Category Archives: The Gospel

I Had A Reason

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1 Samuel 15-17

Who hasn’t tried to rationalize sin? We disobey God, but only because we had a good reason. Saul’s instructions from God were to destroy the Amalekites, all the people and all the livestock. Completely destroy.

So when the battle was over, Saul proudly announced to Samuel – “Mission accomplished!”

“So why am I hearing the sound of sheep, goats, and cattle?” Samuel asked.

“Oh that. The troops wanted to make a sacrifice to your God so we brought the best of the best back for your God.”

I love Samuel’s reply: STOP!!!

Just stop with your rationalizing what is purely disobedience. Samuel goes on and gives Saul a lesson in obedience. To his credit, Saul responded by saying, “I have sinned. I have disobeyed God.”

Saul should have left it with that. He didn’t. He went on by saying, “But I was afraid of the people so I obeyed them.”

I can just hear God saying, “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were afraid of the people so you needed to do what they said. No worries, bud. We’ll let it slide this time since you had such a good reason to defy Me.”

Not gonna happen.

I’ve known people who have done the same. They don’t want to offend their children so they go along with their sin for fear of “losing” them. I’ve even known some who say God gave them permission to do so.

There are people who compromise at work so as not to lose their jobs. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive.

Why do people lie? Because they are more afraid of what others will think about them than about what God says about telling the truth.

Today as I point my finger at others I remember times when I’ve rationalized sin in my own life. I have even convinced myself God was ok with it. I can rationalize my sin with the best of them.

Friend, God is never ok with that. Our only response to sin that God is ok with is repentance.

Saul didn’t acknowledge God as his God. He considered Him as Samuel’s God. Maybe that’s his excuse. But if you call yourself a Christian, you have no excuse to rationalize sin in your life.

None.

Don’t Stop

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1 Samuel 4-8

Sometimes when I read God’s Words a verse or phrase will stand out to me. When that happens I am cautioned to not make is say something it does not. So I stop and consider what the Bible says about the subject in other places. God will not “say” something that contradicts the entirety of His Word.

Today, the phrase that stood out to me was from something the Israelites said to Samuel when the Philistines had gathered for war against them. The terrified Jews went to Samuel and said, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us.” (7:8)

The context is God’s people – believers – were facing the enemy. They recognized their dependence on Yahweh and wanted Samuel to be their mediator. The context is about a physical war between people. I get that.

But when I read those words this morning, I thought of the members of my family who have rejected God, deconstructed their faith, fashioned gods of their liking and serve the god of self. And I hear God say… “Don’t stop praying for them.”

I will admit the situation seems pretty hopeless.. Each one of these loved ones has a strong personality, most are successful, confident people. But they are heading straight to hell, and some of them are taking their children with them.

Even the Philistines recognized the power of Yahweh. They asked, “Who is able to stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?”

No one.

Not without the blood of Jesus.

In a sense, I hear their God-created souls crying out to me, “Don’t stop praying for us.” They might deny it, but their longing for peace and love and acceptance and hope comes from the God who loves them and gave Himself for them, God who doesn’t want any one of them to perish, but that all of them have eternal life, the gift of God through Jesus.

I can’t stop now. I won’t stop crying out to the Lord my God until all of them give their hearts to Jesus, and accept His work on the cross for themselves God says nothing is impossible for Him. I’m counting on that. Because, like I said it seems pretty hopeless for some of them.

I don’t think I’m off base making the connection between my unsaved loved ones and the cry of the Israelites here in 1 Samuel. If the context is different, the heart of the matter is the same. The heart of the matter is prayer. And I can’t stop praying.

Crossroads

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Ruth

In the Tozer devotional I read this morning, March 26, he talked about being separate from the world, quoting 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.”

Tozer points out this is probably the least favorite command of many people. They want comfort, blessing, and peace. But they reject the “radical, revolutionary break with the world.” I see this in Ruth and Orpah.

The women were at a crossroad, facing the biggest decision of their lives. On one hand was the familiar. Home. Friends and family. It was a comfortable, blessed, and peaceful existence, predictable and safe.

On the other hand was the unknown, every step would take them further from the comfortable, blessed and peaceful familiar life, and closer to something completely new and different. They would have to walk by faith, not by sight.

