Imitate Me

1 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore, urge you, imitate me.
11:1 Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

One of the boldest statements in all scripture is made not once but twice by the apostle Paul, “Imitate me.” Paul was writing to a group of believers who were blessed with strong spiritual gifts from the Lord, but whom had great difficulty separating themselves from the ways of the world. Obviously, they were having a hard time understanding what a Christ-like should appear, and even a more difficult time walking it. Therefore, Paul offered himself as a living example by challenging them to “imitate me.” This statement may appear brash or arrogant on the surface (and it would be if made from a pompous heart) but this was not the case. Paul’s statement flowed from a heart of humility and confidence. Humbly, he understood the magnitude of his challenge for himself and his readers as a failure of him to live a proper example of Christ would place him in great jeopardy of Christ’s judgment and place his readers in danger of a wayward walk. Yet, his dependence was on Christ and not on himself as he could not provide the proper example apart from the power of Christ in him and through him. He was confident in Christ’s provision. His heart was pure and his understanding was clear that as believers we are to be living letters to others to teach them the ways of Christ. We are to be the world’s examples of Christ as we are His body. As Paul, we must not be arrogant but humbly confident in our faith and in our walk. May we, as him, not fear to make ourselves examples of Christ and even challenge young believers, “If you want to live like Jesus, imitate me.”

All that She Had

Mark 12:43-44 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."



How many of us can truly say that we have given the Lord “all that we had?” Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, are much more like the rich givers who gave out of their abundance rather than the poor widow who gave all. Jesus makes it clear that it is not the amount given but the sacrifice by which we give; and it is not about our bank account but our heart. The widow gave all her livelihood, therefore she could give no more. She emptied herself not knowing where her next meal would come. She placed her total dependence upon God believing that if she was faithful to Him, then He would be faithful to her. A key to this passage is that Jesus already knew the accounts by which each giver had to draw upon. It is He in His sovereign will who has given to us whether it be great or small. He is not impressed with large gifts given from our abundance. Instead, He rejoices in the smallest of gifts which are given in sacrifice. Which are these givers were rich in Jesus’ eyes? Certainly, it was the poor widow. She is rich in the kingdom of heaven.

Alone and Rejected

Matthew 27:46b …”My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Darkness had covered the land and also had invaded the soul of the Son of Man. He, who was the Light of the world was now experiencing the darkness of the soul which accompanies sin. He that knew no sin had been made sin for us and it left Him rejected and all alone exposed naked between heaven and earth. His only audience was those who had made a sport of mocking and ridiculing Him.

Much greater pain did he endure than the scourgings that had ripped his flesh and the nails tearing at his hands and feet. The greatest pain was that which tore His heart. He had been brought to total humiliation as He who had created all things had been rejected by His own creation. Even His closest friends had fled in this moment of His deepest agony. The sin that had been laid upon Him, our sin, had left our Creator and Redeemer all alone. Truly did the prophet proclaim, “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as if it were, our faces from Him. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” Isa 53:3. Not only did He experience the rejection of men, but also of His Father, who could not look upon Him due to our sin. Isaiah would later remind us of the consequences of sin, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you. 59:2. When Jesus took our sin He also accepted its consequences: rejection from God.

On this darkest day of humanity this Man of sorrows was left alone, all alone, rejected by man and by God. And why? He did it for you and me. He became the Man of sorrows to carry our sorrows.

“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
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.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53:4-6

What a Savior!

Shake the Dust Off

Matthew 10:14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ESV


Jesus did not send forth His disciples without first giving them careful instruction. He gave specific instruction concerning those who would not receive their words (the Gospel): “Shake the dust off your feet.” This idiom appears to have a two-fold meaning: 1) move on, and 2) don’t take any of their rebellious ideas with you. Jesus had said earlier, “The fields are white unto harvest,” meaning there are many ready to receive the Gospel. In practical terms Jesus is telling his disciples and us today, “Why should you labor in fields which are not ready and reject the Gospel when there are fields which are ready to be harvested and wait for the Gospel?” Many times we waste much time, energy and resources on those who clearly have no interest in hearing or receiving the good news of Jesus Christ. We must move on; and when we go we must not allow the negative or unholy spirit of those who reject to go with us. We must “shake it off” and move on to the fields white unto harvest.

