Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Lord, Help Me

"Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me."  Matthew 15:25.  The woman had a daughter that was vexed with a devil.  In her need, she came to Christ.  With that need, she brought a great faith.  Faith and need bring us to Jesus.  We must not come to Christ only with our need.  We must also bring our faith.  Who but Jesus could help her?  Who but Jesus could answer the deep need of her heart?  In our moments of stress, we need Jesus.  In our times of temptation, we need Jesus.  We all travel through valleys.  We all feel the pressure of life.  We all have someone who is dear unto us that needs help.  Jesus can and will help us.  Jesus can relieve the pain that we feel.  Jesus can lift the burden that we bear.  Only Jesus can fill the void of emptiness that we all experience.  This woman sought mercy from Jesus.  It is mercy that we seek.  Mercy flows from the wellspring of God's love.  Jesus will not turn away from the faith that seeks His help.  Despite the fact that His disciples wanted Him to send her away and that He had come only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, His heart was captured by her faith.  In our need with our faith, let us worship Him as we cry for help.

Monday, March 27, 2017

Daily I Cry

"Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily."  Psalm 86:3.  We desire mercy from the Lord.  We are weak and lowly creatures.  We are unable to stand alone.  Daily we must engage in the battle against the world in which we live.  We have an enemy that desires our demise.  We encounter worries and troubles along our path.  Our journey sees difficulties.  We are not equipped to endure all that we face.  We need help from the God who created us.  We ask God for mercy so that we might be able to stand and overcome.  Without the mercy of God, the world will overcome us.  When we fall, we need His mercy to lift us.  When we stumble, we need His mercy to catch us.  When we sin, we need His mercy to forgive us.  Without mercy from God, we are helpless.  And so, we cry for mercy.  Let us not utter the cry of distress or surrender.  Let us not cry in discouragement or lonliness.  Let us cry unto God for mercy.  He will hear and help.  God comes to the aid of those who cry unto Him.  Cry daily.  Cry daily for we need mercy daily.

Sunday, March 26, 2017

The Kiss Of Righteousness And Peace

"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.  Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."  Psalm 85:9-10.  God's salvation comes to those who fear Him.  The saved bring glory to the land.  Sin mars and brings a reproach, but the fear of God gives dignity to any society of people.  Salvation comes through God's mercy.  If God were only angry at transgression, He would destroy completely.  However, God is a God of mercy and truth.  Therefore, salvation has come.  Truth reveals God's mercy.  To fear God is to obey His truth.  Mercy is shown.  God offered His righteousness to those who would fear Him.  If God only destroyed, He would not be righteous.  There must be an offer of salvation.  When one accepts God's righteousness through obedience to His truth, peace comes.  We are at peace with God when we know God's salvation.  There is no peace without the righteousness of God.  Peace is the benefit of God's righteousness.  Salvation is to those who fear God because of divine mercy that is shown.  God's righteous act to redeem humanity through Jesus Christ as revealed in the truth of Scripture flows the soul with peace.  Indeed, the glory of God dwells in the land.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Submit And Resist

"Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  James 4:7.  This present land is a place of choice.  We must choose between God and the devil.  One cannot serve both.  As one submits to God, he is able to resist the devil.  God gives strength to resist the devil.  As one submits to God, he is endowed with power that can do anything.  There is no limit to what God is capable of performing.  The devil's power cannot cope with the power of God.  The devil does not have enough weapons in his arsenal to defeat God.  The devil roams the land looking for souls to deceive.  He must be resisted.  Did not our Lord resist him?  And did not the devil depart from him?  And so it is with us.  As we say no to the devil, the devil will flee, but he may return.  Victory in one battle does not ensure that the war is over.  The devil does not give up easily.  Be strong in God.  Seek strength from above.  Submit to the law and power of God, and do not serve the devil.  Hope, comfort, and peace come from God.  The devil only gives death.  Submit and resist.

