I Want to be Rich!

6 Fools are put in many high positions,

    while the rich occupy the low ones.

7 I have seen slaves on horseback,

    while princes go on foot like slaves. Ecclesiastes 10

There are a lot of repeated concepts in the Bible.  I remember a pastor from my youth once said that things were repeated for emphasis.  I disagree, I think they're repeated so we have consistency throughout the Bible.  It's yet another proof that everything came from one source, directly from God!

Ecclesiastes 10 is another rehashing of the same thing.  The first shall be last and the last shall become first.  Here it is described with a few different groups of people.  So first we've got the fools and slaves in the high places, and the rich and princes in the low.  Well, aren't we told we don't want to be in either group?  We don't want to be among the rich royalty, we want to humble ourselves before God, right?

The rich and the royalty in the verses above aren't referring to the rich in monetary wealth, or princes in royal bloodlines.  They're referring to those rich in the spirit of God!  By that definition, all those who saved are rich and wealthy.  We have the opportunity to show that monetary wealth is a blessing, but true wealth comes from knowing Christ and sharing that love.  I will gladly be considered rich in that.

No Substitutes

Abraham continues his journey to sacrifice (at God’s command) his long awaited and promised son. 

Genesis 22:5-8 ⁵ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

I know there are many parallels in this passage to God sacrificing His only Son Jesus, but what stood out to me this time is Isaac’s question. His father had diligently prepared for the journey and brought the needed wood and fire and knife, but why didn’t he bring a lamb? That’s a very a good question, especially since we know Abraham had hundreds or thousands of sheep and cattle (Gen 13:2, 20:14). Why didn’t he bring one along just in case?

I think Abraham intended to do exactly what God commanded, no substitutes. Abraham also knew God’s character well enough to know he could trust God’s command. God had promised his son Isaac and had delivered on that promise along with so many other promises. God would remain faithful some way and somehow. Plus, I love how Abraham answers – “God himself will provide the lamb.” God will always help us accomplish what He asks of us.

Do you and I think some of God’s commands are too difficult to follow? What about loving our neighbor as ourselves or telling others about the truths of God? In our own strength, they are too difficult, but God will help us accomplish what He’s commanded. We can trust Him just like Abraham did.

Enjoy the Journey

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  John 20:19-21

I love to take long drives.  With 30 of my favorite CDs in tow, I hit the road.  Most people would not share my passion for driving long distances, but it has always been a dream of mine to drive places far away and see places I had never seen and destinations I had known only on a map.  But the destination, while exciting, was only part of fun.  It was the journey to get there and the various different scenes and memories that fascinated me.

As Christians, we know where our ultimate destination is, but our goal should be to enjoy the journey our faith takes us.  Some get comfortable doing the same things, and others require certainty that God is active in our lives.  However like a long journey should be, it is never quite the same even though it might appear to be the same path, and you do not necessarily need a sign along the way telling you your destination to know where you are going.  Being saved is just the beginning, and if we stop and stay at a point prior to our destination, we will never experience lasting spiritual growth.

Our journey of faith is always changing and evolving.  The disciples in today’s verses thought their journey had ended with Jesus’ death.  In reality, it had only just begun as Jesus said to them, “I am sending you,” to spread the word of the Gospel.  When we feel the road in our journey has come to an end, we should always remember that the end of the road does not mark the end of our journey.  Just a change in direction.  Do you trust God to guide you on your journey?  What indicators can you use to ensure your journey is fruitful?  My prayer is that we take time to reflect and simply enjoy our journey of faith.  Amen.    

Tues Devo: Hold vs. Held

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (NASB)

Hello,

There is a definitive difference when I am holding one of my children and they are holding onto me versus when they are just being held. When they are scared or upset you can feel that transition in their arms as they quit holding on and just let themselves be held. As a parent, there are few better feelings than when your kids just rest and let their guards completely down so they can be held. It shows their trust in a real and full way. They stop showing concern about their way, they stop getting worked about things that have or will happen – and just rest.