Kingdom Living

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

Jesus proclaimed the “kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is not something we have to wait for but that which can be and should be experienced now. The Sermon on the Mount as found in Matthew 5-7 is Jesus’ photo album of what “kingdom living” looks like. He begins with snapshots of kingdom dwellers. They are the poor in spirit, those who mourn (over their sin), those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are meek and pure in heart, those who are peacemakers and yet, are persecuted for righteousness sake. He then reveals other snapshots of kingdom dwellers in daily life by fulfilling the spirit of God’s law as they love their neighbors as themselves. They never murder with their tongue or covet with their eyes. They love their enemies and are slow to judge. Kingdom dwellers do not fret over the things of the earth because they store their treasures in heaven. Their one desire is to please God and seek Him with all of their heart. Jesus warns that not everyone will enter into the kingdom. It is only populated by those who come to Him with a repentant heart and believing heart. As I flip through this album of “kingdom living” I must ask, “Do I see myself?” or am I only an imposter.

Searching for Truth

Acts 17:11 Now these Jews (Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Paul came to Berea preaching a new word, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not like the Thessalonica Jews, these were eager to hear this word which at first appeared to contradict their understanding and dogma. But most importantly, they did not quickly embrace this new teaching without examination. Instead, they searched the Scriptures diligently to prove or disprove these teachings of Paul.

Most have never placed their current religious dogma under the scrutiny of the word of God and therefore have been led astray by the teachings of men rather than obediently following the teaching of God. Others run after every “new word” hoping they have finally found the answers to life without ever testing the “new” teachings by the Word of God. They find themselves following slick talking men rather than God. Both are led astray, whether they be closed minded to revealed truth or “open-minded” to anything new. Only those, as the Bereans, who are willing to listen and test what they hear by the Scriptures can truly walk in the light of God’s truth.

How Long, O Lord?

Ps 13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all this day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love (chesed);
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation
6 I will sing to the Lord, because he
has dealt bountifully with me. ESV


David had found himself in a season of life that he felt forsaken by the Lord whom he so dearly loved. Day by day passed by and prayer after prayer had seemed to go unanswered. David began to wobble in his faith and in the midst of his pain cried out time and again. “How long, O Lord?” Life’s circumstances began to overwhelm and he could not help to think, “Where is my God?” Yet, in the midst of the pain and the questions David chose to look beyond his circumstances and to look unto God. He focused on God’s chesed, His steadfast love. Although he at times “felt” forsaken he was assured that the Lord would never forsake him. He found hope and joy in God’s eternal salvation, because when you have Christ you have everything. Whatever circumstances may bring trouble, these will one day pass away. The Lord’s salvation will never fail. As David remembered the countless blessings the Lord had bestowed on him his heart broke out in song and no longer did he question, “How long?” David was honest in his struggle, but found peace in the steadfast love of God. O what a difference our focus makes. Who has not found himself in the same place of struggles as David and asked the same question, “How long?” Life is tough and there will be times that God does not respond to our cries in our time table. Just as David we must look past the struggle and look to Jesus.

Secret Sins

Psalm 90:8 You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

How foolish are we to try to hide our sins from God. We are quite good at hiding sins from man. We become masters of deception. We have some sins that will inevitably come out, but there are always those few, those secret sins we guard almost as precious treasures. No one else knows about them. Even our most intimate acquaintances are not invited into this private part of our lives. These secret sins are brought out and petted during our times of aloneness. We justify ourselves by thinking “No one else knows, therefore this sin cannot be so bad.” But God knows. When we stand in the light of His presence out secret sins will be revealed. There will be no place to hide them. There, in the presence of God, they will be exposed. Oh that we might confess those sins to God. Then and only then will they be covered by the blood of Christ. Then they will be forgiven and washed away.

Persistence in Prayer

Luke 18:7-8 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on earth?


