LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 24:1, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him. (New Living Translation)

 

If Psalm 24:1 is true, then everything that happens on earth is subject to God’s command and His desire. I found this in an article I read, “He is in charge of all things. Nothing can take place without Him sanctioning it. Life is not a series of random, freak accidents. Everything that happens is planned and orchestrated by Him. If we only grasp this truth and comprehend that fact, we will stop worrying about a lot of things because absolutely nothing happens without God’s permission. Even the devil has to seek His permission. Therefore, God alone has the final say in our lives and the events of the world.”

 

Before I go any further, we must remember that we are not robots or puppets that God is playing with or manipulating. The trials or events in our lives are moving us to a closer walk with Him on the narrow way. Our reaction to what happens in our lives should be based on our faith in God being in control and in charge of all thing. There may be chaos all around us and uncertainty all about us but that does not mean He is not in control. Let’s look at some examples from Scripture.

 

God tested Abraham with Isaac’s life to see if Abraham truly trusted in Him. God led Joseph through a series of trials in order for him to be second in control of Egypt, “what man meant for evil, God meant for good”. Satan had to ask God’s permission for what he did to Job and in the New Testament the devil asked Jesus’ permission to “sift” Peter. The apostle Paul desired to minister in one area but the Holy spirit would not let him. God led Peter to jail in order to minister to a jailor and his family. The prophet Samuel went to the house of Jesse at God’s direction and chose David to be the king of His people; God looked at David’s heart not his stature. Do you get the idea?

 

We mortals like to believe we are in control. We like to make plans and preparations for what we want to do. However, the ability to see them through, comes from God. “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” (Psalm 16:1). We need to believe that whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, God either allowed it or caused it to happen according to His purposes. That usually means He is trying to stretch our faith so that we walk more closely with Him on the narrow way to His kingdom. Think back upon your life, the events that have happened to you. Are you able to see His leading, His purpose in the things you have gone through? Have you experienced situations where He intervened so something terrible did not happen? I have! Don’t write it off to something other than God. God works in your life and mine the way He wants, the way He knows He will be honored and we will be drawn closer to Him. We just need to realize He is working in us for Him to receive glory.

 

God has His way to get our attention. What is happening in our life and in the world right now is part of His plan. Humans might have caused it but He allowed it. What we are experiencing in the world events occurring are a part of His plan. I am even stepping out and saying the events are what He has already told would happen (without the specifics). I do not believe in providence; I believe all things happen to achieve God’s purpose. God is on His throne and in complete control of everything happening. That gives me peace!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 24:8 All these things are the beginning of sorrows.

 

It seems appropriate to address what is happening in this country and around the world. These are just some of the thoughts going through my head. Jesus said “these things” would come to deceive many, there would be wars and rumors of wars, nation would rise against nation, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places.

 

Today we have covid and the various strains, the world has seen wars throughout the twentieth century and now Russia has invaded Ukraine. Famine is a problem world-wide and earthquakes in places we did not dream of. I have already addressed the lies we are being told by our leaders, including that the Russian leader did not want to face our president because he was the only one that went toe to toe with him. If you did not see the headlines, China is watching the United States response to Ukraine in order to decide what they will do in Taiwan. And then there is John Kerry who does not want the Russia-Ukraine situation to interfere with his pet project with climate change. Inflation is running out of control and projected to get much worse, and there are those promoting digital money in order to get rid of the American money system. Of course, we need to be sure we are watching the Canadian situation very closely and realize the rights of Canadians were taken away with the stroke of a pen. Could it happen here?

 

“Stay ready so you do not have to get ready” are the words of Dr. Ed Newton; I have adopted them to use when I sense the need. You are probably wondering if I believe these are the end times. Well, sure I do. Paul thought he was living in the time Jesus would take His church in the rapture. To me that means we are living in the end of the end days. Jesus said the things we are seeing had to happen; they were the beginning of sorrows. Stay ready! Jesus could come after His Church at any time. Do not fear; stand firm in your faith and knowledge that He is on His throne and is not surprised by anything that is happening. He allows all thing to happen for His will to be accomplished. Perhaps things will get a little difficult. If they do, we should be prepared! He has told us about the days we are living in so that we are prepared.