One path would lead them to the gods they could see and touch. The other path led to the unseeable God they only knew through Naomi. We know Orpah turned her back on Naomi and walked away from Naomi’s God, toward the world she knew. Ruth turned her back on that world and followed Naomi and Naomi’s God toward the unknown.

Ruth started her faith journey. And it separated her from her world. She “came out from among them.” Have you?

Or have you pitched your tent at the crossroad? You’re not ready to totally commit to that faith journey, not totally ready to let go of the familiar. You know you should, but…

Let me suggest you can’t follow God standing at the crossroad. To truly follow Jesus you have to turn your back, walk away, come out and be separate. You have to deny yourself, die to self, submit to a God you cannot see, but a God who promises to walk with you every step of the way. It’s scary. It’s not always comfortable. And sometimes it’s hard to let go.

But letting go is the only way you can be a Jesus-follower. It is impossible to walk toward the east and west at the same time. It’s impossible to follow God and the world. And standing at the crossroad isn’t following Jesus.

I hope you read Ruth’s story today. Then I pray that you will take the steps needed to separate yourself from the world, and toward a glorious relationship with your Savior. The world offers nothing that compares to what God gives. Sure, it’s a walk of faith. But once you’ve traveled that road, you won’t ever want to go back.

A Deafening Silence

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Joshua 24

When Joshua addressed the Israelites for the last time he said, “get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” (vs 23)

He had been reminding them of God’s history with their ancestors, how blessed they were with God protecting them and providing for them and fighting for them. He warned them that if they abandoned the Lord by worshiping foreign gods, God would turn against them and, although He had been very good to them in the past, He would destroy them as He’d destroyed their enemies.

Then Joshua said they should worship God only, so they needed to get rid of any lingering idol they might be holding onto. Get. Rid. Of. Them.

Here is Israel’s sad reply: “We will worship the Lord our God, and obey HIm.” (vs 24)

Did you catch the silence? What is missing in their vow?

Repentance.

Getting rid of their idols would mean an acknowledgment that those idols were sin in their homes. It seems they weren’t ready to turn from their sin. They were only agreeable to turning toward God. Is that even possible?

No! Regardless of what Satan would have you believe. You simply cannot serve two masters. God will not share your devotion with anyone or anything. Not a family member. Not a job. Not yourself.

Too may Christians think they can worship God on Sunday, and live for themselves, or blend in with the world the rest of the week. They would call themselves Christians, but a true Christian cannot ride that fence.

“I’m a Christian, but I cuss.”

“I’m a Christian but I affirm gender choice, or abortion, or all religions.”

Or, and here is what I see in Joshua 24, “I’m a Christian but I will stay silent about sin.”

Our tolerance of sin, our dabbling in sin, our silence in regard to sin and its consequences speaks volumes. It’s a deafening silence. And what it is shouting is the admission, “My Christianity is a lie.”

Dear One, you can’t follow Jesus AND follow the world. You can’t die to yourself AND live for yourself. You can’t be separate from the world AND blend in. The scary truth is: you can’t be for Christ AND against HIm.

I say scary because many of us have tried to blur the lines. I don’t now how much clearer God can be than what He has written in Scripture. You are either all in, or you’re not in at all.

I pray that each of us will search our hearts for lingering idols, sins we consider secret or tiny, harmless sins. I pray that we will guard against the temptation to think God somehow is ok with that sin in your life even though He’s clearly against it in others. I pray that we will recognize the inclination we have of putting ourselves on the throne, then telling God that He should just be happy we’ve included Him at all.

I pray that each of us will consider what our silence is saying. Because, friend, it can be a deafening silence that is revealing loudly and strongly, where your heart truly is. People are listening to your silence. God is certainly listening to your silence. And He knows exactly what you are saying.

Rejecting God Is Serious Business

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Joshua 9-11

Once again we read that it was God’s intention to harden the hearts of Israel’s enemy. I know some people read this and interpret it as an indication that God’s sovereignty means His total control over everything that happens, every choice that humans make. God wanted Israel to have the land, so He must have manipulated the people already living there in order to make that happen. But, are we to believe God caused them to reject Him? Does God make certain people sin in order to accomplish His will?

if that is your position, I wonder if you really know God at all.