Persistence in prayer. Is this a virtue or a sign of lack of faith? Some have taught that to ask God over and over for the same thing signifies a lack of faith as one feels he must continually remind God of his desire. Jesus teaches the opposite. He explains that the Father honors persistence. Persistence does not reveal faithlessness but the depth of the desire. When one prays for a want, soon he/she will cease when the prayer is not answered because another want will replace it. But when one prays for a real need, the prayer will not cease because the need remains. Instead of ceasing, the prayers will become more intense as the one seeking the Father has no where else to turn. This is when God blesses His children: when they humbly come to Him due to their helplessness. No, God doesn’t frown upon persistence in prayer. He blesses it.

Nothing Too Hard

Jerermiah 32:17 Ah, Lord God! Behold you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.

Jerusalem was under siege by the powerful armies of Babylon. Jeremiah was imprisoned in the besieged city by the fearful king Zedekiah. Yet, in the midst of all the turmoil and tragedy the Lord sent Jeremiah a message of hope: buy a field. For most this command would seem ridiculous. Jeremiah could have easily asked, “Why spend my money and buy a field in these circumstances? Jerusalem will soon be destroyed and I may never even see the light of day would be a prudent excuse.” But Jeremiah did not think of God’s request as absurd. Instead, he viewed it as a promise of hope. God had a future for him and for Israel; and God had the power to fulfill that promise. Jeremiah’s faith rested solely upon the God who created the heavens and the earth. Nothing is too hard for Him. Though Jeremiah’s circumstances appeared bleak at the moment, his hope and future rested in the strong arm and faithful promises of the Almighty God.

Gospel to the Unevangelized

Acts 8:26
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. NKJV

There is a question that has lingered through the years which has the purpose of attacking the justice of God and the fairness of the Gospel: “What about those who have never heard the name of Jesus?” This question implies that it is not fair for people who have never heard the name of Jesus to be condemned to hell, because they never had a chance. First, this question is built upon an incorrect notion of lostness that people are condemned because they have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. People are condemned because they have rejected God who has revealed Himself through creation (Rom. 1), the conscious and the Law (Rom. 2). Therefore, all men are without excuse. Belief in the atoning work of Christ is the remedy of man’s condemnation and not the source. This leads to another question, “What about the man who receives the light given to him and yearns to know the God of creation yet has not heard of Jesus?” This answer to this question can be found in the passage of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) as we discover that God will get His message to a longing heart. In this text we find that God snatches Philip from a great revival in Samaria and sends him to the desert road toward Gaza. This may appear contrary to modern mission tactics, but God knew there was a heart longing to know more of Him and God sent a missionary with the glorious message of Jesus Christ. For those who accepted the light given to them God will provide more light even if it is to send a missionary in the middle of the wilderness.

Our Immense God

1 Kings 8:27-28
27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 28 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: NKJV

Solomon’s temple was magnificent in its beauty and its size. The finest stones, wood and metals were used in its construction. The Bible's description of Solomon's Temple suggests that the inside ceiling was 180 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 50 feet high. The highest point on the Temple that King Solomon built was actually 120 cubits tall (about 20 stories or about 207 feet) {Jewish Virtual Library}. Although the temple was majestic in human standards Solomon understood it was paltry in comparison to the beauty and the vastness of God. The temple was to be God’s dwelling place on earth, but Solomon knew this was impossible. The temple could not contain God, nor could the earth, nor heaven, nor the heaven of heavens. The sphere of the visual universe is 93 billion light years {Wikipedia, Observable Universe}. God is more vast than all the universe and cannot be contained in space nor time. Yet, the understanding of God’s immenseness did not deter Solomon from crying out to his Creator and pleading with Him to hear his prayer. God may be greater than time and space, yet He hears our every cry no matter where or no matter when. We should each stand amazed as Solomon and even his father who wondered, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Ps 8:3-4 NKJV). We serve an omnipresent God. There is no place where He is not, yet He is concerned enough that He hears the prayer of each of His children.

Heart of a Kingdom Dweller

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
- Matthew 5:3-4


The theme of the Sermon on the Mount is “kingdom living.” In this great sermon, preached by Jesus Christ Himself, we are taught what it looks like to be a child of God, a kingdom dweller. Jesus begins this powerful sermon with a list of blessings, the beatitudes, which describes and honors those who are citizens of His Kingdom.

