21
May '20
God Never Disappoints
21
May '20
Ruth 2:12, “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”
Grace has no conditions. God’s grace and favor do not operate on the basis of an employee and employer relationship. Ruth found grace and favor, not because of her good attitude and model character traits. Ruth found grace and favor because she sought refuge under God’s wings. She trusted the character and promises of God. Her example is one to follow. Seek refuge under God’s wings. Count His protection better than all others. Trust His promises from the core of your being, and you will not be disappointed.
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19
May '20
The Supremacy of Christ
19
May '20
Colossians 1:17-18, “And he is before all things, and by 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 might have the preeminence.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is preeminent. In all the New Testament, that powerful word is only used here. It means “far surpassing all others; to be first – not in order but in rank.” Jesus is superior to and towers above all others! The Lord Jesus is preeminent in every conceivable category of comparison. His superiority has no restrictions. Jesus is greater than humanity. Jesus is superior over principalities and powers; indeed, over all created things. His dominance is not restricted to time or space. Jesus is preeminent in all times, everywhere, over what’s seen and what’s unseen. It’s always the right time to trust Jesus.
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18
May '20
Fear and Doubt or Faith and Confidence
18
May '20
The way of life for an individual believer and a local church is the way of faith. We must choose to trust God, and that trust must be unlimited. Follow the link to read Proverbs 3:3-10, and consider…
Proverbs 3:5:
- “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart…” – Deliberately turn from doubt to God and His promises. Make a discernible choice to walk by faith instead of being trampled by doubt.
- “And lean not unto thine own understanding…” – We cannot trust God with all our heart and depend on our own abilities at the same time. Our confidence is either in God or in ourselves. If we catch ourselves saying stuff like: “I know how to fix this” or “I don’t need any help” then we have a limited rather than unlimited trust in the Lord. We are not claiming the victory inherent to this promise if we doubt God’s Word and lean only on what we can see or figure out for ourselves.
Proverbs 3:6
- “In all thy ways acknowledge him…” – In every choice, in every decision, in every detail of life, recognize God and factor in His participation. Seek to please God. In everything put Him first. That honors Him. Here is a real practical – and often contentious – example of doing this. It is called giving a tithe and offering. When the money is flowing or when the well runs dry, always give first to God. That means giving a tithe (10%) and an offering (anything above 10%) to your local church. If we acknowledge God in all our ways, then we will be confident that 90% (or 85%) with God’s help is more than 100% on our own without God. Put God first – even with your finances – and trust Him to keep His promises.
- “And he shall direct thy paths.” – This is a conditional promise from God. He will direct our paths – make the way passable – but only if we trust, lean on, and acknowledge Him. God will pave the way. This does not mean it will be easy breezy. It does mean it will be possible with God’s help. All things are possible with God. He promises to do His part. Will we do ours? Do we think we will do better than God with our problem? God always proves true, because God is always in control. No matter what happens or comes our way, God is in complete control – that is what sovereignty means. God is never blind-sided. God is never caught flat-footed. His hold never slips, and you are in His hands, if you’ve trusted Him.
Trust God with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. Refuse to take your cues from what life looks like at the moment. Do not listen to – or speak – the doom and gloom theories that dominate our news. Instead, acknowledge God in all your ways, and He will pave the way for you.
He is in control.
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16
May '20
Saturday with Spurgeon
16
May '20
ACQUIRING PERSEVERANCE
“The Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little” Deuteronomy 7:22
We are not to expect to win victories for the Lord Jesus by a single blow. Evil principles and practices die hard. In some places it takes years of labor to drive out even one of the many vices which defile the inhabitants. We must carry on the war with all our might, even when favored with little manifest success.
Our business in this world is to conquer it for Jesus. We are not to make compromises, but to exterminate evils. We are not to seek popularity, but to wage unceasing war with iniquity. Infidelity, popery, drink, impurity, oppression, worldliness, error; these are all to be “put out.”
The Lord our God can alone accomplish this. He works by His faithful servants; and, blessed be His name, He promises that He will so work. “Jehovah thy God will put out those nations before thee.” This He will do by degrees, that we may learn perseverance, may increase in faith, may earnestly watch, and may avoid carnal security. Let us thank God for a little success, and pray for more. Let us never sheathe the sword till the whole land is won for Jesus.
Courage, my heart! Go on little by little, for many littles will make a great whole.
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15
May '20
Safety and Security
15
May '20
Psalm 16:1, “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate place of security and safety. No other source of protection can equal Him. Here David used the Hebrew name for God “El,” a name describing God as the almighty, all-powerful One. David was aware of the fact that he had great protection. He understood that he was safe in the care of Almighty God, the Sovereign Lord and Savior. In whom or in what do you put your trust? Only God is able to preserve a soul. He is able to do that for you. Only trust Him, and He will.
