to the fish in that cave.

You and I need light in our natural, emotional, and spiritual lives.  To be trapped in darkness is not a good thing.

There are different types of light sources in life.  In the natural we have the sun and the moon, flashlights, electrical lights, LED lights, fire lights, and so on.  In our souls, we have the light of knowledge and understanding.  There is also the light of nothing hidden within our thoughts that should not be allowed there.  In our spirit, we do not possess light until revelation from the Holy Spirit makes us aware of Jesus Christ, and we believe and receive His life.  Without Him, we do not have light in our spirit because our spirit is dead in sin.  Jesus is the life, and that life is the light of men.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We have discovered that light has power.  Some lasers can cut through metal and other hard materials.  A laser is energy produced when highly intense light is passed through a specific magnifier, which intensifies and focuses it.

As kids, we all probably remember playing with magnifying glasses on a sunny day and igniting paper or a leaf by putting the glass at a certain angle to where it focused a fine, tight beam of light onto the object, and the heat from it caused it to break into a flame.

Hearts on fire spiritually work by the same principle.  When the intense light of Christ is shone upon our hearts and washes over our souls, we find our love for Him increased and our passion for knowing Him and walking with Him enlarged as well.

His light is beautiful because it reveals to our hearts that nothing we are struggling with is meant to be our master, so keeping it hidden in the shadows of our souls, away from the light of truth and love in Christ, is unnecessary.  When things contrary to the truth in Christ come into our souls, we can be free of them and rid them of their power by simply bringing them into the light by exposing them.  We can do this because the sting of shame is removed by His grace, mercy, and love revealed on the cross.   Our soul and flesh struggles cannot remove His love from us.  He already paid for everything we might encounter and end up doing.

To avoid bondage to something, bring it into beautiful light!  It is safe to do it when we know His grace and love as we should.  If we have come to know the beautiful light of His life and truth, it empowers us to be children of light ourselves. We no longer need to protect our reputations by hiding the things transpiring in our lives, whether good or bad.

He loves me even when I blow it!  The quicker I get my struggle into the light, the quicker it is made powerless to take hold of me. This is why the Scripture says,

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Fellowship that is deep, meaningful, and healing to the soul occurs when this is a common practice among believers.

Donate

Shed The Weight

Sometimes, the weight of what others might think will lead us to carry a weight too great for ourselves that is not God-ordained for us.  In other words, we become burdened by what we think others might think.

What are some examples of weight?  Well, the most likely heaviest one is associated with people.  Moses was tasked with leading Israel out of Egypt to a promised land.  While in the wilderness, it became clear this generation would struggle with trusting God, and their issues would be many as they journeyed in the wilderness.  They were coming to Moses for all sorts of things.  Eventually, after seeing this unfold, Moses’ father-in-law respectfully and graciously approached Moses and suggested he appoint other leaders strategically to handle various matters and filter what came to Moses.  It was a brilliant idea.  Moses adopted it, and his progress was once again up to speed as it should be.  But let’s never forget that Moses could not take them into the promised land.  Moses did not get to go in, either.

No one is meant to become another savior in someone's life.  We are, however, meant to point others to the Savior.  There is a difference.  You and I cannot change someone from the inside out.  That is the work of the Holy Spirit, and our greater effort is not a magic bullet to bring them to the spiritual reality they need to get to.  We must put our confidence in the work of the Spirit instead of our own work.  Naturally, we are meant to partner with the Holy Spirit, speak truth in love, meet needs when appropriate, etc.  But we do not do the saving and rescuing.  We can’t take credit when the Spirit of God works in someone's life. We can say we were glad He let us partner with Him, but we cannot say it was because of what we did.

Another weight involves worry about situations and circumstances.  We sometimes claim we are standing in faith when, in fact, we are inwardly worrying and stressing, and such instances are great weights.  It is far better to be honest with ourselves and others so we can ask for the Holy Spirit’s help regarding what we need.  Walking in the light is a healthy part of our process as we grow in Him.  Grace makes it possible, too!

Please consider what I am about to say: not only is it impossible to affect change in yourself when you worry about yourself, but it is equally impossible to affect change in someone else just because you worry about them.  This is a majorly heavy weight many believers carry daily.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The passage in Hebrews tells us to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us.  Sin easily ensnares, but weight can be subtle.  When we are overloaded, it means we aren’t casting things onto the Lord and coming away with His peace.  That can move us into the sin of unbelief that ensnares us.  Unbelief hinders us from laying hold on the promises meant to keep us aware of our connection with His divine nature. It disrupts fellowship with Him and others.

Weight is meant to drive us into His arms, not a greater resolve on our part to fix, rescue, or work harder.  If we head in the wrong direction in response to the weight, we open the door to unbelief.  How?  It can be very discouraging to work hard, sacrifice greatly, and spend yourself immensely over a weight you have embraced and see nothing coming of it.  Whatever Jesus gives us is meant to bear fruit and will bear fruit.  We should ask ourselves what fruit is being produced in our lives.  Is it the fruit of the Spirit and indicative of God with us?  Or is it the fruit of our own plans?

