Gutsy Guilt

"Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness." Micah 7:8

This verse has a great deal to learn from it. I think, in our walks, there are often times where we are tempted to sin where the flesh whispers to us "Come on, everyone is doing it..." and then when we sin, the doors seem to slam shut behind us and the flesh (or Satan) shouts "You are such a dirty sinner! Nobody has ever sinned that greatly before! You cannot be forgiven!" And we get stuck in the dungeon of guilt and shame.

God doesn't want us to live there. This verse is a model for how we should handle guilt. Let's take a look at the verse. First off, Micah acknowledges that he has been brought low. He says he has fallen, but he holds out hope that he will rise. He realizes he's in the darkness, but also knows that God will be his light.

Note that Micah doesn't downplay his sin or deny he has any. He says "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him." He's man enough to say "It's my fault, I'll deal with the consequences." And perhaps the best part of this whole verse is where Micah declares that God Himself will plead Micah's case for him. I think this is a foreshadowing of the fact that Jesus Christ is our mediator and prays for us. God Himself leads us out of darkness and into light. What an amazing promise!

So when you feel the guilt or shame of a previous sin (and believe me, I know the feeling!) I encourage you to realize that, while God may or may not be punishing you, you can bear it because He loves you and will lead you out into light soon enough. When the enemy, whoever that may be, whispers in your ear, simply tell him "Rejoice not over me, O my enemy!"

A Hard Sign For the People

"And the word of the Lord came to me, saying. 'Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. . .' So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded." Ezekiel 24:16 & 18

Wow. What a testament to the faith of this man. You know, sometimes God calls us to some pretty hard things. As I read Scripture, I read of men like Abraham and Jepthah and Ezekiel. There were men who were called to sacrifice all that they had previously held dear, and I can't imagine the kind of faith it took to lay it down.

We struggle with this here in America. I know, because I see it in others and I see it in myself. Deep down we think that God calls us to a life of ease. We read verses in Romans 8 and think that we're on the easy train. Think again, folks. Ezekiel had to lose his wife, just so that it could be a sign of how Israel was going to be.

What would it be like, to lose a loved one for the sake of an object lesson? I can't fathom it. I hope sincerely that it is not what God has called me to. But whatever the situation, I know one thing is true. I know that the joy Ezekiel had was not in his wife. If it were, he would not have obeyed the Lord's command not to mourn. His joy was in his God. While he did take delight in his wife, and rightly so, his true everlasting joy was in God, and so in this sense it becomes a model for us here and now.

What will God call you to lay down for Him? I don't know. I only know that it may be the most difficult thing you've ever faced...but you will never face it alone. The God of all comfort and joy goes with you, supplying you with a strength you've never known. Take your delight in Him today.

Sorry all...the past few days have been hectic and I have had technical difficulties. I have not been able to get out the devotions since Thursday. However, they will start again on Monday!

Thanks,
Charlie

The Love of God For Believers pt 5: The God Who Sings

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy. He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

What an amazing picture of God's love for us. At the end of this study, this is the picture I would like to implant on your minds as to the specific, special love of Christ for His church and His people. We have seen that His love is not like the love He has for everyone else, that His love is that of a husband for His wife, that His love is a very specific, particular election, that His love will keep us walking in His way, and now we see that He rejoices over us with so much joy that He breaks forth into song. What an awesome God we serve!

When we think of singing, it usually us who do the singing in our minds. We are the ones singing praises to God, and as well we should. But how often do we stop to think that God sings over us? How often do we take the time to be silenced by this awesome love? Are you stunned to silence by God's love? You should be. God's love is so deep and rich that, on one hand, we should be completely speechless and dumbfounded, but on the other hand, we should be shouting for joy from the rooftops!

I urge you, brethren, to adjust your view of God's special love for you, as a person, not as a member of His body, but for YOU, specifically. I challenge you to let that seep into your mind, into your heart, into your life.

