Obedience by Faith

Genesis 12:1-5 (NIV)
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Our obedience to the Lord, to His commands, should not be a struggle.  Many, if not all, of the commands of the Lord go against our flesh, our own desires.  And so many times when God asks us to do something we struggle, we comment, we procrastinate, and we end up either disobeying Him, or obeying Him grudgingly.  When given a chance to disobey we easily take the plunge.

Obedience should be by faith – believing that the Lord’s command, the Lord’s will, is what is best.  God’s plan is not necessarily what may be advantageous for us, or what may seem best for us in our own opinion.  But we need to believe that God, being who He is – righteous, holy, pure – cannot desire anything evil or bad for us.  We put our faith in the hand of a loving, caring, and compassionate God.

Look at Abraham.  Here is one of the examples of a man who obeyed by faith.  God suddenly shows up and tells Abram to leave his country, his people and his father’s household and go to the land that God would show him.  And Abram obeyed!  How could he just blindly follow God?

First, we see in the story God revealing Himself to Abram.  And when God reveals who He is to a person, that person’s heart is changed from a heart of stone towards God to a heart of flesh, desiring to obey His will.  When a person gets to know who God is – holy, omnipotent, sovereign – his heart cannot help but believe and trust.

And because Abram now knew God,  he trusted that God only had better plans for him.

Hebrews 11:8-10 (NIV)
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

He was asked to leave his country and people – God promised to make him into a great nation and would bless him.

He was asked to leave his father’s household – God promised to make his name great and he would be a blessing.

Is God asking you to leave something, or someone, who gives you identity and blessing?  Many scholars believe that Abram was living in a place that was economically successful, a prosperous place.  Yet Abram trusted God and left it, and believed that God would make him into a great nation and bless him. 

Is God asking you to leave someone or something that gives you security, love and provision?  Abraham had his father’s household, his family, his family name to rest on.  His future was probably set.  And yet he obeyed God, and left his family to seek security in what God had to offer.  God promised to make his name great, if he obeyed.

Obedience should be by faith.  Make it a daily desire to know God more and more through His Word.  And as God reveals more of Himself to you, then you will realize He is Someone you can trust - Knowing that God’s plan is always the best, and that He has our life and future in mind always.  It is in His will that we will find the best that God has to offer!  We trust in who He is – God.

Knowing our Enemy

     Knowing our enemy, they say, is half of the battle, the key to victory.  It is true even in the Christian life.  Here are some verses of Scripture reminding us of who our enemy is.


First we need to know that we have an enemy.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

What kind of enemy do we have?
First, he is a schemer:
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (NIV)
10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.    
     The Greek word used for "schemes" here is noema, which denotes "that which is thought out".  Satan doesn't just attack us at random, or whenever he wants.  He schemes, he plans to do it.  The context of the verse above is relationships.  Ever wonder why all of a sudden you have a relationship problem?  Satan schemes against us so that we may not forgive.


Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
     The Greek word translated "schemes" here is methodeia, which denotes "craft, deceit".  The devil is a crafty fellow, who will come out with deceitful ways just for us to sin.  

He is the tempter.  Satan tempts us to sin against God.
Matthew 4:2-3 (NIV)
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 


And he is also the accuser.
Revelation 12:10 (NIV)
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

He will tempt us to sin, and then after we sin he will accuse us!


Knowing our enemy must lead to knowing how to fight against him.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) 
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
     Be self-controlled.  When Satan tempts us he targets our "self", our strengths and weaknesses that go opposite that of God and His Word.  To be self-controlled is to be conscious of the working of the Holy Spirit in our life and controlling the ways of our self, allowing the ways of the Lord to be seen in us.
     Be alert.  Never put your guard down!  Be aware of circumstances and situations that attack our spirituality, our walk with God.


1 Peter 5:9 (NIV)
9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 
     We are to resist the devil.  We should not play around with his schemes.  We need to fight back.  But not with our own strength, but standing firm in the faith, in our trust in God's strength.


Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

     We are to be in the defensive always.  We are to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  We cannot fight Satan with our own strength.  He is not human, and so will always overcome us.  We need to fight him with a greater and more powerful strength - the mighty power of God!
     And it is the armor of God that grants us this power.  With this armor we are to take our stand, stand our ground, and remain standing even after the battle!
Our greatest defense is standing with God, using His armor and strength.
Our greatest offense is also with God - using His Word, His promises, and trusting completely in Him.


James 4:7 (NIV)
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
     It is in our submission to God, in our hearts, in our walk/lives, where we find God's strength and have the power to resist Satan.  Remember, the schemes and methods he uses are all geared towards our flesh and its desires.  Our defense and weapon must all come from He who is Greatest and the Most Powerful of all!  It is in Him that we have the victory!

Handling Our Desires

Psalms 37:4 (NIV)
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

We all have desires.  And we all want the Lord to give us the desires of our heart, just like the verse above says.  This is what makes Psalm 37:4 such an popular verse of Scripture, quoted by many, hoping that the Lord would grant them the desire that they have in their hearts.  But is it that easy?  Does this, and other verses of Scripture that promise to meet our desires mean that any desire we can bring to God and He will answer them?

Sometimes we have to be careful about how we interpret God’s Word.  Many Christians take certain verses that are beneficial for them and bend them to make them suitable for their lives.  But this is not how a Christian is to “use” God’s Word.  Verses of Scripture are not bits and pieces of spiritual “anting-antings” (amulets or lucky charms) that we can use to get what we want.  It is the whole counsel of God’s Word that a Christian must study, and use, for him to live as God wants him to live.

So, how are we to handle our desires?

1.  First, realize that most, if not all, our desires stem from our sinful nature.  And our sinful nature only thinks of one thing – our self.

Romans 8:5 (NIV)
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

It is not natural for us to think of what God desires, or what God believes to be right for us.  Our natural tendency is to follow what our flesh desires.  And for a Christian this is a danger zone!

Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Here is what every Christian should have “tattooed” in their heart – the heart is deceitful.  It makes us think that we need certain things, that there are things in this life that are essential for us, that are good for us.  But the heart deceives us in this area.  We need to be careful that we are not driven by what our hearts tell us what is right or needed, but we are to be lead by what God tells us is right or needed.  This is why the next point is important:

2.  The new birth experience is essential in having good desires.

James 1:17 (NIV)
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

And for us to discern what is good and perfect for us we need to keep in touch, in fellowship, with the Lord.  When God changes our hearts, He not only softens our hearts to make us hear and understand Him, but He also gives us the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  He is the One who knows who leads us to what His will is.  And when a heart of a person is changed, what happens?

2 Corinthians 5:15 (NIV)
15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

The very main desire of our heart is changed.  Were not talking about desires for things, but the very core desire of our heart is transformed from one that loves self to one that loves God.  We no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died for us.  This, now, is what guides the desires of our hearts – our love for God.  Not our love for things, or for companionship, or for success, or for a better life – but a love for God and His kingdom, His direction, His will.

