Daily Devotions - July 2015
Monday July 13, 2015 - Thy Will Be Done
Matthew 6:10 "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (NIV)
Even though our Lord was emphatic that we should ask for the Father's will to be done when whenever we pray, if we're really honest we'll have to admit that we've all dropped the ball in that instance at least once or twice.
Yes, we've all been guilty of attempting to convince God to see and hopefully do things our way . Yet in this great model for what our prayers should look like, Jesus was making it clear that we must not only submit to the Father's will but we must "desire" His will.
You see, contrary to how many people think, prayer is not meant to change God's mind or actions, but it's intended to redirect our thinking to bring it into alignment with God's already determined will.
So in effect, even as we present our requests before God, it should be with the mindset that we want Him to change our desires and wants so that they might completely line up with His will.
No wonder Martin Luther once said "The fewer the words, the better the prayer"
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord.
Pastor Tony
Tuesday July 14, 2015 - Complete the Job!
I am a fan of a particular sports team which has started strong the last few years only to fizzle out and fail miserably at the end of the season. While they have started out strong once again this year, what’s interesting to me is that they’ve adopted a particular saying which they say is driving them on – “Complete the job!”
Sports aside, that’s the same attitude believers need to have. While so many of us start out well, how many actually finish well? How many of us can say that we are still going strong months and years after giving our lives to Christ?
That’s the idea that the apostle Paul had when towards the end of his ministry and life he wrote to his protégé Timothy that he could sum up his life as having finished his race well – 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (NIV)
Paul wasn’t alone in presenting an admonition to complete the work which had begun. We all know the story of how Joshua succeeding Moses and was the man to actually lead God’s people into the Promised Land.
Towards the end of his life, Joshua also issued a strong statement to God’s people regarding the importance of occupying all of the land which God had promised them. In effect he was saying “complete the job” –Joshua 18:3 “So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” (NIV)
So many believers start well but get sidetracked along the way and then end up just like the Israelites, willing to settle for much less than God’s best for them. In the end they end up like my favorite team, an “also ran."
Wouldn’t you much rather be remembered as someone who made a difference for the Lord? If so, then keep at it and make sure to complete the job!
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
I am a fan of a particular sports team which has started strong the last few years only to fizzle out and fail miserably at the end of the season. While they have started out strong once again this year, what’s interesting to me is that they’ve adopted a particular saying which they say is driving them on – “Complete the job!”
Sports aside, that’s the same attitude believers need to have. While so many of us start out well, how many actually finish well? How many of us can say that we are still going strong months and years after giving our lives to Christ?
That’s the idea that the apostle Paul had when towards the end of his ministry and life he wrote to his protégé Timothy that he could sum up his life as having finished his race well – 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (NIV)
Paul wasn’t alone in presenting an admonition to complete the work which had begun. We all know the story of how Joshua succeeding Moses and was the man to actually lead God’s people into the Promised Land.
Towards the end of his life, Joshua also issued a strong statement to God’s people regarding the importance of occupying all of the land which God had promised them. In effect he was saying “complete the job” –Joshua 18:3 “So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” (NIV)
So many believers start well but get sidetracked along the way and then end up just like the Israelites, willing to settle for much less than God’s best for them. In the end they end up like my favorite team, an “also ran."
Wouldn’t you much rather be remembered as someone who made a difference for the Lord? If so, then keep at it and make sure to complete the job!
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
Wednesday July 15, 2015 - Worthy of All Praise
It’s often quite interesting how some people are reluctant to offer God praise. Some are so “reserved” that they will recoil at the notion of ever raising their hands in praise to God. They might feel “that’s going over board or becoming fanatical."
God has a very different idea however about the praise that is due to Him. From the Lord’s perspective, He is worthy of all of our praise. While the book of Psalms tackles a great number of issues there are probably one or two that seem to stand out the most; and praising the Lord is without a doubt in the top two or three.
The Lord simply loves to hear and see His people praising Him.
In the following psalm we see the psalmist inviting all of creation to offer praise to the One who is worthy –Psalms 148:1-14 “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints-- Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the Lord!” (NKJV)
One of the reasons that praise is due Him is because of His authority. Notice it was He who created everything at the command of His word. This shows that all of creation is subject tothe Lord – Psalms 148:5“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.” (NKJV)
One of the purposes of the psalms was to cause the reader to meditate or ponder on the things being discussed. When I read this particular psalm, I’m drawn to the absolute obedience that creation has to its Maker; that is with just two exceptions – the fallen angels and man. The rest of creation seems to have no problem in following their Creator’s plans for them. Now you might be thinking “Hey wait a minute, how do the sun, stars, trees and oceans actually praise the Lord?”
Well, they do. They offer a primary form of praise, and it’s the same basic praise that God demands from us that we so often fail to give – obedience. You see, before we can offer praise in the form of song and words from our lips, the Lord requires our obedience which is simply following His plan and design for us. Let me ask you, when was the last time you saw a horse trying to be a cow, or a tree attempting to become a river? Yet every day we see man rebelling against God’s will and charting his own course and doing his own thing rather than God’s intentions.
The bottom line is that the rest of creation often puts us to shame when it comes to giving God what He alone is worthy of – praise. So let this be the day that you and I begin to change that sinful pattern. Let’s offer Him all the praise that He alone is due.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord.
Pastor Tony
It’s often quite interesting how some people are reluctant to offer God praise. Some are so “reserved” that they will recoil at the notion of ever raising their hands in praise to God. They might feel “that’s going over board or becoming fanatical."
God has a very different idea however about the praise that is due to Him. From the Lord’s perspective, He is worthy of all of our praise. While the book of Psalms tackles a great number of issues there are probably one or two that seem to stand out the most; and praising the Lord is without a doubt in the top two or three.
The Lord simply loves to hear and see His people praising Him.
In the following psalm we see the psalmist inviting all of creation to offer praise to the One who is worthy –Psalms 148:1-14 “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints-- Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the Lord!” (NKJV)
One of the reasons that praise is due Him is because of His authority. Notice it was He who created everything at the command of His word. This shows that all of creation is subject tothe Lord – Psalms 148:5“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.” (NKJV)
One of the purposes of the psalms was to cause the reader to meditate or ponder on the things being discussed. When I read this particular psalm, I’m drawn to the absolute obedience that creation has to its Maker; that is with just two exceptions – the fallen angels and man. The rest of creation seems to have no problem in following their Creator’s plans for them. Now you might be thinking “Hey wait a minute, how do the sun, stars, trees and oceans actually praise the Lord?”
