LEARNING DAILY

1 Corinthians 1:18, For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

I can still hear the message I heard many years ago about Friday – “It’s Friday but Sunday is coming”! Yes, it’s Friday, and on that particular day Jesus Christ, the Son of God became the sacrificial Lamb for all who would believe and place their faith in Him. My neighbor across the street has shown to me that instead of Friday the crucifixion took place on Wednesday according to the Jewish calendar. In our discussion, we finally agreed that the significance of the crucifixion did not depend on the day but on Jesus taking our place on a cross that we each deserved!

There are two groups according to the verse above. There are those who consider the cross foolishness. They consider those who are “saved” to be idiots, believing this to be foolishness. They are those people who walk a broad way; they are walking to destruction. They are perishing. The cross was the Roman method of public execution, a symbol of shame for terrible crimes and to show the power of the Romans. It was a long, horrible death for those who were placed on it. The cross of Christ was foolishness to the unbelieving world because Jesus Christ was rejected by the Jewish people, His own people. He was crucified like every common criminal of the day; He was looked at just like the two who were crucified on either side of Him.

“But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” Jesus Christ never lost sight of the mission the Father had sent His Son to accomplish. No, the Romans, with all their strength and power, did not overpower Him; He had more than enough power and authority to prevent what was happening to Him. Instead, He used that power and authority to cover the sins of all who would believe in Him. Without this cross, without this act of sacrifice, you and I would have no hope; we would be lost.

What do you think of when you look at the cross? Too many wear it as some sort of decoration that has no meaning. At least the meaning does not lift up Jesus Christ. These people have spoken of, sung about, and live lifestyles that are far opposite of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I almost want to throw up at what these people represent but still wear a cross. To these people the message of the cross is foolishness, and they are perishing.

Christianity is all about what Jesus Christ did at the cross! It is not about helping your business grow or making yourself look good before others! No! It is about the forgiveness of your sins and my sins that we might walk a narrow way in order to be cleansed and made ready to enter eternity and live with our Savior and Lord forever! There is simply no Christianity without the cross. Take out the message of the cross from Christianity and all that is left is “theological mush” (I read that somewhere!).

Without the cross there is no salvation! There is no one who can live their life in such a way that they can walk into heaven because they were good enough! Again, Jesus died to take away every sin that every Believer has or will ever commit. Removing that sin is the only way He can come to live in your heart! Here is the thing: Every Believer ought to be thankful each day, all day, for what Jesus did on the cross. Gratitude for this ought to bring us to bow at His feet each day, in thanksgiving, declaring Him as God. Then, we seek to live for Him as He desires, walking on a narrow way!

Yes, its Friday and Jesus Christ hung on a cross. He is taking your place and my place, dying for the sins we have committed. But Sunday is coming!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Luke 17:15-16, And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Another passage of Scripture that has often been preached is the healing of the ten lepers. Jesus told the lepers to go show themselves to the priests in order to get a certificate of release indicating they were free of their disease. Their obedience became an out expression of their faith and was done before there was outward appearance of their healing. As they went, they must have seen they were healed because one came back to give his praise, his worship and his gratitude to Jesus for his healing.

Gratitude! There is an expression that does not seem to be often expressed anymore. Only one of the lepers turned back to Jesus when he saw that he was healed of this dreaded disease. Only one! Only one returned to give thanks to Jesus. He fell at the feet of Jesus and glorified Him. Gratitude did not seem to enter the thoughts of the other nine; one would have thought they would have been as full of gratitude as the one who returned. “It was nine to one that nobody would praise Him. One day in seven is for the Lord’s worship, but only one man in ten is devoted to His praise” (Spurgeon).

Go back and read the rest of the verses pertaining to this event. You will see that there were ten lepers who cried out to Jesus to have mercy on them. Ten people prayed for His mercy but only one gave Him praise for answering their prayer for mercy. I wonder how many Believers pray for healing when they are sick or really need His healing or direction, but forget to give Him the praise for when they get well? How often do people, even Believers, try to explain their answer to prayer instead of giving the praise to the One who answered their prayer? Shouldn’t there be as much praise and worship as there is prayer in the lives of Believers? To go one step further, should we not be giving the Lord Jesus Christ praise even before the answer comes, before the healing comes?

The lepers must have believed in the words of healing Jesus gave as He instructed them to go to the priests. They did not hesitate to go; they had faith in Jesus and His instructions; notice He never even told them “to be healed”. I’m scolding myself and each Believer reading this for not being more grateful for all the spiritual blessings we have, for all the prayers heard and answered by the Lord Jesus Christ! I honestly wonder what greater blessing God would pour out on His faithful followers if our praise would match the benefits we have in Him! If the only thing you have ever received from the Lord is your salvation, you could certainly fall on your face at the feet of Jesus glorifying Him.

One aspect of gratitude as shown by this healing of lepers is that you need no one else, you don’t need a crowd to come to Jesus in thanksgiving for what He has done for you. Don’t get me wrong, I want each of our family members to come and worship Him together. But I am just as happy to do so alone. There is no doubt in my mind that Scriptures show us the desire God has to be honored through our gratitude, our praise, our worship, and our obedience. The one who returned to Jesus did so as soon as he saw he was healed. He did not go to the priests and then return. He did so right away. Praise for what He has done should be the first thing we do. It should not be flippantly but with humility and worship!

Do you believe Jesus was pleased with the one? The obvious answer is yes. He not only healed him physically, but He told the man, “Your faith has made you well”. Jesus cleansed the man, indicating his faith had “saved” him spiritually. I leave it to you to decide if this was Jesus’ way of forgiving his sins.

I want to encourage you to take time to praise Jesus right now for what He has done for you personally. Let your praise be continual and your highest priority as you walk the narrow way into His kingdom!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Mark 8:22-25, Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everything clearly.

When Jesus asked the man what he saw, the man replied that he saw “men like trees walking”. His eyes had been opened but he did not see clearly. He saw but like he had some sort of film over his eyes. He could see and that was a blessing. This was different than other miracles of Jesus. The wine, when tasted was the best. The servant of centurion was dying, and Jesus healed him from a distance. Other blind men were able to see right away. Jesus heals the way He knows to be best.

The man could see but certainly not as well as he had hoped. He could not tell if what he saw were trees or men. What he saw was walking; it was obvious that what he saw was not trees. But by eyesight he could not tell. It was not until the Lord Jesus puts His hands on the man’s eyes again that his sight was restored and he saw clearly.

The Bible does not tell us why this total restoration of the man’s eyesight did not occur right away. Perhaps it was a lesson for His disciples and every Believer who has begun their journey on the narrow way to God’s kingdom. The disciples were beginning to see Jesus for who He is – the Son of God. The work of Jesus often confused them; they could see just as the blind man but not nearly as clearly as they should. This idea can easily be expanded to Believers today. Every Believer has come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior; knowing Him as their Lord takes a lifetime as His word is read/studied/ meditated on and then applied each day to our walk on the narrow way.

