The Compassion of A Tired Messiah

    As I study the scriptures and see glorious truths, I often want to write about it. However the problem I have in regard to this blog is that, when I start working on a blog post in my head about the text, I tend to develop a sermon rather than a blog post. The text deserves more than just a few paragraphs. I don't have the time or space to be writing sermons. But I decided to try to write a post about a text I had considered.

    The text I want to consider is Luke 9:10-11 and related verses in Mark 6:30-34 and Matt 14:13-14.

     Jesus needed a break. His disciples needed a break. Mark says that they hadn't even had time to eat because the crowds were swarming around them desperate for Jesus' help. The disciples had just returned from a tour of ministry as they preached, healed and cast out demons in the Jewish countryside and villages. Also around this time, Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist. All these events prompted  Jesus to wisely take a rest for Him and His disciples. They were worn out mentally, emotionally, and physically. So Jesus took His twelve disciples on a boat across the lake of Galilee to a deserted place. I am sure that they were all looking forward to some rest and relaxation.

   But look! As they reach the shore, there was a small crowd of people waiting for them, and perhaps as they looked in the distance they could see more people streaming to the spot. It is not hard to imagine what they were thinking as they saw these crowd which meant the end to all their plans to relax and refresh. Some perhaps groaned at this change in plans. Others may have complained and grumbled about the crowds. Still others may have shot an angry look at those miserable people that never seemed to leave them alone. I know if I was in their place, I would have had something of the same feelings. But what did Jesus think and feel when He saw the crowds?

  Luke tells us He welcomed them. Mark explains that He had compassion on the people. Why? Because they were like sheep without a shepherd. The leaders of Israel were to be the spiritual shepherds of God's people. They were to teach them faithfully and accurately God's word. But they failed to do that. In fact they used God's people for their own selfish purposes. They taught lies instead of truth. They led them into error instead of wisdom. They gave them a bad example. The leaders of Israel cared nothing for the people. So when Jesus saw the crowds, He saw a people who were spiritually hopeless and lost and it moved Him to compassion. His first response is not the expressions of a selfish heart, but of an unselfish heart that cared deeply about the welfare of others.

    The spiritual needs of the crowd moved Him to compassion which resulted in Him laboring to meet those needs even though He must have been tired and weary. Jesus met their needs by teaching them about the kingdom of God. He didn't only seek to meet their spiritual needs as the Good Shepherd, but He also sought to meet their physical needs. He healed their sick and later, created enough food to feed all of them with some left over. Notice that Jesus doesn't just say, 'well, I'll teach them for an hour and then shoo them away.' No, He spends all afternoon and some of the evening ministering to the crowds. Consider also that many in this crowd didn't care about Jesus at all. Many were there only to get healed or to see some excitement. Yet Jesus still feels compassion for them. How amazing is Jesus! How unlike us! What a Savior! What a God!

Brad

When The Devil Goes Fishing

     The Devil likes to fish. Except, he doesn't fish for fish but for the souls of men. The devil likes to catch people with sin. He is a good fisher, maybe the best. Many souls have been ruined to hell by taking his bait. Many Christians have been rendered fruitless and ineffective by swallowing his hook. Certainly this is no laughing matter when one considers the devil's large catch. In order to help us not take the devil's bait and hook, I want to consider how the the devil goes fishing.

The Bait

     When the devil goes fishing, he uses some pretty desirous bait. He uses the pleasures of sin to bait us. He knows that our hearts are corrupt with sin.We have sinful desires that he plays on. "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust." James 1:14. The devil knows this and baits his hook accordingly. He always portrays sin as good, beneficial and pleasurable. "Stolen water is sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Proverbs 9:17. Consider how the adulteress tempts men to sin with her. "For the lips of an adulteress drips honey and smoother than oil is her speech." Proverbs 5:3. Another proverb that shows the bait of the devil is Proverbs 20:17 "Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." Remember when Satan first tempted Eve. He promised that by taking and eating the forbidden fruit she would "be like God, knowing good and evil." Gen 3:5. Eve believed Satan's lie, and took his bait because she thought that by sinning she could become wise. However they became fools. And ever since that day, people continue to take the devil's bait and choose to sin.

     Just as an aside, consider how sin is portrayed in the entertainment industry. There are lots of songs that glorify drunkenness, sexually immorality, and violence. Movies and video games  often do the same. Almost all of the time, sin is portrayed as good in movies. And it is not just "big" sins, but even sins like pride, lying, stealing, or laziness are made to look good. When we constantly expose ourselves to the world's entertainment, it will begin to affect how we look at sin. Sin will begin to not look like a hook but like something worth pursuing.

The Plate

     If a fish should take the bait on the hook, he will eventually end up on someone's plate. What started out as a delicious treat for the fish, turned into delicious meal for the fisherman. The same result is in store for those who take the devil's bait. God warns us in His word that the end result of taking the devil's bait is death. The Lord promised to Adam and Eve that if they would eat the forbidden fruit, "you will surely die." Gen 2:17. James writes that "Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." James 1:15. Women Folly would invite you to eat stolen water and food because it is sweet, but those who accept such an invitation would find that "her guests are in the depths of Sheol." Proverbs 9:18. Proverbs often warns those tempted to commit adultery that while all manner of pleasure is promised, the end result is death and bitterness.

     When we chose to sin, we begin to walk down a path that leads to death. Along that path there is the chance of physical death due to sin and its consequences. But more serious is the spiritual death that happens. Giving into sin and taking Satan's bait, destroys us spiritually and will bring us into the second death; the fires of hell. Sin also kills relationships. Sin kills reputations. Sin kills one's purity and honor. Sin kills!! So be warned, when you see the bait of sin, remember the plate. Consider the consequences of taking that bait. Don't start down the path of sin for it leads to death.

    The only way off the path of sin and death is repentance; that is, to turn to God and righteousness and to forsake and confess your sin, begging for forgiveness because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. "The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23.  

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
 For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
 She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.

Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast. 

Proverbs 3: 13-18

Brad

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary!