The Love of God For Believers Pt 4: God's Preserving Love

"And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me." Jeremiah 32:40

This verse has several great points to it that should be explored. The first thing that should be looked at it the first part of the verse. God says that He will make an everlasting covenant with His people. This covenant is the new covenant that Jesus ushered in with His blood. We are now, as God's elect, part of this everlasting covenant.

The second thing to note is the part that says that God will not turn away from us. God loves us too much to turn away from us, or to stop doing us good. He promises to do good to us. Sometimes, I know, that seems a little hard to believe when we are suffering or being persecuted for our faith, but it is a true promise. Even those sufferings are, in the long run, for our ultimate good.

The first of the two huge theological points, however, is where God says "I will put the fear of Me in their hearts." This tells me that we don't fear God and love Him on our own. He tells us that it is He who chooses us, it is He who makes us fear and love Him, and it is Him who writes His word on our hearts. To think that we have anything to do with our salvation is folly.

The final thing to note is the part where He says "so that they will not turn away from Me." This is an amazing promise from God. God is essentially saying that we who are chosen and justified cannot turn away from God. God will prevent us from falling away ultimately from the faith. Now, I am not saying that there is no backsliding, but I am saying that we are justified will be glorified in Heaven, and we will experience the joy of God here in this world and then into the next! Now that's love!

The Love of God for Believers pt 3: Electing Love

"He predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ..." Ephesians 1:5

There are many people who would wish to deny the Biblical fact of election. They would like to say that election is a horrible doctrine in which it makes God out to be a monster. They would say that in election, God randomly chooses those would be saved, and condemns the rest, who have no chance, to Hell.

This is simply not true. Many times in the Bible God talks about electing His chosen people out of love, and setting His electing, covenant love upon them. This is just such a verse. This is talking about electing us according to the kind intention of His will. He chose us, before the foundation of the world, to be His special, chosen people out of love. We will see tomorrow why this is especially relevant to the topic of God's love for believers. Today, however, it is important to note that God elects us out of love and keeps us in His love. His elect are His beloved!

The Love of God For Believers Pt2: What It Is

"...to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:

This verse will begin to give us a clue as to what the covenant love of God is all about. I used to read right over this verse trying to get to the "meat" of the book until someone showed me how to slow down and reach each verse by itself, trying to get the meaning out of each verse. I praise God I learned this habit, for I would have forever missed something wonderful in this "introduction" verse.

Two things should jump out at you in relation to God's love in this verse. Firstly, Paul is writing to the saints (believers) in Rome. That much is fairly obvious. Secondly, Paul calls them beloved of God. This is an interesting word to use. Does this mean the same thing as the love of God in John 3:16? Or is there some kind of significance in this verse?

Well, the word used in this verse is agapetos, which in Greek means "esteemed, dear, favorite." I think this is very important. I think the saints of God are indeed held in higher esteem than the rest of the world. I think that God views us with a richer, deeper love than He holds for the rest of the world. We should always remember that God's love is many times reckoned to that of a bridegroom to His bride. This is a very special love.

Think of it this way. Many people think of God's love like this: "God loves everyone. I am part of everyone. Therefore God must love me." This is the way God loves in John 3:16. But for the believer, it should be more than that. If you are married, does your wife\husband think that way? No! They would more think, "The love my spouse has for me is special and different from the love they have for others. It is an intimate love meant for only the two of us." I urge you, brethren, to ponder this love. I plan, for the next few days, to continue looking at verses that examine the aspects of God's love.

The Love of God For Believers Pt 1: What It Is Not

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whosoever should believe in Him shall not die, but have life everlasting." John 3:16

Many people read this verse and marvel at the love of God. Rightly so. This is a powerful verse talking about the love God has for all the world. But there are some who would look at this verse and think that it's talking about the love God has for His people. This, however, is certainly not true. Furthermore, I would sincerely hope that this not be true of us as believers. The one who believes it is true has a very shallow understanding of God's covenant love.

