God is with you always!

   “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land I am giving to them---the children of Israel….. ‘No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:1-2,5, NKJV)

   Are you going through a rough patch in your life right now? If you are, there are many opportunities to forget that, if you belong to Jesus, He is with you every step of the way. If you are in pain emotionally, physically, spiritually, or financially you can be assured that our Savior is walking at your side. Paul David Trip, in his excellent book Suffering does a great job of reminding us just how faithful our Lord is when we lean on Him, and not our own strength, to get us through the trial we are facing. 

    “’I will not leave you or forsake you.’ This promise found in Joshua 1:5 is given numerous times in Scripture. Every time one of God’s children, or the whole community of God’s children faced something hard, new, difficult, or overwhelming, God greeted them with this promise. He never called them to task, sent them to a destination, or led them into difficulty and then abandoned them. No matter how hard the situation or inadequate their response, God was with them and for them. The declaration that he would never leave them is a significant reminder and protection for everyone who suffers. 

   First, these words are a humbling reminder that God remains faithful to us no matter what, not because of what is in us, but because of what is in Him. If the consistency of my prayer or the faithfulness of my worship of the constancy of my of my obedience were what bought me His continued presence, He would have forsaken me a long time ago. I know that is true of me, and I’m sure it’s true of you, that in moments of travail, I often fall way below God’s standard. Sometimes confusion interrupts my prayer, or wonderment about what God is doing gets in the way of heartfelt worship. Sometimes I listen too much to the lies of the Enemy or feel too weak to do what God has commanded. Sometimes my heart is filled with more envy than gratitude, and my mouth speaks more complaint then praise. Sometimes I would rather have relief from pain than the sweetness of His presence. Sometimes I’m just mad that God has let such a hard thing enter my door. There are moments when I don’t want to read His Word or hear songs of His goodness. Sometimes in my travail, I avoid the fellowship of His people. Sometimes I take my pain out on those around me.

  ……Suffering brings you and me to the end of ourselves. It exposes and confronts us. It makes it harder and harder to hold on to the delusion of our righteousness. This is why it is so important to remember that God is faithful to us, not because we are righteous, but because He is. He continues to love us, not because we perfectly love Him, but because His love for us remains perfect. He remains near, not  because we’ve never though of running away, but because He would never turn His back on the promises He has made to us. You didn’t earn His faithful presence by your obedience, and your disobedience won’t take it away. The central message of Scripture is that God is with us forever because of one thing: HIS GRACE! 

    In your suffering, with so many things to worry about, you don’t have to waste your spiritual and emotional energy on the fear that you will be forsaken by the One who has the power to do for you what no one else can. He is in you, He is with you, He is for you, and He will never leave…..

    But in all the emotional and spiritual ups and downs, on the good days and the bad days, when you fight or succumb, one thing is sure. Your Lord is with you, and there is no struggle without or war within that will ever drive Him away. And His presence guarantees that in your suffering, you will have everything you need.”

  (Paul David Tripp, Suffering, Pages154-157) 

   You are not alone. If you are a child of God, if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, then there is nothing you can do to lose the love of God, or to cause Him to abandon you in your time of need and suffering. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

   PRAY

1.    Lord thank you for being the Faithful One, even when I am not; the Strong One when I am not; and the Loving One when I am not.

2.    Fill me with You Spirit today that I might remember just how faithful and dependable You have shown Yourself to be in my past and that You will be the same in the future.

3.    Help me to live this day with Your strength, Your power, and with Your love, so that I can handle another day of this suffering that You are walking through with me. 

