A Lesson From the Birds

I never thought I would say a bird inspired one of my posts. It’s amazing the spiritual comparisons we can find between nature and the Christian life. The Creator has left us an example in His creation of how things ought to be. If we took the time to stop and study the little creatures God made, we might learn some valuable lessons.

On Monday we noticed that a little brown bird was hanging around the backyard. It seemed to be hurt or sick and was huddled in a sheltered corner by my flower garden. Throughout the day we kept an eye on it, intending to keep away big birds that might hurt it. I think Josiah was hoping a cat would wander into the yard in search of fresh bird so he could have a good reason to do a little shooting. We all felt protective of the poor, little, helpless thing.

As evening settled, I happened to glance out the window and saw a beautiful sight. A very pretty black bird had a berry in its beak and seemed to be feeding the hurt brown bird which was still hiding. I called Mom and Josiah over to see what I thought I saw. We continued to watch, and sure enough, the black bird flew over to our currant tree, picked another berry, and brought it to the brown bird and fed it, like a mother bird feeds her babies. From what we could see, these birds were not even the same kind of fowl, and still the healthy one was caring for the hurt one. Tears shot into my eyes as I thought how wonderful it would be if people, Christians in particular, acted like that! How is it that birds understand this principle of caring, but humans don’t?

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Ecc. 4:9-12

Two are better than one. That little brown bird was sure blessed to have a friend in his time of need. Unable to move, he might have died had the black bird not taken it upon himself to bring food and show support. Unlike these birds, it seems to me that Christians enjoy seeking out the weak and vulnerable, and instead of showing care and concern, they only beat them down to a lower level. Is that a Christ-like action? Is that the kind of example Jesus gave us when He walked on earth? No. He used His strength and power to lift up the weak. He did not make a vain show of how strong and great He was by trampling the physically and emotionally trampled. Instead, He humbled Himself and stooped to our low level, seeking to bring us up to His.

Are we any better than Christ? If He who is the greatest of all would come to earth to serve, should we do any less? And then I look around at Christians today and marvel at what I see. How is it that we feel we have some God-given authority to assess a situation that is none of our business and pronounce judgment on another? Who made us God? How is it that everybody else had better be perfect and treat us accordingly, but we can have our little pet sin? How is it that Christians can tear each other to pieces behind their backs and then be sweet as syrup to the face? Have we lost our ability to blush? Where is the guilty conscience? The depravity of man is becoming more and more apparent. Christians have lost the respect of a lost and dying world…and it is our own fault!!! We behave in a most despicable fashion! What will we say when we stand before a displeased God to whose name we brought such shame? What will we answer Him on that day?

The birds lift up their voices in one glorious melody at the start and finish of each day, but we Christians are not content unless we are lifting up our voices and railing against one another. We sing the church hymns in unison, acting all holy and spiritual, but as soon as church is over we spread our venomous gossip from person to person. And then we have the audacity to complain that there is no unity in the church. The bottom line is that those who are grumbling about there being no unity are themselves destroying the unity, and that is why they feel there is no unity. God hates gossip. Gossip causes question and doubt and slowly erodes foundations of trust and commitment. Gossip is a tool used by the devil and those who are low enough to participate in his game. Satan hates unity. He wants Christian fighting against Christian so we have no time to fight against him. That is his strategy. And, sadly, many foolish Christians are falling for his deceptions.

There are two different kinds of gossip. One is called gossip and truly is gossip, and another is called gossip by those who like to gossip and don’t want to be identified for it. Some people gossip and some people send warning messages. There have been several times when somebody has told me something about somebody in warning of their hidden character. There have been times when I was thankful to have been alerted, for I might have made a terrible mistake otherwise. Here is how you differentiate between a gossiper and a “warner.” A “warner” will warn you and then drop the subject. A gossiper will “warn” you and then proceed to tear that person to shreds.

“The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”

Psalm 37:12-15

The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. You know what that means? A wicked person (gossiper) will chew on another person until the juice of his character is pressed out and every fiber of his person is torn and trashed. A gossiper will cut down his victim to another until the one listening no longer has any respect or trust in the individual being victimized. People who do that are like snakes whose poison destroys all who are injected with it. The same tongue that gossiped to you will turn around and gossip about you. A gossiping tongue knows no boundaries. You could just be the next victim. Beware! “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” (Proverbs 26:28) Proverbs 17:4 also says that those who participate by listening to gossip are just as guilty--the Bible says they are wicked! “A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.”

