Tag Archives: faith

Hold Your Horses

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Genesis 39:1-6

If you wonder why God would allow Joseph to go through the hardships he faced, wonder no more. Warren Wiersbe in his study, Be Authentic suggests that if Joseph had been allowed to remain at home, the favored and pampered son, hated by his brothers he would not have been fit to fulfill the responsibilities of leading a nation. Joseph had to learn humility, service, hard work, and faith before God could use him in such a significant way.

Think about it. Even Jesus, after being baptized, took forty days in the wilderness before jumping into ministry. Paul didn’t get up from the dirty road to Damascus and start preaching. In fact, it seems he spent time in Arabia being taught by Jesus Himself (Galatians 1), then three years being an apprentice preaching in Damascus before he went to Jerusalem.

Remember John Mark? As a young man he failed completely in ministry alongside Paul and Barnabas. Years later, Mark became an important help to Paul. But he had to mature first.

I think churches make a mistake when they take a new believer and put him or her in positions of authority before they’ve had time to mature in their new-found faith. Sure, they are on fire for the Lord and it’s tempting to think that’s just what the Church needs. But the Church does NOT need ministry based on feelings. In fact, I would suggest that harms the Church more than it helps.

When Jesus gave us His last command, He told us to go and make disciples. He didn’t tell us to go and make converts. Making disciples takes time and effort. But without it a new believer stays an infant.

You don’t put a newborn baby behind the wheel of a car. Why? The same applies to putting a new believer in front of a classroom, or on the elder board, or making him pastor of your church. A baby doesn’t have what it takes to drive the car, and a new Christian doesn’t have what it takes to drive the ministry.

It took years of hardship, forced labor, tough lessons and a growing faith for Joseph to be ready to be used by God. Let’s, as mature Christians, have discernment enough to do the same for the new believer.

They may be excited about their salvation, all in, totally committed to Jesus. But sometimes you gotta say: Hold your horses! There are no shortcuts to maturity. The thing about growing in faith and knowledge of our Lord is that it doesn’t put out the flame, it feeds it. If you are afraid this excited young Christian will lose that excitement if you take time to nurture him, you either are not trusting God, or you don’t really trust the truth of their salvation.

If you are a new Christian, welcome to the family. Let me encourage you to find a mature Christian to come along side you, to hold you accountable, to teach you, mentor you, challenge and encourage you as you learn what being a Christian is all about.

If you are a seasoned Christian, be that person to a new believer. Seek them out. Spend time praying with and for them. Read the Bible with them. Ask and answer questions. Watch them grow.

Then watch them be used by God at just the right time. One day that “Hold your horses” will be “Giddy-up!”

They Deserved It

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Genesis 34-35

Rather than repenting of their sinful act of revenge, Simeon and Levi justified the murder of hundreds of men with, “They deserved it.”

It’s tempting to think the same when we hear that guy at work who took credit for your idea is getting a divorce, or when that reckless driver who lives down the street gets in a car accident, or when that childhood bully who made seventh grade miserable for you gets cancer. These days there are some who think people deserve to have their cars blown up, or an assassin’s bullet aimed at a man’s head simply because they have different opinions than their’s. Wanting revenge isn’t a new phenomenon. But it gets a lot of press these days.

Remember when your mom used to tell you, “Two wrongs don’t make a right?” She wasn’t wrong! That scale never levels out. The question still remains: who made you judge and jury?

Bad things happen in this life. There are bad people in the world. There are crimes that should be punished according to Scripture and the law of the land. But there is only one ultimate Judge. And you are not He!

God will judge every individual with righteousness according to His character. Some people will deserve His wrath and the punishment for their unrepented sins. Others, like me and I hope you, will face the judge wearing His own righteousness and hear Him declare that our sin debt is paid in full.

Life is too short to plan to get even with someone, or to even waste time hoping something bad happens to someone who you think has wronged you. It’s not your job to try to balance a scale that cannot be balanced. It’s not your job to dole out punishment to someone who has hurt you.

Honestly, I think the best way to handle the hurt you feel or the wrong that has been done against you, according to Scripture, is submit to God. Take a step back from the situation. Breathe. Pray. And trust God who does all things well. My experience is that when I turn it over to the Lord, I am free. A burden is lifted. Thoughts of revenge are replaced by peace. And whether or not that person gets what I think he or she deserves doesn’t matter any more.

Whew!

In fact, my prayers become, “Lord, Don’t give her what I think she deserves. I pray that Jesus will get what He deserves, and that is her heart.”

In the end, it’s not about what we think anyone deserves. It’s about what God deserves for dying on the cross for our sins… and the sins of the people we are struggling with. He will get what He deserves in the end. And that’s the way it should be.