 

How do we prepare? Perhaps you need to buy a few extra canned goods or some peanut butter and crackers or whatever you think you need. This is not a fear thing. With inflation skyrocketing and replenishing shelves appears to be a problem, it makes sense to me to get some extra stuff.

 

Let me be clear (I’ve always wanted to say that), from what I have read in God’s Word, our trust, our faith is not to be in military capabilities but in God! That’s what this blog is about; to get us to place our trust in Him alone. He has promised to never leave or forsake us and to take care of us. He said it and I believe Him and that’s enough for me! “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” Jesus (from John 14:1).

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Deuteronomy 5:33, “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess”. (The emphasis is mine and means eternal life in God’s kingdom!)

 

I remember taking vacations when I was young. Do you remember, Marsha? We would be traveling down the road in a car with no air conditioning and the windows cracked open or down and one of two things was bound to happen. Inevitably, there would be a detour (usually due to road work) or Dad would miss a turn or exit and we would find ourselves where we did not want to be; sometimes, that would mean we were lost. I cannot remember a vacation that did not happen. I have to admit, that characteristic seemed to find its way into my family’s travels as well. And, no, I do not want to talk about it! I would blame my navigator – but she reads the blog.

 

Today, we have things to help us stay on the right route to our destination. My son-in-law got me to put an app on my phone, called Waze, that gives the best route to the destination we want. It is pretty neat as it informs us of difficulties ahead like something in the road or police ahead. It even reroutes us when there is a faster route available! But sometimes I don’t listen because I think I have a better way and the Waze gets angry at me and has to do all sorts of things to try to get me back on the best route. It usually ends up the route Waze wanted me to go was the best way.

 

I know some of you are way ahead of me and know where I am headed with this page of the blog. I also know most of you reading this (and it probably includes all of you) are relating to what I have already written. As Christians, we have a built in “Waze”; it is called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, Helper, and Paraklete in John 14. The Holy Spirit is given to every Believer to help and strengthen, to teach them the true course for their life and get them back on course when they take a wrong turn. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth by John because He is the spirit of Jesus. He guides us into all truth. He is trying to keep us on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in God’s kingdom – our destination!

 

The problem for all of us is we sometimes decide our way is better than what the Holy spirit is trying to do in our lives. So we take a wrong turn or take a detour that gets us in trouble, even lost for a time. All the time He is telling us to reroute to get back on the narrow way or there is trouble ahead if you are not listening to Him. He is telling us to not go “there” or don’t do “that”. If we listen, we get through the temptation or the trial without stepping off the narrow way. Now, take note, if you do not listen, you need to ask for forgiveness and allow God’s grace to get you back on the narrow way. This is not a license to get off the narrow way; because we are human, it happens. Get back on the narrow way as quickly as you can. 1 John 1:9 is essential in correcting your difficulty, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from our unrighteousness.”  

LEARNING DAILY

 

Colossians 1:15-18, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have inheritance.

 

Just in case any of you forgot who Jesus is here is a little reminder. Paul gives us a very good presentation that Jesus is Lord. When he writes Jesus is the first born, he does not mean He is a created being. He means He is God’s heir. Paul affirms the creative activity of Christ; he is the Agent who created all things in heaven and on earth. Jesus Christ is the One in whom all things consist.

 

There were false teachers in Colosse that were trying to teach that He has an unimportant position; they did not try to say He did not exist. Catch the meaning of that! God’s Word states He was the firstborn of creation because He was first in position and privilege. Old Testament belief held the firstborn son in high position as heir to the family’s possessions. But Jesus Christ was not created; He was the Creator of all things. “He is the image of the invisible God” – the exact likeness of God the Father.

 

In the time Paul lived, people debated about what brought the world together and what held it together. There were a lot of crazy ideas just like there are today. Paul makes it quite clear that Jesus was Creator, Sustainer, Head, and Beginning. All was done for Him. Because He created all things, He has every right to be Lord over what He created. You and I have to make the choice over what we believe. As we ask Him into our life as Savior, we then need to make Him Lord over our life. That means there can be no limitations or conditions with making Him Lord.