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

1. A proud look

2. A lying tongue

3. Hands that shed innocent blood

4. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations

5. Feet that be swift in running to mischief

6. A false witness that speaketh lies

7. He that soweth discord among brethren

Do you rejoice when your enemy falls? Do you laugh at those who are hurting? Do you mock those who make mistakes? To do that is to imply that you think yourself above that person. You are exalting yourself as being better. You have a higher opinion of yourself than Jesus Christ did of Himself…He who was worthy to think such a thing! Christ was certainly better than the human race, yet, did He mock us for our multiple mistakes? Did He ridicule us for trying and failing? Did He laugh as our bodies were wracked with pain and His was not? No. He saw our weakness as an opportunity to care. He had compassion. Compassion--that is something that is missing in Christianity today. A healthy bird has compassion on a sick bird, but a Christian does not have the heart to care about another Christian--a human being his equal.

Proverbs 17:5 says that “Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.” Poor doesn’t have to mean poor as in money. It can mean being poor in health, position, or possession. Usually whatever is below a person’s standard of “normal” is what they consider poor. We have our own standard of what we consider to be poor, but God measures the term “poor” according to His standard. The Lord looks past a bank account, the cars sitting in the driveway, and the value of a house. He measures a person not by the things which they possess, but by the spirit they possess. How is your spirit towards others? We would be wise to check that, because that is the thing by which God measures the value of a man or woman.

If you look at that verse closely you’ll see that God takes the mockery of others as a personal thing. “Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker.” We are created in His image. If you can laugh at someone, then you are really laughing at God and underestimating His design of that person who He created and fashioned in the womb with His own hands. God takes the mockery of others as a highly personal thing! You are reproaching GOD. Be careful! Psalm 139:4 reminds us that “There is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.” God knows. Not a one of us can hide anything from Him.

Look at the last part of Proverbs 17:5. “He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.” It is in our human nature to feel a measure of satisfaction when those who have wronged us suffer. In the last week or so that is something I’ve really had to struggle with. It’s not easy to endure the unjust accusations and hurtful reproach of those who have something against my family. In my flesh I think how glad I will be when they suffer for their sin. But that is not very Christ-like. Yes, they will pay, for the Bible guarantees that our sin will find us out. But I should not wish for their destruction. “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.” (Proverbs 24:17-18) Over and over there is a clear warning in the Bible that we will reap what we sow. The boomerang always comes back. I’ve seen this in my own life. God has made me love the things I once hated. He has changed my will and my desires around. The things that I dislike in others I suddenly see growing up in my own life. Then, realizing how despicable they are in my sight, I understand that I am no better than another in God’s eyes. It is a humbling thing, to say the least. We do reap what we sow! And that boomerang always comes back. Don’t delight in the sufferings of another. It could just be that you are about to experience similar suffering. Then you will wish you had had a more compassionate spirit…a more Christ-like spirit.

We’ve kept a watchful eye on our hurt little visitor. He seems to have made his home in our yard. Once again, the black bird appeared yesterday evening to feed the little brown bird. We’ve also noticed two little sparrows are hanging around the hurt bird. At first we thought they were going to hurt it or steal the currant berries and sunflower seeds we had set out. But, no! They seemed to hop around the little hurt bird, not pecking and tormenting it, but encouraging it, rather! Whenever the little sparrows or the black bird came near he seemed to get excited, as though his friends were cheering him on and giving him hope to press on. It’s really been quite amazing to see the apparent communication and encouragement being passed between these creatures of God.

If only we would be more like these birds! If only we would follow their example to support and encourage the suffering and wounded instead of tearing each other down. The birds join together as one force against their predators--the cats. If Christians would do the same, we might be able to strike a little fear into that old devil. We need to stop being pawns in his hand. We need to stop playing in his game. It’s about time we stopped allowing him to control our minds and instead were under the mind control of the Holy Ghost. I think we Christians have already done a pretty good job of trashing our testimonies for the Lord. After the things I’ve witnessed in the last two weeks, I don’t blame anybody for not wanting to get saved after seeing what losers so many Christians are. Neither do I blame Christians for not wanting to attend a church because so many church goers are hypocrites. It doesn’t make it right, but it sure makes you think when you look at us from their point of view!

If we don’t start acting different--and I mean totally different--than this world, we are going to totally lose any influence we could have for the cause of Christ. Christian, it is time for CHANGE! And it starts on a personal level. You have to change before you can expect others to change. Gossip starts with one person affecting another person. Likewise, revival starts with one person affecting another person. Both start with only a small flame but can turn into a sweeping forest fire with astounding results. We have the opportunity to spark two very different “fires”--gossip or revival. Which one are you going to start?

Come Into the Ark

The Creator looked down upon His creation. All that He had once proclaimed as very good was now corrupt and evil before His face. He saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart were only evil continually. Once-perfect man had fallen into sin--willingly yielding--and now the earth was filled with the horrifying results. Like a plague, violence covered the face of the earth. Abel’s blood, crying from the ground, was now multiplied over and over and over.     

