An Occupying Force

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds,

and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”

Luke 19:13

 

Often an ‘occupying army is very unpopular in the nation it is occupying.

My father-in-law was part of the occupation force in Japan shortly after the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

You can imagine that our soldiers were not a very welcome occupation force.

My father served in the other theatre of WWII and was part of the Normandy invasion force.

Those same forces went on, over time and many battles, to become a liberating force in France and the rest of Europe.

 

You can watch old news footage and see for yourself the hero’s welcome they received over and over again in town after town from those being liberated.

Europe’s ‘occupiers’ were welcomed, even cheered on while Japan’s were disdained and worse.  

As believers in Jesus Christ we are told to occupy the earth until His return.  

Some will welcome you but others will not.

Do you come as one who stands proud and arrogant over others with a self-righteous smugness or do you come in humility love and service?

Are you there simply to remind them that they are sinners or do you come with the ministry of reconciliation and liberation?

We are to occupy for good.

We are to be occupiers who are salt and light.

Most importantly, we are to be occupiers who bear the image of our King and bring His Kingdom to the earth?

What kind of occupying force are you part of?

 

No Shortcuts!

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds,

and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”

Luke 19:13

 

How do we occupy the earth for the Kingdom of God?

Do we engage in ‘make busy’ efforts biding our time until Jesus returns for us?

Of course not!

We were not created merely to live out a ‘hurry up and wait’ existence.

Remember that the words we long to hear are:

“Well done good and faithful servant…”

So what is the ‘well done’ supposed to be?

It is living out the purposes for which God created you.

So often people struggle and become anxious over a statement like that.

We open our bibles and see a timeline of Joseph, Moses or David’s life and expect the same clarity for ourselves.

But of course these historic timelines were a record of a series of events in each of their lives that unfolded day-by-day.

When Samuel anointed David, for example, he did not hand him a copy of David’s life timeline taken from a modern bible and say to him:

Here you go David, this is your life and how it will unfold before you.

No, David had to walk day-by-day and moment-by-moment in obedience to the will of God.

Of course we know he didn’t

There were mistakes along the way.

Do you want to ‘occupy’ for the Kingdom?

Not necessarily next week, next month or next year; but today?

Your fingerprint is unique just as the ‘fingerprint of your life’s timeline’ is unique.

God will not ask you to follow another person’s plan.

That means I have to lean in and listen.

Then I have to obey!

No shortcuts to occupying till He comes!

Occupy Till I Come

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds,

and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”

Luke 19:13

 

 

Jesus spoke the words above in the context of a parable.

But listen to some words written in scripture just moments before Jesus shared the words from our text above. They are found in verse 11 of that same chapter: “While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people

thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.”

It would seem to me that Jesus was more concerned that they ‘occupy’ until His return than being ‘preoccupied’ about it.

We can be so taken up with ‘sign’ of His return that we are no longer busy doing the work of the Kingdom.

That word ‘occupy’ in the Greek literally means to ‘stay busy’.

Let’s not be guilty of idling away the hours while we await His return.

 

Two things we can be assured of –

1.     He will return.

2.     It will be at the exact time He has purposed.

 

We can and should be excited for that return.

We should look for it with great anticipation.

But we should not be so ‘preoccupied’ concerning it that we fail to ‘occupy’ till He comes!

There will be many who say “Look at this sign.” or “Surely this proves His return is very, very soon.”

I do not discount their words.

I only caution that as we listen to them we are not drawn away from the work of the Kingdom.

There is so much more fruit in ‘occupy’ than ‘preoccupied’!

 

 

Proof of Purchase

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

When you heard the gospel and put your trust in Jesus, you were immediately marked by God.  The moment you surrendered to Him, He demonstrated His commitment to you by putting the seal of His Holy Spirit within you.

His promised seal of the Holy Spirit declared loud and proud that you are His.  He put His mark on you to let everyone know, including the powers of darkness, that you belong to Him.

When you purchase something, a down payment is often required as a “good faith” gesture to demonstrate that you will follow through on your word to purchase the item.

Well, God put a down payment on you – His Holy Spirit!  The bible says you have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) and His very spirit is proof of that purchase.

