Who Are Our Examples?

Philippians 3:17-4:1 

Many Christians have a fellow believer that they really look up to as someone whose strong faith and godly life they admire, and would seek to model.  I knew someone whose faith and walk with the Lord was something I wanted to strive to be like.  They have since gone home to be with the Lord, but if I could be half the Christian they were, that would be something.  In our Scripture for today the Apostle Paul instructs the Philippian church to be careful of who they follow the example of.  Let’s look into our passage to see what we can learn.

As our Scripture begins, the Apostle Paul tells the Philippians that they should be careful of who they are following the example of, and gives himself for an example to follow (vs. 17).  Paul didn’t believe that he was perfect.  None of us are.  However, Paul knew that each day he strived and focused to follow Jesus in his own life, and to obey His Word.  Paul was a model for pursuing the goal of Christ-likeness.  Having a godly example to copy is very helpful for us to grow as a believer, and lead a better life.

As Paul continues, he warns the Philippians, though, that not everyone is good to set up as an example to follow (vs. 18-19).  As Paul warns, there are some people who are enemies of the Cross of Jesus Christ.  Some of them were right there in the church congregation in Philippi.  The same is true today, as there are enemies of the Cross of Jesus in many of our churches, too.

Who are these people that Paul is warning that we should be on the lookout to avoid?  They are people who claim to be Christians, but don’t live up to His model, and don’t even make any attempt to.  They seek to satisfy their own desires, as Paul describes in verse 19.  They are dangerous false teachers, who pose as followers of Jesus, but do not truly follow His Word.  Instead they follow their own desires.

How can we recognize these enemies of the cross?  Jesus’ death on the Cross brought salvation to man.  Those who scorn the Cross, making little of Jesus’ Holy Blood.  These say, or act as if there is no need for the death of Jesus on the Cross, that His death was not necessary, and that everyone will be going to heaven.  In their minds the Cross and His precious Blood are unnecessary, and they are thus an enemy of the Cross.  There are also those who continue to trust in their own works or in human wisdom to save them, those who deny the transforming power of the Gospel.  All of the best efforts of those who are trusting in themselves, their efforts and accomplishments, are no better than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:7-8).  The Cross of Jesus exposes us for who we really are - hopeless, helpless sinners in need of a Savior.

There are those who claim to be followers of Jesus, but whose worldly, hedonistic lifestyle corrupts them.  These are also the enemies of the Cross.  They are controlled by their earthly nature, worshiping sensual desires.  Their mind is on earthly things, rather than heavenly.  Paul states that instead of bragging and glorying in what they believe and how they live, their lifestyle should be their shame.  He warns that unless they truly put their faith in the Lord Jesus their end will be destruction.

Paul continues on, stating that our focus should be on heaven, where our true citizenship is, and where Jesus will return from (vs. 20-21).  Our heart and life should not be drawn to things here on earth, but instead in heaven, where our citizenship and home truly is, where God dwells, where Jesus is present, and where our names are registered (Luke 10:20).  When Jesus returns, He has promised to give us a new body, which will be like the one Jesus has following His resurrection (vs. 21).

As Paul concludes our Scripture passage he calls the believers of Philippi his joy and crown (vs. 4:1). Paul didn’t derive his joy and pleasure in circumstances or possessions, but rather in the people he had won to the Lord, and in those he instructed and encouraged in the Lord.  The people that we lead to the Lord will also bring a crown of rejoicing for us.

Paul also urges the true believers and followers of Jesus to stand firm in Him.  The way to stand firm is to keep our eyes on Christ, remembering that this world is not our home, and to focus on the fact that Jesus will bring everything under His control.   We need to depend fully on Jesus to keep us moving forward in order to finish the race well.  He will take us through all of the challenges we face, and lead us home.