Well, they do. They offer a primary form of praise, and it’s the same basic praise that God demands from us that we so often fail to give – obedience. You see, before we can offer praise in the form of song and words from our lips, the Lord requires our obedience which is simply following His plan and design for us. Let me ask you, when was the last time you saw a horse trying to be a cow, or a tree attempting to become a river? Yet every day we see man rebelling against God’s will and charting his own course and doing his own thing rather than God’s intentions.
The bottom line is that the rest of creation often puts us to shame when it comes to giving God what He alone is worthy of – praise. So let this be the day that you and I begin to change that sinful pattern. Let’s offer Him all the praise that He alone is due.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord.
Pastor Tony
Thursday July 16, 2015 - All for the Lord
We’ve all heard the saying “give it your all”. Maybe you’ve heard it with respect to the work you perform, or possibly school or sports. Then again maybe you’ve heard someone say with great pride that they have given a particular takes 90 or 95% effort. While that might be great in most worldly endeavors, even that terrific effort is still greatly lacking when it comes to what the Lord desires from us.
He desires and deserves more.
Colossians 3:16-17 “ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (NKJV)
Believers are to “put on” Christ. In other words, we are to walk in and through the power of Christ. But how are we supposed to do that? The method, by which we can walk in His power, is by abiding in His Word. It is essential that the child of God spend important quality time in the Word of God.
The idea of abiding picturesmaking it our permanent abode or dwelling place. We should spend time in the Word, which then provides entrance for it to remain inus. This points to more than just a casual knowledge of the Word, but a realfamiliarity with, and a greatlove for it.
Here’s what one commentator said – “The words of the Bible, God’s written Word, are to dwell in believers. That is, by study, meditation, and application of the Word, it becomes a permanent abiding part of one’s life.”
When the words of Christ become part of a believer’s nature, they lead to the desire to worship and to sing songs to the Lord. This is also due to the fact that the believer’s heart is filled with gratitude toward God in his or her heart.
Our joyful singing should not only be motivated by our love for the Lord, but also to be pleasing and minister to Him.
Speaking about our motivation; it is without a doubt something that we should constantly check.
Quite often we will do the right things, but for all the wrong reasons. There might be an individual who performs great works of service within the Body, but might be doing so with the wrong motivation, maybe he or she wants to be noticed, or for example they might think it could be a stepping stone leading to another position. Whatever the reason, it is essential that the believer understand that everything that we do is for the Lord – Colossians 3:17“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (NKJV)
Notice, he says “And whatever you do in word or deed”. While we often think of “secular” as opposed to “ministry-type” work, in the Lord’s eyeseverything that we set our hands to should be dedicated as service to andfor Him.
So remember, let’s do everything for the Lord.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord.
Pastor Tony
We’ve all heard the saying “give it your all”. Maybe you’ve heard it with respect to the work you perform, or possibly school or sports. Then again maybe you’ve heard someone say with great pride that they have given a particular takes 90 or 95% effort. While that might be great in most worldly endeavors, even that terrific effort is still greatly lacking when it comes to what the Lord desires from us.
He desires and deserves more.
Colossians 3:16-17 “ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (NKJV)
Believers are to “put on” Christ. In other words, we are to walk in and through the power of Christ. But how are we supposed to do that? The method, by which we can walk in His power, is by abiding in His Word. It is essential that the child of God spend important quality time in the Word of God.
The idea of abiding picturesmaking it our permanent abode or dwelling place. We should spend time in the Word, which then provides entrance for it to remain inus. This points to more than just a casual knowledge of the Word, but a realfamiliarity with, and a greatlove for it.
Here’s what one commentator said – “The words of the Bible, God’s written Word, are to dwell in believers. That is, by study, meditation, and application of the Word, it becomes a permanent abiding part of one’s life.”
When the words of Christ become part of a believer’s nature, they lead to the desire to worship and to sing songs to the Lord. This is also due to the fact that the believer’s heart is filled with gratitude toward God in his or her heart.
Our joyful singing should not only be motivated by our love for the Lord, but also to be pleasing and minister to Him.
Speaking about our motivation; it is without a doubt something that we should constantly check.
Quite often we will do the right things, but for all the wrong reasons. There might be an individual who performs great works of service within the Body, but might be doing so with the wrong motivation, maybe he or she wants to be noticed, or for example they might think it could be a stepping stone leading to another position. Whatever the reason, it is essential that the believer understand that everything that we do is for the Lord – Colossians 3:17“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (NKJV)
Notice, he says “And whatever you do in word or deed”. While we often think of “secular” as opposed to “ministry-type” work, in the Lord’s eyeseverything that we set our hands to should be dedicated as service to andfor Him.
So remember, let’s do everything for the Lord.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord.
Pastor Tony
Friday July 17, 2015 - Daily Bread
I don’t know about you, but I spend far too much time thinking about food. I’ll admit it, I enjoy a good meal. However, enjoying and thinking about food is one thing but truly needing it is entirely different.
Yes, there’s a great difference from out uttering “I’m starving” when we had a good sized breakfast but missed lunch, and those who cannot remember the last good meal they’ve had.
While eating regularly is necessary to maintain good physical health, there’s another type of diet which is also extremely important, and that is our spiritual diet. As God, Jesus was acutely aware of the need which the Jews had with regard to their spiritual food. The Jewish leaders had mixed their ideas, agendas and even politics in with God’s Word, so much so that Jesus referred to it as yeast or leaven (corruption) –Matthew 16:6-12 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (NIV)
Jesus wanted His followers to be on guard against false teaching which would seductively draw them away from Him. That same danger is present today. We have to be so careful with the teaching we receive.
Now, this might sound strange in the middle of a daily devotion, but I sincerely hope you aren’t allowing these devotions to be your daily spiritual “main course”. Our main course should consist of the only food which is spiritually designed to sustain us – God’s Word. While devotional readings are great supplements, snacks and desserts, only His Word can be considered our required daily bread – John 6:33 “ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” And John 6:35“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (NIV)
So have you had a good spiritual meal yet today? If not, STOP reading this devotion and pick up your Bible. Spend time with the Lord in His Word. Then, top everything off with your devotions. Remember read His Word before you do anything else and it will change your life. You’ll notice just how good you’ll feel after having a good meal!
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord.
Pastor Tony
I don’t know about you, but I spend far too much time thinking about food. I’ll admit it, I enjoy a good meal. However, enjoying and thinking about food is one thing but truly needing it is entirely different.