"And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38  

     This verse comes at the end of Mary's conversation with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel had just announced to Mary that she was going to conceive a son by the Holy Spirit. This son was to be named Jesus and would be great. He would be the Son of the Most High and would reign on the throne of David over the house of Jacob forever and ever. God had chosen Mary to have an unique and important part to play in His plan of salvation. After years of waiting, finally the Messiah was coming. And of all people, Mary was going to carry this Child who would be the Savior of all God's people and would be the long awaited king. This was an immense privilege given to her by God. But, with this privilege, there was also going to be trial and suffering. 

     The majority of people would think that Mary had gotten pregnant before her marriage to Joseph. How would she be able to explain how she had gotten pregnant, when no one before or since, has ever conceived in this manner? For the rest of her life she would have the stigma and reproach of being an unfaithful and immoral women. Few would ever understand in her lifetime. Who knows what shame and shunning she faced? And what about Joseph? He would think she was unfaithful to him. It was only through a dream from God that Joseph would be convinced that Mary wasn't unfaithful. (Matthew 1:19-21) In fact Mary could face death, for the law decreed death by stoning for those who committed adultery. (Deut 22:13-21) So while she would have an immense privilege in carrying the Savior, there was also a great trial for her to go through. But consider how she responds.

      Mary calls herself the bondslave of the Lord. In her eyes, she is God's slave, which is very contrary to how the Roman Catholic church views her. In their view, Mary is worthy of veneration and a mediator between God and man. But Mary understands that the Lord is her master and she is his slave. Whatever the Master says she will do. She submitted to God's purposes and will for her without murmuring or questioning. She trusted that her Master knew what was best and was willing to go where He called her, even if it would bring her pain and sorrow. Here is a worthy example for us.

     The Christian has the honor and privilege of being adopted into the family of God. He is an heir of the glory to come. His sins are completely forgiven. God is His friend and Lord. These honors and privileges are mostly unknown by those around him and many of these privileges will only be had in the life to come. This life is for the Christian the time for suffering. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Tim 3:12. This life is a life of war for the Christian as he must wage constant war against sin. Obedience is hard work. This Christian is the special object of Satan's temptations. The cross must come before the crown. 

And what should be our reaction when we are called to suffer and labor for God? It should be the same as Mary's reaction to the angel's announcement. We are God's slaves and will  do as He wills. 

"Let us be willing to go anywhere, and do anything, and be anything, whatever be the present and immediate inconvenience, so long as God's will is clear and the path of duty is plain." 
J.C. Ryle from his expository thoughts on Luke.(page 30)

Brad

Reverse The Curse In Your Marriage

There are thousands of books on marriage. There are many radio programs and ministries that are dedicated to fixing your marriage. I spent a lot of time when I was growing up on tractors listening to Christian radio. I heard many programs explaining how to make your marriage better. Now all this information is helpful. But it was on my honeymoon when I heard something that really clarified why we have marriage problems and what the solution is to our marriage problems.

   We were driving into Oregon listening to John Macarthur's teaching on the fulfilled family, a sermon series on Ephesians 5:22-6:4. He said something that I won't forget. Here are two quotes from that sermon series.


   "People will ask me what’s the key to your marriage or what’s the key to your family, how is it that your family is so close or you are close to your wife and you have such a wonderful relationship and I can just go back to this.  There is no magic, there is no formula, there is no gimmicks.  It’s not a  question of how many times did we do this or how many times did we do that or who was in charge of this or what kind of processes or methods did we use.  It’s simply a question and it has to start in my heart, am I committed to obedience to the Spirit of God, am I committed to the controlling influences of the Word of God, am I going to live out a Christian life?"  

"Because of fallenness there will be conflict.  You have to go back to the spiritual dimension to end it and that’s what’s so wonderful about this passage that we are looking at and you can go back to Ephesians now, that the solution to the conflict in marriage is spiritual and it starts with allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life, letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, obeying the Spirit of God as he reveals his will through the will of God.  Only the power of the Holy Spirit can reverse the curse in a home.  Where you have a Spirit filled person in the home, you have hope.  You ever try to pick a fight with a Spirit controlled person? Ever try to pick a fight with a totally joyful person that just has rising joy in their heart? Ever try to pick a fight with somebody who is thankful for everything, even the conflict?  Ever try to pick a fight with somebody who is totally submissive.  Very difficult.  Where that exists there is hope.  It’s a spiritual issue.  Conflict goes where the Holy Spirit dominates."  

     I thought these quotes were so good, that I should leave it at that. But perhaps a word or two is in order. Why does your marriage suck? Why do you have problems in your marriages? The answer is that you have two sinners who got married to each other that have some sanctification issues. "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask" James 4:1-2 

    How do you fix your marriage conflicts? In almost every case, the solution is more heart and life holiness. If we pursue holiness and fellowship with God, then there will be some improvement in our marriages. Now you might be married to an unbeliever, even though they may profess to be a Christian, which in that case may mean that the more godly you are, the more they will despise you. Unregenerate people hate the light. John 3:19-20. But even unbelievers may willingly live with a godly Christian. 

   With all the marriage advice books out there, you would think that the Bible is full of marriage tips and helps. But there is very little said on marriage. This is because if you follow the commands in Scripture to walk in holy living, then your marriage will not suffer. But don't try to live a godly life for the sole purpose of improving your marriage. Live to please and know the Lord, and when you do so, the other areas of your life, including marriage, will be affected for the better.
     
   So if your marriage is in trouble, go to God in repentance and ask Him to help you to love your spouse. Use the means of grace that God has given; prayer, Bible reading, preaching...etc. Don't worry about trying to change your spouse. You can't change them anyways. You have the responsibility before God to love your spouse, even if you think they are your enemy. God even calls you to love your enemies. Does love rule your home life?


