Feed Them (Matthew 14:16)

Matthew 14:16, “But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.”

Now, we come to the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14). When evening came, the disciples came to Jesus and pointed out to Him that they were in an isolated wilderness. So, they suggested He send the crowds away to the villages for food (Matthew 4:15). The disciples were shocked at Jesus' response (Matthew 4:16).

The scene is set in Matthew 14:13-21. The multitudes were gathered together to see and hear from Jesus. Jesus would perform a miracle that the people would never forget and never stop talking about. It was late in the afternoon when His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.” The disciples began to make excuses and told Jesus that it was too late in the day for them to go a buy food for the multitude and they didn’t have enough money. But Jesus said, "give ye them to eat."

The disciples had already seen Jesus turn water into wine, heal scores of people, calm a storm by just speaking, and cast out demons, but they still didn’t understand who He was. Now, He wanted them to feed a crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children (Matthew 14:21), which meant the total could have been as many as ten to twenty thousand. When God commands, God enables. Elisha multiplied bread for 100 men (II Kings 4:42-43). Christ multiplied bread for 5,000 thousand men.

They came back to report that there were five loaves of bread and two fish. Then Jesus told the crowd to sit down. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven, gave thanks for the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, He gave the bread and fish to His disciples to place before the people. And the crowd ate until they could hold no more! There were about 5,000 men there for that meal, and afterwards there were leftover twelve baskets.

If we’re not careful, we miss some key words from Jesus. Often, we are so caught up in the meat of this miracle and rightly so. Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men. Notice: Jesus could have served the people Himself, but He chose to use His disciples to serve and feed the people.

There are at least two lessons that could be applied from this miracle.
1. Use what you have got.
This miracle teaches that God can do wonders with our "five loaves and two fish". He had no idea what the Lord would do with his lunch. Like the little boy, we should be willing to give all we have to Jesus. He was not forced to give anything, but he willingly gave his all to the Lord. Just as this boy gave his whole lunch to the Lord, we can be sure that God will continue to meet our needs as we work with Him in meeting the needs of others! Anytime we are given an opportunity to be used of the Lord. We are to trust Him and the gifts He has given to us. We are reminded of how the Lord can take just a little and make a lot out of it. Little is much when God is in it.

2. Give what you have.
​Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed more than five thousand people. It turned out to be more than enough to meet the need. What He was originally given seemed insufficient, but in His hands, it became more than enough. We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is small or insignificant, but He can use and multiply whatever we give Him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. It is when we give them to Jesus that our resources are multiplied. God gives in abundance. He takes whatever we can offer Him in time, ability, or resources and multiplies its effectiveness beyond our wildest expectations. If you take the first step in making yourself available to God, He will show you how greatly you can be used to advance the work of His Kingdom.

The disciples could not see beyond the physical world. This is understandable, for the only life they had really known was life lived on the human plane. They had always looked only at what they had, only at what man could do with what little he had. They had not yet seen what God could do with human resources yielded to Him. Note that the disciples were being awakened to the need and moved by Christ. They were now willing to offer and share what they had. Notice: Being aware and being moved to share will not get the job done. God is needed! We have to take our resources and turn them over to God. The command of Christ is to every man, "give". We are to take what resources we have and give to meet the desperate needs of the multitude. We all have the duty and responsibility to give whatever we have, no matter how little or how small.

He is using these same words today. Whether you are in Carrabelle, Colorado, or Columbia. You have exactly the same assignment in the kingdom of God - to feed His sheep. Literally and spiritually. Every day there are multitudes without food, provisions, recourses. We might be puzzled like the disciples were. We don’t have enough. What are we to do to minister to them? We, like the disciples, can take it to the Lord (Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever) and ask Him how He may use us to “feed them”. With the Lord, there is never a church, ministry, or servant that ever lacks the recourses. He already knows what we need. He will bless the work and see it accomplished.

Prayer: Lord, I’m truly thankful to be involved in Your work and to spread and share the same Gospel that saved me. As Jesus used the fish and bread to feed the five thousand, use the gifts You’ve given me to feed the souls of others You allow me to encounter.

