All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Faith / Trusting God, Hope, Worry/Anxiety

When Should A Christian Worry?

We are all subject to be tempted to worry about a great many different situations. There are many trials and sorrows in this world. As a Christian, however, Christ calls us to faith in Him rather than to dwell in worry over whatever situation we find ourselves. That does not mean we are pretend bad things do not happen or fail to make wise decisions to seek out positive outcomes… of course we are to plan carefully and make decisions wisely. The Bible, Proverbs in particular, provides much wisdom and guidance for helping us make good decisions and actively honor God with how we live our lives and the choices we make. However, we are not to dwell in worry and give Satan a chance to use it to defeat our walk with Christ. Worry steals our joy and reflects weakness in our faith. We must instead focus our efforts on seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness in our lives. Don’t take my word for it… let us explore what Jesus taught in regards to worry.

Matthew 6:25-34

      25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

      34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We are reminded elsewhere in scripture as well to remain firm in our faith even when we face difficult or disappointing circumstances.

Romans 8:28  28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

When we face trials and circumstances where we may feel overwhelmed… trust in God. Our God is bigger than any circumstances we face.

Romans 8:31  31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Psalm 34:4  4I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 42:5  5Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.

I never want to trivialize the difficulty of overcoming worry, but rather point to God’s word and remind us of the truth that we are not to worry, but put our faith in God and trust in Him. Part of trusting in Him is studying and obeying His word in making our decisions and how we live our life. We also are called to pray and seek His help with humility and confident faith.

Faith in God is not just collapsing in a ball and doing nothing to improve our circumstances and then blaming God for a poor outcome. Faith in God is obeying His word and then asking for, listening to, and obeying His instruction.  Faith typically requires action on our part. Noah heard God and built the boat. Gideon heard God and led the army, repeatedly sending soldiers home. Moses heard God and then went before Pharaoh.  David demonstrated faith through action even as a youth by coming against Goliath.

None of these Bible heroes asked God sat around taking no action. Noah did not tell God to build the boat for Him. Gideon did not just ask God to defeat the enemy without getting involved. Moses did not tell God to just free the Hebrew people without him going to Pharaoh. David did not just sit down and complain about the giant, Goliath, and ask God to make him go away. Neither did they dwell in worry about the situations they faced. They sought God and then took action consistent with faith in God and God’s word!

Matthew 7:7-8 also provides a good reminder that we are to be active in seeking and obeying God, not passive and filled with worry.

Matthew 7:7-8  7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Interceding for Others

Pray for Christian Leaders

When we look at the disciples and at Paul, we see that they faced trials and adversity as they proclaimed the truth of the gospel. They asked for prayer from others on their behalf that they would continue to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ boldly and would not give in to watering down the gospel or preaching it quietly. Let us pray the same way for our Christian leaders today, whether they be small group leaders or leaders of international ministries or anywhere in between. All of our Christian leaders need this prayer.

Acts 4:29  29“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,

Ephesians 6:19-20  19and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Colossians 4:2-4  2Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with all of you.

To pray with us regarding additional prayer requests or submit a prayer request, please visit our website Prayer Requests section.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassion, Prayer, Promises, Suffering / Adversity

God Hears The Prayer Of The Righteous

Have you ever felt distant from God as you experienced suffering in your life? Perhaps you think there is hope and help coming from man, only to be disappointed by man. The answer, even when we may feel distant from God, is to cry out to Him and rely on Him rather than on man. God will hear the prayers of the righteous for help and will answer in His way and His timing.

Psalm 34:17  17The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Proverbs 15:29     29The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

John 9:31   31“We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

1 Peter 3:12     12“FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, aND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, bUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.”

Most of us can only imagine the suffering and hardship the Hebrew people endured in Egypt as slaves. Many of them must have felt distant from God as they labored. Perhaps some put their hope in the situation becoming easier with the passing from one Pharaoh to another, but the relief did not come as they hoped. Only God would deliver them from this bondage and He was prepared to do so in a mighty way… to fulfill His promises and in response to the cry for help from His people.