"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3 
   

Brad

    

Spiders And Sin

  Imagine for just a moment a scenario. As you walk into one of the rooms of your house to pick up your baby, you see a spider between you and your child. As you look closer, you realize in horror that it is a black widow spider. This poisonous spider is now moving closer to your child. What do you do? Hopefully you won't run away screaming or freeze in terror. You wouldn't want to scoop up the spider and let it play with your child. The best thing to do is to stomp on the spider and crush it to death. No mercy, no kindness, just a swift and gruesome death. You don't take chances with deadly spiders.

   While it is considered wise not to make pets of poisonous creatures like black widow spiders, yet when it comes to something more dangerous in the spiritual realm, people are very foolish. Sin is a poison. It is destructive, deadly and life threatening. Consider what is the destructive force of sin. Pornography devastates marriages, your spiritual health and countless lives. It is a black poison. Anger can destroy families, friends, and businesses. Gossip can destroy a whole church. Pride ruins souls and leads them into hell. I could list many other examples like drunkenness, gambling, slander, and laziness, but I think you get the point. Sin is destructive like a hurricane or a deadly poisonous spider. So don't take chances with deadly sin, kill it quickly.

  The truth is people by nature like sin. They make it their pet and invite it into their homes. People cuddle and feed their pet sins. Even when it bites them, people will often return back to their poisonous pet. Yet in the end their pet sins will destroy them. Even as Christians we can make a pet of our sins. Instead of seeing sin as some poisonous spider, we see it as if it was some harmless puppy or kitty cat. We may play with sin and dabble in it a little. We know it is dangerous, but our sinful flesh is strong and still wants us to hold on to the sin. We need to look at sin not as a nice puppy but a poisonous spider. We should become sin-crushers.

     This is what God calls us to do. In Colossians 3:5, we are told to "Put to death what belongs to your worldly nature."  How do we deal with sin? Put it to death! Don't have mercy on it. Killing sin is painful, difficult and dirty work. It isn't easy to kill what your flesh loves. But why would you want to keep something more dangerous than a black widow spider in your life?

  Killing sin is hard but thankfully God has given us some weapons to help us finish the job. We don't kill sin in our own strength. The Spirit of God lives in His people to give them the power to stomp on their sin. So we should pray about specific sins, calling on God to help us kill them. The Spirit uses His word to renew us and help in the fight. It is not enough to kill sin, but we must "put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another." Col 3:12-13. And even when we fail, there is forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ.

 There is not enough space here to get into all the details of putting to death sin. But I hope you will see sin for what it is, a poisonous and deadly thing, and deal with it ruthlessly in God's power by stomping on your sins.

Brad

Attack In Formation

This post is related to the one I did on the sword of the Spirit. When I taught that lesson, I included some brief thoughts on the subject which I want to consider in this post. I want to develop that idea more fully here.

  Our spiritual warfare is not an individual effort alone. We are not to be lone rangers or commandos alone behind enemy lines. By nature we tend to be self absorbed. Sin keeps us from fighting together in the church and it causes us to fight each other. But God knows we are stronger together. We weren't made to live alone.

  The best armies of this world are those that fight in formation and in a unified strategy. The Roman army's success was due in part to its discipline and ability to fight in formation. The phalanx of Alexander's army helped lead him to his many conquests. The British squares gave Napoleon his waterloo at the battle of Waterloo. Armies like these were able to work together for victory. They could use the different kinds of units in the army to their greatest advantage. These principles of warfare are also true in the Christian's war.

How wonderful it would be if the church would fight together in battle formation. While I would like to see this among all churches around the world, the focus of this blog will be on the local church. Each local church should learn to have an army mentality. Lone ranger Christians are dead Christians or at least a hindrance to themselves and to others.We need to look at each Christian in our church as a fellow soldier fighting a common enemy. Think of what a church could do if they would only learn to fight together.

 The devil understands the importance of unity and cooperation in the local church. He spends much of his time trying to divide churches. His tactics can vary, but there is one sinister purpose in all of them: divide and conquer. The devil will try to keep us focused on ourselves, never opening up about our struggles, never trusting others. Getting Christians into different groups and cliques is another way to divide and conquer. When Christians fight and argue about petty differences, then the devil has us where he wants us. He will try to keep us from being at church or from using our gifts in the church. Sadly while the devil is committed to total warfare with God's people, the church is often distracted and fighting among themselves.

 In an army there are different roles and different kinds of soldiers. This diversity when used together for a single purpose will often achieve victory. The same is true for the church.While we have different gifts and personalities, we have a common salvation, a common king, a common battle plan and a common destination. Now we need to act on these truths. We are stronger together. Attack in formation!

-Brad

P.S. This is the 100th blog post we have done. So, to celebrate we are giving away two books. Both are by John MacArthur. The first is called, "Hard To Believe" and the other is called, "The Truth War." If you want the books, leave a comment on Facebook or on this blog's comment section. We will randomly pick two winners in a weeks time. Thanks for reading. Our prayer is that God would bless this blog for the sanctification of His people.

The Greatest Weapon

The Sword of the Spirit

 When I was boy, I loved playing with swords. We often had sword fights, which at times ended with someone in tears. I can remember wanting a sword very badly. Once my parents saw a sword at a garage sale. They did not buy the sword to my great regret, although it is well they didn’t.  My uncle had an old sword in his house that I eyed with great fascination. Anyways, I grew up, and put my sword fighting days behind me, well, sort of, till I had kids. I have a new sword fascination these days.   

Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In this great spiritual war, God has given us one weapon. In battle, it usually better to have a number of weapons. Maybe a rifle, grenades, knife, pistol. This is because no weapon is perfect for all situations. But in God’s wisdom He has given us a perfect weapon for every situation and foe. Having one weapon, allows us to focus all our efforts on becoming masters of this weapon, rather than dividing our energies among other weapons.

Here in our text God’s word is compared is a sword. This is not the only time that God’s word is compared to a sword.

Hosea 6:5 “Therefore I have hewn them to pieces by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth;”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart,”

Revelation 1:16, “In His right hand He(Jesus) held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp two edged sword;” Same imagery in Rev 2:12 and 19:15 all in reference to the words of Christ.

This sword is called the sword of the Spirit. It could be understood in two ways.