The Ripples

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Genesis 16

Every sin comes with a consequence or two or more. We might think only the “big” sins are serious, but that’s not true. Yes, we are absolutely still dealing with Abraham’s big sin of sleeping with Hagar. It’s been war between Jews and Arabs since the moment Isaac was born. But that sin didn’t happen in a vacuum.

It started with the sin of self, of pride, of Sarah’s desire to appear “blessed” in the eyes of others by having a baby. It began with the sin of doubting God was going to accomplish what He’d promised.

It’s like throwing a pebble into a lake. That tiny rock can produce ripples that grow bigger and bigger, and wider and wider, and reach farther and farther. Once those ripples are set in motion, you will find you are unable to stop them.

Sarah’s sin began with a thought. Just a thought in her head that no one heard but her, and no one would be hurt by what she simply thought. It was private. But Sarah allowed that thought to fester, to grow into feelings that she eventually took to Abraham. Once she threw that pebble into the water, the ripples were unleashed.

Those ripples touched Abraham who then threw his own rock into the water, unleashing his own ripples that continue to reach out thousands of years later.

The truth I’m wrestling with today is the seriousness of the first sin: the thought, the glance, the anger. It’s the moment I pick up the pebble. Am I going to toss it into the water? Or am I going to hand it over to God and ask Him to take care of it? Am I going to repent, turn from that sin, or am I going to hold onto it, maybe feed it until it grows from a pebble into a boulder before tossing it into the water, then watch the ripples reach out and touch my life and everyone’s life around me?

My prayer is that at the moment I (and you) pick up the pebble of a sinful thought or feeling, we will pray, ask God to forgive us, and let it end there.

And I pray that if any of us are feeling the ripples of sins we’ve committed in the past, we will ask God to forgive us and intervene. He might not stop the ripples. But He can and will work for the good of we who love Him. We know that what Satan intends for evil God can use for our good and His glory.

I also pray that God will give us the desire to turn every pebble over to Him before we ever throw it into the water. I pray that we will recognize the seriousness of every sin and deal with it before we have to live with ripples of regret.

What Is Biblical Faith?

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Genesis 12:1-3

I’m starting the second of Warren Wiersbe’s “BE” study series in Genesis. After completing the first book, BE BASIC, I’m looking forward to continuing studying God’s Word and considering Wiersbe’s opinions on these chapters. (Be Obedient; David C. Cook Publishers; Colorado Springs, CO; 2010). As always, I will let the Bible be the final authority.

If I am to evaluate my own faith journey, I need to look at what the Bible says about faith. Paul tells us:

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ. (Romans 10:17)

Biblical faith isn’t based on how we feel. True faith comes from hearing and believing the Word of God. We in 2025 can hear God’s words as we read the Bible. We hear God’s word over the airwaves and in our churches. We hear God’s words in the testimonies of other believers. Placing our faith in God must be based on the words of God.

Abraham, an idolator, heard God’s audible words. He didn’t blow them off as a crazy dream or indigestion. Abraham believed the words he heard, and believed the One speaking was true. The proof of his faith is in the fact he obeyed the words he heard from God.

Abraham didn’t say, “God, if you bless me, I’ll believe and obey.” Wiersbe rightly says, “We are not saved by making promises to God; we are saved by believing God’s promises to us.” (Be Obedient, p 22)

You may have heard tales of salvation experiences go something like this:

“I was desperate so I prayed, ‘God, I promise if you (such and such) I’ll believe in you.'”

or “God, if you do (such and such) I’ll stop sinning and follow you.”

One popular Bible teacher has a similar salvation story. She claims that on a desperate and lonely night she prayed that God could take her sons, He could have her social life, if only He would just give her peace. She goes on to say that is when she received the “Prince of Peace.”

Friends, these are not examples of Biblical faith. You don’t bargain with God for your salvation.

None of the disciples put a condition on their faith. Jesus said, “Follow me.” They heard His words, and followed. It was Jesus they believed.

Wiersbe says “Abraham was saved by faith, lived by faith, and his obedience was the evidence of his faith.” (p22). But Abraham’s faith was built on the words He heard God speak to him. It wasn’t a shot in the dark. It wasn’t give and take. God’s words were foundational to Abraham’s faith.

And to mine.

I want to repeat what Wiersbe said on page 22:

“We are not saved by making promises to God; we are saved by believing God’s promises to us.”

So for the next few weeks I will be looking at God’s promises as I consider my faith journey. Wiersbe’s subtitle for this book is “Exhibiting Real Faith in the Real World.” My prayer is that God will speak clearly as I read His word, will challenge my faith, and equip me to exhibit real faith every day, in every situation. And may God be glorified.