John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

When the weight we bear results from abiding in Him, it is a proper weight.  It is a burden He intends to bring fruit from.

We should always bear in mind what Jesus said,

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

His burden is light.  The weight He gives does not slow us down or stop us in our tracks because it comes with enabling grace that empowers us to carry it as if it were a feather.  It’s long-distance designed.  To be yoked with Jesus means He is bearing the strain of the load and just allowing us to be in the yoke with Him about it.  His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.  If the weight you carry is mentally exhausting, slowing you down, or stopping you, it isn’t what He gave you. It is one you took up yourself.  What He gives might seem hard initially, but we discover joy when we know we are yoked to Him.  We are to look to Him!  He started our faith and will finish it! To progress significantly with the Lord, you must lay aside every weight and the sin and look to Him!  Lay aside every weight and be yoked to Him!

Donate

The Goal

Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

This apostle’s heart in the Scriptures is being fully displayed for us.  He aches for these believers because he knows the power of deception and senses they are being lured away from New Covenant truth towards the error of relying on the law for righteousness and blessing.

He also expresses the reason for his travail for them.  He has a goal, and it is not aimless travail.  He longs to see Christ formed in them!

But the interesting part is that when we read further in the next verse to follow, we find what he believes will not be a tool for accomplishing this.

Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

If we were to keep reading in Galatians, we would find this apostle reminding these believers that they are children of the promise, not the Law.

His reason is that if Christ is to be formed in them, it must be according to New Covenant reality and truth because Christ is the promise.

Jesus must be at the center of everything for the believer.  This same apostle spoke something similar to another group of believers in Rome.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Hmmmm?  Conformed?  The Greek idea here is to be jointly formed, similar, fashioned like unto.

The idea is similar to that of molding a statue. The clay is worked and shaped until it gives forth the likeness of the one it will be patterned after.  The result is that others looking at it might be able to identify whom it is meant to represent.

The goal for disciples is to be transformed and conformed so that others might see Christ in them, which is the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

When this goal is shared, the path to achieving it is accepted and involves allegiance to the gospel.

Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Have you embraced the goal?

Donate

Every Weight

To run a marathon and win, a runner must be fit and reduce all unnecessary weight.  Lloyd Scott, a charity fundraiser, is known as the slowest man ever to run a marathon.  He wore a 110-pound diver suit.  It took him 5 days and 8 hours to finish the race.  The point is that you cannot effectively run a long race requiring endurance in what is considered a reasonable time when you are loaded with weight.  The Bible testifies to this fact.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The great cloud of witnesses spoken of here is not your loved ones in Christ who have gone on before you, peeking over the edge of the clouds to look down on you.  The great cloud of witnesses is the list of those mentioned in Hebrews 11 that make up the heroes of the faith.

That’s not to say it cannot include men and women of the faith down through history who ran a full and honorable race, fulfilling the will of God in their lifetime.  But at the time of this letter, your loved ones weren’t even born. Chapter 11 of Hebrews speaks of the many different examples of what faith looked like for various heroes who walked in it.

Considering this great cloud of witnesses, we are encouraged to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us!  They were willing to let go of something that others would have prized, something others if not most, would never release, and yet, they let it go to obtain something of even greater value to them.

What is meant by the word weight?  In Greek, it means hindrance, a mass, a burden.  The translators into English determined to use the word weight.

Not long ago, while in a small fishing boat, I fired up the motor and began to take off after being in one spot and wanting to find another.  I noticed the boat was not planing out as usual and was sluggish.  Then I noticed I hadn’t pulled up anchor.  Dragging the weight of the anchor made progress sluggish and slow.  The anchor, meant to be good when used for the right reason, had become a heavy burden to the boat.  It was not designed to be dragged behind the boat.

Too often, these passages are read, and weight and sin are lumped together.  When we read it carefully, it says clearly, “the weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.”  Just as sin can hinder progress, weight can as well.  Like the example of that boat anchor, burdens can slow us down, if not stop us in our tracks.

Not knowing your assignment from the Holy Spirit can result in taking on many burdens that are not meant to be yours.  You can be carrying around weight that becomes a distraction and hindrance to you even though it isn’t considered a sin and seems good. That is why it says we must lay things aside and run with endurance the race set before us.  We do not choose the race. We enter the race God chose for us.  Thus, it becomes even more important to lay aside every weight!

That boat anchor I spoke of was good for staying in one spot for a spell.  But it was a great hindrance if not lifted whenever it was time for the boat to move.  So it is with many good things we sometimes take on unauthorized by the Holy Spirit and without the wisdom of what we can handle on our own.  To run the race He chose, we must shed weight and only carry the load God gives us.  It can’t be according to what others want to give us.  It must come from Him.

