Ask The Right Question!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 LSB

Jesus encourages us to ask Him for a variety of things throughout Scripture. We should ask for His Kingdom to come, supernatural wisdom, extraordinary strength, and comforting peace to name a few. We know He is generous and wants to give His children good gifts. Think about it, the One Who spoke all of creation into existence, wants to grant us the desires of our hearts. The One Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, wants to fill our barns and our vats to overflow. Sounds amazing for sure, but let's never forget what is required in return. We're to love God with all of heart, mind, soul, and strength. We're also called to love our neighbors as ourselves. God knows us well; without the proper focus we'd ask out of selfish motives and for our own gratification. God loves us too much to allow us to drown in our own greed. To experience the abundance God desires for us, we must ask the right questions with the right attitude.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5 LSB

Sometimes it's not clear what we should ask for or how exactly we are to ask. We know God is not going to grant us anything outside of His will. God is also not a vending machine where we throw a demand, disguised as a prayer, at Him and He responds exactly how and when we dictate. We also can't tell God how and when He should take care of our wish list. Not only is it irreverent behavior, but it’s also foolish and a potential pathway to sin.

A better option when it's not clear what to ask for is to ask for wisdom and guidance. God has blessed us with His Word and indwelled us with His Spirit to guide and counsel us. When facing a challenging situation or a seemingly overwhelming obstacle, we may be tempted to ask 'why' when it’s better to ask 'how'. Why things are happening the way they are may not be something God chooses to reveal right away, which makes asking how to navigate the circumstances more productive. Often when we seek the 'how', He draws us closer, and we're comforted simply by abiding in the love of Christ. Does that make everything better or satisfy our wants? Probably not but as David wrote in Psalm 37; if we delight ourselves in Him, He grants us the desires of our hearts. Clearly God knows what we need better than we do. We experience pure joy and contentment when we rest in Him. Often, it's in the midst of resting that we see God's greatest work in our circumstances.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:7 LSB‬

Simply put, when our prayers are aligned with the will of God, they’re answered in His perfect way, in His perfect timing, and all for His glory. Our faith gives us the ability to remain at peace regardless of when the Lord chooses to respond. Abiding can't be intermittent or conditional. For the believer in Christ, abiding is as essential as breathing. Unfortunately, it's not quite as natural for us as we wrestle with our emotions and our flesh. Praise God for His patience and mercy! When the struggling father cried out, "help me in my unbelief", Jesus showed compassion not contempt. Jesus knows we won't be perfect at abiding until we reach glorification. The key for us is to be intentional and recognize opportunities to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness rather than our kingdom and self-righteousness. The more we put this into practice, the more we'll see our prayers being answered, often in ways we'd never imagine.

Asking the right questions, in the right manner, with the right attitude will yield incredible results. Not just because we presented our requests but because of the love and through the power of the One we ask. The next time you petition the Lord, remember Who you're asking and trust in Him to respond.

Just Follow Your Heart

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

Matthew 15:19

You’ve heard it, every dad has. Mom’s revert to it as a source of comfort, and every princess movie out there has a young woman following her heart to achieve some dream or destiny.

Well I personally am sick and tired of it. Christian parents need to be digging into the scripture and find out God’s destiny and raise our children in the way they should go (proverbs 22:6).

The fall in Genesis 3 brought on a condition to humanity that was not our intended purpose. When Adam ate of the tree sin fell upon him and that sin has been passed down ever since. From father to son, from mother to daughter sin and misery is our natural state of being. 

Romans 5:18 says “ One trespass led to condemnation for all men.

That is our natural state now. We don’t have to be taught how to take what we want, be mean, slap at people we don't like as children. As parents we have to teach our kids how to share, be nice, and keep their hands to themselves. The bad comes naturally because we’re born with it.

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners Romans 5:19

None is righteous, no, not one Romans 3:10

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive men Psalm 51:5

It is over and over throughout scripture that we are born sinful. It is part of the curse and the only way out of that curse is our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

Getting that little bit of history on the subject, and it is just a little, do you think our hearts can be trusted to make decisions without our guide book. I don’t.

Jeremiah says in chapter 17 verse 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it?

Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

That’s what Jesus said about the human heart’s desire. 

We as christian need to be moving away from the “Follow Your Heart” method of guiding and into the “Follow God’s Word” method. 

His desire is far better than our own. As nice and christiany as I try to be I still sin because I will on occasion listen to my own desires over God’s. It’s easier, its an easy walk down the trail, but that trail ends at a cliff and you can’t turn back around. The only way off is to jump head first into the guilt, shame, and misery I create be my disobedient actions.

OR.

I can take myself to scripture, I can walk onto the hard trail that goes up and down with its twists and turns, stumble, get up, keep pushing, but that trail ends in the High Country with beautiful views and worship of an almighty savior. 

Following your heart will get you nowhere. It will make you dumber and you just end up looking like the world around you.

Following God’s Word is hard. People make fun of you and according to them you look like a lunatic, but the difference is. You will hear well done my good and faithful servant, and they will hear depart from me, I never knew you.

Which do you want to hear?

Repent

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.
Ezekiel 18:32 ESV

We all have choices. We’re all able to choose a course of action and to pursue it to the best of our ability. Ideally, we're striving for an outcome that honors God and aligns with His will. Too often that's easier said than done. Jesus warns us of a wide path and its outcome, destruction. He also encourages us with the outcome of choosing the narrow path, eternal life. It seems so simple, yet in the moment, temptation is right there to knock us off course. It's a battle which ultimately is decided by our decision to yield to the Spirit or go our own way.

So, what happens when we make the wrong choice? Do we lose our salvation? Do we face the full wrath of God? If one is a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, their salvation is assured. Salvation is never a matter of our works; it's based on God's grace. One of the unique attributes of God is that He's immutable which means He never changes. Scripture reminds us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you have questions about any of this, I encourage you to check out our devotional series on the Five Solas. The assurance of our salvation, however, doesn't mean we're exempt from the consequences of our choices and actions. God often uses these consequences to serve as lessons for helping us to make better choices next time.

The first step requires a choice to repent. Repent is simply choosing to go a different way. Specifically, making the God honoring decision and not continuing to pursue sin. Remember, sin means missing the mark. In this case the mark is God's design for our lives. If we sincerely want to repent, God will not only forgive us but also guide us back into alignment. He often uses those consequences as the platform to effect change. The process of repentance starts with confession. An acknowledgement that we've done wrong, we're truly sorry for what we've done and the harm it's caused, and that we desire to make it right. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Praise God for the spiritual cleansing He gives us. We should never look at this as a license to sin, rather the opportunity to grow in our sanctification.