 

Jesus Christ is the head of the body, all Believers, who make up the Church. As our bodies get signals from our head, the Church gets its direction from Jesus, its head. We have our hope in Him who was the “firstborn from the dead” through His resurrection. Our hope is that because we believe in Him there will come a day when all Believers will join Him in glorified and everlasting bodies. Let me define the word hope. It is not some unsure optimism we have about our resurrection. Biblical hope is a confident expectation that what God has promised in His word is true, has occurred and will happen in the future (Vines Expository Dictionary).

 

We are to live a Christlike life – walking the narrow way – because Jesus Christ is supreme, He is at the center of all things! Because of that He should be supreme over each of our lives. It is just amazing to me, that he desires to have a relationship with me; that the One who created all things chose me and has been so patient with me, never giving up on me. Have you chosen to give Him the honor and glory by living and walking on the narrow way to His kingdom and eternal life? 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Colossians 1:9,10, For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask and in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

 

I read this verse and my first question is what did Paul hear? What was the “it”? The answer is found in the previous verses – Paul was thankful for the faith of the those in Colosse and their love for Paul in the Spirit. It is because of that, Paul prays for them and desires they “be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, His wisdom and all spiritual understanding”. I am certainly not Paul; but I do try to pray for each of you who read the blog. I know some who read it because I send it directly to you. There are also some of you who have sent it on to others I do not know by name because every once in a while, I get a reply from someone I did not know. Thank you for sending it and please continue to send it on if you think it will encourage and help others.

 

“That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will” is Paul’s prayer for them; it is His request for them. The rest of the passage describes the result of this request in the life of the believer. It is important for us to know that to have knowledge of God’s will is the result of spending time in prayer and spending time studying God’s Word. How else can one gain spiritual wisdom and understanding that transforms our hearts and lives? “The will and the wisdom of God are inseparably linked with saturation in the Word of God (Psalm 1:1,20. Godly wisdom is gained by studying His Word; spiritual understanding Is how his children discern His will” (note from the DJSB). 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that understanding and wisdom are gifts the Holy Spirit gives to believers; they do not come from a worldly mind. Spiritual knowledge and wisdom is given Believers to provide insight into God’s will.

 

Knowing God’s will can be very easy. God’s word is very explicit about many behaviors Believers are expected to avoid. The Ten Commandments have been given to us to follow. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus clarifies those commandments to mean what we do in our heart and speak out of our mouth. You and I will discover God’s will by spending time growing our knowledge of who He is and what He wants. Ephesians 5:17 tells us, “do not be unwise, but understand what the will of Lord is”. We spend time with His Word and in prayer in order to do that!

 

This is a mighty prayer from Paul that can help each of us to pray. Verses 9-14 tell us when we pray for others, we should pray that they 1) understand God’s will, 2) gain spiritual wisdom, 3) live holy lives pleasing to the Lord, 4) bear fruit for God, 5) be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to persevere in faith and righteousness, 7) give thanks to the father, 8) continue to hope in heaven, 9) experience the nearness of heaven, and 10) be filled with the revelation of His love. It seems to me that the more we get to know and understand who God is and His tremendous love for each of us, this knowledge becomes part of our nature allowing us to produce the character He wants in us. That character should be seen by those around us.

Let me finish today with notes from the DJSB. “Those who immerse themselves in God’s wisdom know how to persevere for the long haul and in their daily grind, not just in the moments of crisis (Ephesians 4:2). Followers of Christ do not simply endure difficulties as the world does; they triumph in them with joy because they see spiritual realities beyond their circumstances. Joyful living in the midst of difficulty is the litmus test for Christians, because its only source is God.”