Donate

Tough Love

As most know, Judas was a disciple of Jesus who ultimately betrayed Jesus.  Nothing in Scripture indicates that Judas had any type of problem in those three years of discipling with Jesus.  There’s no indication that the other disciples even suspected Judas would be the one to betray the Lord.  For all appearances sake, it would seem Judas is not seen as a potential problem at any point along the way.

But we all know now, looking back, that it was Judas who betrayed Jesus.

Should we even begin to imagine that if Judas had given strong implications of having an idolatrous heart that pursued money over anything and everything else, it would have been considered a light thing among the disciples?  Would we imagine that nothing would have been said about it if that were the case?  I know these are hypothetical questions, but they are the kind of questions that come up in our lives from time to time when we face difficulties.

How do you reconcile the things Paul speaks to the Corinthians with some viewpoints regarding what love is meant to look like?

1 Corinthians 5:9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.  12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

In this moment of correcting their way of thinking in Corinth, Paul even uses Scripture from Deuteronomy 17:7 to reinforce his position with them regarding the need to rightly assess a situation involving a person who claims to be a believer but insists on sinning in one or more of the ways described.  Paul is not bringing the Corinthians back under the law by referring to a practice established by the law.  He is using the principle of that aspect of the law to reinforce the importance of discernment and proper handling of situations such as these among believers.  A little leaven can leaven the whole and thus bring harm on a much larger scale.

Sometimes, a person wishes to hold fast to a claim that they belong to Jesus while engaging in a pattern of sin that is denounced by the word of God.  They wish to hold to a confession of belonging while behaving like a rebel in areas deemed inappropriate and dangerous not only to themselves but to others.

In this passage, Paul clarifies that indulging in these behaviors for those without Christ in the world is an expected thing and even, to a degree, understandable. Because we exist in the same world as them, we must do our best to navigate these situations with wisdom and patience.  But then Paul shifts the application to someone who claims to believe in Jesus and indulges in these behaviors.  Our behavior towards people of the world in such sins and those claiming to be Christians in such sins are not meant to be the same.

In other words, context matters.  It is not giving the world permission for the church to be unable to judge them in such acts and invoke discipline upon them.  But it would be unloving of the church not to utilize this practice of judging within its ranks and thus protect the fellowship of believers and set a proper example for those who look on.  There is such a thing as tough love.  God so loved the world, but that same world He so loves will one day face judgment, and those who refused Christ will be eternally punished as they are cast into a lake of fire.  His patience at this moment is to give time for others to repent and come to Christ, but the moment is fast approaching when the end of all things will come.  If we truly love others, we will desire to do according to His counsel what is needed so that they might come to their senses, repent of sin, and turn to Jesus.  Indulging in sin in the world is expected, but doing so within the church should not be. It is not loving to pretend it doesn’t exist.  Sometimes, love has to be tough.

Donate

Open Doors

If I were to say I had been burglarized at my home and that the burglar was someone I knew and they came through the front door as if invited, you would be curious to know how it happened and why.

If I were to say they did it a second time, and this time they came through another door, and then you learned they knew which door to come through because I had made them aware in some way, you would likely tell me to quit doing things that invite them into my house to rob me.

If It happened a third time and you discovered I pretty much announced to them which access point they could use to gain access and that I am still calling them my friend as though they are for me and not against me, you would likely begin to question my powers of common sense and reason and wonder if I enjoy the attention of being robbed.

I know this sounds a bit absurd.  It is a metaphor for what takes place in many lives daily.  You see, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  He is at work against many and seeking those he “may” devour.

1 Peter 5:8   Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

You see, our enemy needs our permission to be able to come in and steal, kill, or destroy.  He needs an open door into our lives to do his work.  Without that open door (invitation), he is held at bay in his desires and schemes.  They are ineffective against us.

But engaging in things that are out of step with who we are in Christ and His purposes and destiny is like an invitation to the enemy.  He is watching to see where we are doing our own thing in opposition to the Lord’s loving will and purpose.

Avoiding the will of God and ignoring His voice is like announcing where the door is open to the enemy.  He will seize every opportunity he can to take advantage of us.  His goal is to make us miserable so that we turn our backs on the Lord and His promises and claim it is too hard to walk with Jesus.

He wants us to believe that Jesus isn’t doing His part in some way and failing us.  But the truth is that Jesus is always faithful and willing.  Sometimes, though, we neglect to renew our way of thinking to align with Jesus, which interrupts our ability to hear Him clearly and causes us to miss out on His avenue of help.

Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Seeking Him and those things that are above is like shutting and locking the doors to our souls and then activating the security system.  Ensuring that our souls esteem Christ, hold Him dear, and consider Him our highest priority is the best way to close doors.  If you are distracted by earthly things, temporary things, worldly things, then you will have open doors, and an announcement has gone out to the enemy of your soul to come on in.  I encourage you today to make sure you’ve closed the doors to your soul.