The deposit of His Holy Spirit proves God’s commitment to finish the work He started in you at salvation and a guarantee of your inheritance as His child.

You are a child of the King!  You have been purchased and marked by God and you have the Holy Spirit to prove it!

An ‘Eye-Opening’ Experience

“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Luke 21:1-4

 

Don’t go through life without looking up and seeing!

I wonder how many others were in the temple that day.

Why didn’t they see what Jesus saw?

Jesus looked and He saw…

Jesus saw with the eyes of the Holy Spirit.

He saw differently than others.

He saw with the heart of His Father.

That changed His perspective just as it can change ours.

Don’t look through the lenses of past experiences, prejudices or even natural expectations.

Look with the eyes of the Holy Spirit and the heart of the Father.

It will change what you see and how you see it.

Think for a moment how you would ‘see’ if you lost your natural eyesight.

You would come to depend more on sound, smell, touch.

Let’s hunger for a ‘seeing’ with His heart.

Let’s desire to perceive through the Spirit of God.

I promise you it will be a real ‘eye-opening’ experience!

Bringing Praise to God

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you,

in order to bring praise to God.”

Romans 15:7

 

Paul was writing these words to believers.

He was speaking, in part, of the strong bearing with the failings of the weak.

It is so much easier to run with the crowd that is most like us.

But the family of God is not to be like that.

We are to recognize that Christ in us compels us to love those who may not be where we are just as those further along on their journey with Christ are lovingly patient, helpful and kind.

We have probably all seen marriage covenants broken with the glib statement that goes something like this: “They just couldn’t keep up with me spiritually!”

How arrogant and proud that is.

When someone receives Jesus into their heart we are to accept, love and nurture them in the faith.

Yes, we run the race so as to win that eternal crown but the course set before us does not require us to win by belittling, rejecting or stepping on fellow believers.

That is the way of the world and not of the Kingdom.

Today I would challenge you to look out for those weaker ones.

Love them, encourage them and strengthen them just as Christ loves, encourages and strengthens you.

What a wonderful testimony and way – as Paul says – to bring praise to God!

Have Your Eyes Been ‘Fixed’?

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,

since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

II Corinthians 4:18

 

 

You wake up in the morning, open your eyes and what do you see?

You see your surroundings.

Those things that were in your room when you closed your eyes are in your room when you open them.

But what if you fix your eyes on the unseen?

Looking not at the temporary – that ‘stuff’ seen with the natural eyes – but instead fixing your eyes on the eternal!

How might that ‘adjustment’ impact your thoughts, your words and your actions today?

We can Holy Spirit led or we can be led by our natural senses.

How we choose to be led can make all the difference on the impact we make.

The scripture tells us we can ‘fix’ our eyes.

That is a deliberate and intentional act.

It is not accidental or happenstance.

I desire to impact the eternal lives of people so I fix my eyes on what is not seen.

I choose to be led by the Holy Spirit and not by my flesh.

I lay aside the need to gratify the flesh in order to walk in the things of the Spirit of God.

Once?

No, this is a choice I will make over and over throughout the day as the world presses in and says: “Look at me and react by how you feel about it!”

Instead the Holy Spirit may whisper to me words of wisdom to speak into the situation or just to step away and take the matter into my prayer closet, not reacting based on my feelings but obediently responding based on what the Lord tells me to do.

What are your eyes fixed on today?

 

Nothing More and Nothing Less?

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.”
John 13:13

 

 

Very often you will hear someone say “Jesus was a very good teacher.”
Too often that means, at least to the one making that declaration, that is the extent of what Jesus was.
A good teacher nothing more and nothing less.
Certainly there was no better teacher than Jesus.
But Jesus was more than the best teacher who ever walked the earth.
He was – and is – Lord.
Lord.
It is a word and a title that frightens many.
Listen to how Webster’s dictionary defines the word:
“One having power and authority over others”;
“a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due.”
There’s the problem!
Power and authority over others, a ruler…to whom service and obedience are due.
That’s the sticking point.
Our flesh resists others ruling over us.
We would rather serve and obey self, certainly not someone else!
But then you meet the Lord…
and His love captures your heart.
He is not a lord who castigates and condoms.
He loves you and lifts you up.
It is a joyful thing to serve Him.
Do you know the teacher?
More importantly...
Do you know the Lord?