Revival in the Congo

   “How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7)

   Doctor Helen Roseveare was a British doctor who spent over 20 years as a missionary in the Belgian Congo/Zaire in the 1950’s and 60’s. She was an awesome woman of God, who not only worked tirelessly for her Savior for many years, she also suffered greatly during a period when she was held captive for several months by rebel soldiers during a civil war. She has written numerous books about her experiences in the Congo and they are all excellent reading. Recently my wife and I read her book entitled Living Sacrifice, willing to be whittled as an arrow. One of the stories she tells is of a mighty revival that happened in her local church. Here is how she described what happened: 

   “The Holy Spirit was poured out on the local church. For years, senior missionaries, church pastors, and faithful African women had been praying earnestly for such a visitation. They had started with one night a week each month given up to prayer. Then as prayer became more importunate, they added one day each month set aside for prayer. As the sense of urgency grew, a daily midday prayer meeting was held. Many spent hours in prayer and fasting on their own as well. God heard.”

   “For ten days, a strange stirring had begun among the local workmen, and the Holy Spirit began a work of conviction in many hearts. Different ones confessed to thefts and returned stolen property. Others confessed to bitterness against white employers, and to jealousies regarding possessions, and they sought forgiveness. Others spoke of idleness, wasting their employer’s time, discontent with working conditions: and they began working harder with a better spirit.”

   “Then suddenly, on the Friday evening, at the weekly fellowship meeting, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon one hundred folk gathered at the Bible school hall. It was indeed a mighty, unforgettable awakening. Initially, there was a repercussion of shock and fear, as all over the hall, people were being shaken by the power of the Spirit, under the grip of the conviction of sin, or else a surge of irrepressible joy and release. Was this truly of God, or had some other spirit come among us?”

   “As we heard the confessions of sin of those deeply convicted by the Spirit, and then how they claimed the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for cleansing and forgiveness; as we saw their faces change and light up with great inner joy, we knew the movement was truly of God. No other spirit would glorify the Lord Jesus, or convict men of sin, and lead them to the cross for forgiveness. Men and women were under a deep constraint to see sin as very sinful, no longer making excuses for their ‘weaknesses and failures.’ Coldness of heart, petty jealousies, loss of temper, lack of desire for the things of God, impatience, irritability, all were called sin and confessed in order to be cleansed and forgiven.”

    

  “Each individual entered into a new relationship with God. They became filled with joy. They sang. The singing was out of this world, filled with the joy of revival. Days and nights merged. Everything else was laid aside throughout that first weekend and the following week. God cleansed and revived His church. The joy was infectious, the singing vital and pulsating with life. There was a sense of abandonment in love for God….”

   “Prayer became the central pivot of the work of the revival. Initially directed towards the needs of those of our own number who remained resistant and obdurate, slowly the burden changed, and a deep hunger grew for the salvation of the thousands around us. Witness teams began combing the surrounding villages, telling forth the Good News of salvation. As they told others what God had done for them, and as their faces radiated their newfound joy and peace, hundreds came under conviction of sin, and were won to the Savior. Hardened skeptics and amused scoffers alike were smitten down under the convicting power of the Spirit, unable to resist His compulsion. Many broke down in tears and wept their way to the cross.’’ (Living Sacrifice, by Helen Roseveare pp. 41-43)

   Doesn’t that sound like something you would love to see in our church and our community? Who are those who will get together and pray for revival to begin with us, so that we can take it to those around us? Are you ready? Are we ready to get serious about our church being a “house of prayer?”

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)

PRAY

1.    Dear precious Lord, please help me to have a desire to spend time in prayer for my family, my church, my community, and my nation.

2.    Help me to find others who are willing to cry out to You for revival among those of us who call you our Lord and Savior.

3.    Fill us with Your Spirit today and show us our sins that we need to confess to one another so that we can be part of what You desire to do for our church and for our neighborhoods.

    

    

"Rabboni!"

    

  “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb…… But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb……. Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know it was Jesus…..Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is to say, Teacher). (John 20:1, 11, 14, 16, NKJV)

    On this glorious Easter morning Jesus rose from the dead and showed everyone for all time that He has power over death! He had gone through a horrible and painful ordeal on Thursday and Friday that had culminated in his death, on the cross, on Good Friday afternoon. He had died, just as the prophets had claimed that he would in the Old Testament, (Isaiah 53) and had been the perfect sacrifice for our sins, as all the sins of the world, past, present, and future were paid for by his death. 

