“O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon you.”
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, felt overwhelmed. He, and Judah, were facing a mighty army from the Moabites and Ammonites. His prayer in this moment of seeming helplessness is a good reminder to us of how we should pray when we feel overwhelmed. (If you are like me, this is often.) The following is what we can learn from this prayer: We can give an honest appraisal of our situation as Jehoshaphat did: “For we have no might against this great company that comes against us.” Sometimes the might of the things that overwhelm us is in our imagination, but sometimes the threat is real. This was certainly true of Jehoshaphat and Judah’s situation. It is difficult for us to admit our weakness, but it is a good idea to know our limitations. According to Paul in Ephesians 6, we are at war with a formidable enemy – Satan. Satan also has a mighty army that seeks to overwhelm us. We just have to admit that we do not have resources to battle him without outside help. I am amazed at times at what human strength can do, but human strength is not all-powerful, and we need to give an honest appraisal of our own weakness. We won’t overcome this weakness until we do. We can make an honest confession of our own ignorance as to what to do. Jehoshaphat was by no means an ignorant man, but as smart as he was, he knew that his knowledge was not adequate to meet the great army that was coming against him. It is difficult for us to admit ignorance. We Americans take a great deal of pride in our knowledge. After all, today we have the internet, which literally gives us knowledge at our fingertips. But in this moral and spiritual battle that we are in, we just have to admit that it is “above our pay grade” to know how to outsmart Satan. He deals with us like he did with Adam and Eve. He makes sin look so good that it is difficult for us to refuse him. Satan is smart enough to make our sins seem small in comparison to the sins of other people. After all, we might think, “We do not commit adultery and we are honest in all of our dealings." But he sneaks pride in on us and we fall for it and downright feel good about it. It will do us good to honestly confess that we do not have the moral power, nor the mental capacity, to overcome Satan. He is to us like the Moabites and Ammonites were to Jehoshaphat and Judah. Which brings us to Jehoshaphat and Judah’s conclusion: They made an honest plea to the right source - “but our eyes are upon You.” The conjunction “but” is important here. In spite of the honest appraisal of the power of the enemy, and in spite of the honest confession of ignorance as to what to do about the situation, Jehoshaphat knew where to turn for help. The song, “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” comes to mind here. We need to set our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our shield and help. We need to set our eyes upon the power of the Holy Spirit, who can enable us to overcome. We need to appeal to the love and power of God. Jehoshaphat’s was a smart move. Here is what God said to him in 2 Chronicles 20:15b: “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” What comes to my mind here is that we just need to let God be God and do what only He can do. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul tells us about the “whole armor of God.” God has not left us defenseless in our battle against Satan. He is our greatest defense. It is a great comfort to know that “the battle is not (ours), but God’s.” What are you facing today? “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus,” and trust Him to help you over, through or around whatever it is that you are facing. Bro. Joe
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“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, 14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
I am indebted to Dr. David Jeremiah for the ideas shared in this post. When I read the points that I am about to make, the idea of living wisely came to my mind. I think that the text and the three things suggested in the article tell us how to live wisely. First, “Accept the past.” Paul wrote “forgetting those things which are behind.” Do you realize that Satan is an expert at helping us dig up negative things from the past? Yesterday I heard Charles Stanley preach on this topic. He pointed out that Satan will never bring up the good things from our past, only the negative. His reason for that is that he wants us defeated and thinking less of ourselves than we should. When I heard Charles Stanley say that, I thought, “Man, did I need to hear that.” We just have to accept that the past is the past. Nothing can be done about what we have done in the past. If God has forgiven your past, why would you want to continue to carry the guilt? If you want to live wisely just accept the past. Second, “Trust God to handle the future.” Paul wrote: “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before.” He is encouraging us to embrace the future. I know that this is an old cliché but it needs quoting here: “I do not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” If we realize that, just as we do not have to face the present alone, we will not have to face the future alone. When God defined Himself to Moses as “I AM," He defined Himself as God of the past, present and future. God has always been and He will always be. When tomorrow comes, He will be there waiting, just as He was the day before. I look back and think of the times that I dreaded what was about to happen in the future. And here I am still alive, well and kicking. The future has not always turned out well for me from the world’s standpoint, but it did not kill me. I love the saying, “That which did not kill me, made me stronger.” That’s probably not the exact quote, but it tells how I feel anyway. The future will be what it will be, and we will just have to utilize our faith in Jesus as we did yesterday and as we are doing today. Face the future in faith, and it will not seem dreadful. Third, “Make the most of the time He has given you today.” Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:15-16: “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” The HCSB translates it: “Pay careful attention then, to how you walk- not as unwise people but as wise – making the most of the time because the days are evil.” Paul realized, as we must, that we cannot relive the past and we cannot live in the future so what we have left is today. We need to make the most of each day. This is why I start each day with a careful reading of the Bible and with prayer. I know that I need to start each day off with God so that it will be a better day. I’m not pointing out my “righteousness” to you; rather, I am pointing out my need. I need God/Jesus in this day, or it will not go right. Dr. Ted Adams, one of my seminary professors, pointed out to us that we need to encapsulate each day and live it to our fullest capacity. What we do today will determine what we can do tomorrow. If we see each day as a waste, and look forward to something better in the future, we are building our lives on a poor foundation. If we want to live wisely, we just need to make the most of each day that God gives us and live it to the hilt. Satan wants to bring up your negatives from the past, make you dread the future and he wants to ruin today for you. Don’t let him do any of it. Live wisely! Bro. Joe “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. 13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Titus was God’s man to preach the gospel to the people on the Island of Crete. Titus 2:11-13 gives us the content of the message that he was to preach to the unruly people of Crete. It was a message of God’s grace. The message of God’s grace has not changed. It is still the message that we are to give to the world. The message is, and always will be, a message of the grace of God. Grace is defined as “God’s unmerited favor.” This means that we do not deserve all that God has done for us, but He has done it, and is doing it, today. These two verses show us the essence of the profound grace that we are to share with the world. Paul reminded Titus, “for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” God’s grace is inclusive. The gospel that we preach is intended to reach all people, not just people of whom we approve, or with whom we are comfortable. There is no one who is so sinful that God’s grace cannot reach him or her. This doesn’t mean that all people will respond positively to God’s grace, but it does mean that this grace is available to them. This is why Jesus commanded His disciples, and us, to go into the entire world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why missionaries are being sent all over the world. The message of grace, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is meant to be shared with the whole world. This means that the gospel is to be carried to remote places where people are uninformed, and it is to be carried to the erudite and sophisticated people of the world as well. We should not forget that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all (people).” Paul reminded Titus, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.” God’s grace is instructive. When people accept Jesus Christ as Savior, their lives are changed. This is what the gospel of grace instructs us to share with God’s people. The grace of God brings profound change into the lives of the people who embrace it. There is no better example of the life-changing nature of the gospel than Paul himself. He knew what it meant to be touched by the grace of God and to turn from being a hateful person to being a loving person who would share the gospel of grace all over the Roman Empire, and thus to the world. It was said of the people of Crete, that they “are always liars, evil beasts…” (Titus 1:12) Titus was to take the profound message of grace to even the “liars” and “evil beasts” of Crete. The grace of God could transform their lives as well as the most amiable of people. Grace teaches us that we are to deny ungodliness and to shun worldly lusts, and that we are to live “soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” Grace still teaches this truth today. Bro. Joe "God is our is our refuge, and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1 also reminds us that God is "a very present help in trouble." "Very present" is also translated: "A helper Who is always found in times of trouble." There is never a time in our lives when we cannot depend on God, for He is "very present." The Israelites found this to be true when they came to the Red Sea in their escape from Egypt. This would appear to be an inescapable problem, but the "very present" God divided the Red Sea for them to pass through. For the next forty years the Israelites had to depend on God to be "very present." He even provided manna for them to eat during their journey. God was there for every step that the Israelite made in their journey to Canaan. Peter found this to be true when he stepped out of his fishing vessel to go to Jesus on the stormy sea. The "very present" Lord Jesus Christ took his hand and lifted him up from the sea. Peter intrinsically knew that the Lord Jesus was "very present" and would save him. If we have lived close to Jesus, we can also recall times when He has lifted us out of "troubled waters." (I can also recall times when I had to swim out of the troubled waters because I didn't look up for Jesus' helping hand. Perhaps you can recall such times in your life.) We just need to always remember that our Lord is also available to us in times of trouble, and at all of the times of our lives. You will find that God always available in your life. In fact He is present in your life at this very moment. I don't know what troubles and problems you are facing today, but if you will reach out you will find Jesus available to help carry you over, around, or through this moment. Just as God was there for the Israelites and for Peter, He is available to you. He is aware of whatever challenges you are facing today, and He will carry through. Selah Bro. Joe "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