Every one of those kings and nations had heard about God and how He fought for Israel, how He revealed Himself through miracles. They all knew there was something different about Israel’s God. Yet they rejected Him in favor of their powerless, pretend gods. They chose to fight against God instead of surrendering to Him.

Do you know why I know they all had the opportunity for surrender? Gibeon surrendered. They’d heard the same stories about Israel’s God and chose to surrender, become slaves, instead of fighting against Him. Their choice saved their lives. The choice of every other king ended their’s.

Like what we see in Egypt’s Pharaoh, every rejection of God causes a heart to harden against Him. Yes, that hardening comes from God, but God wants us to know the hardening is His punishment for rejecting HIm. God does not harden hearts so that He can punish them. I will die on that hill. Why?

When I look at God as He reveals Himself in all of Scripture, I see a God who is patient, long-suffering, slow to anger, abiding in love, gracious and merciful (His description of Himself). I see God who promises to forgive anyone who confesses and repents of sin. And I see a God who warns us that He is holy, He hates and punishes unrepented sin, and He will not let the guilty go unpunished. I see God who is not willing that anyone die without Him, and that His will is that everyone come to Him to be saved.

Whether you side with Calvin or not, we all should be able to agree that God takes rejection of Himself very seriously. The only hope we have of getting out of this life alive, is through the blood of Jesus, surrendering to the Way, the Truth, and the Life, because that is the only way to God.

My prayer is that all of us will do a heart-check. When faced with the Truth of Almighty God, are we eager to surrender, or is there a hint of rejection of Him? Take inventory, my friend. Because rejecting God is serious business.

A Pile of Rocks

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Joshua 1-4

After leading the Israelites across the Jordan River on dry ground, God instructed Joshua to collect 12 stones from the riverbed and set them up as a memorial, just like He’d instructed Moses when they crossed the Red Sea.

“In the future,” God said, “when people ask about the stones, tell them about the miracle I performed on your behalf.”

I wonder why God thought the people would need a tangible reminder of the amazing show of His power. Wouldn’t the miracle itself be enough?

God had brought them out of bondage and into the Promised Land with book-end miracles. But, as we humans do, once the water started flowing again, their thoughts turned away from the miracle and toward their circumstances, more hurdles, more battles, more miles to go.

If you are a believer, you have already experienced a greater miracle than the parting of the waters we read about in the Old Testament. You have experienced God Himself taking the death penalty you deserved so you can be free from the bondage of sin, and enter the Promised Land of His presence. Do you remember that glorious day when you stepped from death into life, when you surrendered and accepted God’s grace? Take a second and let yourself remember the miracle.

But the waters started flowing again, didn’t they? Life continued with all the ups and downs, blessings and trials. Sometimes our circumstances, or the temptation to go back to “Egypt” consumes us, causing amnesia. We forget the miracle.

God knew we, like ancient Israel, would need the tangible evidence of the miracle of our salvation to remind us. So He inspired men to write down His Words. You need the evidence? Open your Bible. The how’s and why’s and the assurance of your salvation are right there.

Some people look for a sign of God’s presence, the assurance of their salvation, by looking for a rainbow or a butterfly. I’m not saying God doesn’t reveal Himself in nature. But if that’s the extent of your assurance, I’m afraid you are looking for a feeling rather than the truth

If you’re looking for a tangible sign of God’s presence, the assurance of your salvation, read God’s Words. When you do, you are looking toward the Rock. The Bible is our pile of rocks that reminds us of the miracle of our salvation. And the beauty is, it doesn’t weigh as much as the rocks stacked across the Jordan River. You can carry it with you. You don’t have to travel far to take it in. You probably only have to go as far as your bedside table. (or open the phone in your hand).

The things written in the Bible are the tangible truth of your salvation. Look at it every day. Remember the miracle. Then tackle your day with the power of the Rock, the rock-solid Truth of God.

Are Borders Biblical?

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Numbers 33-34

I believe there is a repeated theme in these two chapters. Borders.

Every city, every territory the Israelites camped in as they traveled from Egypt (defined by borders) to the Promised Land had borders. We know from Scripture that if the ruler of one of those territories didn’t want the Jews crossing their border, they would refuse entrance, and the Jews had to take another route.

God Himself established borders to separate the Promised Land from the rest of the world. And with it came a warning: Drive out everyone who is not a Jew, or I will punish you as an enemy.

