Month: February 2024

Everyone seems to be very opinionated nowadays…obstinately adhering to their personal opinions without first seeking Godly wisdom and insight. Charles Spurgeon wrote of this, “Do not ask God to confirm your opinion, but ask Him to make your opinion conform to His Truth.” Many a person will blurt out their opinion on something, whether they have any knowledge about it or not, refusing to first do a Biblical Truth litmus test. Or they will stubbornly push opinions they agree with on everyone that may be far from God’s Truth. Either way, as this Proverb tells us, their folly will be exposed & revealed in light of God’s wisdom & insight..

This Parable that Jesus taught is about the hidden Kingdom of heaven…its meaning obscured from most of the crowds that were gathered around Him. But for those who believed by faith that He was truly the Messiah, they discovered the priceless value and were gladly willing to sacrifice anything & everything in order to obtain it. We see this illustrated by Paul in Philippians 3:7-8 when he talks about counting everything he had and had done in the past as refuse, or as another translation says dung…flinging away in disgust whatever interfered with, “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Jesus’ going away was necessary for us to enjoy the permanent Presence of the Holy Spirit…the third person of the Trinity. Yes, a person, not some cosmic force, in order that we may have a relationship with Him. (II Corinthians 13:14) The Counselor comes to encourage, comfort, guide, teach, exhort, admonish, and reveal truth…while witnessing about Jesus and undertaking His office while Jesus is away from the world. But just as Jesus’ Presence convicted unbelievers (John 15:22-24), the Holy Spirit exposes & convicts mankind’s inexcusable guilt & world-view of selfishness, greed, lust, and violence…but specifically rebukes humanity of the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ.

If you’re like me, there’s only a few things that I really strive for perfection in doing…the rest is like, “That’s good enough!” But fortunately enough for us, God doesn’t look at things that way. Everything God does has no defect in design, character, or effect… and is always completely righteous. His Word is also perfect, eternally valid…and speaks to all people at all the time. “The Lord will give what is good…” Psalm 85:12 tells us, and that’s because His ultimate goal is heavenly perfection in every thing.

The Apostle John had much to say about overcoming, both in the Books of John and I John. In John 16:33 we hear Jesus telling His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, Jesus is giving them hope, but also realism…peace but also warning them to prepare to endure in the face of troubles. Later in I John 2:13 & 5:4 he writes more about overcoming the world and the evil one…that our overcoming victory is possible by resisting temptation and keeping faithful to God’s Word…for the battle is already won by our union with God in Christ…and it cannot be broken.

On this Valentine’s Day the word love is being thrown around everywhere. So let’s look at the different meanings in Scripture. In Romans 12:10, Paul is encouraging the early Church to, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” which is a natural affection for one another…because the Church is family. We see Paul address in I Timothy 6:10 the love of money or greed, and later in II Timothy 3:2 he warns about self-centered or selfish love. Then there’s the type of immoral & dishonorable love of lust spoken about in Colossians 3:5. Also, even though it’s not used in the Bible, we have the term Eros, which is more of a sexual or erotic love, & the kind of love we often associate with romance. But finally we have Agape love, which the entire 13th Chapter of I Corinthians speaks of. It’s a love unlike any other. It cares and has concern for others and not self…it always seeks the very best in & for others…it forgives quickly & forever…it’s self-sacrificing and is the ultimate fruit of the Spirit. And as it tells us in the verse above, it never fails, never gives up, and never throws in the towel.

Jesus taught by example. He was that hands-on boss who wasn’t afraid to jump into the fray and help. And Peter learned by His example… in I Peter 5:3 he warned the elders of the early Church against the haughty abuse of power and exhorted them to be examples to the flock…as humble servants, serving not being served. (Mark 10:45, John 13:1-17) In this Scripture above, the Apostle Paul encourages Titus to offer himself as a model to the Church in Crete…his actions imitating those of his Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. But we see Paul also spurring on the young pastor Timothy in I Timothy 4:12 to set an example by living a godly life. You’ll never know who’s watching you and your conduct, and then basing their concept of God & the Gospel Message on how well you exemplify & demonstrate Jesus to them. Our life is always an example…but it’s up to us whether it’s good or bad.

Many places in the Bible the contrast between the righteous & the wicked are shown in the image of a tree or chaff. The wicked are depicted as chaff swirling on the threshing floor as the wind sweeps it away. (Job 21:18, Hosea 13:3) In Matthew 3:12 Jesus tells us that the wheat (the righteous) will be gathered and the chaff (the wicked) burned up & consumed by the fire of the Spirit. In vivid contrast, we see the symbol of a tree as a blessed life which is strong, unwavering, fruitful, and enduring even in seasons of drought. A tree can’t easily be blown away in a storm, but rather because of its roots deeply embedded in the soil (trust & confidence in God)…it can withstand the gale-force winds.

The day of reckoning was inevitable because of Judah’s idolatry & moral deterioration. And now through the prophet Zephaniah, God was warning His people that no one would escape His powerful light of judgment. But the people were smug & proud…only looking at the power, prosperity, and security they enjoyed and the lifestyle they had become accustomed to. When everything is going well for us, it’s easy to become complacent & take God for granted and say in our minds, “I don’t need God.” But that form of egotism is dangerous and can only lead to our downfall.

Physical exhaustion when caring for a loved one can lead to weariness, burnout and physical collapse if not carefully monitored. That’s because our vital energy is worn-out & spent but not replenished. But we can also have Spiritual exhaustion in our care for that loved one. But remember, Spiritual exhaustion is never the result of sin, but service. When we’re in God’s service, it becomes the process of being made broken bread and poured out wine…at times spiritually draining us to the last drop. So the importance of renewing, and rekindling our soul & spirit is just as significant. That’s when we need to draw on the foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ…relying on Him who saved & sanctified us in order to exhaust us in His service. So be exhausted for God…remembering that He and only He is our supply. (Psalm 87:7)