The next time we have a desire in our hearts, ask yourself these questions:

a.  Am I being lead by my sinful nature, or by the Holy Spirit?  Am I desiring what God wants me to desire, or what the world wants me to desire?  Romans 8:5

b.  Am I being lead by fear, or by faith, trust in my Lord.  Many desires stem from fear – fear for the future, fear of people looking down at us, a fear of not having things.  But we are a people of faith, who should live by faith.  Galatians 2:20

c.  Does my joy and peace in this life depend on my desires, or just on the Lord?

Psalms 73:25-26 (NIV)
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Our desires will either make or break our Christianity.  Handle with care!

We will Worship

Genesis 22:3-5 (NIV)
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

What does it mean to worship?  Contemporary worship seems to be focused on the instruments, the arrangements and the singers.  The more the merrier, the more modern the arrangement the more we can sing, the better sounding the voices the more “heavenly” our worship services will be.  Of course there’s nothing wrong with good instrumentalists, arrangements and singers – the Lord does provide skill to those He chooses to serve Him.  But to focus on these things and think that this is the heart of worship is farthest from what God desires from us.

Abraham told his servants - “we will worship”.  What was he and Isaac going to do to worship?  I believe this incident in Abraham’s life shows us what true worship is all about.

Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV)
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

A few years back the Lord had blessed Abraham and Sarah with a son, born in their old age, just as He had promised.  Now He was asking Abraham to let him go.  God was not asking Abraham to dedicate his son, or to give Isaac back to the Lord in his heart, or through prayer.  God was asking Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering to Him!  What a request!  Some people may even question God in this area - “who does He think He is to ask something like that from Abraham?”.

What is important here is how Abraham saw God, who God was to Abraham.  When God asked him to offer his son, Abraham without any hesitation began to prepare everything that he needed for the sacrifice, and headed towards the place God told him to go to.  This was not the first time that Abraham obeyed God like this.

Genesis 12:1 (NIV)
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

And Abraham did exactly that, he left his people, his father’s household and went where the Lord wanted him to go.  He obeyed.

Who is God to command Abraham to do this?  Who is God to even ask him to offer his son as a burnt offering?  He is God.  The Almighty, the Sovereign.  And Abraham saw God that way.  Abraham recognized God for who He was, and obeyed.

Here is the heart of worship.  This is where worship begins and ends.  Not in songs, not in offerings, not in rituals, but in God.  When Abraham recognized God as who He was, and obeyed him with all his heart, no complaints, no protest, no question – he was already worshiping God.  This is the heart of worship that God seeks from His people.  God doesn’t want people memorizing songs, enjoying the melody, clapping their hands and junmping with their feet.  God wants His people recognizing who He is, and living a life that corresponds with that understanding, with that knowledge.  Worship begins by knowing in our hearts that God is God, that He is worthy of our worship, and our obedience.  In our hearts there is no one else, nothing else, that sits on the throne except God.  And our hearts naturally bow down.

This is where worship begins.  This is where all our songs come from.  We may not even know the words, and yet our hearts worship!  And this is where worship ends – after all the songs have been sung, after the instruments have stopped playing, and there is no one else in our hearts – God is still God.  He is still sovereign.  Actually, worship does not end, only songs and instruments and worship services.  But our worship never ends.

John 9:35-38 (NIV)
35 … "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

Who is God in your heart?  Is He the Sovereign One, with all authority in your heart, that you fear Him above all others and all things?  If He would ask you to offer as a burnt offering someone, or something, that you love – would you?  Your answer will tell if you are worshiping God or not.

God our Trainer

Psalms 144:1-2 (NIV)
1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

The passage above is a call to surrender, a call of total dependence upon God.  First David proclaimed that the Lord was his Rock.  The Hebrew word referred to either a cliff or a sharp rock protruding from a mountainside, or a rock or boulder.  Not a stone, or a pebble, or a rock that anyone could carry.  This was a strong, steadfast and reliable rock.  That's who our God is.

He is a fortress, a stronghold.  In another psalm David said:

Psalms 18:2 (NIV)
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

Our God is meant to be a refuge, Someone we run to, where we hide in.  That's who God is, who He wants to be in our life.  The world teaches us to believe in ourself, to rely on ourself, our own strength.  For some people it is a shame to be relying on anyone but ourself.  But not with God.  God wants us looking to Him, looking at Him as a refuge.  And why not, for He is a strong refuge, reliable, unbreakable!  David proclaimed that God was his deliverer, his shield.  Everything David needed God was it.  His total dependence was on God.

But take a look at verse 1 again:  "Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."

Yes, God is our refuge, and we are to hide in Him, depend on Him.  But He also TRAINS.  Hiding in God does not mean that we just sit down and do nothing.  There is a battle to fight, and taking refuge in God does not mean that we are exempted from it!  In fact, when we take refuge in our Rock, our fortress and stronghold it is there that He trains us to face whatever it is we are facing!

As we hide in God, resting in His presence, meditating on His promises, it is there that God strengthens us, inspires us to continue through the storm.  It is there that He assures our hearts that He is with us always.  Everything we need our God will provide - as we take refuge in Him.

And His training is extensive!  Look at how He trains us - "who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle".  David being a warrior knew that it wasn't only specific areas of his body that needed training, but every area - even his fingers!  The muscles in his fingers needed to be strong enough to be able to grip his sword firmly through every swing, every attack, to ensure victory.  And his fingers needed to be strong enough to last the whole battle!

As we take refuge in God as our Rock, fortress and stronghold He promises to equip us with everything that we need - everything, for the daily battles that we face.  Peter knew this, and wrote:

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

Everything we need.  David knew even his fingers God would strengthen.  We also need to know and believe that every thing we need, in every area of our life, both spiritual and physical, our Lord will take care of it.

Caught Up in the Grace of God

What happens when someone is caught up in God’s grace!  God’s grace is usually defined as “unmerited favor”, or a favor bestowed upon us that we are not worthy of.  True.  But God’s grace is more than just a definition.  It is a working, God working, God’s working, in our hearts, in our lives.  What happens when God moves in the life of a person?

1 Corinthians 15:9-11 (NIV)
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Paul’s statements here sort of summarize what happens when God’s grace comes and continues in the life of a Christian.  It affects the very heart, the very personhood, the very nature of the person who is a recipient of God’s grace.

First, Paul said “I am the least…”.  and he “did not deserve to be called an apostle”.  Who is this man speaking, or writing?  This was Paul the apostle.  God’s instrument who brought the gospel to the Gentiles.  He had given his life, his time, his every effort for his Lord and for the gospel to reach every heart, every Gentile.  He was the one God used to write majority of the epistles that we have in the New Testament of the Bible.  And yet he will claim that he was the LEAST, that he DID NOT DESERVE to be called an apostle.

This is what happens when God’s grace comes upon a person.  It strips us, it exposes us, it reveals to us who we really are!  When a holy, righteous, magnificent and glorious God stoops down and graciously touches the life of a person, that person realizes who his God is, and who he really is – nothing.  Our sinfulness is exposed, and we can do nothing but bow in shame before God.  That’s the working of the grace of God!