A vote of “no confidence”

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

For we [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and] are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what we have or who we are] in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3 – AMP)

In political and business environments, if a people being led no longer have confidence in their leader’s ability, they can submit a vote of “no confidence.”  Such a vote often takes place during turbulent times and is frequently followed by the leader stepping down from his or her post, after which, a new leader is elected.

In the above verse, the apostle Paul instructs us to put no confidence in our flesh, or in other words, our abilities or material possessions.  When we do, we become discouraged and disappointed, because our resources alone are never sufficient.  Our flesh doesn’t have the ability to effectively lead us and cannot be trusted, especially during difficult times.  As a matter of fact, the desires and aspirations of our flesh are often contrary to God’s purpose and plan for our lives.

Instead, we need to put our trust and confidence in our Lord and His ability.

Have you ever gone through a difficult time and wondered why God was silent?  Could it be He is waiting for you to become exhausted in your efforts to “fix” the situation?  Could it be He is waiting for you to say “I give up” and relinquish control to Him?

It’s time to stop trusting in our abilities and resources.  They will never be sufficient, no matter how significant we think they are.

It’s time to submit a vote of “no confidence” in our flesh and its ability to lead us.  Instead, let’s put our confidence and trust in the only One who is all sufficient and worthy to lead us - King Jesus!

Who is Wise?

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

James 3:13

 

Wisdom in others can be evident when we are looking for the right things.

Wisdom can also be evident to others in our own life.

Success? Not necessarily.

Popularity? No.

Power? No.

James wrote of those characteristics we should be looking for:

A good life and deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

There are many people in our nation and in the world who are happy to do ‘good deeds’ and contribute great amounts of money to this or that charity so long as their name is emblazoned with their gift.

As believers we should understand our role as stewards of the resources gifted to us and when we have opportunity to do good deeds, large or small, use those opportunities to honor the God who blessed us with them.

Remember that God is a debtor to no man and that He sees what is done in secret.

He sees that one who needed a word of encouragement and received it from you, in His name.

He sees that one with the sign asking for money to buy lunch and how you stopped to be sure they had something to eat even though your ‘to-do’ list was long and it meant sacrifice on your part that others may not understand.

He sees the child you took in and loved who had no hope of adoption.

He knows about the orphanages your contributed dollars quietly built all over the continent with no fanfare and no public recognition.

Human pride seeks immediate gratification for ‘good deeds’.

Wise humility seeks the eternal rewards from our Heavenly Father.

Who is wise and understanding among you?

Variations on a Theme…Peace

May these scriptures and songs bless your day with His peace

  

the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:26

https://youtu.be/3UDvvlhJGME

 

 

The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the Lord’s approval.”

Judges 18:6

 

https://youtu.be/Uszixm_5yP0

 

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

 

https://youtu.be/uswAKffJRKA

 

 

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

 

https://youtu.be/vUqMWnQBJNc

The Land of What If

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”

Philippians 2:3

 

 

My son has often asked me questions prefaced with the words “What if…”

My standard response has been: “I don’t live in the land of ‘What If”!

But let’s keep this secret just between us and don’t tell my son if you see him:

Let’s visit the Land of ‘What If’ today.

What if… we did nothing out of selfish ambition?

What if… we did nothing out of vain conceit?

What if…, in humility, we valued others above ourselves?

Would those behaviors radically change your home, your workplace, the world?

Of course they would!

That is what the King of the Kingdom has asked us to do.

Beyond that He has given us His Spirit so it is not something we are asked to do in our own power.

As a matter of fact no amount of ‘will power’ will equal what the Spirit of God can do in one surrendered person.

Imagine the divorce rate of a place where others were always valued above you…

Can you say non-existent?

Imagine a workplace where selfish ambition was set aside…

All working to achieve the same goals while honoring and cooperating with others – wow!