I do believe that is what God wants from us. Yes, we have to hold onto Him as we go through life – but we need to find the times where we can just be held. We need to illustrate love and trust in Him, where we can quiet our concerns and just enjoy His love, and fully rest in it.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Are You Truly Redeemed? ~ 10 Hallmarks of a True Christian (Part 6 of 6)

Hello Friends!

Welcome back to the final segment of our study from the book of 1 John as we seek to answer the eternally important question: Are You Truly Redeemed?

As we come to our last of the “10 hallmarks” of a true believer in Jesus Christ, we find that when the attributes of sound faith in Jesus Christ, obedience to His commands and love for God & fellow believers operate in concert together, they result in joy, holiness and assurance. These godly attributes indeed constitute the evidence or “the litmus test” of a true Christian…

Are You Truly Redeemed? ~ 10 Hallmarks of a True Christian (Part 6 of 6)

Here we find that John also refutes defectors of the Faith with sound doctrine – exhibiting no tolerance for those who pervert the divine truth of the Scriptures. The Bible is the only authority and source for Truth and Devine doctrine and is our resource for the day and age we live in today – a day of great spiritual decline and rank apostasy.

9. A true convert rejects the false teachings of apostates

They expose heresy and false doctrine whenever necessary:

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also – 1 John 2:22-23

10. A true convert abides in the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

They persevere in the faith of the Father through Jesus Christ the Son:

Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father – 1 John 2:24

Remember: Our faithfulness to proclaim the Truth of God’s Word as well as defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ may very well assist others in examining their own faith to verify if they are indeed a true convert of Jesus Christ – their very soul may depend upon it!

Closing thoughts:

Here’s a final thought from the Apostle Paul's sojourn in Berea outlined in the book of Acts. He preached there and the Bereans heard the Word and then searched the Scriptures to see if Paul was correct:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so – Act 17:11

This too is a great principle – Hear the Word preached/taught and study the Scriptures for yourself to see if the preacher/teacher is Biblically correct. I encourage each of us to apply this same principle to our own Christian studies – let’s be “good Bereans” in our search for The Truth!

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

In the End

2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,
    so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
    so with those who are afraid to take them. Ecclesiastes 9

Every human, living now, in the past, and in the future, has the same destiny.  We will all die and we will all stand before judgment.  Now, what happens when we are judged is up to interpretation.  Some believe it will be a full recap of everything you've done in your life.  I believe it will be one simple question - While you were on earth, did you accept that Jesus Christ died for your sins?  Yes!  Yes, I did.

It's one question, and everyone's answer is known before they say it.  You're only reaffirming it.  Now then, look at the different people talked about in the verse.  The righteous and the wicked.  The good and the bad.  The clean and the unclean.  The sacrificers and those who never sacrifice.

The good and the sinful.

The vow keepers and the silent.

Everyone will be asked that question.  Everyone has the same measure.  We will not be separated into the group that tithed (gave exactly 10%), the group that gave more, and the group that never gave.  There will be no groups of people with huge glaring sins that they flaunted in the face of others, and those that sinned privately to no one's knowledge.  

It's all so simple.  Do you accept the blood of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins?  Do you truly acknowledge that your weight has been lifted?  

Well, do you?

No Questions Asked

What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever been asked to do? Did you do it willingly? Did you ask a lot of questions first?

I know I asked a lot of questions several different times God asked me to do something that was extremely difficult or didn’t make sense at the time. Looking back, it makes sense now and definitely grew my faith.

Well, Abraham was asked to do the most difficult thing of all.

Genesis 22:1-5 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. ² Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” ³ Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Wow! Abraham didn’t ask any questions, drag his feet, or try to get out of it. He not only got up early the next morning, but prepared everything needed for the trip. By the statement in verse 5, some commentators believe Abraham thought God would raise Isaac from the dead. I’m not sure what he was thinking, but he certainly put God first above anything or anyone and even said he was going to “worship” God, the One who was asking him to give up what he had waited decades to get!!!

