Immediately…

In Victoria’s post last week she spoke of the account in scripture commonly known as “Jesus walking on the water”.    As I re-read the account found in Matthew 14 and John 6, I couldn’t help but notice how many times the word “immediately” was used.   So this week, let’s continue to dive into this profound account:

Immediately, He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.   After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.   But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary.   And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.   When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”    Peter said to Him, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And he said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out “Lord, save me!”   Immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him…   (Matthew 14:22-23, NASB95  [Emphasis added])   …”and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going”.  (John 6:21 NASB95 [Emphasis added])

Immediately – what an exciting word, especially for someone like me who is typically so impatient!    The word immediately implies that there is no waiting, no hesitation, and that whatever is going to happen is going to happen right NOW!   As I look at this portion of scripture, I believe that we see that there are actually four different types of “immediate” described.

First, there was an immediate removal:   Right after the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus sent the disciples on their way.   Notice that Jesus didn’t make them stay around until the crowd all got home.   Jesus didn’t let the disciples hang around until He was done praying.   He immediately removed them from the situation.   This required an act of obedience by the disciples and it sent a signal to the crowd know that the meeting was over.   This immediate removal ensured that all of the focus of those in the crowd as they left the meeting was completely on Jesus – right where it belonged!   When Jesus removes us from a situation, we need to remember that it is all for HIS glory.

Second, there was an immediate response:      Notice that the immediate response didn’t happen when the storm began, but only after the disciples got to the point where they were at the end of themselves and cried out in their brokenness.  The disciples cried out in fear and Jesus didn’t hesitate in HIS response.   Psalm 51:17 reminds us that God cannot resist a “broken and a contrite heart”.   In our time of fear, if we cry out to HIM, HE will immediately respond…without hesitation!

Third, we see an immediate rescue:   As Peter began sinking he cried out to the Lord and Jesus immediately stretched out HIS hand and rescued Peter.   Did you notice that Peter didn’t sink immediately?  In fact, scripture tells us that he cried out as he was “beginning to sink”.  Even though the “sinking” didn’t occur immediately, Jesus responded immediately.   It is in our times of greatest need when we feel like we are “beginning to sink” and that we are about to go under that Jesus stretches out HIS hand to rescue us as we cry out to Him.   Whatever you may be going through today….know that if you feel like you are sinking all you need to do is to cry out to the Lord and HE will reach out HIS hand of rescue.

Finally, there was an immediate resolution:   The disciples had been struggling against the storm throughout the night.   They had not made much progress at all, but once Jesus arrived, HE not only calmed the storm, but immediately took them to their destination.   Many times it may feel like Jesus is too late, that HE is responding too slowly, or that HE should answer in the way and in the time that we want HIM to.   However, we must remember when HE brings resolution, it is always at just the right time.

What is it you are going through today?   What storms are you facing?  Take HOPE in the fact that whatever you may be going through, JESUS knows right where you are at and where you are going and Jesus is getting ready to respond to you IMMEDIATELY!

God Bless,

Stephen

 

************

NOTICE: The advertisements on this and referred to sites are neither published by nor subject to With True Hope and as such the content expressed does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of With True Hope. Thank you.

 

Weighed in the balance…

I was studying the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel this week, which tells of an incident that occurred during a party over 2,500 years ago.    You see the King was throwing a party with all of his friends and all of the palace staff when he went too far….he mocked God and used the holy items which were stolen from the temple in Jerusalem in an ungodly way.   In fact King Belshazzar and his guests used these holy vessels and then gave praise to “the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone” (Daniel 5:4).  This portion of scripture is commonly known because of the “writing on the wall”, but as I was studying it this week, it was not just the hand writing on the wall, but the actual words that were written that grabbed my attention.

⁵ Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. ⁶ Then the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.

The hand terrified the King and his guests as a message was written that nobody could understand.  Nobody understood the message.  None of the “great minds” of the day could tell the king what it means.   Nobody understood the words of warning.   None that is except for a prophet of the Lord named Daniel.

²⁵ “Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’ ²⁶ This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.  ²⁷ ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.  ²⁸ ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

Daniel, the prophet of the LORD, was able to interpret the words which gives one of the saddest commentaries about anyone ever recorded (at least in my opinion).  The word that really stuck out to me was ‘TEKEL’.  This word actually means ‘weighed’ or ‘shekel’, but in context it means, you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient (or lacking).   Wow, did you catch that?   Daniel basically tells the King, you have been examined by God and you don’t measure up.  You have fallen short of what God has called you to.   You may be celebrating now, but punishment is coming quickly.

Those words stopped me in my tracks.  I had to ask myself the question, “what if God were to weigh me in the balance….would I be found lacking?”  The scary thing is that this is really not a hypothetical question because one day, we will ALL be judged, you know, literally “weighed in the balance”, by a HOLY GOD and will ALL be found lacking (Hebrews 9:27).  Remember God’s standard is perfection and none of us are perfect.   In fact, the Bible reminds us that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)!

So are we to eat, drink and be merry until the time of our punishment as being perfect seems hopeless?  CERTAINLY NOT!  There is HOPE for all of us and HIS name is JESUS CHRIST!

