The Attributes of God - His Self-Existence

Too many people think that theology is for scholars and pastors, but the truth is that it is simply the study of God and who he is. We Christians like to tell others that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship. I agree with them, but I must shake my head when those who say that, make little to no attempt at the very relationship they claim to have. Theology is really about getting to know who God is. If you love someone, you want to know everything you can about them. Love is a reciprocal act. We love each other and desire to do things that bring joy and happiness to the object of our love. True love puts the other person first, a commitment to doing whatever it takes to please. We must remove the idea of theology being something only seminary students do and become a people who long to learn all we can about our wonderful God so that we will love Him as He desires us to.

The theology of the attributes of God is paramount in our relationship with Him. Yet, it is not taught and not preached about enough in our churches. I am currently doing a study with a friend on a series about the attributes of God from Ligonier Ministries and thought it would benefit myself to spend a little time writing out some of things I learn, and my hope is that it might help others grow closer to God as well.

The first attribute we looked at is titled the aseity of God. Don’t feel bad, I had no idea what the word aseity meant either. Theology is known for using words none of us understand and that is part of the problem. That type of language tends to make one feel the stigma of theology is true and it isn’t for us regular people. That’s unfortunate but don’t let those words get in the way of seeking to know God better. 

Aseity simply means that something exists in and of itself. But even that definition comes across a bit deep. Let’s break it down to something we can all understand. 

God has no beginning and no end. He wasn’t created. He always was and He always will be. He doesn’t need anything outside of Himself to exist. Let us look at a few scriptures to see that this is true about God.

Psalm 90:2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 

Psalm 102:26-27  They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. 

Revelation 22:13  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

Another important thing to understand is that not only is God eternal, but every single thing that exists, has existed, or will exist, does so because he created them. God is the source of all things and since He is the source of them, He isn’t dependent on anything outside of Himself. 

Romans 11:36  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Acts 17:24-25  The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

The good news of this truth of God, that He is self-sufficient and is the source of all things, is that we can know that anything we must possibly need in this life and even in the next one, He can provide. 

The humbling aspect of this attribute of God is that we also must understand that we are not “The captains of our souls” as famously written by James McLain in the poem with that very title. We can lay claim to no glory nor ought we pat ourselves on the back extolling our great talents and knowledge. 

James 1:16-18  Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

It’s hard to believe that there has ever been a place in time when man has thought more highly of himself than now. Even many Christians have fallen into the trap of thinking themselves important and long to receive glory and fame. But that is simply a trap of the devil, the one who more than anyone else, longs to steal the glory and worship only God deserves.

Revelation 4:11  “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Isaiah 42:8  I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. 

What a wonderful God we serve. A God who is self-sufficient and needs nothing from us. Yet, amazingly, He created us and allows us to be a part of His kingdom, having given us both life and the gifts of the Holy Spirit empowering us to serve Him. 

We started off with a big word; aseity. God is deep and trying to always grasp an infinite God with a finite mind as we possess isn’t easy. Let us dig every day into His Holy Word and learn more of Him, who He is. When we do that our faith will grow, for we will see and know that every single thing is centered on Him and He has the power to accomplish everything He has promised to do. 

Dig into His Word today. Pray to Him, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal these great truths about who our God is. Then we can worship Him as we have been called, in spirit and in truth.

Next time, the attribute of the spirituality of God.

Trusting in the Power of God

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 

- Psalm 93:1-2  

"The world shall never be moved." Nope, not unless God wants it to. 

We must lay ahold of the amazing power of God. Nothing can happen, nothing can move, nothing exists or ceases to exist unless the all-powerful and sovereign hand of God allows it to. 

Whatever you face today, it is not too big for God nor is it beyond His control. 

Trust Him. He created this universe. His throne is everlasting. He is in control.

If you believe that, then you can hand all your issues over to Him and just rest in His arms.

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty. 

The God Who Holds Our Every Breath

 

Many of the famous sayings we use, find their origin from the Bible. 

The phrase "The handwriting is on the wall" comes from this story;

Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. - Daniel 5:5 

Check that story out. In that chapter we learn that men who are in positions of authority are literally placed there by God.

"He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. - Daniel 5:21

We also are reminded that our very breath comes from God and thus our lives are in His hands. 

But you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. - Daniel 5:23 

King Belshazzar learned all this. The hard way.