When we think about God as our strength, we think of the incident between David and Goliath. The only reason that David could defeat Goliath was because of the strength of God. We cannot win the battle for life over Satan without God. This is not a "do it yourself" project. We cannot overcome sin without the strength of God. This is why we fail in life often because we do not lean on the strength of God in moments of weakness. I can think of examples in my life of times when my strength was not enough to overcome Satan. I imagine that you can recount times in your life when your strength failed because you depended on your own strength. We might have strong will power, but that is not enough in our battle against Satan. We have to depend on God's strength or we will fail. I remember when I was in my late teens, I was in situations that I needed the strength of God. But I did not depend on Him and I failed. I can remember times in my life now when I will fail if I do not lean on the strength of God. Whatever moral battles you are facing today, you will need the strength of God. I repeat: "THIS IS NOT A DO IT YOURSELF PROJECT." If David had depended on his own strength when he faced Goliath he would have surely failed. There were no stones large enough or heavy enough to defeat Goliath. David was but a youth and Goliath was a battle-proven huge man in the Philistine army. If we had been present that day, we would have probably thought that David had lost his mind. But David was not depending on human strength, he was depending on the strength of God. David's elder brother Eliab tried to discourage him from facing Goliath. David's reply was: "The Lord that delivered me out of the the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistlne, and Saul said unto Davld: 'Go, and the Lord be with you.'" The rest is history. You are not likely to face men who are nine feet tall, but you will face temptations that are as strong as a giant. You will need the strength of God to overcome them. Believe me, I know this from experience. When you face the "Goliath's" of your life, you will need the strength of Almighty God. Those giants will be beyond your strength, instead, you will need the strength of God. You might be struggling with huge temptations today. Go to God in prayer and depend on His strength to deliver you. Believe me, this preacher knows whence he speaks/writes. Enough said/written! Bro. Joe stre \as depending on the strength of God. Who wants to depend depemd d dp th tho we j Goliath wi were n faced fai LL all project “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
“God is our refuge.” What is a refuge? My Webster dictionary defines it as “a shelter from pursuit, danger or trouble". God is described in the text as our "refuge." What does this mean? First, God is our our refuge from fear. With all of the bad news that we have today, I can’t imagine waking up in the morning not knowing that God will be with me all through the day. There is great comfort and knowing that He is “very present” as the KJV puts it. David didn’t write this psalm, but he dealt with it in other psalms. As a shepherd in his youth, David encountered a lot of dangers. This is why he wrote in Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.” I cannot tell you that I am never afraid, but I can tell you that I do not live in fear. We cannot let fear control our lives. Second, God is our refuge from temptation. Temptation is the primary human problem. Satan finds ways to tempt us that will catch us by surprise. He makes sin look good, and even feel good to make it not seem like sin. That is why we need to stay close to the Lord, and recognize temptation to sin for what it is. Satan wants us to think that temptation is a quaint, old fashioned concept. He is doing a pretty job of it today – won’t you agree? If you hear someone say that they are never tempted, you can be assured that they have fallen into Satan’s snare. Believe me, I know the meaning of temptation. It is one of the reasons that I start and end everyday with prayer, and also do a lot of praying in between. One of the definitions of refuge is “shelter from pursuit.” That is certainly true in the matter of temptation. When you are dealing with temptation, run to God!!! Third, God is our refuge from self. You probably do not remember the cartoon character Pogo, but one of my favorite quotations from him is: “We has met the enemy and he is us.” You’ve heard people say, and have probably said the same thing yourself: “I am my own worst enemy.” I feel like this sometimes when I am in the presence of chocolate. (Come on, you know what I mean.) The Bible tells us to love others as we love ourselves. We forget that in order to love others, we have to love ourselves. I don’t mean a selfish type of love. I guess the best way to put it is that we need to have self-respect. God is our refuge when we are really down on ourselves, because He is ready and willing to forgive us. I hope these random thoughts on God as our refuge have encouraged and challenged you today. Note: Tomorrow we will look at God as "Our Strength." Bro. Joe I pulled this article from 2012. I thought it was due another reading for many of you and also a new read for others.
