12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. 13. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The hymn “Jesus Loves Me This I Know,” has been on my mind this morning. This made me turn to John 15:12-13 where Jesus tells us to love one another sacrificially. The phrase that really caught my attention was “as I have loved you.” Jesus told us to love as He did, then in verse 13 He described the love that He has for us: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” As I read this the hymn came back to my mind: “Jesus Loves Me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” I have probably written this in another blog, but when this hymn comes to my mind I think about what the neo-orthodox scholar, Karl Barth, said about it. Someone asked him what the greatest theological truth that he knew of. His answer was: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” This man, who had written volumes of theological tomes, looked to the simplicity of the fact that Jesus loves us as the greatest theological truth. How do we know that Jesus loves us? We know that Jesus loves us, as the hymn states, because the Bible tells us so. There is no greater or clearer message in the New Testament than this. Everything that Jesus did while He ministered in the world told us that He loves us. Jesus spent a great deal of His time helping people. He healed people. He drove demons out of people. He raised people from the dead. One incident that really portrays the love that Jesus has for people is recorded in Luke 7:12-15. Jesus was approaching the city of Nain when He saw a funeral procession. The dead man was the only son of a widowed mother. Verse 13 tells us that Jesus looked at her “had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” This son was the only means of support and help that this widowed mother had. The heart of Jesus went out to her, and he raised her son from the dead. That was a real act of love. The tears of the widow touched the great heart of Jesus. Do you think that He is not aware of our tears – our problems? The Bible gives us more evidence of Jesus’ love, but this should suffice. We know that Jesus loves us because He did what he described as the greatest evidence of love: “that a man lay down his life for his friends.” That is exactly what Jesus did. Look at what Jesus said about this fact in John10:11 and 17-18: “11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep…. 17. Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” Jesus is telling us in these verses that He voluntarily gave His life for us. Jesus died to save us from sin, and He arose to make it eternally effective. We know that Jesus loves us because of the extent to which He went to save us. Paul described this in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus took the sins of the whole world upon Himself on the cross. This is the “cup” that Jesus asked to pass from Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that the Father could not look upon sin, and that when He took all of our sins, He would be momentarily separated from his Father. It is amazing that God the Son and God the Father were separated for this period of time to keep sin from condeming us for eternity. And all this to keep sin from condemning us for eternity. This was all done in a love that surpasses any human understanding. There is nothing new here, but it is all-important. Just think of the tragedy if Jesus had not loved us as much as He did. So celebrate that love today and sing: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so….” Bro. Joe
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“Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
When a lot of people think about the Christian faith, the word “joy” does not come to mind. This is true in part because they have never given the Christian faith a chance in their lives. It is also sometimes true because they do not see joy coming from us. A lot of what they hear about is all the “fussing going on down at the church.” A lot of what they see is that we are not letting the joy of Christ in our lives be seen. We need to turn that joy loose on the people around us. Christian joy is very important, and we need to let it show. Christian joy is important because it is evidence that Christ lives in us. If we really have the joy of Christ in us, it should find its way to the surface for people to see. Christian joy should be evident on our faces, in our attitudes and in our relationships with people. One thing that should set us apart is not that we wear our religion on our sleeves, so to speak, but that we live joyful lives. We do not defend the Christian faith as well by arguing about it as much as we do when we live it. Joy is a great part of living the Christian life. Christian joy is important because it encourages us to worship the Lord. Someone said that many people in church services do not appear to be worshiping the risen Christ; rather, they appear to be mourning His crucifixion. True worshipers are joyful because they know that Jesus is alive and well. The reason for that is the fact that Jesus lives in them and is a daily companion. Not everyone expresses that joy in the same way, but it should be expressed. Some worshipers express their joy vocally. Some express their joy with radiant smiles. Some express their joy quietly. There are times that I express my joy with tears of joy. I can tell when the Holy Spirit is really at work, and when the joy of the Lord is rising in my heart when I feel a “lump in my throat.” These are not