That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. - Daniel 5:30

Put your trust in God. He's in charge. He is the God in whose hand is your breath.

Trusting God In the Midst of a Pandemic

Satan wants you to be afraid and to doubt God. He uses the systems of the world such as the media to attack our minds by instilling fear and doubt. Every day for month upon month, we have been bombarded with the news of Covid. While I am in no way saying we should not walk cautiously in these days of the raging virus, but to the Christian, that should never be fueled by the fear of death, suffering, or sickness. 

God is in control.

Yet this barrage of fearful news wears on us. We are tempted to be afraid. 

I feel that. But when I open up God's Word I am reminded that it is only Him I must fear. 1 John 4:18 reminds us though that perfect love casts out fear. Jesus is the perfect love it speaks of us. When we place our faith in Christ and in Him alone, we can rest in Him. 

God is sovereign people. I was reminded of that tonight as I, once again, took notice of Psalm 139, particularly verse 16. Listen to the psalmist explain who God is.

"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them."

Nothing can nor will change the days that God ordained has for you. He wrote them in His book before you were even formed in the womb.

Nothing. Not even Covid-19. So, take your rest in Christ. Live for Him, by Him, and in Him.

Pray this and then follow His lead.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. - Psalm 139:23-24

The Battle Over My Sin

 The battle for victory over sin is a difficult one and if we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we lose the battle more often than we win it. We try and try to stop certain behaviors. The battle for pure thoughts in our minds is even harder as we live in a world that is constantly attacking us. 

Jesus warned us in Matthew 26:4, saying this, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Yet, we cannot excuse our behavior, there is never an excuse for sin. He tells us we always have opportunity and the ability to say no to our sin nature. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Yet, we fail Him daily. Reading this morning in Psalms, it is clear that God’s people in the Old Testament were just like us. In Psalm 78, we read of the repeated failings of the people. 

Psalm 78:10-11  

They did not keep God’s covenant but refused to walk according to his law.  They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. 

Psalm 78:17-19 

Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? 

Psalm 78:21-22  

Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel,  because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. 

Psalm 78:29-31  

And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.  But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths,  the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel. 

Psalm 78:32-37  

In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.  So, he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.  When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.  They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.  But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.  Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. 

Whoa, these people were messed up. Despite all God had done for Israel and all that He gave them, they still sinned against Him. 

But if we look closely at our own hearts, are we any better? For all God has blessed us with, even giving up His own Son to die for our sins, we turn back to our selfish desires habitually. We complain, we whine, we live our lives in fear and anxiety and we simply don’t obey His commandments. We are just like Israel.

But there is more to the story in Psalm 78 then the failings of God’s chosen people. There is an amazing description of how God responds to His people, even in the midst of their failings.

Psalm 78:38-39  

Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.  He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. 

It is popular these days to say to people, “God is not angry with you.” Uh, not Biblical! 

Exodus 32:9-10  

And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

Those were God’s people He was angry at. Look at the next verse, it says so.

Exodus 32:11  

But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

Yes, God’s wrath can burn hot against His own. Was Moses not one of God’s chosen and favorite people?

Exodus 4:14  

Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses…

Of course, God can be angry with us. But back to the comforting words of Psalm 78.

Psalm 78:38-39  

Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.  He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again. 

This is a picture of the Gospel. He atoned for their iniquity. That is an OT picture of Jesus. This is the beauty of the Gospel. Despite our sinfulness and our continued return to sin, Jesus paid the price for our sins, once and for all. He restrains His anger.

The Psalm doesn’t end here. It goes on to show that the people of Israel continued to fail God. 

Psalm 78:40-42  

How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!  They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.  They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe.

Just as they rebelled against the God who brought them out of captivity in Egypt, we rebel against the Savior who delivered us from the captivity of sin.  

Psalm 78:56-59  

Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies,  but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow.  For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols.  When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel. 

The Psalm goes on to explain how God disciplined His people. 

Psalm 78:62-64 

He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage. Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. 

He vented His wrath on them. He came down hard.

But then the Psalm ends with this reminder that God has sent a shepherd to lead His people home to the safety of His sheepfold.

Psalm 78:70-72  

He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;  from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance.  With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. 

Once more we see in the Old Testament, a picture of our wonderful Savior, Jesus, who, with His upright heart, shepherds His people and guides them with His skillful hand.

I don’t think there is any question but to conclude Psalm 78 is a picture of the Gospel. 