Light For Dark Days

Psalm 27 

In the last several years, the world has become a darker and much scarier place to live.  Wars, diseases, street violence in most major cities, desperate financial hardship for many as prices of necessities skyrocket.  When we were little, we might not have thought that grown-ups could be afraid, but now we know how false that thinking is.  Our psalm for this week, Psalm 27, is one of my favorite psalms.  The author, David, was someone who had good reason to be afraid, as he spent several years as a young adult running for his life while King Saul unjustly tried to kill him.  He also fought in the military, both as soldier, and later as king, against the enemies of the Israelites.  Later David’s own son, Absalom, raised an army against him, and tried to depose him as king.  David had good reason to be afraid, but he also knew where to turn when afraid, which is what this psalm is all about.  Let’s learn David’s secret for when fear strikes us, as it likely will at some point in our life.

As our psalm opens up, David reveals where he turns to in those dark days.  It may be figuratively dark right now with so many fearsome things happening in the world and in our own personal lives.  We are afraid.  However David, who knew many dark days, said that he had light and nothing to be afraid of.  The Lord God was his light and his strength, and with Him he had no need for fear (vs. 1).

When enemies, whether literal or figurative ones, come surrounding us, just as if they would eat us up, God can handle them.  With Him as our protector, they will stumble and fall (vs. 2).  We can be confident and fearless, even though an army, again literal or figurative, comes against us (vs. 3).  In times of darkness Jesus will be our light, and illuminate the way (John 8:12; 12:46).  He has promised that He will never leave or forsake those who have called upon Him as Savior.  In the midst of darkness and despair, we can know that God is our light.  Knowing that He is the stronghold of our life can make us feel protected, embraced, and loved.

We can conquer fear by using the light of the Lord, who brings salvation.  There is no darkness at all in God (I John 1:5).  His light will dispel the darkness of fear.  When we’re walking in the power of God’s Spirit we don’t need to fear anything.  Those who desire to live in God’s presence each day will be able to enjoy that relationship forever (vs. 4).  God’s perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18).  We are secure because God’s perfect love protects us, no matter what our circumstances may be.

However, some may wonder why their circumstances have not changed, even though they have turned to the Lord and brought their urgent needs and fears to the Lord in prayer.  What is wrong?  Doesn’t God care about me?  At the end of our psalm David instructs us that we need to wait on the Lord (vs. 14).  Sometimes we feel that God has let us down because He doesn’t provide an immediate answer to our prayers.  Waiting on God requires faith in Him.  Walking by faith means trusting in God, even without knowing when or how He will resolve the situation.  We must submit to the Lord, knowing there is nothing we can do except rest in Him.

Waiting for the Lord requires patience, and takes courage.  Waiting can transform us into a people of growing faith.  When we become frustrated with God’s apparent delay in answering our prayer, it is good to remember that He is interested in developing faith and perseverance in our character.  Waiting for God is not easy, but He is worth waiting for.  God calls us to hope in and wait for Him because He will use the waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us.

God always comes through for those who wait on Him.  If we hold fast to His hand, knowing that He loves us, we have no reason to fear.  Although circumstances change, God’s promises do not.  Stand on the rock of His promises, and take shelter under His wings until the storm passes.  Our God is the biggest, strongest, and most loving Father in the universe!  We can rest on His round the clock care of every area of our life.  We don’t need to fear any circumstance.  Instead of saying, “God, I have a big problem!” we can say, “Problem, I have a big God!”  Because God is near, I need not fear!

The Faith Of Abraham

Genesis 15:1-6

Abraham is one of the most revered men in history, and Christianity certainly holds this Old Testament figure in great regard.  Why is Abraham so revered?  He didn’t lead a nation out of captivity, such as Moses did.  He didn’t command armies, like Joshua or David.  Nor was he one of the great prophets.  As we look into our Scripture for today, we will see why God’s Word holds Abraham up as a figure honored by God, and to be modeled in our own lives.