Exodus 2:23-25

23Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. 24So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.

This verse is not to be taken in such a way as to literally convey that God had forgotten His covenant. That is not the case. Rather it likely emphasizes that the cries for help from His people were important to Him and, it would seem, influenced His timing on bringing His people out of Egypt. His people were turning to Him for help in the midst of their great suffering. Perhaps they were ready to leave bondage and continue in the next steps toward becoming a great nation as He promised.

We do well to remember that God wants to hear from His people. He wants to hear from us as individuals as well. He wants us to ask Him for help in our trials and suffering. That way we may know that it is Him who delivers us from bondage and suffering rather than our own efforts.

What difficult or even painful situations are you dealing with in your life for which you have yet to cry out to God for help? You may have turned to other people for help or tried to help yourself, but have not yet succeeded in resolving the situations. Reflect on your life and your obedience to God’s commands, submit to Christ and live your life according to His word. This is called righteousness. Then cry out to God for help in whatever situation you need help.  He hears the prayers of the righteous and will respond.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Help / Serve Others, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Strong in Our Weakness

We All Make Mistakes; Keep On Helping Others

Moses made quite a mess by killing an Egyptian in anger in an effort to stop injustice. He had to deal with the consequences and leave the country, eventually settling in Midian. However, although Moses likely recognized his error, he did not stop trying to honor God by helping others. We see in Exodus 2 that Moses continues to help others when he sees they are in need. This time he is does so more effectively… without killing anyone. It is his act of helping others that actually opens up the door to marrying Zipporah and finding fellowship in the land of Midian.

Exodus 2:11-22

     11Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

      15When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

      16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.” 21Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses. 22Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

We are all subject to making mistakes on some level when we try to step out in faith to obey God’s commands and stop unrighteous behavior. Of course it is an even bigger mistake to not obey God’s commands by rebuking the wrong behavior. The wise will seek to learn from their experiences, change and improve how they intervene. Do not turn away from obeying God’s commands and serving Him just because of a bad experience in how you intervened in a situation before.

Be encouraged, even Moses, one of the greatest of God’s prophets, made mistakes. He learned from them and continued with a passion to obey God’s commands and fight unrighteous behavior and injustice. God was able to develop him and use him to great glory for the kingdom of God.

Have you had one or more bad experiences in the past when you tried to intervene to help someone who experienced injustice from others? Are you letting it discourage you from intervening in new situations you see around you? Pray for God to help show you how you can intervene more effectively and continue to rebuke wrong behaviors when you see them and help others when they are in need.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke

Philippians 2:3-4  3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Can God Use Me?, Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Encouragement, Suffering / Adversity

How Can I Serve God After The Mess I Made?

Have you ever tried to help someone or stand up for Christ, but you did so in the wrong way? You meant well, but you fumbled the execution. Most of us who have tried to do so have made some level of mistakes in our attempts. Do not give up standing up for others or serving God. Learn from your mistakes and change your approach to be more effective. Ask forgiveness from God for your failure and turn from wrong behavior. He can still use you to glorify His kingdom if you invite Him in and obey His instructions.

Even Moses, who is looked upon as a hero in faith and great prophet of God made some big mistakes when he was getting started. But God was able to use Moses in a mighty way to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt and through the difficult times in the desert that were to follow.

Exodus 2:11-15

      11Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

     15When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

Moses felt a strong desire to help his people, but reacted quickly in a moment of strong anger and killed an Egyptian. To say the least, this was not an effective approach in having a positive influence in the situation. In fact, it worked out badly and had significant negative consequences. Even the Hebrews, whom he was trying to defend turned on him and rejected him. He left himself vulnerable for prosecution for murder by the Egyptians. He did not honor God in how he handled the situation. There were negative consequences for him as a result of his poor choice of actions, but God did not give up on Moses. God still had plans to prepare Moses to be a great leader of the Hebrew people and to glorify the kingdom of God.