Yes, we fail Him daily. But it won’t be our faithfulness that saves us in the end, it will be the faithfulness of Jesus by which we shall persevere. The words of Psalm 78 bring great comfort to the heart of a repentant sinner, who is humbled by the failings of his own heart, but who looks to Jesus to bring grace and mercy to His people. 

Turn to Jesus today. It’s our only hope. But it’s a sure hope.

Thankful Even in the Midst of a Pandemic

Our purpose in life, the reason God created us, is to glorify Him. Isaiah 43:7 tells us why God created us, “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 

One way we bring glory to God is to be thankful. God tells us that in Psalm 50:23, saying that “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

But maybe today we are finding it hard to be thankful because we are living in the strangest and most difficult circumstances many of us have ever seen. 

God has a response for us about that.1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Let us all be thankful, not just today, but every day, in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for us. 

God Knows We Are Just Dust

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;  as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.  For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. - Psalm 103:8-14

Every day I fall short in my quest to please God and to be like Jesus. But God knows us, He made us. He remembers that "we are dust." This is why Jesus came. This why we need to surrender our lives to Him. This is why we must receive Him as Lord and Savior. 

These verses from Psalm 103 are the Gospel. They are amazing truths about God and about why we can live in hope. They are why He is worthy of all our praise and worship. 

But you must fear Him. You must fear Him so much that you have no other option, no other hope, but to live in faith and in joyful expectation of His mercy and grace.

Comfort From the Psalms

In the midst of all that is going on around us in these times, I believe we can simply trust God. Here are some words from the psalms, probably written by David when his life was in extreme peril as King Saul sought to take his life. They should comfort us and remind us that God is sovereign and if we place all our faith in Him alone, He will provide for us as He did David. Pray through these, ask God to embed them into your heart and you will find that the peace of God, will remove all your fears and anxieties. 

Psalm 56:1-4 

Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me.  My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me.   When I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee.   In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? 

Psalm 56:8-11 

Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Thy bottle; Are they not in Thy book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 

Psalm 34:4-10  

I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.  They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces shall never be ashamed.  This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.  O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!  O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him, there is no want.  The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. 

Psalm 34:15-22  

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.  The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.  The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.   Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the LORD delivers him out of them all.  He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.   Evil shall slay the wicked; And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.  The LORD redeems the soul of His servants; And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. 

Psalm 52:8-9  

But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.  I will give Thee thanks forever, because Thou hast done it, And I will wait on Thy name, for it is good, in the presence of Thy godly ones. 

This is just a small bite of the wonderful food of God that we find in His Word. My prayer this morning is that we stand faithful in believing the Word of God and we feed on it so that we will be strengthened by it and we stay faithful in trusting in Him for all we need. 

The One Thing We Need To Understand From The Book of Revelation

If you find the Book of Revelation difficult to understand, then at this point just lay hold of this truth from its words.

There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. - Revelation 22:3-5

The Bible story after creation begins with the curse being put upon the earth because of the first sin of Adam and Eve. This is why life is such a struggle. This why sickness and death exist. This is the root of every single problem on this earth and no matter how much man tries to defeat sickness, addictions, abuse and every other ailment that drags us down, he will not.

But the good news is that if we live by faith in Jesus and what He suffered on the cross, then there is a day coming soon in which that curse will be gone.

This is what we need to receive out of Revelation. We don't need to speculate on and argue over what symbolic mysteries it presents. We need to lay hold of the promises the Word of God gives us and live in joyful expectation of the return of Jesus when all this comes to fruition.

There will no longer be any curse. There will no longer be any night. Darkness will be gone. We will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and we will reign forever and ever.

That is what we most need to understand from the Book of Revelation.

The Call to Walk in Truth

Without love, we are nothing but noisy gongs. (See 1 Corinthians 13:1)

And the Bible is clear, love is the answer. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian but doesn't love others, is living a lie. The call to love in scripture is a call to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, our neighbors, and even our enemies. Read your Bible. Love is the number one trait that must identify who we are.

But unless we speak truth, we really are not showing love.

The Apostle John has much to say to us about truth.

2 John 1:4
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.

3 John 1:3-4
For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Truth is so important, that God sent us the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, to dwell within us.

But the world is filled with untruth, with lies. Some are clearly lies. Some are harder to distinguish. The world will tell you that there are gray areas and those things we can address with compromise to the truth. That is not from God, it is from the devil.