Yes, I believe in strong borders. I believe the USA is feeling the effects of allowing our borders to be breached. I believe we need to drive out everyone who is not a citizen or a legal immigrant.

Now, if you are still reading this post after that, let’s not make this only political.

Let’s talk about the border that ought to be protecting the Church. The Body of Christ is intended to be holy. This whole philosophy of welcoming sinners into our fellowship is like inviting one little cancer cell into our body, hoping it will heal surrounded by healthy cells.

“Invite your unsaved neighbor to church” is not only lazy evangelism, it is ignoring Jesus’ command to “You go. You make disciples.” I believe the Church is seeing the effects of having its borders breached. Watered-down theology. Homosexual pastors. Emotion driven false worship. It’s become more and more evident our borders aren’t just weak. We have no borders protecting the Church.

Let’s go deeper. What about the borders protecting your family? What do your kids see you watching on TV? What do you ignore concerning what your kids are being taught in school? How important is Scripture in your family life? Do you accept your child’s “furry” or trans friend? Do you entertain “pronouns” in your home? What music do you play in your home, or allow to be played in your child’s room? Do you know what your child is doing with his or her phone/computer? What of the world has found a crack in the border that’s supposed to be protecting your family?

Well, now that I’ve meddled a bit I might as well go the whole way. How is the border around your own heart? Do you strengthen that border every day by spending quiet time reading God’s Words, praying, listening to His voice through the words he inspired? Have you truly repented of sin, turned away from sin, or are there still sins you are holding onto – even just in your thoughts? How committed are you to live a holy life, not just a good life? If your heart has a weak border, you don’t really have a border at all.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 23:12)

And there’s the rub. The borders around the country, the Church, the family are crumbling because we haven’t guarded the borders around our own hearts. It starts – and ends – there. Scripture says that everything that happens in our nation, the Church, and our families flows from our individual hearts. Everything.

I titled this post “Are Borders Biblical?” What is your answer?

The Fabric of My Life

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Leviticus 11-13

I learned something today. The CSB uses the words, “warp,” and “weft” and I don’t remember hearing those words before. Google tells me they refer to the woven threads in fabric. One is the horizontal threads, the other the verticals ones. (The NIV uses the words “one side or the other.” The ESV says “warp and woof.” Whatever. It all speaks to me today.)

If there was a question about mold or disease on a piece of fabric, the priest evidently examined it closely enough to consider each thread. Sometimes a good washing took care of the problem Sometimes a diseased patch had to be cut from the rest of the cloth and destroyed. Sometimes the whole garment had to be burned. (lots of spiritual imagery there if you think about it).

But what occurred to me is that the spot in question was not ignored, dismissed, or pushed aside to be addressed at a later date, no matter how simple or drastic the treatment it required.

Looking at these chapters as a picture of Jesus helps me appreciate the cross even more. I can be assured that when Jesus examines my heart He doesn’t do a quick look-over. He carefully touches every thread in the fabric of my life, and deals with the microscopic disease of sin that, if left there would grow and contaminate my life.

Jesus absolutely took care of my “big” sins there on the cross. But He also dug deeper and died for the unclean thought, the unclean attitude, the little shift away from His Holiness. Now, when I am convicted at the first sign of disease, I can repent and know God forgives and cleanses me before that thought or attitude or shift begins to grow.

I thank God for a conscience, for conviction that addresses the uncleanness of the warp and weft in the fabric of my life. Those are signs of God’s loving, gentle. and personal care of my life to save me from a world of hurt later on if those things are left untreated.

May I – may you – allow God to cleanse us at the first sign of sin. The disease of sin is never stagnate. It either spreads left unchecked, or it is stopped by God’s hand. One leads to contamination. The other to holiness.

Let’s choose holiness.

Well-Dressed Sinners

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Exodus 28-29

I will admit I don’t totally understand all the symbolism in these chapters about the priesthood. But I accept the fact it all points to Jesus. So today, as I read I was first of all struck by what must have been the beauty of Aaron’s priestly garments.

From the turban with the gold medallion, to the engraved precious stones, down to the hem of his robe, every inch was a work of art. The colors, the gold, the embroidery work made this a one-of-a-kind garment, costly in both money and man-hours to create it according to God’s instructions.

