Right and Popular

13 Son of man, when a land sins against Me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out My hand against it and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it and cut off from it man and beast,

14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they would save but their own lives by their righteousness (their uprightness and right standing with Me), says the Lord God. Ezekiel 14

The entire land had sinned, and God is saying that even if there were three righteous men within the land, those three would be saved.  No others would be saved.  You can look on this with two perspectives.

1. You can't save anyone else.

2. No one can save you.

It sounds bleak, but hang in with me.  God is telling us that there will be times when everyone else around you will want to go one direction, which leads you away from God, and you will need to be the one strong person going the other way, back towards God.  It's easy to fall in step with the crowd, but the crowd isn't always right.

It reminds me of the fact that I don't listen to secular music any more.  I was recently attending a conference and people would make pop culture references to music, and I'd just stare blankly back at them.  It's something everyone knows about, and here I was, telling people that I only listen to Christian music (and then explaining that this isn't hymns, but rap and alternative rock with Christian themes - which then led to other people blankly staring at me).  It was my way to stand against the crowd, to show that I stand for Christ.

The saying I remember hearing in elementary school still applies, "What's right isn't always popular, and what's popular isn't always right."

That still applies.  Christ isn't popular, but following him is always right.

Thurs Devo: Dependably Above and Beyond

God said “The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout.” So, who’s staff do you think sprouted? You probably guessed it. It was Aaron’s, of course!

Numbers 17:6-9       ⁶ So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. ⁷ Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.

⁸ The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.⁹ Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.

God doesn’t just partially keep His word, or kind of do what he says. He fully follows through. In fact, He goes beyond what He promises! Aaron’s staff not only sprouted, but it budded, blossomed and produced almonds all in a day’s time!!!

Can you think of other times God has gone above and beyond what He promised?

The biggest and most important one is when He sent His Son, Jesus. From one of the verses we read last week, He promised to send a Savior to save us from our sins:

Matthew 1:21            ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

But God did so much more through sending Jesus:

Acts 5:30-32              ³⁰ The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Not only did God send Jesus to save us from the deserved penalty for our sins, but He also gave the Holy Spirit to guide us on this earth in addition to eternal life with Him after this life!

Will you join me in praising our dependable God for always going above and beyond what He has promised?

As Kent talked about yesterday, let’s not be foolish and ignore all the proofs and signs God has already given, but wisely recognize, believe, and proclaim all God has done!

Alice

Seriously?

One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!  Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.  Matthew 16:1-3

My eleven year old daughter really makes me laugh at how she tries to get out of the obvious. This phenomenon is not unfamiliar to any of you who have parented a child. The other day, an ice cream bar that I had been saving suddenly was missing. I asked my wife if she had eaten it, and she said no. Being that there are only three of us in the house, the finger naturally goes to my daughter. We asked if she had eaten the ice cream, and she said emphatically, “No!” My wife and I look at each other, and say, “Seriously?” While we had to hold her accountable and reinforce the importance of telling the truth, we continue to laugh about how ‘creative’ she was in trying to explain for the unexplainable.

This brings me to how we as believers encounter people who choose not to believe in Christ. We must without hesitation be able to confirm both His existence and truths. We encounter those who choose not to believe even though the signs are right there in front of them. The verses today refer to such a instance where the elite and knowledgeable sects of the Jewish faith questioned Jesus’ authority . . . dare I say again. This was after Jesus had (get this) fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21) and then another 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fish (Matthew 15:32-39)! So in reading Jesus’ response, we get the impression of ‘what the heck does He have to do to convince these people?!?!?’ Seriously? Rather than appeasing them, Jesus, the master that He is, tells them of the sign of Jonah, which referred to His own resurrection. This would be proof beyond all doubt of Jesus’ divinity. We are often presented with things where people will question the existence of the true living God. We must answer with a sound mind and heart not focusing on what we do not know (i.e. why a tragedy occurs). Instead, we must focus on what we do know (His grace, His word, the transformative changes in our lives). Only then are we able to be advocates for Him.

Our personal relationship with Christ answers all doubts of His existence. While nonbelievers may come up with evidence of His nonexistence, we know beyond question how real He is. Our mission is not to convince others of His existence. Ours is to be knowledgeable of it and present the evidence to them for their spirit within cannot deny it. Where do you doubt Christ’s existence and how will you address it? How will you without hesitation tell of Jesus’ existence in your life? My prayer is that we confirm our truths so when questioned of Christ’s existence, we simply say to ourselves, “Seriously?” Amen.