Donate

The Source Of Happiness

When a person who belongs to Jesus isn’t hearing from Him, it is usually because they are either ignoring Him or distracted by doing their own thing and thus cannot hear Him when he speaks.  Distraction generally results in missing out on something someone tries to say to us.

Sometimes, when watching a show or listening to a song or message, Sheila might say something while I’m giving my attention to whatever I am listening to or watching.  I may catch the tail end of what she said and have to ask her what she said.  It is not that I can’t hear; it is that I am not tuned in to her speaking at that moment.  I am disengaged due to my distraction.

Distractions make it hard to hear.  It does not mean no one is speaking, especially when it comes to being in a relationship with Jesus.

If you have come to know Jesus by grace through faith, I promise you He has been speaking to you.  He is not ignoring you or ghosting you.  To ignore or ghost someone you claim to be in a close relationship with communicates a lack of care and respect.  I love my wife, Sheila.  Therefore, we talk daily about meaningful and silly things to each other.  We communicate because we love each other.  We want to connect.

I could be in a  crowd of people and be able to distinguish Sheila’s voice from among the crowd even if I couldn’t see her.  Why?  Because I know the sound of her voice!  Knowing her voice implies a relationship with her.  Jesus is talking about that in John 10:27 when He says His sheep know His voice.

Happiness is knowing Him, knowing His voice, and knowing I am in right standing with Him.  That means happiness is a choice!  I get to choose whether I will make my happiness about my relationship to Him or subject it to other far less reliable sources.

If happiness becomes my highest priority, and I believe it relies on people or things in this world, I will be disappointed.  But if I understand that I am responsible for my happiness based on what I look to as the source, I can be empowered to be happy even when things aren’t going my way.  My happiness is not someone else’s responsibility.  It begins and ends with me and depends on what source I will go to for it.

You see, when we examine the things we are looking to for happiness and then bring them into the light of what Jesus says can and should bring us happiness, it might be they are not worth getting all worked up over to start with.  If we learn to treasure our relationship with Jesus and the privilege of hearing Him speak to us, we can be happy a lot more often.  Our happiness will run much deeper, too!

Hebrews 13:5   Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

Hang your happiness on Jesus, and you will find it is not so elusive. Relationship with Him is true happiness!

Donate

Happiness

Happiness  -  Feeling or showing contentment and pleasure.  Having a sense of confidence or satisfaction with a person or situation.

Everyone likes to feel happy in life.  Happiness is a wonderful thing, but it can also be a fragile thing.

Since five is the number for grace, I wish to ask you five simple questions concerning happiness.

1) How would you define happiness?

2) Is happiness your primary goal in life?

3) What circumstance or outcome are you hanging your happiness on?

4) Is there someone other than you that you’ve made responsible for your happiness?

5) Who should really be responsible for your happiness?

In the Book of Wisdom in the Amplified Bible, it says, Proverbs 3:13 Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God’s Word]   NKJV Proverbs 16:20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

Someone cried out to Jesus one day, saying, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts that supplied You with milk.” Luke 11:28 But He said, Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it!

My wife Sheila often says, “If you have a word from the Lord, you already have all you need.”

I feel sad for those who have not discovered the delight of hearing from the Lord.  They have not tasted the security, excitement, and sense of well-being that it is to converse with Him.  A strong sense of happiness flows from knowing you have heard from the One who created everything and loves you with everlasting love.

In Genesis 13, God blessed Abraham, and his nephew Lot also benefitted from that.  Their herds had greatly increased, and their herdsman began quarreling over space. Abraham was so secure that he gave Lot the choice of whatever area he wanted.  Lot chose the lush plains of Jordan and journeyed east, not far from Sodom.  Abraham dwelt in Canaan.  Abraham did not need a choice situation to be happy.  He knew God was with him, and it was enough.  God blessed him, and thus, Abraham could be generous without worry.

Abraham was a man who heard God. When you desire a healthy relationship with someone, you feel sad when you’re not experiencing any interaction, such as listening and responding.  To be ignored by someone can be painful when your deep desire is to be loved and cared for by them.

I can confidently promise that Jesus does not play manipulative games with you and go zero dark thirty or ghost you simply because He is not getting His way in your life.  He promised never to leave or forsake you. If He has an issue with something you’re doing, He lets you know about it.  Likewise, He often affirms you and makes you aware of His desires.  Zero dark thirty and ghosting may be something common to your experience in your earthly relationships, but it is not characteristic of the Lord.

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Being in a real relationship with Jesus and hearing Him speak to you is the most secure source of happiness there is.  Lasting happiness is knowing Jesus.

Donate

Stop Fishing

When fishing, the fisherman selects a bait he thinks will attract a fish.  He chooses his bait based on the fish he wants to catch and certain conditions in the water.

The fisherman has no good intentions for the fish.  The fish is meant to serve the Fisherman’s pleasure or need.  For a sport fisherman, it is the pleasure of the fisherman that the fish serves.  It is the joy of catching the fish that the fisherman is after.  For another fisherman, it is about food.  The fish is merely intended to serve a purpose.