Consider this quote from the writings of Charles Spurgeon. “A man is still pitifully blind if he doesn’t care whether he sees more or not.” Walking on the narrow way is the process of sanctification or the process of being made pure to enter the Kingdom of God. It is the process of getting rid of the worldliness in our life and becoming who God wants us to be. It is the time when Believers are growing conscious of their own deficiencies/ignorance and are growing in spiritual wisdom. Will you agree that it is a time when we “hunger and thirst after God’s kingdom and His righteousness”!

The time of salvation may be a time when we see but not as clearly as we do after walking the narrow way for a while. During that time the Believer has spent time building a relationship with Jesus, understanding what it means to be fully dependent on Him. That is done by studying His character, having a greater desire to be in fellowship with Him through prayer, and seeking to know Him through spending more time with Jesus means clearer and clearer sight.

When Jesus touched the man the second time, He instructed him to look up. As we spend more time in God’s Word and in prayer the emphasis is to look to God and not to ourselves. Do not be satisfied with just being saved; look to Jesus to understand Him because that understanding will help you know the assurance of who you have in Him. This walk of faith on a narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom is one that produces a gradual change in each Believer; let the Holy Spirit work in your life, as a Believer, changing you day by day!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Mark 8:22-25, Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everything clearly.

Can you agree with me that the healing of this blind man was done in a different way than the other blind people Jesus restored sight to? It is probable that the people who brought this man to Jesus had heard that He had restored the sight of other blind people as they “begged Him to touch him” and not just give a blessing over him. Jesus often healed the sick by touching them; He chose a different way to restore the sight of this man.

Matthew 11:21 gives a little insight to the people of and around Bethsaida. Jesus had witnessed miracles of healing and the casting out of demons; it is even believed to be the area where the 5,000 were fed. But, even the witnessing of these happenings did bring the people to repentance. Perhaps it was because of not understanding what they were seeing. I have read that the eye symbolizes understanding (from Charles Spurgeon). Spurgeon also writes, “the heart of stone must be changed instantaneously but that is not necessarily true with the understanding; our understanding is often brought into proper balance and order in a gradual way.” The Bible does not tell us about the faith of these people nor the blind man. I wonder if it was spiritual blindness, the lack of understanding, that needed to be addressed by Jesus?

When the blind man was brought to Jesus, the first experience he had with Him was Jesus taking his hand.  Again, I wonder how many Christians want to experience the hand of God upon their lives? I wonder if the words of a message preached that spoke clearly to you was the hand of God tugging at your heart. Could it be the hand of God touching you that leads you to pray for another or suggesting you call that person you have not spoken to for a while? Could it be the hand of God touching you to ask for forgiveness when you have stumbled along the narrow way?

Taking the blind man by the hand Jesus led him out of town. Did they go alone? Did they go to a place where no one else was? What was the purpose? Perhaps He wanted the blind man to know His sight came not from those who brought him, but from Him. The blind man needed to be by himself, not depending on anyone else – just the Savior. The moment a person trusts Jesus enough to confess their sins comes when one forgets about everyone around them and let grace begin to do its work. If one is looking for a sign, I would say it is a pretty good sign Jesus is dealing with you when you forget about everyone else and you are thinking about yourself and your relationship to Jesus.

What Jesus does to the blind man when they are out of town is to spit in his eyes. Spurgeon wrote, “It seems to me that the use of the saliva connected to the opening of the eye with the Savior’s mouth. That is to say, it connected the illuminating of the understanding with the truth which Christ spoke. Spiritual eyesight comes from spiritual truth, and the eye of understanding is opened by the doctrine which Christ speaks.” Nothing is written to tell us the words Jesus spoke to the man. The man did open his eyes, but he did not see clearly – more on that in the next page of the blog.

This work done by our Lord refers to spiritual blindness. I believe the times we spend with Him, away from others, and spending time in His Word are extremely beneficial. There are those who laughed and mocked the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the Savior touched you and opened your eyes to the need for the Savior. It was when He came into your heart to save and change you that you found the power and hope in that gospel you once despised.

It would be appropriate to take the time you need to thank Him for opening your spiritual eyes to His truth!

 

LEARNING DAILY

1 Chronicles 12:32, of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, ….

I began reading through 1 Chronicles a few days ago. Actually, it might be more like I skipped through all the genealogies in the first ten chapters or so. When reading about those who found David and gave their support to him as King over all Israel, the verse above about the “sons of Issachar” caught my attention. They are described as men “who had understanding of the times”. This statement seems to say they knew what they needed to do – in this case they needed to join David. Being in agreement with what God is doing is a must in order to join with Him.

The sons of Issachar understood what was happening in the world they lived in. That statement makes me wonder how well Believers understand the times we live in today. Do Believers today look at what is happening around them and in the world today to try to understand from God’s perspective? These men understood and acted accordingly by joining David.

The Bible gives us a great amount of information on what is going to be happening in the last days. Yes, I believe these are the last of the last days. Matthew 24 is a chapter where the Lord Jesus gives a great amount of information concerning the days before the rapture of His Church. Skeptics will say that these events have been happening for many years. Believers will be in prayer and study to hear from God about these things occurring. Wars, rumor of wars, deception, pestilence, famine, earthquakes, the love of many growing cold, the unbelievable rise in immorality and shamelessness have all increased so much. Are Believers discerning the times? If so, what are Believers doing?

The April 8 eclipse is drawing much attention as a final warning for the United States. Is it so? I don’t know! There are those who are drawing comparisons to Jonah his mission to Ninevah. When he finally got there with God’s message to repent, the people of Ninevah did so. The comparison to the coming eclipse is that there was an eclipse at the time Jonah was speaking his message of repentance and this coming eclipse will pass over nine cities named Ninevah in the United States. Is this someone’s idea or really a message from God warning the people this is the last chance for America?

God is sovereign! He is on His throne in control of all things that happen! All things He does or allows to happen works out for the good of His people (Romans 8:28). That tells me, He is not troubled by events happening around us. These things tell me we must be spending time in His Word and in prayer. All Believers must be sure they are ready and stay ready for whatever is ahead. As the “sons of Issachar” joined David, Believers must make sure their life is what the Lord Jesus Christ desires. Put the Lord Jesus Christ, His kingdom and His righteousness before everything else in your life.  Act like you have placed your trust in Him alone. Live in His joy and bring the light of His life to those around you who live in darkness! Regardless of whether or not the end of days as we know them are near, live as children of God by seeking His daily directions for your life as you walk the narrow way into His kingdom!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thought, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

The Lord Jesus Christ saves a person when he confesses his sins, asks Him to forgive and save him; the person then begins to walk a narrow way where God begins to change him to walk into His eternal kingdom. The walk on the narrow way is one where the Lord Jesus tells the person that he must “deny themselves, take up his cross, and follow Him in order to come after Him” (Matthew 16:24). The Believer is told that everything important to him must take a backseat to following Jesus. Isaiah’s words above must be considered.