Yes, there’s a great difference from out uttering “I’m starving” when we had a good sized breakfast but missed lunch, and those who cannot remember the last good meal they’ve had.
While eating regularly is necessary to maintain good physical health, there’s another type of diet which is also extremely important, and that is our spiritual diet. As God, Jesus was acutely aware of the need which the Jews had with regard to their spiritual food. The Jewish leaders had mixed their ideas, agendas and even politics in with God’s Word, so much so that Jesus referred to it as yeast or leaven (corruption) –Matthew 16:6-12 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (NIV)
Jesus wanted His followers to be on guard against false teaching which would seductively draw them away from Him. That same danger is present today. We have to be so careful with the teaching we receive.
Now, this might sound strange in the middle of a daily devotion, but I sincerely hope you aren’t allowing these devotions to be your daily spiritual “main course”. Our main course should consist of the only food which is spiritually designed to sustain us – God’s Word. While devotional readings are great supplements, snacks and desserts, only His Word can be considered our required daily bread – John 6:33 “ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” And John 6:35“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (NIV)
So have you had a good spiritual meal yet today? If not, STOP reading this devotion and pick up your Bible. Spend time with the Lord in His Word. Then, top everything off with your devotions. Remember read His Word before you do anything else and it will change your life. You’ll notice just how good you’ll feel after having a good meal!
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord.
Pastor Tony
Monday July 20,2015 - Holding Fast
Being unsure is always a difficult position to be in. Just think of how you feel when you start a new job, school or task. You’re not really sure of how to go about certain things. At least at the outset you might be a little hesitant in asserting yourself even in those areas that you might have previously mastered.
While each of those scenarios are without doubt important to us, none can match the importance of being certain of our ultimate faith, which is our hope in Christ - Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (NKJV)
In Greek, the word for “confession” can be rendered as profession. This shows that the believer’s faith is to be active. We are investing in a process with the Lord. It pictures that our part of our access to God entails that we hold without reservation with full confidence in the reliability of God’s promises. "Talk what we will of faith, if we do not trust and rely upon Him, we do not believe in Him." - Antony Fairdon
So while it is important that we each remain faithful, it is interesting to notice the impact that our lack of faith has upon the Lord – 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (NKJV)
You see, He always remains faithful. By nature, Jesus the one who is Faithful and True cannot deny Himself. The equally great news is that He enables us even in our weakest moments.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews understood human nature. We all falter in our faith from time-to-time. Let’s face it, even when we desire to do what’s good and right there will be times when we fail. Abraham, the “father of faith” had some major lapses in faith at times. That’s why Jesus wanted the disciples to know they had to rely completely on Him and not their own strength – Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (NKJV)
So, the bottom line is to remain steadfast and not give up, We should hold onto the Lord for dear life, with never a thought of letting go. Here’s how the author of Hebrews said it –Hebrews 6:11-12 “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (NASB)
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
Being unsure is always a difficult position to be in. Just think of how you feel when you start a new job, school or task. You’re not really sure of how to go about certain things. At least at the outset you might be a little hesitant in asserting yourself even in those areas that you might have previously mastered.
While each of those scenarios are without doubt important to us, none can match the importance of being certain of our ultimate faith, which is our hope in Christ - Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (NKJV)
In Greek, the word for “confession” can be rendered as profession. This shows that the believer’s faith is to be active. We are investing in a process with the Lord. It pictures that our part of our access to God entails that we hold without reservation with full confidence in the reliability of God’s promises. "Talk what we will of faith, if we do not trust and rely upon Him, we do not believe in Him." - Antony Fairdon
So while it is important that we each remain faithful, it is interesting to notice the impact that our lack of faith has upon the Lord – 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (NKJV)
You see, He always remains faithful. By nature, Jesus the one who is Faithful and True cannot deny Himself. The equally great news is that He enables us even in our weakest moments.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews understood human nature. We all falter in our faith from time-to-time. Let’s face it, even when we desire to do what’s good and right there will be times when we fail. Abraham, the “father of faith” had some major lapses in faith at times. That’s why Jesus wanted the disciples to know they had to rely completely on Him and not their own strength – Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (NKJV)
So, the bottom line is to remain steadfast and not give up, We should hold onto the Lord for dear life, with never a thought of letting go. Here’s how the author of Hebrews said it –Hebrews 6:11-12 “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (NASB)
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
Tuesday July 21, 2015 - In the Race
You don’t need me to tell you that at times the Christian life can be hard. Yes, there will be difficult times. Just let the apostle Paul explain it – 2 Corinthians 11:22-27 “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—" (NKJV)
While many of us complain about difficulties in our lives, there is one major difference, each of Paul’s problems were due to his service for the Lord. Is that the case in our lives? Can we say that our suffering is for righteousness sake? –Matthew 5:10. Or do we bring many of our difficulties upon ourselves? Sometimes what we call persecution is just a matter of our sin catching up to us.
Both our Lord and Paul made it very clear that the believer has to constantly monitor his or her walk to see if we are truly “walking the talk” – 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” (NKJV)
The very fact alone that we have God’s Spirit residing in us should cause us to be extremely careful in how we live. It should cause us to want to live lives that are holy and pleasing to the Lord. I like that Paul concludes the verse with the phrase “unless you are disqualified”. There’s no doubt that Paul was a big sports fan. He used so many sporting analogies in his letters. In this case it points to the fact that a participant in a contest, let’s say a marathon (which is a wonderful picture of the Christian’s life) must abide by all the rules or risk disqualification. It isn’t enough to keep some of the rules and to disregard others. In the same way, the believer needs to behave in a certain way.
For the man or woman that professes faith in Christ and then to live in a manner displeasing to the Lord, it gives reason to question whether they were truly converted. You see, a true believer will want to live in a way that pleases his or her Lord. Yes, they may fall every now and then, but their lives should show a consistent progress toward the marathon’s finish line. It should be a life marked by more and more victories and fewer defeats. It’s only then that we can echo the words of the same battle-tested apostle Paul -2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (NKJV)
As the saying goes, “you have to be in it to win it”. If you’re a believer, you’re already in the race. The real question is: Are you pressing on to win it?
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord,
Pastor Tony
You don’t need me to tell you that at times the Christian life can be hard. Yes, there will be difficult times. Just let the apostle Paul explain it – 2 Corinthians 11:22-27 “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—" (NKJV)
While many of us complain about difficulties in our lives, there is one major difference, each of Paul’s problems were due to his service for the Lord. Is that the case in our lives? Can we say that our suffering is for righteousness sake? –Matthew 5:10. Or do we bring many of our difficulties upon ourselves? Sometimes what we call persecution is just a matter of our sin catching up to us.
