Don’t Falter

“But we hoped that it had been he who should have redeemed Israel; and, besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done” (Luke 24:21).

A.B. Bruce said, “If crosses would leave us alone, we would leave them alone, too.” The Lord Jesus took up His cross and followed completely the Father’s will. It was the will of the Father for His Son to die upon the very tree that He had planted years before.

Why do we find it hard to believe that taking up our cross and following Jesus is not the way for us? Why do we not believe that as we die daily to the world and our desires that it is best? We are men just like the ones on the road to Emmaus who did not believe in the resurrection power of Christ.

We can be so slow of heart and foolish not to believe all that the Scripture gives to us. When we follow our own desires and refuse the intuitive desire of God in us we refuse His life. Hope in the Redeemer of Israel and believe that the third day is the power of resurrection in you. Don’t disregard your cross for today. Report to God ready for His will as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

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  • Accountability

    “Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all” (I Tim. 4:15).

    Over the years, our understanding of discipleship has changed — and not always in a good direction.  Discipleship has shifted — from an ongoing process over the course of one’s life to a class you sign up and hopefully complete.  Usually after some time the class that started with twenty dwindles to eight or ten.

    I grew up on the tail end of the “training union” of the late 1960s and early 70s.  But even in this the shortcomings were felt.  Again, it was based upon this premise…you come and sit, I’ll teach.  You and I ought to be dissatisfied with mediocrity.  God has placed in each of us the desire to minister and develop through others.

    Discipleship should not be left to chance.  The Lord Jesus was intentional and calculative from the beginning.  In fact, as Jesus discipled the twelve men who would change the world, He gradually released them into ministry through a definitive four-step process.

    First, Jesus ministered while the disciples watched.
    Second, Jesus allowed the disciples to assist Him in ministry.
    Third, the disciples ministered with Jesus’ assistance.
    Finally, Jesus observed as the disciples ministered to others.

    If Jesus had a model and a plan, shouldn’t we have one?  If discipleship was then, should it not be for today?

  • One More Night With The Frogs

     
    “Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for these that remain in the Nile.’ “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.'”     (Exodus 8:9-10).

    Frogs everywhere. The nation of Egypt was in trouble with toads. Everywhere! The bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, playgrounds, school class rooms, on the ground, in the sink, by the river, everywhere they went it was frogs between the toes.

    Pharaoh had the opportunity to rid the nation of the frogs and he wanted them gone but can you believe he said, “Tomorrow.” So many people are like that. We do want to get right with God, just not yet. We would rather drown in our misery one more night. Stay like we are just one more night. The Bible, God’s Word, oh, we will read it another time.

    It is a sad indictment upon the human race and heart to live one more night with the frogs. Just one more night and then…. tomorrow. Well, tomorrow may never come. Our families will suffer, our churches will suffer, and our nation will suffer because we don’t want to admit we are stubborn and prideful.
     
    One day the frogs will disappear.     But it will be too late. When we stand before the Lord to give account of our lives we will see the folly of saying, “Tomorrow.” When our children could have been for God, when our families could have impacted a world, and when we could have allowed the Good Shepherd to lead us into green pastures and by still waters, the words, “Tomorrow” will sting, and we will feel the toads beneath our feet once more. Don’t say, “Tomorrow” but say, “Today.”

  • Jesus The One and Only

    “Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation” (Colossians 1:15).

    Jesus is the uncreated Creator, the second Person of the God-Head, who subjugated Himself not in essence but in function, that He would exegete God in a language we could understand.

    Do you want to know what God said? Listen to Jesus. Do you want to know what God feels? Watch the heart of Jesus as He walked among us. Do you desire to know Him? Look at Jesus upon the cross who died for our sins. Listen to His words. Do you desire to see what God looks like? Look at Jesus. Do you want to know how to live? Look at Jesus and accept Him into your life and He will live in you, through you, and for you.

    Jesus is the One and Only. He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no going to Heaven without Jesus, no knowing of the true God without Jesus, and no real living without the Lord Jesus. He is divine and eternal. He is eternally existent, intimately close, and equally divine to God.

  • Sunday School and Prayer Meeting

    “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

    L.R. Scarborough said that if we could only have a five-minute glimpse into hell our evangelism would be changed for a lifetime. Just the other day I was trying to imagine what a look into hell would be like. I’m sure the “terror of the Lord” would take on a dreadful new meaning if I could see hell.

    We believe that Sunday School is important, as far as it goes, but that is about it. The number one reason why most attend the Sunday affair is because of their own fellowship and teaching for them, or just out of obligation.  Yet if we are content to be spiritually fed, spiritually welcomed, and we forget about participating in bringing others to hear the good news, then we do not have the heart of Christ. Sunday School is meant to bring others to hear what you hear and feel what you feel and to share what you share.

    Prayer with others on a specific night is important as well. It is at the prayer meeting where we come together as a body to beseech the God of glory for the lost and for our own strength that only grace can provide. The Kingdom of God is coming upon this earth one glorious day. And God is peopling His kingdom with people who have been prayed for, reached for, and sought for–who come to submit to His way of salvation for them–through the outreach and prayers of His people.

    When you and I have food and a future we can not be content with others who are starving and lifeless. The four starving lepers of Samara who walked into a deserted enemy camp discovered food and a future, and they could not keep this to themselves. They said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent” (2 Kings 7:9). So they did something about their passivity. Together they went and told the good news of food and a future in the camp.

    It is together that we invite others, it is together we pray, it is together we meet with God. Church is important for groups to gather and not for individuals just to meet. God works through His gathered people. The greater the unity of God’s people the greater the authority we have as God’s people.

  • The Third Day

     

    “And the evening and the morning were the third day“ (Genesis 1:13).

     

    If you notice God begins in the evening to the morning and calls it “day.” Whether it is the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth day, the Creator God named a “day” beginning in the evening and concluding with the morning. Twenty-four hours in the day that God does His marvelous work.

     

    Would it not be a good and holy thing for us to concentrate on God in the evening hours? So many times we think we must begin in the morning to set the day before us. But God sets the day beginning in the evening hours.

     

    In the evening, many times, we throw off restraints and we fall into the arms of the flesh. Child care, dinner time, tv, pjs, or special events–dinner with friends, movie, ballgame, etc. and we can neglect to rest in God’s evening day to recreate us for the whole day.

     

    Give God your evening. Meditate upon the One who began creation’s story with the evening. It just might be He wants to create His image in you to reflect His glorious creation through you. Life begins in the evening and runs through the morning and afternoon and God calls it the “third day.” May every day be His glorious image in us.

     

  • What Big Teeth You Have

    “Woe be unto the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:1).

    You remember the story of Little Red Robin Hood? She was speaking to the wolf who tried to disguise himself with her grandmother’s cap. Red Robin Hood kept mentioning body parts of the wolf until finally she said, “What big teeth you have.” Of course the reply came back from the wolf, “All the better to eat you with, my dear.”

    There are a lot of shepherds out there who rather eat the sheep instead of feed and teach the sheep. The True Shepherd will come one day and sue for malpractice. God’s people are to be teachers and learners at the same time. Many are hirelings who flee at the intrusion of anything. The wolves in disguise cover themselves in religious overtures but reveal themselves for what they are in the day of trouble.

    May we remember that God will set up in His kingdom teachers who will lead and not drive, visit and not be self-serving, and learners instead of just talkers. One of the reasons for the mess that many local churches are in is because of many who talk Bible but who do not incarnate the Word of God.

    True Shepherds will feed the sheep so that they will not fear, nor be dismayed, neither lacking in their lives. Yes, Red Robin Hood saw correctly, but she was slow to see before it was too late.