I put "Doubting Thomas" in quotation marks, because being a doubter does not tell the whole story of Thomas. Traditional Christian history has been quite generous with Thomas, so we don't want to just remember his doubting Jesus' resurrection. What I want to focus on is what Jesus said to Thomas when Thomas was present with the disciples. Jesus invited Thomas to touch His hands and His side, but Thomas just answered "My Lord and my God." In verse 29 Jesus said to Thomas: "Thomas because you have seen me you have believed; blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed." This includes everyone reading this blog who believes in Jesus. None of us have seen Jesus as Thomas did. If anyone accepts Jesus, it is sight unseen. If one has to see Jesus in the flesh, or any other way really, e.g., by a vision, to believe, he or she has denied the very definition of faith given in Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is not based on sight. It is faith that makes the unseen Jesus real and vital in our lives. I have never seen Jesus, but I certainly believe in Him, and I have seen what He has done in my life and in the lives of others. Jesus said we are blessed because we have not seen yet have believed. If you are a believer you are blessed. Praise the Lord for that. Bro. Joe We have traditionally used the word “temperance” in reference to alcohol consumption. However, it has a broader application than that. It can also be translated “self-control," which covers every area of our lives. In this age of affluence in America, self-control is a real struggle, even for Christians. After all, there is so much to buy and to consume. The Holy Spirit in our lives reminds us that we need to be temperate in all of life. We will consider three facts of temperance in this article: Discipline, mastery and servanthood.
Discipline Without discipline we will not be in control of ourselves. Paul realized the value of discipline when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:27: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Obviously, the Holy Spirit convicted Paul of this need to stay in control. When we lack discipline in any area of our lives we stand the chance of rendering ourselves useless as witnesses for Christ. Discipline might seem like a negative thing in our free-wheeling society, but it is positive when we realize its value in our lives. With it we control our habits, tongues, bodies, time, etc. Mastery The Holy Spirit enables us to master ourselves as we serve the master. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things…” This is a reference to foot racing. It is impossible to excel in foot racing without mastering oneself. It is also impossible to excel in Christian living without mastering ourselves under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We need to constantly look at our lives and see if there are areas that are mastering us instead of our mastering them. For example, several years ago a young lady told me that she quit smoking because she decided not to be mastered by a little cigarette. What masters you? Let the Holy Spirit give you mastery over whatever "it" is. Servanthood Until the Holy Spirit controls our lives, and until we practice self-control under His leadership, we will not be the servants of Jesus that we could be. David was sidetracked by a moment of intemperance when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Moses was sidetracked by a moment of intemperance when he killed the Egyptian who was mistreating one of the Israelites. Peter was sidetracked by a moment of intemperance when he denied knowing Jesus. All of us could probably recount times when we gave in to intemperance of some sort or other. Thank God that Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to help us master ourselves while we serve Him. The world needs for us to be temperate Christians. They need to see the servants of Christ living up to that great name. It takes real discipline and real mastery over self to be effective servants of Jesus. In fact, the Spirit who calls us to temperance is the same Spirit who leads us in our service for Jesus. All great servants of God have been temperate people. Like us, they probably had moments of intemperance, but the balance of their lives was heavily weighted toward self-control. The reason for this is that they were led by the Spirit of God instead of by the world. “Go thou and do likewise…” Bro. Joe I was thinking today of how I could share the basics the Christian life. Three words came to my mind, which I will share with you today.