When we are first introduced to Abraham in the Bible, (called Abram at this time), he was living in the city of Ur, the great city of the ancient Sumerians, along with his wife, father, and siblings, when they left there to move north and west, to the city of Haran (Genesis 11:26-32).  When he was 75 years old, God called him to take his wife and nephew Lot, and leave Haran, promising to make a great nation from him (Genesis 12:1-5).  What makes God’s promise special is that at his age, Abram and his wife Sarah have no children.  She was about ten years younger than Abram, and having been married now for many years, was obviously barren.  Now, several chapters later in the Bible, where our Scripture today begins, several years have passed, and Abram still has no children.  Right then, the heir to his fortune would be his chief and most trusted servant, Eliezer of Damascus (vs. 2-3).

God, though, has greater plans for Abram than that.  God renews His promise to him, telling him that his servant Eliezer will not be his heir, but that He will give him a child, and that eventually his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (vs. 4-5).  That would seem to be an impossibility.  Abram at this time was in his mid-eighties, and Sarah in her mid-seventies.  Not too many men at that age have children, and women at that age can’t bear children.  Yet, what was Abram’s response to this renewal of God’s promise to him?  He did not scoff.  He did not doubt in his heart.  Our key verse here says that Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness (vs. 6).

Abram believed God, and because of that belief, he was saved.  Because of that belief, God counted it to him for righteousness, not because of any great works that he did.  It was faith that saved Abram, not works.  Abram’s belief in God is an illustration of faith over and against works.  Abram was justified by faith.  He believed God’s Word and promise.  This is one of the Bible’s great examples of justification by faith.  Abram was saved by grace through faith, not by any works he did, or by who he was.  There is no other way of salvation given anywhere in the Bible.

Although Abram had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, such as leaving his extended family home and livelihood in Haran, and following where God would lead him, not knowing ahead of time where he was going (Hebrews 11:8), it was not his actions that saved him.  It was his belief in the Lord, not his actions, that made Abram right with God.  Outward actions will not, by themselves, make us right with God.  Abram’s saving relationship with God is based on faith.  Right actions will follow naturally as by-products.

What makes Abram’s faith even more special is that he did not have the Bible, nor any Scriptures that he could turn to in order to help boost his faith.  None of the Bible had been written down yet, nor would it be for several hundred more years.  He could not turn to anyone in his extended family, such as a parent or sibling to encourage his faith, either, as they were not believers.  The city where he was born, Ur, was renowned for the worship of the moon god Nanna, of the ancient Sumerians.  Other than his wife, Sarah, and nephew Lot, he was alone in his belief of the one true God, Yahweh.

Yahweh was Abram’s Divine Protector, his Shield, and Great Reward (vs. 1).  Even when he did not see how God could fulfill His promise to him regarding an heir, he trusted the Lord anyway.  He looked beyond what he could see to what God could see.  Abram did not need to be afraid.  God promised to defend him as his Shield, and be his reward or blessing.

When We Face Temptation

 Luke 4:1-13

Have you ever thought that God just doesn’t understand what you are going through?  How could He, you think? He's all-powerful, up there in heaven, and doesn’t understand the trials and problems we go through each day, nor how easy it is to slip up with the temptations we are bombarded with.  As we read today’s Scripture from the Gospel of Luke, we will read that Jesus faced similar trials that we do, and was also relentlessly tempted by the devil.  As we look into and study the temptation of Jesus, we can learn some ways to help us when we are going through our own times of testing.

Most of us would want to be victorious when we face temptation, and not fall victim to the lures and tricks of Satan.  As the Bible records, Jesus was tempted just as we are (Hebrews 4:15).  The difference is that He did not give in to the temptations, and did not sin.  Our Scripture passage gives us some ways that we can imitate the Savior in order to also have victory when we are tempted.

As our Scripture opens, we read that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit when He went into the wilderness for a time of prayer with God, which also ended up being a time of severe temptations (vs. 1).  It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can have any victory over the temptations of Satan.  He is a very wily and evil foe, and we, on our own and in our own power, are no match against him.  We need to remain filled with the Spirit, and in close, obedient fellowship with God through prayer to win over temptation.