A Sure Foundation

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Genesis 1-11; Matthew 7:21-27

I finished Warren Wiersbe’s BE BASIC study today. (Be Basic; David C Cook Publisher; 2010). The first eleven chapters of Genesis are foundational to the Christian faith.

What do I believe about Creation, the sanctity of life, sin, the consequences for sin? What do I believe about God? Were Adam and Eve real people who lived in a real garden, walked with God, and spoke to a serpent? Did the flood really cover the whole earth? Did the different nationalities and languages start at Babel? And was Abraham a real man chosen by God to be the instrument by which we can know God and be saved from the consequences of our sin?

The answer to these questions are foundational to our faith. If we don’t believe what we read in Genesis, we make God out to be a liar. Who wants to put their faith in a liar?

You might say you believe in God while rejecting the God-breathed creation account. You might teach Sunday School or sing in the choir, yet doubt the flood really happened. You might say you have faith in God, but unless your faith is built on the God of Genesis 1-11, you might stand before Him one day and hear the words, “I never knew you.”

I would challenge you to read Genesis 1-11 and take an inventory of what you really believe about it. To build your faith on the absolute truth of these chapters is to build your faith on the Rock of the one true God. To believe anything else is a faith built on sand, and it won’t stand at the final judgment.

I agree with Wiersbe. It might be time to get back to basics.

Secure

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Genesis 7:1-24

Warren Wiersbe calls Noah a “secure man who waited on God.” (Be Basic, page 110). I’ve sat here and wondered what it means to be secure.

Noah demonstrated that security in that he didn’t seem to have wavered in his determination to obey God and build that ark. Was he able to stand strong in his convictions because he was confident in his ship-building abilities? Was he able to let the jeers and name-calling bounce off because he knew himself and therefore it didn’t matter what other people said about him? Was he secure in himself, saying things like:

I am strong.
I am capable.
I am worthy.

Is that where Noah found his security? I think if that were the case, about 50 years into that 120 year building project, old Noah would have felt less secure in himself. How would you not question your own sanity after 50 years of everybody questioning your sanity themselves? Every human has weak spot. Noah would be no exception. A building becomes less secure when there is a damaged brick in the foundation. I think 120 years of constant name-calling and nay-sayers would damage a brick or two on a foundation built on self.

I think we can come to the conclusion that Noah’s security came from outside himself. His trust in God was the foundation upon which he’d built his life, and was building that ark. I think Noah was leaning on the secure foundation of his relationship with Almighty God. He could build that boat one day, one month, year after year amid the taunts and questions because he was secure, confident that he was doing what God asked him to do.

Then, he and his family moved into the finished ark with a bunch of animals, and God locked them in. They were secure inside the ark. But the rain didn’t immediately come. Could they hear their neighbors laughing? They sat there on dry ground for a whole week, yet none of Noah’s family abandoned ship.

Noah could be patient and wait on God’s timing because he was secure in his relationship with God. His patience became even more evident for the next year and a week as they waited for God’s timing, all the while doing what God told them to do.

So I ask myself if I’m that secure in my relationship with Almighty God. Do I listen to the taunts and nay-sayers and begin to question myself? When I am weary (and a 600 year old Noah would probably have been a bit weary) do I begin to wonder if God really wants me to build an ark? (figuratively speaking).

I want to be so secure in what I know to be true, that I will work tirelessly on whatever God places in front of me. Even if the timeline requires patience. I want to keep going, keep leaning into God’s strength, keep sharing Jesus no matter what obstacles come. The beauty is, God will GIVE me whatever I need to accomplish His will. That’s security!

Let me learn from Noah to put my faith in God, the firm foundation, and to trust him with every step I take, His will be done in and through me – no matter how long it takes. And may my security not come from me, but from the God who created me, sustains me, and is strong enough to get me through whatever it is I face.

I pray the same for you.

The Work

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Genesis 6:14-22

Warren Wiersbe, in his study on Genesis entitled Be Basic, talks about some things we can learn from Noah. Yesterday I shared about the fact that Noah was a believing man who walked with God. What a privilege we have of that same walk with God as we believe on HIs Son.

Today I concentrated on the second of Noah’s attributes that are imitation-worthy. Wiersbe says Noah was a faithful man who worked for God. I’d like to described as a faithful woman who works for God.

Throughout Scripture we are told that faith and works go together. James tells us faith without works is dead, meaning that if you aren’t actively working for the Lord, you’d better check your faith-pulse.

But we’re also told that we are saved through faith and not our works. I think Noah is a great example of the truth if it.

It started with Noah’s faith. God didn’t find favor with Noah because Noah was a nice guy. Noah was the only person (and by extension his sons and family) in the world who still honored God. Noah demonstrated his faith to the world by obeying God’s instruction to build a big boat on dry land. Not just a big boat, mind you. Probably the biggest structure built my any man at that time.