Friday, March 24, 2017

Dead With Him

"It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall live with him."  II Timothy 2:11.  All of God's sayings are faithful.  His word is always reliable.  We must die with Christ.  He died so that we might die with Him.  When we are buried in baptism, we die with Christ.  We die to sin.  We die to the world.  We die to self.  After Jesus died, He arose and lives again.  So when we die, we are raised so that we might live with Him.  We live in His forgiveness.  We live in His fellowship.  We live in His perfection.  Christ brought life through death.  One must die so that he might live.  Choosing to die is choosing to live.  Living with Christ now brings life with Christ forever.  Our conception in Jesus Christ is through death.  This death brings a life that never ends.  God's faithful saying is that when we die in Christ, we truly begin to live.  Life now and life eternal.  Those who die with Christ only die once.  When we die with Christ, the grave will be unable to hold us.  Truly this is a faithful saying: death erupts in life.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Is Christ Divided?

"Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"  I Corinthians 1:13.  Christ brings unity between God and man.  Christ was crucified for us.  We are baptized in the name of Christ.  We are to follow Christ.  We are to honor Christ.  We do not follow men.  We do not wear the name of men.  To follow men and wear the name of men is to bring division.  We must not adhere to men and their teachings.  We must hear the teachings of Christ.  Such brings unity, and this is the will of God.  Christ is superior to all and His teachings bring us together into the fellowship of God.  The voice of men changes, and the voice of God never changes.  The word of men contains error, and the word of God is only truth.  Men cannot save us.  Only Christ can redeem us.  Christ speaks only one will, and that will is from God.  There is only one cross that will grant the  remission of sin unto sinful men.  Only baptism into Christ brings us into Christ, and provides access to all spiritual blessings that come from God.  Do not follow the foolish words of humans.  The word of men brings an eternal curse.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

A Deadly Alliance

"Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab."  II Chronicles 18:1.  The prophets of Ahab told him to go to Ramoth-gilead and God would give them victory.  Jehoshaphat wanted the Lord's prophet to speak.  Ahab did not want to hear what the Lord's prophet would speak.  Those who want to hear God need to shun those who do not wish to hear the Lord's word.  God's people are to separate themselves from those who do not seek the way of righteousness.  The Lord had to deliver Jehoshaphat from the battle.  Ahab was killed.  The situation could have proven deadly to Jehoshaphat were it not for the deliverance of God.  When we choose to make an alliance with evil, we place ourselves in a dangerous situation.  Evil is a powerful influence.  It has the power to overcome us.  One who wanted to hear God joined in alliance with one who did not wish to hear God.  Such an alliance can lead us in the wrong direction.  It can interfere with our perspective, and can cause us to make wrong decisions.  Any involvement with evil can cause deadly harm.  Let us always be in affinity with God, and never with the wicked.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

The Rejection Of Christ

"The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."  Luke 9:22.  The prophecies concerning Jesus had been given to the elders, priests, and scribes.  When He came, they rejected Him.  They rejected the only One who could deliver them from the bondage of sin.  They rejected the One whom God had chosen to be their Savior.  Multitudes today reject Jesus.  They choose the earthly rather than the heavenly.  They choose pleasure or wealth rather than Jesus.  For one to choose Jesus, he must make a sacrifice.  One who chooses Jesus must bear a cross, and wage war against evil.  One who chooses Jesus must walk in His steps, and confess Him as Lord.  And, so, many reject Him.  To reject Jesus will mean the loss of the soul.  To reject Jesus is to choose the devil.  To reject Jesus is to reject God and life.  When Jesus is rejected, one is left in the snare of sin.  When Jesus is rejected, one is without God and has no hope in this world.  To accept or reject Jesus is the greatest choice of life. Jesus came into this world and suffered and died so that humanity could be forever blessed.  Will we receive Him or will we reject Him?