When Satan came to Jesus, tempting Him in various ways, Jesus responded, not with His own arguments, but with quoting Scripture verses.  He used the Bible, which is our only weapon of offense in the spiritual armor that God has given us (Ephesians 6:13-18).  The Bible, God’s Word, is the sword that He has given us, and Jesus used it effectively to fight off the temptations of Satan.  We need to keep that weapon always sharpened.

Jesus was alone, fasting, and ready to start His ministry when His temptations came.  Satan likes to tempt us when we are vulnerable, when we’re hungry, sick, tired, or preparing for an important ministry.  When Satan struck, he tried to get Jesus to make selfish choices, instead of submitting to God’s plans.  We should question decisions that place more emphasis on our personal desires, rather than God’s will.

As mentioned, Jesus used the Bible to combat Satan.  The Savior accepted and recognized the divine authority of the Bible, as God’s very Words.  With each attack from the devil, Jesus answered him with Scripture.  It’s not enough to just quote the Bible, though.  We must believe, obey, and live it, as Jesus did.

As Jesus used the Scriptures against Satan, the devil thought he would try the same, and he quoted a verse back at Jesus (vs. 9-11).  However, Satan misused Scripture, and didn’t even quote the verses correctly.  We need to be aware that Scripture verses can be twisted, and the devil will use people to twist them to try and mean anything he wants them to use it for.  The more we study and know the Bible, the easier it will be to see when Satan and his minions try to misuse it.

Satan doesn’t attack us in the same way all the time.  Just as with Jesus, he looks for opportune times, such as when we feel weak, as Jesus did while fasting many days and he tempted him with turning stones into bread (vs. 3).  He appeals to our pride (vs. 5-7).  And he makes us question whether we can trust God and His care for us (vs. 9-11).

When Satan entices us to indulge in the pleasures of the world in a way that disobeys God’s commands, we must remember that he is not doing so because he cares that we are missing out on some “fun” or a “good time”.  Satan hates mankind.  He wants to capture and control us.  Never forget that when you follow Satan you walk right into a trap.  Don’t get lackadaisical about temptation.  It always strikes us at our weakest point and weakest moments.  Just as Jesus did, stay filled with the Holy Spirit, stay in daily prayer, and pick up our sword, the Word of God when Satan brings his temptations.

Confess And Believe

Romans 10:8-13

Imagine if you had been offered a very valuable gift, and you had to figure out how to receive that gift, but you were never told what to do.  You tried to figure out how to receive it, but you never figured it out, and thus, you lost out.  That wouldn’t seem very fair, would it?  We have been offered the most wonderful and valuable gift there ever was, that of salvation, of spending eternity in heaven with God.  There are some people that say we can never know for sure whether we will go to heaven, and that there is no way of knowing exactly how we can receive salvation, but that is not true.  As we read today’s Scripture from the Book of Romans, we will see that God told us very plainly what we must do in order to receive His gift of salvation.  Let’s see what the Scripture says here.

As we begin our passage, we read very plainly that God has clearly revealed the way of salvation (vs. 8).  It is by faith.  The message of faith is the way to God.  It is not by making a pilgrimage, not by fasting a certain number of days.  It is not by crawling on our hands and knees to a certain holy site, or even reading through the Bible a certain number of times.  It is by coming to God through faith.

One of the most important verses in the whole Bible for anyone to know is right here in verse 9.  “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Salvation can only come through faith in Jesus Christ.  We confess it with our mouth to put our faith into action, and to affirm that we are accountable to Jesus.

This is not just a simple acknowledgment that Jesus is God.  Even Satan and the demons acknowledge that to be true (James 2:19).  This confession is a deep, personal belief and conviction, without reservation, that Jesus is one’s own Savior from sin.    We believe in our heart that Jesus has triumphed over death.  We confess that Jesus is the Lord of Glory, and the Savior of mankind, and that He died on the Cross that we might be saved.

