Daniel 8:15,17 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man.... 17 … But he said to me, "Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end."
God is God of the past, the present and the future. He knows all things and controls all things. He is the Sovereign Lord of all. Even before the onset of time and creation He decreed a plan for His creation; and He has the wisdom and the power to fulfill that plan. If He is not able, then He cannot be God; but He IS able. He allowed Daniel a glimpse of the future through visions to assure Daniel that He is in control even to the end of the world. This gave Daniel great peace and assurance knowing that He served the Sovereign Lord of all things, even the sitting up and the tearing down of kings were in His hands. Daniel did not need to understand all things. He only needed to understand that God understood and controlled all things. This should also give us great peace and comfort. God is in complete control of all things. He knows our beginning and He already knows our end. Therefore, why should we fret? Time and even the events of time are in His hands and His perfect plans will not falter.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Preparing for the Tough Times
Lamentations 3:26-27
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Life is full of trials, heartache and affliction. Some are a result of our own doing, some a result of another’s actions and some are of God’s design with reasons known only to Him (e.g. Job). Growing in age does not lessen the afflictions, and in some cases trials only intensify as with Jeremiah. The question is not “Will I encounter trials and afflictions?” for such is life in a sin corrupted world. The correct questions are “How will I handle trials and afflictions when they call?” “Will I react to difficult times with anxiety, doubt and emotional turmoil?” Or, “Will I respond with patient endurance strengthened by a quiet hope?” The answers to these questions will be closely related to one’s prior conditioning and preparation. Thus the old prophet weeps and muses as he looks over his beloved Jerusalem with a broken heart. Jerusalem, the once proud jewel of Israel with her impenetrable walls and magnificent temple which now laid in shambles, devastated by the judgment of God by the hands of the hated Babylonians. As he looks over such a pitiful carnage the old prophet explains, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth.” As Jeremiah experiences the deep pain of affliction he realizes that it is good for a man to experience the yoke of affliction while he is yet young to prepare him for the afflictions of tomorrow. This will teach him where to place his hope and how to wait quietly on the Lord. These are lessons learned only by experience, but lessons which need to learned so that one can navigate and endure the hardships which life brings. Therefore, let us not run away from pain. The brush fires of today will prepare us for the raging forest fires of tomorrow.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Life is full of trials, heartache and affliction. Some are a result of our own doing, some a result of another’s actions and some are of God’s design with reasons known only to Him (e.g. Job). Growing in age does not lessen the afflictions, and in some cases trials only intensify as with Jeremiah. The question is not “Will I encounter trials and afflictions?” for such is life in a sin corrupted world. The correct questions are “How will I handle trials and afflictions when they call?” “Will I react to difficult times with anxiety, doubt and emotional turmoil?” Or, “Will I respond with patient endurance strengthened by a quiet hope?” The answers to these questions will be closely related to one’s prior conditioning and preparation. Thus the old prophet weeps and muses as he looks over his beloved Jerusalem with a broken heart. Jerusalem, the once proud jewel of Israel with her impenetrable walls and magnificent temple which now laid in shambles, devastated by the judgment of God by the hands of the hated Babylonians. As he looks over such a pitiful carnage the old prophet explains, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bears the yoke in his youth.” As Jeremiah experiences the deep pain of affliction he realizes that it is good for a man to experience the yoke of affliction while he is yet young to prepare him for the afflictions of tomorrow. This will teach him where to place his hope and how to wait quietly on the Lord. These are lessons learned only by experience, but lessons which need to learned so that one can navigate and endure the hardships which life brings. Therefore, let us not run away from pain. The brush fires of today will prepare us for the raging forest fires of tomorrow.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Persistent Requests
Luke 11:8-9 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. NKJV
God is not required to meet our every personal desire anytime we ask. He is not a God on a string waiting to be pulled at our request. Sadly, many view our Lord in this way, yet in this manner we only wish to use God for our purposes. But God is concerned for our personal needs and does respond to those requests. Many times God chooses to wait in the midst of our petitions to test our sincerity. If our request is only for a personal desire of our flesh then soon the desire will change and thus our request. But if our request is for a valid need, then we will persistently make our request known to God as the need continues. This is the type of petition the Lord honors. He desires to meet our needs and the longing of our hearts (not of our flesh). We should present all of our true needs to the Father and be assured that He will hear us.