This verse is plainly talking about the love God has for everyone in general. He sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous alike. He causes the sun to shine on both. He sends His Son for those who would believe. These are general, basic statements. Now, did He already have in His plan those who would accept? Of course, but that is not the point. The point is that if you've always thought of this verse and smiled at His love for you, then I dare say you've never truly wondered at the specific, special love He has for you. Not for all people, not for everyone like you, but for you. What an awesome thing to be specifically loved by God!

In the next few days, I'm going to show some Scriptures that talk about what God's love is really all about for the believer. I hope and pray that they open your eyes to the immeasurable heights and widths and depths of His love for you.

The Power of Jesus pt 2

"And when He had said these things, He cried out in a loud voice, ' Lazarus, come fort.'" John 11:43

Wow. This verse, much like the story of the demoniac, should just blow your mind. Here was a man who was dead four days and is now living. He came forth from the tomb, all wrapped up like a mummy, after hearing the voice of Jesus.

Now, there are a few things to note about this verse, and an understanding of Hebrew culture would be beneficial. First of all, the Jews believed that when you died, your spirit hovered over your body for three days. This is significant because Jesus would have known this. The fact that He specifically waited four days to come should show us that He was waiting until, in the Jews' minds, the spirit had gone. This would have made the resurrection of Lazarus much more amazing to them.

Secondly, as I said before, Lazarus was already wrapped up and covered in herbs and such to preserve his body. Sometimes that stuff could weigh as much as 100 lbs. Even with all of that, when hearing the voice of Jesus, he had to come forth, spices and all.

Thirdly, and this should give us great joy and comfort, Jesus promises the same to us. He promises that the grave will not hold us, and that we will rise again. Our bodies will come forth from the ground or the sea and join our spirits in Heaven, and we will be transformed gloriously. Jesus said in this verse "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die." What an awesome promise. I challenge you to ponder this story and this promise, and see if it changes your perspective on life!

For anyone who would like to post a prayer request or praise report, but does not belong to the blogger website, you can send any and all prayer requests to me via my email at randphoenix@yahoo.com.

Thanks and God bless,
Charlie

Character Study : Josiah

"And before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him." 1 Kings 23:25

Wow. I wish such a verse could be said of me when I go. Josiah was a man completely and totally turned over to God. He was made king when he was only eight years old, but in his life he accomplished so much for God.

I urge you to read the whole story of Josiah. It begins in chapter 22, and goes until verse 30 of chapter 23. It is an amazing story of a man on fire for God. Where does all this zeal come from? Well, apparently the law of Moses had been hidden away for many, many years. Someone had found it in the temple and read it in Josiah's presence. The result was awesome:

"And it came about when the king heard the words of the book of the law, that he tore his clothes. . . saying 'Go, inquire of the Lord for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us, because our fathers have not listening to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." 1 Kings 22:11+13

After this, Josiah went on a zeal campaign for God. He had the first passover in hundreds of years, destroyed tons of altars to false gods, put to death mediums and spiritists, and re-established true worship in the temple of God.

What can we learn from this amazing man of God? What I take from this is the importance to be totally given over to God in everything. God can use you mightily whether you are a king or a pauper, so long as you are zealous for His name and for His fame. I urge you to seek His fame in all you do!

Delight in the Lord

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

This verse is so often mistranslated to mean something it just doesn't say. I hear on television all the time preachers talk about this verse. "Delight yourself in God," they say, "and all the desires of your heart will be given to you. Health, prosperity, happiness. All these things God's gonna give you if you delight yourself in Him."

What a waste of breath to even talk like that. Notice the verse. Really look hard at it. It says to delight yourself in God, so God can give you the desires of your heart. Now, wouldn't it be logical to say that whatever you delight in, you're going to desire? What this Scripture is saying is that if you desire God, God is going to show you more of Himself. If you crave and delight in God, He's going to pour out His glory on you and change you.