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14
May '20
Pray Constantly… Wait. What?
14
May '20
1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”
This is not a command for perpetual kneeling or living with our eyes shut only talking to God. To pray “without ceasing” is a life marked by a continual attitude of prayer. To pray constantly is to stay in continual communication with the Lord. Are you continually aware of His presence in all of life; not only at church meetings, but at work, at school, at play, when you go out with friends, when you are alone, when you travel and there is no one there to hold you accountable?
We are always dependent on God, no matter what. Let’s live like we understand that. Trust Him in all things, and you will pray without ceasing.
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08
May '20
What is the price?
08
May '20
In a recent Fireside Chat Dennis Prager asks an important question: “What is the price?” According to Prager, asking that question all the time about everything is an adult characteristic, and one of the most important questions regularly asked.
I think Prager is right, but my reasoning is a little different from his. I believe the question “What does it cost?” is so important because of Luke 14:25-35. Follow the link to read that entire (and routinely misunderstood) passage. Here are verses 27-28:
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Counting the cost is fundamental to being a follower of Jesus Christ.
How do we count the cost?
How do we count the cost if we don’t know the price? The only right answer is that to follow Christ is to be all in for Christ. To be Christ’s disciple is to be unconditionally surrendered to Him. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-38:
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
In counting the cost I don’t need a specific price to figure. The upfront agreement is that I am Christ’s at any cost to me because He has already paid the highest price for me (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:14; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter 1:17-19).
There is no negotiating with the Lord Christ Jesus. He expects and deserves my everything. John Piper has correctly stated that “Authentic discipleship may exact from you the highest price relationally and the highest price physically.” The lives of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Daniel 1-6) certainly bear that out, as well as the lives of the apostles.
All to Jesus I surrender.
Believers don’t bargain with their Lord. They simply believe Him. My resources may stay under my control, but now I’m just a steward, not the King. Now I’m only the manager, not the Owner. I must be ready at any time to let go of everything for sake of Christ and His gospel. Believers answer the question “What is the price?” by assuming the cost is TOTAL. That is the only calculation to be made.
Mark 8:27-38 is the first time Jesus openly taught His disciples about the cost that He would pay on the cross, and the cost of our discipleship. That block of instruction is immediately followed with a glimpse of eternity on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-7). To quote Piper again, “There is no cost you can pay in following Jesus that won’t be made up a thousand fold in the resurrection.”
Jesus’ words from John 12:25-26 are even better: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”
Amen!
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07
May '20
Where is Your Confidence Placed?
07
May '20
Isaiah 36:15, “Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
Those who oppose the cause of Christ incessantly assault our confidence in the Lord and His cause. They rattle their swords. Puff out their chests, and loudly boast that they, not the Lord or His people will triumph; a pathetic scene replayed in the Old and New Testaments. We especially notice this nonsense at the cross. Don’t allow confidence in Christ to be shaken by the blustering threats of others. Do not let the derision and the condescension of others make you doubt the Lord. Continue to trust in the Lord and you will not be disappointed. Place your confidence in men, and you will be let down all the time.
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05
May '20
Strengthened Not Shattered
05
May '20
John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
Not long before His crucifixion, Jesus said this to His disciples. In these final moments with them He warned them of coming persecution (16:1-4), reminded them of where He was going (16:5-11), and guaranteed His troubled followers that they would not be left alone (6:13-15), but that the Holy Spirit would be sent to them (and not only them but all believers). The Lord knew what lay ahead for His people. He wanted their faith to be strengthened not shattered. Our God assures us that we are not alone in this world. We have our local church. Outside of that is the wider family of faith. Most important, we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us, to teach and guide us in all truth. Trust Him.
During the times when you feel shattered. Trust Him. Believe His promises. Think, speak, and act like you do. You’ll be strengthened rather than shattered.
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04
May '20
Victory IN JESUS
04
May '20
Psalm 118:9, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
Men love power and are drawn to it. As a result, we easily become guilty of trusting our own resources or the promised protection of powerful people or in seeking to gain the good favor of those who are in (or those who are trying to gain) power. But as the old hymn extols, victory is in Jesus, not in political office, the corner office, or any man made authority. No power on, below, or above earth is able to compete with the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. He has the preeminence in and over all things (Colossians 1:9-18). Trust in the King of kings and Lord of lords. You’ll know that you are if you’re joyfully and consistently (not perfectly) obedient to His Word.
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