Monthly Archives: September 2017

Sin – Does It Evoke Any Emotion?

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Hebrews 3:13 (NASB)
13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Does your sin evoke any emotion in you? The author of Hebrews knew that often the opposite of hating sin isn’t loving it, it is having no emotion about it at all.

As I read and meditated on this verse, it becomes clear just how important it is for us to encourage other believers in our faith. When we fail to keep the horror of sin before us, our hearts become immune to the death that it brings. And it’s not just about focusing on the negative, but it is keeping the proper perspective on the amazing sacrifice that our Lord and Savior made to save us.

So, does your sin evoke any emotion within you? I have to admit that there have been times when sin seems to be something disconnected from me rather than the personal nature that is embedded within me. If our hearts becomes hardened, we need to pray that God would bring someone into our life to be an encourager to us, someone that would speak truth to us. When true sorrow and regret of our sin take form, we are then able to accept the help of the Holy Spirit to turn away and keep it out of our lives.

Father, I repent of my hardened heart. Help me by providing other believers in my life that will speak truth to me. As I meditate on your truth, bring into my heart the proper emotion of my sin and the resolve with Your help to rid myself of it. Only then can I love Jesus completely with a pure heart. Amen.

Urgency of the Gospel

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Mark 1:10
10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

No other gospel writer shows the sense of urgency that Mark did in his gospel. It has been noted by many that he used the word “immediately” quite often. I counted 39 times in the book of Mark, many times more than in any other book of the Bible.

Mark seemed to understand just how urgently Jesus was “about His Father’s work”. Jesus had a limited time with us and so He needed to accomplish much in that short period of time.

Our time is limited too. If we are to accomplish what Jesus has planned for us, we can’t procrastinate in completing God’s will in our lives. It needs to be done with the urgency that Jesus demonstrated in His life.

Jesus, Holy God, thank you for the example you gave to each of us. Help me to show the same urgency that You did as I pray for Your Kingdom and as I obey Your will in my life. I pray that Your Kingdom would come immediately! Amen.

The Spirit of God

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Numbers 11:29
29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

As Israel wandered in the desert, the people complained because they remembered with fondness the time that they were in Egypt. They remembered the food that they ate, but conveniently forgot that they were slaves and received harsh treatment from the Egyptians. Moses felt a great burden as the weight of all of the people’s complaints fell on him alone. In response, God asked Moses to bring 70 elders to the tent, so that He could bring the Spirit upon them. And in that way Moses would not feel the burden alone as the other elders would be able to respond to the complaints of the people.

Two of the elders, Eldad and Medad, remained in the camp and did not come to the tent of meeting. When the Spirit fell on them, they began to prophesy in front of all the people. Joshua went to Moses and asked that the two men be restrained, for he believed that only Moses should do that. Verse 29 of Numbers chapter 11 was his response to Joshua.

It is not clear if Moses responded that way because he wanted others to share his burden for the people. I like to believe it was that Moses realized the amazing blessing that he alone had received by having the Spirit of God upon him.  Moses wanted others to share it that gift.

As Christians, we are blessed in that way, for the Spirit of God lives within us. We should want all people to have that blessing too. Without it, all thoughts of God and His mercy and grace seem to be foolishness. Only the Spirit can illumine our minds to the knowledge of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Heavenly Father, what a blessing it is that Your Spirit lives within me. Give me a heart for sharing that blessing with others, so that they can receive Your mercy and grace. As I share, I pray that you would put Your Spirit upon them today. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Getting to Know You

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John 2:23-25
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.
24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men,
25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.

Getting to know who we really are is probably one of the most difficult, but important things we can do. It’s not that we can’t do it, but we often resist allowing the Holy Spirit to show us our true self.  It’s not a pretty sight. As Jeremiah tells us,

Jeremiah 17:9-10
9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
10 “I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.

As we explore ourselves, the purpose is to identify the sin, turn away from it and change to what God has in mind for our lives.

When Jesus performed miracles in Jerusalem, He already knew the hearts of all men. There were many that had a superficial belief, impressed only by the signs of Jesus. He knew them and that they would quickly forget. Jesus taught about that in Mark 4 in the parable of the sower and the soils.

The revelation of our sin is only a revelation to us. The joy for God is knowing that we love Him enough to root it out, expose it to ourselves, and repent. The forgiveness we receive is His gift to us and our joy.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit that brings our sin to light in our minds. Sanctify our hearts so that each day we grow in holiness, which is only possible through your precious grace. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

The Days of our Lives

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Psalm 90:9-10
9 For all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a sigh.
10 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.

This psalm is attributed to the writing of Moses. He reflects on the eternity of God and brief and finite life we live. The 70-80 years he speaks about was the lifespan of the Israelites in the desert. God had told Moses that those who entered the desert would not see the promised land. Within the 40 years of wandering only those born in the desert would enter the land He had set aside for them. Moses lifespan was the exception for he lived to be 120 years old. And prior to that man lived for even much longer. Adam, the first man lived for 900 years, but as succeeding generations passed, the lifespan continued to decrease to about the lifespan of Moses. Then when they entered the desert it dropped even further to 70-80 years.

Was this God’s way of telling man that the broken world would continue to take its toll on us? Moses prays about the brevity of life and how much of it is wasted by us. Seventy or eighty years is plenty of time for us to live a life of piety, but it is also plenty of time to waste it on the pride of life. Then soon it is gone and we fly away.

Moses’ prayer was that the people would see this and change their ways. It is a call to all of us to spend our days on what is good and perfect. Jesus only spent 30+ years on this earth before returning to heaven. Look what he accomplished.

Jesus, what a blessing you have given to us. The days of our lives can be fruitful or fruitless. Holy Spirit, bring forth a bounty through us that gives glory to our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

The Book of Remembrance

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Malachi 3:16-17
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. “
17 They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”

Daniel 12:1
1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

There are a number of references of names written in a book by God as those who He will remember and keep as His own. The book has existed long before those that lived or will live. Their names are already there. It is a record of all those that fear the Lord, that revere Him, who love Him. In the same way the Son has always existed with the Father and the Spirit, for they are the one true God.

God is eternal, He doesn’t change and His plan has always existed and doesn’t change either. What a comfort to those that know Him and call on His name as Lord and Savior.

Father, thanks be to God for Your book of remembrance. Blessed be Your Name. Thank You that my name was written in Your book and that one day I will see the Son and live with You forever. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,