John 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Christians, we must speak truth. We must stand in truth. God's word is the only legitimate source of truth. The Spirit of truth indwells every true believer. Jesus is the truth.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

Truth is under attack, in these weird and difficult days, that has become even more clear.

What should we do?

Walk in truth.

How Can I Know I am Saved?

My morning study time finds me in a place that is deeply convicting. And that is the purpose of John's words here. I know I am not always walking in the same manner as Jesus walked. I know I'm not truly abiding in Him, for I simply fail far too often to keep His commandments.

No, we are not saved by our works. But we should never take for granted our salvation. We should never stop studying His Word, looking at our lives and seeing how we line up with the way Jesus walked. We must fall on our knees in humility, praying that the Holy Spirit will bring deep conviction to our hearts so that we can persevere through our disobedience, and let the mercy and grace of God fall upon us and be the catalyst that drives us to obedience.

1 John 2:3-6

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

When I look at myself in light of this passage, I wonder, how might I ever be saved? I am reminded of what Jesus said about salvation. (By the way, if you are reading this now, you are a rich person, compared to so many)

Matthew 19:23-25

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

But then Jesus reminds us of how this works.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

So, I humbly lean into God and place every little bit of faith I can muster up into believing that Christ died for me.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Thank You Jesus. I have no boast but in Him.

7 Things We Have in Christ

As I begin my next study in God's Word, being in 2 Peter now, we come upon some wonderful things we have in Christ.

2 Peter 1:2-4

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

7 things we have in Christ

1. Grace and Peace

2. Knowledge of God and of Jesus

3. Divine Power

4. Everything we need pertaining to life and godliness

5. All the Promises of God

6. Partakers of the divine nature

7. Escape from the corruption of this world

This is amazing and it ought to change how we live. We already have everything we need. We have the power to live it out.

We simply need to lay hold of these things. We simply need to remove the word self and replace it with Him.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 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.

Live it.

Authority - How Do We Deal With It

I love the Word of God. I look forward every morning to my time in Bible study. I try and make it the first priority of the day, for if God has chosen to bless me with another day, the least I can do is spend time with Him and make Him first in my heart. And I am committed to reading the Bible from beginning to end, in a complete cycle that goes on over and over.

But as much as I love God’s Word, I struggle to obey it. I agree it’s right. I believe it’s true. I believe I am supposed to obey it. But every now and then I come across things in it, that I really wish weren’t there.

I am rebellious by nature. I don’t like to be told what to do. It’s not that I mind God telling me what to do. I trust in Him being true and righteous. But when it comes to man? Not so much. I struggle with authority. I don’t trust politicians. I don’t trust police officers and the court system of America. My supervisors at work were often poor leaders who made really dumb decisions so I didn’t trust them. But today’s Bible reading smacks me down. Hard.

Take a look.

1 Peter 2:13-17  

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.  Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

This is God’s Word. It is to be obeyed.

God’s command here is simple. I am to be subject to every human institution. Doesn’t matter at what level. There is no “Yes, but he’s stupid” clause. There is no, “Yes, but I don’t like that” clause. There is no “Yes, but he is a tyrant” clause.

The command is to “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.” And God made sure we understood the importance of this command as He repeats it three times in scripture. Romans 13 and Titus 3:1 echo this command.

And then we see in scripture, examples of how men obeyed this command, even at great peril to their lives. Stephan is an example of a life that followed this path. Read Acts 6 through to Acts 8:1. Rather than dispute the authorities that came after him, he used their attack as an opportunity to share the Gospel with those who were against him. This would culminate in his death by stoning. Yet, through it all, he stayed the course. He went to his death calling out to God for mercy and forgiveness to come to those who killed him.

Jesus did the same.

As Christians, this life is not meant to be lived for our comfort and our desires to be met. It is to be lived for Christ.

I don’t like what my government is telling me to do. But I need to humble myself before God and simply be obedient. Unless the authorities are directly telling me to not do what God tells me to do, I must obey. For God’s sake, not my own. Even if this leads up to my death, inflicted by an evil regime.

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

God’s words, not mine.

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Joy In the Suffering

In the midst of these difficult days, the question of suffering is ever present in many of our minds. Each of us is enduring through this time of trial, some are even dealing with severe illness and death. The Bible actually does answer the question of why suffering exists. This morning I am continuing to study 1 Peter and in this scripture reading, is both an explanation and a command regarding our troubles.