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Three Men and Their Foolish Choices (II Corinthians 6:2)

II Corinthians 6:2, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Every choice and decision we make we have to live with. Some of the choices and decisions we make are not so costly. However, when it comes to life and death and where we will spend eternity, it’s a decision one should take very seriously. Life is not only fleeting (short), but it is also fragile.

1. Felix Said - "Not Right Now"
Acts 24:24-25, “And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”

Rather than excepting Christ as his Lord and Saviour, Felix chose to put it off and wait for a more convenient time. This man chose not to receive but reject Christ. What a mistake he made! This foolish choice to procrastinate would become a fatal one. Deceitful people often have a way of manipulating their way around authorities. However, no one will ever be able to cheat death and the judgment.

The wicked like to think that if they can avoid the Bible in this life, they are home free. Not so! “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Divine judgment awaits the sinner after his death. Men must answer to God for how they have lived here on earth. Those who die without Christ have no hope at the judgment.

2. Festus Said - "Not At All"
Acts 26:24, “And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.”

Festus’ main problem was that he never intended to hear Paul’s answer. Festus revealed how foolish he was when he opened his mouth and charged Paul with madness. Rather than getting right with God, Festus wanted to gain some personal glory with the new governor. He may have impressed his audience, however, he revealed his ignorance of God’s character.

3. Agrippa Said - "Almost"
Acts 26:28, “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Agrippa came so close to accepting Christ as his Lord and Saviour, however, he too rejected Him. This proves that one can come so close and still not accept Him. Almost is good, but it’s not good enough.

Those who continue to choose to grieve away the Holy Spirit, if they continue to reject the Gospel and become hard hearted, if they go unprepared into eternity, the day of salvation for them will be gone forever and no mercy will be found. God does not design to pardon men beyond the grave. There is no forgiveness for your sins after you are dead. Those who are not pardoned in this life must be unpardoned forever in an eternal Hell. If you are a Christian, the opportunity to serve Christ and tell others is now. Don't throw your opportunities away. Now is the acceptable time to serve the Lord. Make your time count for Christ.

Prayer, Father, may I live a life of Your guiding light, love, and lowliness that others would want to call upon Jesus for salvation without any hesitation. In Jesus' name, Amen!

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Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1-2)

Though Nehemiah held a prestigious position in the Babylonian court, his desire was to be in Jerusalem. Hanani had reported that Jerusalem’s walls were broken and the gates destroyed, and Nehemiah knew that meant invaders could easily destroy what was left in Jerusalem. As long as his people in Jerusalem lived in danger, his heart would remain broken. As a result, Nehemiah immediately mourned, wept, and prayed. The Lord answered Nehemiah’s prayer. He had permission to go to his homeland with provisions to carry along the journey for the building project, and security to give them safe passage.

Nehemiah was a great leader and motivator of God’s people. He overcame opposition to get the job done. He knew it was going to take time and effort so he counted the cost (Luke 14:26-33). What seemed to be an impossibility (Nehemiah 1:3; 2:13-14, 17; 4:2) turned into a great miracle (Nehemiah 6:15). When we’re taking on a project for God, we understand that not everything is going to go as we would plan. In fact, there is going to be opposition from within your own people and from outsiders. At all times, the enemy was present and persistent (Nehemiah 6:4-5). Vision always attracts criticism. Critics will always resist change. Critics associate with other critics. Critics fail to see God’s hand in the work. You know you’re doing the Lord’s work when opposition comes.

More than thirty times in the book of Nehemiah you will find the word repair. They were repairing something that had been built at one time. They were taking the rubbish (the scraps) and rebuilding them. Notice: It’s just as when God takes those pieces of our lives that we have broken or messed up, and He repairs them and puts them back together again. Each of us has a mission in the Great Commission and that is building lives within the body of Christ for the glory of God. We see this every day, lives totally ruined by sin. In the ministry, we are taking old broken lives, homes, and hearts and letting God put them together. We are rebuilding lives as Nehemiah rebuilt the wall. There will be areas of your wall that have to be maintained. There will be parts of your life that are much stronger than others, while some areas are hurting and injured and in need of repairing. Since constructing a wall is a continual maintenance, it is something you must continually work on. If you neglect the maintenance, it will break. And once the wall is broken, your protection is gone. May we continue to work faithfully even when unbelievers argue. Keep in mind, we are working for God, not the enemy.