There is no Christian who has experienced God’s grace who does not have this feeling in his heart.  He may struggle with it, his pride wanting to come back up again and again, but deep in his heart that Christian knows that he is the least, that he does not deserve.  And we bring that attitude, that sensing in every area of our Christian life – in our walk with God, in our serving God, and in our relationship with one another.  How important this is for ministry, for mending broken relationships, for working together for the gospel of Christ!

But it didn’t stop there – the grace of God doesn’t stop there.  God continues His work.

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

God’s grace had stripped Paul naked.  But God did not keep him that way.  God’s grace took the broken heart, the crushed spirit, and took it, filled it with His power, and used it.  Paul knew he was nothing.  But it did not mean he would not accomplish anything for God.  The grace of God will crush you, but He will also take you and use you for His glory and honor.  By the time grace touches your heart, you know you are ready to be God’s instrument.

“I am what I am”.  Paul had accomplished so much for God.  He worked harder than all other apostles!  Paul knew that.  But he also knew that it was not he, but the grace of God that was with him.

The grace of God works through a Christian, and allows him to be a powerful and effective instrument for God that will build His kingdom for His glory!

Because of God’s grace, Paul also had the focus.

11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Whether it was I or they.  It did not matter to Paul.  Christianity, the ministry, the gifting of the Lord, is not about us, or who we are.  It’s all about Him, and His gospel.  That’s why Paul could say that whether it was he or the others, it did not mean anything.  What was important was the grace of God working to bring the gospel to the world – this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

A man and woman touched by grace does not think of himself/herself.  It’s not about recognition, praise, exaltation of himself, but the exaltation, praise and recognition of God and the gospel, all through His grace!

Taking Revenge

Romans 12:17-21 (NIV)
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Have you noticed who the favorite “bida” (hero in English) is in Filipino movies?  It’s always the FPJ’s, the Ramon Revillas (Sr and Jr), or the Tony Falcons (for those who still remember the guy dressed in white).  Why?  Because they always take revenge, come from the bottom and fight, overcome those who abuse and misuse them.  This is why we like soap operas where the poor young girl from the province, who is mistreated by the rich matrona of the city, will eventually become successful and win the war.  And it’s not just Filipinos, I believe this is all over the world!  We have the Karate Kid, and the super hero fighting for the weak, and the Charles Bronsons, Steven Seagals, who fight the criminals who are abusing the weak and helpless.

This is why, when someone does us wrong, have you noticed that all the scenes from those movies that you watched come up in your mind and you imagine yourself doing it to your enemy!  And in your mind it feels good!  Of course we don’t end up killing or beating up someone (hopefully), but sometimes we do end up taking revenge.  If someone gossips about us, we gossip in return.  Someone curses us, we curse in return.  If someone hurts us physically, we hurt them back physically.  It seems like the right thing to do.

But is this what God would have us do?  The teaching in this passage is clear – we are not to be a people who take revenge.  It is something that should not be seen in the life of a Christian.  And yet we are surrounded by people who hurt us, who abuse us, misuse us and mistreat us.  And deep inside our hearts we want to take revenge, to hit back.  Why doesn’t God want revenge in our hearts?

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
God wants us to have the right heart.  Do not repay evil for evil.  Why?  Because when we do this we reveal what is in our heart – that we are exactly like the person who did evil to us.  If our hearts are filled with God we will do what God would do.  Did Jesus take revenge upon those who crucified Him, who spat at Him, who called Him names and insulted Him?  No.

In the same way God wants us acting out of what fills our hearts.  It should be the love, forgiveness and goodness of God that we show.  Why live in the same way that evil persons live?  We defeat the very purpose of our walk with God.,

Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  Doing right is not supposed to be selective.  In other words, we don’t just do right to those who we feel deserve it, and do wrong to those who deserve wrong.  We do right always.  Why?  Because our hearts are filled with what is right, not with what is right and wrong.  Doing right is the standard of life that God wants us to have, no matter who we are doing it to.  A Christian is to do right always, because it is right, and because it pleases the Lord.

18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
We are to be Peacemakers.  This is a word that the Lord coined for His people.  Blessed are the Peacemakers, Jesus said in the Beatitudes.  That’s what we should be, those who desire and do things that cultivate peace.  When someone does us wrong, our desire must not be to make the situation worse, but to make peace.  Why?  This would be what the Lord desires.

Now God knows there are some limitations.  That’s why Paul taught “If it is possible”.  Sometimes peace is impossible to attain, because someone does not want peace.  But that someone should not be the Christian.  Paul also says “as far as it depends on you”.  Peace should always be initiated by us.

19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
We are not to take matters into our own hands.  A Christian is someone who is totally dependent on God for everything, in every situation.  The thing is, when someone hurts us, we usually want to take matters into our own hands, and plan the fate of the one who hurt us!  But this is not for us.

When we take revenge we do things our own way.  When we trust in God we allow Him to take revenge for us.  Think about what Paul said “leave room for God’s wrath”.  Oh our wrath may be bad, but God’s wrath will be worse!  And it’s not about hurting the person, it’s really in just entrusting the whole situation to the hand of God.  How He will take revenge for you is up to God, we are just here to trust Him.

20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

As Christians we are not to allow ourselves to be overcome by evil, and in the end do evil ourselves.  We are to overcome evil with good.  This is why the Lord’s teaching is if our enemy is hungry, feed him!  If he is thirsty give him drink.  Don’t just enjoy and watch them suffer!  Help them.  Do what is right, what is good.

A Christians response to evil is good.  And this can only happen when Christ has control of our hearts, when He has filled our hearts with His love.  When we respond with good, with love, the other person is affected.

I have seen two interpretations so far of the heaping of burning coals.  One is that this represents kind deeds.  When an evil person needs coal, which was important then for cooking, the Christian heaps it on his head, so he can take it home.  Of course the coal is not on his head, but on a tray or something that carries it!

The other interpretation is most probably this was taken from an ancient Egyptian practice where the person who realized his wrong walks around their village with a tray of burning coals.  This was his way of saying “I have realized my mistake”.

When we overcome evil with good, hopefully this is what happens to the one who does evil to us.  They eventually realize that they did wrong, and ask forgiveness.

But, of course, there are those who will never apologize, and will remain our enemies.  Fine.  At least we know that the good that we did was pleasing to the Lord.  For we live for the Lord, not for the appreciation of men, whether they be our friend or enemy.

An Unshakeable Life!

Psalms 15:1-5 (NIV)
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

The last sentence of David’s psalm shows us what he is after - “he who does these things will never be shaken”.  Oh yes, who doesn’t want a life that is never shaken.  The KJV uses the phrase “shall not be moved”.  The word in Hebrew means “to slip, shake, fall”.

Now that’s life – steady, steadfast, immovable!  No matter what life throws at us, or what the devil may hurl at us, we shall not be moved! 