1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Wow, there is so much here.

First, it says we are to rejoice even though we are grieved by various trials. But it says “In this” we rejoice. In what? Go back to the beginning of 1 Peter and we see that “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven.”

We should rejoice because God has saved us and given us eternal life.

Peter then tells us that if necessary, God is grieving us by various trials. We don’t all experience the exact same trials and grief, but we can trust in our God, who knows what we need to test the genuineness of our faith. Our faith, because it is results “in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” is more valuable than gold. Why? Gold, like everything else in the life, will perish. But not our salvation; it is eternal and will never pass away.

But we must admit, we have a tendency to lose sight of the eternal life to come. We get too focused on this life. Our money, our comfort, our plans and dreams, and even our loved ones, become what we focus on. Peter reminds us that we don’t see Jesus in person, like we do everything else in this life. But true faith, results in loving Jesus even when we don’t see Him. True faith gains its joy in the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

This is what Jesus is talking about when he said this in Luke 14:26,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus isn’t telling us to hate our family, that would contradict everything God calls on us to do in loving others. He is telling us that the focus and center of our entire being, must be upon Him. Then then the overflow of our love will pour out on those around us and they will be cloaked in our love.

In order for us to have joy, which supersedes happiness that is dependent on circumstance, our faith must be proven to be genuine. And in the most difficult of trials, our faith, if real, will result in rejoicing, because real faith has its hope in the eternal life, not this one.

So, take heart, brothers and sisters in Christ. God does not waste anything. This trial you are facing, no matter how painful, will prove the genuineness of your faith. And the result of that is “praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” which is more valuable than gold.

If in this trial, you don’t have this joy, then you need to humble yourself before God and seek His face. Open up your Bible and find the promises He has to offer. Go to Him in prayer and cry out to Him.

Psalm 34:18  

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

He wants to bring joy to your heart.

Living As Aliens

This morning I have moved on to a new book of the Bible to study, 1 Peter. Peter begins with a salutation.

1 Peter 1:1-2  

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

There is so much beauty in the doctrines mentioned in this salutation. We see that we are chosen, we are sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit, we are called to a life of obedience to the Lordship of Jesus, and we are sprinkled by His blood. Because of all these doctrines, we experience His grace and have peace, in the fullest measure. We could spend weeks just exploring the theology of all this. In the commentary I am using in this study, there are countless scriptures to look up, to meditate in, and to grow in.

But this morning, as we find ourselves in uncertain times, I am called to bring to bring attention to a different doctrine of scripture, if you will. If you notice, Peter begins this letter by addressing it to “those who reside as aliens.” Obviously, in its strictest context, Peter was writing to people who had scattered into five different regions. But the Bible was not just written to the specific people it names, but it is also written to all who would call on the name of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” We know that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

If we are men (or women) of God, then the Bible speaks to us as well.

So, in the beginning of this letter, we find a lesson that we all need to lay hold of. We are aliens in this life. We are not meant to live as if this is where we belong. For those who are chosen by God unto salvation, our home is not this earth. This life is not meant to be clung to. It is meant to be lived as strangers in a strange world, who are, like soldiers in an army, simply on a mission for our King, in a foreign land.

Look at a few other scripture readings that confirm this.

Philippians 3:20

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 


Hebrews 11:13-16  

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.  And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 13:14

For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. 


Hebrews 11:10  

For he [Abraham] was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

What God needs you to hear this morning, is that we can be at peace in the midst of the chaos going on around us. Along with the other difficulties of this life, we are right now living in a world where death may strike us at any moment. This virus is invisible. We cannot see it. It is difficult to fight something you cannot see. That is why camouflage is a standard issue uniform of a soldier. We have no idea when or where we might encounter this invisible enemy and we have no idea how it might inflict its effects upon is.

But what God desires we do, is to live in joyful expectation of the very worst extreme attack the invisible enemy can inflict upon us. Death. That is the worst thing that our enemies can bring upon us. But the fact for the Christian is that death is not defeat; it is victory.

Again, what does the Word of God say?

2 Timothy 1:10  

But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death is victory to the Christian. It is the culmination of our wanderings as aliens here. Physical death to the chosen people of God is only the beginning. We must live as soldiers in a strange land, fulfilling the mission are called to and doing so, not in fear of our death, but in eager anticipation of it. For in it is the victory, because of Jesus. Because of the power of resurrection.