What an amazing promise! How much greater is this than what the televagelists say! Because, seriously, aren't you tired of more cars, more houses, more possessions that can't fulfill you? Aren't you bored to tears with the blessings of this world? If you're not, you should be! This verse should awaken in your heart a deep passion to see more of this Jesus who died on a cross bringing glory to His Father. I urge you, in light of this, to delight yourself in the Lord, so that He may open up the truckload of His glory upon you and you can truly see what blessing is all about!

The God Who Prays For Us

"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ..." Romans 8:26

This is a great verse, and should be an amazing comfort to those who read it. Think for a moment about what it means. It is saying that we do not always know how we should pray. I know this to be true of myself on many occassions. Many are the times where I just don't know what to say in prayer. I come empty minded and empty handed to God.

The good news is, however, that we don't have to worry! The Holy Spirit Himself prays for us on our behalf! Isn't that awesome?! The Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The best part about that is that the Holy Spirit always know what to pray for, for He is God! Even when you feel you have nobody who cares enough to pray for you, you can be sure that God the Spirit is in prayer for you.

And that's not all. We know, also, from Hebrews that Jesus intercedes for us always. Jesus' job as the high priest of Heaven is to intercede for His people. And, once again, Jesus knows what to pray and how, for He is God as well. What a comforting promise! At all times, you have two members of the glorious Trinity praying for you, even when you feel nobody is praying for you.

I urge you, brethren, to really explore this promise and let it fill you with the comfort and joy that it should.

Pure Mind For Him

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8

This is something that I've been talking about and have been angry about for many months. I have seen this invade churches, Christian school, and just a general mindset among Christians as is. The mindset is one of "since we have freedom in Christ, I am free to watch and listen to whatever I feel like, without reservations."

This is a completely wrong minded idea. Jesus did not die on the cross so that you can watch Saw II and listen to 50 Cent! Jesus did not suffer and bleed so that you can indulge yourself in all sorts of worldly trash! What is it that makes us rationalize and justify our sinful behaviors? I think it is pride and the desire to indulge one's self.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to shed the garbage of the world. You cannot glorify God while watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You cannot exult in the Lord while listening to LL Cool J. Get the garbage out of your mind, out of your heart, and out of your life, brethren. Let us keep in mind always that whatever we do, we are to do as to the Lord.

What's Wrong With This World

Every once in a while, I like to put a song up that has a good message behind it. This is just such a song. It's called "What's Wrong With This World" by Shaun Groves.

Throw your stones at silver screens
Faces on magazines
Burn my rock and roll
Blame my schools, my ADD
My mom, my MTV
Curse my chromosomes.

Chorus:
I'm what's wrong with
This world; I'm bent
Warped and Wicked
I am weak
My heart's twisted
Torn and tempted
This world is not wha'ts wrong with me
I'm what's wrong with this world
What's wrong with this world

Put my finger in the chest
Of those who should know best
But made the worst of things
Baby booms and presidents
Boy bands and communists
Everyone but me

Chorus

I don't need your
help to be this
Devilish and dark
I confessed I
Made this mess while
Using just my heart
Change my heart
My heart is

Chorus

Change my heart yeah
Change my heart God
Change my heart yeah
Change my heart

Clinging Fast to Good

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9

One time when I was still living at home, my brother and his friends came home, laughing and joking. They began to loudly talk about their exploits with teenage girls, and about their hopes for future exploits. It turned my stomach to hear that kind of talk being thrown about as if it was no big deal. This verse immediately came to mind.

Paul isn't just telling the Romans to do what is right and not do what is wrong. He's talking about a serious heart issue. The word "abhor" in the Greek means to detest with horror. It comes from the same root word as "shudder." That's a serious heart reaction. We are not just to avoid doing evil. We are to be repulsed and horrified at evil. We are to hate evil with all our hearts.

On the other side, to cling in the Greek means to be glued to, to stick fast to. In some cases, this word was used in a marital sense. In a sense, we are to be married to and to cling fast to that which is good. This, again, is definitely a heart reaction. We are not just to do that which is good, but to love it fervently and hold fast to it.