David saw this unshakeable life in the presence of God – “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?” he asked in the first verse.  A believer who dwells in God’s presence, who lives in His abode, is someone who will not be shaken.  The world shakes everyday – but a Christian holds on to He who is immovable, unshakeable – the Rock.

In the New Testament we have the gracious privilege of being a temple of the Holy Spirit, of God Himself indwelling us.  We dwell and live in His presence through constant communion and fellowship with the Lord.  This should always be the priority of a Christian, being in His dwelling place always.

But an unshakeable life isn’t just about prayer, or meditating upon His Word.  Prayer and God’s Word is the foundation of being in God’s presence.  But it is also about practice – practicing the presence of God in our life.  God’s presence is also about seeing Him, living His life, practicing His teachings in our daily lives.  David describes it in the psalm:

1.  He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous.  A Christian dabbling in sin, or allowing unrighteousness a place or foothold in his life, opens him up to circumstances that will surely shake him up.

2.  Who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue.  How we use our words in our relationship with others will also tell how steady our lives will be.  If we deal honestly, sincerely and respectfully with others we will be strong and surefooted.

3.  Who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman.  Our dealings with our neighbors is another basis of an unshakeable life.  If we love our neighbors, and speak only good things about them, we will not get into trouble.

4.  Who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD.  Our choice of companions, friends, those we always fellowship with, will also tell how stable our lives will be.  Who do we honor in our conversations with others?

5.  Who keeps his oath even when it hurts.  Being a man/woman of our word never hurt relationships.  On the contrary it builds up trust and gives us a good name.

6.  Who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.  How we behold money is another thing David pointed out.  Do we look at money simply as a way to get rich, to the point that we will use others just to get rich?  Do we allow money to make decisions for us?  If we are masters over our money, we have a strong and unshakeable life ahead of us.

Being in the presence of the Lord is both in our hearts and in our lives.  As we dwell in His presence, both in prayer and in action, the Lord assures us of a life that will not be shaken!

Why Jesus stayed on for forty days

Acts 1:1-3 (NIV)
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

How many know how many days our Lord actually stayed on in this world after He rose again from the dead?  Jesus stayed on in the world for forty days!  It’s as if He wasn’t in a rush to sit at the right hand of the Father.  Of course eventually He would be in the “highest place”, His rightful place on the throne.  But before that He patiently took forty days to further strengthen the hearts of His disciples, those He would use to build His church!

And why did He stay for forty days?  There are two reasons why, and they are two vital ingredients of being, and making, disciples.

First, He gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.  Even in the first part of John 21, verses 1 to 9, the Lord had to give one more proof that He was alive:

John 21:1-6 (NIV)
1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way:
2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.
3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered.
6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

If you notice the conversation of the disciples, who just happened to be fishermen, there is no mention of the Lord, nor is there any attempt to call upon Him and ask for help.  Even at this time they were not yet fully convinced that He was alive.  Well, maybe they did know that He was alive, but they still could not make it a part of their daily life.

It’s not just about knowing in our minds that Christ is alive, but it’s also about being able to apply it in our life.  A disciple of Christ is not a disciple of a set of doctrines, or of a church group or organization.  He is a disciple of Christ, whom He believes with all his heart is alive!  Yes, God is alive, and we are to show it in our daily lives by praying, trusting, depending, obeying and walking in the way He wants us to walk.  We are not disciples unless we believe He is alive.

The second reason Jesus stayed for forty days more:  “He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”

There is so much to learn about the kingdom of God!  A disciple of Christ lives to learn more and more about this kingdom.  From the moment we have been born again God has allowed us to “see” the kingdom of God.  Through His Word we are given the teachings and principles of life in His kingdom that every disciple of Christ longs to follow.

Let us be thankful that up to today, through the working of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God, the Lord continues to prove to us that He is alive, and teach us concerning His kingdom’s life, teachings and principles. 

Commit your way to the Lord

Psalms 37:5-6 (NIV)
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Psalm 37 was written as a response to a common dilemma of Christians – the envy of “sinners”, or of those who do wrong, and yet are successful.

Psalms 37:1 (NIV)
1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

Psalm 73 also shares the same sentiment:

Psalms 73:2-5;12 (NIV)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.

12 This is what the wicked are like-- always carefree, they increase in wealth.

Why are they the ones with “successful” businesses.  They’re the ones with nice cars, big houses, money to spend on nice cell phones, fancy clothes, expensive vacations.  And here we are, Christian businessmen, walking with God, with only “little” blessings to boast of.

Why do “sinful” students who cheat get higher grades while Christian students have to study hard?  Why do worldly men always get the beautiful women and have “fun” in life?

Let’s admit it – we all feel this way.  And it’s a big temptation to let go of our Christianity, even just for one business deal, and enjoy the same benefits they have.

So how are we to deal with feelings or observations such as this?  How can we not fret because of what evildoers are enjoying?  Let’s go back to Psalm 37.

1.  REMEMBER ETERNITY.

Psalms 37:1-2 (NIV)
1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

Remember Eternity. Or should it be the other way around – remember that we will all die.  Someday, when we least expect it, we shall die.  What will happen to all we worked for?  Where will we be spending eternity?  I think we all have an idea where evildoers will be after they die.

How important it is for Christians to live with eternity in mind, realizing that when the time comes for us to join our Creator, it is our treasures in heaven that matter, not our treasures on earth.

2.  TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD

Psalms 37:3 (NIV)
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Trust in the Lord and do good.  Walking in righteousness is an expression of trust!  This is our way of telling the Lord, and others, that, as we obey God’s commands we trust that HE will be the One to bless our business or work. 

No matter how strong the temptation to earn quick bucks by following the ways of the world, we need to walk by faith, trusting that God knows what we need and will take care of us!

3.  DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD

Psalms 37:4 (NIV)
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Contrary to how many people read this verse, the focus here is in “Delight yourself in the Lord”, and not “the desires of your heart”.  Many Christians try to delight themselves in the Lord, while waiting for our desires to be fulfilled!  This is why some of us are frustrated.  Our focus must be the delight, not our desires. 

God is reminding us that life is not just about our business, our studies, or our material needs.  Life for a Christian is about delighting in the Lord!  We delight to spend time in fellowship with Him, with other believers, serving in ministry, using our resources for His glory.

The delight of a Christian is in the Lord, not in our desires.  When a Christian is truly delighting in the Lord he forgets about his desires, and just trusts that God will give them to him when He sees fit.

4.  COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD

Psalms 37:5-6 (NIV)
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Commit the way you live, the way you’re handling your business, the honesty, integrity and obedience to His word.  Give them all to God, entrust them to His care.

His promise – He will make your righteousness, and the justice of your cause, shine like the dawn, like the noonday sun.

Notice God did not say “I will make you rich, or successful”.  No.  God is not primarily concerned with success or riches.  His desire is not to boast of our accomplishments or material blessings.  What God will show others is our righteousness!  God uses us as His examples of walking in His righteousness.