The first two beatitudes reveal the attitude of a kingdom dweller’s heart: “blessed are the poor in spirit,” and “blessed are those who mourn.” The kingdom dweller recognizes his position before the Righteous King. He humbly understands his unworthiness to stand before a holy God due to his sinful condition. Pride has been stripped away and he is totally dependent on the righteousness of God and not of himself; he is poor in spirit.

Next, the kingdom dweller is broken and contrite over his sin. Sin is not taken lightly, but instead the true believer grieves over his offense to the God Who created him and redeemed him through the sacrifice of His Son. He mourns because of his sin.

The heart that is poor and spirit and that mourns over sin is the one acceptable to God as the psalmist explains, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps 51:17). This is the attitude that best describes a true child of God. We must then ask ourselves, “What is my attitude before a Righteous God?” and “What is my attitude toward my sin?” These attitudes may very well reveal our citizenship.

High Places

1 Kings 22:43 And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. NKJV

The spiritual valuation of every king of Judah in the post David era includes reference of whether the high places were removed or not. The question did not end with whether the king of Judah did right in the eyes of the Lord or evil, but also whether or not he removed the high places.

High places were historically elevated areas where worshippers would erect idols and build altars to worship their gods. It was Solomon whose heart was turned from Jehovah by his pagan wives and as a result built up the high places in Judah for the worship of their pagan gods . Every king thereafter would be judged by what he did with the high places. Even kings such as Jehoshaphat whom the LORD admittedly said did what was right in His eyes but yet also said about him, “Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 1 Kings 22:43 NKJV. All kings that followed Solomon, whether they did right in the eyes of the Lord or evil kept the high places until Hezekiah.

Why was this so important to the LORD? One cannot fully serve the LORD until all the high places are removed out of his/her life. Not only must the idols be destroyed but the very places where the idols are kept must be removed to avoid any temptation to return. Sadly, most Christians filling our churches today are like Jehoshaphat. They love the Lord and seek to do what is right. They are not evil, but they have not removed all the high places and thus have robbed themselves of the full blessings of Christ

The Wisdom of Solomon

1 Kings 3:7-9, 28
7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" …………28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. NKJV

One question about Solomon has always puzzled me, “How can a man be so wise, but yet be so stupid?” The Scripture is clear that God gladly answered the request of Solomon for wisdom and understanding to judge his people and immediately that wisdom was put to the test with the two women claiming the same child. The record is also clear that Solomon was a great builder and organizer of the kingdom of Israel which brought marvel and praise from the rulers of the world. He was proficient in almost all studies whether it concerned economics, politics, biology, horticulture, or architectural engineering and design. His accomplishments were simply a wonder to all. But his personal life proved to be a mess. His decisions on wives were disastrous as they ultimately turned his heart from the very God who had so richly blessed him. He would admit later in his life the vanity of all his accomplishments. Again, how could a man so wise make such unwise decisions? First, the wisdom granted to Solomon was the wisdom of judgment for the people. This was a direct answer to his prayer. Solomon had great wisdom to judge other people but he was lacking in judgment for himself. Next, from the life of this “wise” man we should learn that we all have blind spots and areas of deficiency. Being wise or proficient in one area of our lives, no matter how astute it may be, does not necessarily equate to wisdom in other areas of our lives. We must not allow ourselves to think that we have become so wise that we have not need of God. Regardless of who were are, even if we become as great as Solomon, we must daily stay on our face humbly before God seeking His wisdom in every area of our lives.

The Wilderness

Deuteronomy 8:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

Wilderness experiences are some of the most important times in the believer’s life. Admittedly, these are not pleasant but instead times of intense struggle, pain and suffering. Yet, these seasons of wilderness are absolutely essential in the maturation process of every believer. Only in the wilderness will our pride be exposed and stripped away. And only in the wilderness will we discover the true condition of our heart: whether it be a heart of faith or one of self-reliance. The wilderness has a way of exposing us for who we really are and reveals our need for God. It will either provoke us to disqualification or prepare us for the work the Lord has ordained for us. Before Moses led the people out of Egypt he endured a wilderness experience. Before David became the king of Israel he suffered through a wilderness experience. Even before Jesus began His ministry He was tried in a wilderness experience. It is God who allows the wildernesses of our lives but He will never leave us alone there and is always leading the way. We must remember that when we find ourselves in the wilderness, it is a place of revelation and preparation; and all of God’s great servants have walked the rocky path before us.