  

A groan of immeasurable sorrow was heard echoing through the courts of Heaven as God turned away from His creation in heart wrenching grief. He could bear to see no more. 

If only Eve had not eaten the fruit! If only she had refused to listened to the serpent! 

In His mind the snake’s sly words played once again. “In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” 

Satan’s suggestion presented godship--the ability to be all knowing. He continued to ponder. Was it so terrible to be innocent, Eve, only know the good things of life? Must you truly have longed to also know the evil as well?  

But she had done it. She had refused to obey His command. She had eaten the fruit and then offered it to her husband. And now this…this mess…    

Something must be done to correct the lawlessness that prevailed on earth. But, what could it be? All of Heaven seemed to collectively hold its breath as the Creator stood on the brink of decision. 

God thought once again of the horrific things He had witnessed below, and it repented Him that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart. 

Suddenly His voice thundered, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” 

It was settled. Something would be done. A worldwide flood would wipe man and beast from off the face of the earth. Everything would die…all but one righteous man and his family. Noah--a just man and perfect in his generation, a man who walked with God--found grace in the eyes of the Lord.    

Noah was given specific instructions to build a huge boat that would carry his family and animals to replenish the earth once the floodwaters had subsided. Though the world had never seen a drop of rain fall from the sky, by faith, Noah built a boat that would shelter his family from the destruction God foretold. The Ark would be their salvation.    

After many, many years of hard work, and that under the constant ridicule of their heathen neighbors, the Ark was completed. The animals boarded the boat. And the Lord said to Noah, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

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“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” Genesis 7:1 

Yesterday morning, as I was reading this Biblically historical account in the book of Genesis and picturing all this in my mind, this verse seemed to stand out and it got me thinking. 

God called righteous Noah and his family to separate themselves from their heathen friends and neighbors and enter the Ark He had designed for their safety. “Come thou...into the ark.” Certainly, as the sky grew menacingly dark and the earth shook underfoot as the fountains of the deep prepared to burst forth, Noah and his family not only heard these words as a command to obey, but as an invitation to flee from disaster.  

God is still calling the righteous to enter the Ark. The Lord says, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” What do you hear? A command or an invitation?   

Today God is calling Christians to come out of the world and be separate in holiness and righteous living. “Come thou...into the ark.” Sadly, many Christians hear only the tone of a command in these words and not the love-driven invitation. They linger only long enough to hear the stern order “Come away from the world,” and fail to hear the loving and kind request “Come into the ark.” God invites us to escape from the damnation that is coming to this world. However, it appears that we have chosen not to hear the love of His invitation. 

Unlike Noah and his family, who responded to God’s commandment with gladness, as a gracious invitation to safety, we begrudgingly climb aboard the Ark as thought it is some tremendously tedious favor being asked us. How horrible that we should be separate, and therefore safe, from the hidden dangers of this world! Thus, with feet just touching the wooden floor beneath us, barely hanging onto our morals and our standards, the rest of us hangs out of the one window of the Ark--“safe” on board, but still rebelliously clinging to any little bit of the world that is within reach. We walk the picket fence, doing the bare minimum requirements to stay in the Ark while viewing the world from a distance with longing eyes. 

We wear the right clothing but in an immodest way. Nobody can say we aren’t wearing a skirt. But it just barely hits the knee, and it’s so tight we can hardly walk in it. Tight fitting clothing. Highly questionable messages and symbols on our clothing. Faces caked with make-up. Men and boys with too-long hair, unshaven faces, and jewelry. These are the people claiming the name of Christ today. I don’t think HE would dare associate His holy, spotless name with what is called “Christian” today.   

We listen to music that is classified as “Christian,” but apart from the words, there is nothing with which to identify it to Christ. Sensual and earthly. If the Lord caught us mid-Rapture while we were listening to our music, He’d have to check us for identity and then compare it with His records just to be sure we were really His. Our music needs to get saved!

These are only two of the serious issues facing us. Time would fail me to present everything that needs consideration. I tremble and quake when I see what is in our churches today. Even in my own sinful state, I walk into these “houses of God” and almost feel sick. How must He feel? Truly, the Lord is merciful and gracious. I cannot comprehend WHY He puts up with the “Christianity” of this generation. “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” How many righteous ones would Christ find if He offered that same invitation today…right now? Luke 18:8 says, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” How many faithful folk will He find? 

The fact is, “Come thou into the ark” is not only an invitation, but it is a command by God. As Christians we are supposed to be separate from this world. He said, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” He’s not begging us “Please…I really would appreciate it if you would just have some morals. I really would like for you to have some standards in your life. Would you pleeeeeeeeeease do this?” No! It is a command!!! “Come into the ark. Separate yourself from your friends, your family, from the pull of earthly things, and come into the ark.” We are called to be a peculiar people. That means we don’t fit in with what is considered “normal.” It wasn’t a popular thing in Noah’s day to build a boat. That would be about the equivalent of your neighbor building a spaceship in his backyard. Crazy, right? People didn’t know what a flood was. It wasn’t a popular move for Noah to enter the Ark. You can bet people laughed at him and mocked his family. No, it wasn’t approved by public opinion, but Noah was wise enough to have faith that God knew what He was talking about. 