Have you noticed how we enjoy listening to testimonies of successful Christian businessmen who have gained wealth, recognition, awards, etc., and desire that God does the same for us?  What about if we listened to a Christian businessman successful in praying everyday, meditating on God’s Word, walking in righteousness, not compromising his faith, and remained an unknown and did not earn as much as others?  Will we also desire that God give us the same faith and walk as him?

God will make the “justice of our cause” shine.  What cause are we working for, fighting for, in this world?  What cause has God given us in this world?  What are we living for?

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

How is God glorified in our lives?  Just through our success and abundance of material things?  No.  He is glorified primarily through our trust in Him.  As we trust in the Lord and DO GOOD, walking in righteousness, delighting in Him – these are what glorify God in our life.  The material and financial blessings are just things that God gives us that we may use them to glorify Him.

Even if we are not as rich, or successful, and even if we do not get the same benefits as others, a Christian rejoices that God is using Him to show the world that there is a God, and that He is faithful and takes care of His children.  We are here to show others that there is a joy greater than that which money and material things give.

Then we will not fret.

Add to your faith…perseverance

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Another quality that Peter writes about that we need to add to our faith is perseverance. 

A dictionary defines perseverance as “be persistent; refuse to stop”.  The Greek word is “hypomonē” which means “cheerful endurance”.  "to abide under, to bear up courageously"—Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

Holding on, till the end.  That’s perseverance.  The world admires people who show this quality, and rally others to do the same no matter what they’re going through.  Whether you are a cancer patient going through treatment, or someone living in dire circumstances, we are encouraged to persevere through it.

Perseverance is a character that God desires for us to have also as Christians.  It is similar with the world in the sense that it is usually expected in times of trials and hardships.  But Christian perseverance is different because of two things:

1.  Our dependence.  To persevere in the world they ask you to call on your “inner strength”, to give all that you have, to persevere.  They insist that we got it, and all we have to do is use it, will it!

With Christians, our perseverance depends not on our own strength, but in the power of God to see us through!  We go through our trials with Him.  He is our strength.  For us, it’s okay to be “weak”, for “in our weakness He is strong”

2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)
10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2.  Our hope.  In the world people who persevere await the good outcome, the positive result.  Of course as Christians so do we.  But there is a deeper lesson in perseverance.

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

When a Christian holds on to the Lord, no matter what the suffering, the outcome is a character of faith, of trust, of strength found only in our belief that God is faithful.  And this produces hope, a hope not just in good results or a positive outcome, but a hope knowing that God loves us no matter what we’re going through.  And that hope does not disappoint us.

A Christian perseveres because he has a God he can hold on to, who is there when we need Him, and who has promised to be with us through the storm.  And we have a God who also promised that all things work for the good of those who love Him.

Romans 8:28 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So whether it is persevering through trials and persecution, or maybe it is persevering in the Christian life no matter how strong the pull of the world may be, or what temptation Satan may be throwing at us left and right – just hold on!  Endure cheerfully, knowing that you have a God who is with you, who strengthens you, and who will bring you to the good that He has prepared for you!

Add to your faith…self-control

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control;

Another quality that we need to add to our faith is self-control.  Even in the world this quality is commendable.  A man who is able to control his temper, control his appetite, control his urges, or control his vices, is always looked up to.  In a similar way when a Christian practices self-control it is also commendable.  A Christian who practices self-control is usually someone who walks in the righteousness that God desires.

But the essence of the self-control of a Christian is different from that of the world.  When a man practices self-control his focus is in a certain problem or situation.  For a Christian it’s more than that.  When a Christian practices self-control he focuses on a deeper problem or situation – his self.

The Bible speaks of an “old self” and a “new self”.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

The “old self” is that person we were before we put our faith in Christ, before we were born again, given a new heart, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  The old self was our sinful self.

All the old self thought about was itself.  It focused on what our self wanted, craved for.  It craved for everything that was against what the Lord desired.  As Paul says in Ephesians 4:22 our old self is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.

Even as born again Christians, renewed by the Spirit, given a new heart – we need to understand that our old self is still hidden behind our new heart.  It longs to stick out it’s ugly head and bring out it’s old life once again!

This is where self-control comes in.  Self-control, for a Christian, is not just about controlling temper, urges or desires, but about controlling the old sinful flesh that still tries to have a place in our life.

A man who has been born again, placed his faith in Christ, and recognizes Jesus as Lord of his life knows that he has a “new self”.  And for this new self to mature, to bear fruit, in our life, we must be able to control our old self.

The only reason we are able to do this is because of our new self, which has been created to be like God.  By His grace, and by His working in our hearts, we are able to overcome.  Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, rather than a working of our self.  Our obedience to the Spirit is what gives us self-control.

But this does not mean there won’t be a fight.  There will.  This is why Paul reminds us to “throw away” the old self, to get rid of it.

Colossians 3:8-10 (NIV)
8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Our old self will try and come out, not all at the same time, but through different circumstances and in different ways.  Through each circumstance a Christian is called to walk by the Spirit, follow His ways, and practice self-control, so that our old self may not have it’s way in our life anymore!

Add to your faith…Knowledge

2 Peter 1:5 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

In this passage (2 Peter 1:5-7) Peter is exhorting his readers, including us, to no just be content with our faith in Christ, but to add to it, be diligent in allowing these qualities listed to be seen in our lives.

To our faith we are also to add knowledge.  Knowledge, “gnosis” in the Greek, is “the act of knowing”, or “a seeking to know”.  Basically this speaks of our knowledge of spiritual things, of God Himself.  A Christian is to add to his/her faith a knowledge of who God is.

In Peter’s last words in his letter he wrote: 

2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  A Christian’s life is totally by grace.  A Christian knows that he does not deserve any blessing, any moving of God in his life.  A Christian knows that it is because of Jesus Christ, whom he has put his faith in, that he can approach the throne of grace. So everything he receives – his life, his health, his salary, his strength, his wisdom – is all from God.  And so when every blessing, every provision, every answered prayer comes a Christian knows it is from God – and he grows in his faith.

But there will be times when blessing will not come, or at least be delayed.  There will be times our health will fail.  And there will be times when we will pray, ask for something, and God will not give it.  Many Christians’ growth are stunted, even thrown away, because of experiences like this.  This is where knowledge comes in.

We grow not just by experiencing God’s grace but also with knowledge of who our God is, and this knowledge continually transforming our hearts, thus moving us to grow.  This knowledge comes through the renewing of our mind, through the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This is why it is so important for a Christian not just to desire to know God through experience, but to also know God through His Word.

When it seems like God is not blessing, what convinces us that “God is good”?  God’s Word.  When our health fails, what tells us that God is in control?  God’s Word.  When it seems like God is not answering our prayer, what will convince us that He knows what He is doing?  God’s Word.  Our knowledge of God and who He is allows a Christian to continue to grow.