So, we could say the fisherman is using the art of deception to catch his prey.  He appears to care about the fish and offers it something it may want.  But there is no regard for the actual benefit of the fish.

I like to fish.  If I catch a fish that isn’t a keeper good for eating, I release it.  But I admit my release is not out of love for it.  I do so in faith that it will grow larger and become a proper size to keep and eat.  I still see the fish as serving my purposes.  Pretending to care about the fish beyond that idea would be hypocrisy.

Sadly, often, we can treat each other like fish.  We can fain to be contacting someone out of concern for them when, in actuality, our only reason for contact is to keep them on the hook in serving our purposes.  Do we care about them for who they are?

I get contacted often by people who ask a question that is meant to sound like they want to know how I am doing, but I know the follow-up will be about what they can get from me.

We’ve all had that friend who never was inclined to have coffee with us until they went into network marketing. Hahaha

I admit I have done it to someone before myself.  It is something I am not proud of, have not been guilty of in a long time, and do not wish to be guilty of ever again.  I want to always be genuine with people.

Have you ever felt someone was baiting you? Setting you up for what they really want? Well, you are not alone if you have had such an experience.

There’s something respectful, honoring, and authentic in being forthcoming when contacting others.  Especially when there are long periods of noncontact.  Being contacted under false pretense feels dishonoring and degrading.  No one can appreciate it.

Jesus said something enlightening and wise.

Matthew 5:37 But let your “Yes’ be “Yes,’ and your “No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

There is beauty and respect in being clear and forthcoming when interacting with others.  If I contact someone with a need, I do my best to get to the point with them about my purpose.  That is the best way to respect and honor them instead of making them feel manipulated into a response they would rather not give.  I also try to remember to tell them they are not obligated to give me a yes, as it will not impact our relationship.  They are free to say yes or no without any strings attached.  I do not want to go fishing for what I want. I want to humble myself and be as direct and honest as possible.  There’s plenty of false pretense in this world; I don’t want to bring it into the church.  Let’s stop fishing.

Donate

Love Without Hypocrisy

There is an interesting passage in Romans in the Bible.

Romans 12:9  Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

We all pretty much know what hypocrisy means.  At least, I hope we do.  So, what does love without it look like?

Well, for starters, it detests utterly - evil.  That is what it means to abhor evil.  It has no tolerance for it.  Love also clings to what is good.

But love without hypocrisy also has other traits to it.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Love without hypocrisy is a beautiful thing.

I love being kindly and affectionate with a brotherly love description.  Who wouldn’t be blessed to see more of that?  What would the world think if they beheld the believers honoring each other and giving preference to one another?  Not that it doesn’t happen now, but what if it were amplified to be more inclusive among believers and not just offered to a special few?

I also like not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, and serving the Lord.  This denotes it is less about me and more about Jesus!  There is a call for every believer to find their place in serving Jesus and see it as their greater purpose in life.  To do so is to own and walk in love without hypocrisy.  It purifies our motives when interacting with others.

I love rejoicing in hope because it moves us beyond saying we have hope.  If we truly have hope, it should free us to rejoice in it.  There should be freedom to exhibit the joy of hope!

Patient in tribulation.  That’s a challenge, but when love is real, it can override our tendency to be anxious and hurried about the troubles that come against us.

Love makes me pray more than ever for those I love and care about.  It leads me to pray more for others than I do myself.  But it takes me further than just praying.  It moves me to do something where the Holy Spirit reveals I can.  It helps me to know how to distribute to the needs of the saints and be given to hospitality.

Finally, love without hypocrisy can bless those who persecute me.  I am not inclined to call down fire from heaven on them but rather to pray for them that they might be blessed.

When viewed from any other lens but love, these traits of love seem daunting and intimidating.  But when the pure motive of love is at work, it empowers these characteristics.  That is why it starts with the word let.  Allow it!  Allow love to be free from everything that wishes to limit it.

Donate

The Danger Of Denial

As a pastor, I do not wish to minister to make believers continually sin-conscious.  I would much rather them be righteousness conscious.  But it is neither integrity nor loving to teach believers to live in denial.  Denying known sin in a believer’s life can open doors to many harmful things.  Denying the possibility of a believer to sin and even to pursue sin is a dangerous prospect.

The New Covenant is not a doctrine of denial.  It is a doctrine of faith that can be so assured of being loved and accepted that it can handle the reality of the weaknesses of the flesh and recognize when it has been allowed too much of its desire in a believer’s life.  Authentic New Covenant faith does not deny the possibility of stumbling on the part of a believer. It simply knows the remedy for such things and encourages the use of such a remedy.

Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

This great apostle of grace teaches believers that sin should not be allowed to reign in their mortal bodies.  He teaches it with good reason.

The unchecked and unbridled flesh can lead to all kinds of difficulties and hardships because it opens the door to our enemy.  This is why it says in the letter of James,

James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.   16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Not all sickness is the result of sin.  But there can be some sickness, that is.