    Now, He was showing that He did have power over death, and that He could rise from the dead, and demonstrating that we too will live again after we die! He proved that He is who He claimed to be: the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God, our Redeemer, our Savior, and our King! Are you rejoicing today because you know Him as your personal Lord and Savior? Are you living for Him and His kingdom by being obedient to His commands and the daily guidance of the Holy Spirit who lives with in you? If not, what better day than today, to accept Him as your Savior and to begin living for Him! If you have been a Christian for a while, are you living for Him daily or are you more interested in the world and the things that you want in this life? Again, why not focus on what is really important for this short time we have on earth? Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to live through us, and bring glory to our Father in heaven.

    “God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

   We have the very words of Jesus written down for us in the New Testament and the words of the Apostles who were witnesses to what He said and did during His short time on this earth. But, as the author of Hebrews states, Jesus is God’s Son, and God has spoken to us through His Son! 

   Not only did Jesus come and teach us by His words and actions, He told us that He is coming back! He gave these words to His disciples as recorded by Mark: 

   “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven. (Mark 13:26-27)

   Personally, I am looking forward to the day that He returns, but while I wait, I am working hard to make sure that everyone in my family and everyone God puts in my path, knows about Jesus and His power to save. I pray that that is your desire also, and if you don’t know Jesus as Lord, then today can be the day that you surrender to Him! You won’t regret it. Surrender today!

PRAY

1.    Lord, thank you for dying on that cruel cross for me and all who will surrender their lives to You. You are the Christ, the Son of God, and You have the power to forgive sin, and resurrect us from the dead!

2.    Lord, help me to order my steps aright, and to spend time today in prayer and in reading Your Scriptures so that I might know You better.

3.    Fill me with Your Spirit today, and help me to live this day for you and every day this week, and for as long as I live, or until You return to take me home.

Love the LORD

   “Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4, NKJV)

   If you are like me, you tend to forget that the book of Deuteronomy is an awesome book in the Bible that is full of great advice for the people of Israel and for us today. The verse above appears right after chapter five where the Ten Commandments are given, and that magnificent chapter begins with Moses telling the people: “Hear, O Israel, the statues and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them.” (Deut. 5:1) He tells the people that they need to learn all the statues and judgments, and then after they have learned them, to be careful to obey them! 

   Then after Moses has given the people the Ten Commandments, he again admonishes them: “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left, You shall walk in all the ways in which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land you shall possess.” (Deut. 5:32-33)

    If you have read farther in the Bible you know that the people of Israel did not do so well in following these instructions. They were pretty good at turning to the right or the left from time to time and sometimes even completely getting off the straight path and starting their own path that obeyed some things and disobeyed many others. Sadly we have some of the same problems today. We each think that we can make the decisions about which of God’s laws we want to obey and which we chose to disregard.

   But in spite of their unfaithfulness, God was always faithful! He disciplined them from time to time, but always took them back when they repented of their sins and returned to Him. He showed His supreme attribute of faithfulness when He sent His Son to earth to be the ultimate sacrifice for their sins, and our sins for all time. 

    So what is the key to living for God that has not changed ever since God gave Moses the words to write in Deuteronomy 6:4? We need only go to the New Testament and see what Jesus tells us, when He was questioned by a lawyer of the Pharisees saying: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36)

  “Jesus said to him, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

 In the gospels of Mark and Luke the story is told also, but Luke follows up with the story of the Good Samaritan when the Pharisee asks, ‘who is my neighbor?’ So there it is in its’ simplest form, for people like you and I. We are to love the LORD our God with everything we have! Our hearts, souls, and minds! With everything that we have? How do we do that? I am sure there are many people much wiser than I that can give you a better explanation, but simply put, I am to put God first in everything I do and say. He is my heavenly Father, and I will do all I can to obey what He has taught me through His Son and the writings of the His prophets and apostles in the Bible. 

    I am going to show how much I love Him by loving all the people He has put in my life because everyone I come in contact with in this life is my neighbor. Yes, even those that are not very likable, or those who are downright mean, or hateful to me. Jesus even tells me that I am to love my enemies! 