The next steps in the process of repentance are critical. We must learn how to avoid the sin, to resist temptation, and to make God honoring choices. All of this is logical, but the question remains, how does it happen. There's no magic formula or quick fix that will result in transformation. The tools of transformation are the same fundamental disciplines every Christ follower is encouraged to adopt. Sincere prayer, intentional time in God’s Word, and authentic fellowship with fellow believers all done consistently will be the basis for change. If we're honest, most of the time our attraction to sin grows as our adherence to Christian habits wanes. For most, the biggest obstacle is getting started. The enemy wants to keep you inactive. As time passes the sting of sin fades and if nothing changes, we're highly likely to repeat our bad choices. One other key point to remember when it comes to your prayer, time in the Word, and fellowship is to not just generalize but focus on countermeasures to the temptation and sin you struggle with. God always has something to say on every aspect of our lives. It may not be specific to a unique choice but there's something on the topic overall that can be applied. If you dig deep, seek diligently, and are transparent with your brothers the Lord will guide your steps. When He does, follow Him without looking to the left or the right.

Repentance isn't always easy, but it is rewarding. The peace that comes from walking in alignment with God's will makes facing the consequences of our sin more bearable. In reality, the consequences will be there whether we repent or not. The blessing comes from the restoration and the equipping to not repeat the same mistake over and over. David sums it up well in Psalm 1.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3 ESV‬‬

Miracles

Miracle - an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.

That's the definition given by Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Divine intervention in human affairs can be seen in only a few places in the bible. Moses and Joshua. Elijah and Elisha. Jesus and His Disciples. If you ask the average christian today or even non believers they think the bible is full of miracle after miracle. It’s not, Miracles throughout scripture are used to show the world that God has appointed said person to bring a message. 

The purpose of this is because anyone can say “Thus says the Lord” and follow it up with a lie. To be completely sure that these people were sent from God, Our Lord intervened in their humanity with supernatural acts that 1. Can only be explained by God and 2. Because it can only be explained by God, these men were sent from God.

This is just a short devotional on my thoughts of “why nonbelievers think christians are…..” you can fill in the blank. Every other worship song and church meeting on a sunday is constantly talking about miracles. We have dumbed it down to a point where if we have an unexpected “buy one get one free” deal at our local Arby’s we say “thanks for today’s miracle jesus.” 

Using the above definition would that count as a miracle, NO. 

Moses and the rock shooting water out of it to give water to millions in the desert. That's a miracle.

Elijah and calling down fire from heaven. That’s a miracle.

Jesus healing eyes, hands, and lepers. That is a miracle.

All of those examples are divine interventions in human affairs.

The challenge of this devotional is to have you reflect on what miracles are and how we describe and use them in our biblical studies.

The Grind

I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping My commandments and My rules, as he is today.’ 

1 Chronicles‬ 28:7‬ ESV‬‬

At the time I'm writing this we're already halfway through February. Less than two months ago we were celebrating Christmas and preparing for the new year. The new year brings us fresh hope, new beginnings, and the opportunity to develop new habits. Six weeks into the new year, for many people, those new habits have faded into the mist. Being behind in the reading plan, hitting the snooze button instead of the gym, or not pursuing that opportunity to serve the local body has led people to abandon the effort altogether. Why does this happen? Was the objective unrealistic? No. Did the opportunity disappear? No. Too often, the answer is a lack of willingness to consistently put in the daily work. 

Let's face it, when we set the goal we can visualize the benefit, we just don't like to look at the effort needed to make it materialize. In the verse above, King David is sharing with the people of Judah the vision God has cast regarding Solomon. The benefit is clear but there's a requirement. Solomon must remain strong in following God. 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua‬ 1:8‬ ESV‬‬

Solomon was to follow the same instructions God gave Joshua when the mantle of leadership passed to him from Moses. In fact, God gave Moses these same instructions for the man leading the people which Moses then declared to the generation about to enter the Promised Land. 

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
Deuteronomy‬ 17:18-‬20‬ ESV‬‬

We all know what happened when Solomon stopped the daily habits. His kingdom was divided after he passed away, his many foreign wives led him to idolatry, and he realized at the end of his life that all his illusion of worldly success was vanity. 

We don't have to experience the same end as Solomon. If we put in the effort each day, the blessing that comes from a life in alignment with the will of God will be ours. If you're behind in your reading plan, pick up your Bible and get going from where you left off. If you're struggling to pray, set a daily reminder on your device that goes to your prayer list. To make sure you stay on track ask someone, who lives the habits you're looking to develop to hold you accountable. 

Are you going to be perfect from the get-go? Nope. Are you going to try and make excuses why you can't? Yup. Don't let these stumbling blocks take you out. God has equipped you and the Holy Spirit will encourage you if you submit and do your part. I promise you only good will come from adopting habits that draw you closer to God. It won't be easy at the start, but God promises it will be worth it at the finish.

Paths

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way,

but the LORD establishes his steps.”

We take such care to plan, adjust, and decide parts of our lives to ensure a better future, financial success, or just a project we’re working on. I personally have taken the path of most resistance to get where I am today. I chose the hard path. I’m assuming some of you as well have started out on the hard path and turned back. You’ve thought to yourself “this is easier if i do it this way”, but that way just leads you to regrets and thoughts of what you could’ve done.

If you’re like me and you took the hard path you’ve probably had more bad times than you care to admit. Days spent asking why, days spent crying for no reason, or being angry for no reason other than the path you chose took you to a dark place you didn’t think you’d recover from, but the above verse brings myself comfort in this situation, The Lord establishes my steps, and yours alike. The means if we truly believe in His ultimate sovereignty over His creation these plans were established before creation. That is a great comfort to me knowing that before all of this creation, before the revolutionary war, and before the roman empire I was thought of and my plans established (Revelation 13, Romans 8)

These paths, I believe, give us the appearance that we chose them, but scripture has shown me that my path was chosen long before I walked the earth. If you study the scriptures I know you will find the same. So whether you believe you’ve chosen the easier path or the hard one the decision is ultimately up to our sovereign creator.

If you have been dealt the easier path praise God for it and do not look into what could’ve been. Look at what is. Look at what you can do in your current situation to be of service, make Him known, and to give him the glory for the blessings He has given you.

If you’ve been handed the harder path, again, praise God for it. The paths may be different, but we’re each called to do something different. Since we are all called to something different it would only make sense that our paths would prepare us for what the calling is. If what you're calling is men’s ministry you may have a hardened path to be able to connect with those rough and tough men. If you’re called to teach children your path should be easier, relating to them on their level doesn’t require a hard path. Whichever way your life is going, it is going that way according to the plan and purpose God has designed specifically for you. Lean into it. I never want to be the man who shakes a fist at God. I’m dumb. There are numerous topics I don't know, haven’t studied, or just have zero interest in, but our God knows them all. 