Tues Devo: The mental game

1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (NASB)

Hello,

We hear and say constantly things/phrases related to mental preparation or mental state heading into a meeting, big day, sporting event etc. If your mind isn’t focused on what you need to do – you will not have success to the greatest degree possible. The daily spiritual battle is no different. We must be ready mentally for action – we don’t get a choice as to whether we will battle each day….the enemy brings that us, we just must be ready for that action. To be ready mentally, notice in v13 that Peter says to fix our hope “completely” on the grace to be brought. There is no splitting of our hope/focus – it must be singular to be mentally prepared.

Have a blessed day – ready mentally for the battle!

Will Hill

Be Still

Psalm 46:1; 10

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

These were part of the scripture used in our sermon yesterday.  These two verses really stood out to me.  The first verse states that God is OUR refuge and strength.  He’s not just mine but he is OURS.  It also states that there will be trouble in our lives.  However through all of that trouble, God will be ever present. 

These promises alone should allow us to “Be still”.  However God reminds us in verse 10 that even through times of trouble, He will prevail.  As a result, we need not worry, we should simply be still and know that He is God. 

What trouble is in your life that you are struggling to let God take care of?  Today I just want to remind you to be still.  Be still and know that He is God and He will be exalted!  

Doctrine of Concurrence

Hello Friends!

The Bible clearly teaches throughout the Old and New Testaments the “partnership” of the Sovereignty of God (Omniscience) and Man’s Responsibility (Human will). This is known as the Doctrine of Concurrence (Compatibility).

Let’s take a brief look at just a couple of the many Scriptures surrounding this important doctrine for our further clarification, edification and understanding found in God’s Holy Word – To the glory of Jesus Christ!

The Doctrine of Concurrence

It is quite clear: The sinner is accountable for “faith” in “Jesus Christ” and culpable for “sinful” rejection of “Jesus Christ!” It is role of the Christian and our evangelical duty to present “Jesus Christ” through the “Gospel” to everyone!

To explore this doctrinal discussion, we will consider the following two Scripture passages from both the Old and New Testaments:

Isaiah Chapter 10

God is completely Sovereign! In the tenth chapter of Isaiah we see that “woe” is upon “Assyria” and yet this nation is simultaneously the “rod” of God’s “anger” and “staff” of His “indignation”:

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation – Isaiah 10:5

Then Israel is called an “ungodly nation” and the people of God’s “wrath”:

I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets – Isaiah 10:6

God uses “Assyria” and basically says “you will be My instrument of fury against the “ungodly nation” of My “wrath” who have rejected Me.” Yet “Assyria” does not “mean” to or even “think” to act as the agent of God’s wrath:

Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations – Isaiah 10:7

But, it is “in his heart to destroy” to cut off many “nations.” In other words, for “Assyria” this is another opportunity for them to grab more power by beating up on an unsuspecting” Jerusalem”:

For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols? – Isaiah 10:8-11

God then turns on “Assyria” to “punish” them for their “arrogant heart” and “haughty looks”:

Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks. For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; also I have removed the boundaries of the people, and have robbed their treasuries; so I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man – Isaiah 10:12-13

However, God uses an analogy of an “ax,” a “saw,” a “rod” and a “staff” to make His point clear:

Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! – Isaiah 10:15

  

In this passage of Isaiah, we clearly see the Doctrine of Concurrence! God will hold every person accountable for the evil acts they commit. And yet, God is Sovereign over those evil acts – Amazing!

John Chapter 3

Jesus knew what Nicodemus was really thinking (see John 2:23-25), so He answers the true question of Nicodemus’ heart – “how is one “born again?”:

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3

Jesus’ point is that just as we could do nothing to produce our own physical birth; we are also unable to produce spiritual life – “the kingdom of God.”  Sinful flesh can only produce flesh and only Spirit produces spirit!

Next Nicodemus wants to know how he can affect this “second” birth:

How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he? – John 3:4

Jesus’ point here is that being “born again” is a miraculous miracle of God! There is no way Nicodemus can do this! Therefore, we are absolutely dependent on a divine work of the Holy Spirit. One must plead for God to give new life – “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” This is God’s saving choice!

Later, John confirms his understanding that we “receive nothing” unless it is “given” to us by God from “heaven”:

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven… – John 3:27

And yet, we see also here in this passage that there is a human being commanded to “believe”:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God – John 3:14-18

In this passage reminiscent of the Old Testament book of Numbers chapter 21, we find the Doctrine of Concurrence. Those who “believe” escape judgment – Man’s Responsibility. On the other hand, those who “do not believe” are “condemned already” – The Sovereignty of God.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE: In your personal study of God’s Word, be mindful of the Doctrine of Concurrence and you will begin to see it EVERYWHERE throughout the Scriptures – The Sovereignty of God and Man’s Responsibility!