   “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

   Wait a minute! Jesus has given me an impossible mission! You are correct, if you are trying to do it on your own strength and power. You and I can do it only if we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we have a genuine desire to love our God with all our heart, soul, and strength. So how are you doing in this loving our God thing? I’ll confess, its hard, no, it is impossible unless I totally surrender my life to Him and ask Him each morning to fill me with His Spirit and work through me to advance His kingdom.

   As we remember what He did on the cross for our sins, and how He has been the faithful One, even when we have not always been so faithful, let us strive to let Him take control of our lives, that we can love him more passionately and the people He has put in our lives today.

PRAY

1.    Dear precious Lord, fill me with Your Spirit right now that I may be used by You to love my spouse, my children, my next door neighbor the way You love me.

2.    Bring to my mind anyone that has been cruel or unjust to me and help me to forgive them and love them just as you did, just before You died on the cross,  and said: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

3.    Help me to be obedient to all that You have instructed me to do in your word, so that I can demonstrate to You and, to those around me, my love for You.

Trust in the Lord

    “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD: The humble shall hear of it and be glad.” (Psalms 34:1-2)

    Psalms 34 was written when David was running and hiding from King Saul who wanted to kill him, and he had taken refuge in the city of one of the enemies of Israel, King Achish, king of Gath. While there, David had to pretend he was insane to keep from being killed by the Philistines. (Read more in 1 Samuel 21:10-14) He was in a very difficult situation but the Lord strengthened him and gave him this wonderful Psalm to encourage him, and us today.

   “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.” (verses 3,4,&7)

   What are you afraid of today: The Corona virus, the lack of a job, problems with your marriage or children? Are you a soldier about to be deployed to a combat zone or a firefighter that may have to enter a burning building tomorrow? Whatever your situation, our God is faithful and He can deliver you and help you meet the challenges of your life. David was in fear of his life, but he tells us that He sought the Lord, and the Lord heard him and delivered him from his fears. Cry out to God! He is listening, and He is the one who will deliver you and walk with you through your trials.

   “Oh taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. (verses 8-10)

    What an awesome word picture David gives us: “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Have you tasted of His goodness? Can you look back to the place in your life where you surrendered you life to Christ and He “rescued you from the mirey pit?” If you can, then you are a saint! Not a perfect person, that never does anything wrong, as that term is defined by some people, but a follower of Christ! The apostle Paul on numerous occasions refers to the saints as his fellow Christians and here David calls those who fear (hold in awe) the Lord as saints.

     “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart. And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers them out of the all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.” (verses 17-20)

    Who are the righteous? All who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and are declared righteous because of what Christ did for mankind on the cross. No, we do not stop sinning, but He has forgiven us of all our sins, past, present, and future. God is there for you if you are broken and have a contrite heart about your sins. He will deliver all who call upon the name of Jesus. (Acts 2:21) Verse 20 is one of the prophetic verses about Jesus, since the Romans broke the legs of the other two men crucified with Him but His bones were not broken. (John 19:33,36)

  Finally, David concludes the Psalm: “The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” (verse 22)

   Hallelujah, Hallelujah and Amen! “The Lord redeems the souls of His servants!” 

If you are putting your trust in Jesus, you will never be condemned! He is your Advocate, your Kinsman Redeemer, your Savior, and your loving Father! Are you a faithful servant and follower of Christ? You have much to be thankful for today and everyday of this life and in the life to come! Are you not a follower of Christ? Let today be the day that you surrender your life to Him!  Then, go and tell your pastor, or a godly person you know and ask them to disciple you. You will never regret it! 

PRAY

1.   Lord, thank you for always being ready to listen to me and to fellowship with me. Help me today to hide Your Word in my heart and to remember that You are the one I can trust completely.

2.   Fill me with Your Spirit today, and help me to look for people that I can come alongside and help them to put their trust in You.

3.   I praise You, because You made me in Your image and “I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Help me be in fear (awe) of you so that I can be the humble servant You want me to be.