PRAYER: Father, I want to be a good and faithful servant when I stand before Your throne. Thank You Lord that in Your grace You have sustained me. Help me not to strive in the flesh instead of resting in You and letting Your Holy Spirit live and work through me. I pray for strength as I labor that I would not get weary. Help me to love people the way You do. In Jesus name, Amen.
​
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A Living Sacrifice…A Loving Servant (Romans 12:1)

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

We are to be living sacrifices, not dead ones. If you are going to be totally devoted to the Lord, then you will need to surrender yourself to God and present your life as a living sacrifice to Him. God not only wants us to offer our body as a living sacrifice, He wants us to surrender our hearts or wills to Him. II Corinthians 8:5, “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” The Macedonian brethren exceeded Paul’s hope. They gave first of their very selves to the Lord and His work. When our heart is right, the LORD will have all of us. This is the will of God for us. His will is for us to first give ourselves to Him, and then to His work. As believers, we are to be devoted to God and dedicated to live as He commands. This life is lived for God in holiness, purity, cleanliness, righteousness, and morality. Everything about us and all we have is to be dedicated to the worship and service of God. Anything less than total devotion is short of God's glory.

Paul spoke of his struggle with this battle and the hope in Jesus Christ. Galatians 5:16-17, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Our heart is the battlefield of wills…our will vs. God's will. Neither attitude wants to surrender or be defeated. The Spirit of God summons us to follow His gentle leading. Our fleshly nature make every effort to cause us to sin. The battle is intense everyday. Proverbs 23:26, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Solomon pleads for his son to give him his heart. Our heavenly Father asks the same of us. The invitation here is not to salvation, but to obedience and dedication. When we give our heart to Christ in day-to-day Christian living, we will avoid the pitfalls of sinful choices. A true disciple of Christ will pattern his life after the image of Christ.

In 490 B.C., as Xerxes was advancing into Greece, he came to Thermopylae, a small pass in central Greece. Herodotus tells us that by the time he got there, he had six million troops on land and sea. Gathered there to stop the advance of the powerful Persian monarch was a mere handful of Greeks headed up by 300 Spartans, led by the Spartan king, Leonidas. When Persian troops came to check the pass, they saw 300 warriors brushing their long hair and doing calisthenics and other such things. Back they went to their master to report that some fools with weapons were playing games in the ravine. Demaratus, a Greek physician and counselor to the Persian court, assured the king they weren't playing games, they were performing a death ritual. These men had come to die! Many an unmarried man had volunteered, but Leonidas insisted on taking with him men who had living sons. They never meant to come back!

Love of Sparta motivated these men, and it was the love for sinful mankind that moved the Lord Jesus Christ to come to this earth and die for our sins. The world may consider this foolish. They may consider the Gospel to be foolish. No matter what an ungodly world thinks, live for Christ. Missionary Jim Elliot, who died for the cause of Christ said, "He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain, what he cannot lose." He and the other four missionaries were willing to give their all for the Lord Jesus because they were sold out to the Lord. They considered themselves already dead before they went to the Auca Indians with the Gospel. They had presented themselves as living sacrifices to Christ. If God doesn't have our hearts, He doesn't have us. When our will is broken and yielded to Him, He can guide us on the path that He has prepared for us. God wants us to willingly give our hearts to Him. Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” When we love God with all our heart, mind, souls, and strength, our focus is on Him. We’re not consumed with ourselves. We’re consumed with our great God. May He increase in each of our lives as we love Him more and ourselves less!

A Living Sacrifice.
A living sacrifice means that a person dedicates his body to live for God and to keep on living for God. A living sacrifice does not mean just an occasional dedication, but a constant, continuous sacrifice, not of one's body. Sacrificing does not mean giving one body to God one day and then taking it back tomorrow.