Both our Lord and Paul made it very clear that the believer has to constantly monitor his or her walk to see if we are truly “walking the talk” – 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” (NKJV)
The very fact alone that we have God’s Spirit residing in us should cause us to be extremely careful in how we live. It should cause us to want to live lives that are holy and pleasing to the Lord. I like that Paul concludes the verse with the phrase “unless you are disqualified”. There’s no doubt that Paul was a big sports fan. He used so many sporting analogies in his letters. In this case it points to the fact that a participant in a contest, let’s say a marathon (which is a wonderful picture of the Christian’s life) must abide by all the rules or risk disqualification. It isn’t enough to keep some of the rules and to disregard others. In the same way, the believer needs to behave in a certain way.
For the man or woman that professes faith in Christ and then to live in a manner displeasing to the Lord, it gives reason to question whether they were truly converted. You see, a true believer will want to live in a way that pleases his or her Lord. Yes, they may fall every now and then, but their lives should show a consistent progress toward the marathon’s finish line. It should be a life marked by more and more victories and fewer defeats. It’s only then that we can echo the words of the same battle-tested apostle Paul -2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (NKJV)
As the saying goes, “you have to be in it to win it”. If you’re a believer, you’re already in the race. The real question is: Are you pressing on to win it?
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord,
Pastor Tony
Wednesday July 22, 2015 - Faith Put to the Test
There’s an old saying “never pray for patience, because then you’ll be sure to have to undergo trials”. Whether or not there is any truth to that is debatable, but it’s really a moot point, since trials are simply a part of life, they’ll come your way regardless.
But did you know that trials are actually beneficial? I’m sure if you polled most people they’d disagree with that statement, but then they’d be out of step with the Bible. God’s Word clearly tells us that there is a great benefit to our trials - James 1:3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (NKJV)
God desires to produce patience in our lives. Now, I can only speak for myself, but I am simply not a very patient person. I’m not discriminating, since I get as frustrated with myself as I do with others. So, the Lord will allow various difficulties and trials in my life for one very specific purpose – to teach me patience.
The word patience is actually derived from two Greek words, hupo (under) and meno (abide, or remain). So the idea is that we have to learn to remain under pressure, or to remain in a particular situation. By nature, we all want to escape difficulties, but it’s as if the Lord is saying “No my child, it’s for your sake that you stay in that situation for a while”. I think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego as they had to remain in a fiery furnace, or Daniel who likewise stayed in the lion den overnight. Sure the Lord could have rescued each immediately, yet He didn’t.
You might be wondering why He didn’t deliver these godly men from their difficulties right away. It’s the same reason Jesus didn’t come to the disciples on the stormy sea until the fourth watch of the night. He wanted to test their faith.
Many erroneously teach that patience produces faith, but it doesn’t. It tests or literally tries the faith that we already have. The Lord is causing us to activate and utilize the faith that we have, and that also is for our benefit. You see, each time go through (and come out of) a trial, it shows us just how deep our love for the Lord is.
One last benefit of the testing of our faith is that it causes us to trust His faithfulness – 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (NKJV)
How great is that! Even when we blow it and stumble in our faith, He remains faithful.
So don’t give up, or get bummed out when you’re undergoing hard times, the Lord is at work. He’s growing you, and wanting to produce something spectacular if you let Him, just look at the faith of the three young Hebrews in that furnace – Daniel 3:17-18” If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." (NKJV)
That same amazing faith is available to you and me as well, as we allow the Lord to develop it in us.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
There’s an old saying “never pray for patience, because then you’ll be sure to have to undergo trials”. Whether or not there is any truth to that is debatable, but it’s really a moot point, since trials are simply a part of life, they’ll come your way regardless.
But did you know that trials are actually beneficial? I’m sure if you polled most people they’d disagree with that statement, but then they’d be out of step with the Bible. God’s Word clearly tells us that there is a great benefit to our trials - James 1:3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (NKJV)
God desires to produce patience in our lives. Now, I can only speak for myself, but I am simply not a very patient person. I’m not discriminating, since I get as frustrated with myself as I do with others. So, the Lord will allow various difficulties and trials in my life for one very specific purpose – to teach me patience.
The word patience is actually derived from two Greek words, hupo (under) and meno (abide, or remain). So the idea is that we have to learn to remain under pressure, or to remain in a particular situation. By nature, we all want to escape difficulties, but it’s as if the Lord is saying “No my child, it’s for your sake that you stay in that situation for a while”. I think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego as they had to remain in a fiery furnace, or Daniel who likewise stayed in the lion den overnight. Sure the Lord could have rescued each immediately, yet He didn’t.
You might be wondering why He didn’t deliver these godly men from their difficulties right away. It’s the same reason Jesus didn’t come to the disciples on the stormy sea until the fourth watch of the night. He wanted to test their faith.
Many erroneously teach that patience produces faith, but it doesn’t. It tests or literally tries the faith that we already have. The Lord is causing us to activate and utilize the faith that we have, and that also is for our benefit. You see, each time go through (and come out of) a trial, it shows us just how deep our love for the Lord is.
One last benefit of the testing of our faith is that it causes us to trust His faithfulness – 2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (NKJV)
How great is that! Even when we blow it and stumble in our faith, He remains faithful.
So don’t give up, or get bummed out when you’re undergoing hard times, the Lord is at work. He’s growing you, and wanting to produce something spectacular if you let Him, just look at the faith of the three young Hebrews in that furnace – Daniel 3:17-18” If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." (NKJV)
That same amazing faith is available to you and me as well, as we allow the Lord to develop it in us.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
Thursday July 23, 2015 - Faith that Works
The topic of faith and works is probably one of the most confusing and controversial in Christianity. The reason is that most of the focus is on the extreme views in both camps. There are those who believe and teach that true faith means that no work is ever involved, while others promote the idea that acceptance from God is brought about by good works.
What is the correct view? Most importantly what does the Bible teach? First, let’s see the biblical definition of faith – Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (NLT)
So we see that faith is based upon our confidence and it will produce assurance. The very idea of having faith means that we have placed complete trust in God and His perfect love for us. It is the confidence in the One who can bring about those things which we do not yet see.