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Philippians 2:12-13, Dearest friend, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God’s saving work in your life (that is to “work out your own salvation”), obeying God with deep fear and reverence (that is with “with fear and trembling”). For God Is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him. (New Living Translation with parentheses from the New King James Version)

 

I have been studying Paul’s letters written to various churches. I have decided to write on points I thought were both interesting and those I needed to research in order to understand what he meant. Actually, my Bible has gotten a lot of those sticky notes sticking out for just that purpose! Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi brought both encouragement and joy to the people there and that is my purpose as well.

 

What does Paul mean when he writes, “work out your own salvation”? You and I as Believers are to work out what God has done for us through salvation in Jesus Christ by refining the characteristics of a godly life – our walk on the narrow way. It is important to understand that this is not done by human effort; it happens by God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power given to each of us at salvation. In order to work out our salvation you and I must do everything we can to resist sin and follow the desires of the Holy Spirit. We know the difference between right and wrong; we must choose to do the right thing, think upon the right things (Philippians 4:8). I’m sure each of you know as I do how difficult that can be. Yet, it is absolutely necessary to use every God-given tool to defeat evil and to reveal Christ’s life living in each of us. How is this even possible? Hebrews 7:25 tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ, “lives to make intercession for us”. He lives in heaven sitting at the right side of the Father interceding for each one of us. Through this intercession you and I experience God’s love and His presence and we have His grace in time of need, temptation, weakness, sin, and in trials. The intercession of the Lord is necessary to our salvation. We work out our salvation by continually growing closer to Christ and staying on the narrow way!

 

In working out our salvation, we do so “with fear and trembling”. As children of God, you and I should possess a holy fear that trembles at His Word and causes us to turn away from sin. We have no license to sin, believing we can knowingly sin, ask for forgiveness, and all is well. Christians are called to the same discipline that Jesus was as He was on earth when He obeyed His father. Being a Christian is being called to discipleship and that discipleship is costly! The fear and trembling Paul is talking about is a reverent awe of the power of God, His holiness and His reckoning with sin. There should be a dread in our lives of sinning against Him and facing the consequences when we do. I am talking about when you and I willing do what we know God does not want us to do. This fear of sinning against God is not to be a destructive fear but one that leads us closer to Him and to moral purity.

 

That’s pretty heavy and can be difficult when we ty in our own ability. We are not left alone in this “it is God who works in you both to His will and to do for His good pleasure” (NKJV). God’s grace works in each of us to produce both the desire and the power to do His will. It is never forced on us; it is always dependent on our cooperation and our response to Him leading us. That is faith! In this world we live in today, I am thankful for a loving God who helps us stay on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom. I am so thankful for His grace and for never giving up on me. What about you?

 

 

 

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

 

Glenn Beck wrote in his new book, The Great Reset, British politician and historian John Dalberg-Acton, today commonly referred to as Lord Acton, famously wrote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” That’s a great line, but the rarely quoted sentence that follows it is arguably even better. “Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certain corruption by authority.” Beck then adds, “Great men are almost always bad men” does not mean that the only people who achieve greatness or success in life are bad people, but rather it means that those who are able to succeed in attaining power and influence for themselves tend to be corrupted by it, no matter how good their intentions are at first.”

 

My thoughts today come from a statement a friend made this week. He said that the rapture of the church could come this year. Yes, it could come today or tomorrow or this summer or next year. We just do not know. Our responsibility is to be ready and alert and we watch and listen for the trumpet to sound. Here’s my thought. If the rapture of the church would occur this year, the man of sin or the Antichrist must be in the world today. He will come on the scene when the restraining influence of God is taken out of the world; God will then send a deluding (a deceiving or misleading) spirit on all those who refuse to love the truth.

 

The man of sin will become a world ruler who makes a covenant with Israel only to break it three and one-half years later. This is when he declares himself to be God and desecrates the temple demanding to be worshipped. Call me crazy if you want but it seems all the talk from leaders around the world about a one-world government and one-world economic system, and the talk about government control of monetary systems might be significant to biblical narrative. Add to that the way government has dictated the shut down of businesses and schools and disrupted our lives in the past several years might be bringing us closer to these times described in God’s Word. I am watching the events happening in Canada right now with great interest. It sure seems Canada’s leadership is doing some of the same things socialist leaders of the past have done. Watch what occurs there and in other countries closely.