A Loving Servant.
As loving servants, our desire should be to bring the Lord pleasure. We should be committed to serving and ministering to others. We should seek to cause Him to joy and to rejoice in our bodies. Our bodies should be so dedicated to Him that God's heart is just flooded with joy and rejoicing.

PRAYER: LORD, You have been calling me to come closer to You. I present myself a living sacrifice for You to use however You choose. I want to live for You and serve You for the rest of my life. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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Honor God…and He Will Honor You (I Samuel 2:30)

I Samuel 2:30, “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

A profound principle which extends to this day remains: those that honor the Lord will be honored. Those who have little regard for Him and His precepts will receive little esteem from Him. God blesses those who honor Him, and at the least withholds His blessing from those who ignore Him.

In 2004, Chinese athlete Liu Xiang won Olympic glory for his nation as the gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles. After his victory, he was acknowledged as the first male Chinese-born track and field Olympic champion. However, if you were to go to Weifang in Shandong, you’d find a monument to another son of China who won track and field gold 80 years earlier. That monument is the burial site of Eric Liddell. Liddell was the son of Scottish missionaries who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics for the United Kingdom. But Liddell was born in Tianjin, China, and later died in a Japanese incarceration camp near Weifang during World War II. His picture is mounted there on a lamppost, and a large granite stone is inscribed with his achievements.

There are a number of reasons to remember Liddell. As this summer commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the 1924 Paris Olympics, we look back on his triumphant victory there in the 400 meters. That story begins in his rivalry with fellow British sprinter Harold Abrahams, the two entering the Olympics as favorites in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. However, Liddell dropped out of a heat for the 100 meters because it was run on Sunday (a race Abrahams later won). Liddell’s decision to skip those races for his religious convictions was immortalized in the movie Chariots of Fire.

Leaving his young son in boarding school in Great Britain was the hardest thing Rev. James Dunlop Liddell, Scottish missionary to China, had ever done. But Eric thrived like a hare in the highlands. He studied hard. He loved sports, particularly rugby. He joined a Bible study, faithfully attended church regularly, and became a member of the Crusader Christian Union. He also began his lifelong habit of early morning Bible reading and prayer. Eric advanced to the university, joined the track team, and won races like a thoroughbred. Every week he brought home more prizes and trophies until he soon ran out of storage space. His legs became a Scottish national treasure, and all the world followed him to the 1924 Olympics. All the while, Eric’s Christian life continued on the fast track as well, and his newly-found fame gave plenty of opportunities for preaching and witnessing. At the Paris Olympics, his faith was put to the test when his chosen venue, the 100-meter race, was scheduled for Sunday. Eric, who didn’t believe in competing on the Lord’s Day, opted out. In spite of pressure and criticism, he instead entered the 400-meter run that was on a different day as the world watched and wondered at this unusual young man. Perhaps an even greater reason to remember Liddell is his decision to lay aside his athletic career for a higher calling. After returning from Olympic triumph in Paris to overwhelming popular adulation, he shocked everyone by announcing his intention to return to China as a missionary.

In an age when sports were becoming ever more popular in Britain, many argued he could reach more people at home than abroad. Indeed, the Sunday after he returned from Paris to preach in a Scottish church, the pews were filled with people. Liddell preached on Psalm 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law”. It was acceptable that staying in Britain and continuing his athletic career might fit hand-in-glove with Liddell’s desire to preach the gospel. When asked why he’d give up such an opportunity, he’d simply reply, “Because I believe God made me for China.” The next summer, he traveled the Trans-Siberian railway overland from Europe through Russia and down to China. He would serve there for 20 years as a missionary. In his dressing room, just before the race, Eric unfolded a small bit of paper that had been given to him by the team masseur. It read, “In the old book it says ‘He that honors me I will honor.’ Wishing you the best of success always.” Eric knew the verse very well. It was I Samuel 2:30. He smiled and made up his mind that, win or lose, he would honor God, and that he did.