Since I believe He knows all things throughout all time I make it a habit of blaming myself and not God. I repent and continue to seek His Will. I suggest you do the same.

In the commentary on Proverbs 16:9 John MacArthur says “ The Sovereign God overrules the plans of people to fulfill His Purposes”

I couldn’t agree more with that. Check out Genesis 50:20, 1 Kings 12:15, 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 for more on God's purposes.

Your Way

Most of us are familiar with the Lord’s Prayer.  In it we are shown by Jesus how to pray about the will of God “your kingdom come, your will be done”.  We are to seek to do His will at all times.  This is for our good and for His glory.  God has laid out in scripture how he expects us to live and follow Him.  We, however, sometimes think we have a better way than Him to live out our lives.  We follow the world and not God’s Word.

If you are a Christian, then you have seen your depravity and have repented of your sins. You believe that God sent His only son Jesus to be born of a virgin, live a perfect and sinless life, die on a cross for your sins, and was resurrected on the third day.  You have surrendered your life over the Him as your Lord and Savior.  That last part is where most of us stumble.  Yes, most of us totally believe that Jesus is the son of God and died for our sins and we are perfectly fine “allowing” Him to be our Savior… BUT WHAT ABOUT LORD?!  Is He the Lord of your Life?

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord 

and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, 

you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Maybe you said a prayer once and asked Jesus to come into your heart or possibly you were baptized and you consider this your salvation story.  God never said to say a prayer or be baptized for salvation.  He said to confess Jesus as Lord and believe that He was raised from the dead.  Have you confessed Jesus as LORD of your life?  If not, then why not today?  Why not RIGHT NOW?  Now is the time if you have never done it before.  

 “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Matthew 7:23

This has to be one of the scariest passages in all of scripture: to know that many will have a false assurance of their salvation and then be thrown into hell forever.  Unfortunately, far too many people have never confessed Jesus as both Lord AND Savior of their lives.  They want the Savior part without making Him Lord over them.

There is a fast food restaurant that has made a slogan and a song advertising their way of doing things.  They have promoted their entire business model on this.  You don’t want onions or pickles on your cheeseburger, then they will make it that way.  You want to hold the ketchup and add bacon, no problem.  Sadly, a lot of churches today are singing the same song!  They have made a mockery of the Gospel by telling people “Come accept Jesus and you can continue to be who you are.  You just have to believe in Jesus and he will save you”.  This is the same as saying that there is no need to repent for your sins, change your lifestyle, live like Jesus, or make Him the Lord of your life!  They are literally telling people to just believe in Jesus and you are all good.  This is NOT what the scriptures say.  You need to make Jesus the Lord of your life and you should long to be more like Him every day.  You should hate sin and want to eliminate it from your life!  

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”   2 Corinthians 5:17

No matter what you might have been told before…

Christianity is not Burger King…. You cannot “Have it your way”!

If you haven’t surrendered you life completely to the Lordship of Jesus then today is the day to do it,,,,,

MAKE JESUS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE TODAY.

The Seeds of Legacy

Genesis‬ 1:11‬ ESV‬
And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.

One of the habits I've developed is reading the entire Bible each year. I've been doing this for about 15 years and follow a reading plan to stay on track. Over the years I've used different types of plans and have read different translations. I do this in addition to studying the Bible each day. God is always revealing new things to me through His living and active Word. This is one of the reasons I enjoy reading God's Word so much. 

When I read Genesis 1:11 this year, the reference to seeds stood out to me. Although I've read this verse countless times, I'd never stopped to reflect on seeds. My initial thought was around the purpose of seeds. Seeds serve to produce the next generation of the plant or tree. In essence, seeds are the vehicle for one generation of the plant to pass along its legacy to the next generation. For men, our physical seed serves the same purpose but even more important is the passing along of our spiritual seeds.

Jesus spoke of seeds often. This resonated with His original audience, many of whom were farmers or arborists. In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus describes how the smallest seed grows into the largest plant as an analogy of our faith. Of course, this doesn't happen by accident. Just as the seed needs to be nurtured, we must be intentional about teaching the next generation about the foundation of our faith. The Apostle Paul goes on to note that we work collectively with other believers in the discipling process and God provides the growth (1 Cor. 3:7). A seed doesn't reach its fullest potential without nurturing. In the same manner, our legacy won't be maximized without discipleship. 

Seeds must also be protected in order to grow to full maturity. There may be weeds near the plant, but they can't be allowed to overtake it. Jesus alludes to this in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30). The ones we strive to pass our legacy onto are going to face outside influences. At times, those influences come with temptations that will seem appealing but lead to painful and harmful outcomes. As legacy builders, we can't turn a blind eye to this. We must follow Paul's instructions in Ephesians 6:4, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Breaking this down,

1. The responsibility lies with the father.

2. Explain rather than argue. 

3. Training is intentional and habit forming. 

4. God is the Authority. His warnings through His Word are to be heeded.

The Bible references seeds in many books and to drive home critical points. Since Jesus does this a lot Himself. We must pay careful attention and put His teaching into action. The 'seeds' we want to see flourish, must be nurtured, and protected. As men, it’s our responsibility to build a godly legacy. The legacy we leave will reflect how well we answered the call.

True Faith Confronts A Challenge

Warren Wiersbe said, when speaking on Daniel 3,

”God tests us to develop our faith, because a faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted. False faith withers in times of trial, but true faith takes deeper root, grows, and brings glory to God.”

If you haven’t read through Daniel 3 go do that. I’ll give a brief summary of the overall story now. King Nebuchadnezzer has been told that 3 of his jewish leaders refuse to worship the golden statue he made. Whenever citizens heard music of any kind they were to fall down and worship this idol, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the jewish leaders, refused to. Their Babylonian counterparts went to the King and said “King these men do not worship, they don’t believe in your gods, and they worship another god besides you,” (Daniel 3:12) paraphrase.

The King then calls them in for questioning asking, Is it true? They basically tell him to kick rocks. In Daniel 3 verse 16. They told the King “we don’t have to answer you in this matter” That was a death sentence right there, knowing the consequence was to be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Daniel 16-17 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.”

The intestinal fortitude those three men had to have! It amazes me reading this and stories like it of christian martyrs the amount of faith they have to stand up for Christ.

Daniel 18 “But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

There is an awesome display of faith with the end goal of glory to our God. These men knew what they did was right, in the sight of God, and whether God chose to save them, or let them die, the glory was His.  Imagine that for a second, if you had an outlook on God’s will and not our’s, how powerful faith can give you all you need. If we die God gets the glory because we stood for what was right in His eyes and we died obedient, or God saves us to show His might power, and again His glory or shown to all. 