Consider this for a moment. When one is saved and walks on a narrow way, he is to live according to the principles set forth in God’s Word. But, the training and experiences of the individual have been according to the old self, the person before one met Jesus Christ. The problem comes when the new Believer tries to walk in his new life with Christ in the old earthly ways he once followed. God’s ways are not the ways of the “old person”! It is not difficult to understand why so many Believers try to hang on to their “stuff” and position in life.

This walk on the narrow way causes Believers to live their life on earth according to heavenly principles; understand that this way of life is contrary to the way the world wants them to live. Part of this demands that Believers remember that God is eternal and that we are created in His image; stop trying to create God to fit our image. Because of who He is, He knows every detail of a Believer’s life and knows what is best in order to make him ready to walk into His eternal kingdom. As a believer, you do not need to hang on to anything; stop trying to build treasure on earth! Do all you do to build treasure in heaven.

As a Believer walks the narrow way to heaven, obedience is really the key! Do the best you can with what you know the Bible instructs you to do! I believe that obedience to doing what the Bible tells us to do is a forgotten topic in the church today. Are you having difficulty with obedience? Have you asked God to help you become obedient to His Word? Don’t you think He wants to give you more blessing than you can handle if you ask Him to help you be obedient to His Word?

Walking on the narrow way is one of faith and obedience. Let me suggest some things. If there is sin in your life, confess it and stop it immediately. Stop following what the world says is okay; I do not need to tell you what things are included here. Get right with anyone you have offended and forgive those who might have offended you. How are you using the money God has given you? Do you help others you see in need (not just with money, by the way)? Are you looking to Him for wisdom or are you looking for the wisdom of the world to be your guide?

James writes in his letter that “faith without works is dead faith”. As the Believer becomes more like Christ from walking the narrow way, their obedience is shown by what he/she does. This is not salvation based on works. It is doing out of obedience and the desire to be like Jesus as He walked on this earth; it is being His hands and feet in order for His light to shine through us!

I wonder if another reason for few finding the way to life on the narrow way is because of the lack of obedience, because one insists on his own way instead of following God’s!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 7:14, “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and few are on it”.  Jesus

If you have read this blog for a while, you know that this verse is the center focus of what is written. This is because every day of the believer’s life is about their lives being in preparation for an eternity in God’s eternal kingdom. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about the importance of faith in the gospel of the Good News – the truth that every man and woman in this lost world may receive the gift of salvation in the believing faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That belief brings each person saved by Him to the narrow way where God wants to fully prepare you in your daily life so that you will be ready for heaven (A.W. Tozer).

The narrow way, as I understand it, is a way of discipline and necessary corrections in our behavior that is aimed at bringing us out of the world system and all the evil in it. Yes, God disciplines us as an earthly father disciplines the children he loves in order to help them become honest, hardworking adults. Hebrews 12:10 tells us the motives of God are loving and for our good, “that we might be partakers of His holiness”. As His children through His Son, we should be attracted to and desire to be holy because He is holy; we want to be like our Father in heaven!

The narrow way is to prepare us for eternity, for fellowship with the Apostles, the prophets, all those we read about and consider heroes of the faith. Think of spending time with Abraham or Daniel or Elijah or any of your favorite Bible characters. Consider seeing your loved ones who have already walked into the kingdom of God. The need for you and for me to keep walking the narrow way is to continue cleansing us for that time; if you were ready and God did not need you on this earth anymore, don’t you think He would have taken you there already?

The God who saved each of us is “unspeakably pure. He is sinless, spotless, immaculate, stainless. In His person is an absolute fulness of purity that our words can never express. This fact alone changes our entire human and moral situation and outlook” (Tozer). Each of us must understand and see how important and necessary that we walk this narrow way each day as each day is another day of spiritual preparation, perhaps some testing, and maybe some discipline. But now consider it all with heaven in mind, as another day closer of being made ready to enter eternity in God’s kingdom. Becoming ready is not an instant or painless process.

From experience, the training to be who God wants me to be has not always been an easy one. There has been testing. There has been discipline, even some punishment at times. There has been much correction and the need to experience some things to make me less gullible (So I would not believe everything people tell me!). Instead of being discouraged, although that did occur, I tried to use these times as ways of being faithful and trusting they were for my benefit. It has not been easy but I have seen where God’s way, His plan was best as it took me further down the narrow way.

The person who has professed his/her faith in Jesus Christ is forgiven and saved. The next step is to walk that narrow way to be made ready for heaven and all the glories found there. “In summary: Down here the orchestra merely rehearses; over there we will give the concert. Here, we ready our garments of righteousness; over there we will wear them at the wedding of the Lamb.” (Tozer)

 

LEARNING DAILY

1 John 4:9-10, In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The sermon given by Pastor Jonathon Moore, of NorthRock Church this weekend was centered in Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. You might remember that this blog covered four weeks of teaching on the conversation between Jesus and the woman as preached at Community Bible Church. In this page of the blog, I would like to focus on an additional verse given by Pastor Moore as he related his message.

Pastor Moore pointed out that Jesus went looking for the woman; she was certainly not looking for Him when she went to the well to draw water. John wrote in His gospel that verse we all know, “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son …” (John 3:16). This is Basic Christianity 101! God loves you and me so much that He sent His Son into this world to save us. We are not able to save ourselves; it does not matter how good you think you are or try to be! God’s love for people is not something that is hidden! It is revealed through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son.

In the verse above and in John 3:16, notice the word “sent”! Jesus did not just simply appear on earth – He was sent, sent with a purpose! That purpose was to “pursue you and me” (Pastor Moore). Focus on this for a moment. Being “sent” implies that Jesus existed before He came to earth; He was not created. He was sent for the purpose of giving eternal life to those who would believe in Him and who would allow Him to change them by walking on a narrow way. He came to give those who would believe in Him an abundant life by remaining in Him and walking with Him (John 10:10). That abundant life is not found in big houses, fancy cars, money or prestige in the world. The abundant life Jesus gives is eternal life which begins the moment he becomes our Savior. This alone should satisfy us. The Samaritan woman Jesus talked to was looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places. Don’t be like her. When she met Jesus, he gave her abundant life, the peace she was longing to find.

Pastor Moore stated, “Jesus is patient with us”. Can anyone else express their gratitude and their thanksgiving that Jesus never gave up on them? That’s the message I want on my tombstone – Jesus never gave up on me! I would have given up on me long ago; Jesus does not do that. I have tried to understand the depth of the love of God. I am not able to do so. It can only be understood by our heavenly Father sending His only Son to pursue sinners, to pursue a fallen people and die for them.