I Samuel 2:30 played an important role in the life of Eric Liddell. He and the Lord had honored each other. He won the gold medal. His time that day was 47.6 seconds. He set a new world record. The Lord had blessed him with speed like a stallion. God's Word is clear, those who honor Him will be honored, and those who despise Him will be held in low esteem. God honors and blesses faithfulness. God places great merit on faithfulness. He is looking for men and women faithful to Him. Proverbs 20:6, “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” I Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

God is looking for faithful men like:

1. Job. Job 23:11, “My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.”
2. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel 3:18, “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
3. Peter & John. Acts 4:19-20, “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
4. Paul. Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
5. Timothy. I Corinthians 4:17, “For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.”

Points to Ponder:
God places great merit on faithfulness.
He is looking for men and women faithful to Him (Proverbs 20:6; I Corinthians 4:2).
Honor God and He will honor you and your faithfulness to Him.

Questions to Consider:
Are you faithful or a failure in obedience to the Lord?
Are you honoring the Lord with your life?
How will you choose to honor the Lord today?

PRAYER: Lord, I want You to know how important You are in my life, so I come to You now, giving You the first portion of my day. Help me to honor You in attitude and actions today. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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This is PART 3 of the 3 PART Series titled “Loving One Another”.

Loving One Another (I John 3:11-20) – Part 3
3. Comprehending Love (I John 3:16-20)

I John 3:16-20, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”

The manifestation of Biblical love in our life is the evidence that we truly belong to Christ. One visible evidence of love is the sacrifice it is willing to make for the object loved. There was no doubt in John’s mind about the love Jesus had. But he also said that fellow Christians should feel a sense of obligation to make sacrifices for one another. The love of Christ should be continuously active in the followers of Christ.

If a brother is in need, whether it is the need of food, clothes, shelter, or service, and if one has the ability to help but will not do so, “how dwelleth the love of God in him?” The point is that if we have no concern for the welfare of God's people, the love of God is missing in us. One who can see a need and shut his heart to it does not have the love of Christ. The person who lives a selfish life has missed the whole point of Christ's sacrifice.

The test of true Biblical love is identified as a willingness to sacrifice one's own life for his brother. This is in contrast to Cain who hated and slew his brother. As Christians, we give ourselves for others. Why? Because He laid down his life for us. One can talk about what one believes, however, if what one believes is not real enough to motivate that person to good works, that persons faith is dead (James 2:14-17)!

Genuine love doesn’t just talk, it acts. People who are insincere might talk about helping; but people who truly love like the Lord reach out to help a fellow believer. This degree of love might be called to demonstrate by meeting a material need. It might be manifested by lending a helping hand or a listening ear. There are countless ways in which we can show the reality of our love for the brethren.

A young mother admitted in a prayer meeting that she never seemed to find time for her own personal devotions. She had little children to care for and the hours vanished away. Two of the ladies from the church responded by assisting her in her home. “We’ve come to help you”, they explained. “You go into the bedroom and get started on your devotions.” After several days of this help, the young mother was able to develop her devotional life so that the daily demands on her time no longer upset her. It is to be more than lip-love. Our actions speak louder than our words could ever speak. When we love one another, we know that we are living the truth. May the love of Christ saturate our relationships.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to grow in my love for You and for others You have given me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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This is PART 2 of the 3 PART Series titled “Loving One Another”.

Loving One Another (I John 3:11-20) – Part 2
2. Causes to Love (I John 3:13-15)

I John 3:13-15, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Cain had a bitter hatred for his own brother because of Abel’s ’righteousness. It is godliness that infuriates the wicked (Proverbs 29:27). As people become more ungodly, those who are good will be called evil and those who are called evil will be called good (Isaiah 5:20). When these conditions occur, that society is in serious sorrow.

How can a person know if they have been saved and have passed from death unto life? The answer, according to John, is love for the brethren. The word "brethren" has reference to the spiritual brotherhood. Love is not the cause of our passing over into life; it is the proof that we have passed from death to life.

John came back to this point again because this matter is so important. Christians grow when they love other believers. Churches thrive when the people love one another instead of fussing, feuding, and fighting with one another.

When you love the brethren, you will love your church and you will enjoy going to church. It is difficult to love others in the church, to really know them and get close to them when you are not faithful to the services. It is one thing to like other believers, but it is another matter to actually love other Christians.