It’s a Win/Win for the faith filled believers.

Daniel 19-25 “Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

The King was so mad at the audacity of these men, he had the furnace stoked seven times hotter than normal. It was so hot that his own men were killed trying to put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in. So they fall in and what happens? King Nebuchadnezzer sees not only the three, but he sees a fourth man. That fourth man was described as looking like a son of god. Now obviously Jesus hadn't been born yet, but it doesn’t mean He was alive. He was with them in that fire. This is one of His pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament. These 3 men walked right out of that fire. The King, the officials, the citizens who all witnessed these three men thrown into the fire and come out unsinged, and not even smelling of fire now knew the ultimate power of the God of Israel. They knew how powerful faith in Him could be, and who to look to for the inspiration of being dedicated to The God of Israel. With just one act of defiance to the King these three men witnessed God’s Power, God’s Glory, and Their faith to the entire nation of Babylon.

Time for some practical.

When trials come, and they will come, look to God for the solution. His will is always better than ours. 

Trust Him in it. The fiery furnace probably looked horrible. I know it couldn’t have been pleasant to be anywhere close to it.

Search for His glory in the good, the bad , and ugly. Like shadrach, meshach, and abednego they were ready to die for His glory, die in their obedience, but also had the faith that God could save them out of it. They were fine either way. We should be the same if it sucks, good. If its great, good attitude.

My Pastor said “There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing” 

If you’re scared of confrontation then maybe you should read the gospel again. Jesus is meek, but I don’t see mild anywhere. Not in His character, or the men who followed Him. Christian men it is time we stop wearing our meek and mild attire, and put on the armor of God. Confront these challenges that we’re faced with at work, at our schools, and our political systems. Use your faith as a weapon in confrontation so that no matter the outcome the Glory is God’s. If we get knocked down at least we stood for what was right, and if we assault the enemy and prevail It was because of God’s Glory, not ours.

Soli Deo Gloria

Not Our Own

​There are certain times that we tend to think about our health and wellbeing.  Maybe it is a new year’s resolution, your birthday as you reflect on your age, when you see a loved one struggling with their health, or possibly when you yourself find yourself struggling with sickness, or a health issue.  Whatever the cause, we have all thought about our health at one time or another.  

​As a Christian this should be something that we are constantly looking at and reviewing.  We should have a longing to protect and provide for the body that we have been given.  This life here on earth is short and if we are going to make the most of it then we must look at how we treat the body we have while here.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought with a price.  Therefore honor God with your bodies.”  

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Neglecting your body and not taking care of it is a sin.  How we do this might look a little different for each of us and it is not necessarily about going to the gym five times a week, running three times a week, or watching every single calorie that you consume.  This is about a mindset that we are to take care of what God has given us.  Nothing is ours, it is all His, our finances, our abilities, talents, the time He gives us each day, and also the bodies we have while here.  We must steward everything well… INCLUDING OUR BODIES.

​We need to look at our bodies as a gift from God just like we would with any of the other gifts that He has so richly blessed us with.  We can easily overlook the fact that life itself, the body in which we came in is sustained here on earth, is truly a gift from God.  Yes, we know this but we unfortunately overlook it more than we should.  

​Let us not take for granted the health we have, and can work towards today before it is too late.  We have only one body.  Let’s make the most of it so we can make the most of the opportunities we have to serve our Lord and Savior and to bring Him glory and honor!

Cease Fire

Cease Fire

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans‬ 8:5-‬6‬ ESV‬‬

The war between Spirit and flesh never ceases. Throw in the deception of temptation and the battle just intensifies. I don't know about you, but I'd really like it if the two sides would call for a cease fire occasionally. A respite where I could put down the Shield of Faith for a moment and the barrage of fiery darts stopped. If I want life and peace, I need to accept there's not going to be a cease fire until the enemy meets his ultimate demise in the lake of fire. Given this reality, my choice is to fight or be defeated. There is no cease fire.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
1 Peter‬ 2:11‬ ESV‬‬

The enemy wants to lull us into perceiving there is no battle, no conflict, no war. The temptations presented as lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life seem harmless and highly worthwhile on the surface, but the truth is these all lead to spiritual death. There can't be compromise or delusional thinking that a little won't hurt. We've been warned otherwise and ignoring the warning is worse than ignoring the poison label on a bottle and drinking it anyway. This is why it's essential that every lofty argument against Christ is destroyed and every disobedient thought must be taken captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5) As men, we are not only called to adhere to this warning but also must lead everyone in our family and sphere of influence to adopt the same mindset and adhere to it as well. Of course, we don't do this in our power or by our own strategies, we do this by submitting to the Spirit and then leading those in our care as we're directed.

He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.
Psalm‬ 55:18‬ ESV‬‬

So where do we find the endurance, the strength, and the will to stay in the fight to the end? In Christ alone! Jesus has given us many promises, through scripture, for us to focus on in the midst of the battle. 

• No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
  Joshua‬ 1:5‬ ESV‬‬

• No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
  1 Corinthians‬ 10:13‬ ESV‬‬

• Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
  James‬ 4:7‬ ESV‬‬

• I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
  John‬ 16:33‬ ESV‬‬

• Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
  1 John‬ 4:4‬ ESV‬‬

On my own, my strength will fail. On my own, my endurance will run out. On my own, my self-denial will give way to temptation. The enemy is counting on me to be self-reliant and ultimately to quit. This is precisely why there is no cease fire. Through life experience, I know this. I recognize that by truly dying to self and surrendering to the leading of the Spirit, my ability to finish the race and achieve eternal victory is assured. Even though victory has already been won through Jesus’s work on the cross, the battle still rages until His return. Until that time, I must stand firm in my faith and realize the enemy won’t relent. Through Christ, I am more than a conqueror.

Contend For The Faith

FIGHT! Contend! Do Battle! WHen apostasy arises, when false teachers emerge, when the truth of God is attacked, it is time to fight for the faith. Only believers who are spiritually “in shape” can answer the summons. 

Jude 1-3 “Jude a bondservant of Jesus, and brother of James. To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

There is so much in these first 3 verses. Jude was the brother of James, which makes him the half brother of Jesus. If it were you or I we would have led with that, but Jude doesn’t. Why?

He doesn’t want to lead with familiarity, but lead with a heart for his master, Jesus. 

Jude 4 “ For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Verse 4 is telling us just as we were chosen for salvation and chosen for a specific mission in Christ, these men were chosen to do the exact opposite. They’re here to twist and pervert the gospel of Christ and we are to “contend for the faith. As the opening line said, how can an out of shape believer fight, they can’t.