John 5:12  Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

Jesus gave His life and shed His blood to deal with the sin problem.  He died so we might die to sin, and He rose from the dead so we too could be risen in newness of life with Him.  The Scripture does not teach us to deny the reality of sin; it teaches us how Jesus dealt with it and how we are to view it and be delivered from it.  Denial will never be equal to real faith.

If you are in a struggle with some sin, humble yourself and confess it.  Bring it into the light so the power of the enemy trying to attach to it is broken, and let the power of His love and forgiveness bring release and, if needed, physical healing to you.  The purpose of confession is to keep the enemy’s tentacles from latching on to us in times of stumbling or wandering away from the righteousness we have become in Christ and the closeness of fellowship it brings us into.  Denial is like an invitation to the enemy to render all the damage he can manage.  There’s a real danger in denial.

Donate

Real Fellowship

The word fellowship in the Bible comes from the Greek word Koinonia.

It is defined as partnership, (literally) participation, communication, and communion.

Too often, this very rich Greek word is given only one application, which merely involves getting together at some sort of gathering.  When this word is treated in such a way, the whole idea of what fellowship is meant to be is diminished, and a lesser version of what it is meant to be for the believer is settled for.

More often than not, this word is given a nostalgic treatment where it is considered that one has experienced this rich promise of fellowship when things are superficial but pleasant nonetheless.  Real fellowship involves humility, vulnerability, and trust.  Something religion can never bring to the table.

Even the rich promise of fellowship with Jesus involves something beyond the superficial and merely pretending in a moment and requires humility, vulnerability, and trust.

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

True rich, deep fellowship involves honesty on a whole other level.  This is true in our desire to experience a rich, full relationship with Jesus, and it includes it when we desire it with one another.   Light as it is used here involves honesty, nothing fake, nothing that involves pretending.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

The best way to avoid being hooked by the enemy’s attempts to snare you is to bring his activities into the light.  There was a time when we hid what was going on in our lives from others and sought to do some things under the cover of darkness, but that is no longer who we are. Once we come to Jesus, we are made children of light; we are meant to lose our fondness for the darkness.  We are also meant to lose our appetite for the unfruitful works of darkness.

That phrase, “but rather expose them,” is telling us to bring them into the light of the truth where they can be seen for what they really are.  They are false representations of what it takes to be truly happy and satisfied.  Darkness is a culture of lies and pretending. It is the place where the enemy seeks to draw believers so he can have the opportunity to do them harm and keep them from the rich and wonderful deeper levels of fellowship with Jesus and with one another that is promised in the word.  We were created in Christ to walk in the light.    

Real fellowship will sometimes be unpleasantly honest and go against our flesh and the schemes of the enemy being used to entice our flesh.  But when we bring it all into the light by being honest, knowing we stand in His grace and mercy, forgiven and cleansed by His blood, the enemy cannot get his hook in us.  We know we are accepted and loved in a real way by those we are called to journey with, and our fellowship becomes rich and full and satisfying as it is meant to be.  Real fellowship is your promise and a tremendous blessing in all of its forms.

Donate

Hope

As a child, around age 10, I asked my parents for a drum set for Christmas.  My younger brother Scott asked for a guitar.  That Christmas morning, we came out of our rooms, and there was a drum set designated to Scott and a guitar designated to me.  You can imagine the sinking in my heart when it happened.  To a ten-year-old boy, that’s like the end of the world.  My hope had been deferred, and my heart was sick.  My parents somehow got it wrong.  It eventually got worked out, and I got the drums.  But my hope had been dashed to pieces for a time, and my heart was sick.

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

At eleven, after years of my mom enduring emotional and sometimes physical abuse from my dad, she finally decided she could do it no longer. She told him she was divorcing him and taking all five boys with her.  He locked himself in a room where the guns were in a wall rack and used one of them to take his life.  As an eleven-year-old boy, I had strong hope in my dad, and that moment rocked my world like a nuclear explosion.  My hope had been deferred, and my heart was sick.

At sixty years of age, I have experienced many broken relationships.  Some were very close and very dear. I’ve endured betrayals, difficult losses, and things not turning out as expected.  It can jade you if you let it.  It can hurl you into a lifestyle of self-protection that holds God at arm’s length.

Your trust can suffer a blow when your hope is deferred, and the pain of hope deferred can turn to withdrawal and an over-cautious nature if these events are not given the proper perspective and handed over to the One who has the shoulders to carry them.

The solution is not someone else getting it together enough for me to have hope!

I need to change where I am looking for hope!

I have to allow the Holy Spirit to help me trust again!  I have to let Him point me to where the real solution is.

I don’t want to depend on a thin thread of hope in others to carry me in times of trouble; I want to hang onto the chain of hope attached to Jesus, Who is the anchor of hope and promise for my soul!

