We might say that these days are very unusual. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on suffering in ways that many have never experienced before. There are so many different types of suffering; the virus, loss of a loved one and not being able to be present during their final moments. Some have lost their job and the income that comes from work. Many places around the world are experiencing poverty and hunger that most of us know nothing of.
Then there are Christians who are suffering through the sudden rise in persecution. Some places were experiencing a freedom to share the gospel when the pandemic started, but now that is all reversed and many are losing every freedom they had, and many are being killed. As testimonies from these places come to us, it is humbling to see how many embrace their suffering as a way to further witness of the Savior. They understand what James wrote; “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). How does suffering perfect us? Paul helps us answer that question; “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5). If you are going through any type of suffering, embrace (accept) what you are going through as God’s instrument to perfect your faith and make you more effective for Him.
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Since 2016 and after four back surgeries, it became obvious that my overseas trips and training had come to an end. Self-pity started to set into my heart during that fourth surgery in November. Through many tears, as I lay in that hospital bed, I told the Lord (or accused the Lord) for bringing an end to my ministry. As I wiped away those tears, I thought I heard a voice saying to me, ‘you have no idea what I have planned for you!’ That meant, wait and see.
These years since then have proved HIS point – I have more to do than it is possible to keep up with at times. I never thought of myself a writer, and still don’t, but have written more in the last four years than the previous fifty. I see part of this new direction to be with a purpose. Before I explain, please read these two verses; “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth” (1 John 2:20–21). I am not an evangelist, but I have a deep passion to disciple believers who “know the truth” into a deeper conviction of the truth so they can with confidence and power of the Holy Spirit teach others to have the same (2 Timothy 2:2). In a way, I have the gift of teaching and exhortation. Multiplication, as we see in the Book of Acts, did not happen from being “soft” in their convictions about the gospel and the person of Christ. It came from “standing firm in the faith” and helping others do the same. That is one reason I write this blog. Do you know the truth? TELL OTHERS! Let me reflect with you on the influence of our mothers. I will make only two points in this blog; remind all of us to thank the Lord for the mother He gave us, and to encourage current mothers, mothers-to-be and women who want to be mothers. That is a tall order in 300 words or less.
It does not matter whether the memories of your mother are wonderful or of another character, the fact that God brought you into the world through a unique person, your mother, is cause for gratitude. No matter what degree of godly qualities she taught you, you are responsible to take what she gave you and do even better for the next generation by looking at the biblical models. Timothy’s mother, a believing Jew, raised him to have an honorable reputation (Acts 16:1). From this beginning, Paul wanted to mentor Timothy into a man of God, useable anywhere in the Church. This is what you can do as a mother. Let God use your faith in Jesus to become the fountain from which the Church is equipped with God-fearing men and women who serve with honor and dignity. You may not be a mother yet. Now is the time to think and practice what any godly mother will teach her children. When they come, you will have already made critical decisions that will impact the next generation. “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). For women who want to be a mother and God has not made that possible, take this same principle and apply it to yourself. Never underestimate the influence of a woman who fears the Lord and teaches His truth. Read Isaiah 54 and you will see that God multiplies children to those who make God their husband and trust that He will always do what is right for you. Some of the situations I read about today, both in religious and political articles take me back to my early years. In the few years just before we were married, I was flying to Bible conferences as far away as England. I felt an air of self-importance as I sat for three days with men I considered much more spiritual than myself.
Thinking back on those days, I remember reading Scripture and then wondering how things that were said at these conferences didn’t match up with the Bible. During this period of time, one or two would dare to question the inconsistency between the two. These men were quickly silenced. As I recall those days, fifty years ago, I kick myself for not listening to the Holy Spirit and standing up to those who were distorting God’s Word. I admire Paul and have learned from him. He stood up to the Judaizers who wanted to keep the Church in bondage to the ceremonial law. “Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you” (Galatians 2:4–5). How much do we prize the gospel? When “the truth of the gospel” in the souls of disciples was in danger of being hijacked, Paul did not hesitate to call out the false teachers. Let us not think for a moment that those days are only in the past. They are here. BE ALERT, BE AWARE! “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Many say that conditions today are worse than they have ever been. If we carefully examine the Early Church and what the Apostles faced, we will quickly realize that our day is very similar to theirs; we just have different people, systems and equipment. They faced difficult times, such as famines and political upheavals in the same way we face world conflicts and pandemics today.