1    1 ) A sword that is spiritual as opposed to physical. This sword is not for the warfare of steel and iron. This sword is for spiritual battles, in the spiritual realm. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

      2) Spirit could refer to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture. He is the interpreter and teacher of God’s Word. And He is the One who gives it power.    

In this war we are confronted by many powerful foes, that is Satan and his demons. In fact we have no ability to withstand them on our own. But with this sword, we have a weapon that can withstand and defeat every spiritual enemy we have. God’s word is more powerful than all the atomic bombs in this world. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 ‘Power’ here is from the word we get dynamite. The infinite power of the Lord God Almighty is in His word. When the word of God is used well, not even the devil can overcome and defeat us. It can break down and transformed the hard hearts of sinners. It can demolish long held erroneous beliefs. The word of God can turn the world upside down.

A sword is used for defense and offence. You can parry or block your opponent’s blows with the sword or you can slash and cut at your foe. The same is true for the sword of the Spirit.

The word of God can defend you from temptation. When Satan tempts you to sin, then you must use God’s word to block his blows. For example, suppose you are tempted to get even with someone who hurt you. Your mind should then go to Romans 12:19-21.

“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” 

Another example, devil tempts you to think that not even God could love such a sinner as you. You could counter this evil broad sword by using God’s word such as Rom 8:31 -32

“If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom 8:1

What are anxiety? “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.” Phil 4:6

Patience a problem with others? “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Tim 2:24-25

See how the Great Master Swordsman, the Lord Jesus, handled the word of God in His great contest with the devil. Matt 4. For every sword thrust of Satan, He answered “It is written” and then used the right text for the right error. 

The word of God of truth is also for defending against false doctrine and error.  No error can stand against God’s word. This sword can defeat every error, big or small.

But we shouldn’t always be on the defensive. No, we are called to take the battle to the enemy and conquer territory for the King of Kings. We are to use God’s word in evangelism. It is the scriptures that the Spirit uses to give new life to sinners. “For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is through the living and enduring word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 When we evangelize, it is important to use the word of God in our gospel conversation. It has power to save like nothing else. By the sword of the Spirit we rescue souls from the kingdom of darkness. 

    

  Also when we teach or preach the word of God we are using this sword to attack. God’s word is what sanctifies us. Jesus prayed “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 God’s word can kill sin in our lives. Through regular reading and study of God’s word, we are killing our sin and causing godliness to form in our hearts. "We must be killing sin or it will be killing us." A quote that I remember, but I can't remember the name of the author of this quote.   

A skilled swordsman is not born overnight. It takes time, effort and practice for them to become skilled in the art of sword fighting. The same is for those who are soldier of Christ and wield the Sword of the Spirit. Here are ways we can became skilled in the art of using this sword.

1     1    We must acquire a knowledge of the whole word of God. It is important we know the whole Bible; what the themes and contents are of each book. It would be good to read through the Bible a couple of times because serious study.

       2   We should learn the art and skill of interpretation and application of the word of God. Good sword fighters are good at hermeneutics.                                                                                                3  It is important to memorize verses of the Bible. Memorize passages that deal with sins and temptations you struggle with.

       4  Put it into practice. Don’t keep the info in your head use the Sword in your daily battles.                 5   Learn from a Master swordsman. Read books and commentaries of those who are skilled in the use of God’s word. A good teacher will be of great help. E.G. JC Ryle  

        May God bless this to His Church for the training of good Christian swordsmen.  

Brad

The Christian Test: Part 3

This will be the last post about assurance of salvation. I have been trying to show from the Bible that there are certain questions we can ask ourselves to determine if we are indeed saved and so gain an assurance of our salvation. In the last post we saw there must be repentance, faith, obedience, the work of the Spirit and answered prayer in the life of a Christian. Now without further delay, here are the next traits of a Christian.

1) Do you love other Christians?

 A true Christian loves Jesus Christ. The one born of God will love God and will love those who are His children. 1 John 5:1-2. Jesus Christ loves His church. He suffered and died for her. And so a Christian will love the church as well. "The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brothers is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 1 John 2:9-11.  Consider also this verse, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." 1 John 4:20.  It is not enough to say that you love your friends at church. But do you love all of those born again because God loves them and saved them and adopted them into His family; the same family that you are now part of? Do you love Christians who disagree with you on points of doctrine and practice or are not very lovable at times? Do you love the church where ever she may be found and seek to do her good? If you truly love God and have been born of God, you will seek the good of His church.

2) Are you disgusted with worldliness?

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves, the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15. The world is the collective mass of sin and error of the people in this world. It is the kingdom of darkness over which Satan rules. The world's values, habits, beliefs and pleasures are seen on the movie screen, on TV, on the magazine rack, in liberal churches, in Buddhists temples and so on. Can you love sin? Can you love worldly wisdom? Can you be at home among ungodly friends?  If so, then there are some serious problems in your life and you may not be a Christian. Christians reject the world. The philosophies of this world are repulsive to the believer. The humor and entertainment of the world is nauseating. The Christian will walk against the grain of society, because he loves God, and truth, and holiness, and seek after His kingdom and righteousness first of all. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God ? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4.

3) Are you persecuted for the sake of Christ?

   A Christian will hate the world, but the world also hates the Christian. The world loves darkness and hates the light. Since Christians are of the light, the world will hate them and persecute them. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12. Cain killed Abel. Why? "Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13. And so this has been the case from then until now. The children of Cain hate the righteousness of the children of Abel because it bothers their consciences and condemns them. "This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20  Have you suffered for Christ? Maybe you have not been tortured or put in prison. But have you been excluded from others because you are a Christian? Have you been mocked or insulted because you bear the name of Christ?  Have you been slandered against because you are of the Light? Have you shared in the sufferings of Christ? If you have, you can be sure that you are part of the Kingdom of Light. The more godly you will live, the more people will hate you and the more joy and assurance you will enjoy.