 

Dr. Ed Newton, lead pastor at Community Bible Church, likes to say, “I don’t write the mail, I just deliver it!” I feel that I need to be the one saying that today! God’s Word tells us these days are coming. I don’t know when and neither does anyone else. It tells us to be ready, to be diligently walking on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in God’s kingdom so when that trumpet blows there is no doubt we will be taken in His kingdom. The alternative is to think the warning is foolishness and be left behind. Just be ready! Just be ready for the days ahead by doing everything you can to walk on the narrow way, living for the Lord every day!

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Leviticus 19:11, You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.

 

Colossians 3:9-10, Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

 

It is obvious that God does not want us to lie. Check out the ninth commandment! Why do people lie? They lie to get their own way. They lie to try to escape punishment from wrong doing (Boy do I have stories from school about that!). They lie to get someone to believe some thought they want you to believe. Lies come from the great deceiver, the devil, himself. His greatest lie is always to get someone to believe God never said something or that He really did not mean what He said.

 

Adolph Hither was a liar. He believed he could tell lies to the German people about everything and they would believe and follow him. Guess what – he was right. In fact, the bigger the lie, the more believable it became. Sadly, people in Germany bought into the lies and there were not enough who either did not distinguish between truth and the lies or they did not want to. Afterall, Hitler was bringing back prosperity and economic renewal.

 

The communist party under Lenin did the same thing after the revolution of 1917. To validate and extend their power over the people of Russia, they were fed lie after lie. They were fed a constant diet of lies until they did not know the difference between the lies they were hearing and the truth or they lacked the will to resist. All the time the communist party was consolidating their power over the people.

 

Do you see a pattern of socialist takeover? Lies, deception, and the use of fear is all apart of the tactics used to establish control over the people. The people in the United States and the rest of the world do not have to look too far to see this same old process happening to them. Powerful people are lying to us! They are causing fear to run rampant; they are doing everything in their power to keep fear motivating our actions. We see that spying has been determined to have happened with a presidential candidate and a sitting president. We are being told all sorts of things about covid 19 and its various offshoots. We are being told all sorts of things about our economy, about runaway inflation, about banks shutting down and it goes on and on.

 

Why is this happening? To me, it is about control. We have seen how easily people fell to the thinking that getting vaccinated and wearing masks would end the pandemic – Lie! We have been told spending trillions of dollars on a progressive agenda is just what we need to end all injustice, inequality, and every problem we are facing – Lie! It is pretty easy to see how people will run to take a mark that says they belong to the Antichrist during the Tribulation – fear and lies! We are living in a world that is on a fast track to a one world government, one world economy; all led by a very evil dictator empowered by Satan, the father of lies. There are leaders around the world, including the United States president who are doing all they can to promote this. I suggest that each of you get a copy of Glenn Beck’s new book The Great Reset as he gives a tremendous amount of information about what is happening right now to bring all this about.

 

This has all been told would happen in the Word of God. He has told of the deception of the end times, about one rising to a position where he declares himself to be God. He has told us a great apostacy or falling away from God would occur. Be alert! Be diligent to walk on the narrow way. Pray for greater discernment so that you know good from evil. Do not be deceived or fall into a trap of believing all you see in the news! This is a call to lift your eyes and heart to heaven in order to understand the time we live in and be thankful you are God’s and He will never leave or forsake you! Be encouraged that God loves you!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

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

 

I really like this verse and am encouraged by it. So, I thought I would write more about it. Be encouraged!

 

This is a wonderful invitation for anyone who is burdened or troubled with the troubles of life – the often monotony, overwork, responsibilities, tensions, and often misunderstood words we say and intentions we often offer. To be heavy laden is to have some heavy weight placed upon us from an outside source. How many of you have had someone misunderstand something you said or misunderstand your intention to do something? Go back over the short list of things mentioned above and consider how many of these things can cause burnout in one’s life. The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to come to Him with the things that cause us to be “heavy laden” so He can give us rest. But do not misunderstand that this rest is not to be absent from work but to be rejuvenated and refreshed by Him” (DJSB). By coming to Him, He means to ask Him into our life and to walk with Him on the narrow way. When we do that, He frees us from those heavy burdens and gives us rest and peace through life. I know this becomes a daily occurrence for me; I need to give Him those things that cause me to be troubled as life happens.