Now, let’s take a look at how the Word of God shows that faith and works are truly connected – James 2:14-17 “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (NLT)
You see, the reality is that there is a wonderful balance and connection between faith and works. While we can only be saved by God’s grace through our faith in Him, that faith is meant to produce works that are pleasing to Him. We might think of it as faith being a tree which produces delicious fruit (good works). Here’s what Martin Luther said – “The kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power, that is, in works and practice. God loves the 'doers of the word' in faith and love, and not the 'mere hearers,' who, like parrots, have learned to utter certain expressions with readiness.” And then Charles Spurgeon – “Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith.”
So let’s all put our faith to work. Let’s start producing those works which will bless others and most importantly will bring joy and glory to our Lord.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
The topic of faith and works is probably one of the most confusing and controversial in Christianity. The reason is that most of the focus is on the extreme views in both camps. There are those who believe and teach that true faith means that no work is ever involved, while others promote the idea that acceptance from God is brought about by good works.
What is the correct view? Most importantly what does the Bible teach? First, let’s see the biblical definition of faith – Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (NLT)
So we see that faith is based upon our confidence and it will produce assurance. The very idea of having faith means that we have placed complete trust in God and His perfect love for us. It is the confidence in the One who can bring about those things which we do not yet see.
Now, let’s take a look at how the Word of God shows that faith and works are truly connected – James 2:14-17 “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” (NLT)
You see, the reality is that there is a wonderful balance and connection between faith and works. While we can only be saved by God’s grace through our faith in Him, that faith is meant to produce works that are pleasing to Him. We might think of it as faith being a tree which produces delicious fruit (good works). Here’s what Martin Luther said – “The kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power, that is, in works and practice. God loves the 'doers of the word' in faith and love, and not the 'mere hearers,' who, like parrots, have learned to utter certain expressions with readiness.” And then Charles Spurgeon – “Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith.”
So let’s all put our faith to work. Let’s start producing those works which will bless others and most importantly will bring joy and glory to our Lord.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
Friday July 24, 20515 - While We Are Still Here
One of the most frequently asked questions is why does the Lord leave His people here in the midst of all the sin and wickedness in this world. The thought is that after all, the Lord loves His children, Jesus died for us, so why would He allow us to face all what we are confronted with on a daily basis? The answer is simple, He’s preparing us for something far greater than we could ever imagine – 1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (NKJV)
You see, we can’t even begin to imagine the great things that the Lord has in store for us. Why is it taking so long? It’s because the Lord is preparing things for us – John 14:2 “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (NKJV)
The Lord looks upon His church as His bride. In Biblical times the marriage process was quite different than in our day and age. In those days it would be expected that the bride would go to live in her husband’s home, but the interesting thing, is that his home would be in his father’s house. When a man was to take a bride, he would spend a portion of the time before the actual marriage (called the betrothal period) building additions on to the home as new living quarters for him and his wife to be. We could say that the bridegroom was making preparations for his bride.
In the same way, Jesus has not only been preparing heaven for His bride-to-be, but He has been preparing us at the same time. The Lord has left us here in order to prepare us for the great things He has in store. As Paul mentioned in that verse from First Corinthians, the idea far exceeds anything that we have ever experienced much less can imagine.
Yes, for now we can only attempt to imagine what it will be like when we are finally home, finally in His presence. For now we can only experience ever so slight tastes every now and then of what it might be like. But even those earthly experiences as wonderful as they might be, fall so far short of what heaven will be like.
So as long as we are here, let’s get ourselves ready, just as Jesus is getting things ready for us. Remember the day is approaching, so let’s keep looking up for our redemption is drawing near.
Have a blessed day in the Lord!
Tony
One of the most frequently asked questions is why does the Lord leave His people here in the midst of all the sin and wickedness in this world. The thought is that after all, the Lord loves His children, Jesus died for us, so why would He allow us to face all what we are confronted with on a daily basis? The answer is simple, He’s preparing us for something far greater than we could ever imagine – 1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (NKJV)
You see, we can’t even begin to imagine the great things that the Lord has in store for us. Why is it taking so long? It’s because the Lord is preparing things for us – John 14:2 “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (NKJV)
The Lord looks upon His church as His bride. In Biblical times the marriage process was quite different than in our day and age. In those days it would be expected that the bride would go to live in her husband’s home, but the interesting thing, is that his home would be in his father’s house. When a man was to take a bride, he would spend a portion of the time before the actual marriage (called the betrothal period) building additions on to the home as new living quarters for him and his wife to be. We could say that the bridegroom was making preparations for his bride.
In the same way, Jesus has not only been preparing heaven for His bride-to-be, but He has been preparing us at the same time. The Lord has left us here in order to prepare us for the great things He has in store. As Paul mentioned in that verse from First Corinthians, the idea far exceeds anything that we have ever experienced much less can imagine.
Yes, for now we can only attempt to imagine what it will be like when we are finally home, finally in His presence. For now we can only experience ever so slight tastes every now and then of what it might be like. But even those earthly experiences as wonderful as they might be, fall so far short of what heaven will be like.
So as long as we are here, let’s get ourselves ready, just as Jesus is getting things ready for us. Remember the day is approaching, so let’s keep looking up for our redemption is drawing near.
Have a blessed day in the Lord!
Tony
Monday July 27, 2015 - Angry With God
The book of Revelation has often caused much consternation with many people. Frequently believers are heard to remark that it is too difficult to understand, while when unbelievers read about the wrath and judgments of God they see Him as being cruel and completely unloving.
However, in reality when we truly take a deep look at the passages in question, and see the reaction of those being judged then we get a clear picture of the real problem – Revelation 16:5-11 “And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due." And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.” (NKJV)
Notice, that the judgments of God are righteous. He doesn’t punish anyone indiscriminately. As a matter of fact, Scripture tells us that He doesn’t take any delight in punishing the wicked – Ezekiel 18:23 “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” and Ezekiel 33:11”Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'” (NKJV)
As we see from the Revelation passage, the problem lies with the unrepentant hearts of those under judgment. Despite the fact that God’s wrath is justified, the people not only refuse to acknowledge their wrong-doing, but they continue to curse and blame God. Unfortunately, that is not unlike the attitude that many today have as well. They blame the Lord for their difficulties and troubles.
You’ll even hear some people say “I have a right to be angry with God”. But is that true? Do any of us have the right to be angry with God? There was even a servant of the Lord, Jonah who was once very angry about some of the things the Lord had done. When God asked if Jonah felt justified in his anger, he incredibly said that he did – Jonah 4:9. Now before we begin to come down on Jonah because of his attitude, we need to check ourselves. Do we ever think that God has been unfair and that we know best? Do we ever get even a little bit angry with Him? I certainly hope not, because no matter how difficult things might become in our lives, the child of God has the wonderful assurance that the Lord always does what is best for us. He never punishes His children, nor will He ever abandon us. That’s not to say we won’t undergo chastening when we sin and mess up, but even that is meant to make us more like Jesus and to bring us into a closer relationship with Him.