Hatred is a very serious matter because hatred is not satisfied with controlling a small part of your heart. It wants and takes almost complete control of a person’s heart, mind, body, and soul. When hate grips a person, they do not think rationally at all. The person is consumed by their hate. Common sense gets blurred, biased, and bizarre.

Hating a believer makes a person no different than Osama Bin Laden, Charles Manson, or Adolf Hitler in God’s approximation. That is alarming and crushing. Those who are branded by repeated hateful attitudes toward others, and who habitually harbor murderous feelings, give proof of an unbelieving heart.

We must remember that Jesus was hated by the world long before we came on the scene. Therefore, we should not be surprised when the world and worldly people hate us. The more you love and honor God, the more you expose the evil of those who do not. The more you expose the evil of those who dishonor God, the more they’ll hate you. They’ll hate you because of who you love, because of who you resemble. They hated Jesus and they’ll hate those who are like Jesus.

The very core of Christ's message is one of love. God loved so much that He gave His all. Those saved have experienced that love fully, and now God desires that they turn around to show others that love as well. Love isn't common in our world. Hearing of someone giving of themselves stands out in a world of selfish pursuit. So, when someone shows love, others notice. As Christians, our very existence should be to show love to those around us.

PRAYER: Lord, I know the power of Your love can impact someone today so, help me take the time to show it to someone today. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you for reading PART 2 of the 3 PART Series titled “Loving One Another”. Please visit this website tomorrow for Part 3.

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This is PART 1 of the 3 PART Series titled “Loving One Another”.

Loving One Another (I John 3:11-20) – Part 1
1. Christlike Love (I John 3:11-12)

I John 3:11-12, “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”

Here in these verses, John’s main emphasis is one of the most needed things in the world and the church, which is love. The love spoken of here is the unconditional, self-sacrificing love which God has shown to man. This is the very thing that Christians are to have for one another. This message suggests that while others are loving us, we are to be loving them.

In I John 3:11, John said that we have an obligation to love one another. This obligation was laid down from the beginning. John probably had reference to John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another”. This word “love” means we are to continually love others with a self-sacrificing love. It is the same kind of love that God has for us. When the ministry of the Lord Jesus was nearing its end on earth, He shared with the disciples the key, distinguishing mark of a Christian. It was not someone who wore a cross around his or her neck. It was not someone who went to church. The mark was love for the brethren.

I John 3:12, on the other hand, suggests that Cain had a love unlike what we are to have. Cain’s love for his brother Abel had conditions in it. Cain’s love for his brother dried up once he discovered that his brother was so much different from himself. Cain discovered that Abel’s deeds were righteous and his own deeds were evil. Cain’s love was a wrong love because it was not strong enough to let his brother take a few steps ahead of him. In our loving one another, we must be sure that we have a right love. This kind of love is unconditional.

Cain killed his brother because he was angry at God for refusing his offering to the Lord and was jealous that Abel’s offering was accepted. It was accepted because it was offered in obedience and faith (Hebrews 11:4). Cain wanted to worship God on his own terms and did not follow the instructions of his father on how to offer a proper blood sacrifice to the Lord. Cain’s offering was a bloodless one.

Cain was not any different than people today who worship God on their terms. They leave Jesus out of their lives. They depend on works to get them to Heaven or gain merit with God, but all to no avail. Without personally accepting Christ’s sacrifice for sins, a person is of the wicked one (John 8:44).

Love does not persecute the righteous. A person who truly loves his brother will not persecute him. Love means that we will not even dislike another person. We love them, care for them, and reach out to them. We want their fellowship in Christ, longing for them to experience all the richness of life and for them to know all the fulness of Christ and His love.

PRAYER: Lord, I see that love for others and for You does not come easily to me. That kind of love isn’t in me on my own. I’m asking You today to pour that kind of love into my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you for reading PART 1 of the 3 PART Series titled “Loving One Another”. Please visit this website tomorrow for Part 2.