Imagine a world where there was no conceit, no vanity, no individuals puffing themselves up.

 Are you starting to see a picture of what the Kingdom of God can bring?

What if…

'Like-Minded'

"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble."

I Peter 3:8

 

 

 

So how do we become 'like-minded'?

That is the Epistle's admonition to us, after all.

Let me offer a suggestion:

"...be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble."

The answer to the question is found in the rest of the verse.

Do any of those characteristics sound familiar?

Can you think of any one in particular who may have exemplified them in His life?

Of course, Jesus did!

The like-mindedness spoken of is to be found through our oneness in Christ.

As we dwell in Him, as we abide in Him, as we 'put on Christ'; the fruit of His Spirit is cultivated in each of our lives.

Do you come up short in loving others?

Don't try to 'figure out' how to love more per se, instead draw near to the God of love.

Struggling in areas of compassion or humility?

Don't develop a 12 step plan to become more compassionate or humble.

Instead, speaking figuratively, take 12 steps closer to the God of compassion and humility.

There's something that happens in us when we draw near to Him.

Then when we stay in His presence those things in Him become more and more evident in our own lives.

I may not always agree with others who love the Lord on every point of doctrine.

But what I find is that as I remain close to Him I feel it less necessary to 'defend a doctrine' and more important to humbly extend compassion and love to others and to the family of God in particular.

Come with a blank page

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. (Jeremiah 31:33)

God desires to write His laws on our hearts.  But, like any writer, He needs a blank page to write on.

But often times, when we come to the Lord, our pages are already full.  Full of preconceived notions, full of religious doctrines and traditions.  Full of past hurts and disappointments.

Or, instead of a full page, we give God only a small corner of the page to write on.  We ask Him not to write outside the margins and give Him restrictions on what He can write.  We subconsciously say “Lord, you can write this, but don’t write that.”

The next time you sit with the Lord, present Him with a blank page. Clear your heart and mind and ask Him to fill it with His truths, His thoughts, His desires.  Ask Him to give you fresh revelation as you read scripture and allow Him to write a personal version of His story on your hearts, tailored just for you.

Though they will contain the same truths and principles, no two hearts will contain the exact same story.

And, if you are having trouble presenting God with a blank page, He’s got the world’s biggest eraser.  Ask Him to erase from your heart what doesn’t belong.  Ask Him to remove any words that aren’t His.

God wants to write His story on your heart today, but He needs a blank page to begin.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

 

 

 

The verse above is a very familiar one to most disciples of Jesus Christ.

We quote it often.

Do we really and truly believe it though?

Or, do we sometimes think we are living in God's plan B, His back-up or contingency plans for our lives? 

I think sometimes we do.

We know His plans for us are good but we don't always live that way.

I think we are often thrown by the words 'prosper' and 'not to harm you'.

We often and only consider these words in light of our physical state.

That is a wrong approach because it turns our focus to the temporal and not the eternal.

God's plans for us - His good plans - take the eternal and spiritual approach.

The simple truth is that sometimes believers do not prosper in the material things we have come to value and the Bible is filled with examples of believers in the Book of Acts who were harmed physically.

That is not to say that God cannot and does not sometimes bless believers in those ways but to count on that to the exclusion of spiritual prosperity and protection is to miss the mark of the verse.

When what we determine others have greater prosperity or seem to go through life unharmed in any way (because of how we interpret those words) then we convince ourselves God has a plan for me but it is not as good as the plans He obviously has for others.  

This indirectly accuses God of being a respecter of persons which can erode our trust in our heavenly Father.

God's plans for you are good!

They are plans to prosper you and not to harm you!

But our perspective is not Gods'.

This scripture - even if we quote it a million times - does not remove from us the need to trust Him.

Joseph still had to trust even in the pit.

David still had to trust when King Saul was in hot pursuit.

Jesus showed us how to trust even when He hung on a tree.

Are you trusting your Heavenly Father's plans for you today?

 

Speak Life!

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well."

Psalm 139:13-14

 

Each and everyone of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.

This is the truth for the most faithful believer and the most ardent atheist.

Unbelief does not change the truth.

God created us lovingly and purposefully.