All of us make mistakes, even as our heart may be motivated to honor and serve God. Sometimes our mistakes seem small and sometimes they can be quite severe.  There are consequences, but do not give up on serving God because of a mistake or series of mistakes you make. Learn from your bad choices, seek forgiveness and growth and deal with the consequences of what you did. Then continue to seek opportunity to serve God in your life. You will quite likely be amazed at how He can use each of us, even in our weakness, to demonstrate His glory and strength.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Obeying God

God’s Power Shines Brightest Through Our Weakness

Sometimes God asks us to do things we are very uncomfortable with. We can be nervous or even feel overwhelmed or afraid. When God chooses to use us He typically does so in a way that stretches and challenges us. It is important to Him that we do not convince ourselves that we accomplished the challenge on our own without Him. He wants us to know that He helped us or in many cases, He did it all. The story of Gideon comes to mind as a classic example, but we will study that another time.

2 Corinthians 12:9 9And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

When you feel overwhelmed, remember that if God calls you to do something, no one can stop Him. The only way you lose is if you choose not to participate. Another great example is the story of Moses. God wanted to grow His people into a great nation. He prospered them even while they were in slavery. He planned to liberate His people at the time of His choosing and in the manner of His choosing. Pharaoh used all of his considerable authority and might to try to defeat the plans of God and keep the Hebrew people from becoming great. He imposed harsh slavery and eventually called for the Hebrew sons to be killed in mass while still babies. God, however, would not be stopped. God worked through what would seem humanly impossible series of events to protect Moses and allow him to grow strong so that he would eventually, in God’s timing, lead God’s people out of bondage in Egypt.

Exodus 1:22-2:1-10

 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

The Birth of Moses

      1Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. 2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.

      5The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. 6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” 8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

If God is calling you to do something, even something that seems very challenging or near impossible… you have to make a choice as to whether or not you will obey. It is not a test of faith for us to do something that we can accomplish in our own power. God’s power shines brightest when we step out in faith and let Him work through our weakness to accomplish His plans.

What is God calling you to do in your life that you may be hesitant to embrace? We are not all asked to lead a nation out of slavery like Moses, but sometimes even more ordinary tasks like forgiving someone who hurt us or volunteering to help people in need may seem overwhelming at times. Remember, you do not have to accomplish it in your own power if God calls you to do it. When God calls you to do something, you can trust He will not be stopped even if you don’t understand how He will succeed. Seek God humbly and prayerfully and consistently. Study His word to verify that what you believe you hear from Him is in fact consistent with His word. Then commit before Him to do what He asks and ask Him to help.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Am I on the path?, Discerning / Judging, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Greed, Idols / False Gods, Righteousness / Serving God, Salvation, Thankfulness

Should A Christian Judge Others?

The topic of judging others is one that typically brings out strong emotions amongst Christians today. One can have an argument erupt without ever getting deeper into the discussion behind the word “judge”. It is important to consider context of how we use the word “judge”. It can be used to refer to determining one’s salvation in Christ or also used in regards to determining right actions and motives from wrong ones. These are two very different contexts, even though the external actions are often a reflection of the internal motives. How might we go about considering this topic? How about we pick a good role model and see how they show it should be done?

From the time we are young children we are often taught to look at role models to guide our behavior. The concept is simple… identify someone who is doing something well and that you want to “be like” and then study how they think and act. Repeat their actions and hope to repeat their successful outcome in your own life.

The right role models help us succeed in our endeavors, but the wrong role models can lead us on a path to failure and destruction. The wise take great care in evaluating proper role models to follow, but the foolish decide quickly whom to imitate based on surface evaluation of fame or money or status. What we perceive to be “success” has great influence in whom we choose as a role model. Am I pursuing a football career? or a close personal relationship with God? If both, which is my higher priority?