Let’s not be satisfied with just experiencing the Christian life.  Let’s grow in our knowledge of Him.  Let’s read and study God’s Word because it truly is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  Sad to say we live in a world of “tweets” and “wall posts”, that we don’t want to spend too much time reading so much about God in His Word.  But this is essential for a Christian’s growth!

Acts 17:11 (NIV) 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Add to your faith knowledge.

Add to your faith Goodness…

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

The first quality we are to add to our faith is goodness.  In the King James version and ESV it uses the English word “virtue”.  The NASB expounds it even more clearly - “moral excellence”.

A Christian is to be known as a person of faith.  But he/she is also to be known as a person of goodness.  If there is anyone who should stand up in this world as an example of goodness, of what is good, it should be a Christian.  Why?  Because of our claim to worship and walk with the God who alone is good!  We live in an age today where people invent what they believe is good or right for them.  The result is a lifestyle of liberty and one that pleases the self.  But we Christians are to stand as those who reflect the life and teachings of our Lord.

We are to be morally excellent, people of virtue, people whose qualities or attributes in life are admirable to others.  This may seem to be a tall order to some – and it is!  Who of us can claim to be morally excellent?

The desire of God for us to be morally excellent does not mean that He expects us to be perfect.  But God does desire that we live a life that is morally excellent in the eyes of those who live with us – in our homes, in our workplaces, with our friends.  Our lives become examples not just of good, but of the goodness of the God whom we believe in.

So how can we live morally excellent lives?  First, realize that there is no one who is good. 

Mark 10:18 (NIV)
18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.

So true goodness can only come from the Lord.  When our lives are transformed by the Lord, changed from within, He brings His righteousness, His goodness in us.

Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It is this goodness that we are to work out in our life.  We are exhibits, examples of the Lord, of the goodness and righteousness that comes from Him.  As Peter said:

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Make Every Effort to Add…

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

All these qualities – goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love – they do not “grow on trees” for us to just pick.  They do not fall from heaven.  I remember a story I heard of how a young boy slept with his bible under his pillow hoping that God’s Word would enter his mind while asleep.  This, sadly, is how many Christians hope the Christian life will come to them.  Oh, they know that the qualities above need to be seen in their life.  It’s just that they want them to come by magic.

Peter said “make every effort to add…”.  The Greek word used here literally means “speed”, with eagerness, with earnestness.  The picture here is someone diligently performing his work or duty.  And this is how God wants to see His children – diligently, earnestly, and eagerly adding to their faith the Christ-like qualities that the Holy Spirit has placed in our hearts and need to be seen, practiced in our life.

We cannot lazily walk the Christian life and expect victory.  If we put no effort whatsoever into bringing these qualities in our life then they will not be seen.  When we are faced with temptation we need to make every effort to fight it.  When faced with trials we need to make every effort to hold on to God and trust Him.  When faced with conflict we need to make every effort to respond with Christ-likeness.

Paul said it in another way:

Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

We are to work out our salvation, the salvation we already have in Jesus Christ, but needs to be seen in our lives.  The word “work out” always entails effort, diligence, hard work.

Why work out?  Because God is working in us (verse 13).  Peter reminded us that everything we need for life and godliness has been given us (2 Peter 1:3), because our Lord Himself has indwelt us, and He Himself is working out these things in us.  All He is asking is that we work them out, make every effort, to add His character, His qualities, into our lives.

Adding to our Faith

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Peter shares with us seven qualities that he believes should be added to our faith.  Our new life as Christians begin by faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, and putting our faith in Him as Lord of our life.  But the Christian life should not stop there.  Sad to say there are many so-called Christians who claim to have that faith, but do not add to it.  In other words there is no fruit in their lives, no spiritual gain, no righteousness seen.

In verse 8 Peter says that we are to possess these qualities in increasing measure!  They are not supposed to stop being added into our lives.  What is so important about goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love?  Why continually add these into our lives?

The preceding verses will help us understand this.  Peter started verse 5 with “for this very reason”.  This means he previously stated a reason.

2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Every Christian needs to take to heart what Peter is saying in verse 3.  EVERYTHING WE NEED for LIFE and GODLINESS has been given to us by God!  A Christian has no reason not to live as God wants us to live, because His power that works in us has provided everything we need.  Why?

2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Two things that a Christian must desire always – participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world.  To participate in the divine nature is to have the life of Christ working in us and seen in our lives and actions.  It is the desire of a true Christian to be Christ-like.

We all know of the corruption in the world.  A Christian’s desire is to escape it, live opposite the corrupt practices found in the world.  To be able to live this way, we need to add to our faith the qualities Peter shared with us.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

How important are these qualities?

2 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV)
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Our faith in, our knowledge of, our Lord Jesus Christ should move us to be effective and productive in this world.  Possessing these qualities keep us from being ineffective and unproductive as His witnesses, as His disciples in this world.

Many Christians are like what Peter said in verse 9 – nearsighted and blind, forgetting that we have been cleansed from our past sins, and continuing in them, thus joining in the corruption of the world, and being carnal instead of participating in the divine nature.

This is the mathematics of Christianity – addition.  Adding to our faith.  Through His divine power God has enabled us to have the qualities listed above, and therefore be effective and productive disciples of Christ in this world.

Will you add to your faith?

 

Colossians 1:28“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

Come to God for God

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Why do we pray?  Philippians 4:6-7 presents us with a common circumstance for prayer – anxiety.  When a Christian is anxious everything goes haywire.  We cannot control our emotions, which leads to lack of control of our actions.  He begins to lose trust in the Lord, panics, and starts looking for solutions and answers with anyone and everything.  Then, all we think of, all we want, is the solution.

That’s what we want to avoid – simply looking for solutions or answers.  Many think that is what prayer is for – for solutions.  But a quick look at Philippians 4:6-7 shows us that prayer is far from just being a vendo machine for answers.

Prayer is an act of faith.  Instead of remaining anxious, we should be coming to God in prayer presenting our requests, making them known to Him.  What is that?  It’s an act of faith.

God knows what we need even before we ask.  Jesus Himself told us that (Matthew 6).  So why make our requests known to Him?  It expresses what we believe – that God is alive, that He hears, that He answers, that He is there for us.  Prayer is first an act or expression of our faith.

Prayer also becomes an avenue for God’s peace.  Have you ever noticed that verse 7 does not say “and the answer shall be revealed”.  It simply says that God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds.  No solutions, no answers, no promises – just peace, God’s peace.  The first act of God, after we express our faith in Him in prayer, is to assure us that He is there with us, and we have nothing to fear.  And this is exactly what we need, more than the answer or solution we are asking for.

We do not pray just for an answer.  We are not to come to God simply for a solution.  We come to God for God.  For Him.  His presence, His assurance, His grace holding our hearts, telling us that He is Sovereign.  That’s what prayer is primarily for.

Sad to say many use prayer as a way to get what they want.  When the only reason we pray to God is for the solution, once the solution does come notice how easy it is for us to forget about God.