Can Man’s Prayers Change a Sovereign God?

Exodus 32:11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 …Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people…14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

One of the intriguing mysteries of Scripture is the marriage of the providence of the Sovereign Lord and the effectual prayers of a righteous man. How are these two truths united? Or are they? Can a righteous man’s prayers change the mind or the plans of the Sovereign Lord? In the narrative of the golden calf did not God tell Moses that He would destroy the people due to their stiff-necks? Moses, then made a plea to God on behalf of the people, His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and His testimony before the Egyptians. Scripture then teaches, “and then the Lord relented.” Did Moses’ prayer change God or did it change Moses? Again, within this passage we find two powerful truths which appear to clash: God’s sovereignty verses the power of prayer. From my limited point of view I am unable to justify the two, but God’s glorious Word teaches both and in both can I find the greatest of peace and pleasure.

God Meant It for Good

And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Gen 50:19-20

Joseph was a man who could have allowed his life to be poisoned with unforgiveness, bitterness, and unbelief. His life had been rocked by the betrayal by his own brothers who sold him into slavery; wrongly accused by a wicked woman and was thrown into prison; and forgotten by one whom he had helped. Joseph could have easily shaken his fist at God for allowing him to experience such “unfair” pain, but instead he chose to believe. He could have easily resented those who treated him unjustly seeking vengeance, but he chose to forgive. Joseph could have lived his life wallowing in the mire of self-pity and misery, but he chose to rejoice. He could have chosen to look for the negative, but he chose to look to God. Joseph never allowed the pain of the moment to cloud his view of eternity. His eyes and faith were steadfastly set on the God of creation and redemption. Joseph simply surrendered himself to the providential plans of the Sovereign Lord and rested in His unending mercy. Because of Joseph’s steadfast surrender God placed him in position to be a great blessing to others and he in return lavished in God’s blessing. Truly he could say, “What others meant for evil, God meant it for good.”

And They Laughed

Matthew 9:24 he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.

How many times have we, like those called in to mourn over Jairus’ daughter, laughed at Jesus? Sarah laughed also at the news from the LORD that she would give birth in her old age. We may not be overt in our laughter and our laughter may not be with intent to scorn as the mourners, but yet we laugh within our hearts even as Sarah. This laughter reveals unbelief and a resistance to the things our Lord is desiring to do for us and through us. If we laugh, let us laugh “with” Jesus in joy and amazement instead of “at” Jesus in disbelief and scorn.

A Vow of the Heart

Jacob’s Vow 01/12/2009

Gen 28:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you."

Jacob had an experience with God through a dream which prompted him to make a vow unto the Lord. The question which must be asked is “What is the motive of the vow?” Was this a statement of true commitment to God or was it a conditional bargain driven by selfishness? Obviously, the language leaves room for interpretation as commentators debate the true intent of this vow. This leads to another thought. Language within itself can always leave room for uncertainty. Words that are written or spoken with the clearest of communication can never prove true motive. Was it not our Lord who said, “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,…” Isa 29:13. Therefore, any vow or statement must be proven by the actions that follow. Proceeding the vow, Jacob was a man who lived up to his name as a supplanter/deceiver to acquire the desires of his heart. At the very time of the vow he was on the run escaping his brother’s vengeance for stealing his blessing. Jacob was the same man after the vow, a man always scheming to get an edge rather than placing dependence upon the God of his vow. It was not until he was on the run again that he wrestled with God and cried out in desperation that his motives appear pure. Only then did he receive a new name, Israel. No longer was he bargaining with God but instead, grabbing hold and not letting go. This is a vow of the heart. This is a vow which our Lord smiles upon.