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18, NASB95)

If we surrender our lives to JESUS, REPENT and TURN from our sin, allow HIM to be LORD OF ALL in our lives we have nothing to fear.  Being found lacking is the destiny of every living person – UNLESS we submit to JESUS and ask HIM to be LORD of our lives.    Romans 5:8 tells us that “…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by HIS blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

Don’t let today pass you by.   Won’t you surrender your life to HIM today?

God Bless,

Stephen

NOTICE: The advertisements on this and referred to sites are neither published by nor subject to With True Hope and as such the content expressed does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of With True Hope. Thank you.

Am I Desperate for God – Part 2

Last week I told you about a journey I went on that started with asking the question “Am I Desperate for GOD”.   That question made me realize that honestly, this was a topic that I really did not know much about.  My journey led me down a path of understanding the  “What”, “Who”, “Why”, “When” and  “Where” of being Desperate for GOD.    In our prior study we looked at the first question:   What does it mean to be desperate for GOD?  In this study, we will look to answer the other four “W’s”.

The second question I asked was,  Who in scripture was desperate for God?   I believe that the Bible proves the Bible so there is no better place to seek answers than in scripture.  I believe that the Bible has many examples of people desperate for GOD and the move of HIS Spirit.

Luke 5:17-26 tells an account of a man that was paralyzed.   He got so desperate for JESUS that he convinced some friends to take him to see JESUS.   When they got to the place where JESUS was at, they couldn’t get in because there were so many people.  His desperation must have been infectious because his friends took him up on the roof of the house, ripped the roof off and lowered him into the middle of the room.

A few pages later in Luke 8:43-45 we are told of the account of a woman who had “an issue of blood”.   We know from Leviticus 15:18-20 that she was considered “unclean” and anyone that touched her was considered “unclean” as well.   Based on her condition, she probably kept her distance from people.  In fact she probably had low self esteem because she had been considered “unclean” for so long.  It is interesting that 2,000 years later we still know her as the woman with the issue of blood.  However, JESUS knew her as the woman who was so desperate for HIM that she didn’t care what people thought any longer as long as she could get close to HIM and but touch the hem of HIS garment.  She sacrificed her reputation, the scorn of the crowd, her own self worth and got desperate for HIS touch.

Near the end of the book of Luke, in chapter 19 verses 1-10 we are told about a man named Zacchaeus.   Zack was a chief among tax collectors which mean he was really hated by everyone.   The name Zacchaeus means “Pure” or “Righteous”, so I am thinking that his parents had a different career path planned for young Zack when he was born.   The bible also tells us that Zack was short…like REALLLLLYYY short…like “vertically challenged” in a big way!   Little Zack finally had power, but wealth and power weren’t enough, he had a need and he got desperate for JESUS.  The bible tells us that Zack climbed a sycamore tree just so he could have a box seat to see Jesus.   He got so desperate for Jesus that he didn’t care who saw him or thought badly about him.   Out of his desperation, Zack became a changed man!

Notice that in all of these accounts, they didn’t care about their reputation, they didn’t care about money, all they cared about was getting to HIM and being in HIS presence.   Their priorities shifted, they were no longer hiding, no longer focused on themselves or their wealth, but the were desperate for JESUS.

The next question is Why be Desperate for GOD?   Matthew 28:20, we are told “Lo I am with you always”, so then why should I be desperate for GOD?  I mean, HE is always with us…right?    I believe there are many reasons.   I once heard Tommy Tenney say that “the height of your revival will be determined by the depth of your hunger”.   That tells me that if we want revival, if we want change, we MUST be desperate for GOD.   I believe that we should be desperate for GOD because that is the example we have in scripture.   But the number one reason I believe we should be desperate for GOD is because of who HE IS and who we are not!   I believe that GOD is indescribable…He is awesome…He is amazing.   The most incredible description I have ever heard of GOD was from a message given by S.M. Lockridge, former pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego, California.   He gave a message entitled “My King” which reminds us exactly who GOD is!

My King” by S.M. Lockridge

“The Bible says my King is a seven-way King:  He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King. He’s the King of Israel – that’s a national King.  He’s the King of Righteousness.  He’s the King of the Ages. He’s the King of Heaven.  He’s the King of Glory.  He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.  That’s my King.

Well, I wonder do you know Him?

David said, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork.”  My King is a sovereign King – no means of measure can define His limitless love.  No farseeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply.  No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings.  He’s enduringly strong.  He’s entirely sincere.  He’s eternally steadfast.  He’s immortally graceful.  He’s imperially powerful.  He’s impartially merciful.

Do you know Him?

He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.  He’s God’s Son.  He’s the sinner’s Savior.  He’s the centerpiece of civilization.  He stands in the solitude of himself.  He’s august and He’s unique.  He’s unparalleled, He’s unprecedented.  He is the loftiest idea in literature.  He’s the highest personality in philosophy.  He is the supreme problem in higher criticism.  He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology.  He is the core and the necessity for spiritual religion.  He’s the miracle of the age, He’s… yes He is.  He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.  He’s the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient Savior.