But when the very motive of our prayer is for God Himself, that’s when He becomes who He is – our Rock, our Fortress, our Hiding Place.  And we don’t leave Him, no matter what the outcome is, no matter what the answer is.

Don’t just come to God for a solution.  Don’t pray just to get something.  Come to God for God.

Are we really seeking God’s will?

One of the common prayers that all Christians have concerns God’s will for them.  But as we pray for God’s will we need to ask ourselves – are we really seeking what He desires, or are we just hoping He confirms a decision we have already made in our hearts?

There’s an interesting story found in Jeremiah 42.  When the Israelites began their exile in Babylon, there were some men who went to Jeremiah the prophet:

Jeremiah 42:1-3 (NIV)
1 Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached
2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, "Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left.
3 Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."

It’s a petition that many of us have.  Most of us go straight to the Lord and seek His will.  Others will need counsel from other Christians to guide and lead them to God’s will.  What is important is our hearts desire it.

Jeremiah 42:4 (NIV)
4 "I have heard you," replied Jeremiah the prophet. "I will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you."

The people asking for God’s will even proclaimed:

Jeremiah 42:5-6 (NIV)
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us.
6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God."

Now that’s the attitude!  How many of us can say the same thing when praying for God’s will?  Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord.  This should be the attitude of our hearts always when praying for God’s will.  God’s will is not always pleasing or favorable to us, but it is pleasing to Him.  And if our utmost desire is to please the Lord, we will obey Him no matter what His will is.

What this group of Israelites proclaimed sounded really great.  But did they mean it?

After ten days Jeremiah came back with an answer from the Lord.  Remember, this small group of exiles were in Babylon, and were asking what God would have them do.  This was part of God’s answer:

Jeremiah 42:10 (NIV)
10 'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you.

In other words, God wanted them to stay, and if the obeyed God would graciously work through the heart of the king of Babylon and take care of them while they were in exile.

Take a look at how the Israelites responded:

Jeremiah 43:1-2 (NIV)
1 When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words of the LORD their God--everything the LORD had sent him to tell them--
2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt to settle there.'

Ok, what happened to their statement “whether it is favorable or unfavorable we will obey the Lord”?  It turns out that their lips spoke one thing, but their hearts had another agenda.  They didn’t really want to hear what God’s will was.  They wanted God to confirm what they already had in mind and heart to do.  Their response to God’s will, God’s Word, simply showed what the content of their hearts were.  From the beginning they did not really want to know God’s will.

If we’re really honest all of us will admit that we have a tinge of this attitude in our hearts.  How quick we are to pray for God’s will, how spiritual and submissive it sounds when we do that.  But when God’s Word reveals His will to us, how quick we also are to reason out why we can’t do it.

How many of us prayed for God’s guidance in a conflict we had with someone, and when God’s Word told us to humble ourselves and forgive, how many of us reasoned out and said “not now Lord, give me time”.  We prayed for God’s will, but when He revealed it it turns our we didn’t really want to follow it in the first place.

When we come to pray for God’s will it is important for us to come with a totally submissive and obedient heart, ready to obey the Lord no matter what.  And this is not just something you say, but something you believe.  This attitude comes from worship, from reverence.  If we truly worship and revere God as greater and higher than ourselves, than any other person or thing in the world, then we will have hearts that will submit and obey.

And, when praying for God’s will, we need to throw away every decision we have made, every desire we have, and empty our hearts to desire only one thing – God’s will.  We need to die to ourselves, our emotion, our dreams, and realize that our Sovereign God has a better plan for us – the best actually.

Sometimes it is better not to pray for God’s will, than to pray for God’s will with an unwilling heart to truly please God.  Why?  Look what Jeremiah told them:

Jeremiah 42:19-21 (NIV)
19 "O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today
20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.'
21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you.

It was a fatal mistake because eventually it lead to their disobedience.  And God takes disobedience seriously.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NIV)
22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry…

Let not our lips or actions pretend to desire God’s will, when our hearts actually do not.  Rather, let our hearts truly bow down and revere and fear God so much that there is no other way for us to live than in obedience to the Word of the Lord.  May our hearts be emptied of our desires, goals and dreams and submit totally to God’s will as revealed in His Word.

Understanding Zacchaeus 2

Luke 19:5-10 (NIV)
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

In the last blog (Understanding Zacchaeus) we saw that it was not Zacchaeus who was looking for Jesus, it was Jesus who looked up and called him and asked that He have dinner at his house.  It was not Zacchaeus who invited Jesus to his home, but Jesus who invited Himself to eat in his home.

So it is with our salvation, with our relationship with Christ.  We did not choose Him, He chose us.  It was not our prayer to invite Jesus to our hearts that brought salvation, but rather our response to His call, His invitation to come to Him, by His grace, through our faith, that brought us into our present relationship with Him.

What happens when Jesus calls us, invites us to have a relationship with Him, and we respond?

6 So he (Zacchaeus) came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Jesus does not force anyone to come to Him.  But when we realize the grace when He calls us to come to Him, it is almost impossible to resist that call.  Zacchaeus was excited and glad to be with Jesus.  At first he was hesitant and stayed away, up a tree.  But when Jesus called his name, and asked to go to his house, Zacchaeus accepted the call!

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NIV)
6 … in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

There is a joy that comes with the calling of the Lord.  it’s not something He forces us to be part of.  When God calls, our hearts respond with an excitement and joy that comes from God Himself!  And why not, for the Lord tells us:

Luke 15:7 (NIV)
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

And our hearts sense that joy.  Now, once that relationship begins, look at what happens:

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"

Everyone knew who Zacchaeus was.  He was corrupt.  He loved money.  He took advantage of people.  That’s why they wondered why Jesus, a righteous teacher, would be the guest of a sinner!  But this was exactly the reason why Jesus was reaching out to Zacchaeus – because of who he was, a sinner. 

So what happened? 

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

First, notice how Zacchaeus calls him “Lord”.  You know you’re in a right relationship with God when you recognize who He is in your life!  “Lord” is not just a title that we are to call Jesus, it is who He is in our life.  We are the captains of our soul, we feel we own our lives.  Jesus’ presence in our lives commands us to give up that position, and have the Messiah take His place in our hearts.

Then, Zacchaeus gives up what was of utmost importance to him.  Jesus did not even have to ask.  The moment Zacchaeus knew the grace and mercy of God, his heart moved him to give up, to let go, to surrender that which was ruler and master of his heart – money.  Money defined his life.  This was what controlled his actions and motives.  But now that Jesus was there, Zacchaeus willingly surrendered the wealth he had, and also repented of the wrongdoing he had done by giving back to people he cheated four times more than what he took!

Here is the sign of a true relationship with God.  When He calls us, and we respond, and HE takes the place of King in our hearts, everything else we lived for, anything that was of utmost importance, anyone who was important, are all shelved, pushed aside, so that Jesus may now take that place in our hearts – the King of our soul.

This is what made Jesus proclaim:

9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Salvation had come to Zacchaeus, as proven by his recognizing Jesus as who He is, and by giving up what used to hold his heart.