tears of mourning but tears of joy. We should worship the Lord in joy and express this joy in the way that we express it – whatever way that might be. Christian joy is important because it has an effect on other people. It is not far-fetched to say that Christian joy is contagious. Christ’s joy is one of the best tools that He has given us for witnessing to people who do not know Him. The plain fact is that people want to be around people who are joyful. It is certain that churches that are growing are churches that are spreading the joy of Jesus. Christ’s joy is evident in the daily lives of members of those churches. Christ’s joy is evident in the welcome given to visitors to those churches. Christ’s joy is evident in the preaching and teaching of those churches. This definitely does not mean that all that church’s preaching and teaching is of the “feel good” variety. It means that the preaching and teaching is laced with Christ-given joy, even when it is negative. Ask yourself this question: “If every member of our church shared Christ’s joy like I do, would we be a growing, alive church?” According to John 15:11, Christ has given us His joy: “My joy I give you that your joy might be full…” It is not a question of whether or not we have Christ’s joy. It is a question of whether or not our lives are reflecting that joy. Do we live a life that reflects the joy that Christ has placed within us? Is the joy of Christ in our lives evident to other people? Bro. Joe “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…”
I read today about the suicide death of Rick Warren’s son. I immediately prayed for them to really find the strength of Christ during this trying time in their lives. The fact that Rick Warren is a world-renowned pastor does not mean that he and his wife and family do not hurt like all of the rest of us. But I took heart when I realized thatt though this is a very difficult thing to deal with, they have a strength that can get them through this. I think they believe Philippians 4:13 that states: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That leads me to ask you if you have the strength of Christ in your life? If you do have Christ in your life you have that strength if you will claim it. Which leads me to the question that I put in the title of this blog, i.e., how strong are you? I sincerely hope and pray that you do not try to go through your life going on your own strength alone. I know that I wouldn’t want to live that way. I think of the numbers of people who live in this world with no thought of God/Jesus, or who are hostile to Him, and I wonder how they make it in life. These people face the same heartaches that we face, but they have to go through them without spiritual help. I know that I don’t want to live my life that way. Are you strong enough to face all of the things that you have to face in this life? For example, if you had a life-threatening disease would you have the strength to face it without fear, and the depression that accompanies that fear? I hope that in a case like that you would turn to Jesus in prayer and trust the whole healing process to Him. If one of your children or grandchildren was facing a life-threatening situation, how would you handle it? The thought of this happening in my family brings chills up and down my spine. I do pray that we will never have to face this, but I take comfort in the fact that if we have to face something like this we will not face it alone. I know that Jesus would be there to offer His comfort. In the hard places in my life, I always run to Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” This is not just a remote portion of scripture to me. It is like a life buoy out there, helping me to face all of the contingencies of life. I can answer the question that began this paragraph. No, you do not have the strength to face all of the things that you have to face in this life. Then again, neither do I. I know that I depend on Christ to get me through the difficult times of life, and I pray that you do too. Do you really believe that you can “do all things through Christ who strengthens (you)?” It’s one thing to face difficult times in life, it is another to know that you have one who can strengthen you to do whatever it is that He wants you to do. There are many fine Christians out there who are petrified if they have to do something in front of the congregation. I remember that when I preached my first sermon, the church was packed, probably with incredulous people who came to see if it was really true that I had been called to preach. Sitting in that congregation were my Mama, Daddy and my youngest brother, who knew me all too well. On top of that a lot of old friends were out there, who knew me all too well. My first grade teacher was in the congregation. I’ve got to tell you that I was thoroughly intimidated by this crowd, but I knew that I had a calling and that this was the first step, so I jumped in and took the step. I was depending on the strength of Christ to do it, not my own strength. I didn’t have the strength to do it, and I still don’t. Understand this, with Christ as your strength, you can do anything that you know that He wants you to do. One general said that “courage is fear that has said its prayers.” I have found this to be true through fifty-three years in the ministry. The great thing is that it is true for you too. Go on with your life in the strength of Christ. Bro. Joe “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth not rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.”