I wonder if you know him today?

He supplies strength for the weak.   He’s available for the tempted and the tried.   He sympathizes and He saves.  He strengthens and sustains.  He guards and He guides.  He heals the sick.  He cleansed the lepers.  He forgives sinners.  He discharges debtors.  He delivers the captive.  He defends the feeble.  He blesses the young.  He serves the unfortunate.  He regards the aged.  He rewards the diligent.  And He beautifies the meek.

I wonder if you know Him? Well, my King— He is the key, He’s the key to knowledge.  He’s the wellspring of wisdom.  He’s the doorway of deliverance.  He’s the pathway of peace.  He’s the roadway of righteousness.  He’s the highway of holiness.  He’s the gateway of glory.

Do you know Him?

Well, His office is manifold.   His promise is sure.  His life is matchless.  His goodness is limitless.   His mercy is everlasting.  His love never changes.  His Word is enough.  His grace is sufficient.  His reign is righteous and His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

I wish I could describe Him to you.  But He’s indescribable – yes He is ! He’s God.  He’s, He’s indescribable, yes, He’s indescribable.  He’s incomprehensible.   He’s invincible.   He’s irresistible.

Well, you can’t get Him out of your mind,  You get Him off of your hand, You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him.

Well, the Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.   Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.  The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree.  Herod couldn’t kill Him.   Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. THAT’S MY KING !

Now doesn’t that make you desperate for GOD?

The last two “W’s” are “Where” and “When” as in Where and When can I be Desperate for GOD?   I believe the answer to this question is simple:  “HERE” and “NOW”!   One of the great things about being desperate for GOD is that you don’t have to wait for a specific time and place, you can be Desperate for GOD right where you are, right at this moment.   Tell HIM that you want more of HIS presence.   Tell HIM that nothing is more important to you than HIM.

I want to encourage you to examine your life and see if you are “Desperate for GOD”.    Ask yourself:

• Am I satisfied with my spiritual life?
• Am I complacent in my relationship with GOD?
• Do I LOVE to spend time in GOD’s Word?
• Am I reluctant to miss my quiet time with GOD each day?
• Is my hunger and thirst for righteousness unconditional?
• In what area of my life am I not desperate for God?

Don’t let today pass you by.   Let today be the day where you declare, “I AM DESPERATE FOR GOD”.   It is one decision that you will not regret.

God Bless!

–Stephen

 

_________________________

NOTICE: The advertisements on this site and referred to sites are neither published by nor subject to With True Hope and as such the content expressed does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of With True Hope. Thank you.

Am I Desperate for GOD – Part 1

I recently did a study on the topic of “Desperate for GOD”. As I was pondering these words, I felt the LORD speak to me and ask me “well are you?” It made me stop and I had to ask myself “AM I DESPERATE FOR GOD?”

Although not applauded in our society, it is truly an awesome thing to be DESPERATE FOR GOD! As I began to examine my life I sadly realized my own lack of desperation for God. It seems that I am more desperate for: success at work, things at home, the latest gadget – all instead of being desperate for GOD. In the world we may be told that desperation is a bad thing, but I believe Scripture actually shows something else. In fact, from God’s perspective there are many blessings and even promises in Scripture that cannot be received except through being desperate for GOD. Matthew 6:33 tells us to “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well…”, literally if you get Desperate for GOD and seek HIS FACE and HIS PRESENCE, HE will supply your needs! What an awesome promise. So then why don’t I seek HIM like this? Why am I not as Desperate for GOD as I should be? Do I even understand what it means to be Desperate for God?

This last question led me down a journey to understand the “What”, “Who”, “Why”, “When” and “Where”of being Desperate for GOD. Will you join me on the journey?

Let’s take a look at the first question: What does it mean to be desperate for GOD? I believe we really don’t know what the word desperate means, do we? We live in a culture where we are rarely “in want” for anything. The dictionary defines desperate as an adjective meaning (at least the meaning we will focus on) having an urgent need, desire, etc.: desperate for attention. So that means that Desperation only comes when there is a recognized need that is beyond our own ability to meet. Literally this means having a deep desire, a passion, a yearning that can ONLY be satisfied by the presence of our HOLY GOD.

There are several portions of scripture that tell us about being desperate for GOD. Matthew 5:6 tells us “…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled…” Literally blessed are those who are desperate for GOD for they will be filled. As I looked at this I realized that in our country in this generation, we don’t really know what it really means to be hungry and thirsty. Most of us can open our refrigerator, go to “Kroger’s” or stop by “Chick-fil-a” anytime we want to satisfy our hunger. If we are thirsty all we have to do is turn on the faucet and we can satisfy our thirst. Most of us have never really known the desperation of Hunger or Thirst, but the crowd that was listening to Jesus speak these words, understood exactly what he meant. They understood desperation because they didn’t have the conveniences that we are blessed with in this country. Mother Teresa – missionary to India once wrote, “People in India are physically hungry. People in America are spiritually hungry. That makes people in India better off, because Americans don’t know they are starving.” Without Jesus we all have an emptiness – even if we don’t realize it – but when we Hunger and Thirst for JESUS, that emptiness is filled.