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You Can Trust God (Psalm 18:2)

Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

The symbolism of Psalm 18:2 applies to our ongoing life struggles against physical and spiritual forces. God’s care for us is described by six symbols:
(1) “my rock”—representing the safety and security of God’s steadfast strength.
(2) “my fortress”—representing a place of refuge and safety that the enemy cannot penetrate.
(3) “my deliverer”—representing God’s ability to rescue and free people from trouble.
(4) “my shield”—representing how God steps between us and harm.
(5) “horn of my salvation”—representing God’s strength and victorious power to save us.
(6) “my stronghold”—representing the fact that if we hold firmly to God and remain in a right relationship with Him, He will provide security and will lift us above the dangers of life.

Trusting God is not an easy thing to do and sometimes it goes against all human reasoning. Sometimes it means we have to relax instead of anxiously trying to bring a desired outcome to pass on our own. Trusting God means leaving the outcome of a situation in His hands without trying to influence it ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we are to sit around and not do anything. Trusting God involves working as we wait. It means we should stop worrying about the way it will turn out. Finally, it means we have to accept the outcome as God’s best for us, even if it is different than what we wanted.

God's Sovereignty.
Our trust in the Lord can be sincere when we realize that He is in control and that He is sovereign. God is in control of all that is uncontrollable in my life: what I can't see, what doesn't make sense to me, and what I don't understand. God says that He sees every tiny sparrow and counts each hair on our heads. Matthew 10:29-30, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” If God has every one of our hairs numbered, He surely knows about our present struggles. I can trust Him with my weakest doubt or my most agonizing fear. I can trust Him with what is dearest to my heart, my wife.

God's Wisdom.
In trusting God, it helps to know that He is wise. He is the skillful Creator who “possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb” (Psalm 139:13). I can trust God, knowing that everything that happens to me is thought out by an infinitely wise Person. My wisdom is inferior to God's. But when I trust His wisdom, I am able to say, "Not my will, but Thine."

God's Love.
To trust God, I must also trust His love. I can know knowledgeably that God is love, but for trust to flourish I must also be able to personalize His love for me on a daily basis. Jeremiah 31:3 proclaims to us that God loves us with an everlasting love. He promises that He will go before us, that He will always be with us, that He will never, never, never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). The Bible tells us in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Bible proclaims the profound truth that God “works all things together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). Whatever comes into my life is good because it is making me more like Christ. Notice that God says it is good; He doesn't say it is fun. Watching my wife suffer a few years ago was not fun. Preaching a funeral for your family is not fun. Problems with coworkers and friends, deadlines, stress, and heartaches are not fun. But God promises there is purpose in suffering. It is "good" because as I grow to trust Him with my pains and pressures, my character will become more like His. My love will be less self-centered; my decisions will be wiser.

What does it mean to humble myself under the mighty hand of God? It means to place total trust in God alone. It means the surrender of my whole being: intellect, emotion, will, plans, and judgments. It means relinquishing everything to Him. It means renouncing my tendency to step in and wrest control. It means casting it all on Him... and leaving it there. Why should I trust God? Because He is trustworthy. He deserves my trust. When I trust Him, I participate in purposes and plans that transcend my own. But even more, I want to trust Him. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” And more than anything, I desire to please my God.

PRAYER: Father, too often I fail to trust in You when You Word instructs me to. I believe that Your Word is true. Help me to trust in You just like a child trusts completely in a loving parent. Thank You that You are always faithful. I love You! In Jesus' name. Amen.

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It Is Still Sin (James 4:17)

James 4:17, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

The life of King Saul provides a case study in rationalization. One of his first acts as king of Israel was to disobey a Word from God, then try to justify his actions. In I Samuel 13, we find the Philistines prepared and ready to attack Israel's army. Saul had been instructed to wait for the prophet Samuel to arrive and present offerings to God. But Samuel was late, and the frightened troops were beginning to scatter. Saul took things into his own hands and presented the offerings himself.

The best way to fight rationalization is to call it what it is: sin. When God tells us to do something and we don't do it, it's disobedience. When God tells us not to do something and we do it, it’s disobedience. But rationalization is nothing to take lightly. Making excuses for sin gives it a foothold in our lives. And sin hurts. It hurts the people we sin against. It erodes our witness to the world and damages our relationship with God. If we continue to rationalize our disobedience, our hearts will harden. The Holy Spirit's voice in our lives will grow increasingly faint every time we block it out.