Pause for a moment and consider who you would use as your role model in evaluating the topic of “judging others”. Now let us consider who Paul points to in Ephesians 5.

Ephesians 5:1-21

Be Imitators of God

      1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

      3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

      6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

14For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”

      15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

I hear many cling to false doctrine that “I can do anything I want and the grace of God will cover it“… which essentially makes the case that we can intentionally rebel against God, or just ignore Him, instead of submit to Him and He does not mind! That is absurd.  Paul clearly teaches differently as did Jesus and all the prophets. The key message of all of them was to “repent, turn away from wrong behaviors and attitudes, submit to God, and sin no more“.  No Biblical prophet or disciple (and certainly not Jesus) ever taught that it was ok to keep sinning willfully. If you find that scripture… please send it to me. It is not there.

It should be sobering to all of us to read Ephesians 5:5.

Ephesians 5:5  5For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Yes… our behaviors and attitudes, which are observable by other people, are a reflection of our inner faith and relationship with God. We cannot claim to be righteous and in right relationship with God just because we say so and then keep on sinning!

Romans 6:1-3 1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Ephesians 5:6-7 are actually a command for us to avoid the deception of empty words! Far too many are confused and declare no one should “judge” anyone else. We are clearly instructed to discern genuine followers of Christ from liars by their actions and then to keep away from those who are not truly following God!

Ephesians 5:6-7  6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them;

It is equally true that we should test even our own actions to see if they reflect Christ or not. Let us not be complacent in that we say Jesus is Lord, but rather test our actions to see if we are living in such a way that demonstrates we believe Jesus is Lord. This means we obey His commandments, not our own desires and not the value system of the world.

Ephesians 5:11 goes on to instruct us explicitly to not participate in and even to expose the deeds of darkness rather than ignore them for fear of “judging” others who do wrong. We are not called to just go along to avoid offending other people.  We are called to use wisdom and discernment to judge right from wrong!

Ephesians 5:11 11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;

If we listen to many role models, even leaders in many churches, we will be told not to “judge” actions of others. But when we choose God as our role model, and the Bible as our primary source of revelation about God… an unchanging source of knowledge about an unchanging God… we see different instruction. We must wisely judge right from wrong so that we can do right and avoid wrong. To do so we must identify by their observable actions who are those that we can trust and who are those we can not. We should even go so far as to challenge ourselves by comparing our observable actions to the words we say when we claim to submit to Jesus.

As an interesting exercise, consider the following. If you were on trial, accused of being a Christian… a true follower of Jesus Christ… could anyone convict you based on actual observable facts?

James 2:18-19

18But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

What changes should you consider to your life that may help build the evidence that you are a genuine Christian?  Keep in mind, of course, that doing works just to do works amounts to nothing. We must start by testing what we really believe in our heart, submit to and follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and you will want to do the works.

Said a different way, if you can not find evidence to convict you as a follower of Christ, do not try to fix the problem by starting with more works, but rather by inspecting your heart and transforming your heart to fully submit to following Jesus. Then simply live your life with a genuine love for Jesus and desire to obey His commands… and the works will just show up.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Promises

Trust Not In The Accomplishments of Man, But Rather In The Plans Of God

It is all too easy and natural for us to focus on the world from our own perspective… looking toward what plans we make and things we believe we can control. While this is important in order to live out our lives in service to God, how much more important is it to seek after the plans of God and to offer our lives to Him to be a part of it. Only the plans of God will matter in the end. No matter how successful the efforts of man, all will fade and be forgotten.

Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:16  For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14   13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

As an example, consider from even the Egyptian perspective the impact of Joseph as documented in Genesis.  Joseph helped save all of Egypt from starvation and destruction during a seven year famine. He was second only to Pharaoh in power and authority. He brought great wealth also to Pharaoh. One would think that his accomplishments would last for a long time with honor even amongst those who did not know God, but just observed his human accomplishments. Not so. A new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph and it was as if Joseph had never even existed. Joseph’s family and people were persecuted harshly without even having done anything wrong toward the new king to cause him concern. The persecution was brutal and relentless.