Believe The Christian life begins when one believes in Jesus Christ. This does not mean that one believes about Jesus .i.e., that Jesus is alive and at work in the world, but He has nothing to do with one's life. Christian belief is a surrender of one's mind, heart and body to Jesus. In the New Testament, believers are shown as workers for the Kingdom. Their belief in Jesus led them to serve Him no matter what the rest of the world thought about them. After his conversion to Christ, the apostle Paul began to witness about Him to Jews and gentiles alike. Though he had tried to destroy Christian work, after he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, Paul became of the chief witnesses about Jesus to the world. His belief in Jesus led to Christian service. What has your belief in Jesus led you to do for His kingdom's work? We are not saved by our service, but we are saved to serve. Behave Our belief in Jesus makes a difference in our behavior. This does not mean that we will be sinless, but that our belief in Jesus makes a difference in our behavior. None of us behaves perfectly, But our behavior will reflect the presence of Jesus in our lives. Matthew 5:16 reminds us of the importance of this: "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." If we want our lights to shine before people, we will be careful how we relate to people. We will be careful how we treat people. Does your behavior, to and before, people reflect Christ to them? Belong We are all saved individually, but we are not saved to be stick only to ourselves. When Jesus began His ministry, He called disciples to follow Him and to serve Him. Acts two and four reveal to us that Christ's followers were melded together to witness and to serve. Early Christians served together to serve Christ. The world needs to see Christian people, not just organized together, but the world needs to see us serving together in love for Christ, and for people. They should not be sidelined by our feuds, but they need to be included by our love and concern. As Christ's followers we belong to Him and to each other as His church. We are called together in His love to serve Him. Well, these are the "Three B's" of the Christian faith that came to my mind today. We are all called to believe, behave and belong. Bro. Joe I want to share some thoughts that I had today that blessed my heart, and I pray that they will bless your heart.
God sees you. You might think that you are persona non grata, but you are not. You are alive on this earth for a reason (or reasons). You might think that you are out of God's sight, but nothing could be further from the truth. God loves you. He probably does not approve of all that you think or do, but He loves you in spite of all that you think or do. I personally know that God disciplines His people, but that does not mean that He no longer loves them. In fact, His discipline is a sign to you that you belong to Him, and He wants to straighten you out. Listen to Him. God loves you. John 3:16 reminds us that "God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." You might be ignoring God but He is not ignoring you. He is aware of you. You might be ignoring the Son of God, Jesus Christ, but He is not ignoring you. He loves you. God has acted on your behalf. Jesus died on the cross in order for you to be saved. I do not know why it had to be this way, but it did have to be, and Jesus died on the cross for you. He said from the cross: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." You can put your name in the place of "they." Jesus defeated death and was resurrected on the third day. Jesus is alive today, and He is interested in your life. Take God's invitation to be saved today and for all eternity. He loves you! He want the best for you. He wants you to receive His love today and receive Him as your Savior. Jesus is available to you for eternal salvation. Simply, and sincerely, confess: "Lord, I know that I am a sinner, but I do not want sin to define my life. Forgive me for my sins and come into my life in order for me to be saved." This eternal salvation is available to you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and through His Holy Name. The Risen, living Christ, is available to you through His love. Thank God that He is the Forgiving God, and thank Him for forgiving you. Selah Bro. Joe |
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