The Psalms are full of examples of a man who was “Desperate for GOD”.

Psalm 42 starts by stating “…as the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God”. Notice it mention that the deer was worried about the hunter in the woods…it doesn’t mention that “Bambi” was looking for his best friend “Thumper”…it doesn’t mention that the deer was looking for a new place to settle down…it doesn’t even mention that the deer was looking for a vacation at the beach…all the deer wanted was “living water”! The description is of a totally dehydrated creature with only one thought…get me to the “living water”.
Did you know that the word used here in the Greek that is translated as “water brooks” literally means “perennial springs which never run dry” and is also used in Jermiah 2:13; 17:13?

A few pages later we find Psalm 63. Right from the first words we hear a cry of a man desperate for GOD. “O God you are my God! I shall seek you earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Now THAT sounds like the cry of a man desperate for the presence of GOD! The back story to this Psalm is that David is running for his life from his son Absalom, who has planned to kill him and take the throne (2 Sam. 15:23, 28). David left his palace, left his throne and was hiding in the Judean Wilderness. It is amazing to notice that he doesn’t say anything in this Psalm about missing his throne, or missing his riches or missing the power of his position. He doesn’t even mention the trouble with his son. All he wants is the presence of GOD.

How about Psalm 69? The psalmist uses phrases like: “Save me, O GOD, for the waters have come up to my neck…”, “…My eyes fail, looking for my GOD…”, “…You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you…But I pray to you, O Lord…”, “…O God, answer me…”, “…O Lord, out of the goodness of your love, in your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant…”, “…come near and rescue me; redeem me…”! When was the last time I prayed like this? To me, this speaks of desperation beyond reason, beyond logic, beyond caring about what other people think, beyond caring about what may be happening in the world around you. It is a cry from deep within that can only be fulfilled by GOD.

I once heard a story of a seminary student who was given a final assignment to write a theological paper on the topic of “being desperate for GOD”. The student was a “straight A” student, but the professor was tough. Ultimately the student received a bad grade from his professor and instead of just accepting it he went to see his professor.

The student bravely went before the old professor and said “how could you give me such a bad grade on this assignment, everything was theologically and grammatically correct, I checked sources, made superior arguments and did everything right!”

The professor told the Seminary student “it was because you did not understand desperation”.

The student began to argue with the professor and tried to make his point on why he did understand desperation and why he deserved a better grade. The professor asked the student to join him at the back of the room so that he could show him something. He brought the student to a large fish tank and asked the student to look into it. He then asked him what he saw. The student began to describe the contents of the fish tank at which point the professor asked him to “look deeper”. As soon as the student began to peer over the edge of the tank, the old professor took both of his hands and pushed the students head into the water holding his head under the water.

The students began fighting but he was at a disadvantage, his arms were flailing, he was dying. When he was almost to the end, the professor let him up. The student began gasping for air. He sputtered “Are you crazy!?!?! Why did you do that???? I couldn’t breathe! Why would you try to kill me?”

The professor responded with a question, “when you were in the water what was it you wanted?”

“AIR” shouted the student!

“You mean you weren’t thinking about your grades or your paper or your career or your possessions or anything else?” replied the wise professor.

“No, ALL I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS AIR…JUST AIR” cried the student “I WAS DESPERATE FOR…air…”.

The Professor looked at the student and smiled at him and said, “now you get it…that is desperation, when that is all that you can think of, all that consumes you.”

He then asked the student “are you that desperate for GOD”?

Am I that desperate for GOD? If we want to see a change in our world, in our country, in our town, in our neighborhood, in our church, we need to be that Desperate for GOD! God promises that when we are desperate for Him – seeking HIM, we will find Him! “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God for He will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:6-7).

Join us next week as we look at the “Who”, “Why”, “When” and “Where” of being Desperate for GOD.  While you are waiting, enjoy the video below of the song “Lord I Need You” by Matt Maher.

God Bless!
–Stephen

 

_________________________

NOTICE: The advertisements on this site and referred to sites are neither published by nor subject to With True Hope and as such the content expressed does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of With True Hope. Thank you.

Quest to be the Best

I saw on ESPN this week that Major League Baseball may ban several players including such well known players as Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez. It appears that Major League Baseball may have secured a witness in their investigation of active baseball players who may have used “Performance Enhancement Drugs”. As I listened to the reporter, I couldn’t help but think why would a millionaire athlete take the risk of suspension and the related embarrassment by taking performance enhancement drugs? What is it that drives a person to go down this type of path? As I pondered this thought throughout the day, I couldn’t help but think it is the quest to be the best. We live in a culture where everyone wants to be the best…everyone wants to be first. We use phrases like a quest to be the best, or striving for excellence, or a team of “type A” personalities, but what it really comes down to is a desire to be known as being first or being the best at whatever you do.