The Psalmist tells us that my heavenly Father knit me together in my mother's womb.

"So, what do you say to the person who was conceived through rape", you ask.

I say that God can take the circumstances of that life and turn them to good when we hand our lives over to Him.   

"What of the Down's Syndrome child or the otherwise disabled child?"

They are worthy of our love and have so much to give if we value them as the gift of God that they are.

Perhaps you know someone who just needs to be encouraged today that God did not make a mistake when they were created.

They are special and valued and loved by Him.

Maybe He has brought that person onto your life for just that word of encouragement to be delivered.

Not once, but many times over the course of your relationship with them.

Sometimes, our greatest gift to others can be to reinforce in them how special they are to God.

So many people today are hearing a contrary message.

They hear from others that they are worthless, of no value and someone nobody could love.

If those words sound foreign to you then you are blessed.

Take some time today to bless those whom you meet that unfortunately hear and believe those words.

Better yet, ask God to allow your path to cross with someone today that you can speak words of life into.

Look for the opportunity to encourage.

Look for the opportunity to build someone up.

Look for the opportunity to share His love.

Look for the opportunity to speak life.

Those opportunities are out there.

For the other person's sake don't let them pass you by!

 

Let the words of this song minister to you -

 

https://youtu.be/7rK6O0YtBRY

Waiting Patiently

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

II Peter 3:9

 

 

 

"...not wanting anyone to perish..."

The desire of God's heart is captured in those five words.

He loves us.

It is not His desire that anyone perish.

Whether the terrorist who avows hatred for the people of God or the man who is Christian in name only.

From one end of the spectrum to the other He waits patiently for each person to choose what they will do with the provision made through His Son.

We don't understand a love that would extend to those extremes.

We prefer to think that the 'good' deserve heaven and the 'bad' deserve hell.

Only problem is we want to define 'good' or 'bad' by behavior we find acceptable.

Scripture is clear though - "There is none righteous, no not one."

We all need a savior.

No amount of denial, no amount of indifference changes that truth.

The wonderful news is that God patiently waits for you.

He is not eager to bring judgment.

He is eager to extend mercy!

The words in the verse above anyone and everyone expressed the heart of God long before the word 'inclusive' became such a hot buzz word in our culture.

Gods' Kingdom is open to anyone and everyone who repents, receives the work of the cross in their life and grows to know Him who is eternal life.

Yes, the gate is narrow - not because God selects just a few but because many refuse Gods; way.

Set aside your delaying, set aside your procrastination and receive the free gift of God offered.

He is patiently waiting for you...

 

 

He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storehouse new treasures as well as old."

Matthew 13:52

 

 

 

New treasures as well as old!

What a wonderful picture Jesus painted of those who were teachers of the law who then became disciples in the kingdom of heaven. They were trained in the Old Testament law and the Prophets. They could bring insights from the old to bear on the new. Perhaps Jesus even spoke prophetically here knowing of the Damascus road conversion yet to take place in the life of Saul of Tarsus.

But what of us today?

Perhaps you've read some portions of scripture so many times that you think you have exhausted any revelation the verses might hold.

Don't give up so easily! 

Approach them as a child who has mom or dad read the same bedtime story hundreds of times and never seems to grow tired of hearing it.

As a child of 5 or 6 our son loved the story of David and Goliath.

On one  of our trips to Northern Michigan from our home in western New York, he listened to an animated child's cassette story of David and Goliath over and over and over and over....

And you know what it did?

It cemented in his life some truths from the scriptures so that many years later when confronted by errors printed in his world history book he was able to draw on the old and be reassured in what Gods' truth truly was! 

Do you search the scriptures?

Do you find truth in them to guide and direct your daily life?

You can you know!

Some would mock and fault the Word as old fables not relevant to today.

Nothing could be further from the truth...literally!

Maybe you've drifted away from regular study and meditation in His Word.

Commit today to change that pattern and return to the 'old' Word which is able to strengthen, encourage, and direct your steps!

 

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:24)

I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8)

There are over 20 scriptures in the Bible where God promises to uphold His people.  He must really want us to know how faithful He is to always be there to strengthen and comfort us, especially during our times of greatest needs.  His hand is strong and steady and He will never let us go.