 

In Jesus’ time, taking the yoke of another meant coming under the leadership of another and walking in that person’s footsteps. He was telling us, in the verse above, that to take His yoke is to place our lives into His hands, we can live each day without the stress. Do you really believe that? That is why we spend time in His Word and spend time in prayer. That is the way to walk with Him day-to-day! This also refers to the stress put on us to keep God’s commandments without failure. 1 John 5:3 tells us, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” Walking on the narrow way is not a burden for us because He is with us. The next verse tells us, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.” The faith that overcomes the world takes the yoke of Jesus and learns from Him. When we do that, we can experience the love of God to such an extent that the pleasures of the world, the values the world keeps pushing on us, materialism, and burdens others place on us lose their power over us. In fact, we might even look upon this with disgust.

 

Jesus Christ has overcome the world; the world cannot “repossess” from Him due to His victory.  Take the yoke Jesus offers and find the rest found in Him. That’s what I plan to do today!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  Jesus

 

Saturday night we attended church with our daughter and family. The pastor shared a verse of Scripture that just impressed me to share in the blog; it is obviously the verse above. I was deeply encouraged by it – and I am not totally sure why. It is probably because of some of the things I have been really struggling with the past few weeks.

 

Jesus said we “will have tribulation in the world”. There was no “might” or “maybe”; you and I are going to experience tribulation in our life! I need for anyone reading this that has not faced tribulation or is not facing some trial right now to reply to this blog and let me know. If you have not faced tribulation or are not dealing with something right now – get ready because it’s coming. How can I be so sure? Jesus said it!

 

This is sort of like James telling us to count all our trials with joy. How do you face those circumstances that just seem ugly and cause you trouble or concern? I think one of the tricks of Satan is to cause Believers to think all of life will be easy, without difficulty once they accept Christ as their Savior. Isn’t that what a lot of preachers make us believe? In the emotion of the moment people accept Christ as their Savior – then what? Without support of Christian people the worries of the world causes them to lose hope and the Word is choked (Matthew 13:22). Becoming a Christian just does not guarantee us an easy way of life. It seems pretty clear that Jesus was saying just the opposite would occur. This verse contains both warning and encouragement. Trials, persecution, and hard times will come; but Jesus has overcome the world.

 

You and I need to get a grip on what that means! The Lord Jesus is telling us that He has all these things under control. He is giving advanced warning because He wants us to be encouraged not to react with any fear or discouragement or confusion. Trials cause us to grow in our Christian walk. Trials cause us to look to the Lord to be our guide and helper as we walk on the narrow way. Trials cause us to hold fast to the Lord and help us to learn to trust Him; remember our writing on Hebrews 11!

 

Look at the verse above again. What did Jesus say we were to have as a result of this warning? What is the encouragement? His peace! He did not promise us worldly comfort; and He did not promise us happiness (sorry). He did promise we could rest in Him. Read what He said in Matthew 11:28,29, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take MY yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you find rest for your souls.” Because you can do this you give Him your trials, your problems, your anxieties and trust that God will work all this out according to His will.

 

Why don’t you agree with me about taking this verse to heart by applying what Jesus said to your situation and watch Him work things out so your faith grows and He is glorified!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

James 1:2-3, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

 

Correct me if I am wrong. Is James telling you and me to embrace trials, “to count them all joy”? Yikes? I had to think back over the times I had to tell one of my players they could no longer be on the team and I still remember far too often the last loss of the year with my really good basketball team. Who doesn’t remember the major trials causing changes in their life? Yet, I look back and see how God was directing circumstances so good happened and He was blessed because of it. I would call that growth in walking on the narrow way – tough at the time but a blessing in the long run.