I wonder how much longer that patience will last. I want to encourage each person who reads this blog to take some time right now to tell your Savior and Lord thank you for saving and changing you. If there are things in your life that you need to talk to Him about concerning how you are living, do not put off confessing them and expressing how thankful you are for His forgiveness. Stop looking for contentment and satisfaction in any other place than the love of Jesus! You will not find it.

 

LEARNING DAILY

1 John 2:1, My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.

Hebrews 7:25, Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

The message at Community Bible Church was given by Pastor Marquise Cox. In his message he spoke about the storms of life; he said, “every person is either on their way to a storm, coming out of a storm, or are in the middle of a storm”. That was his target statement meaning storms are part of every person’s life. He stated, ‘these storms may be sin induced or where Jesus leads us into the storm in order for growth to occur in the Believer. It is interesting that this was written about not too long ago in this blog.

I want to focus on something he mentioned; two words have been darkened in the two Scripture verses above. Pastor Cox defined Advocate as one who stands with the accused and intercessor as one who stands between the accused and the judge.

In John’s writing, he desires that every Believer grow in their relationship with the Lord. “Growing up” or maturing or desiring to be more like Christ each day should be the goal of every Christian as they walk the narrow way!  John knows that each Believer is capable of sin each day. He gives Believers hope that Jesus Christ is our Advocate before the Father in heaven. In the Greek advocate is parakleton which means one who pleads the case of another; in this case Jesus Christ stands with each Believer, speaking on their behalf with the Father. John goes on to write in the next verse that Jesus is the One who paid the debt for each Believer by taking our place on the cross.

Jesus Christ is continually interceding on the behalf of Believers. The devil is continually accusing us of the wrong things Believers do. He hates you and everything you stand for as a follower of Jesus Christ! He does everything he can to separate you from God. But, because Jesus is standing with you, reminding the Father that you have put your trust and your faith in Him, and have repented of your sin, you are forgiven.

What does that mean regarding the storms of life? Pastor Cox stated, “Even in the darkest moments of your storm, your circumstances, Jesus Christ is standing with you (your Advocate) and He is interceding for you with the Father. In the darkest moments of the storm, Jesus Christ is walking on that which you are afraid of”. He was referring to Jesus walking on the water to the disciples; they were in a boat, terrified of the storm and the water raging around them. Jesus gave the disciples the “comfort in the storm around them”.

Are you in a storm right now? Perhaps you are coming out of one or about to enter into one. Find your comfort, your strength in knowing that Jesus is standing with you to forgive you or to help you grow in an area of your Christian walk.

One last thing Pastor Cox mentioned that is very important. He said when in a storm remember how Jesus brought you out of the last one you went through. Perhaps you need to remember the forgiveness of Jesus when you sinned and promised you would never do it again. Perhaps you need to remember the last miracle he brought into your life as you look to the one you need right now. There is no place nor time that the intercession of Jesus Christ is not available to you. His promise is, “I will never leave nor forsake you”! (Hebrews 13:5).

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 7: 21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven.”

There are days I think I read too much. It is those days I read something that causes me to sit back, close my eyes and wonder how what I have read applies to me. The choice then becomes to grow from this or just keep moving in the same daily experiences. Yesterday was one of those days.

As I wrote several days ago, I have picked up several books written by Charles Spurgeon and A.W. Tozer. Both have written about sin. Spurgeon wrote about sin being worse in people’s lives than they even imagine. Here is a sample of what I read from Tozer yesterday. “When will we realize and confess every sin is now a moral incongruity? As Believers, we are supposed to have died with Jesus Christ our Lord. When we were joined with Him in the new birth we were joined in His death. When we were joined to His rising again, it should have been plain to us that sin is now a moral incongruity in the life of a Christian.” He continues, “But a Christian dies with Christ and dies in Christ and dies along with Christ, so that when he lays his body down at last, the Bible says he will not see death.” In other words, the Christian steps right into eternal life to live with Him in His kingdom. Tozer then writes, “I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ saved me completely – therefore He asks me for total commitment. He expects me to be a disciple totally dedicated.” And that’s where I had to stop reading, close my eyes, and consider my commitment, my total dedication to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I am not proud of the way I have lived as a Christian. The cleaning and purifying, the dying to self has been a struggle. Yes, many changes have occurred in my life since asking Jesus to save and change me. He has, but there was a lot of the world in me. I am so thankful that He never gave up on me and continued to change me. Sin ought to be an outrage for the Believer because it insults the One who shed His blood. Before anyone mistakes what I am saying (and what Tozer has written), it needs to be understood that we all sin. This is about the one who claims to be saved but wants to sin; understand the difference.

I am not condemning anyone. Let me be clear. Christians should be the cleanest, most righteous, holiest and happiest people in the world; Jesus Christ, through His shed blood, has forgiven every sin a Believer has and will commit. That does not permit the Believer to continue to sin. What concerns and confuses me is the person who is not willing to walk on the narrow way as God demands. Tozer writes “that a person cannot walk with Him unless he is obedient to His Word; if the person does walk the narrow way as He desires, there is not fruitfulness and blessing.”

The central teaching of Tozer’s writing is that a person cannot walk with Jesus Christ on the narrow way and still desire to sin, to walk as the world does. To know the Lord’s righteousness, a Believer must agree to walk the narrow way as the Lord desires and that means living as He demands. Tozer asks, “Can a man be on the road to heaven when he is habitually performing the kind of deeds that would logically indicate that he ought to be on his way to hell? How can the two walk together except they be agreed? If I walk in an unholy way, how can I be in fellowship with Him?”

May I suggest if you are doing things that Jesus Christ would not approve of – stop doing them! If you are doing things that gratify your flesh or are building you up in the eyes of the world. You need to run from this “stuff”! If you are trying to be friends with the “world” and still walk on a narrow way, God is not pleased!

Let God’s Word speak to you and then be obedient to it!

James 4:4, Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with the God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1John 2:15-16, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the father but is of the world.

“These words of God are not before us for our consideration; they are for our obedience and we have no right to claim the title unless we follow them” (Tozer).

 

LEARNING DAILY

Genesis 22:1, Now it came time to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

If you take time to read about Abraham’s life in the book of Genesis, you find that he was no stranger to challenges. All the challenges he had faced led to the ultimate of challenges by God. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Think about this for a moment. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah when they were past childbearing stage in their lives. Isaac was the son that Abraham’s promises from God would go through; he was the child of promise. But when God called, Abraham responded, he answered. Abraham was ready and willing to answer God’s call and was willing to be obedient regardless of the circumstances.