The more I thought about this, the more I realized that this view — which is applauded by our society — is actually a contradiction to what is taught by the Bible. John chapter 3 tells us about a discussion that Jesus’ cousin – John the Baptist, had with his disciples. You see, John had risen to the height of popularity in his day. Crowds of people were coming to hear the message that John was preaching and they were responding and getting baptized in water. We then see that Jesus goes into the Judean countryside and starts to attract crowds and baptize people. In our vernacular, the rivalry had begun. I can see it now…John’s disciples (agents in today’s “sports environment”) start to point out to John that he was losing his status as the main “go to guy” for baptisms…and to make it worse, to them it seemed that it was John’s cousin that was stealing his title. Maybe he should take some “Performance Enhancement Drugs” so that he could once again be at the top of his game. Maybe he should change his approach so that he could attract bigger crowds once again. Maybe he should serve food or provide designed swimwear to create a “value add” experience. Instead John gives an incredible answer in John 3: 22-36 (NLT)– let’s take a look:

 Then Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.  At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism.  (This was before John was thrown into prison.)  A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing.  So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to Him instead of coming to us.”  John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.  You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for Him.’  It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at His success.  He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.  “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.  He testifies about what He has seen and heard, but how few believe what He tells them!  Anyone who accepts His testimony can affirm that God is true.  For He is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives Him the Spirit without limit.  The Father loves his Son and has put everything into His hands.  And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Did you catch that? John basically says that he doesn’t need to be the best, he doesn’t need to be first, in fact he states boldly that “HE [Jesus] must become greater and greater, and I [John] must become less and less”. What an incredible statement! This shows us that we don’t have to strive to be the best. We don’t even need to try to be first in everything. As Christians, our role is actually to become less and promote JESUS CHRIST! This is the opposite view of our society. It is not about being the first or the best, it is all about willingly recognizing that first place belongs to JESUS CHRIST.

Are you on a quest to be the best today? If you are, I want to encourage you to be less and less and allow JESUS to become greater and greater in your life. This is the type of radical attitude change that will truly impact the WORLD!
Become LESS and let JESUS BE GREATER in your life today!

–Stephen

_______________________________________________

NOTICE: The advertisements on this site  are neither published by nor subject to With True Hope and as such the content expressed does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of With True Hope.  Thank you.

The Valley of Decision

I love (“sports love” that is) Football!   Now you have to understand that I am talking about US Football here.   The National Football League (NFL) has done a great job of captivating our attention and gaining market share not just during the 16 week football season, but now even into the Spring with all of the attention on the NFL Draft.   It is fascinating to see how something like the NFL draft which used to happen almost behind the scenes has become a passion for football fans beginning literally the day after the Super bowl.    This attention on the NFL draft has also had a side effect of bringing even more attention to college football players as everyone is determining who the right players are for “their team”.

As I was watching the NFL draft last week I couldn’t help but notice all of the decisions being made.  Each team had to decide:

• Which player they should draft…
• Who is the “best available athlete”…
• Should they even draft a player or trade their spot to another team for a different selection spot…
• They had to decide when in their allotted time where they going to announce their decision as well…

Not only did the teams need to make decisions, but the fans each had to make decisions about what they thought of the selections…would they “cheer” or “boo” the decisions made by their team.    The networks had to decide how they were going to present the draft, which players they were going to highlight, which commentators were going to be on location in New York City, how much they were going to sell advertising time for.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions….it’s always about decisions!

Thinking about this reminded me of Joel 3:14 in the Old Testament which states “…Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!   For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision…”.    Joel is not referring to a career related decision, or “best available athlete” decision, he is talking about an ETERNAL decision.

The Bible is filled with examples of decisions that people had to make:

• Adam and Eve had to decide if they would obey GOD or eat the fruit from the forbidden tree.   (Genesis 3)
• Cain had to decide how he would treat his brother Abel.  (Genesis 4)
• The people of Noah’s day had to decide if they would listen to the call for repentance or take their chances swimming outside of the ark.    (Genesis 7)
•  Joshua told the Israelites to decide “…whom [they would] serve…”   (Joshua 24:15)
• David had to decide if he would attack the Giant or cower in fear.   (1 Samuel 17)
• Esther had to decide if she would take a stand for what’s right or let her people die.   (Esther 5)
• Blind Bartimaeus had to decide if he would cry out to Jesus or sit back quietly.  (Mark 10:48)
• The Ethiopian had to decide if he would take help from Phillip or if he would let his pride get in the way.    (Acts 8:26-40)
• King Agrippa had to decide if he would believe the testimony of Paul or if he would stay in his traditions.   Unfortunately, King Agrippa was only “almost persuaded”.   (Acts 26:28)

Earlier in chapter 3, Joel talks about this “valley of decision” occurring in the “the valley of Jehoshaphat” where the Bible tells us the nations will be judged.   The word Jehoshaphat in this context literally means “The Lord will Judge”.    This judgment will be based on the ETERNAL decision that each of us make.

Scripture is very clear.   We are reminded by Paul that ALL have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.  (Romans 3:23)    The Bible also tells us that there is only one way to get to Heaven…and that way is through Jesus Christ.   (John 14:6)  One of the most well known Bible verses is John 3:16 which tells us  “…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him…”.   Every one of us must make the decision that will determine our eternal destination.   Either we will decide to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or we will decide to reject HIM.    The decision is actually pretty simple, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior we will be forgiven of our sins and we will be a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) with a future heavenly destination of Heaven.   If we decide to reject Jesus Christ as our Savior we will remain unrepentant sinners with a future eternal destination of Hell.