As I close, I want to encourage each of us on the hope of what is to come.

Revelation 21:2-4

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

We can and must live in the peace of God. Even in the presence of invisible enemies.

What To Do With Good Friday

As we prepare our hearts for this coming Sunday, Easter Sunday, as many refer to it, or Resurrection Sunday as others prefer, it might be good for our souls to stop and pause to reflect on just what happened before Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave.

Today is Good Friday. The very name we have given it, calling it “Good” Friday, points to the victory over death and sin that Jesus secured on the cross and the resurrection that came on Sunday. But lest we lean towards taking this for granted, we should look back on the night before.

Having warned the disciples of what was about to happened, resulting in Peter’s over-confident ability in his flesh to stand behind Jesus all the way to death, Jesus spent Thursday night overwhelmed with grief.

Matthew 26:36-46  

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”  And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”  And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”  And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”  And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.  So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.  Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Oddly, maybe because I struggle with depression and have spent many hours praying though them, the narrative of Jesus in the Garden praying, is one of my favorite passages to read. I just think it is an imperative to fully grasp what Jesus was feeling in this time of prayer.

Luke 22:44 reveals the anguish He was experiencing as it says that, “being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Jesus was in a state of despair and agony that I can only imagine was nearly unbearable.

But why? Though Jesus was fully man, He was also fully God and would have known the outcome. He knew the process of the actual crucifixion would last around six hours. Yes, He knew He would be facing a terrible beating before, that would have Him near death before they even nailed Him to the cross. He understood the pain and slow torture the cross would bring, so obviously he had good cause to agonize the night before. In His humanity, He knew pain and He knew the temptation to fear that we all have.

But even for the idea of all that pain, there was something far more horrendous and far more painful that He would endure and that is what drove Him to His knees in prayer, prayer so intense that he would sweat blood.

We must try and understand something that we cannot fully grasp and that is the concept of eternity and the concept of unity that transcends time.

Jesus, The Father, and The Holy Spirit had been in perfect unity and harmony for eternity. They had never known separation. Their bond of love and perfect unity is beyond our understanding. Our sin nature prevents us from having perfect relationships that are free of conflict. But the Holy Trinity is a perfect marriage that was never in conflict. And had never been pulled apart in any way.

We also fail to understand that we really have never been completely separated from God. Though our sin does separate us in the relationship, God’s omniscient nature and the Holy Spirit’s work means that God is always here. The unsaved are also under the umbrella and influence of God’s sovereignty at all times. The worst part of Hell will be that it will be a separation from God as we have also never known.

What Jesus suffered on the cross was that separation, that penalty for sin that we deserve. For Him to be separate from the Father and the Spirit, was an unbearable ordeal as the weight of every single person’s sin was heaped upon Him. The weight of our own sin is enough to drive many to suicide, imagine the weight of the entire world’s sin for all time being placed upon Him. It would have Him go to the Garden and pray in agony for another way. It would have Him cry out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

So, today as we reflect on what this day is about, let us lament the sorrows of our sin. Let us repent with broken and contrite hearts. Let us remember exactly the price Jesus paid for us.

Then, when we get to Sunday, let us rejoice and worship God as we never have before. Let us lift high the name of Jesus. Let us commit to a life that is worthy of what he has done for us, walking in the power of the Spirit he has sent to live in us. Let us share the good news of the Gospel to all who do not know Him.

What To Do When Your Faith Is Tested

The world is in a crisis this very day. For the most part, there is nowhere one could go that the threat of sickness and even death, is not real, due to the corona virus situation. People are scared. The world has basically shut down and many people hiding out in their homes.

As a Christian, I am called to be different than the world. No, we Christians are not perfect, we still worry and get anxious, but to be Biblically truthful, we are not supposed to be afraid, nor are we to be anxious. We are all at different levels of spiritual maturity, so each of us will have our own struggles.

This begs the question, what are we to do with the current situation? What does this all mean? Why is this happening?