It seems like a pretty cruel thing to be told to do from the human perspective. Do you see the difficulty Abraham faced? “At the center of this test from God was not only Abraham’s love for his son, Isaac but also in the promises God had given Abraham in connection with him. If Isaac was to die, those promises would never be fulfilled” (Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg).  God does test His followers. If He tested Abraham, know that He will test Believers today! The devil will also test God’s followers by tempting them to do the things that were once important to them; the devil tempts to bring out the worst in people. When God tests His followers, it is because He desires to bring out the best in them (David Jeremiah). Did you notice the difference?

“Here I am.” If you continue to read the Genesis account you will read no mention of Abraham challenging or arguing; he rose the next morning and took Isaac, wood for the burnt offering, and went to the place God directed him to. He trusted God! The greatest test was to give up the son he loved and had waited for so long!

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but Got is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Temptation becomes a routine part of a Believer’s life. The devil’s lies to tempt us to sin are strong as the Believer walks a narrow way; Jesus Himself told His disciples that the narrow way into His kingdom was a difficult way. As believers, we want to do the right thing all the time. We want to please God. Here is where each believer must do as Abraham – trust God!  His Word tells us, promises us that with every temptation there is the assurance to overcome it. Paul is writing that the temptation to sin is common to every Believer, and this is true for every believer throughout time. It is this common trait that makes the believer’s relationship to Jesus Christ one centered in trust and faith.

Finish reading about Abraham and Isaac and see that due to Abraham’s faith in God and His ability to deliver a sacrifice, God delivered the sacrificial lamb. God did not want Isaac to die, He wanted Abraham to submit to Him. God is still providing the lamb for His followers today. He loves each Believers and does not want them to fail! He helps each Believer by working to keep us from being tempted beyond our ability to resist the temptation. God gives the Holy Spirit to strengthen our ability to resist. Here is what the last page of the blog speaks of – each of us must look for a way to say no to the temptation. It is an “act of our will” to do that! When we look for a way to say no or run from sin, God will provide it. Yes, we can turn down God’s help and ignore the Holy Spirit’s leading. Is that not what sin is? It is the willful choice to do something other than God’s will!

Do you understand the importance of being with God, in His Word and in prayer each day in order to know what His will is? Be encouraged today to look to God when temptation comes. It will come! Be ready by staying ready to answer when God speaks to you. Be ready when those temptations come to look to God who is always ready to help you. He does love you and is always for you.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  Jesus

“To love God with all our heart we must first of all, will to do so. We should repent our lack of love and determine from this moment on to make God the object of our devotion. We should set our affections on things above and aim our hearts toward Christ and heavenly things. We should read the Scriptures devotionally every day and prayerfully obey them, always firmly willing to love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourself” (A.W. Tozer).

To “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” we must first want to do so and that will to do so must come from our heart. If one makes seeking God a matter of the mind only, their walk on the narrow way is so much more difficult. One’s decision to follow Jesus must come from their heart. The decision to repent and follow Christ must move the 18 inches from the mind to the heart or the seeds planted by the Sower will not reach the fertile soil where it produces much fruit.

The verse above does not mean that one who lives by it will have an endless supply of blessing. It means pursue God’s kingdom, trust His righteousness, and leave it to Him to provide for your daily needs. Only by putting God first in life can one pursue His righteousness. Every Believer must prioritize living by the principles He has been discussing in Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount. To seek God’s kingdom, to walk the narrow way, one must live in continual repentance, acknowledging one’s sin, and live a lifestyle that is completely devoted to Jesus. When one does, God provides whatever is needed to accomplish His will in your life.

Let me point out something that is easy to pass over. After Jesus Christ becomes our Savior, we begin to walk on a narrow way to His Kingdom. We do not become perfect and do not stop sinning. Walking into His kingdom requires each person become like Him and that is a lifelong process. When we sin, we respond by acknowledging that sin and thanking Him for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ. That’s where the heart comes in. When Jesus gets in our heart, the sin we commit becomes like an injury or a wound to us until we confess it to our Savior. If the sin committed is done away with by a mental act or trying to deal with it by some mental exercise, there is no true repentance. Walking on the narrow way requires an act of our will; “it requires that we choose to obey the gospel or turn away from it in unbelief and reject its authority” (Tozer).

Seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness is a matter of deciding to do so from your will. As a Believer, you have every reason to move forward in your walk with Jesus Christ. This might be a bold statement – every believer can make Jesus Christ the focus of your heart and keep Him there. It is only in Him that we find true contentment and peace. A believer can walk as closely with the Lord as he/she wants to. Invite the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and fill you. Continue to “seek God and His righteousness” every day through Bible reading/study/ meditating on it. Seek Him in prayer and walk the narrow way according to His Word. Be tough on yourself – be disciplined and make the time to be with Him.

When you seek you will find what you are seeking! This is about seeking God’s kingdom, not building or desiring your kingdom (the Kingdom of Self)! It is about seeking God’s righteousness not your own! God is desiring you, Believer, to seek Him is to find Him. To find Him is to walk with Him on the narrow way to eternity in His kingdom. To find Him is to bow before Him and to walk with Him in spirit and truth. It is a choice, a matter of your will and my will. Choose wisely!

 LEARNING DAILY

John 4:48-50, So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

We were just able to watch the service at Community Bible Church from last weekend. It is quite neat to be able to watch a service later when not being able to attend in person. Pastor Ed Newton spoke on John 4:46-54 when a man from Capernaum walked 20 miles to plead with Jesus to heal his son. Pastor emphasized the distance traveled and the faith of the man who had come to plead for Jesus to heal his son.

Jesus’ statement to the man and to the people hearing His voice seems a little strange. Did he need to see a sign to believe? Pastor Newton clarified this statement by saying “people often want Jesus to perform some sign or miracle without wanting what was in the heart of Jesus”. This means that one’s knowledge and having faith is often different. This man had heard about Jesus having the ability to do the miraculous. Had he not turned water into wine at a marriage ceremony in Cana? Pastor Newton said we cannot base whether we follow and serve Jesus based on what He can do. He asked, “If you didn’t get what you wanted, would you still follow Jesus?” I wonder if Jesus was going to do something to challenge the man, to see if the man was really willing to trust Him. Jesus did not make statements or ask question that had no purpose!

The official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” That was the father’s response to Jesus. There was no theological debate. All he knows is that his son is “at the point of death” and Jesus is the One who can heal him. Can you sense the need in the father as he pleaded, as he begged Jesus to come with him? All he can think about is getting Jesus to come with him in order to heal his son. Jesus is not dismissing the father nor his need; He is testing the father’s faith. “Biblical faith is not simply mental knowledge. It is an act of trust: choosing to rely on those things we do know in spite of the things we don’t know” (online BibleRef.com). This father knew Jesus had done the miraculous; he knew intellectually that He could heal his son. He knows Jesus can do something. The question Jesus is dealing with is the father’s faith.

“Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” Notice the reaction by the father. “He did not ask for proof” (Pastor Newton). The man had come to Jesus hoping that Jesus would do something. He left without Jesus going with him, “believing” Jesus had done something. It takes trust to walk away without Jesus going with Him. Somewhere between leaving Jesus and his home, he meets his servants who tell him the fever has left his son. When asked when that happened, he learns it was at the same time Jesus told him to go home because his son will live.

The point Jesus is making is that there will be people who will not believe without seeing some sign or miracle. True biblical faith occurs when a person is willing to walk away with only the promise that Jesus has saved you when you acknowledge your sin and ask Him to forgive you. This type of faith comes from one’s heart and is not a head knowledge. There are times a Believer must believe in their heart that God knows their situation, hears their prayer(s) even when we do not see or understand. We might not see what God is doing but we can know that God is doing something. He sees our situation and has it under His control.

The result of the man’s encounter with Jesus was that he believed as did his entire household. It was not the man’ knowledge that caused him to believe; it was His trust in the only One who could bring healing to the man’s son. I do not know how long it took to meet the servants on the way home, but the man’s trust must not have diminished as he traveled. His prayer had been answered long before he met his servants.

 Allow that to speak to you and encourage your prayer time!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Luke 22:32, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”  Jesus

Usually, I write about the weekend message given at Community Bible Church on Monday. I missed this past weekend and am waiting for it to be put on their website. I did get to watch the message by Pastor Jonathon Moore given at NorthRock Church. His message was about telling Peter to throw his net on the other side of his boat after a long night of catching no fish. I have recently written about this so I won’t rewrite it. Remember Peter was reluctant to do what Jesus did; even though Peter doubted, he did as Jesus instructed and the net was full of fish.

Pastor Moore’s message was about failure, how people respond to failure, and how Jesus has a “track record of using imperfect people or people who have failed”. Go back and read the entire passage in Luke 5:1-11 that shows Peter being tired and discouraged and just did not want to go back out in the water to throw down the nets again. Read about him finally doing so and the result of his obedience. His reaction to the catch was recognizing his failures, falling at the feet of Jesus, and declaring he was a sinful man.

As Christians, we know that there is an enemy that does everything he can to disrupt our Christian testimony. His aim is to rob, kill, and destroy every person who is walking on a narrow way into God’s eternal kingdom. Jesus told His followers that they would have a difficult time walking on the narrow way. It is difficult because of this enemy, the traps and enticements of the world, the lust of the eyes and the flesh, and the pride within us that wants recognition and position. When we place our faith or trust or desires for any of these things, we stumble on this narrow way, we fail.

In my own life I have been amazed that after many failures, Jesus has “always presented me (you) with an opportunity to move forward” (Pastor Moore). It comes after the posture Peter assumed after his failure; “he fell to his knees and declared his sinfulness”. Pastor Moore stated in his message an important key in walking on this narrow way. Every believer must invite Jesus Christ into every aspect of our life – every day, not just when we are at church. Here is the importance of this – we never know when an opportunity will be presented to share Jesus with someone or be able to encourage another. It could be a family member who has watched you for a long period of time. It could be someone at the gym you have not talked to before. It could be the pastor of a church that you give a word of encouragement to about the work being done.

Pastor Moore spoke about doing what Jesus leads you to do even when it does not make sense. Go out again after a long night of failure? Really? Pastor said, “Like Peter, we may need to get off the shore, to get out of our comfort zone, and go to the deep” out of obedience. He said, “that means we need to get to the end of ‘me’ and do what Jesus leads us to do”.

Pastor Moore concluded his message with Luke 22:32. He said, “Jesus knew Peter would fail again”. Jesus knows you and I will fail again! Reread 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Have you memorized this? Do you follow this? Jesus has forgiven every sin you have and will commit. That should give us confidence to tell Him when we fail and get up and follow Him. That is what Peter did in this account!

Pastor Moore reminded us that Peter went from experiencing the miracle of catching a net full of fish to participating in a miracle where 5,000 plus were fed with just a few fish and a few loaves of bread. I don’t know about you but I have experienced the things Jesus has done in my life that I consider miracles and I want to participate with Him in miracles he wants to do in the lives of others!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Philippians 3:12-14, Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Are you ready to be challenged today? I have been reading the writings and sermons of some godly men lately and today I am going to pass on some thoughts by A. W. Tozer. I was challenged to reflect on who I am in Christ Jesus; I pray you are as well.

Paul is writing an interesting statement. He writes “he has entered into perfection but has not yet gone all the way” (Tozer). He goes on to right that he was “reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”; he was committed to growing and maturing in his spiritual walk with the Lord. He was moving forward with the plan and will of God for his life. The theme of this page of the blog concerns whether you are “reaching forward to those things which are ahead”.

Let me ask you the questions Tozer asked in his writing. “Lord, what will it cost me?” “Will it be safe?” “Will it be convenient?” “Will it be fun?” “Oh Lord, will I still be popular if I follow all the way?”  Perhaps you have never asked questions like this of your spiritual walk; yet, it is good to examine your walk on the narrow way. How did you answer the questions? Here is another question Tozer asked in his writing. “What are your reasons for not moving forward in the plan and will of God for your life?

These may be tough questions; yet, each of us are intended to grow as we walk the narrow way. We are to become who God wants us to be, becoming like Him. Accepting Christ as one’s Savior is only the beginning. Too many Christians settle for this, becoming content to get a “foot in the door” of heaven. There is so much that Jesus Christ has to offer those who follow Him. Look back to the questions he wanted his readers to answer. Those questions are really self-centered in nature. Those questions are questions used to argue with God or to make excuses for why we are not growing. The cost for following Jesus is to take up our own cross and follow Him as He desires. We must place His will before our own. That does not mean we are going to be sent to some remote mission field; be used by Him right where you are. Let people see you are different by how you conduct your business.

Safe? Fun? Popular? Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever happens in the Believer’s life is because the Lord allows it to happen for your growth and for His glory. He is always with us, leading us into a deeper life with Him. Do not let fear of what going deeper in your walk with the Lord “will cost in time, in money, in effort or perhaps in the matter of friendship. These are some of the areas that hinder us.” (Tozer). Walking in this way with the Lord will not always be fun or popular. I am not sure if much in life that is desired is gained through popularity or convenience. “Reaching forward” with Christ is about dying to self; no one will go forward in their spiritual walk without doing so.