 This is the end of the Christian test. I know it wasn't exhaustive, but I think I covered most of the questions. If there was something I missed, let me know. A good resource is  the book 'Biblical Doctrines' edited by John Macarthur and Richard Mayhue. See pages 649-653.

  Hopefully, after looking over these questions, you will gain greater assurance. If you did, then praise God and continue to make your calling and election sure. But if you don't see these qualities in your life, then maybe you aren't a Christian. Or you could be an immature Christian who needs growth. I would advise you to talk to a mature Christian for further counsel.

Brad

The Christian Test: Part 2

 In the last post I looked at 3 evidences of a Christian. Repentance, faith and obedience will be seen in every true Christian. In this post I will look at a number of other evidences of a Christian so that we may obtain assurance of faith or be shown to not be Christians and so turn from our sin to Christ.

  1) Do you see the work of the Spirit in your life?

 When a person is saved the Holy Spirit indwells them. "Having believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance," Eph 1:13-14.  The Holy Spirit's primary task is to sanctify us. Thus if we are Christians we will see the results of the ministry of the Spirit in holy lives. "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." 1 John 4:13.

 The Holy Spirit will produce holiness in the life of the believer. This is not just outward action, but an inward transformation. The famous passage is Galatians 5: 22-23. There it lists the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law." An apple tree will produce apples. An orange tree will produce oranges and a person that has the Spirit living inside them will produce the fruit of the Spirit. Are these seen in your life?

  The Holy Spirit is the teacher of truth. He reveals the glorious truths of God's word. "As for you, the anointing which you have received  from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in Him." 1 John 2:27. "But when He , the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;" John 16:13. We need the Holy Spirit to teach us the truth of God's word. For when we are dead in our sins we can't understand or appreciate the glory of the truth. "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them , because they are spiritually appraised." 1 Cor 2:14.  An evidence the Spirit is working in our lives is when we begin to see the truth, wisdom and greatness of the gospel and the glory of Christ. We love God's word. Our eyes are opened and it becomes clear to us. We have a hunger for the Bible which results in the daily reading and study of God's word. All this is evidence that the Spirit is at work within us.

 The Spirit also gives true believers spiritual discernment so that they hold fast to essential doctrine. Consider 2 John 9, "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." Or 1 John 4:6, "We are from God; he who know God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Or "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him." 1 John 4:15. Consider also 1 John 2:20-24 and 1 John 5:1.  This doesn't mean Christians are never in doctrinal error. But the Spirit works in us so that we hold fast to those essential and major doctrines, like the divinity and humanity of Christ, the Trinity, the substitutionary atonement. Cults like the Mormons, JW's and others deny these and other essential doctrines. Thus they show by what they believe that they are not Christians. Christians will be able to discern false teachers and teaching.

  The Holy Spirit will also testify to our adoption as God's children. "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God," Rom 8:16.  In salvation we are adopted as God's children. He is now our Father. The Holman study note on this verse says this "By the Spirit we have a consciousnesses that God is our Father. It is the mark of a Christian to cry out to his Father in prayer." John Macarthur in his study Bible says this, ""God's Holy Spirit confirms the validity of our adoption, not by some inner, mystical voice, but by the fruit He produces in us and the power He provides for spiritual service."  Thus we come to God as children come to their father knowing that He will hear us through Christ.

2) Does God answer your prayers?

  "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14 and 1 John 3:22, "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." This doesn't mean God will answer our prayers in the exact manner that we think He should. But when we pray according to His will, laid out for us in scripture, then we can be sure that God will answer those prayers. If we are Christians, we should see some of God's answers to our prayers and that will give us greater assurance of faith.

 For the last blog post in this series I will look at a few more signs to see if  we are indeed Christians.

Brad

The Christian Test: Part 1

This post continues on from the last one in which I showed from the scripture that we are to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. Assurance of salvation is important and God has shown us how to obtain it in His word. The letter of First John gives us a test by which we can see if we are indeed saved. Much of the texts used here will be taken from this book.

  This is a test that you must get 100% on. All the traits will be present in a Christian. But there will be varying degrees in the life of a believer. For example, all Christians have saving faith, but some will have strong faith while others weak faith. The greater these characteristics of a believer are seen in a their life, the greater will be their assurance. The less we see these qualities, the weaker will be our assurance.

1) Do I repent of my sins and trust in the finished work of Christ?

 How a person deals with sin, reveals his true colors. We are born loving sin. We don't need to learn to sin since it comes naturally. Left to himself, man would hold on to his sin rather than let it go and gain eternal life. The natural man pursues sins and continues to live in sin. He doesn't hate it and see it for what it is; the most hateful and vile evil in all the universe. 1 John 3:8, "The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning."

 One of the first signs of new life in the soul is repentance. Repentance is a change in our attitude toward sin. It is much more than just saying sorry to God for your sins. It is more than just asking for forgiveness. With repentance there is a sorrow because we know that sins are an offence toward God. Sin doesn't seem lovely any more; it is seen as a disease, a poison, a pollutant, a rotting corpse. Then there will be confession of sin before God. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. We cry out to God as the tax collector did, "God, be merciful to me, the sinner." Luke 18:13. Real repentance also involves a breaking away or turning from sin. We don't wallow in our sins like a pig in the mud. We make an effort to leave the mire. Christians may fall into the mud, but they won't stay there. "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" 1 John 3:9
   
   Repentance starts at the beginning of the Christian's life and continues throughout his life. We never stop confessing our sins and repenting. When we come in repentance for the first time, we come before God as judge begging Him to forgive us and give us salvation. When we come in repentance during the rest of our life, we come to God as our Father whom we have wronged so there can be reconciliation and enjoyment of that relationship.

  Faith always goes with repentance. Faith and repentance are as two wings which are both needed for the bird to fly. Both faith and repentance are needed for salvation. A Christian trusts or rests on the finished work of Christ. He knows he is bankrupt of righteousness. He knows he can do nothing to save himself. He believes that only Christ can save him. A Christian is convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that he can only be saved by coming to Christ in faith. 

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God," 1 John 5:1.

"The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony  in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son." 1 John 5:10.