You may be thinking, “but how do I decide to accept Jesus as my Savior? “, “Can He really forgive me?”  The bible makes us a promise found in John 1:12 where we are told “…But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…”     This means that if you believe and accept that JESUS is the Son of GOD who died on the cross for your sins and rose from the grave you have the right to become children of God.

Maybe you are thinking, “how can Jesus love me….you don’t know what I’ve done?”    Know that JESUS does love you and is waiting with open arms for you to make your decision.  In fact in Matthew 11:28, Jesus says “…Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened…”    Notice he doesn’t put any conditions on it, HE loves you and is waiting for you to decide to come to HIM!

Finalizing this critical decision is a straightforward process:

• Admit that you are a sinner who is in need of JESUS CHRIST to be your Savior.  Everyone one of us are sinners (Romans 3:23).  That means that even if we just do one little thing wrong (yes, even a “white lie”) during our lifetime, we are not perfect and are not worthy of spending eternity in the presence of GOD.  There is only one way to GOD – we need a Savior…and HIS name is JESUS  (John 14:6).
• Repent (turn from) your sins.   To repent means to turn away from something or to literally change our attitude about it.   It is not just feeling really bad about getting caught, but it is about making a conscious decision to turn from our sins – with the help of God – and change our attitude about our sins.   Matthew 4:17 tells us to “…repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near..”
• Believe that JESUS CHRIST died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.    This “believing” is the next critical piece of the process.   Hebrews 11:6 tells us “…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him…”.   JESUS never sinned, but HE died on the cross taking all of our sins on HIM and HE took the judgment that we deserved.   He literally paid the price that our sins required.    He made the decision to do this because of his great love for us and because of His sacrifice we can be forgiven!

Just talk directly to GOD, know that HE is listening and say something from your heart like:

“Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of Yo,u the Savior and I ask for Your forgiveness.   I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the dead.   I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart.   I trust You and have decided to follow You as my Savior and Lord.   In Your Name I pray….”

Once you surrender your life to Christ, you can be assured that you have made the best decision anyone could ever make!

Are you in the valley of decision today?   What decision have you made about your eternal destination?    Choose wisely!

God Bless!

Stephen

________________________________________

NOTICE: The advertisements on this site  or referred to sites are neither published by nor subject to With True Hope and as such the content expressed does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of With True Hope.  Thank you.

Is That YOU God? (Hearing from GOD in a Noisy World)

It seems that we are living in a time where we are being faced with almost constant distractions while at the same time needing to clearly hear from God.  We have apps that give us alerts on our SmartPhones, Text Messaging which has become a primary form of communication, we get news feeds through our email, TV-Cable-Satellite-Radio signals are available 24/7, and just when you think there couldn’t possibly be any more noise – the phone rings with a telemarketer trying to sell you something.  Let’s face facts, we live in a NOISY WORLD! So with all of this activity, how can we be sure that we are hearing God’s voice?

There are numerous Bible verses that speak of hearing God’s Voice.  Here are a few:

• Jeremiah 33:3, “Ask Me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here” (NLT96).
• Revelation 3:20, “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear Me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends” (NLT96).
• John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:  and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (KJV87).

You may be asking, “but with everything else going on, how can I be sure that what I am hearing is God’s voice”?   Here are a few practical suggestions from the Bible:

• BE STILL (Psalms 46:10):  Ask the LORD to remove all of the “white noise” around you.   I once taught an object lesson to my Sunday School class where I had several electrical devices on at the same time in the same classroom.   In the background, I also had a CD playing the song “Jesus Loves Me”, but the students couldn’t hear the song “Jesus Loves Me” until each of the other devices were shut down.  Once all of the “white noise” was eliminated, the message of Jesus’ love was clearly heard.  If you actively allow the Lord to remove the “white noise” around you, you will be amazed at what you begin to hear.
• RESIST THE ENEMY (James 4:7):  I can almost guarantee that once you make your mind up to get quiet and hear the voice of the Lord, the enemy is going to come in to try to distract you.   It may be subtle distractions like, “Am I supposed to pick up the dry cleaning today?”, “Did I post the picture of my breakfast on Facebook?”, “I forgot to Tweet about _______”.  Either way, it will be an attempt by the enemy to get the “white noise” distractions going again.    The good news is that the Bible tells us that if we resist the devil, he will flee!   SO RESIST!
• CONFESS YOUR SINS (Psalms 66:18):  The Psalmist tells us that if we regard iniquity in our heart, the Lord will not listen.  So let’s not try to hide our sin.   Remember, HE knows our hearts, HE knows our thoughts, HE knows our Sin and HE loves us anyway!  So confess your sins, repent and turn completely to Him to hear HIS voice.
• LISTEN FOR GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU (Jeremiah 29:11):   We serve a creative GOD who is big enough to hold the whole universe in the palm of His hand, yet loving enough to have a specific plan for each of us individually.    Although He speaks to all of us, it is critical to pay attention to what He is speaking to each of us as individuals.  Too many times there is a temptation to rely on what God is speaking to someone else rather than taking the time listening to God for ourselves and have a personal relationship with Him.   For example, God may be telling your brother to go on a mission trip to Africa, but He may want you to witness directly to your best friend.
• SPEND TIME WITH HIM (John 10:27):   If a stranger calls you, they have to announce themselves, but as soon as you hear a familiar voice on your phone, don’t you know who it is that is speaking to you?  The more time we spend with Jesus, the more familiar we become with hearing HIS voice.    Are you spending time with the Lord?  Do you know the sound of HIS voice?  John 20:16 tells us that after Jesus rose from the dead HE appeared to Mary, but through her tears she didn’t recognize that it was HIM, until HE said her name “Mary” and she immediately responded in Aramaic with “Rabboni”.   She knew HIS voice because she had spent time with HIM.