When I look back at my walk on the narrow way, I remember being laughed at, mocked (not always to my face), been told I would be better “preaching” on the street than in the classroom or while coaching, having to decide whether I would take a stand for truth and for honesty in the workplace, and having to decide between being a mediocre Christian and growing spiritually. Paul writes to encourage Believers to press on to be all God wants us to be as we walk a narrow way into His kingdom. The devil wants Believers to look back at what they were; God wants each believer to look up, to look to Him and to stop looking at themselves (Tozer). Jesus took care of our past as He hung on a cross; He has forgiven us and desires each of us live the wonderful life that is found in Him!

 

LEARNING DAILY

James 2:20, But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

The New Living Translation writes this verse this way, “faith that does not result in good deeds is useless”.  There must be a relationship between what you say and what you do – they must match. It means really walking the narrow way, not just talking about it. Doing what you talk about is about personal holiness.

I encourage you to read the entire passage in James 2 beginning with verse 14. James writing that a saving faith results in a changed life where our life matches what we save. What is the purpose of the narrow way? It is to make those who speak with their mouth that Jesus is their Savior to be like God, so they act like God; its purpose is to make Jesus Christ the Lord of their life. It is a lifelong process which has been written about in this blog for a long time. Just saying that one’s faith is not a substitute for living the way the Lord demands he/she lives.

Faith in Christ does not stand alone; it is never meant to be a substitute for the way we live life. For example, we have a person who has a need and we tell them we will pray that it is met. We might have the ability to feed the person, buy some groceries, meet whatever the need is – but we tell them we will only pray for them. Is that enough? No. we must act and provide for the need. Is that not what James is getting at when he writes about putting faith into action? Is that not the obedience that has been written about in previous pages of the blog? Should we not obey God and act when we are able to do so?

I believe God planned from the beginning that those who chose to believe in His Son and desire to be changed by walking on a narrow way would do good works. I think too many believers think that attending church each weekend, giving money to the church and returning home is enough. Does this make them any better in their actions the rest of the week? This is not about salvation based on works; it is works based on our salvation; this is about faith that produces no evidence of a changed life. It is about yielding one’s life to The Lord Jesus Christ and being used for His glory.

Believer, be encouraged to yield your heart to God; as you do your heart begins to change to reflect His desires. That only helps you to move forward in your walk with Him and do the works He brings into your life. Jesus told His disciples in John 13:35 that others would know they were His disciples because of their love for one another. As your heart is being transformed into what God desires, your actions and deeds will benefit those in need. Your acts of kindness and helping others will be an opportunity to allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine brightly in a dark world, a world that desperately needs to see the compassion and good deeds of Believers. What greater way to share the love of Jesus Christ is there than being involved with works that reflect Him. By doing so, we can cause others to ask about why we care or about the hope we have, drawing those we help to the One who saves and changes people.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Genesis 15:1, After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, “Do not be afraid Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

Wouldn’t you, as a Believer like to hear the Lord speak to you and tell you what He said to Abram? Why don’t you take a moment and read the above verse and substitute your name where Abram’s name is found. Makes you feel good, doesn’t it? God was assuring Abram and each Believer that he (we) has nothing to fear because God will protect and reward him greatly.

Abram had just come from driving out forces who had captured his nephew Lot, his family, all his goods, and all the goods and provisions of Sodom and Gomorrah. Everything was returned and Abram was offered a great reward by the king of Sodom. Abram refused to take anything. It was at this point that the Lord came to Abram in a dream with His promise.

Abram had some concerns because he had not yet seen the heir he had been promised. Without an heir how could the promises God had made happen? The Lord took him outside to the heavens and told him to count the stars if he was able; the number of stars in the heaven would be what his descendants would number.  This leads to verse 6, “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” God had addressed the emotions of Abram, telling him it was safe to set aside his fear because He was protecting him. The Lord told him his reward was going to be great and worth the wait.

This is one of those days I want you to reflect back on several things. Think back to a time(s) when fear and worry caused you great stress. Think about a time(s) when God protected you from something. We know fear can be very real or it can be imagined; that is not the subject here. The days we live in are evil and what is going to happen tomorrow can cause great anxiety. Remembering how God has protected you in the past can certainly overcome the fears of what lies ahead. We must remember that God is still your shield, just as He was for Abram! Never forget that God is in control and knows all that is happening in the lives of those who follow Him. The message He gave Abram is still the message he gives believers today.

I want you to focus on the next thing the Lord promised Abram because it is still promised Believers today. He promised an “exceedingly great reward”! Refer to verse 6 again and see that Abram believed. To “believe” means to persevere in trust and belief by being obedient. God saw the attitude in his heart and counted him righteous (a note from somewhere I have written in my Bible). This is a statement about Abram’s continuing faith and belief in God; that is what made him righteous. It is the continuing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by each of you, each believer, that make you acceptable to Him.

I will finish this by taking you to Ephesians 3:20-21. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to His power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” The Lord’s promise to Abram was to protect him and give him an exceedingly great reward. That promise for Abram is extended through Jesus Christ to everyone who follows Him. It is His power working through each Believer that helps us walk on a narrow way to His kingdom and strengthens each of us to not fear today or tomorrow. Knowing that the Lord is our Shield and Defender should fill our hearts with joy and confidence to serve Him as He desires. When the Lord does more for us than we ask or expect, His glory and His majesty is brought forth in our lives. I cannot help believe that our greatest reward will come when we step into the presence of Jesus in Heaven.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Mark 1:40, Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

I listened to another message from NorthRock Church this past weekend. It was a great message about a leper who came to Jesus, in faith that He could heal him of this terrible disease. Jonathon Moore, the lead pastor, told in great detail how this disease causes sores and visible scars on the skin and caused those who had this disease to be isolated from those who did not have it. Pastor Moore said this man’s name was never mentioned; it was his condition that was evident. He went on to say that today people might not have sores on their skin that are visible but have sores on their soul that causes them to be isolated. He said as leprosy causes the nerve in the skin to be numb, the sore on the hearts of people causes a numbness that they cannot seem to get away from.

The leper is an interesting study. Someone had told Him about Jesus and what He was able to do. Stop and think upon that. What if no one had done that? Who do you need to tell about Jesus and what He can do for that person?  The leper’s response was to believe that “If you are willing, You can make me clean.” “He knew that he could do nothing about his condition; he went to Jesus!” (Pastor Moore). Where did the leper’s faith come from? It came as the result of being told, because he listened and received what was said. This goes right along with the message at Community Bible Church about doing whatever He says. Open your Bible and read the Good News, the Best News Ever, and do what it says. Pastor Moore said there may be “stuff” we need to remove from our lives to hear or receive from God’s Word. That is okay! Admit the bad stuff, receive forgiveness, and be obedient.

The leper took the step necessary to approach Jesus. He knelt before the only One who could meet His need. In verse 41, notice the response of Jesus. “I am willing; be cleansed.” I wonder if you can sense the feeling and understanding of what this leper had endured in his life. Jesus did! Don’t you know the anger Jesus must have had at the work of the devil in this man’s life! The man had been enslaved and afflicted with this terrible disease, enduring the hardships that went with it. Pastor Moore said that the leper knelt before Jesus, taking the right posture to receive a miracle. Just like the leper, Jesus knows our struggles, the pain we live with, and identifies with what we live with.