Hebrews 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

We have a High Priest who has entered the real Holy of Holies in heaven, sprinkled His own blood on the mercy seat, and forever lives to intercede on our behalf.  It is wise to put our hope in Him instead of how things seem to be going in the moment or what level or kind of attention I may or may not get from someone I have deemed significant.  Jesus is always a sure hope and wants to be the anchor of our soul.  I encourage you to put your hope in Him.

Donate

What Can Man Do?

There’s something powerful about being in a place where no one can take away your joy.  To be at a place where you are so secure that you can actually rest in your soul.  No need to worry or be anxious about what someone else is doing and how it might impact you.

I know! It sounds too good to be true!

There was a man who lived long ago and experienced some very difficult times of being betrayed and pursued by those he deeply loved and refused to harm even though they wished to make life for him a misery and even take his life from him.

That man wrote:

Psalm 56:1 Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day, he oppresses me. 2 My enemies would hound me all day,  For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.  3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

He experienced the momentary emotions we all feel when things are not going as expected or when someone acts out in ways the enemy intended to use to take away our joy and hope. To such a prospect, the Psalmist went on to say,

Psalm 56:11 In God I have put my trust;  I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?

We are told in Scripture that we have been hidden with Christ in God!  When I let my soul get in touch with the reality of the safety of being in Him in every circumstance, it ministers hope to me when circumstances should indicate no hope.

Psalm 118:4 Let those who fear the LORD now say,  “His mercy endures forever.”  5 I called on the LORD in distress;  The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?

It may look right now like bad things are closing in all around you but be assured that when you get quiet and let the Holy Spirit show you the Faithful One who is your Father, you will be brought to a place of peace and assurance with a sound hope regardless of what or who might be trying to trouble you.

You’re about to be brought into a broad place, and all those walls that were closing in around you will be pushed down so the light of day can shine in your soul again!  Then, you will find yourself saying, “The Lord is on my side. I will not fear!”

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  6 So we may boldly say:  “The LORD is my helper;  I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”

God is never going to leave or forsake you!  He is forever faithful!  He will never lie to you!  He will fulfill all He has promised!  Even right now, when things look dark and desperate, you can be assured He is with you in the fire and will deliver you from the snare of the fowler! You belong to Jesus!  You’ve been bought at the price of precious blood!  What can man do to you?

Donate

Do You Believe?

Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Romans 3:21  But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

2Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

According to God’s word, I am already righteous with His righteousness by being in Christ by grace through faith.

In other words, Righteousness is a gift, not a payment.  It cannot be earned or merited.  It cannot be sought and bought.  My own efforts cannot attain it.

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Anytime I seek to establish my own righteousness, I rebel against His righteousness.

Interestingly, it says that by seeking their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God.

I cannot seek my own righteousness and His at the same time.  To seek after any other type of righteousness means not submitting to His righteousness.

But this cannot be understood without believing in Jesus according to the right gospel message.

There’s much security in resolving such a truth according to faith in Christ.

How convinced are you that you have become the righteousness of God in Christ?

Are you so convinced that even when you do something you shouldn’t, you still know you are His righteousness in Christ?

Are you so convinced that having been born again and made His righteousness in Christ, nothing can take away such a gift?

I didn’t earn it, and I cannot maintain it; I can only submit to it, and when I do, it overtakes me in ways I never imagined possible.  Do you believe God is telling the truth when He declares in His word that by believing in Jesus and being born again, you have become His righteousness?

No one will ever truly know His rest until this belief is settled in them.  But there is a rest for those who believe.

Donate

Darkness And Light

As kids, we played games outside a lot.  One popular game was the game of hide and seek.  We especially loved playing such a game at night when it was dark.

My four brothers and I would also wait late at night for our parents to take a short trip out to the local convenience store, and when they did, we would get up in the pitch dark and play hide and seek in the house.  Even as kids, we understood how much easier it was to hide in the dark than in the light.

Such a game gives a reason for hiding in the darkness.  But real life and relationships do not require darkness.  In real life, there’s a reason given for why someone might love darkness rather than light.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Whenever someone desires something that would be considered wrong by God and determines they will engage in it anyway, the act of hiding it is called darkness. The word evil used here can sound severe, but it actually speaks about things known as unacceptable or indecent.  The Greek word itself could have been translated as diseased, derelict, vicious, mischief, malice, bad, grievous harm, lewd, or wickedness.

Growing up as a kid, there were things I wanted that I knew my mom would not want me to have, and to have them, I would hide them and pretend I had complied with her wishes.  But in my conscience, I knew I was being dishonest with her.  Looking back with maturity and better understanding, I can see how it damaged what had once been a close relationship with her at that time.  Our relationship suffered without her doing anything to damage it.  My desire for something I was never meant to have or engage in caused the damage.  Of course, later in life, as we both had come to Jesus and were walking in the lights, our relationship was repaired and healthy.

If something I seek requires me to sneak to do it or feel I need to hide it from others or someone significant in my life who loves me and Jesus, then I should not deceive myself by thinking it is harmless.  It is darkness.  There’s no real fellowship in darkness.  The healthy attributes of real fellowship cannot be attained by means of darkness.