We also believe that Jesus rose from the dead.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection was the supreme validation of His ministry.  Belief in the resurrection is necessary for salvation because it proved that Jesus is who He claimed to be.  It also showed that God the Father accepted the sacrifice of Jesus in place of sinners.

What we read in these verses of our Scripture passage is not just saying some magic words, some special, magical formula.  The mouth testifies of the grace of God in Christ, which we have received in our hearts by faith (vs. 10).  We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts, and that His sacrifice of Himself atoned for all sin.

We can trust that God will keep His side of this agreement (vs. 11).  Those who call on Him will be saved.  God will never fail to provide righteousness to those who believe.  The quote from verse 11 is a reference to Isaiah 28:16 and Isaiah 49:23.  This shows that salvation by grace through faith has always been God’s plan.  No one, including Gentiles, was ever to be excluded (vs. 12).

Verse 13 is a quote from the Prophet Joel in Joel 2:32.  Salvation is available for people of all nations and races.  It is open to every person, regardless of who they are, or what they have done.  The promise is to whoever puts their faith in Christ will be saved and have eternal life.  It is guaranteed to whoever.  God will never reject anyone who calls upon His Son.  However, you have to call upon Jesus as your Savior.  Those who don’t will not be saved.

Salvation is as close as our mouth and heart.  It is not a complicated process.  If we believe in our hearts, and say with our mouths that Jesus is the risen Lord, we will be saved.

God, Our Shelter And Refuge

Psalm 91

Life seems to be becoming increasingly more difficult, and even perilous for many.  War in various parts of the world, a pandemic recently raging across the globe.  In many big cities, street gangs have taken over neighborhoods, with innocent people getting shot in their battles with one another.  Prices of food and other necessities have risen, while our salaries remain low.  Problems on every side.  What can we do?  Where can we turn?  Our psalm for this week, Psalm 91, is one that many Christians have turned to when danger and fear surround them.  It is one that we can turn to for comfort and assurance of the Lord’s protection during these difficult days.

As our unknown psalmist begins, he addresses God as “Most High” (vs. 1).  This is a good title to remember when in the midst of peril.  God is most high above all.  There is nothing greater and nothing stronger than He is.  Circumstances may overwhelm us, but they cannot overwhelm Him.  No threat can ever overpower God.  All through this psalm we read of the Lord’s protection and care from a multitude of threats.  In order to be eligible for His protection, though, we must dwell in God’s secret place (vs. 1).  We must be in a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus, and abiding with Him (John 15:4-10).

As we read through this psalm, we see various types of danger that we can face, and how the Lord will deliver us.  In verse 3 some of our problems are compared to being caught in a snare.  Like a bird which is entrapped by the hunter, God will protect us from plots intended to endanger us.  We read in verses 3, 6, and 10 of the perilous pestilence, which is a disease, a plague, or as the whole planet has faced, an epidemic.  Yes, multiple thousands around the world died, but since you are reading this, the Lord preserved you.  This psalm has often been called “the soldier’s psalm”, as it speaks of the Lord’s protection when in battle.  We read of arrows (or today, bullets and missiles) flying by, along with the destruction of war (vs. 5-6).

We do not need to fear when we are trusting Jesus for protection.  He will protect us from all deadly attacks.  God does not promise us a world free from danger, as we see throughout this psalm that troubles do come to the author, but God does promise His help whenever we face danger.  Deliverance still has to be the will of God.  Even if harm should come, we can still be secure (Luke 21:16-18; Romans 8:28, 35).  When we are in the presence of the Lord, dwelling in His secret place, we have nothing to fear.  The power of the presence of God will take away all despair and doubt as we fellowship with Him.

As we trust in the Lord Jesus, our faith will prevail while others fall.  Millions are being destroyed by the powers of darkness, but the believer who puts his trust in God is promised that “it shall not come near you” (vs. 7-8).  The results of living without God are very obvious.  Believers, though, have no need to fear.  God’s faithfulness wraps around us (vs. 2).  We are surrounded by God’s bulwark, His fortress.