So it brings me to this question, Are you spiritually in shape? Are you capable of fighting for the faith? This is not a physical battle, even though it may come to that one day, this is a battle of ethics, morality, ultimately a battle for TRUTH in a world full of lies.

Are you capable of speaking truth into someone's life? Are you able to answer questions on the fly without looking stupid? I know when I started I couldn’t. Maybe you’re more prepared than I was, but my guess is you’re exactly like I was if you’re honest with yourself. We’re going to jump down a few verses.

Jude 8 “ likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.”

Jude 10 “but these speak evil of whatever they do not know, and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

Jude 16 “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, and they mouth great swelling words flattering people to gain advantage.

Jude 5-19 Is just a paragraph of jude calling these men what they are so we know what to look for in these corrupted men. He is giving us a cheatsheet basically on how to prepare for the battle.

They defile the flesh, they reject authority, they speak evil of things they don’t understand. They complain and grumble, they use people to gain personal advantage.  

Are you prepared for a biblical response to defiling flesh and rejecting authority?

Are you prepared to give a biblical response to people who speak foolishly against our Christ because they don’t understand him?

If you feel this devotional has made you uncomfortable I apologize, but it’s here to make you think and prepare you.

Jude finishes with this.

Jude 20-23 “but you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most Holy faith, praying in the holy spirit, keep yourselves in the love of god looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

The writer is telling us some will need our empathy for their situation and care for them with the love and compassion of Christ, but on others we will literally have to grab them out of the fire, and show them righteous anger at what they’re doing (hating even the garment defiled by the flesh).

Remember Contend for Faith and if you’re not ready prepare yourself. If you need help with this I suggest visiting www.fortironministries.com/resources to download some study guides to help with your personal study.

Jude 24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. 

To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and Power

Both now and forever.

Amen

Soli Deo Gloria

Christmas Traditions

We started December 1st with Luke one, on the date of this posting we should all be on Luke chapter 20 and our lives should be better for it. The purpose of this is to first off get our families in the Word of God daily, and second so on Christmas morning our children will have heard the gospel and understand the reason we celebrate christmas and easter and have had their questions answered.

I’ve heard from some fathers who are doing this, their children want to do this with other books in the bible. That’s amazing. My children have two different catechisms they love going through. You have to find what works, and for my kids they love the read and answer the questions model of family worship. We make it like a game show. You should try it. We have prizes like cookies and fruit snacks.

I just want to say in the next four days your whole will have read Luke, and I encourage you to continue with other books, or topical readings to keep your family engaged.

So onto today's devotional.

I just want to spit out some fact to help you all with the naysayers of Christmas traditions.

“DECEMBER 25 isn’t Jesus’ Real Birthday”

While that may be true, no one knows His actual birthday. The point of the matter is that he was born.  

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215 AD) was the first to discuss the possible dates of Jesus’ nativity, though he offers little explanation: You can look at “Clement of Alexandria, Stromata-Miscellanies, Book 1 Chapter XXI”

The Christmas holiday has some amazing traditions, but the date of December 25 has absolutely nothing to do with pagenism, or witchcraft rituals. In 354 A.D, Pope Liberius set December 25th as the date of Christmas, Christ’s Mass, Which means the celebration of Christ. He set this date because of a Jewish thought. Great Prophets died on the same day they were conceived. So if Christ died on, or around March 25th “good Friday” that would be His conception date. So 9 months from a conception date of March 25 you get December 25. 

Now no one really know, but this is how and when it was chosen.

“Christmas Trees are from Witches”

Again another false claim by a group bent on destroying Christ.

The Christmas tree origins trace back to the 200 ADs, when early church father Tertullian wrote: “You are the light of the world, a tree evergreen, if you have renounced the heathen temple.”

St. Boniface (680-755), who was also called Wynfred, was the Apostle of the Germans, being sent forth by Pope Gregory II as a missionary to heathen germany. In the year 716, St. Boniface confronted the Chieftain Gundhar, who was about to offer the little Prince Asulf as a “bloody sacrifice” to Thor, their pagan god who supposedly lived in the huge “donar” oak tree at geismar.

St. Boniface boldly took an ax and after a few swings at the mighty “Blood Oak”, an enormous wind blew the tree over. The heathen throng was in awe and converted to Christianity. Then pointing to an evergreen tree that was next to it, or that had miraculously grown up, St. Boniface said this.

“This is the word, and this is the counsel. Not a drop of blood shall fall tonight, for this is the birth-night of Saint Christ, Son of the all-Father and Saviour of the world. This little tree, a young child of the forest shall be a home tree tonight. It is the wood of peace, for your house are built of fir. It is the sign of endless life, for its branches are ever green. See how it points towards Heaven! Let this be called the tree of the Christ child; gather about it, not in the wild woods but in your homes there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and lights of Kindness.”

Now the lighting of this tree didn’t happen until years later in 1520. Martin Luther on Christmas eve walking under the cold December sky looked up and noticed the countless starts illuminating the night. He returned home and to the delight of his wife and children, set up an evergreen tree placing a great number of small candles on its branches. He used this to tell his children the true meaning of the Christ Child, the light of the World, whose birth had so gloriously brightened the sky on that first christmas eve. He set up a creche scene under the tree so that the lights would appear as the stars above Bethlehem.

Finally everyone's favorite: “SANTA CLAUS IS JUST SATAN MISSPELLED”

Now we know that a big fat dude on top of the world, building toys with elves, and flying around in one night giving gifts to every child is untrue, but There really is a Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas, while his origins as bishop are well noted, and how he got there by secretly giving money away to pay a bride fee is where we get secret gift giving from, I suggest you look at the stories of St. Nichols. He saved innocents, talked trash to armies, and even punched another bishop in the mouth for denying the deity of Christ at the council of Nicea in 325 AD. 

Go check out his origin story.

But onto the Santa Claus we have today, where did it start? In Diedrich Knickerbocker’s A History of New York from the Beginning of the New World to the End of The Dutch Dynasty, 1809. By Washington Irving.

In 1823, Clement Moore wrote an imaginative poem for his children titled. “A Visit From St. Nicholas”

You know it. It starts like this, Twas the night before christmas, and all through the house.

Moore was the first person to mention St. Nicholas being pulled by reindeer in a sled. 

Again from the dutch in 1862 Thomas Nast, Mostly known for the democrat mule and republican elephant, sketched his first drawings of Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly Magazine. By this time St. Nicholas had evolved from Saint Nicholas to Sant Niklass to Sinter Klaas to Santa Claus just from evolving language from Dutch settlers. Over the next 22 years Mr. Nast would publish over thirty cartoons depicting Santa Claus as a type of Bavarian Father Christmas, Jolly, plump, with gnome-like features, and an infectious outgoing personality. He carried a long telescope, record book, and a “NORTH POLE” sign behind him, which was a demoralizing moment for the south during the civil war.