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Taught In The Word

"Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things."  Galatians 6:5.  The word of God is taught.  God saves through the teaching of His word.  If one desires to be taught, he should only desire the word.  Nothing else is profitable.  God brings His salvation to humanity through His word.  One does not come to know God by a dream or a vision or some type of religious experience.  God has revealed all that is necessary for us to be saved and have a relationship with Him in His word.  The word is to be accepted as the true revelation of God.  This word is to be taught.  There is in God's scheme of redemption the teacher and the learner.  The teacher of the word of God has a grave responsibility in teaching correctly what has been revealed.  The learner must make sure that the teaching is truth.  Error will not save.  A misunderstanding of the word and a misapplication of the word will not save.  Teach truth.  Learn truth.  This is the road that must be traveled if salvation is to be realized.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Follow After Charity

"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy."  I Corinthians 14:1.  The desire of spiritual gifts was necessary in the early days of the church.  These gifts were used to establish the truthfulness of the word of God as it was taught.  These gifts were also useful as to the revelation and understanding of God's truth.  Today, the truth has been completely revealed, and there is no further use for spiritual gifts.  These gifts were given for a time, and then, ceased.  In the church of today, we use the word of God for all that we need to know in our relationship with God.  However, love remains.  Charity, or love, is the ruling principal of our lives.  We are to love God for He has loved us.  We are to love one another.  This love promotes the unity and work of the church.  When we love God, we do His will.  When we love one another, we engage in the work of God.  Love is faith in action.  Love is a commitment to God and to one another.  Love is to invade our heart and overwhelm our spirit.  Love makes us God like.  Love is the devotion of God working in our lives.  Love does not just happen.  Love must be pursued.

Monday, March 6, 2017

Hear The Son

"And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him."  Luke 9:35.  Jesus has gone into the mountain with Peter, James, and John to pray.  While there, the fashion of Jesus is altered and Moses with Elijah appear with Him.  When Peter suggested that they built three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, a cloud overshadows them.  In the midst of this cloud, God speaks these words in verse 35.  Moses gave the law.  Elijah was the prophet who delivered God's word to a rebellious people.  Their voice has been silenced.  Jesus is the one whom we must hear.  No longer do we hear the law.  No longer do we hear the prophets.  We are to hear Jesus.  Jesus is the beloved Son of God.  Jesus is the redeemer.  Jesus is the mediator.  Jesus has sealed the New Covenant with His blood.  Jesus speaks God's will, and we are to hear Him.  In all ages, God has selected the one through whom He will speak to wayward mankind.  In our age, God speaks through Christ Jesus.  The will of Christ is the will of God.  Hear Him.

Friday, March 3, 2017

The Knowledge Of God

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame."  I Corinthians 15:34.  It is indeed shameful for one to be without the knowledge of God.  This is true because of who God is and what God does for us.  God has given us life and the blessings of this life.  God loves us beyond our ability to comprehend.  God has revealed Himself in the world which He has created.  More importantly, God has revealed Himself in His word.  The Bible, which is the name that we have given to the word of God, tells us about God.  In the word of God, we read of the love of God, the salvation of God, the goodness of God, and the wrath of God.  The knowledge of God motivates us to awake to righteousness, and sin not.  Without the knowledge of God, one has no reason to avoid sin.  Without the knowledge of God, one cannot know righteousness.  Our understanding of God is vital to our avoidance of sin.  God is righteous, and therefore, He desires for us to be righteous.  Our knowledge of God can be increased through our reading and studying of His word.  As our knowledge of God grows, our righteousness will grow.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Preach Christ

"Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."  Acts 8:4-5.  Persecution against Christians had begun.  As a result, the disciples were scattered.  The reason for persecution was to silence them.  But, they went preaching.  Regardless of the circumstances against us, we are to preach the word.  Preaching is God's way to save humanity.  There will be enemies who wish to silence us.  However, our faith must be as these disciples.  We must preach Christ so that the world may believe and be saved.  The subject of our preaching must always be Christ.  Christ is the anointed one of God.  Christ was sent to save the world from sin.  Preaching against sin is preaching Christ.  Preaching repentance is preaching Christ.  The world will oppose such preaching.  But, our voices must continue to sound the greatest message that the world has ever heard and will ever hear.  These disciples did not scatter because of fear, but they scattered so that the message could be taken to those who had not heard.  Their sound went into all the world.  Our sound must go into all the world.  Go and preach Christ.