But Jesus said something more – He said “this man, too, is a son of Abraham”.  I believe this is related to Abraham’s profession of faith and allegiance by his willingness to sacrifice his own son Isaac, as the Lord had commanded him.  This was the same heart that Zacchaeus showed – a willingness to part with his money and to turn away from his sin, just to maintain the relationship he now had with Jesus.

Zaccheaus was lost, and Jesus found him.  Many of us reading this were lost, and we also have experienced the grace of God in His finding us.  This is what Jesus came to do – to save what was lost.  And unless we have that realization of how lost we are, Jesus can have no place in our life.

Understanding Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-6 (NIV)
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

If you attended Sunday School or a Children Ministry when you were young you most probably know about Zacchaeus.  He’s the short guy who climbed a tree just to see Jesus.  And the usual teaching there is we should be like him, making effort, climbing high, just to be able to see Jesus.

But this is so far from what the story tells us.  The lesson Jesus taught through this story was simple:

Luke 19:10 (NIV)
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Zacchaeus was lost, just like each one of us are naturally lost, no care about spiritual things, about eternity.  Oh, maybe we’re a little curious about who Jesus is, so we climb a tree and take a peek at who He is, but we don’t really do anything concrete, no serious attempt, to really get to know Him.

We need to understand that when Zacchaeus climbed the tree all he wanted to do was to see Jesus.  He didn’t want to be His disciple, nor did he have any plan to follow Him.  All he wanted was to see.  It’s just like many  people today – all we want is a peek of Jesus.  No commitments, no surrender, no salvation from sin – just a peek.  Maybe he can answer a prayer or two, the more important ones.  And we will climb a tree just to see Him.

For me, what Zacchaeus did was just like religion.  Many “Christians” climb trees, make an effort through their Sunday services, ministry, good works, to climb that tree and have a peek at Jesus.  That’s all.  We look like Christians, have all the right external decorations – but in our hearts we’re not really after Him, not seeking Him.  Just like Zacchaeus.

But that was going to change.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."

Here is where God’s Grace comes into the picture.

When Jesus reached the spot where he was, Jesus looked up and called him by name - “Zacchaeus”!  Jesus knew him.  This was not a chance meeting, an accidental circumstance that just happened to bring the two together.  This was something that God had planned from eternity!  Jesus called Zacchaeus because He knew him!

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NIV)
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--

What a blessing to know that when the Lord called us, we weren’t “exhibit A”, or specimen “B”.  He knew us, called us by name.  And it had nothing to do with who Zacchaeus was.  Remember, he was a tax collector and wealthy.  Tax collectors were known to be corrupt, and so his wealth most probably came from his corruption.  And yet God, by His grace, knew and called Zaccheaus by name.  Truly it is by grace that we are chosen.

It wasn’t Zacchaeus who was looking for God.  It was God who was looking for Zacchaeus, creating the right opportunity for Him to reach out and call Him into the new life God had prepared for him.

And when God calls, the heart cannot help but respond.

6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Who can resist grace, God’s grace?  Zacchaeus knew who he was, and a peek of Jesus was all he wanted.  But when he heard his name called by Jesus, wanting to eat at his home, he came down at once and welcomed Him.

Notice, it was Jesus who invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house, not Zacchaeus who invited Jesus.  "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."  Many think they are Christian because they invited Jesus into their heart.  But it’s the other way around!  We are Christian because it is God who “invited” Himself to our life.  When we stand before God in eternity, we will have no reason to boast.  We will not even be able to say that we should be in heaven because we chose Him.  Even in our salvation it is God who is glorified, not us.

John 15:16 (NIV)  Jesus said:
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus in his home in the next blog…

What looking up can do

In one of our Lord Jesus’ teachings, He taught His disciples to look – look at the birds, look at the lilies of the fields…to show them how faithful God was (Matthew 6:26).  It seems like David in Psalm 19 was doing the same.  He seems to have been looking at things that caused him to worship His Lord and offer his life unto Him.  What, or where did he look?

LOOK UP!

Psalms 19:1-6 (NIV)
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

David looked up to the heavens, and for him it proclaimed the glory and greatness of his God!  Each day and night that came, every sunrise, every starry night, spoke to his heart and gave him a reason to worship.

Many people look up to the heavens and wonder if there are other beings living somewhere in space.  Christians look up to the heavens and proclaim the greatness and glory of their Lord!  He is our Creator, and all creation speaks of who He is.  The universe was made to proclaim Him.

A Christian’s relationship with God is directly related to how great and awesome his God is in his heart.  The greater our God is in our hearts, the more our relationship with Him is strengthened, the more we bow down in worship and adoration, the more we submit and obey.  Looking up to the stars, admiring each beautiful day, should reveal to us more and more how great our God is.

LOOK DOWN:

Psalms 19:7-11 (NIV)
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

David then shifts his focus to the law of the Lord.  Yes the heavens proclaim the glory of God, but He has also left us with His Word that God wants us to be looking at, words that also proclaim who our God is, and what His will is for us.

God, in His grace, left us with 66 books, written by authors inspired, all connected, all written to reveal who our God is, and what His will and desire is for us.  It is in Scripture that we, His children, find all that we need for life and godliness in this world.

His Word is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, sure and altogether righteous!  God’s Word revives us, makes us wise, gives joy to our hearts, gives light to our eyes.  They are to be more precious than gold, sweeter than honey to us. 

And it is His Word that God uses to warn us, correct us, rebuke us, that we may walk and live as He desires for us to live.

LOOK IN:

Psalms 19:12-13 (NIV)
12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

As David reflected on the glory of His God, and the relevance of His word, this moved him to desire to offer to God a blameless and righteous life.  When someone is given a glimpse of how great his God is, and how precious His words are, it should move him to offer to his God what is best, what is right.  At the same time, this revelation of God’s glory also reveals the content of our heart.  This moved David to confess and seek deliverance from the Lord.

First concerning his hidden faults.  In His presence our hidden faults are revealed, faults that even our own hearts could not detect!  We should never think that we are the best judge of our character or righteousness.  Only God knows who we are, and only He can see all our faults, even those hidden from our own “eyes”.

And through His Word our willful sins are also exposed.  What are willful sins?  They are sins that we willfully commit, even if we know they go against the will of our Lord.  Sometimes the pull of the world, and our fleshly desires, are so strong we willfully follow them.  Here we need God’s deliverance – we ask Him to keep us from willful sins, from people and places that will tempt us to sin.  Our desire is that God rules our lives, and not our sins.

In the presence of a glorious, great and awesome God one can only desire to be blameless and holy before Him.

With this, David ended his psalm by

LOOKING UP again:

Psalms 19:14 (NIV)
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Again David looked up, this time with a prayer, that his heart and his life would be pleasing to his Rock and Redeemer. 

The glory and greatness of our God, as seen in creation and His word, reveals our need for Him to cleanse us, and brings a desire for us to offer to Him a heart and life that are pleasing to Him.