As our psalm reminds us, God is a shelter and a refuge when we are afraid of the dangerous circumstances we sometimes find ourselves surrounded by in this fearful world we live in today.  We, like the psalmist can have faith that God, as our Protector, will carry us through all the dangers and fears of life.  We need to trade our fears for faith in Jesus, no matter how intense our fears are.

If we are anxious, worried, or struggling with our terrors of the night, remember in Whom we dwell - God and His Word.  God has not forgotten to be gracious to us, nor to hold back His tender mercies.  Give your struggles over to Him, and find refuge and comfort under His wings.  Stand firmly on His Word, His promises, and His strength.  We can trust in the Cross, the Blood, the Name, and the Promises of the Lord Jesus.

Remember The Blessings

 Deuteronomy 26:1-11

It seems to be almost human nature to forget about the blessings we have received throughout life when we are going through a difficult time.  For some people, they even forget to be grateful and thankful when things are going well for them.  To be a grateful and thankful person is something that we should always be cultivating in our hearts and personality, whether in good times or bad.  This was also something that Moses wanted to remind the people of Israel as they entered into the Promised Land.  He knew that he wasn’t going to be with the people much longer, and he wanted them to be a people who were always grateful and thankful to the Lord, as we read in our Scripture for this first Sunday in Lent.

As our Scripture passage opens, Moses instructed the people that after they have come into the Promised Land, settled it, built their houses, planted and harvested their first crops, they were to bring a portion of the first fruits of the harvest to the Lord as an offering.  By giving an offering to the Lord, it helps us develop a grateful and thankful heart, one that acknowledges that all we have comes from Him.  Giving an offering also helps to cultivate an unselfish nature, keeping us from hoarding all that we have for ourselves.

There are some who say that, though they intend to give an offering to the Lord, they want to wait a bit, until they are sure that they have enough stored up for themselves first.  They want to wait until they have a sure harvest stored up in their barn, a sure enough cushion in their bank account.  However, God instructed His children to bring of the first fruits, not wait until the second or third harvest.  This teaches us to trust Him for future provisions.  When we get our first paycheck, He wants us to give an offering from that, and not wait until a later time when we feel we are financially more stable.

Moses continued his instruction by telling the people that when they brought their offering of the first fruits, they were to remember back on how the Lord God brought their ancestors through all of their trials and difficulties, and kept His promise to give them the land they are now on.  They were to recall how He brought Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through many difficulties, kept them safe, and provided for their needs.  They were to remember how the Lord kept His promise to Abraham by giving him a son, and brought forth from one elderly man a great nation.  God wanted the people to remember how they were slaves to the Egyptians for many generations, and then how He delivered them from bondage.  They were to remember how He brought them through years in the wilderness, providing for them, and then brought them to the land they were now in.

Why was this important?  Why rehearse “ancient history”?  Remembering God’s provisions and care of His children is important, whether it is how He provided for us yesterday, a year ago, ten years ago, or how He provided for our great-grandparents a hundred years ago.  It helps to build our faith and trust in Him.  If we see how God provided for us and others in the past, we can trust that He will do so today and in the future.  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).   His provisions of the past are an indication to us that He will do so again today and tomorrow.

It is good for us to know that what God has done for others, He will also do for us.  He has no favorites (Romans 2:11).  God provided for the people in the Bible, and as we look around, we see how He provides for others, as well.  We can trust that He will also take care of all of our needs.  Just as the Israelites needed to remember what God had done for them after they came into the land, so do we.  A good faith exercise is to remember before the Lord all that He has done for us since we first came to faith in Him.  Remember all of His protection, health blessings, and provisions that He has bestowed upon us.

Rejoicing in God is one way to draw closer to Him.  We should always be ready to glorify Him for what He does for us!