God is not required to meet our every personal desire anytime we ask. He is not a God on a string waiting to be pulled at our request. Sadly, many view our Lord in this way, yet in this manner we only wish to use God for our purposes. But God is concerned for our personal needs and does respond to those requests. Many times God chooses to wait in the midst of our petitions to test our sincerity. If our request is only for a personal desire of our flesh then soon the desire will change and thus our request. But if our request is for a valid need, then we will persistently make our request known to God as the need continues. This is the type of petition the Lord honors. He desires to meet our needs and the longing of our hearts (not of our flesh). We should present all of our true needs to the Father and be assured that He will hear us.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
God Stories
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20
The religious leaders of the day were confounded. Standing before them were two men whom they considered unlearned and ignorant, yet they had begun to turn Jerusalem upside down for Jesus Christ. These men wondered openly where these two fishermen from Galilee had obtained such power which Peter explained the power was in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter and John never spoke with eloquent words and polished speech as the respected teachers of their day, but they spoke in power of the things they had seen and heard. God had moved mightily in their lives and they were telling the “God Stories” which they had experienced and witnessed for themselves. These personal God stories brought flesh to message of Jesus Christ and resonated deep within the souls of those who heard. The message of Christ was no longer just another legend but through the passionate testimony of these messengers the story became real and believable. Again, it was not through eloquent speech, but simply through faithfully telling the story of what they had seen and heard. Peter and John should be an example for us all. They simply used the God stories of their own lives to proclaim the beautiful message of Jesus Christ. If you are truly born again, then you also have a God story you can tell. You do not have to wait until you become well versed in Scripture and evangelism techniques. Just tell your story with passion and you will be amazed at the power in your words. Tell your God stories to your children. They need to hear them and they want to know. Tell your God stories to your friends and co-workers. This makes God real and personal to them. You, too, can turn your personal world upside down by faithfully telling your God stories. People want to know what is making the difference in your life. Tell them! Oh yes, remember the blind man healed by Jesus? He didn’t know much but he had a God story. He simply proclaimed, “I was blind but now I see.”
The religious leaders of the day were confounded. Standing before them were two men whom they considered unlearned and ignorant, yet they had begun to turn Jerusalem upside down for Jesus Christ. These men wondered openly where these two fishermen from Galilee had obtained such power which Peter explained the power was in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter and John never spoke with eloquent words and polished speech as the respected teachers of their day, but they spoke in power of the things they had seen and heard. God had moved mightily in their lives and they were telling the “God Stories” which they had experienced and witnessed for themselves. These personal God stories brought flesh to message of Jesus Christ and resonated deep within the souls of those who heard. The message of Christ was no longer just another legend but through the passionate testimony of these messengers the story became real and believable. Again, it was not through eloquent speech, but simply through faithfully telling the story of what they had seen and heard. Peter and John should be an example for us all. They simply used the God stories of their own lives to proclaim the beautiful message of Jesus Christ. If you are truly born again, then you also have a God story you can tell. You do not have to wait until you become well versed in Scripture and evangelism techniques. Just tell your story with passion and you will be amazed at the power in your words. Tell your God stories to your children. They need to hear them and they want to know. Tell your God stories to your friends and co-workers. This makes God real and personal to them. You, too, can turn your personal world upside down by faithfully telling your God stories. People want to know what is making the difference in your life. Tell them! Oh yes, remember the blind man healed by Jesus? He didn’t know much but he had a God story. He simply proclaimed, “I was blind but now I see.”
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Chasing the Ghost
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
There is a phrase in the drug culture called “Chasing the ghost.” This expression alludes to the process that drives casual drug users into the dark world of abuse. The first time experience or “high” of some drugs delivers a pinnacle of ecstasy which will never be experienced again. Yet, this first time encounter is so powerful that it drives a person into more usage seeking to regain that elusive initial ecstasy (the ghost) all over again. The pursuit of this ghost drives him/her deeper and deeper into drug abuse. Sadly, many Christians live their lives in the same manner. They spend much of their productive lives chasing a past experience which they desire to be duplicated or an illusive idol which falsely promises to deliver spiritual and/or material ecstasy. Solomon, the preacher of Ecclesiastes chased the ghosts of materialism, works and pleasure only to find emptiness. “All is vanity” cried the exasperated ghost seeker and as a result of honest observation he made the astute conclusion that chasing the ghost is foolishness. He finally realized that a fulfilled life can be obtained and experienced day after day not by chasing a ghost but by simply, “Fearing God and keeping His commandments.”
There is a phrase in the drug culture called “Chasing the ghost.” This expression alludes to the process that drives casual drug users into the dark world of abuse. The first time experience or “high” of some drugs delivers a pinnacle of ecstasy which will never be experienced again. Yet, this first time encounter is so powerful that it drives a person into more usage seeking to regain that elusive initial ecstasy (the ghost) all over again. The pursuit of this ghost drives him/her deeper and deeper into drug abuse. Sadly, many Christians live their lives in the same manner. They spend much of their productive lives chasing a past experience which they desire to be duplicated or an illusive idol which falsely promises to deliver spiritual and/or material ecstasy. Solomon, the preacher of Ecclesiastes chased the ghosts of materialism, works and pleasure only to find emptiness. “All is vanity” cried the exasperated ghost seeker and as a result of honest observation he made the astute conclusion that chasing the ghost is foolishness. He finally realized that a fulfilled life can be obtained and experienced day after day not by chasing a ghost but by simply, “Fearing God and keeping His commandments.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)