God Will Overcome

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

-I John 5:4

              I have come to the realization that in my own life, my personal life, I tend to greatly underestimate the power of God.  What I mean is that quite often I find myself praying for drops of water when in fact God is perfectly willing to send buckets of water upon me.  I have prayed for just a taste of God’s power, when in reality God was more than willing to provide an entire banquet.  It would be a true statement to say that God wants to bless us in ways that surpass our greatest expectations.  We are the ones that miss out when we fail to take God at His word.  He promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us, and yet many times we mistakenly believe that we are all alone in the present struggle.  Remember that all David had was a sling and a stone, and he walked out onto a battlefield and brought down a giant that everyone else was afraid to fight.  What moved him forward was his firm belief that God can do the impossible.  We look at the situation and we think that it can’t be done, but God sees what we are facing as an opportunity for us to see His hand at work in our lives.  

              God not only answers prayer, but He inspires His followers to overcome.  When we feel discouraged He lifts us up.  We feel defeated and He brings us up out of it.  We feel dejected and He helps us up and back on our feet.  God wants to bless us beyond our greatest expectations.

Will We Be Faithful and Obedient?

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."

-Genesis 22:8

              Imagine for a moment if the Lord gave you something that was extremely precious and of great value.  Imagine that the Lord had been for a long time telling you that He was going to give this to you.  You waited and waited and finally the promise came to be.  God gave to you just what He said that He would.  Well, imagine if then the Lord told you that He wanted you to give it back.  Do you think you could do it?  Would you be faithful to what the Lord was telling you to do?  Think about what is most valuable to you; what would you do if the Lord told you that He wanted you to give that to Him?  What would be our response to such a demand?  For Abraham, this was not a request; it was a direct command from the Lord.  I dare say that many of us would have great difficulty doing what the Lord told us to do in such circumstances.  

              However, we will find that Abraham was faithful; instead of questioning God, he did just what the Lord told him to do.  God had a plan that Abraham could not see at that time.  So it is with us; the Lord has a plan, He has a purpose for our lives that we cannot see until we get to it.  Until then we are called by God to be faithful and trust in Him no matter what.  Because Abraham was faithful and obedient to what the Lord told him to do, he was blessed.  God kept His promise.  God will do the same in our lives when we trust in Him.

Give it Away

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

-Matthew 10:8

              We have come to believe that nothing is free, because so often that is the case.  And yet, there is something that is free.  We possess something we can share with others without cost.  For those we share it with it is absolutely free; no strings attached, no hidden fees, and no hidden contracts.  What we have which we can give away – are in fact called to give away, is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Lord Jesus gave us a commission in Matthew 28:19, 20 to do just that; give it away.  The Lord said to “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (KJV).  Jesus also said in Acts 1:8 that we are to be His witnesses; in our towns, the surrounding area, across the country, and around the world.  That has always been our motivation for sending missionaries out into the farthest reaches of the planet – to share with them (give to them) the gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ.  That has also long been our motivation for sharing the gospel with our neighbors, our friends, our family, our co-workers, and for going into places and situations we might otherwise have avoided.  We do so for the sake of our commission given to us by Christ Himself.  We seek to give it away.

Seeking God First

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?”  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

-John 6:25-27

              Jesus pointed out to the crowd gathered that day that they had come to Him not because of the miracles they had seen, but because the Lord had provided them with some food.  Jesus gently told them that they needed to do some laboring.  Not just for physical meat, but for a kind of meat that endures unto everlasting life.  They needed to seek first the Kingdom of God.  Having done that they would be on their way to getting their lives in order.  I have observed that people whose hearts are right with the Lord make better workers in their jobs, better spouses, better citizens, and better everything.  They work harder and are more honest than if they had not the Lord in their lives.  We labor, yes, but we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, knowing that when our spirits are filled with the Lord Jesus, then every aspect of our lives will be positively affected.  That is ever the first order of business, isn’t it?  By faith we believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  From a personal standpoint I know that I am a better man for having placed my faith in the Lord Jesus.  Without Him in my life I would run a terrible risk, and that is the risk of bitterness and self-centeredness.  

Without the Lord Jesus in our lives the tendency is to become self-centered rather than Christ centered.  Faith in the Lord Jesus takes that focus off of ourselves and places it upon Christ.  He is there to lead and to guide and help us through the dark times, the storms, and the fires of life.  And we all go through them.  But with the Lord’s help comes victory.

For Such a Time as This

And who knows but that you have come to royal position 

for such a time as this?"