Plus… it had to be seaworthy.

For 120 years Moses dragged lumber, mixed pitch, pounded nails, all the while explaining the importance of what he was doing to the masses who simply laughed at him. Regardless of their opinions, Noah kept working for God. God was providing the means of salvation for anyone who would believe. And Noah would not be deterred from being instrumental in that work.

You say you’ve placed your faith in God. What does that look like? God has provided the means of salvation for anyone who believes. Are you being instrumental in HIs work?

Moses could have had all the faith in the world. But without doing the work God had given him, things would look quite differently today. Have faith in God. Then get to work.

Compromise

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Genesis 6:1-8

Wiersbe uses the word “compromise” in his commentary on these verses in his Be Basic study series. Before the flood, godly people began marrying ungodly people. The godly people knew better.

Maybe they told themselves, “you can’t help who you love.” Maybe they thought, “my body, my choice,” or “God wants me to be happy.” Oh, they knew that joining together with God’s enemies was wrong according to the Law given them by God. But they did it anyway.

They might have convinced themselves that through their bond with them, the ungodly people would recognize their wickedness and cross over to the godly side. But a good apple never makes a barrel of rotten apples good. In fact, a good apple tied to a rotten apple doesn’t even make that one rotten apple good.

You and I, as children of God through the blood of His Son Jesus, are called to be a holy people, separate from the world, standing firm in our faith and on the Word of God. One compromise isn’t insignificant.

Compromise is just a dressed up word for sin.

Smart Enough

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Genesis 3:1-6

When you were young and your mother told you the red coil on top of the stove was hot so you shouldn’t touch it or you’d get burned, you had a choice. Some of us took our moms at her word and avoided the red coil. Some of you might be wearing the scars from the burn, or at least remember the pain you felt when you questioned the truth of what Mom said, and decided to find out for yourself.

One criticism of Christianity is that we simply believe the Bible as true without questioning it. The critics imply that we are not intellectual or just gullible or that we are missing out on the enlightenment of the universe (or some such nonsense).

Consider what questioning God’s Word did for Eve. Satan planted a seed of doubt. But instead of going back to the Word of God, she began to use her own logic. The seed of doubt grew to rejecting God’s Word, and to sin.

I will not apologize for believing the infallibility of God’s Word. I will not be intimidated by the intellectual sounding arguments of some. I will not even consider any other so-called truth.

I don’t need to touch the hot stove to see if what Mom said was true.

God, who created me, inspired His Words to be written down so that I can hear and accept the warning, so that I could hear and accept His grace. His Words are true because God is true.

I’m certainly not smarter than God. But I”m smart enough to take His Word for it.

In The Beginning God…

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Genesis 1:1

Happy New Year, 2025. Praying that God will be glorified in you, and that you will know the joy that comes from an honest relationship with your Savior. What a privilege we have to know our Creator as our friend.

This year, instead of reading the Bible through, I’ve chosen to do a topical series of studies written by Warren Wiersbe known as the “BE Series.” I’m starting with “Be Basic,” a study on Genesis 1-11. Not sure what this will look like, or how often I’ll post my thoughts. But my plan is to read the study along with God’s Word every day, journal my thoughts, and meditate on the beauty of Scripture as led by Rev. Wiersbe.

Today I was challenged to considered the first four words of the Bible: “In the beginning God…”

What does it mean to me that God is eternal? I can’t wrap my mind around “always existed.” I think I can imagine eternity future, never ending. But eternity past? How long did God exist before He created anything? What did He do all that time?

And there’s my answer. Words like “always,” or “future,” “ending,” “past,” “before,” and “time” are words bound by time. God exists outside of time. He exists in a perpetual “now.”

It’s not that He was or will be. It’s that He is. He just is. He even identified Himself as such when He told Moses, “I AM.” The disconnect comes with me, with my finite mind, limited understanding.

It’s like standing inches away from the Mona Lisa, gazing at it through a paper straw. If I tried to describe what I saw, or tried to imagine the whole, I would fail miserably. I would only be seeing the painting in part, I would not be able to understand the beauty of it. I would be limited by the lens through which I was looking.

Right now we can only know God in part. Our lens is like that of a paper straw. I love what I see through that straw, in nature and in His written Word. But if what I see of Him is limited by time and space, the whole of Him must be spectacular!

Even in my limited view of God, I see Him as all-powerful, all-knowing, kind, compassionate, faithful, true, righteous, and holy, singularly worthy of my worship. I can face the New Year with confidence, not because of who I am or what I’ve accomplished, or how determined I am to become a better person. I can face 2025 with confidence because of WHO GOD IS!

I can stand on the truth of, “In the beginning God…” because it’s THAT God I depend on.