We must be aware that these times are opportunities for deceivers and false teachers to attack the saints and draw them away from what their occupation should be. In my short life span, there have been several tense seasons in national and international events that caused some believers to bend their ear toward teachers who predicted the Lord’s coming. Their predictions failed. This was true of the church at Thessalonica. Paul was forced write a second letter to them just for the purpose of redirecting their minds on Christ and away from false prophets. “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–3). What will keep us from being deceived? In short, Paul answers that question in verse 14; “To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There must be consistent attention to the gospel and the glory of Christ. Every false teaching will in some way detract from these and divert our attention to something else – usually it will be man-centered. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:1–3).
National Day of Prayer – Thursday, May 7th Though every day is a Day of Prayer, this day has been set aside for the Church and every believer to unite in prayer for our nation. Habakkuk 2:14 has been chosen as the theme verse this year: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Spreading the gospel everywhere – every corner of the earth (Acts 1:8) must be our passion so the Lord’s glory will fill the earth. Here are suggested areas for prayer:
If you live in another nation, please set aside this day to pray for each of these areas for your country. It should not surprise us that Jesus is very pointed about who receives glory. Religious leaders of His time were known to “love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues” (Matthew 23:6). The way Luke records this statement, Jesus begins by saying, “Woe to you Pharisees” (Luke 11:43). Has this problem changed?
There was another problem that results from receiving glory from other people. “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44). Self-importance, pride and wanting recognition is a major hindrance to faith. Self-centered attitudes seek glory from the wrong person, and this becomes an obstacle to having faith in God alone. Glory from others blind the eye of faith in God. James confirms this truth and teaches that first “humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (4:10). Paul spoke of his ministry and those with him; “Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ” (1 Thessalonians 2:6). How much more should we be careful that we “aim at the glory of God” and not our own from anyone except God! A few days ago, I picked up a book in my home that I had not touched for some time; Voices from the Past, Edited by Richard Rushing. Thomas Manton makes the observation; “O how little do we aim at the glory of God and regard it in our prayers!” (page 18). In this article he writes that “since the fall, we are corrupt and wholly poisoned with self-love…our own honor…than with God’s dishonor or God’s glory.” How much of the ‘old habits’ still linger with us who are saved by grace? Shouldn’t we live “to the praise of His glory”? (Ephesians 1:12, 14).
Paul challenges the Corinthians in a similar way; “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). How can we do that? It begins in the mind. That is why Paul exhorts us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). God will not be glorified and we will not seek His glory if our minds are not being transformed by the Holy Spirit. What is the key to make this happen in us? Manton was correct in suggesting that we must intentionally “aim at the glory of God and regard it in our prayers!” Are you starting each day with that in your heart and on your lips? If you are, it will be seen throughout the day. When we look at some prophecies of Scripture and then consider world conditions as they are, we may tend to doubt whether the promises of God can really happen. Some may point to all the prophecies that have already taken place, and that certainly should increase our degree of confidence in what God has said will take place.
Let’s take for example the sweeping promise that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). That means there will be no place on earth where the glory of the Lord is not filling the place. Many in our day are living for their own glory and they will reap the result of that selfish pursuit. What about you and me? How different our days would be if we started each one wanting God’s glory to fill us so it would spill over into the lives of those we meet. That is part of our purpose! When Jesus was describing our relationship with Him, He likened us to a vine with branches that are connected together. “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8). The glory of God will fill the earth, but He wants to use us in the process of arriving at that glorious end. Begin each morning asking the Spirit to glorify God in you throughout the day, then live for God’s glory in all that is said and done. One of the greatest dangers anyone can face is putting trust in the wrong place. Especially when the world is in chaos and leaders are finger pointing blame, we tend to look for political leaders to solve problems and restore a measure of peace. They always fail!
God warned Israel through Jeremiah with strong words; “Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:5). There is a consequence to trusting men. The heart is turned away from the Lord! This was a problem with Israel, and it is a problem with the Church. When men (even good leaders) become more important than Christ the Head of the Church, then we have turned away from Him. Jeremiah 17:6 says our trust in man becomes a “wilderness…an uninhabited salt land.” What is the alternative? ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”” (17:7–8). Can you imagine what your life would look like if you completely trusted the Lord? He will produce fruitfulness in us when He is our trust, and there will be no need to fear the chaos of this world. |
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