So if you ever think you’ve got the right to be angry with the Lord, think again. He never does anything wrong. Can you say the same thing about yourself? Of course you can’t. So when things don’t work out to your liking or how you had envisioned them, just chalk it up to another wonderful learning experience the Lord has for you, and instead of blame-shifting, ask Him to help you to learn and grow. That’s a prayer that you can be assured He desires to wonderfully answer.
Have a wonderful and victorious day with the Lord,
Pastor Tony
The book of Revelation has often caused much consternation with many people. Frequently believers are heard to remark that it is too difficult to understand, while when unbelievers read about the wrath and judgments of God they see Him as being cruel and completely unloving.
However, in reality when we truly take a deep look at the passages in question, and see the reaction of those being judged then we get a clear picture of the real problem – Revelation 16:5-11 “And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due." And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.” (NKJV)
Notice, that the judgments of God are righteous. He doesn’t punish anyone indiscriminately. As a matter of fact, Scripture tells us that He doesn’t take any delight in punishing the wicked – Ezekiel 18:23 “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” and Ezekiel 33:11”Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'” (NKJV)
As we see from the Revelation passage, the problem lies with the unrepentant hearts of those under judgment. Despite the fact that God’s wrath is justified, the people not only refuse to acknowledge their wrong-doing, but they continue to curse and blame God. Unfortunately, that is not unlike the attitude that many today have as well. They blame the Lord for their difficulties and troubles.
You’ll even hear some people say “I have a right to be angry with God”. But is that true? Do any of us have the right to be angry with God? There was even a servant of the Lord, Jonah who was once very angry about some of the things the Lord had done. When God asked if Jonah felt justified in his anger, he incredibly said that he did – Jonah 4:9. Now before we begin to come down on Jonah because of his attitude, we need to check ourselves. Do we ever think that God has been unfair and that we know best? Do we ever get even a little bit angry with Him? I certainly hope not, because no matter how difficult things might become in our lives, the child of God has the wonderful assurance that the Lord always does what is best for us. He never punishes His children, nor will He ever abandon us. That’s not to say we won’t undergo chastening when we sin and mess up, but even that is meant to make us more like Jesus and to bring us into a closer relationship with Him.
So if you ever think you’ve got the right to be angry with the Lord, think again. He never does anything wrong. Can you say the same thing about yourself? Of course you can’t. So when things don’t work out to your liking or how you had envisioned them, just chalk it up to another wonderful learning experience the Lord has for you, and instead of blame-shifting, ask Him to help you to learn and grow. That’s a prayer that you can be assured He desires to wonderfully answer.
Have a wonderful and victorious day with the Lord,
Pastor Tony
Tuesday July 28,, 2015 - Worship in the Beauty of Holiness
Psalm 29:1-2 “A Psalm of David. Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” (NKJV)
Most commentators describe this as a Psalm of thunders or power since it was most likely written by David during a severe thunderstorm when he saw the mighty power of the Lord on display. There’s a lot more to be seen however. Not only do we see the power of God over nature, but we also see the importance of worship.
We might describe worship as being caught up in the wonder and awesome splendor of the greatness of our God. It’s to have that sense that He alone is worthy of all that we have – our attention, devotion, glory and praise.
It’s not what we do at a particular time, but it’s really an emptying of ourselves of everything else and entering before His throne and simply praising Him for Who He is.
Just as David was moved to write the psalm when he saw the majesty of God on display through nature, we should be moved to worship whenever we see the greatness of our Lord at work. We don’t need a set time, or a worship service. But anytime we see or experience the greatness of our Lord it should lead us to worship.
Notice how David put it – Psalms 29:1“Ascribe to Jehovah, ye sons of the mighty, Ascribe to Jehovah honour and strength. (YLT)
From that literal rendering we see that we are sons of the one who is mighty. You see, our might comes from being related to Him. That’s so great, because it reminds us that there’s nothing within us that we should glory in. It all comes from and belongs to the Lord!
Then, we are to ascribe or give to the Lord. That pictures that we should have an attitude of humility as we enter His presence. Our worship in church should be no different than when done in the privacy of our own homes. We are worshipping the Lord, and our attention and focus should only be upon Him.
We also see that our worship should be for the purpose of acknowledging His greatness (honor and strength). That pictures His worthiness - C.S. Lewis: “A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
We then see and acknowledge that He alone is worthy – Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (NKJV)
Next, we’re instructed to offer praise because of the honor (glory) of His name. We know the great honor the Jews gave to God’s name. So much so that they would not even say the full name. We see throughout Scripture how the Lord teaches us to reverence His name – Exodus 3:15 “Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”
Then we learn the meaning of worship. Worship means to literally bow before. Is that the attitude of our hearts when we worship? Are our hearts “bowed” before Him, or are we hoping to be noticed by others, so that they might take notice of just how worshipful we are? We simply cannot bow and be puffed up at the same time. True worship demands that we have the same attitude as did John the Baptist – John 3:29-30 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (NASB)
Finally, our worship is to be in the splendor (beauty) of holiness. Interestingly, it doesn’t state that it is in the beauty of “His holiness” although that is certainly understood. The Israelites interpreted this to mean in His sanctuary or house. The idea of the Lord’s house being a place of refuge (and it should be). But for you and me the promise goes much further.
We are now the Lord’s temple, just as we are, walking on this earth in our everyday lives. He lives in us. Therefore, we have a greater responsibility. The beauty and splendor of holiness is extended to us. We are to be and live holy lives if we expect to be true worshippers.
Vance Havner once said “Our Lord approved neither idol worship or idle worship but ideal worship in Spirit and truth.”
So let’s change our idea about worship, and begin to worship in the beauty of holiness.
Have a blessed and victorious day!
Pastor Tony
Psalm 29:1-2 “A Psalm of David. Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” (NKJV)
Most commentators describe this as a Psalm of thunders or power since it was most likely written by David during a severe thunderstorm when he saw the mighty power of the Lord on display. There’s a lot more to be seen however. Not only do we see the power of God over nature, but we also see the importance of worship.
We might describe worship as being caught up in the wonder and awesome splendor of the greatness of our God. It’s to have that sense that He alone is worthy of all that we have – our attention, devotion, glory and praise.