All the drawings were black and white until McLoughlin Brothers Publishers asked him to do a final series of cartoons in colors. This was the first time Santa Claus had a red suit with white fur trim, still in his traditional Dutch garb.

These are just a few of the amazing stories around Christmas, and where these traditions come from. For more check the William Federer’s Book “There Really Is A Santa Claus”

Available on the Fort Iron Ministries booklist.

Remember Jude tells us to “Contend for The Faith”, Peter tells us “Be ready in season and out of season”

I hope this is just another arrow in your quiver when holiday conversations arise.

Soli Deo Gloria

Lions, not Lambs

David Murrow said in his book Why Men Hate Going To Church “while christian values tend to be perceived as feminine, they must be lived out in an aggressive, masculine fashion.”

Isn’t that the issue in a nutshell? The perception of christian music is “My boyfriend Jesus”. The perception of serving at church is decorating, watching children, hospital ministry all sorts of things that men are naturally not good at. The modern church appears to be feminine. It looks like the only men there are dorks to be honest. The women in church are there more often according to studies. They serve more than we do. Why? because the message of serving in our local church al; evolve around stuff that women are great at comforting, nurturing, supporting a program. 

Men show up for “work days” fixing someone's house, car, or doing some yard work on the church grounds. That’s what men are good at. Goal oriented, task focus, and completion are naturally built into every man, but when it comes to day to day discipleship men aren’t engaged as much as women. My church has a prayer breakfast, wild game dinner, and a bible study like once a year. So that's roughly three hours out of a whole year that men are together to be intentional, and it's not from lack of trying from our pastor. So what’s that deal?

The deal is men like risk and reward mindsets, they enjoy adventure and competition. So why don’t we focus some discipleship towards the way men are wired? I want to believe our pastors are trying. They just need a few men to let them know we have their backs on this. Like the quote above it appears feminine, but must be lived out in a masculine way. 

What does that mean? 

When I read that this is what I hear, I am supposed to lean into my aggressive nature, my competitive nature, and my risk reward nature for the advancement of the kingdom. 

Let us look at some biblical examples. The apostle John is now called the apostle of love. He writes about it throughout his gospel and epistles, but he did not start that way. He started hot headed. John and his brother were called the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). They wanted to call down fire from heaven because some folks were being mean. If that’s not hot headed I don't know what is. By the end of John's life he was known for his love of others and love of Christ, but he was also so aggressive in his approach to making disciples. 

The same goes for Peter, Andrew, James, and the others. These were all tough men, fishermen, farmers, outdoorsmen who preached a message from Jesus. Yes jesus’ message is of love, but in order to spread his message he chose a group of men who were not religious scholars, or well educated. He chose a group of men He knew could be teachable and change, but also could stand strong in conflict and risk.

In that way I believe we are like the apostles. They were just normal men until they all met Jesus. If you’re reading this I pray that you've met Jesus. If you haven’t stop and reach out to us or someone. Jesus showed them how to serve and serve aggressively. 

Why can’t our men today stand up and be aggressive with our learning of the gospel? 

Why can’t our men be aggressive in our outreach?

Spreading the gospel is a perfect opportunity for us to lean into mens natural attributes. Men love a challenge, so, make it a challenge. Go out into the public square and take a risk. If you get stumped by questions, GOOD it gives you something to study so you can try again. If you’re scared, be honest with a group about why and go do it anyway. Men doing something you don’t want to do with a group of men is a lot easier than doing it with or around women. Men don’t like to look dumb in front of women. Get a group of men to study together and go out to put it into action together. 

These apostles and early church fathers were lions, not lambs. They were men who risked everything in service to God. They willingly taught the word of The Lord to everyone they met with courage that embodies Roman 1:16. They were totally unashamed of the gospel of Christ. Maybe that’s the problem men are ashamed of the Church today because the modern man is weak, overly humble, and above all else he is nice. He lets others run over him and doesn’t have the spine to truly protect and provide for a family. Maybe that's why? Don’t you think it's time to change that perspective? I do! 

At Fort Iron Ministries that is what we’re hoping to do. Change the regular church going man from lamb meek and mild into lion strong and powerful. That's exactly what our local churches need. That is what our country needs. It is what the world needs. Men of God stand in their faith and not only fight for one thing or another, but fight for everything. Every single fight that needs to be fought we should have christian men everywhere standing in their faith ready with a defense of the gospel or ready with a biblical approach to solving the issue. 

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your Labor is not in vain.

The problem is we have too many lambs who want to sit in the pew to get fed, and get led around. Be a lion go on the hunt, find your food, be aggressive in the good fight so you will hear Well done my good and faithful servant

Be a Lion!

Intentionality

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!

Ps.105:4 ESV

As we wrap up 2023, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the season. In fact, I call the time from Labor Day through New Years, the swoosh. There's so much going on that time seems to go faster than any other season. Of course, there's no difference in the length of a minute but busyness makes it seem that way. As the leader in our home, under the authority of King Jesus, we can't let busyness become an excuse for not pursuing God each day. 

David, the author of Psalm 105, reminds us to never stop pursuing God. The Psalm recounts God's blessings poured out from Abraham all the way to Joshua's conquest of the Promised Land. The end of the Psalm reminds us that God's blessings are lavished upon us when we obey Him and live in accordance with what He deems best for us. Amid the whirlwind of busyness, we run the risk of drifting if we're not intentional in our pursuit of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews also warns of this in Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

The consequences of allowing distractions to cause us to drift can be severe. We become vulnerable to temptation and sin, we seek the things of this world ahead of the Kingdom, and we model ungodly behavior to those who are under our leadership or in our sphere of influence. The Voice of the Spirit becomes faint when we're busy listening to the noise of the world. God has called men to, "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." and "Let all that you do be done in love." (1 Corinthians‬ 16:13-‬14‬) This is even more important during this busy time of year. Intentionality doesn't happen by accident. It's a matter of prioritization, discipline, and focus. 

Men, as you continue through the month of December, have a plan for family devotional time. Hopefully you and your family have joined us in going through a chapter in Luke from December 1 through Christmas eve. Don't compromise or allow excuses to keep you from weekly attendance with your local body. If you're taking time off from work over the holidays, don't give up your time each day in prayer and study of the Scriptures. In fact, make it a point to use your time to dig deeper into God's Word. 

Guys let’s face it, our enemy is counting us to get distracted and drop the ball when it comes to leading our families. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of seasonal busyness be the excuse that takes you out of the mix. The enemy knows that if you check out, it’s a much easier road to take your family out. We can’t afford to allow this to happen and the only way to do this is with action. There's no greater gift this season than intentional time with Jesus. As David instructs us, seek His presence continually.