People of integrity call sin, sin. They don't blame their actions on others or on circumstances. When they sin, they admit what they did was wrong, confess, and repent. When God asks them to do something, it becomes priority one. We need to continually hold our lives before God, asking Him to bring to mind any commands we've ignored and any sins we're excusing. Then our consciences and our lives can be clean and pure. Only then can we fulfill our calling to be lights in a world of darkness.

Here are some common excuses for disobedience, and why they will never fool the Father.

1. Excuses For Not Doing What God Tells You To Do.

Excuse #1 "I'll Do It Later."
When God prompts you to do it now: tell a friend about Him, deal with a persistent sin, send an encouraging note, spend time with Him. Telling Him "later" is the same as saying no. "Later" may be too late for the good that God intended when He urged you to act.

Excuse #2 "It's Too Difficult—I Would Fail."
Jeremiah tried this one. When God told him He was calling him as a prophet, Jeremiah replied in Jeremiah 1:6, “Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child”. God's response to Jeremiah is His response to us: "Don't make excuses; just obey. Don't be afraid, because I will be with you in everything I ask you to do."

Excuse #3 "I'm Too Busy Doing Important Things."
What can be more important than what God is instructing you to do? Claiming, "I'm too busy" is putting your agenda ahead of God's.

2. Excuses For Doing What God Says Not To Do.
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Excuse #4 "It Won't Hurt Anything."
God told the Israelites that His commands in Deuteronomy 10:13, “…which I command thee this day for thy good?” Only He knows the chain of results that our disobedience will set in motion. We need to trust His judgment, not our own.

Excuse #5 "No One Will Find Out."
God will know. Every sin hinders our fellowship with Him and our own conscience
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Excuse #6 "I'll Do It Just This Once."
God never said sin was OK if you only do it once. Besides, submitting to the flesh rather than to the Spirit strengthens the wrong forces in your life, making it more likely that you will do it again.

Excuse #7 "God Let Me Down."
When we're disappointed with our lives, we can begin to think, God didn't come through for me, so why should I come through for Him? We may stop doing the things we know He wants us to do, and not worry too much about breaking His commandments. God says in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”. He will always remain faithful to us (II Timothy 2:13), and His plan for us is for our good (Jeremiah 29:11). We need to acknowledge that our perspective is limited and that our painful circumstances and unanswered prayers are part of a larger, grander plan. Learning to trust His Word when it contradicts our perceptions, feelings, and experiences can keep us from excusing our disobedience by blaming Him.

Excuse #8 "I Deserve A Break/Reward."
When we've been working hard on the job or in ministry, it can be tempting to justify taking something that's not rightfully ours, whether it's money, goods, or time that belongs to our employer but is spent on personal projects. We blow off something God prompts us to do because we've "paid our dues". In II Kings 5, the prophet Elisha's servant, Gehazi, figured he was entitled to a little reward for ministry. His master had turned down a gift from a wealthy warrior, but Gehazi returned behind Elisha's back and requested a few "perks" from the man. God struck Gehazi with leprosy. God never "rewards" obedience by allowing disobedience.

Excuse #9 "At Least I'm Not As Bad As _____."
Sometimes we try to make ourselves feel better about our sin by comparing it to someone else's. "I may flirt with my secretary, but at least I'm not sleeping with her." "I may “fudge” a little on my taxes, but I would never embezzle money." Jesus told the story of a Pharisee who compared himself to others. The religious man prayed in Luke 18:9, “I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” Yet, Jesus commended instead the tax collector who prayed in Luke 18:13, “God be merciful to me a sinner”. Repentance is the only attitude toward sin that God accepts.

Excuse #10 "Everyone Else Is Doing It."
It's tempting to violate our consciences, to give in a little on our convictions, when we see others doing things we feel uneasy about. It's especially tempting when "others" are believers we respect. Yet what is right and wrong is never determined by popular vote. I Corinthians 4:4, “…but he that judgeth me is the Lord.” We must listen to the Holy Spirit Who tells us what is right and wrong, not the outer ones.

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