 

Have you ever followed your heart into something you just knew God was leading you into, only to find out He wasn’t and things did not turn out the way you expected? I have. Was it a wrong choice or just bad luck? Perhaps God had to do something to get your attention in order to get you moving in His direction. Perhaps He got you to move in His direction in order to grow, to mature in your faith. He never wastes an opportunity to strengthen your walk on the narrow way and to help you grow closer to Him. I am surprised at the use of a democrat’s words but here goes, “You never want a good crisis go to waste!” My point here is God never lets what you and I are going through be wasted. Remember Joseph said to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is today, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

 

Now, I do not get out of bed thinking I sure hope God lays some kind of trial on me today. No, that does not happen. When a trial comes, believe that God is with you and will see you through it and that it will produce some sort of Godly fruit in you – like patience! For that to be produced does not mean I just resolve myself to whatever happens. No, instead you and I need to persevere in faith and hope in the adverse circumstances. Trials are important for our faith to grow. It might be that God is testing us through a trial to see the sincerity of our faith. I am so thankful I did not give up when some of the trials I faced occurred. Instead of quitting I believe there was growth and maturity that occurred. The important thing to remember when facing trials is no where in God’s Word does it say or indicate that He is mad or displeased with us. More than likely, God has seen our faith and He recognizes it. What an opportunity to know He has the confidence in our faith, our commitment to him.

 

 Let me close today with a paragraph from a devotional by Tony Dungy. “As the great philosopher Yogi Berra said, “The game ain’t over until it’s over.” A lot can happen in nine innings of a baseball game, four quarters of football, two periods of basketball, or every day of a lifetime. It’s not about things or troubles, but it is about following your heart, a heart aligned with God, over, under, around, and through any mountain, sea, valley or storm. It’s not about what you can get out of where you are, but what you can put into and do by enduring right where God has planted you.”

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Ephesians 1:13-14, In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

 

It has been just over twenty-one years ago that we bought the house we live in. When we made an offer on the house, we had to write a check to go with the offer that served as a down payment; the technical term is earnest money. When a person says yes to God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit is that earnest payment or down payment guaranteeing our inheritance. The Believer’s inheritance consists of the promise of eternal life with God and all the spiritual blessings the heavenly Father gives to His people until they enter into His kingdom. The Holy Spirit seals each Believer to walk on the road to God’s kingdom as a guarantee of one’s salvation. A seal is a symbol of ownership; when you and I asked Jesus to forgive our sins, He did and that sealed us as His.

 

The teaching of the Holy Spirit and His role in the believer’s redemption is central to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. It is important for every Believer to understand that the Holy Spirit is seal of God’s ownership. The Holy Spirit is our wisdom from above and helps us to read, study, and understand the Word of God. He motivates us to become more like Christ by helping us to stay on the narrow way and helps us to know when we walk too close to the edge or get off the narrow way when we sin; He is grieved when there is sin in the life of the Believer. He motivates us to be unified in the Christian faith through prayer and in spiritual warfare. He desires you and me to be continually filled and empowered to serve the Lord every day (yes, that is again referring to our walk on the narrow way).

 

I am not going to write out Ephesians 1:17-23. Take a moment to read them. Paul prays for the Ephesians to understand that God wants you and me as His inheritance! All of God’s riches are our inheritance; but more than that, He wants us to know His Son not just obtain knowledge about Him. Look what Paul says. The power of God – His energy, strength – belongs to every Believer who will use it. It is the same power that “raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places”. This power is in every Believer to help them become stronger in their faith, walk on the narrow way by overcoming sin in their life.

 

We need to be encouraged that Jesus Christ has conquered all things which include Satan, sin, and the grave. Knowing this should enable each of us to face the circumstances and temptations we face each day. The notes in the DJSB state, “Because of Christ’s great power, no sinner is beyond rescue, and no saint is beyond recovery.” That “is the hope of our calling and the riches and glory of His inheritance”.  

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Ephesians 1:3-5, How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure.  (New Living Translation)

 

If you read other translations of the Bible, you will read that “God chose us before the foundation of the world” and “having predestined us to the adoption as sons of God”. Some might believe this means God has chosen some people to be His and there are those who have no chance of becoming part of His kingdom. This is not true! Let me share two verses of Scripture that support this. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God.” (John 3:36). “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). “Predestined means to “mark put the boundaries beforehand” (DJSB).