Traditions

This is the time of year where we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  With this comes family traditions that may have been passed down year after year for multiple generations.  Maybe this includes special meals or certain sweet treats that are only made this time of year, decorations handed down from grandparents, nativity scenes, or other one time a year things we do or put out for Christmas.  For us, it is reading the Christmas story in Luke on Christmas Eve followed by the opening of one present each.  Everyone already knows what these presents hold, matching family pajamas.  We also look forward to the homemade cinnamon rolls each Christmas morning that my wife makes. These traditions hold a special place in our hearts.  But we must not lose focus on the real reason for Christmas.

Traditions are not necessarily bad; in fact, some are very good things that we hold to.  But if we are not careful, we can focus on the wrong things, even during the time we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  We must make sure that we are always focused on God’s commands… even when celebrating family traditions.

“You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Mark 7:8

This year we would like to introduce a new family tradition that will hopefully become a favorite of your family for generations to come!  This year, start on December 1st with reading the gospel of Luke.  You and your family will read one chapter per day, together, for 24 days straight.  On Christmas Eve you will finish by reading the final chapter in Luke and you will have read about Jesus’ birth, His childhood, His ministry, His death, His resurrection, and the final days before His ascension to heaven.  What better tradition could we start than to be focused on Jesus, the true reason for celebrating Christmas, and doing this with our families every single day leading up to Christmas Day!

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Let’s start a new tradition this year.

A tradition that is a “Legacy Builder” and is also multigenerational… 

ONE THAT IS KINGDOM FOCUSED!

SOLI DEO GLORIA

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 

Exodus 33:18-20

As I sit here on a Tuesday afternoon I find myself pondering the glory of God. All of His works, majesty, sacrifice, justice, love, all of these attributes. I went into the book of Exodus where Moses said “Please show me your glory”  The Hebrew word here for glory is “kabod” “kaw-bode”.

It means glorious abundance, reverence.

 This portion in chapter 33 of Exodus is talking about God’s presence. This is when God and Moses were having a conversation in the tent of meeting. 

How many times in prayer have you asked this question? I believe even after everything God does for us through His sovereign authority and our lack of understanding we ask for signs. We want to see wonderful and marvelous things, but what does God say to Moses? 

He says 

“I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” Ex. 33:19

I think he is telling Moses “look around you bud”. His glory is everywhere, He is not going to let you see all of it because you can’t handle it. You’ll literally die. 

Have you sat around with unanswered questions like that? Are you seeking God and wondering why you can’t “hear” him or “feel” him? This may be why. The answer for your question has already been answered. His Glory is all around you. Open your eyes and experience it. Once you start looking for it, you will see it. It’s unmistakable. 

The topic of the 5 Solas comes to a close with this devotional. We’ve talked about Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, Faith Alone, and Grace Alone. These are all important doctrines to study and know. They are all important to your walk of sanctification, but this last one really is something different. Glory to God Alone. We talked about Moses asking to see God’s glory and we discussed God’s answer, let’s move through the Bible a little bit.

King David wrote Psalm 63 in the wilderness of Judah. He was on the run and he wrote this.

Psalm 63:1-4 

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands.

I want to dive into verse 2 here for a minute. “Beholding your power and glory” the word beholding is translated from the Hebrew word Ra’a “raw-aw” meaning to look after, observe, discern, distinguish. 

These words seem to point to a different definition than just to look upon God’s glory. Looking deeper I believe God’s Glory here is just the same as with Moses. God is letting Moses know what David is seeking. God’s glory is everywhere just look for it. David is crying out in praise and adoration. 

“My lips will praise you, in your name i will lift up my hands” Ps. 63:3-4

David by the end is realizing God’s glory and he has nothing but praise. 

David was a worshiper. Over and over in the scripture he breaks out into song and dance over the Lord's favor and goodness. Just as Moses after conversing with the Lord in Exodus 33 turns around and the first thing in Exodus 34 after getting instructions for the new tablets starts to worship. Ex. 34:8

These are just some of the Biblical references I chose. There are numerous ones in the Old and New testaments.

How does this relate to us today?

This all related because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Jesus was there in the Glory of the Father with Moses and David. “All things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16

We have two excellent people to learn from here. Moses had just brought down the tablets for the people of Israel and they turned away from God’s glory after seeing the red sea parting and manna from heaven, Moses still wanted to see more glory. David murdered his friend, committed adultery, and numerous other sins David still said “earnestly I seek you” Ps. 63:1 

These men like ourselves are full of sin. They were seeking. They were dealing with extraordinary circumstances that they couldn't fully understand, all they wanted was to see God’s Glory in it. I believe we’re the same. We are full of sin. We are seeking God. We want to see his glory in our lives. 

Paul tells us in Romans 1:20 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

We need only to look to His word and His creation for His Glory.

Deuteronomy 11:7 “For your eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord that he did.

I will close us out with this. No matter what we're doing in this life, no matter what we may be going through, look for God’s Glory in it. Work with that purpose. Work as if your boss is the Lord, because He is, and everything you do is for His glory. Stop doing things for your glory to make you feel better, make your name look good, or to increase yourself with benefit. Do it all for the glory of God and for His Glory Alone.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, Colossians 3:23

Soli Deo Gloria

Sola Gratia

Sola Gratia: It’s a Free Gift

In our previous devotionals on the five solas, we covered sola scriptura (God's Word alone), sola Christus (In Christ alone), and sola fide (through faith alone). Now we move on to sola gratia, by grace alone. We've seen that Scripture is the authoritative source of God's plan, design, and calling for us. Jesus Christ is the focus of all of Scripture. Faith in Jesus is the only hope for our redemption, reconciliation, and realignment with God's plan. Building off this foundation, we come to what has allowed for all of this, grace alone.

To start, we need to recognize what grace is. We do this with a simple, familiar comparison between justice, mercy, and grace.

• Justice (κρίσις - kree-sis) refers to a judgment or ruling on a matter. In the context of Sola Gracia, it relates to our sin. Since God is just, holy, and righteous the only appropriate ruling against our sin is guilty and the fair consequence is eternal separation and damnation. 

• Mercy (ἔλεος - el'-eh-os) is an active of goodwill towards an otherwise undeserving individual. Strong's concordance gives this definition.

of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ.

(Source: Blue Letter Bible app, retrieved Nov. 2023)

The Apostle Paul expresses this in Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite our undeserving state, God made a way to address His requirement for justice for our sin.

• Grace (χάρις - khar'-ece) is a gift given freely without the giver having a pre-existing obligation to the recipient. 

