Posts

Persevering in the Test

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Isaiah 29-31; James 1 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised those who love him.” James 1:12 It’s hard to wait on the Lord in the midst of a test. We want to move on to the next season, rather than wait on the Lord for our deliverance. Like Israel, we, too, can be tempted to make an alliance with ‘Egypt’ to deliver us from the invading ‘Assyrians.’ Waiting on the Lord, trusting in his justice and compassion is not natural when the test lengthens and we become impatient. Yet, it is in this very situation that God develops within us perseverance to hold on to his presence, promises, and Word, and to stand firm. For those who have “stood the test” God promises a crown of life. Abundant life now and for all eternity doesn’t come in the...
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Our Helper

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  Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13   “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5, 6 The antidote for a love of money is a greater love for the Lord. As the Lord becomes our first love, he fills us with contentment and an awareness that we belong to him. Fear drives many to earn or acquire more and more money, thinking that in money they will find security, identity, and purpose. However, money is a mirage which cannot deliver on any of those elusive requirements for a satisfied life, full of joy. No matter what our context or challenges are today, if we belong to the Lord, he is our helper. Will we share our hearts with him and repent for trusting in money as our security? “Lord Jesus, I trust you for my future and my security. You have my life in your hands, for your...
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Who Do We Look To!

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Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12   “The defenses of Judah are stripped away. And you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest; You saw that the City of David had many breaches in its defenses; you stored up water in the Lower Pool…but you did not look to the One who made it or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.” Isaiah 22:8, 9, 11 Hezekiah’s tunnel can be viewed today (and walked through) as the watercourse built to deliver the city of David from Assyrian siege. This engineering marvel is beyond the understanding of engineers today. However, Isaiah rebuked the leaders of Jerusalem for looking to their fortifications and engineering skills rather than to the Lord.   When God allows significant disasters in our day, do we trust in our engineers, scientists, and wealth to deliver us, or do we humble ourselves before the One? Do we view God as someone to be worshipped on Sunday but not as the Lord of heaven and earth? Will we trust in the Lord’s plan or ...
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Seekers

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Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11   “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 One of the clearest evidences that we have faith in our lives is found as we earnestly seek God. We seek God without evidence that our prayers are being answered. We earnestly seek God, not casually inquire of him. The rewards for earnestly seeking God are found in the awareness of the Holy Spirit’s intercession through us. We find the joy of the Lord in sharing his prayer-burdens with us, not just in his receiving our prayer-burdens. The rewards for being a friend of God are eternal. Friends of God seek his face because they value the relationship and time together, not just his answers to their prayers. “Lord Jesus, you are my first love and I will seek you, for your glory.”
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Deliberate Sin

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Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10   “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God…It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26, 27, 31 The warning against deliberate sin by those who know the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit is clear. If we think that our ministry impact, or family heritage, or donations give us a pass with God to continue in willful sin, we are deceived. The Lord cannot bless rebellion, sin, or pride of any kind. It is healthy to live with the fear of the Lord - a fear that keeps us from sinning and focuses us on a life of worship and loving surrender to the Lord. While it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, those same hands were pierced with nails on a cross out of sacrificial love for us. God’s hands are stretched out to us today ...
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Our Salvation

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Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9   “’Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.’” Isaiah 12:2, 3 “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:14 Salvation is found in a Person, not a formula, set of rituals, or religious observances. Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for our sin, and it is his blood which cleanses our conscience so that we may serve the living God. Those who have experienced this salvation and new life in Christ have joy and a song in their hearts. They are free on the inside from the chains of sin. They know the strength of the Lord’s presence within. They live with faith and trust in the Lord rather than with fear. Many church attenders and religious peop...
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Do Not Call Conspiracy

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Isaiah 8-10; Hebrews 8   “The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: ‘Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy…he is the one you are to dread.’” Isaiah 8:11-13 Fear is a powerful force when it grips the minds of a society. Fear causes irrational behavior through sudden changes that can paralyze decision-making. Conspiracy theories grow in this kind of environment. People seek to cast blame and find control over their narrative. God’s word through Isaiah in a time of national crisis was ‘don’t fear the invading forces of the Assyrians, rather, fear the Lord Almighty!’   What would his word to us be today? In times of crisis, those who know God humble themselves before him and seek his face. We grow through our dependence on the Lord, not on conspiracy. “Lord Jesus, I fix my eyes on y...
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