You may still be thinking “all of that is nice, but how can I really be sure that what I am hearing is really from GOD?”  Here are two principles that will help you to confirm that what you are hearing is from God:

• Does what I am hearing line up with Scripture?   It is critical to realize that God will NEVER Contradict Himself or HIS Word.    Matthew 24:35 tells us that “…Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away…”.      He will NEVER lead you in a direction that is contrary to HIS Word.   This of course implies that you must know HIS Word and reminds us how important it is to regularly and diligently read and study HIS Word.
• Do I have peace?  Isaiah 26:3 reminds us “…You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You…”(NKJV).   This tells us that God will often guide us by peace.    If you are hearing something that makes you uneasy or restless, then you may want to go back to the first principle and be sure what you are hearing lines up with Scripture.

1 Corinthians 13:9 tells us “…For we know in part and we prophesy in part…” (NASB).  This tells us that we don’t always know all of the details.   God doesn’t always show us the entire picture.   If HE did, we may be tempted to run ahead or run away instead of being fully obedient.  Remember God’s view is “higher” than ours.   So don’t think that just because you don’t know the whole thing, you are not hearing from God.

Are you God’s sheep?   If you are then I would ask, what is GOD speaking to you today?

If you are not HIS sheep, then I would encourage you to take the time today to surrender your life to JESUS CHRIST and become HIS sheep.  Listen to HIS voice and you will hear the truth that JESUS LOVES YOU!

–Stephen

_______________________________________________________________

NOTICE: The advertisements on this site and referred sites are neither published by nor subject to With True Hope and as such the content expressed does not necessarily reflect the beliefs of With True Hope. Thank you.

The Hopes of all the Years…

Last week we took a look at the phrase penned by Phillip Brooks in 1868 “The Hopes and fears of all the years” and focused on the fears that may have existed as part of the Christmas Narrative.  This week, we would like to take a look at the HOPE referred to in the song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem“.   The HOPE of course, was the promised Messiah.

• Did you know that before the birth of the Messiah there was “400 years of silence”?
• Did you know that the first coming of the Messiah was foretold in at least 300 Old Testament Prophecies?
• Did you know that all of those prophecies made hundreds of years before the birth of the Messiah were all fulfilled down to every detail in the person of Jesus Christ?

George Heron, a French mathematician, calculated that the odds of one man fulfilling only 40 of those prophecies are 1 in 10 to the power of 157. THAT IS A 1 FOLLOWED BY 157 ZEROS!  Another mathematician, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, claims the odds of fulfilling only 60 of the prophecies in one person are one out of ten to the 895th power. THAT IS A 1 FOLLOWED BY 895 ZEROS!

Let’s take a look at just a few of these prophecies and their fulfillment…

• Genesis 12:3 tells us that Messiah would come from the lineage of Abraham.  Mathew 1:1 reminds us that Jesus came from the lineage of Abraham.
• Psalm 89:29 tells us that Messiah would come from the lineage of David.  Luke 3:23-31 reminds us that Jesus came from the lineage of David.
• Jeremiah 31:22 and Isaiah 7:14 prophecy that Jesus would be born of a virgin.   Matthew 1:18-20 and Luke 1:34-35 confirm that Jesus was in fact born of a virgin.
• The Old Testament prophet Micah tells us that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).    Luke 2:4-7 tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  Incidentally, this prophecy detailing the fact that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrata was most likely the inspiration behind the song “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
• Isaiah 7:14 tells us that HIS name would be called Immanuel.   In Matthew 1:21-23, Jesus is called IMMANUEL!
• Malachi 4:5 tells us that the Messiah’s coming would be announced by a man coming in the Spirit of Elijah.  Matthew 3:1-2 tells us that John the Baptist came in the Spirit of Elijah.
• The next verse, Malachi 4:6 tells us that the Messiah’s announcer would turn many hearts to God.   This was fulfilled in Luke 1:16-17 and Mark 1:3-5.

The prophecies get even more specific from there talking about specific miracles that Jesus would do, the fact that he would calm the stormy sea (Psalm 107:28-29 / Fulfilled Matthew 8:24-26),  the way that He would enter Jerusalem and even the way that HE would die.