While I was riding my exercise bike this morning I thought of these verses of scripture, and I really began to question myself about where my true treasures are? We need to think about this and recommit ourselves to putting possessions into proper perspective. I thought of some things that I hold dear in this life. Of course, the first thing that I thought of was my family. They are not a possession, but they sure are dear. Then I got really silly and thought of some things that I deem important that in the total scheme of things would not be at all important. I thought of my tape cassette player. O.K. they are out of date, but I still have multiple cassettes and I need something to play them on.(Have you seen one at Walmart lately?) I thought of the watch that was given to me by Liberty Hill Baptist Church in 2001. I still wear it today, and I sure would hate to lose it. I thought of the pictures that I have of the Westwood football team. I am their chaplain and those boys and coaches are important to me. I also have a watch that they gave me that is important to me and on display in my den. Then there is the state championship ring from 2012 that the Wildcats gave me, which is also on display in my den. There are many other things, but I will stop there. All of the things mentioned above are important to me, but they are not eternal. Our house could burn down and I could lose all of those “things.”( I will, however, exempt my family from being "things.") The point is that the deepest part of my heart is to be devoted to God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that “moth and rust” could corrupt the things that we possess on this earth. This means, as I wrote above that there is nothing that we have on this earth that will not one day pass away. I think back over the years to possessions that I held dear that have long since passed from the scene and not a hair of my head was harmed because of it. I think that I have used this illustration before on CouchPotatoRedux, but it bears using again here. There was a preacher whose basement flooded. All of the paraphernalia from over fifty years in the ministry was stored there and all of it was ruined. He said that he sat on the steps of his basement and cried. Then the thought came to him: “But those are just ‘things’ and that is not what has been of most importance in my years in the ministry.” Even all of his sermons were not eternal, except as they made a difference in people’s lives. We don’t need to stake our lives on that which “moth and rust” can corrupt. It is the last statement in this passage that made me really stop and think: “For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” I asked myself: “O.K. Joe, where is your heart?” Is it in the things that you own or is it in the treasures of heaven? The most important thing that I have in my life is a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Frankly, if I didn’t have that, then nothing else would seem to be important. I hope that you can say that Jesus is the most important possession (if that’s the right word) that you have. Family and friends are of utmost importance. Which of them would I trade for my tape cassette player? (You are supposed to laugh.) When all is said and done, the things that we possess should not possess us. If we are to be possessed, we should be possessed by God for only He can take care of things now and for all eternity. I hope that these thoughts have made you stop and think about your possessions, for they certainly made me stop and think. Bro. Joe “Then Jesus said to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father
hath sent me, even so send I you.” I don’t know about your denomination, but our Southern Baptist denomination deals a lot with being “on mission.” What does “on mission” mean? It means that all of us are, or should be, on mission where we are, witnessing and ministering to people in the name of Jesus. Being on mission is not just the job of pastors and missionaries, but it is the job of every Christian. There is no one way to be on mission, but we must be on mission the way God leads us to do it. We should discover what the needs are in our communities and endeavor to meet them, as Jesus would have done. There are at least three good reasons why we should all be on mission. Being on mission is important in the Bible. Evidently, Jesus thought it was important. At the end of all four gospels, Jesus gave challenges for his disciples to be on mission. In John 20:21 Jesus told His disciples, “As My Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” We can take this for a command for us as well. Jesus sends us into the world to be on mission for Him. Early Christians evidently thought that being on mission was important, for we read a lot about their being on mission in the New Testament. Chapters 13-28 of Acts are mostly taken up with Paul and his companion’s missionary efforts. Being on mission should be important to us too. People today need Jesus as much as people did in the first century. Being on mission means to live the Christian life every day so that people can see what being a Christian means. It doesn’t mean walking around with a huge black Bible and talking in “holy tones.” It means that you live Jesus out before people and when the Holy Spirit leads, you tell people why your life is like it is. Being on mission is really simple, if we are living genuine Christian lives. Being on mission is necessary. When we read that Jesus said, “even so send I you,” we should realize that He is telling us that as well. Jesus thought that it was necessary that we be on mission for Him. There is a legend about an angel talking to the Father after the Son had completed His mission of making salvation possible for people by dying on the cross, rising from the grave and ascending to the Father. The angel asked, “How are you going to get the word out about it?” The Father replied, “Those who accept Him as savior will tell others about what He has done for them.” The angel asked, “What if they don’t do it?” The Father answered, “They will have to. I