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Rom 10:9.

 As with repentance, living by faith continues our whole lives. The just are saved by faith and the just continue by faith. A true Christian continues his whole life trusting Christ. Consider the lives of the saints in Hebrew 11. They did great deeds by faith. They courageously suffered and died by faith. They sailed through trouble and trials trusting in the unseen God who loved them. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith." 1 John 5:4.

2) Is there a general pattern of obedience to God in my life?

 In many of these characteristics of a Christian there is some overlap. Obedience is the result of repentance and faith.

Jesus said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments."

and then later in verses 23-24 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. He who does not love me , does not keep my words;"

 1 John 3:10 states it very plainly, "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God,"

or consider 1 John 2:29 , "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him."

I could go on; there are many similar verses in the Bible. A Christian will be obedient to God's commands. This doesn't mean Christians have to be perfect. No Christian will be perfect in this life. But when you look at your life, ask yourselves, "Is there a general pattern of obedience in my life?" "Do I delight to do God's will?"  "Is there growth of obedience in my life?" The more obedient we are the greater our assurance of our salvation will be.

   These first two characteristics of a Christian are foundational. You simply can't be a Christian if you never have repented of your sins and trusted Christ alone for salvation. There must be obedience to God's law in a Christian's life and that obedience must be increasing. A true Christian will find joy and will delight in God's commands. There will be a desire to repent. There will be joy in resting in Jesus alone. All these traits are products of a new heart that is given at salvation.

The next post will continue this test of a genuine Christian.

Brad

Sir Joe the Unready: A Failed Knight Of The Round Table

The stories about King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table are well known. We have all heard of  Launcelot, Galahad and maybe Mordred the Usurper. Their exploits have been recorded in great detail for us. But few have heard of Sir Joe the Unready. While other knights won fame and glory in battle and heroic deeds, Sir Joe doomed himself to an embarrassing place in history.

   Sir Joe was a son of a cousin of an uncle of Guinevere the wife of King Arthur. With the help of this influence, Joe was made a member of the famous Knights of the Round Table. Sir Joe was proud of his new position. It gained him a lot of popularity, especially among the fairer sex. While all the other knights were training in feats of arms or riding off on important missions, Sir Joe was lounging with his many admirers. When once Arthur asked him to go on a mission of some importance, Sir Joe refused. His excuse was that he had contracted a disease in the lungs or maybe it was the heart when he was young and ever since had been in frail health. As a result any strenuous activity would bring Sir Joe close to the grave since his lungs or his heart or it could have been his bowels would have given way. Arthur went away muttering something about not doing a favor for anyone anymore, even for his wife.

  As Sir Joe lived his best life now, the other knights trained hard; preparing for the eventual invasion. The other knights despised Sir Joe and mocked him behind his back. Sir Launcelot even publicly rebuked Sir Joe calling him to act worthy of a knight. But Sir Joe had his excuses and would not listen. But soon Sir Joe would find that his lack of preparation and laziness would come to cover him in shame.

  One day while Sir Joe was taking his afternoon ride in the forest to let the lunch meal slowly digest, he heard a scream. Sir Joe rode in the direction of the scream and found to his horror that a great dragon was carrying away a beautiful damsel. Sir Joe knew what to do. He charged. The earth trembled under the pounding hooves of his horse. The dragon roared and spat fire. Sir Joe at the dreadful moment of collision, drew his sword. But his sword was stuck in the scabbard. He pulled and pulled but it was rusted to the scabbard. While Sir Joe was distracted, the dragon flew off with his prize, not wishing to get into any conflict. Later he ate the lady in his cave. Sir Joe was ashamed of his failed attack. But no one knew about what had happened and he wasn't going to spread the word.

  Sir Joe's downfall came some months later when the hosts of Mordred invaded the realm of King Arthur. The battle lines were drawn and the armies prepared for the coming battle the next day. Arthur told Joe that this was his day to prove himself. Sir Joe was scared the next morning as they lined up in battle formation. When the battle trumpet was sounded, he with the other knights charged. But something snapped in Joe's mind. Fear made him have a sort of brain fever. Sir Joe raced around the battle field swinging his sword wildly at anyone in his way. Sometimes he wounded or killed a foe, but at other times he felled some of his own compatriots. At some point his sword flew out of his hands and landed in the field. He jumped off his horse to get his sword only to be knocked out as his frightened horse kicked him in the head.

  In spite of Sir Joe's antics, King Arthur and his knights won the battle. Sir Joe woke up after the battle with a massive headache. Arthur came up to him and said, "Ya know Joe, I think you are finished with the Knights of the Round Table." So a shamed and humiliated Joe went off to live his life in poverty and ridicule. All the people called him, Sir Joe the Unready and laughed at him as he walked by.

  This story was written to illustrate one truth: That we must be prepared and ready every day for the spiritual battles that war against our soul.  My story of Sir Joe is the story of many Christians. They are soldiers of Jesus Christ. But they forget the command to "Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." 2 Tim 2:3.  They are not trained in the use of the sword of the Spirit. The deadly, desperate spiritual war every Christian is in is forgotten.The text in 1 Peter 5:8 is not remembered. "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." They act as if the battle was over. Too many of Christ's soldiers are not prepared for the onslaught of the foe. They don't know how to use the Bible. They are lazy and more at home in the entertainment of the world than in the scriptures. They are spiritually fat and undisciplined. Such soldiers are in great danger from the kingdom of darkness.

  The exhortation to you is; Wake up, there is a war going on. Learn to fight courageously and skillfully with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. The devil can't take away our salvation, but he can make us ineffective soldier for Christ. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58   Our victory is certain. Fight on!

                                                                 

Brad

Praising the Wrath of God

We sing of God's love and grace. Songs are written about His mercy. People praise His holiness. But how often have you praised God for His wrath against sin? As I worked through Isaiah in my morning devotions, I came across these verses:

 "Look Yahweh comes from far away, His anger burning and heavy with smoke. His lips are full of fury, and His tongue is like a consuming fire. His breath is like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction and to put a bridle on the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray." 