None the less, the plans of God to prepare His people for the future so they would be able to receive the promised land continued even under harsh persecution. God was blessing and preparing His people even when they could not possibly see it with their own eyes. God’s plans to fulfill His promises to His people could not be stopped by even a powerful and evil king with seeming absolute earthly power over God’s people.

Exodus 1

Israel Multiplies in Egypt

     1Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

      8Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10“Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.” 11So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; 14and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.

      15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; 16and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” 20So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

I have seen examples in my own life where I went through difficult circumstances and felt there was no good reason for it at the time. I look back now and see how God was preparing me for what I was to face in the future. He allowed me to experience hardship and difficulty and I grew in wisdom and faith and increased my perspective away to be less focused on self and more focused on Him. His plans are not defeated when we encounter hardship. He can use that hardship to develop us and prepare us for what is to come… and we can not even imaging at times what that will be until we get there!

Romans 8:28   And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

In what areas in your life can you look back now and see how God was developing and preparing you even as you endured suffering and hardship… even though you could not see Him at work in your life?

In what areas of your life are you experiencing hardship now? How can you use this as a time for personal growth in faith and in your personal walk to obey God’s commands and grow closer to God?

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

What Does God Really Mean By “Believe”?

Often times we find ourselves using words that can have a range of meanings depending on context. When the words are spoken in conversation face to face in our own culture we often have an easier time immediately connecting with the correct meaning. Sometimes we do not even think about it. Other times, we must consider more carefully the context of the word to understand the proper meaning. In most cases, if we don’t get the context exactly right, but we get the general idea, it is sufficient.

One example that is fairly obvious by context is if you request someone to “kill the lights“. Obviously you do not want to kill what is not alive, but rather to “turn them off”. However, at times the distinction of the meaning of the word is of great importance and the context may be more subtle to understand the meaning. We may miss it if we are not careful.

There is one such example in scripture where properly understanding one word is pivotal in getting the understanding correct. The stakes are no less than eternal salvation or damnation… Heaven or Hell.

John 3:16-21

 16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Far too many people today misunderstand the meaning of “believe” in the scripture we just read. They take verse 16 and run with it. Then they conclude that simply acknowledging Jesus is God is sufficient for salvation. They need never actually submit to Him or change their behaviors and attitudes to reflect His commands. They “believe“, or so they tell themselves.

A more careful study of context brings greater clarity. In particular as we continue to read through verse 21. It is not a head knowledge of knowing that Jesus is God. Even Satan and the demons know Jesus is God! True belief will be reflected in our actions. If we believe Jesus is God, then how we live will be a reflection of this belief. Believing in Jesus as God is not like believing that Antarctica exists. I can believe Antarctica exists and it really does not affect my life much at all. It would not be observable. But believing in Jesus Christ as God… that changes everything. It is not something I do… it is a way of doing everything! I either come to the Light, or I do not.

Let us look for confirmation both in the Bible and also in the observable behaviors in the world around us.

James 2:14-26

      14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

      18But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. 24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

This scripture we just read in James is difficult for many to accept because they have been taught, and feel very comfortable, to just accept that if you say you believe in Jesus, you are saved. Not so. This is dangerous and misleading and such a careless examination of scripture lays a trap that leads many to Hell through complacency in just assuming the grace of Christ will cover whatever they do because they say they believe in Jesus Christ.

A simple example we should all be able to get our mind around is as follows. If I truly believe in gravity… then my actions will reflect as much. I do not say I believe in gravity and then step off a roof, do I? No! Because I believe in gravity you will see me be very careful in my actions to avoid falling.  I use the handrail when going up the stairs… because I believe in gravity. I do not plan a picnic when I believe it will rain.  My true beliefs affect my observable behaviors.

