Are You Willing To Accept

Are You Willing To Accept


Do you trust Jehovah God? Do really believe that everything He commands or allows is ultimately and eternally right, just and good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28)?

Are you willing to accept –

What God has previously revealed?

Eli the Priest – After Samuel tells Eli what God had told him, Eli’s family is condemned to death because Eli had not dealt with the sins of his sons.

• 1 Samuel 3:17-18 And he said, “What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” 18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
• Eli accepted the judgment and consequences that God had already revealed to him by another prophet (see 1 Samuel 2:30-33).

Mary the Mother of Jesus – After the angel Gabriel tells Mary that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, she will conceive and bring forth the Son of God, the promised deliverer of Israel.

• Luke 1:38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
• Mary accepted the blessings, responsibilities and difficulties associated with the plan that God had already revealed to all of Israel by the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 7:14).

Paul the Apostle – After his third missionary journey as he travels back to Jerusalem where he will be arrested and tried, and eventually sent to Rome after appealing to Caesar.

• Acts 21:12-14 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
• Paul accepted the uncertainty and troubles that God had already revealed to him by the Holy Spirit (see Acts 20:22-23).

What God has not foretold?

The Nation of Israel – Seeking deliverance from the Philistines and the Ammonites during the time of the judges.

• Judges 10:15-16 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.
• To secure deliverance from their oppressors, the Nation of Israel turned from their idols and genuinely served the LORD. They were willing to accept the unknown consequences for their sin.

Joab and Abishai – Splitting up their troops to engage in battle with Ammon and Syria.

• 2 Samuel 10:11-12 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
• Joab, the commander-and-chief of David’s army, expressed his understanding of and submission to God’s sovereignty. He was willing to accept the unknown outcome of the battles ahead.

King David – As he flees the rebellion of his son Absalom.

• 2 Samuel 15:25-26 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. 26 But if He says thus: ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”
• King David fled Jerusalem as his son Absalom returned to implement the final stage of his revolt. But because he understood God’s ultimate plan for his dynasty, David was willing to accept the uncertainty of his immediate future.

That God gives and takes away?

Job - After losing his wealth and his children to enemy attacks and natural disasters orchestrated by Satan.

• Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

• Despite the heartbreak and disappointment over his devastating losses, and being completely unaware about what is happening between God and Satan (see Job:1-5), Job refuses to sin, acknowledges the sovereign rule of God, and then blesses His name.

Will you praise Him regardless of what He does?

Will you bless the name of the LORD as He gives and when He takes away?

Are You Willing To Accept

The Sovereignty of God?

Prayer

Our King, Lord and Savior, please help your children accept and bow to Your sovereign rule. Help us to see beyond the temporal implications of this life to the eternal realities You have planned. Give us the strength, wisdom and trust to endure all things for Your glory. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, the spotless Son of God who died for my sins. Amen.

You’re Not the Only One

You’re Not the Only One

Do you ever feel inadequate when God’s purposes for your life seem to be beyond your abilities, knowledge, experience and means? Does your heritage or history haunt you and hold you back? If so, you’re not the only one. The truth of the matter is, His callings are beyond our personal capabilities. His standards automatically disqualify us! That is why we must rely on Him for wisdom, direction, power, resources and righteousness. And He usually calls us to rely on each other as well (we weren’t meant to be lone warriors)!

Here are three examples of men who questioned God choosing them to do great things for His glory. Each had their faults, and each made some disastrous decisions along the way. But when they trusted and obeyed God, they were mightily used by Him.

Moses

Chosen by God to:

• Confront Pharaoh and lead the Nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
• Receive the Law of God and disseminate it to Israel.
• Deliver the Nation of Israel into the Promised Land.

When God called to Moses from the ‘burning’ bush and then told him about his mission to lead Israel out of captivity, this is how Moses replied:

• Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Gideon

Chosen by God to:

• Deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites.
• Lead 300 warriors of God into Battle against and army of 135,000.
• Serve as judge over the Nation of Israel.

When the Angel of the LORD spoke to Gideon in the winepress at Ophrah and told him that he would save Israel from the hand of the Midianites, Gideon responded with:

• Judges 6:15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

King Saul

Chosen by God to:

• Serve as the first King appointed and anointed by God to rule over the Nation of Israel.
• Lead Israel under God’s authority and by His Law – set a God honoring example for all the Jews.
• Continue to deliver the Promised Land from the remaining Canaanites as directed by God.

When God used the prophet Samuel to reveal to Saul that he would be Israel’s first king, here is what Saul said:

• 1 Samuel 9:21 And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”

It is a good thing to be in awe of God. When we consider who He is and what He has done, certainly we should see ourselves as inadequate. David expressed this well in the following verses.

• Psalm 8:3-4 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
• Psalm 144:3-4 LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? 4 Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow.

However, we must not allow our feelings of inadequacy to get in the way of our obedience to Him and trust in Him. In Jesus Christ, we can do all things.

• 1 Samuel 15:22 So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
• Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
• Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Our weaknesses provide the opportunity for the power of Christ to be displayed in our lives.

• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Accomplishing great things for God is not about becoming great. It is about lowering ourselves and submitting all that we are to all that He is. His timing and ways are perfect.

• 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
• Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

You’re not the only one to feel inadequate.

Be one who obeys and trusts Him.

Then let the church and the world see

What God accomplishes through a faithful servant!

Prayer

Father God, creator of all things and giver of life, please help Your children see that you don’t expect us to do the impossible. What You desire is for Your faithful servants to submit to Your purposes, plans and power in a way that brings glory and honor to You. Help us to be weak so that Your strength is revealed. I pray these things in the name of Jesus my Savior. Amen.

Disarmed

Disarmed


Have you ever condemned someone in your mind? Perhaps you were betrayed by a friend and decided to declare the complete and total end of that relationship. Maybe you have been cheated and decided to get even (plus a little extra). Or have you watched someone and, presuming you knew their motives and intentions, judged them to be doing something wrong. Regardless of the particular circumstance, a dialogue probably started in your mind about what you would say if and when you faced them, why you were right and they were wrong, who would side with you, and when you would dispense your justice.

Welcome to the human race. We are very good at condemning others. Our thoughts and feelings in these situations are typically along these lines, ‘I am justified in condemning this person and they are deserving of the consequences they will face!’

In the Holy Bible, in chapter 8 of the Gospel of John, we read a story about condemnation.

• John 8:3-5 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

The religious leaders were getting desperate. Consumed with their self-righteousness and determined to eliminate Jesus’ threat to their status, they were willing to execute this woman. Afraid of losing their authority, unwilling to dispense grace, they sought to discredit, disgrace and dispose of Jesus.

• If Jesus said to stone her, the crowd was ready, willing and able. But then they would have to contrive a different offence of which to accuse Him. They were out for blood!
• If Jesus said to spare her, they would mostly likely have abandoned her and triumphantly arrested, abused and abolished Him. They weren’t interested in justice – she was just a pawn in their scheme to deal with Jesus.

But then we see the Godly wisdom and grace of Jesus!

• John 8:7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

In that moment, all who were prepared to stone this woman and seize Jesus were disarmed.

With a humiliated sinner before Jesus,

the Law gave way to grace,

and the stones of human judgment

rested harmlessly scattered on the ground.

To show Godly grace is to:

• Display unmerited favor
• Dispense underserved kindness
• Disarm yourself

Are you prepared to forgive? Are you willing to show grace?

Is there a stone in your hand?

Will you drop it or use it?

Prayer

Father God, may the love, mercy and grace You have shown disarm Your children. Help us to forgive as You have forgiven. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

The Cancer in My Christianity

The Cancer in My Christianity

What a blessing to be a follower of Jesus! To know the truth. To be a recipient of God’s promises. To be a part of the church – the bride of Christ. To be His servant. To have the assurance of eternal life in Heaven!

As a child of Jehovah God, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, I am called and equipped to:

Love, Obey and Trust Him

• Mark 12:29-30 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
• John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
• Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Humble Myself, Love Others and Share the Truth About Jesus

• Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
• Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
• Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Redefine Success by Yielding to His Ways and His Will

• Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
• Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Yet, the closer I get to God, the more I realize that something is not right. My very nature as a human being invades every part of my relationship with God. In the weaknesses of my flesh, I distort my relationship with God by focusing on rules, rituals and religion. I respond to the love of Christ with laziness, lies and legalism.

• Romans 7:18-19 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

At the core of my humanity, in the depths of my depravity, I am prone to:

Trust Me Above All Else

Elevate Me Above Everyone Else

Fear the Embarrassment and Inconveniences of My Failures

I try to justify my sins and shortcomings by blaming Satan and the fallen world around me. But the truth is, in Christ Jesus, they have no power over me.

• Romans 6:5-6 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

The diagnosis,

My Human Nature is

The Cancer in My Christianity!

Human depravity causes me to sin. This is my sickness.

• Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
• Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

But don’t misunderstand – This is a survivor’s story!

Although I will be battling this cancer for the rest of my life here on earth, one day, when I am in Heaven and see Jesus face to face, I will be free of this sickness! This is true for every follower of Jesus!

• Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Every single person on earth suffers from the sickness of human depravity. Human depravity leads to sin.

• Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
• 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

To sin is to fall short of God’s standards, expectations and requirements. Our sins put us in debt to God. Our sin must be paid for. There are only two ways your sin debt to God can be paid:

1. Spend eternity separated from God suffering torment in a real place called Hell.

• Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

2. Accept the payment Jesus made for your sin by surrendering to Him as Lord and Savior.

• Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
• Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Christ is the Cure

For the Cancer of

Depraved Human Nature!

Prayer

Holy Father, please spread the truth of Your Word to those who need to hear it. Break chains, free hearts, shine light in the darkness! Please do what only You can do, save the lost, sanctify Your saints, and bring all things into reconciliation! I love You Lord and thank You for Your grace, mercy, love, patience and justice. I pray these things in the name above every name, Jesus. Amen.