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus never put on a false pretense for anyone.  Jesus was not something different away from people than He was when He was with them.  There was no pretending to be with Jesus.  He was real, authentic, and consistent.  He was not up to anything bad.  He came to do good.

If I desire a healthy, vibrant relationship with Jesus and those He has placed in my life who love Him, I need to walk in the light.  I need to be up to some good.  I need to be honest and real. I benefit when I cherish the light and detest darkness.  Darkness and light do not mix.  Just enter a dark room and turn on the light switch, and you’ll find the darkness disappears because light expels darkness every time.  It will always be easier to function in a lighted room than it is in a dark room.  So it is with healthy relationships.  They happen when they are full of light.

A meaningful, rich, full, and healthy relationship is open, honest, and without false pretense.  Darkness and light will never mix.  We cannot walk in darkness and have fellowship with Jesus simultaneously.  We may try to say we do, but God knows the truth.  Darkness will also keep us aloof from others we know who love Jesus and are walking in the light with Him.  An occasional encounter may occur because pretending in short stints is possible, but a healthy, deepening relationship will be far from the person who walks in darkness because darkness and light do not mix.  If a person loves darkness, they will avoid or withdraw from those of the light.

Donate

Faint Of Heart

Faint of heart is a commonly used phrase.  However, I think many may use it without really understanding it.

It’s a simple way of saying that unless the heart is fully in it, the ability to see it through will not be present.

So when we say, “It’s not for the faint of heart,” we are saying it can’t be brought to completion without a fully invested heart about it.

That brings me to what I want to share with you today.  I want to talk about renewing the mind.  But I must say that this is not something that is not for the faint of heart.

The real battle we fight as believers is the battle for the mind.  It takes real courage of heart to take on the reality of wrong thinking and then press in to see it brought down and the right kind of thinking put in its place.

Just tearing down a wrong thought leaves a vacant spot for another developer to fill.  That is why real mind renewal is not for the faint of heart.

It takes determination and perseverance to put in what needs to be there instead of what did not belong in the first place.  It takes courage to keep all other developers from moving in on the vacant spot created when the wrong thought was taken down.

2Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

A right thinking process produces the fruit of the right response and right behavior to pursue what the right thought was to begin with.  In this case, right thinking involves making sure everything passes through the filter of Christ’s obedience at the cross.

Every thought that exalts itself, in other words, comes across as being more important, more significant, and more effectual than knowing what God thinks, what He is like, and what has been done by Him.

We punish the disobedience of unbelief every time we cast down thoughts that enable unbelief by deceiving us to put our confidence in our own abilities instead of the finished work of Christ. But we do not stop there like someone faint of heart.  We press further to put our faith and confidence in the truth concerning God, His way, and what He has done through Christ to purchase us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The fruitfulness of a disciple depends on this process of mind renewal.  This is why mind renewal is not for the faint of heart!

Donate

God Cares

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!  18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;  When I awake, I am still with You.

The interesting thing about these continual thoughts regarding you is that they are not bad thoughts.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God really cares about you!  His desire is your overall well-being and continual connection with Him.

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

For this to manifest in our daily lives, we must humble ourselves to God by trusting Him in all things, even the things most precious to us.

1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

God wants to help you with His mighty hand of power.  But it requires that you let Him have what troubles you and that you rely on His help instead of thinking you can be the answer and solution.

My solutions often interfere with His.  They conflict with His approach and process.  The best ideas my flesh can drum up for solutions to the things that trouble me run contrary to His ways of handling things.  That is why humbling myself under His mighty hand is so important.  It can be a real challenge actually to throw my cares onto Him.  But it is what will serve me best and honor Him best.  He loves us so much that He wants to take our cares from us and handle them for us.

Many get confused because they want God to act like a thief and snatch their cares from them.  But God is not a thief, and He does not snatch from us the things we desire to keep.  He waits for us to humble ourselves and give Him what troubles us.  We need to want it gone so badly that we throw it onto Him!  Sadly, there have been times that I struggled to let something that troubled me go and thought wrongly that God didn’t care because it was still with me.  He repeatedly showed me how it remained because I would not let it go and throw it onto Him.  I had to humble myself to gain what He was already willing to do on my behalf, and humbling myself meant letting go of what I was hanging onto and throwing it onto Him with no attachments.  His mighty hand was ready to act but could not until I humbled myself and got beneath it.

I could not humble myself under His mighty hand until I became convinced He cared for me.  It helps me to remind myself often of how God loved me even when I was His enemy.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You mean so much to God that He sacrificed greatly to bring you to Himself.  No rival thought should be allowed to exist in our minds.  Such thoughts should be cast down and replaced with the truth concerning His affections and faithfulness.  Anything that challenges the idea that God cares about you should be kicked out of your mind quickly and replaced with the truth that He cares for you.  His mighty hand stands ready to help!  God cares!

Donate