It’s not what we do at a particular time, but it’s really an emptying of ourselves of everything else and entering before His throne and simply praising Him for Who He is.
Just as David was moved to write the psalm when he saw the majesty of God on display through nature, we should be moved to worship whenever we see the greatness of our Lord at work. We don’t need a set time, or a worship service. But anytime we see or experience the greatness of our Lord it should lead us to worship.
Notice how David put it – Psalms 29:1“Ascribe to Jehovah, ye sons of the mighty, Ascribe to Jehovah honour and strength. (YLT)
From that literal rendering we see that we are sons of the one who is mighty. You see, our might comes from being related to Him. That’s so great, because it reminds us that there’s nothing within us that we should glory in. It all comes from and belongs to the Lord!
Then, we are to ascribe or give to the Lord. That pictures that we should have an attitude of humility as we enter His presence. Our worship in church should be no different than when done in the privacy of our own homes. We are worshipping the Lord, and our attention and focus should only be upon Him.
We also see that our worship should be for the purpose of acknowledging His greatness (honor and strength). That pictures His worthiness - C.S. Lewis: “A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
We then see and acknowledge that He alone is worthy – Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (NKJV)
Next, we’re instructed to offer praise because of the honor (glory) of His name. We know the great honor the Jews gave to God’s name. So much so that they would not even say the full name. We see throughout Scripture how the Lord teaches us to reverence His name – Exodus 3:15 “Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”
Then we learn the meaning of worship. Worship means to literally bow before. Is that the attitude of our hearts when we worship? Are our hearts “bowed” before Him, or are we hoping to be noticed by others, so that they might take notice of just how worshipful we are? We simply cannot bow and be puffed up at the same time. True worship demands that we have the same attitude as did John the Baptist – John 3:29-30 “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (NASB)
Finally, our worship is to be in the splendor (beauty) of holiness. Interestingly, it doesn’t state that it is in the beauty of “His holiness” although that is certainly understood. The Israelites interpreted this to mean in His sanctuary or house. The idea of the Lord’s house being a place of refuge (and it should be). But for you and me the promise goes much further.
We are now the Lord’s temple, just as we are, walking on this earth in our everyday lives. He lives in us. Therefore, we have a greater responsibility. The beauty and splendor of holiness is extended to us. We are to be and live holy lives if we expect to be true worshippers.
Vance Havner once said “Our Lord approved neither idol worship or idle worship but ideal worship in Spirit and truth.”
So let’s change our idea about worship, and begin to worship in the beauty of holiness.
Have a blessed and victorious day!
Pastor Tony
Wednesday July 29, 2015 - Working
Out What Has Been Worked In
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being surveys, nearly fifty percent of Americans fall into the unfortunate category of being out of shape. Furthermore stats show that over thirty-one percent never exercise. One the other hand Americans are among the most well-fed people in the world. While we seem to be a nation which enjoys our caloric intake, working them off is another story.
While exercise is without question important to our overall physical health, so is its spiritual equivalent – Philippians 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” (NKJV)
Some have often misunderstood and come to the conclusion that Paul was telling the Philippians that they needed to work "for" their salvation. That would have been completely contradictory to what Scripture teaches – Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (NKJV)
Paul wasn’t contradicting what he had previously taught. He wasn’t now teaching to work "for" salvation, but he was saying to work "out" their salvation. In other words, to "exercise" or put into motion what God had already granted.
Much like it is with our physical bodies, there’s a need to exercise "spiritually" as well. Believers need to keep their spiritual man or woman in tip-top shape. That’s why we are so often exhorted to be students of the Word, to be men and women of prayer and to continue in fellowship with one another. Those are all important aspects of spiritual exercise, and notice they each call for "commitment" on our part.
Yes, even spiritual exercise requires commitment but the result (good fruit) is always worth it.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being surveys, nearly fifty percent of Americans fall into the unfortunate category of being out of shape. Furthermore stats show that over thirty-one percent never exercise. One the other hand Americans are among the most well-fed people in the world. While we seem to be a nation which enjoys our caloric intake, working them off is another story.
While exercise is without question important to our overall physical health, so is its spiritual equivalent – Philippians 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” (NKJV)
Some have often misunderstood and come to the conclusion that Paul was telling the Philippians that they needed to work "for" their salvation. That would have been completely contradictory to what Scripture teaches – Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (NKJV)
Paul wasn’t contradicting what he had previously taught. He wasn’t now teaching to work "for" salvation, but he was saying to work "out" their salvation. In other words, to "exercise" or put into motion what God had already granted.
Much like it is with our physical bodies, there’s a need to exercise "spiritually" as well. Believers need to keep their spiritual man or woman in tip-top shape. That’s why we are so often exhorted to be students of the Word, to be men and women of prayer and to continue in fellowship with one another. Those are all important aspects of spiritual exercise, and notice they each call for "commitment" on our part.
Yes, even spiritual exercise requires commitment but the result (good fruit) is always worth it.
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
Thursday July 30, 2015 - Following at a Distance
If you were to take a poll of the average churchgoer you would no doubt receive a nearly unanimous “yes” to the question are you a follower of Jesus Christ. Yet that term follower has so many different meanings.
When our Lord walked the earth there were basically three groups which “followed” Him. The first group was those who He described as “disciples”. While the Bible shows that they were far from perfect, these men and women had committed their lives to the Lord. The second group enjoyed being in His company. Actually they enjoyed all of the fringe benefits of being with Him. They liked the miracles, namely His feeding of the multitudes. Hey let’s face it, free food when you’re hungry is a great bargain. The third group could not actually be called His followers but they were there at every turn. These were the Jewish leaders who were only there hoping to catch Him in something or to “trip Him up” so that they might retain their positions in the eyes of the masses.
So what does all of this mean to you and me? Well, the first thing each of us needs to understand is that if you think about it, these three groups exist even today. There are those who have committed to closely following the Lord. Then we have those who follow when it benefits them. We might call them “fair weather Christians”. Finally, there are those who aren’t believers but they simply desire to undermine and discredit the Gospel. But did you know that even believers are prone to slipping from disciple to what we might call following at a distance? – Luke 22:54-55 “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them” (NKJV)
Notice, Peter who was part of the Lord’s “inner circle” had fallen to “following at a distance." Here we have the man who only hours earlier had proclaimed that he would stick with Jesus regardless of what all others might do, but now he was seeking the comfort among unbelievers. Have you ever been there? I can tell you from personal experience it’s not a place where you want to be since there is no comfort for the Christian apart from Christ.