Do you and I love God that much? Would you and I be willing do whatever God asked of us? Would we not only do it, but lovingly and gladly choose to worship Him in the process? Where do you and I need to be obedient to His call or commands, no questions asked?

Getting the Message

 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”  John 14:5-7

Back when I was a teenager, there were records (yes, I’m dating myself) that had subliminal messages.  I only heard one, and ironically the message talked about the coming of the Lord (FYI – The album was Prince’s 1999).  To get to the point, I woke up yesterday morning with this subliminal message in my head talking about who Jesus was. It was not as if I did not know who He was, but yet, it was continuous to the point that I had to write about it.  Part of it was for my own reassurance, but maybe, it was meant for others as well.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  He is the only way to our Heavenly Father, and that is indisputable.  Through our lives, His teachings, and His word, we have grown to understand that He is also the truth.  Again, no doubt about that.  Then through our own stories of redemption, we are born again through Him, and thus, He is the life.  In understanding these undisputed facts, we know who Jesus is, and through Him, we know God.  It is not as complex as people might seem to make it, and to nonbelievers, they question whether through science or the own naivety if God is real.  But make no mistake.  Jesus is as real as the air we breathe, and to know Him is to love Him.

We are given this amazing and wonderful life.  While we are flawed and fail to live up to God’s standards, we are given grace through a wonderful savior: Jesus Christ.  The world may chip away at this, and people may dispute it with incredible reasoning.  However, there is only one way, one truth, and one life, and that is through Jesus Christ.  What assurance do you have in knowing this?  How can you stand firm on this foundation?  My prayer is that through Jesus Christ, we simply get the message.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Making your picks

Joshua 24:14-15 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is
disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land
you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (NASB)

Hello,

Undoubtedly, it is one of my favorite seasons of the year….the NCAA tournament! It is a time where we sit down before the games begin and we make our selections for who we think we will win. Many
times we fill out multiple brackets to hedge our bets and play it safe as we don’t know what will happen. We look at past history, we look for an underdog, we look for the feel good story – and then we pick a side. This is what Joshua did. He looked at the past history, he saw his people as the underdog – yet his God coming through, he looked at the feel good story of God taking care of a people despite their lack of faithfulness – and then, he picked his side. He knew who the opponents were, but their game didn’t matter to him. Only God’s game mattered, and he choose that side in all of his brackets…he didn’t hedge any bets.

What selection are you making? Are you putting all your faith in that pick, or hedging your selection?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Are You Truly Redeemed? ~ 10 Hallmarks of a True Christian (Part 5 of 6)

Hello Friends!

Welcome back to our study of the book of 1 John as we seek to answer the eternally important question: Are You Truly Redeemed?

The lost world around us does not understand our Christian love for each other in Jesus Christ. The Apostle John uses the word “love” dozens of times throughout the epistle of 1 John. In fact, the Scriptures repeatedly liken our relationship to a husband (Jesus Christ) and a wife (His Church)…

Are You Truly Redeemed? ~ 10 Hallmarks of a True Christian (Part 5 of 6)

The constant repetition of 3 sub-themes reinforces the overall theme regarding faithfulness to the basics of Christianity: joy (1:4), holiness (2:1) and assurance (5:13). By faithfulness to these basics, believers will experience these 3 attributes continually in their lives and will also reveal true spirituality: proper belief in Jesus Christ produces obedience to His commands; which results in love for God and fellow believers!

7. A true convert desires to reach out to other Christians

They desire to encourage, support, disciple and love the brethren:

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? – 1 John 3:14 & 17

8. A true convert desires fellowship with our Lord and other Christians

They desire to hear the Word of God taught in the light of true fellowship:

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin – 1 John 1:5-7

Remember: Our faithfulness to proclaim the Truth of God’s Word as well as defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ may very well assist others in examining their own faith to verify if they are indeed a true convert of Jesus Christ – their very soul may depend upon it!

Please join us next week as we continue to further investigate this promise of eternal assurance from the Word of God – Are You Truly Redeemed?

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><