Did Jesus warn us about this vulnerability for misunderstanding  salvation? Absolutely. In fact, Jesus specifically tells us we are to judge (or discern) false prophets from true followers of Christ by their actions… by their fruit. We are not to judge based on what they say. Words are often lies, but the observable behaviors reveal the truth.

Jesus went on to warn us that some are even deceiving themselves! They will be surprised when the stand in judgment before Christ and He tells them that He did not know them!

Matthew 7:15-23

 15“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17“So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20“So then, you will know them by their fruits.

      21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

It is crucial that we understand “believe” correctly and apply this in our lives as a validation of our relationship with Christ by observing our behaviors, not our intent, to test against what Jesus commands. If we tell ourselves that we put God first… that sounds great. Examine your own actions and priorities for time and money. If you love God first and above all else, why do you spend one hour a week in church (or none at all), but spend every weekend watching 12 hours of football and baseball and basketball! Why is it you know the statistics from all your favorite players and teams but do not know the scriptures? There is nothing wrong with sports in particular. This is just a common example in our society today that demonstrates a point. Observable actions provide true insight into whether or not we really believe Jesus is God and that really matters.

Start by testing yourself the way James suggested, by demonstrating your faith through your works. Track how you spend your time and money for a few weeks or a month. Write it down. At the end, evaluate what things you are doing out of obedience to God because you believe Jesus is Lord. How does that list compare to everything else you are doing. Be careful not to give yourself too much credit based on intent, because Jesus warns us that many of us will fool even ourselves to thinking we believe Jesus is Lord.

Living in true faith that Jesus Christ is Lord is not just revealed in things we accomplish or do. It is also demonstrated in how we do things. Do we control our tongue or lash out and hurt people? Do we give time and money to obey and honor God or to just appear that way to others? Do we respond in anger and lose our temper when things don’t go our way or do we remain cool and calm and work things out? When you make a mistake, do you acknowledge that and seek to repent and ask forgiveness or do you blame someone else and rationalize why you were right all along… even when you were wrong? The most effective way to consider evaluating your “fruit” in this regard is to get a close trusted person who can serve as your accountability partner to point out where you may be struggling.

We must also be vigilant to remember that works will not garner salvation, but is simply an external observable result of true faith. Doing works in order to be good enough to look like you believe in Jesus as Lord leads nowhere. You believe Jesus is Lord and as a result, you obey His commands and your faith is evident in your works and in how you live.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Promises

God Will Do What He Says… Every Time… In His Timing

Do you find that you sometimes struggle to believe in the promises of God? I know we all want to jump to say “not me”, but truly it can be a challenge at times as we face real life difficulty and trials. Often God’s timing is not our timing. We wish for a microwave solution to fix something or deliver a promise right away, but God may have a different plan in mind. He may be preparing us in a crock pot instead of a microwave… it takes longer, but the end result is much better.

Let us look to Joseph, a righteous man indeed, who trusted God through many difficulties in his life. As Joseph faced death, he was not bitter or angry or afraid. He did not count up his years of life and complain that they were shorter than his brothers, who were not as faithful to God.  He was peaceful and calm. He began to think of others who would remain behind him and how to help them. He believed in God’s promises even when they were not fulfilled in his lifetime and encouraged others to trust in God as well.

Genesis 50:22-26

Death of Joseph

      22Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees. 24Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” 25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

All of us will face death. Joseph was prepared in his relationship with God for what would come next. We should be asking ourselves much earlier than our death beds if we are prepared as well. The day will come and we know not when. Joseph trusted in God’s promises even when he could not see them fulfilled yet. We should follow his example!

In what areas of your life are you doubting God’s promises revealed in the Bible? Are you having doubts about specific promises you feel He has spoken to you in your life? Study the scriptures, seek God humbly in prayer, submit your life to Him and transform your life to obey His commands… all of them. Trust in Him to fulfill His promises.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.