Isaiah 30:27-28 

( I am quoting from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, which I just received as a gift.)  

 Isaiah uses some very vivid language here to describe the wrath of God against Assyria. But this wrath of God is toward all who are sinners as well. Maybe that is why we don't praise God for His wrath or talk about it much. I have yet to see Psalm 5:5 on a frame in someone house. "The boastful cannot stand in your presence; you hate all evildoers." Psalm 7:11 has yet to be written on a Christian greeting card. "God is a righteous judge and a God who shows wrath every day." Now this is understandable, but still we need to think more of the wrath of God. For if we praise God for His holiness then we should praise him for His wrath. His wrath is only an expression of His holiness. His black wrath against sin brings out the glorious light of the good news in Jesus Christ.

Last week I was listening to the radio where it was reported that a violent and perverse man was allowed to go free even through he was likely to commit the same offence. On this radio program, people called in to express their outrage and frustration at this injustice. No one called to defend the criminal. If anyone did, I am sure there would be much anger directed to them. It is right and noble to  be angry at this crime and the injustice. If sinful unsaved people are rightly allowed to be angry over injustice, then why not God? I think this anger over injustice in people is a small reflection of the anger of God over sin. Every sin is an infinite act of injustice. Every sin is a horrible outrageous act against a good God. If God was not angered by sin, He would not be holy or good. We should be thankful that God is angry at sin and will punish it. Praise the Lord for His wrath on sinners.

 The problem for us, Christians, is that we are still sinners living in a sinful world. For us to praise the wrath of God against sin, would mean we need to praise God for His wrath toward our sin. We kind of like our sin and our commitment to holiness is not so firm. We get used to sin. We have very dim perceptions of the holiness of God. Thus we have a hard time seeing how black and evil sin is. We are so accustomed to sin that we trivialize it. We are slow to put to death our sin. So we have a hard time with the infinite wrath of God against sin. But it is good for us to understand and praise the wrath of God. For it will help keep us from a low view of sin. It will help us to desire to be rid of sin. How could I sin, when that sin makes an infinitely holy God angry? Thus we need to spend more time in God's word to teach us who this holy God is.

Here is another motivation to forsake our sins. Jesus Christ suffered the infinite wrath of God that we deserved so that we could be forgiven and counted as righteous. If God the Father unleashed His wrath on His beloved Son to redeem poor unworthy sinners who will never fully understand the depths of this sacrifice, shouldn't those sinners hate those sins that still cling to them? For us to hold on to sin is as gross as someone who keeps a rotten corpse in the house. Or it is as unthinkable as keeping the bloodied knife that killed your friend in a display case. If we love Jesus, we will hate sin and remove it from our lives. 

      What love the Savior has for such poor sinners that He would drink the full cup of the wrath of God on their behalf! 

-Brad

David's Mighty Men

My children love the Asterix and Obelix books. The Gauls have a magic potion which gives them superhuman strength. This enables them to hold off the Roman legions and live in freedom. No matter the size or power of a Roman army, the Gauls can defeat them. One Gaul filled with magic potion can hold off thousands of soldiers. Well, I came across a portion of scripture that seems to come out of the Asterix books. And no, it was not Samson, although, he may be the best example of a man with superhuman strength.

If you would go to the second book of Samuel and the 23rd chapter starting at the 8th verse. There you will read an almost incredible record of some amazing warriors. There is a man who kills 800 men with a spear in one battle. Eleazer was another mighty warrior who stood fast against the Philistine army. He held them off, even as his hand grew weary and clung to his sword. Shammah did much the same feat at another battle. One of David's great warriors, Abishai, killed 300 men in a battle with a spear. Or consider that doer of great deeds, Benaiah. He killed two giant men of Moab as well as killing a lion in a pit on a snowy day. He also killed a great Egyptian by taking his spear and killing him with it. Lastly, three of David's mighty men broke through enemy lines into a Philistine held city to get David a cup of water, and then returned back to David's camp. Reading these military exploits is impressive, even hard to believe. But the question is what does God want us to learn from these heroes of David? Is this recorded to show us how great David and his army was or as an entertaining story? Or is there more?

 While these examples of courage are hard to believe, they shouldn't be. For God promised that Israel would do these kinds of feats of war if they were obedient to Him. One of the blessings that Israel would enjoy if she kept the Mosaic covenant was the defeat of her enemies. Leviticus 26:7-8 says, "You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword." God did not just promise victory for obedience, but a supernatural and overwhelming victory since Israel would be able to defeat her foes with only a handful of men. We see this promise kept when Jonathan and his armor bearer attack and defeat a Philistine garrison through their trust in the Lord. 1 Samuel 14. So this list of military exploits by David's men should not surprise us since David and his soldiers are walking in obedience.

It is also important to note that in two of the examples it is stated that the Lord provided the victory. See verse 10 and 12. These men were skilled in war, but their skill and victories came from God. Through His people, God was showing His power in these victories over His enemies. So this story is not so much about David's mighty men as is it about the God of David's mighty men's. He worked powerfully to protect Israel. He was showing His love and kindness to Israel by enabling these warriors to win incredible victories over her enemies. So we learn from this narrative about the loving and powerful God we serve. But there is more for us to learn.

 We too can do great deeds for God's kingdom and honor. Consider the saints who have gone before us. Martin Luther stood up for the gospel and defied the powerful Roman Catholic church and her allies. By his courage and zeal, the Lord brought about the Reformation. George Whitefield and John Wesley preached the gospel to thousands, in spite of great hostilities. God used these men and others to transform Great Britain and America in the Great Awakening. Adoniram Judson left America as one of its first missionaries to go to the land of Burma. There he lost two wives, a number of his children, almost died in prison and suffered bouts of depression. But he translated the Bible into Burmese and the first church in Burma was started. The list could go on. Some of the great deeds of God's people may not seem so glorious as these, but truthfully they are deeds no one could accomplish but by the power of God. How about those who subdue their sin, like some great addiction such as porn or drugs. What about the pastor who continues to preach faithfully even though the harvest is small and he is relatively unknown. Or the mother who trains her children in the wisdom of the Lord and prays constantly for them. There are many examples we could give.