Simply put, justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, Grace is getting what we don't deserve. Paul sums it up this way in his epistle to the Ephesians; For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians‬ 2:8‬)

The gift of course is Jesus Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life, took our punishment, and provided a means to avoid the second death. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation‬ 20:6‬) Apart from this gift, transferred to us by faith in Christ through the indwelling of His Spirit, we would be hopelessly lost for eternity. Paul expresses this clearly in his letter to the Romans. 

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans‬ 3:21-‬26‬)

Additional verses covering grace alone include.

Galatians‬ 2:21‬

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

• The law can’t save us, it only points out our need for a Savior.

Titus‬ 3:4-‬5‬

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 

• The gift of Jesus Christ is the ultimate demonstration of mercy.

1 Peter‬ 1:10-‬11‬

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

• The need for grace is not simply a New Testament doctrine, it is first found in the Old Testament.

1 Peter‬ 1:13‬

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

• Through grace we have the assured hope which can only come from Jesus.

2 Corinthians‬ 12:9‬

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

• No matter what we face, grace will always see us through.

Titus‬ 2:11-‬12‬

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

• Once we receive the gift, our actions should reflect our transformation and appreciation.

With grace, the chains of sin and its negative consequences are broken. With grace, we have a peace beyond all understanding. Through the grace shown to us we're able to extend grace to others. The magnitude of the gift of grace is comprehensible and apart from grace, life is void of hope, joy, and contentment.

Sola Fide

Life calls for us to constantly make decisions. Often, the outcome of one decision leads to both the need to make another decision and the elimination of options based on the original decision. Sometimes the decisions aren't very significant in the grand scheme of things and other times they come with huge ramifications. The decision to put our faith in Christ alone is the single biggest decision we'll ever make. Scripture is very clear about this, especially the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Any other decision will lead to eternal damnation and separation. 

There are some key points to consider before the decision about "faith alone" can be made. First, we must accept a biblical worldview. Second, we must recognize the holiness of God, especially as it relates to sin. To do this, we must also understand what sin is and the consequences of unforgiven sin by a holy, just, and righteous God. Without this foundation, the concept of faith alone is either irrelevant or negotiable. One other important consideration is the perspective of eternity. This last point is what hangs in the balance as the outcome of the decision of accepting faith alone or not 

In John 14:6, Jesus says, "No one comes to the Father except through Him." You either believe this or you don't. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, emphasizes this when he wrote, ‭‭"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‭-‬9‬ ‭ESV‬‬) Once again, either you believe this or you don't.

If a person doesn't put their faith in Christ alone for their eternal salvation, what are their options? Here is what they're left with; there's no eternity, they'll rely on their own merits, or that they need to do additional work beyond Christ's sacrifice, resurrection, and ascension. Let's examine these options. 

• No eternity - if this life is all there is, what's the point of worrying about the future? The problem with this is the present. If there's no eternity, why would anyone be concerned with morality, fairness, or justice? This perspective also leads to the question of why anyone would experience guilt. Since people have a sense of right and wrong, there's some moral code within them. The moral code requires some standard or society would be in chaos. Although the culture tries to pass off tolerance of all views, this fallacy is easily dismantled by the law of non-contradiction.

• Self reliance - Self reliance for salvation is another dead end decision. If we could save ourselves because we're good enough, we wouldn't need salvation in the first place. If one accepts that God is the Judge and He says we must be perfect, any single imperfection on our part disqualifies us. Comparison won't save a person either. Proverbs reminds us that God detests uneven scales. His standard is unwavering and universal. His expectation is perfection because He is perfect.

• Jesus and works - Believing that works are required for salvation, in addition to faith in Christ, diminishes His work on the cross. This also calls into question belief in the Trinity and the sovereignty of God. If God required specific works beyond faith in Christ, it would no longer be grace. Also, since Scripture is inerrant, it would spell out clear requirements.

Some would try to suggest that James‬ ‭2:17‭-‬18‬ is evidence that works are required in addition to faith. This belief takes the verses out of context. James is saying that our good works are the outcome of our faith. This aligns with what Paul wrote to the Romans in Romans‬ ‭3:28‬ ‭and Romans‬ ‭4:13‬, as well as, to the Ephesians as noted above. If James' verses contradicted Paul's, there would be doubt and confusion. God is the God of order, our enemy is the father of lies, chaos, and confusion. The Bible can't be both inerrant and contradict itself. As a result, the suggestion that James promotes faith and works is a false interpretation of Scripture.

Here are additional verses, beyond those already covered, that demonstrate faith alone.

And when He saw their faith, He said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

Luke‬ ‭5:20‬ ‭

• Jesus heals the paralyzed man as a result of his faith and that of his friends. 

And His name—by faith in His name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Acts‬ ‭3:16‬

• Peter explains to the crowd that healing the lame beggar came only through faith in Christ. 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?

John‬ ‭11:25‭-‬26‬

• Jesus tells Martha that He is the way to eternal life before raising Lazarus from the dead.

Ultimately, a decision on where we place our faith is required from everyone. Anyone who claims a biblical worldview has no reason to question faith in Christ alone as our path to salvation. A careful study of the Scriptures proves this and the call of God requires it. There is no better warning to make the right decision than the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins." (John‬ ‭8:24‬)

Choose wisely, your eternal destiny hangs in the balance.

Solus Christus

Solus Christus

“Man’s nature … is a perpetual factory of idols… Man’s mind, full as it is of pride and boldness, dares to imagine a god according to its own capacity.”  John Calvin

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  Exodus 20:3

An idol is anything that takes the place of God as the most important focus and priority in our life.  This can be sports, our career, friends, family, hobbies, even religion itself can become an idol.  Yes, even church, or things within it, can become an idol.  These idols take the place of God within our lives and can cause us to not focus on Him or, at the least, take our thoughts off of who God really is.  This is unfortunately how Satan manipulates us and leads us astray.  As mentioned in the first devotional on the 5 solas, Sola Scriptura, everything we believe rests on the scriptures.  It is not on our opinions, our traditions, the thoughts of others, or anything else… only on God’s word!  “Sola Scriptura”…

So what do the scriptures say about Jesus Christ?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  

John 1:1

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

John 1:14

And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 

Luke 4:41

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

2 Corinthians 5:21

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. 

1 Corinthians 15:3

And he said unto them, thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 

Luke 24:46-47

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

John 14:6

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. 

John 6:44

As scripture clearly shows… Christ is the only way to salvation. If we are not focused on scripture alone, we can easily be led wrongfully down a path that has us thinking that we must earn our salvation.  But, as scripture clearly shows, our salvation is through Him alone and by Him alone!  It is not through baptism, the taking of communion, our church attendance, our prayers, or anything else.  It is not Christ “plus” something either.  It is only by Christ alone!  Solus Christus!

Solus Christus- Solis Deo Gloria