If you follow me on social media, you may likely know that I am one of those crazy Christians, who has the audacity to sat that this virus is a warning from God. I have always believed that the message of repentance is the correct one that ought to be preached. John the Baptist came out of the wilderness preparing the way for the coming Messiah, with this message saying “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” - Matthew 3:2. We see that Jesus began His public ministry with the same words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” - Matthew 4:17. The call to repent is a serious one and I find no scriptural reason that we shouldn’t believe that we ought to be still preaching the same thing. The world we live in today has for the most part moved further and further from God and is very similar to the one we read of in Genesis 6, where man had become so corrupt, that God decided He would clean out mankind and start anew with Noah. We live in a world today that appears ripe for a cleansing.

No, I don’t believe God is going to wipe out mankind at this time, but I do believe that since we live in an age of grace, since the coming of Christ, and  that because “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.- 2 Peter 3:9, I believe God is showing His mercy in bringing a warning to this lost and godless world. The message to those who reject Him is simple; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

But we Christians, though we all have things to repent of, are not guilty of the only sin that will lead you to hell, which is the sin of unbelief. We who are Christ’s have repented of that sin and are forgiven and have received the gift of eternal life.

Then what are we to do with this crisis?

The answer is simple and is found clearly in scripture. We are to see this as a trial and a test of our faith. Look at the Book of James and it becomes easy to see what we do.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” -

James 1:2-4  

We are to count it all joy. Clearly this is a trial and James tells us that trials of various kinds test our faith. I don’t know about you, but my faith is being tested. I’ve spent the last several years purposely trying to build my faith, for I know from past experience, difficult times come. But as hard as I’ve worked at it I still struggle. I’ve committed myself to a daily time of Bible study, have attended church regularly, joined a small group where I get encouraged, I’ve prayed and prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide me to greater faith, and made it my goal to believe every word that God has written down in the scriptures. But still as my faith is tested daily, I am struggling and fighting to avoid fear, anxiety, and doubt.

James tells us though that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. Steadfastness, if we let it have its full effect, will make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

These aren’t my words; these are the Words of God.  I know that because it says this in 

2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The answer to how we count this as joy, in the midst of uncertainty, sickness, and even death, is to lay hold of the truth that God is actually using these times, this pain and sorrow, to make us more like Jesus. James said that trials make us “perfect and complete” which would certainly describe Jesus.

I know this is hard. Some of us will face different levels of testing. I don’t know why God may test your faith differently than mine. Some of us will face tests that will seem impossible to bear and unless you keep your eyes on Jesus and you live in His strength, not your own, it may be impossible. But don’t try to do this alone. Let Jesus take you through it and believe what He has told us in the Bible. Moses had a message for Israel as they prepared to cross into the promised land and his message had a promise that is also ours. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6  

The same promise is echoed in Hebrews 13:5 which says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I don’t know what the immediate future holds for any of us. I know what the end result will be for all of us who “let steadfastness have its full effect.” We will lack nothing and will one day soon be free from this broken and corrupt world that has sin and sickness beating us down. We will live in eternal bliss with our Lord and Savior for all of eternity.

I hope this encourages you to dig deeper into God’s word and learn even more of the joy and the peace we can live in until he comes back or takes us home. If you have trouble understanding and knowing what to do next, James speaks to that as well.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. - James 1:5-6  

When your faith is weak, turn to Jesus with whatever little faith you can muster up and go to Him in prayer. Believe God. If you do, then you will be able to do as James commands us to.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” - James 1:2-4  

May God richly bless you.

Finding All You Will Ever Need In A Crisis - Grace

I just finished a study on the Book of Hebrews. The main point of Hebrews is that the New Covenant of grace is far superior to the Old Covenant of law. It is a lesson in the preeminence of Christ, our Savior.

I love how the author finishes the letter.

Hebrews 13:25

Grace be with all of you.

Grace. It is the most wonderful gift of God. It is what we must live both under and in. We must receive it to be saved and we must give it to live out our calling from God.

Grace. It is what we need to get through every step of life; both the good and the bad.

When Paul cried out to God to take away the throb=n in his side, God's answer to his prayer was this, "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

And how does Paul respond?

Paul said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

We are in difficult times. I would offer this is a calamity.

God will answer our prayers for healing and protection in different ways.

But he has answered those who live by faith in His Son, Jesus, already in this sense:

He has given us grace. No matter what else happens in this life, in the coming days, weeks, and maybe months, He has given us grace and that is sufficient to get us through whatever earthly things happen until He calls us home to be with Him.

His grace is sufficient for you, for His power is made perfect in weakness.

So, Grace be with all of you.