The Christian life of putting to death sin, living holy lives, and walking faithfully with the Lord is impossible for anyone to do. But with the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can be super conquerors. We can do great deeds, but only through the Almighty. We are weak, but He is strong. Our troubles are powerful but God is even greater. This then is the great secret to living out the Christian life with all of its mountains and valleys. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

-Brad

No Shoes, No Clothes, No Idolatry?

In your time of need, where do you look for help first? When faced with difficulties or a need, who is the person you go to first? The truth is we often look to people or to ourselves first. We have idols that seem more able to save than the Lord God. But as we will see in this post idols will always disappoint us, but our God is an ever present help in trouble.

It would be helpful as you read this post that you turn in your Bible to Isaiah 20. It is short chapter, but it is very instructive. The previous chapter explained the fall of the Egyptians. Egypt was a super power in this area of the world at the time and Israel and Judah often looked to Egypt for help in their wars with Assyria and later Babylon. In 711 B.C. the Assyrians attacked the Philistine city of Ashdod and captured it. During this battle, the word of the Lord came to Isaiah and it was no ordinary word. Isaiah was told to take off his clothes and sandals, and walk around in this condition for three years. Being a prophet was not easy. Often the prophets were called to do strange things like this. See the strange actions of Ezekiel. The way of a Christian can be filled with tasks and situations that are hard and humiliating. Like our Lord, we may become an object of scorn. Yet God has a purpose in it all for us and for those watching us. We are theaters that display the glory of God in jars of clay. This was true for Isaiah.

Now it is likely that Isaiah was not completely naked as that would violate good morals. Also the word naked doesn't necessarily means completely without clothes. He may not have walked around in this state all the time, but at times through out the span of three years. Exposing any part of your skin was a great shame in that culture. Can you imagine what people would say? Most would laugh and call him crazy. Others though may have asked why he was dressed like this. Then Isaiah would have an opportunity to explain why God wanted him to walk around partially naked. This living sign was a way to get people's attention to the word of God.

God's message was that just as Isaiah was walking barefoot and naked, so the Egyptians and Cushites would walk barefoot and naked as prisoners of war, led into exile by the Assyrians. The great super power Egypt and her close relative Cush would soon be defeated and humiliated before the terrible Assyrians.

 Why act out this sign at this time when Ashdod fell? It seems, like Judah, Ashdod and the Philistines relied on Egypt for military assistance. but in Ashdod's greatest need, Egypt failed to deliver her. Not only was Egypt unable to help her allies, one day she would be crushed in defeat as well. The lesson for Judah is very simple. Don't trust in Egypt to save you from your enemies. She can't help you. Your greatest enemy and  your greatest savior is the Lord. If you return to Him in repentance and obedience, then He will look upon you in favor. Only He can deliver you from the raging nations around you. Put all your hope and trust in the eternal and almighty God. But if you don't you will face the wrath of God, who will make you naked captives to a merciless foe.

So what about us? Do we have idols like Judah? How often do we look to man for help instead of God? When faced with a problem, do we trust our own wisdom and skill to get us out of the trouble? Or do we first pray to our God for help and wisdom? Maybe you think the only way for your loneliness and dissatisfaction to disappear would be to find that perfect person to get married to. Or if only you had children, your life would be great. Do we rely primarily on people to get us out of various troubles, or is our first reaction prayer? Do we look to good politicians to save our country? We often first try to solve our problems and dissatisfaction on our own or though others, and when our idols fails, then we turn to God for help.  I encourage you to try apply this further to your life.

Idolatry is a serious sin against God. When we sin by trusting in others rather than God, we are showing that we don't believe God is able or willing to help us. Our idolatry is a insult to the Holy One. Would it not parents be grieved if their little children went to their little foolish friends for help instead of them?  Thankfully if we repent of our idolatry, there is grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horseman because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!" 

Isaiah 31:1 

-Brad 

Come to Me

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11: 28-30

I’ve been feeling rather discouraged lately in my struggle against sin.

There are certain sins that are so deep rooted that it feels like they keep rearing their ugly head, no matter what my resolve is. No matter how hard I try, I see and feel these sins lurking in the depths of my heart. And, when they break through in my words and actions, my soul longs to tear them, roots and all out of my heart. But I cannot. No matter what I try to do, they stick.

It’s interesting when you first become a Christian, that it seems like so many sins just fall away. You look back and wonder, ‘where did that go? Why do I find no joy or satisfaction in doing the things I used to do?’ The joy that is felt when you see how God has changed your heart and changed the longings of your heart. You desire to please Him. You long to do His will. You want to know more about Him and who He is.

But that ‘high’ doesn’t seem to last. Often the sin of pride starts to show as you wonder why others aren’t growing or haven’t grown as you have. Then you see more sins that are much harder to fight than the more ‘outward’ sins of your actions. You start to see how wicked the heart really is. How it is just steeped in sin—rotten to the core.

This is where discouragement can settle in as it has with me. I see how wicked my heart is. I see my failings, and short comings, and then I try to fight it. On my own.  And, that is where the mistake is made. I cannot fight sin on my own. I cannot live a life that is good enough or that pleases God. Oh, I long to. I so desire to please Him and yet I know that even my best attempts are as filthy rags before Him, all my labor is in vain. And, in my looking at myself, and my rottenness, I forget to look at Christ. I forget to look to Him and His righteousness. The righteousness He has clothed me in. I forget to cling to Him—to take His yoke upon me. I forget to learn from Him. I forget to immerse myself in His Word, and to cast my prayers at His feet. This is when my soul is heavy laden—cumbered with a load of care.

May I continually cling to Him, to find my joy and salvation in Him alone.  Not in my own works, not in my feeble attempts, but in Him alone. May I find rest for my soul in Him for He is gentle and lowly in heart. 

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

-Joseph M. Scriven

~fenna