Category Archives: Bible Reflection

You’ll not find it in your comfort zone

Posted on by
Reply

Joshua 10:25 “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

When God says “fight” its sinful to be passive. When God says “rest” its sinful to strive.

When God gave the land by way of promise to Israel, other tribes and nations were already occupying it. To take possession of the land would be no “walk in the park.” Israel would need a trained army of fighters, and they would need to be employed. Israel also had to wait on God for the specific military strategies at every stage. It would be presumptive to just go out and fight without the Lord’s sanction, just as it would be to remain passive when the Lord said, “now is the time to engage the enemy.” Just because the land was promised to Israel, the enemies of God did not lay down, die, or just move away saying “well here it all is for you then.” There would be fierce hostility and fierce combat if Israel was to see the promises fulfilled.

As we read the Old Testament record we notice that it was actually EXTREMELY rare for God to say “You dont need to fight this battle. I will handle this all myself.” What was usual was for God to say, “You go fight the enemy and know that I will be with you.”

Many times, we as Christians assume the rare thing is the usual thing – that God will just do everything for us. While it is true that God does it all in regenerating us dead sinners and bring us to spiritual life, the rest of the Christian life is a working out of our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing it is God who is at work within us (Phil 2:12,13). The Christian life is a cooperative venture.

As a child of God, you have many great and precious promises. Yet in this life, to possess them may well mean the scary thought of leaving the known, the comfortable, the predictable and the familiar. God will fulfill His many promises and will make you and shape you in the process. Yet His greatest blessings are found outside of the comfort zone. Smooth seas never made a great sailor.

Here’s a sermon I preached called “Rest and Fight!”

I trust it will be a blessing.

There is No God Seeker (Romans 3:11)

Posted on by
1

“I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” – Romans 10:20

Here in this verse, God declares that He revealed Himself to those who were not even seeking or asking for Him. That is something to really think about.

Who was this group that God revealed Himself to?

Well, we might think it is some distant African tribe or all of the many atheists who at one time professed that there was no God at all. However, the startling biblical answer to the question is that its all of those who have come to have faith in Christ.

Romans 3:11 says “no one seeks for God.” Literally the text reads, “there is no God seeker.”

We tend to be blind to this truth, especially when we might have heard numerous testimonies of (now) Christian people who say they were seeking for God all their lives – seeking Him in many different spiritual experiences, even through searching out many different religions.

While it is certainly true that these people sought many different experiences and were involved in other religions, what the Bible teaches is that none of us by nature wish to know the God of the Bible. We are born DOA (dead on arrival) spiritually speaking, yet we walk a course mapped out for us by the Prince of darkness. We are by nature children of wrath rather than children of God and unless God intervenes, we will never seek to know the one true God. That is the clear teaching of the opening verses of Ephesians chapter 2. All our religious “searchings” are really attempts to run and hide from Him. Like Adam in the garden of Eden after he had sinned, He hid from the presence of the Lord. That is our inner disposition towards God until God moves upon the heart and draws us to Himself. Before that we might want all the trappings of what a relationship with God brings – forgiveness, freedom from a guilty conscience, feelings of happiness and assurance, peace within; but we just dont want to go to God to get these things. We often mistake a desire for these things as a desire for God. Hear again the word of the Lord, “there is no God seeker.” (Romans 3:11).

Though the Bible commands us, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near,” (Isa. 55:6) none of us by nature will actually ever do that. We have the responsibility, just not the interest.
Continue reading →

Which Horse Wins?

Posted on by
Reply

Before I ever learned John 3:16; the very first Bible verse I ever memorized as a new Christian was 1 John 2:17. Looking back, I can say that it was a great verse to recall to mind when faced with pressing temptations in my teenage years. It reads:

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Its been said that a picture paints a thousand words; sometimes a song achieves the same purpose. Here are two songs that portray the absolute contrast between on one side, the world; and on the other side, the kingdom of God where closeness with the Master Himself is the ultimate prize, the most valued treasure.

The world has great drawing power. There is no doubt about that. The pull is so intriguing to us that ONLY a stronger desire can overcome it.

‘Bright Lights Bigger City’ by Cee Lo Green

I am not sure that there could be a more fitting music video than this one above to portray the attractions of this world, described as “the passing pleasures of sin” in the book of Hebrews. Yet hear the word of the Lord:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17

One man said he had two horses living inside him; one a beautiful white horse called holiness; the other a dark foreboding horse called covetousness.

When asked which horse wins, his answer was simple, plain and to the point:

“The horse that wins is the one I feed!”

Now in contrast, here is a song called “Holiness” by Micah Stampley

May I ask you a question?

Which horse will you feed today?