-Esther 4:14

              All followers of Jesus Christ ought to do something from time to time; we need to sincerely ask of the Lord, “Lord, what is it that you would have me to do?  How might I serve you to the best of my ability using the gifts and talents you have given me?”  Do that sincerely and the result might well change your life.  I did that a number of years ago and the result was that I started preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That has been my vocation for the past 20 years and I have never looked back.  Now, for me it was preaching, but for you it might be teaching a Sunday school class, singing in the choir, leading the music, serving on a committee, becoming a missionary, or serving the Lord in some other capacity in the local church.  Or maybe it is being a stronger and more faithful witness for Jesus Christ right where you are.  The Lord will utilize our Christian witness in the home, in the school, and in the workplace.

              People need to know that there is a better way than what the world has to offer, and that way is the way of the cross – Jesus Christ.  We need to proclaim to all people that the life that can be found in Christ is far better than anything this world has to offer.  Think about your witness for Christ.  Are you being used of God right where you are?  Are you letting your light shine for Jesus Christ in your home, at work, and at school?  Jesus said to let that light shine so that others might see it and give glory to God (Matthew 5:16).  Just as God placed a young woman named Esther where she was supposed to be, so has the Lord strategically placed you, at this point in time, right where you are, in order to accomplish His will in your life.  Let us be faithful and accomplish all that the Lord has given us to do.

Being Ready to Depart

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

-II Timothy 4:6, 7

              Paul the Apostle stated here in the Word of God that he was ready to go; meaning that he was ready to go and meet the Lord.  Over the years I recall seeing signs along the road that asked the question “Are you ready to meet the Lord?”  That is actually an extremely relevant question.  If we are unable to answer that question in the affirmative, then we must go back and examine our hearts and make sure that we are ready.  We must be ready because we have no way of knowing when our time will come.  I am not afraid of dying.  I am only concerned as to how my family would cope without me.  I also have plans and goals for the years ahead in my personal life and ministry, but I can honestly say along with Paul that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).   Let that be our attitude at all times.  

              Paul had a belief that he would be martyred for the faith.  He said that he was ready to be offered, and that the time of his departure was at hand.  Those that have died for Christ were in a sense offered up to God.  Followers of Christ have been persecuted in horrible ways down through the ages.  They have been beaten, scourged, crucified, burned, and hanged.  Countless numbers of them went to their deaths with courage that could only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We have every reason to believe that when Paul's neck was placed upon the block that he had peace in his heart.  He knew that he was going to meet the Lord and that his trials were passed.

              As followers of Christ, let us be ready and prepared to leave this world and step over into eternity.  Let us be faithful and work with diligence and patient faith until the time comes.  We have no idea when that time will come, for it truly is in God's hands.  God knows the day and the hour when we will depart to be with Him forever. There we will find the ultimate reward of our faith.

"Only ten; only ten."

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. -II Peter 3:18

Every year around this time I find myself looking back over the previous year and contemplating whether or not I accomplished all that the Lord had given me to do.  Having done that, I always realize that there are numerous goals and accomplishments that still need to be done.  My prayer is that I never lose the desire to grow in my faith, grow personally, develop the gifts and talents God has given me, and to reach towards the accomplishments that remain undone in my life.  Why should we settle for mediocrity when God has called us to grow in the faith?  Indeed, we are challenged in God's Word to be ever reaching ahead in terms of our forward progress in the faith.

Contemplating this leads me to recall a story I heard many years ago about an elderly Russian woman who lived her Christian faith at a time when the Russian government was in opposition to evangelical Christianity. Russian authorities at that time frequently persecuted believers who openly practiced their faith.  The woman was in a worship meeting which was taking place about this season of the year.  During the meeting the woman came forward praying, weeping, and uttering these words: "Only ten; only ten."  A visitor asked someone why she was speaking those words.  The person explained that the previous year the woman had made a goal of reaching twenty people for Christ that year, and instead of winning twenty to the Lord, she had lead only ten to faith in Christ.

How many people did we lead to faith in Christ this past year?  Will we commit to sharing our faith more in the coming year?  Doing so is an honorable goal which the Lord will empower us to reach if we are sincere and faithful.  Will we commit in the coming year to pray with more urgency, study the Word with greater devotion, share our faith with more zeal, and grow in grace and love?  Goals such as these are ongoing and always relevant for followers of Christ.

Never settle for dull, lifeless, and complacent faith.  God has called us to reach heights of faith and depths of grace we would never have imagined impossible.  Keep on growing and becoming all that the Lord has intended for you to become. 

God bless you in the coming year.