Jesus IS the Messiah, the One TRUE HOPE, the Only Person in all of history who has and could fulfill hundreds upon hundreds of prophecies! 

There is one more fact that makes this even more exciting.  There are over 500 prophecies which detail Jesus’ second coming!   If HE fulfilled every prophecy related to HIS first coming, you and I can be sure that HE will fulfill those second coming prophecies as well!

Rejoice: Jesus IS our TRUE HOPE and HE IS coming back soon!

~Stephen

Are YOU Ready? – Part 2

Last week I posed the question “Are You Ready?” and we took a look at what it means to be ready.    Today I would like to take a look at the second question:  “What do we need to be ready for?”.  The obvious answer is ready for the Return of Christ, but I believe there are several additional things we need to be ready for as well.  Let’s take a look…

Are you ready to defend your home?    I think we can all agree that we are in wicked days.  We are seeing things that I never thought I would see in my lifetime.   It is interesting to note that the Bible actually prophesied these days.  2 Timothy 3:1-7 says:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Sounds like something right out of today’s news…doesn’t it?  Are we ready to protect our homes from all of the attacks all around us?  Are we ready to defend our homes and families against the spiritual wickedness we see all around us?  Are we willing to take action today to defend our own homes…or are we going to sit back and wait to see what happens?

Are you ready to defend your faith?   Are you willing to stand up for what you believe?   This is a day and age when what is good is called evil and what is evil is called good.  Matthew 24:4-14 states:

…take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many…

There are false prophets and false teachings everywhere today.  It is necessary to take a stand for what we believe in and know to be the truth.  Of course, this requires that we actually know what we believe in.   How well do you know what you believe in?   Are you ready to stand for the truth?

Are you ready to share your faith?   As Christians, we often speak of the “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:18-20, but are we really living it?  Are we going into all the world to make disciples of all nations?  We need to be ready to teach the truth of God’s word and we need to persuade people to be ready to meet the Lord.

Are you ready to ACT on what HE is telling you to do?   If we hear HIS voice and don’t act on it, we are not doing all that we are called to do.  Of course this implies that we are listening to the voice of the LORD.   Once you know what HE is asking you to do, will you be willing to do it?

Are you ready for the Lord’s coming?    Jesus is coming back and HE is coming back soon.   Are you ready for HIS return?   Will you be found looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ or will you be left behind?  Are you ready for HIS return?

Are YOU waiting anxiously for HIM to come back?  Have you given your life fully to JESUS CHRIST?

Have you made PREPARATION, WITHOUT HESITION, LIVING IN ANTICIPATION, so that you will experience JUBILATION?

Be Ready because JESUS is coming back soon!!!

–Stephen

Are YOU Ready? – Part 1

One of my favorite Christian Contemporary Bands from the ‘80’s (and yes, they are still one of my favorites) was a group called Degarmo & Key.  Their 1984 release “Communication” included a song called “Are You Ready” which inspired me to contemplate the question, “am I ready?”.    So I ask you…”Are You Ready”?   Now before you answer that question, I think that there are two questions that have to be answered:

• What does it mean to be ready?
• What do we need to be ready for?

Let’s take a look at the first question:   “What does it mean to be ready?”    The dictionary definition of “being ready” is being “COMPLETELY PREPARED” or “DULY EQUIPPED”.    There is a portion of scripture which details four critical factors required to “be ready”.   Luke 12:35-40 says:

³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. ³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Up until this point in Luke 12, Jesus is teaching about material things.   As we get into verse 35, there is a shift away from the material things to what is really important – the eternal things.  These verses show us four of the factors required for readiness.

1. Preparation:   Verse 40 tells us that the servants must not get ready, they must BE READY.   This is something that is not done as an afterthought, it must be done proactively.
2. No Hesitation:   Verse 37 speaks of the urgency that comes with being ready.    The wording actually implies that it happens now.   What’s described here is not a “getting ready after you see the master coming or hear his footsteps”…it is a proactive action.
3. Anticipation:  Verse 36 tells us that this “being ready” is something that the servants MUST be looking forward to.   The imagery that is used is that the master shouldn’t have to stand banging on the door, waiting for his slumbering servants to open the door, the servants must be ready and looking for HIM as if HIS coming is their #1 priority.   After all, they are servants.   This is not just a “dutiful waiting”, but an anticipation of one who is hoped for, expected and looked forward to.
4. Jubilation:   Verse 38 tells us that as a result of being ready and waiting properly, there is a reward.   Now that is exciting!   I like the way that the New Living Translation puts it:   “He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn.  But whenever He comes, He will reward the servants who are ready.”

So “are you ready”?   What specific actions can you take to be sure “You are ready”?   I believe it starts with repentance –  turning FROM the sin in our lives and turning TO God.  When we sin, we immediately dull our sensitivity to the LORD and are prevented from walking closely with the Lord.  We must also be sure to spend time in prayer and communion with JESUS if we are to be spiritually prepared for the return of the Master.  Then we must have faith and believe that HE will keep HIS promise.

Are You Ready?   Next week we will explore the second question, “What do we need to be ready for?”

–Stephen