When things get tough, we often cling to the things of this world, but none of them satisfy.  They will often pull us down rather than hold us up.

Jesus drew His strength from His Father while He was on earth.  He kept His inner eyes firmly fixed on Him.  No ordinary man could have endured what Jesus went through.  He relied on the Father to uphold Him.

The same Spirit that dwelled within Jesus dwells within us. If you are feeling discouraged and you feel like you are faltering, even finding it difficult to take that next step, cling to the Father.  He promises (over and over) to uphold you.

Hillside Followers and Alone-Time Believers

"...but when He was alone with His disciples, He explained everything."

Mark 4:34

 

 

"...alone with His disciples."

There are wonderful rewards for making alone time with Christ.

Our verse today is from when Jesus taught the crowds on a hillside, by speaking in parables.

He had spoken to them about seeds, four kinds of soil, a farmer and then later about mustard seeds.

To most they were a story with a 'veiled' message that was not clearly understood.

To the disciples, Jesus made things clear.

There alone time had its rewards.

The understanding came for them when they were alone with Jesus.

Clearer understanding comes to those who spend the time and get alone with God.

His Holy Spirit brings insight and revelation not readily seen or understood on the crowded hillside.

Your 'hillside' might be the 'honey-do' list.

Maybe your hillside is the long hours at work or a constant desire for recreation.

Hillside followers are not willing to press in.

They listen to the words, maybe even hang around for some bread and fish casserole but 'alone' time?

Why?

I have places to go and people to see, no time to spend hanging out with Jesus.

Who has time to sit in His presence?

Who?

The one who is hungry for more than parables.

The one who wants to know the meaning of the parables and more importantly they want to know the One who spoke the parables!

Are you a 'hillside' follower or an 'alone time' believer?

 

 

Who is Your Refuge?

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."

Psalm 118:8

 

 

I have the above verse underlined in my Bible with this handwritten note in the side column:  "How often we reverse that trust!"

we live our lives as if it said - "It is better to take refuge in man than to trust in the Lord."

We look for answers from our politicians. They have none!

We look for answers from our business leaders. They have none!.

We look for answers from our sports heroes. They have none!

We even look for answers from our T.V. and movie celebrities and guess what?

They have none either!

Taking refuge in man is disastrous.

We are not god.

He alone is!

In our puffed up pride we think we have the answers.

We actually think we know better than God.

Job was questioned once by God with these words -

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me if you understand."

God continues to question Job as recorded in the 38th - 41st Chapters of that book.

I would encourage you to read these verses the next time you are tempted to believe man is superior to God.

Now I know that as Christ followers we don't really believe that!

May we never, in a weak moment of doubt, find our selves 'a-men-ing' the skeptic.

Instead let us remind ourselves of the greatness of our God as revealed through the questioning of Job.

Let it magnify His greatness among us.

Let His Words magnify His greatness in you!

It is far, far better to take refuge in our great God than to trust in man!

 

Behind Closed Doors

“I will conduct the affairs of my house

    with a blameless heart.

I will not look with approval

    on anything that is vile.”

Psalm 101:2b-3a

 

 

You enter your house and you close your door.

“My castle is my kingdom!” you say.

But if you are a follower of Jesus Christ,

His Kingdom includes your “castle”.

He has blessed you with it.

Why do you suppose the Psalm writer said he would conduct the

affairs of his house with a blameless heart?

I think we must admit that what we are in private can sometimes

be different than what we want to project in public.

The Psalmist recognized this struggle of human nature and declared not to follow it!

Think about the next lines though.

“I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.”

Keep in mind that these words were written hundreds of years before internet surfing, television or magazines.

They all can broadcast ‘vile’ things into our homes.

Do we look with approval on those things in our home?

Yes, each of them can be used for good.

Yes, they can be used to advance the Kingdom of God.  

But they also can be vexing to our Spirit if we do not conduct

the affairs of our home with an upright heart.

May the timeless and eternal Word of God challenge each of us

to conduct the affairs of our home with a blameless heart!