Do you have heart reactions like this? Do you hate evil with all your heart and love good with all your heart? If not, something is wired incorrectly. If you find yourself loving that which is evil and hating to do that which is good, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to get on your faces before God and cry out to Him, begging Him for a change of heart that will please Him.

The Victory of Missions

"And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd." John 10:16

I love this verse. This verse tells me so much about the cause we have in missions. Missions is an extremely important part of the church, one that seems, by and large, neglected in today's American church. This verse doesn't just talk about missions, however. It talks about day to day evangelism.

In this verse, Jesus says that He has sheep of other folds. By this He means that He has sheep that are not of the lost house of Israel. That really means all of us. All the Gentiles. That seems to be alot of work. Look, however, what He says about the work ahead of the missions movement. It doesn't say that He will help us lead the other sheep to Him. It doesn't say He will woo people to Himself. It also doesn't say that the sheep may or may not hear His voice, and may or may not be brought unto Himself.

Jesus states unequivocally that He WILL bring His sheep. They must come! He knows His own, and His own know Him. Once those that know Him hear His voice, they feel compelled to follow! There is no room for arguing or denying the Spirit. When Jesus calls, they come.

What an encouragement for evangelism! The victory is already won for us! If they receive the gospel with gladness, then rejoice, for you have found one of His sheep. If not, then rejoice that God's electing and saving power is not wasted on goats! I urge you, in light of this awesome promise, to go out and evangelize with even more fervor, realizing that it's not about you, nor is the responsibility yours!

Stones Crying Out
"And He answered and said. ' I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!'" Luke 19:40

This is an amazing, oft overlooked verse. I know myself that I have many times just read right over it, and it's a crying shame. This verse was not meant to be read over! The background of the verse is like this: Jesus was coming into Jerusalem on the donkey, and the people were crying out "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" The Pharisees did not like this, and small wonder.
They urged Jesus to tell His disciples and the other people to be silent. They did not want declared openly what they plainly could see. They didn't want to admit to themselves that Jesus was indeed the Messianic King, the Son of David foretold in prophecy. So they told Him to hush the crowds.
He turned and gave a response that should shock our socks off! He said that even if all the people were silent and not shouting out, the rocks would give testimony to His nature! The very stones of the earth would declare that Jesus is Lord. This, to me, is just plain awesome. It also gives me comfort for the times I don't praise Him as I should. I know that my God declares for Himself praise from the very sky we live under and the very rocks upon which we tread. Our God is all-glorious and all-praised!

11\07\05
The Power of Jesus

"...and crying out with a loud voice, he said ' What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!'...And He was asking him, 'What is your name?' And he said to Him, 'My name is Legion, for we are many.'" Mark 5:7+9

This is definitely one of my favorite stories in all the gospel, if not my very favorite. It clearly and strongly shows the absolute sovereign power of Jesus over the supernatural world. What amazes me so much about this story is the meaning of the word Legion. The New American Standard Greek Lexicon defines Legion as the following:

a legion, a body of soldiers whose number differed at times, and in the times of Augustus seems to have consisted of 6,826 men ( 6100 foot soldiers and 126 horsemen)

This is just too awesome to me! And read the whole story in its entirety! That many demons came shrieking over to Jesus, bowing down before Him, begging for mercy. Shouldn't that make us excited? Shouldn't that just blow us away, that anyone could have that kind of power?!
One more thing to note about this story that many could miss. The swine that the demons entered were supposed to be sacrificial swine. You see, the people of this area actually worshipped these demons. They would sacrifice these pigs to the demon "gods." So, in a sense of divine irony, the very pigs that would be killed to appease the demons ended up being the end of the demons! What an awesome God we serve!
Now THAT is power. And, what's more amazing, THAT'S the kind of power Jesus promises to unleash in our lives, power to change our lives and to reach out to others in boldness for the gospel. But it is only offered if we treasure Jesus in our hearts. I urge you, if you do not know this kind of power, if you do not know this kind of awe and wonder, please cry out to God on your faces and seek the God of all power!

--Charlie

It's Me