Falling into sin again after 40 years of serving the Lord, God’s people are told by a prophet that it is their fear of the world that has caused them to disobey. That’s not how the people understand it though. When the angel first comes to Gideon, this son hiding his threshing from the Midianites believes that God has forsaken them (Judges 6). Continue reading “Go in This Might of Yours”
You Shall Not Fear
In the 1939 classic, “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tinman enter the Haunted Forest while famously chanting, “Lions, and tigers, and bears–oh my!” to push through their fear. Like God’s people in the time of Judges who had disobeyed God because they feared the world (Judges 6:7-10), God’s people today must not keep the gospel within the walls of our church buildings because we fear the hostile culture around us. Continue reading “You Shall Not Fear”
There Is No God
I’ve called April 1 Atheists’ Day because Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 begin, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” But, not only atheists but backsliding Christians (2 Peter 2:20-21) and those who don’t seek God fall into the category of fool, according to the rest of this short psalm.
I. Romans 3:9-24. The application of Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 is made here. After describing how we are all alike under sin, this New Testament passage explains how God’s righteousness is made available through Jesus’ work on the cross for those who do seek Him.
II. Hebrews 10:26-31. As the wicked eat up the generation of the righteous, we understand that God gives salvation to all who call upon His name (Romans 10:9-13). Those who sin after the knowledge of the gospel will face judgment as they should know better.
III. Matthew 13:36-43. The last verse of these psalms proclaims that those who do seek God will find restoration, rejoicing, and gladness. Salvation came into Zion (John 12:13-15) and would indeed go forth from there (Acts 1:8). The righteous will shine like the sun.
By your living, do you say in your heart, ‘There is no God’?
Not Remain Your Own?
Detractors have often described the Lord’s church as governed by socialist … or even communist principles. They’ll point to verses like Acts 4:32 as proof, “… no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.” In heaven, we are ruled by a benevolent monarchy with the King of Kings on the throne, but on earth do our possession really belong to the church and its leaders, forcing us to give, decide how to distribute them all?
I. Acts 5:1-14. Wanting to look good to their brothers and sisters in Christ, Ananias and Sapphira “lied” to God and pretended to give the full amount for property they sold while keeping back part for themselves. Peter expresses that when it was unsold, it was their own, and when it was sold, it was at their disposal. This tells us that the church was not forcing Christians to give, but that it was an internal decision each made to be a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9).
II. 2 Peter 1:3-8. Restored to His image because of Christ’s work in the gospel, Christians should desire to be like Jesus and to walk like Him in every way. God gives us the opportunity to participate in His divine nature and escape the corruption of the world by continually adding virtues to ourselves. Being generous and honest (2 Corinthians 8) in our giving, like the Macedonians in character, will help us not to be ineffective and unfruitful in His kingdom.
III. Matthew 5:13-16. Because God made an example of Ananias and Sapphira, fear of God gripped the church and the a harvest of souls occurred. It’s so easy today to live as a version of the world (1 John 2:15) while deceiving your fellow Christians, but we can not become salt without flavor! Instead, we must be light on a hill for all to see, so glory and thanksgiving will go to our God.
Is your thanks-living resulting in thanksgiving?