don’t have a Plan B.” If we don’t live for Jesus and tell others about Him, it will not get done. Being on mission is a source of joy for believers. I have often heard Christians say that there is no greater feeling than winning somebody to Jesus. It is a great feeling because someone has been saved, but also because we have done what Jesus deemed important and necessary. Nothing brings greater joy than telling someone about Jesus, even if they do not give a positive response. At least we know that we have done what Jesus told us to do. I have often heard it said that the Lord does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful. Besides, who knows when that witness will take become effective in that person’s life. I once had a young man come to me ten years after I had talked to him about Jesus and tell me that he was ready to come to Christ. That’s really between God and the person to whom you witness. If you have never known that joy, let me urge you to try it. Just simply tell someone what Jesus has done for you, what He means to you, and what He can mean to them. Here is the main question: Are you on mission for Jesus? If you help your fellow human beings in a time of need in the name of Jesus, you are on mission for Him. If you tell someone what Jesus has done in your life, and recommended Him to them, you are on mission. Bro. Joe “4. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted , and prayed before the God of heaven.....6. Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you.....11. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day…”
The book of Nehemiah is about beginning again after the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. In the verses above, Nehemiah voices his concern about the conditions in Jerusalem. The verses above suggest some things that we need to consider when we have to begin again for any reason. In verse 4a, Nehemiah wrote that he wept and mourned because of the conditions in Jerusalem. I think that if we are to renew our lives and commitment to the Lord we need to be concerned, maybe to the point of tears. Too often we just take these low spiritual points in stride and they do not touch our emotions. The things that really matter touch our emotions. The direction of our lives in Christ should certainly do this. In verse 4b, Nehemiah wrote that he “fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” When Nehemiah found out firsthand about the pitiful conditions in Jerusalem, that the walls were torn down and everything was in disarray, he went immediately to God in prayer. We need to pray for ourselves when we know that we are not where we should be in our Christian growth. We also need to pray together as never before that a Holy Spirit revival will sweep our nation. Spiritual walls have fallen, and many lives are in disarray. Now, understand that God knows what is going on, but He still wants us to consult with Him in prayer about the conditions of our country. and our own lives. The need for the prayers of God’s people have never been greater than now. We need to begin again in our own lives, and we need to begin again as a nation. In verse 6, Nehemiah confessed the sins of the people of Israel. In the ensuing verses, he confessed that the people had not kept their covenant with God. In verse 7 he stated: “We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commanded thy servant Moses.” We have a lot to confess. In our country there is a move abroad to remove the Ten Commandments from public places, and I might add public awareness. There is an attempt, and it is working, to mute the Bible’s message in America’s market place. Major denominations cannot determine whether or not sin is still sin. In churches of all denominations there is constant bickering over things that have no eternal value at all. It is all based on egotism and human authority. We need to confess that we are too much like the world. In verse 11, Nehemiah prayed that God might prosper him (give him success) in this attempt to restore Jerusalem. Nehemiah understood, as we must, that success in this matter was not in his power but in the power of God. It is the same with us when we depend on God to give us success. We see a difference in our country, and in our churches, . As Paul wrote to the Ephesians we are “not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12) It is only by prayer and dedication to the Lord that we can make a difference and shine as lights in this dark world. Bro. Joe “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…..For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
If we are honest with ourselves we will agree that we sometimes wish Jesus had not said the words printed above on forgiveness. However, they are there in black (or red) and white in the Holy Bible. Let’s just admit that there are times when we would like to hang onto our unforgiveness for awhile. At these times we need to remember that Jesus is not telling us to hang onto unforgiving spirits. This kind of thinking could only come from Satan. Forgiveness is indispensable in our lives. Let’s begin with the most important aspect of this: We should be forgiving because we have been forgiven. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:13, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Paul did not make this a suggestion to the Colossians but as a command. Because Christ has forgiven us, we must forgive one another. In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus told the parable of a man who had been forgiven a ten thousand talent debt by the king. (This would be millions of dollars today.) After the man was forgiven this great debt, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him “an hundred pence,” a mere pittance. He would not forgive this small debt. When his fellow servants saw what he did, knowing what he had been forgiven, they reported to the king, and the man had to pay the penalty for his great debt. Like all of Jesus’ parables, He was not just talking about this man but about us as well. In verses 34-35, Jesus said: “And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.” The point is that since we have been forgiven the great debt of our sins, Jesus expects us to forgive others. Let’s admit that forgiveness is not always easy. Some things are easily forgiven, but others are not so easily forgiven. If what was done to us was like a small pin prick, we can easily forgive. But if what was done to us hurt deeply, we do not find forgiving so easily done. I know this from experience, and so do you if you are honest with yourself. Jesus said, however, that we are to “forgive everyone his brother their trespasses.” This means that we are to forgive every trespass. In the hard cases we will have to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us forgive. We will have to remember the depth of Jesus’ forgiveness from the cross when He prayed: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” The Jewish and Roman authorities put Jesus through a false trial, beat Him unmercifully, drove nails into His hands and feet and stretched Him out on a cross to die. Yet He forgave all who did this to Him, including us, for our sins put Jesus on the cross too. There have been times when I have had a difficult time forgiving, that I have said to myself: “They did not nail me to a cross,” meaning that they have not treated me as badly as Jesus was treated. Jesus set the example for us. It behooves us, then, to forgive one another. Remember that in order to be in good fellowship with God and fellow Christians, we need to forgive “everyone his brother their trespasses.” Go ahead and forgive now. There is no better time than the present. You will be a better person for it, and your life will be better for it. Bro. Joe “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
Paul and Silas had been wrongfully imprisoned in the jail at Philippi. They were under what we would call maximum security. They could hardly move because they were in stocks. Why, then, were they praying and singing at midnight? The Bible does not explain it, but based on what we know about their commitment to Jesus, we can surmise why they reacted in this positive manner. We can learn from them how we can “sing at midnight” when we face hard times. The first reason for their singing at midnight was they knew that God loved them. The people who had them jailed did not love them or care one way or the other. But these two great Christians knew that God loved them. It is amazing what this realization can do to our reactions to the negative things of life. If we know that God loves us, we can pray and sing at midnight too. The second reason was they knew that their sins were forgiven. They had not been forgiving by the authorities, but they had been forgiven by Jesus. It is amazing what knowing that we are forgiven can do for our attitudes towards life. There are many Christians who do not pray and sing because they are still carrying guilt for sins that have been forgiven. Our true Christian mettle will be revealed when we are under stress, or when life seems to be going against us. If we know for sure that we are forgiven by an almighty and loving God, we too, can “pray and sing at midnight.” The third reason was they were assured that death had been defeated. The lives of Paul and Silas were in danger at that moment. They did not know what was about to happen to them. In those days prisoners had no rights whatever, and their jailers could almost do with them as they wished. They were not afraid of the prospect of dying because they believed in the Savior who defeated death for them. As Paul wrote: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” He also wrote: “To die is gain.” Armed with this assurance, they could “pray and sing at midnight.” Death has been defeated for us as well; therefore, we can “pray and sing at midnight.” The fourth reason was they knew that Jesus was with them. They knew the promise that Jesus made: “Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the ages.” Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, was in the cell and the stocks with them. He knew of their predicament, but He was there loving and watching over them. We need to realize that no matter what is going on in our lives at any given time, Jesus is with us. The fifth reason was they knew that the other prisoners were listening. We do not need to miss the statement that “the prisoners heard them.” Paul was always aware that wherever he was and whatever was happening in his life, he was a witness for Jesus Christ. If Paul and Silas could pray and sing at midnight under those circumstances, the prisoners would know that they had something, or someone, special in their lives. People do not notice our witness as much when we are in church, or when we are going through good times, as they do when we are going through difficult times. We need to remember that when we pray and sing at midnight, other people hear us and it serves as a witness to them. We need to ask ourselves if we are “midnight singers” or chronic complainers. If we know that God loves us, that our sins are forgiven, that death has been defeated, that Jesus is with us and that we are always witnesses for Jesus, we will remember to “pray and sing at midnight.” Bro. Joe “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Most of the sermons and lessons that we hear, or read, on giving are about our giving, but we are not asked to give by a God who does not Himself give. I don’t know who it originated with, but I have always heard that you can’t out give God. He is the best giver as our text verse suggests. We are to be givers, but we need to realize that as we are giving we are getting back from God. Why is God the best giver? God is the best giver because His gifts are always good. James wrote that “every good and perfect gift is from above. No gift that we give to God is perfect, but His gifts to us are always perfect. God’s gifts are always genuine and solid. John 3:16 tells us Who God’s greatest gift was: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Jesus was/is a “good and perfect gift.” God also gives us “things,” but His