The last point made in this message was Jesus takes our place! The leper’s posture was one of submission to the will of God. He did not come into His presence with any demands – only if He was willing. He came to Jesus in faith, recognizing His authority and power, asking to be made clean. Pastor Moore reminded us that when the leper came to Jesus, he was an outcast who could not go anywhere near other people nor into the village. Read the end of this portion of Scripture and you will see the man told everyone about what Jesus had done which resulted in people from every direction going to Jesus. Notice that “Jesus could no longer openly enter the village”. Jesus had become the who could no longer go into the village – He had taken the place of the leper in this regard.

In the same sense Jesus took the place of each person who places their faith in Him. He took the place on a cross that each person deserves because of the sin. Do you fully understand what that means. It should cause every believer to the posture of the leper, one of submission and desire to be obedient in every aspect of their life.

I believe that is a great reminder for every Believer whether new or walking with Jesus for many years.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 2:5, His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

The weekend message at Community Bible Church dealt with the wedding feast at Cana of Galilee. You know the story about Jesus and His disciples going to a wedding and the embarrassing situation about running out of wine. The mother of Jesus tells Jesus the situation and He asks her why that is a problem for Him. Pastor pointed out that Mary did not answer Him. She did not tell Him what He should do, did not tell Him He should make some more wine. She simply turned from Him and told the servants to do whatever He said to do.

I do not know about you, but I have tried more than once to tell the Lord the best way to do something and ways I believed I could really be used to help Him advance His kingdom. In fact, I spent years planning and helping Him figure out how I could best be used. I even had included family and friends in the planning. It took some difficult measures to figure out I had gotten way off track. It is pretty clear to me now that it is not my place to tell God anything about using me or anyone else; it is not my place to tell Him how He needs to further His kingdom.

His mother did not try to do this either. She just told the servants to listen to Jesus and then do what He told them to do. That is really good teaching and a great idea for each of us. Spend more time listening instead of talking and suggesting what Jesus should do in our lives. What should we do when we do not know what to do? Pastor asked that question in his message. He mentioned the advice that the world often gives when people say, “Just follow your heart”. No, no, that is wrong because the Bible tells us the heart often leads us in the wrong direction. Jeremiah 17:9 speaks of the heart as “deceiving”. It is fallen and corrupt; it is deadly and leads us the way of the world. The heart calls evil good and good evil. Following the heart will lead one into sin; do not follow your heart!  The answer Pastor gave us was to open your Bible, read it, and do what it says.

“Whatever He says to you, do it.” Is this not the key to living a successful Christian life? Do you want peace in your life? Do what He says! Do you want to stay on a narrow way into eternal life in God’s kingdom? Do what He says! Do you want great fellowship with Jesus? Do what He says! Do you want peace in your life? Do what He says! Mary knew the promises she had heard when the angel told her she would conceive. She knew that there are times Jesus was the only One who could solve problems. She went to Jesus to tell Him the problem and then allowed Him to deal with it in His way, through His methods and in His timing.

I want to go back to opening your Bible and reading it. The Bible is God’s Word. He is “speaking” to each of us when we read it. It is His inspired Word, is profitable for knowing doctrine, for correcting our behavior and our thoughts, and instructing us on right living (2 Timothy 3:16). It teaches how to walk the narrow way and live for Jesus. It is so important for each of us to do whatever He tells us to do! Each day, each Believer chooses whether he/she will be obedient to how the Bible instructs us to live.

God has a plan for each of us and He always leads us to in a direction He desires, one that is always best for us. No, we might not always like it or understand the reasoning behind His leading because more than likely it is contrary to everything the world teaches. But being obedient to Him will never lead us astray. Because of the obedience of the servants, everyone at the wedding feast benefitted. The best wine was served, and all were happy with those who planned the event. And because the servants did whatever Jesus told them, Jesus was glorified! That tells me that when you or I do whatever He says, Jesus will be glorified then as well.

I encourage you to do as the servants did. They glorified our Lord through their obedience and others benefited as a result. Who will you be able to reach for the kingdom of God because you did whatever He tells you to do?

 

LEARNING DAILY

Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin is serious and not something to be thought of as trivial. There are those who laugh and even brag about the sinful things they have done. Sin to God is no laughing matter. God hates sin. In Mark 6:43-48, Jesus said if your hand or foot causes you to sin, you are to cut it off; if your eye causes you sin, you are to pluck it out. Obviously, Jesus was not recommending self-mutilation. No, He was saying a person must do whatever it takes to not sin.  Paul wrote in Romans 6:23 that the result of sin was eternal death, being separated from God throughout eternity.

In writing this page of the blog, I had to think back over the sinfulness of my life and what I have observed in others. The only conclusion I can make is there is nothing to be proud of regarding sin. There is nothing that is worthwhile, nothing good comes out of a sinful life. To ignore or think that there are no consequences for sinful actions or words or even thoughts is just wrong thinking. Sin only thinks about today and never thinks about what might occur as a result of sin in the future. The individual who is a slave to sin or believes he/she can live a good enough life to have nothing to fear about life after death – well that is foolishness.

Romans 3:23 states, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. This verse means everyone sins; everyone has sinned. There is no distinction here, there is no one who does not sin. Knowing the difference between right and wrong does not make us morally right. Even knowing the consequences of our sinfulness does not keep us from sinning. “Sin is basically an act of moral folly, and the greater the folly the greater the fool” (A. W. Tozer). Tozer continues, “The sinner’s life is foolish because it neglects to give God His proper place. Any way of life, any attitude, any political philosophy, any moral philosophy or speculative philosophy, any kind of thinking in any sphere of human thought or life, any standard of morals adopted or followed by people, however loosely, that does not give God His proper place is declared by the Lord God Himself to be foolish or empty.”

There are those who will perish and spend eternity separated from God who are kind, courteous, and considered to be good people who live without giving any thought to God. They assume there will be no consequences for their way of life (without God) or if there is any thought of consequences, the thought is ignored. There are always consequences for sinful living, for living without consideration of God.

But God (Pastor Newton would say, “If it wasn’t for God’s but, where would mine be?), has given every person the opportunity to be set free from the sinful nature through Christ Jesus our Lord. The blood He shed for all who would believe in Him cleanses the individual who asks to be cleansed from all sin – past, present, and future. Believers are made sinless through the cleansing blood of Jesus and are declared righteous and sinless. It is by God’s gift of grace we gain what we do not deserve. Always remember that walking on a narrow way is hungering and thirsting for God’s righteousness and placing His kingdom before everything else!