While we might not fully understand this doctrine in our human minds, they are indeed Biblical truths directly from the “mind of the Lord” Jesus Christ!

Thank you for your desire for Biblical discernment and Truth – Praise the Lord!

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 <><

Thurs Devo: God's Signs

Now back to the book of Numbers… We left off two weeks ago where Moses and Aaron initiated and made atonement for the rebellious Israelites. By that point, the Israelites should have had enough proof and signs that God had specifically chosen Moses and Aaron for their unique roles in leading the Israelites. However, God graciously gave the Israelites yet another sign.

Numbers 17:1-5       The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. ³ On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. ⁴ Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. ⁵ The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”

God gave the Israelites a sign of His choosing. Neither Moses nor the Israelites thought of it or asked for it.

God has given us numerous signs regarding Jesus, His Son and Savior of the world. First, He foretold many of the signs centuries before Jesus’ birth. Here is one of the prophesied signs and the fulfillment 800 years later.

Isaiah 7:14    ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:20-23      ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Do you and I search out and believe the numerous signs God has given to us about Himself and Jesus?

Or, are you and I like the Israelites in Moses’ day? Do we listen to the ideas, questions and fears of the people around us rather than remembering and focusing on the proofs and signs God has already given?

God is generous and gracious with His signs. The Bible is full of them!!! Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit’s help to read (search for), recognize and remember God’s signs. 

Alice

Split Decisions

 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.  But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.  James 1:5-8

As much as I love the Lord and follow Him, there are times that I struggle with the latter.  It is not because I do not want to follow God.  Instead, I feel torn between the love I have for my fellow man and the love I have for God.  It explains why I really struggle with condemnation.  Sure, we all must be accountable for our sins and grow to be better advocates for God.  But there are people who I love dearly, and God has said that they are living in sin.  That’s a tough pill to swallow!  Thus, my world feels like it is unstable.  These are the times I realize my spiritual growth is a continual work in progress.

The word of God is meant to be a spiritual guide.  We all have situations where we are either unsure of what to do or how to respond on a spiritual matter.  The words of James thus seem to be words of condemnation for those in that divided world.  In fact, lots of the Book of James seems like it (ex. Faith is dead without good works – James 2:26b).  However, these are words of guidance and clarity.  If we look at these verses through that lens, one receives God’s wisdom in reading it, and thus is not in the ‘should not expect to receive anything from the Lord’ camp.  The words are welcome to the troubled and torn because they give direction.  We must look at the word of God, and pray that we find guidance in it and have both the courage and conviction to follow it.

Following God is not meant to be easy as Jesus said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” (Matthew 7:13)  But do not be discouraged by your past and current struggles for after telling Peter he would deny Him, Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:1-2)  It is ok to struggle with things God says to us.  The key is to keep walking toward Him.  Never give up.  Never lose faith.  What is your struggle with God today?  How will you continue to rely on God when split between God and the world?  My prayer is that we continually challenge ourselves to rely on God when facing split decisions.  Amen.

Tues Devo: The service game

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NASB)

Hello,

Perhaps some of you follow a little bit of tennis, then you knew that this past weekend was the championships for Wimbledon. Like any tournament the service game is critical. When you serve poorly you don’t even get a chance to score, your opponent scores immediately. When you serve well – you often don’t have to defend, the serve speaks for itself. But for this you need a few things:

Pace/Speed, Location – but most importantly…Practice! You don’t get the results without first practicing. When you have practiced it thousands of times you are able to just react and let the muscle memory take over to execute the right serve.

I believe these items are essential for Biblical service as well. Practice wherever you can –get those mechanics down, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Then, pick up the pace and speed – keep going and be quick to serve. Finally, look at the location – where are we gifted/skilled? Pick those spots and go after them the most!

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

The Meaning of a Name

Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Often we don’t take the time to think about the value that a name holds.  Jesus was given a name that is above every name!  He was given a name was meant for all to bow down before him and praise him.  No other name will ever be held higher than that of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

When we were expecting our son, we chose the name Jonathan.  Jonathan was David’s best friend in the Bible.  The name means Yahweh has given.  Some dictionaries say that it means gift from God.  We selected this name carefully.  We had lost one baby before and knew that he may be our only child so it was with great thought that his name was selected. 

I encourage you to take a few minutes today to reflect upon what the name of Jesus means to you.