In reality it’s a place of spiritual illness or what the Bible refers to as backsliding. The first step to spiritual decline is when we begin to "trail off" in our relationship with the Lord. You see just like those who have never committed to Christ, the believer who falls out of step with the Lord is someone who is seeking for other ways to have his desires and needs met – Proverbs 14:14 “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.” (NKJV)
So as we conclude we should each take an honest evaluation. Which group do we find ourselves in right now? Are we following Jesus closely? If not, let’s remember we can return to the Lord. Thankfully Peter’s story didn’t end in that courtyard. He was restored to fellowship with Jesus and went on to become what was later described as a “pillar of the church."
Just call out to the Lord for forgiveness and then remain close to Him. He’s always looking to restore us to His side – Psalms 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (NKJV)
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
If you were to take a poll of the average churchgoer you would no doubt receive a nearly unanimous “yes” to the question are you a follower of Jesus Christ. Yet that term follower has so many different meanings.
When our Lord walked the earth there were basically three groups which “followed” Him. The first group was those who He described as “disciples”. While the Bible shows that they were far from perfect, these men and women had committed their lives to the Lord. The second group enjoyed being in His company. Actually they enjoyed all of the fringe benefits of being with Him. They liked the miracles, namely His feeding of the multitudes. Hey let’s face it, free food when you’re hungry is a great bargain. The third group could not actually be called His followers but they were there at every turn. These were the Jewish leaders who were only there hoping to catch Him in something or to “trip Him up” so that they might retain their positions in the eyes of the masses.
So what does all of this mean to you and me? Well, the first thing each of us needs to understand is that if you think about it, these three groups exist even today. There are those who have committed to closely following the Lord. Then we have those who follow when it benefits them. We might call them “fair weather Christians”. Finally, there are those who aren’t believers but they simply desire to undermine and discredit the Gospel. But did you know that even believers are prone to slipping from disciple to what we might call following at a distance? – Luke 22:54-55 “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them” (NKJV)
Notice, Peter who was part of the Lord’s “inner circle” had fallen to “following at a distance." Here we have the man who only hours earlier had proclaimed that he would stick with Jesus regardless of what all others might do, but now he was seeking the comfort among unbelievers. Have you ever been there? I can tell you from personal experience it’s not a place where you want to be since there is no comfort for the Christian apart from Christ.
In reality it’s a place of spiritual illness or what the Bible refers to as backsliding. The first step to spiritual decline is when we begin to "trail off" in our relationship with the Lord. You see just like those who have never committed to Christ, the believer who falls out of step with the Lord is someone who is seeking for other ways to have his desires and needs met – Proverbs 14:14 “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.” (NKJV)
So as we conclude we should each take an honest evaluation. Which group do we find ourselves in right now? Are we following Jesus closely? If not, let’s remember we can return to the Lord. Thankfully Peter’s story didn’t end in that courtyard. He was restored to fellowship with Jesus and went on to become what was later described as a “pillar of the church."
Just call out to the Lord for forgiveness and then remain close to Him. He’s always looking to restore us to His side – Psalms 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (NKJV)
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord!
Pastor Tony
Friday July 31.2015 - No, Not One
If you're anything like me, you've come across several "good" and "moral" people in your lifetime. Most likely some of them might venture to think that their "goodness and "morality" is enough to warrant heaven. Unfortunately they aren’t alone in that sort of thinking.
Of course the Word of God has a very different take on things - Romans 3:10-12 "As it is written, none is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. No one understands no one intelligently discerns or comprehends; no one seeks out God. Romans All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one!” (AMP)
So according to God's Word no one has done enough acts of righteousness to warrant entrance into heaven. Even those of what we might consider to be great moral character cannot stand up against the Lord’s standard for his kingdom – perfection.
Man’s nature and the devil want nothing more than to cause us to think that there must be something, anything that we can do on our own. The problem is that the natural extension of that thinking is that we don’t need Jesus. If we could do the work ourselves, why would the Father send His Son to die for us? The Lord’s death would have simply been in vain.
Thankfully there was of course one perfect man – 1 John 4:9-10 “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (NKJV)
Sin is a job so big that only God Himself can remedy. Because of His holiness, God cannot tolerate sin. That’s why we fall short of the His glory. As we see from His Word that even though we’re believers we are still sinful in our hearts.
So while the world would like to propose any other means of salvation, God in His sovereignty and infinite wisdom determined that there is only one way – John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (NKJV)
So while no mortal man can lay claim to righteousness and save himself, thankfully there is One Who is righteous.
I love the words from this hymn from the 1800's:
"There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, No, not one! No, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases, No, not one! No, not one!
No friend like Him is so high and holy, No, not one! No, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly, No, not one! No, not one
Was ever a gift like the Savior given? No, not one! No, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in Heaven? No, not one! No, not one!
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord,
Pastor Tony
If you're anything like me, you've come across several "good" and "moral" people in your lifetime. Most likely some of them might venture to think that their "goodness and "morality" is enough to warrant heaven. Unfortunately they aren’t alone in that sort of thinking.
Of course the Word of God has a very different take on things - Romans 3:10-12 "As it is written, none is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. No one understands no one intelligently discerns or comprehends; no one seeks out God. Romans All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one!” (AMP)
So according to God's Word no one has done enough acts of righteousness to warrant entrance into heaven. Even those of what we might consider to be great moral character cannot stand up against the Lord’s standard for his kingdom – perfection.
Man’s nature and the devil want nothing more than to cause us to think that there must be something, anything that we can do on our own. The problem is that the natural extension of that thinking is that we don’t need Jesus. If we could do the work ourselves, why would the Father send His Son to die for us? The Lord’s death would have simply been in vain.
Thankfully there was of course one perfect man – 1 John 4:9-10 “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (NKJV)
Sin is a job so big that only God Himself can remedy. Because of His holiness, God cannot tolerate sin. That’s why we fall short of the His glory. As we see from His Word that even though we’re believers we are still sinful in our hearts.
So while the world would like to propose any other means of salvation, God in His sovereignty and infinite wisdom determined that there is only one way – John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (NKJV)
So while no mortal man can lay claim to righteousness and save himself, thankfully there is One Who is righteous.
I love the words from this hymn from the 1800's:
"There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, No, not one! No, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases, No, not one! No, not one!
No friend like Him is so high and holy, No, not one! No, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly, No, not one! No, not one
Was ever a gift like the Savior given? No, not one! No, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in Heaven? No, not one! No, not one!
Have a blessed and victorious day in the Lord,
Pastor Tony