If I were Aaron I’d be afraid I’d mess it up by either spilling my coffee or stepping on the hem and ripping it. I think of a nervous bride on her wedding day, wanting to present a perfect image to her husband. No pressure.

But then, and this is the second thing that stood out to me as I read these chapters today, God told Moses to take some of the blood from the sacrificed animal and throw it on that priceless garment! Blood. You know you can’t get blood stains out. We’re talking permanent blood stains on that beautiful, perfect, clean robe!

And here’s where I see Jesus. It wasn’t about the robe. It was about the blood. It was always about the blood. It still is.

Sometimes I think we put on our priestly robes – church attendance, good deeds, good intentions – and think we’re golden. We think we are fit for service. We think we please God. But without the blood, we are nothing more than well-dressed sinners.

My prayer is that today, we will begin by not only being sprinkled, but washed in the blood of Jesus. May we lay our sins at the foot of the cross and wear the stains of Jesus’ blood proudly and loudly. Never forget the blood that washes our sins. Never forget that without the blood there is no forgiveness.

Thank God for the blood!

Should I Make My Child Go To Church?

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Genesis 19-21

Lot didn’t leave Sodom willingly. He hesitated, so the angels took him by the hand and led him, his wife, and daughters out of the city about to be destroyed by God. Why the hesitation? Did they doubt the seriousness of the angels’ message? Did they doubt these men were really even angels? Were they so intrenched in this sinful lifestyle of Sodom they didn’t want to let go of it? Or maybe they thought, “it can’t be that bad. I can handle whatever comes?”

Whatever the reason for the hesitation, it’s evident that Lot and his family took their sin with them when they were forced to leave Sodom. They’d heard the truth. They knew judgment was coming. They left, albeit reluctantly. But they didn’t repent. They changed their address, but they didn’t change their hearts.

I think there are some parents who might feel like those angels every Sunday morning when they have to take their hesitant (or even rebellious) children by the hand and drag them to church. Sometimes they might wonder if it’s worth it.

It’s worth it.

First let me say good for you for fighting that battle every week. Don’t give in. Don’t let your kids “decide” for themselves. Be the parent. No one said it was going to be easy. Keep battling. Their eternal souls are worth it. It’s your responsibility to train them up in the way they should go.

But I must warn you, even though you probably already know the truth of it. Simply getting your children to church doesn’t guarantee their salvation. Along with attending church, you’ve got to pray that God would break through their resistance until they humble themselves and believe, until they turn from their sin and follow Jesus willingly themselves.

I pray that you are modeling what it means to be a Christian, and not just on Sundays. I pray your children recognize the Fruit of the Spirit in you – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. I pray they see you reading your Bible, hear you talking about it, and watching how you choose holiness.

I pray that when you fail, when you sin, they’ll see what it means to humble yourself, repent, ask for forgiveness, and/or forgive another.

So if your question is “should I make my kid go to church?” I would say the answer is, “yes.” (Ok. Not just any church. A Bible believing, truth teaching fellowship of faith. Please be careful). And only if you go to church with them.

Dear One, there is more to raising Christian children than getting them to church. Let’s learn from Lot’s experience and take it a step or two further than getting them through the doors (or out of the “city”). Be the Christian you want your children to be.

I’m praying for you.

___________________________

Ok, so yesterday after posting this I was scrolling through Instagram and heard a young preacher talking about this exact topic. They, of course, take their children to church every Sunday. But he and his wife take it a step further. They want their children not only learn about going to church, they want their children to learn to BE THE CHURCH.

Which reminded me a family with three boys who are members of our church. Our church has a Wednesday night family dinner before Bible Study and youth activities. Every Wednesday we get together and enjoy a meal together. Sometimes 50, sometimes 80 family members strong. It really is a special church family time.

But here’s what made me think about this family. The parents prompted the boys to go around to those who are finished with their meals and offer to take their empty plates to the trash. These boys all under 10 years old, clear the tables of the trash, put silverware in the tray for cleaning. These boys are learning to be servants and I will tell you they do it with smiles on their faces.

So yes, take your children to church on Sunday. But I would encourage you to not leave it there. Show them what it means to be the Church. I think that is one way you can teach them in the way they should go, to make going to church more than a habit, so that when they are older they will not depart from it. They are the future Church!