 

Jesus made another interesting statement in Matthew 22:14, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” He was referring to the message of the gospel going out to the Jews first; but few responded. Because of that the invitation set forth in the gospel went out among the Gentiles. The difference between being called and chosen is about accepting what Christ did for us at the cross or not accepting what He did. Those who accept are chosen to put on the righteousness of Christ that is accepted by grace through faith. God desires all people to accept this call for salvation; the few who are chosen are those who respond to His call, repent of their sins, believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him by walking on the narrow way to His kingdom. The response to this call is by the free exercise of one’s will. I am really glad God gave me the opportunity to say yes to grace.

 

God’s plan has always been (other translations say “before the foundation of the world”) those who accept His plan of salvation should “be holy and blameless before Him” (NKJV). This group of people who identify themselves – that would include you and me – with the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12) is also known as the true Church (Ephesians 1:22), a peculiar people that belong to God (1 Peter 2:9), the Bride of Christ (Matthew 25), and the wife of Christ (Revelation 19:7). God has decided before the creation of the world that all who accept His plan of salvation are to be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). All of us are in the process of being led by the Holy Spirit in the cleansing process known as sanctification to become pure in order to be presented holy or without blame before Him (Colossians 1;22-23).

 

Every person has a choice to make – to accept His call through the finished work of Jesus Christ or turn it down. Those who accept are to remain in Him through faith, walking the narrow way to His kingdom and eternal life. Predestination tells us about our destination and what God has prepared for us. All I know is all the struggles we face during the sanctification process will be worth all the discipline we must have to stay on the narrow way. Aren’t you glad you said yes to His call! I am!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Ephesians 1:3-5, How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure.  (New Living Translation)

 

As I have mentioned before, I have been reading and studying Paul’s writings in the New Testament; There is so much you and I can learn by taking our time while reading these letters and the applying what we learn tour own lives; what we can gleam from Paul’s writing is so important to walking on the narrow way. In the Introduction to Ephesians in the DJSB he writes, “Some regard the epistle to the Ephesians as the most profound and influential letter ever penned, second only to Romans in its theological and practical scope.” Because of that I want to take some time in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

 

Notice that Paul began his teaching with mentioning the blessings we have through giving our lives to Jesus Christ. Every Christian has every spiritual blessing they need to live for Him, to walk the narrow way to His kingdom and eternal life. Christians are blessed with everything needed for eternal life, and for serving Him on earth and in eternity. These spiritual blessings we have in Christ include every need and every aspect of our lives. Paul includes an important phrase we do no want to miss “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms”. Paul wants every reader of this letter to understand that this promise is not one of earthly blessings that will pass way; it is a promise of spiritual blessings that will endure forever! The notes in the JSESB tells us that “these are divine blessings, grounded in Christ and are ours by reason of our being in Him, which was brought about by the Cross”.  Let me emphasize that they will endure forever! I believe that should encourage and strengthen each of us as we walk on the narrow way each day.

 

Let me react to one more thought in the verses above. The NLT above states that God loves us. The other Bibles I read and use for study do not mention this specifically. It is understood that God does love us because He chose us (more on that tomorrow). Man was created to live in fellowship with God. We are told throughout the Bible that God is love and love does not want to be alone; by this definition love requires relationship. God created Eve because God saw it was not good for man to be alone. God walked with them in the cool of the evening.  God desires to have fellowship with every Believer today – that is what it means to be “in Christ Jesus” (v.1). Every person who accepts Him as their Savior and Lord now lives and acts differently because of Him; we have new life in Him because of the grace, righteousness, and eternal life He gives. The spiritual blessings He give to each of us are to help us walk the narrow way to eternal life with Him in His kingdom.

 

So, I end today with the way I began - all praise be to the Father for the wonderful spiritual blessing He gives us now and for eternity to walk with Him as He desires. What more is there to say but thank you, Father, for Your many wonderful blessings!

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.