greatest gifts are inward and spiritual. These gifts cannot possibly be evaluated by dollars and cents. We cannot put a price on in the gift of forgiveness for sin. The gift of divine Sonship is priceless; therefore, it does not have a price tag. Knowing that we have an eternal home in heaven is a gift that cannot be bought. In fact, it can only be given by God’s grace. (Which means that we don’t deserve God’s gifts, but we get them anyway– as some say, we get them “in spite of...”) The fact that God’s grace gifts do not have a price tag does not mean that they are cheap. They came to us via the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. We need to remember Psalm 103:2:“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” God is the best giver because His gifts always bring greater purpose into our lives. God does not give His priceless gifts merely for our selfish enjoyment. I don’t mean that we can’t enjoy them, but the greatest enjoyment comes from realizing His great purpose in our lives and in the lives of others. For example, God has provided the gift of the Holy Spirit to all who are true believers. God has also provided the gifts of the Holy Spirit. No one has ever provided a complete and exhaustive list of these gifts. We think of teaching, preaching, encouragement and leadership, to name a few, but the list just goes on and on. God gives us spiritual gifts in order for us to live full lives. God gives us spiritual gifts in order for us to be able to serve Him more effectively. These gifts enable us to serve God according to His will. If you are not aware of the purposeful gifts that God has given to you, now would be a good time evaluate your life and discover those gifts that God has given you. God is the best giver because He is always giving. From Genesis to Revelation, we see God giving and giving and giving. He gave deliverance to Israel. He gave them manna to eat every day while they were in the desert wilderness. He gave Israel Canaan in which to live and serve Him. When we come to the New Testament, we find God giving us His Son as our Savior. As we receive the gifts of God into our lives, He continues to give and give to us in order to enrich our lives. It is a mystery why many people think that if they give their lives to Christ, that it will somehow diminish their lives. Indeed, it will enrich their lives if they will only give it a try. On top of that He gave us each other. Together, we comprise His church. His church provides fellowship for us and serves as a vehicle of our service to Him. God wants to give eternal life to you. He wants to enrich your daily life with His presence, and with the fellowship of His people. For heaven’s sake, let God give you all that He wants to give you. Bro. Joe “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Peter gave a solemn warning in this text. He merely stated what the Bible has revealed from the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem. The devil is after you. We already know that the devil is the enemy, the deceiver and the father of lies. I want to show you three other ways that the devil is after us. The devil is the accuser. Revelation 12:10b: “For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” The devil delights in making accusations against us. He does this in order to make us feel that ware defeated and useless. One way he accuses us is through guilt. Jesus forgive us for our sins, but the devil does not want us to accept that. We ask the Lord for forgiveness and receive it, but the devil reminds us again and again of the sin for which we have been forgiven. As a result, we continue to feel guilty and useless and we cannot be effective servants of God. Another way he accuses us is through failure. We know that it is human to fail, but the devil reminds us of our failures and keeps us from persevering in serving the Lord. Someone might demean and make us feel ridiculous when we witness to them. The devil takes that and convinces us that we cannot witness for the Lord. Don’t let this accusations fool you. The devil is the neutralizer. (I am indebted to Lloyd Ogilvie for this insight.) For example, the devil tried to neutralize Jesus when he tempted Him in Matthew 4. All three temptations were designed to make Jesus do something that would neutralize His mission to save us from sin. The devil tried to neutralize Peter through his denial of Jesus. Surely Peter felt worthless after he denied Jesus three times. Earlier, Peter was so confident that he would stand up for Jesus when the time came, but he did not. Thank God that the devil’s ploy did not work on Peter, for Peter went on to become a great servant of the Lord. The devil tries to neutralize us through compromise with the world. He wants us to feel at home in his version of the world and uncomfortable in the kingdom of God. The devil knows that this will make us indifferent to the lost and suffering around us. The last thing the devil wants for us is to witness and minister to people. Don’t let the devil neutralize you. The devil is the sifter. Luke 22:31-32: “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren.” this is reminiscent of the time when the devil asked God’s permission to attempt to destroy Job. What did Jesus mean by “sift you as wheat”? In Jesus’ day, farmers would toss wheat into a sheet and the chaff would be carried away by the breeze while the wheat fell back into the sheet. The devil wanted to convince Peter that he was chaff. He wants to do the same with us. He tempts us and tosses us around until we feel that we are no good. A Christian who feels like chaff is not likely to do much to serve God. Don’t let the devil sift you. The devil isyour accuser. He will try to neutralize you. He has asked to sift you as well. God allows this because He knows that when we defeat the devil, and do not let him “devour us,”we will be stronger for it. Do not let the devil make you feel useless and helpless, for you surely are not if you are saved. |
AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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