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Hebrews 11:7

Noah’s name is one of the few found in the Hall of Faith--Hebrews 11. How did he make it there? He had faith in God! And his faith caused him to believe God when he had no proof. Noah had never seen a flood. Previous to the flood the earth was watered by a mist that rose from the ground (see Genesis 2:6). Noah didn’t even know what a drop of rain looked like, not to mention a worldwide flood! He had to trust by faith that God knew about the flood he knew nothing about and was supposed to prepare for. He was moved with a godly fear and prepared an ark to the saving of his house. Notice the verse. “Noah…prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Noah condemned the world by building that Ark. He defied what was considered “acceptable” and “cool” and “normal” and chose to obey God instead. Noah condemned the world and became HEIR of the righteousness which is by faith! Noah had faith and obeyed God. And in the process, he saved his house alive as the entire world drowned beneath him. 

If we are going to accomplish anything of worth in this life, we have to be willing to make unpopular decisions. It isn’t a popular thing to be saved. It isn’t a popular thing to be separated. But that’s what God commands. “Come thou into the ark.” Come away from the world and come into the Ark. And once we are in, we should be in ALL THE WAY! Lock, stock, and barrel! Stop looking at the world! SHUT the window! Few things are as undesirable as a Christian hanging half out of the Ark. A Christian like that looks like a fool to those inside the Ark and to those outside the Ark. Choose who you will serve! The fact is, we have no business looking out of that window! What is it that connects you to this world? What is the “window” in your Ark? TV, magazines, books, friends? Cut all ties and close the window. Stay in the Ark! It’s safe! It is your haven! God’s command to “come into the ark” is our privilege...our opportunity to flee from impending destruction. We are blessed to be allowed to enter the door of that Ark! We are privileged that God closed the door and locked us safely inside! Come into the Ark! Stay inside the Ark! 

  

I Am Not Satisfied

I am not satisfied. Perhaps you are thinking, That is a strange thing for a Christian to be saying! Aren’t Christians supposed to be content? After all, 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 

Nevertheless, I am not satisfied. I am not content with my Christian life as it is. I am not at ease with my level of love for God and my devotion to Him. The closer I draw to Christ, the more I find that I am lacking. And how great is my deficiency! I am not satisfied.   

The water streams that once gurgled and flowed have emptied into a stagnate swamp. I want to move on, but I find no outlet. As I trod a pilgrim’s pathway, sometimes the road is easy. The Lord is so close, and I hear His voice continually. Like a spring flower under the warm rays of sunshine and gentle rain showers, I am thriving spiritually. And then at other times I feel that I have come to a brick wall that is blocking me from proceeding any further in my Christian walk. My enemy would wish me to be content with the progress I have already made and accept this as the end of my long journey. But I must press beyond this point! I must strive to attain higher things for the glory and honor of my Lord! I am not satisfied.

Are you satisfied? Have you reached that brick wall, that stagnating swamp? At different times in our lives I believe we all come to such a place. We all come upon those obstacles in the road. Basically, anything that keeps us from going on in our Christian life, anything that hinders us from attaining victory and then pressing on, is a road block. You and I know when we have reached our brick wall. We are well aware of what has caused our once- flowing stream to stagnate. It is different for each one of us. But it is always the point of decision. We have two options. We can stop and be content with the progress we have made and the victories we have already won, or we can look at the obstacle before us and see it as a challenge to overcome. Will I crush my own carnal desires and ideas and battle my way past this point to triumph, or will I follow my lazy, wicked flesh and quit here? Will I be satisfied?

In the ministry I have seen many folks come through our church. These people had great potential for God. It was a wonderful thing to see them growing and getting the victory over the strongholds of sin. But they each came to a brick wall--the place where they had to choose between Self and God. For one family it was the road block of child discipline, for another it was the area of modest clothing. Others reached the stumbling stone of a counterfeit woman. I have watched as they came to these points of deciding between Biblical principles or personal, pride-driven ideas. The families who have left our church reached these decision points and decided not to attempt to conquer them. They chose to take the easy way and glory in past victories while stopping at a brick wall in their Christian lives. They were satisfied. 

I see other thriving families and singles in our church who, one by one, have reached the road block of fasting, or clothing, or tithing, and they decided to take the challenge and press on in their spiritual journey. They decided that their relationship with Christ was worth fighting for. They would not be content to love Him a little. They would give Him all that was in their power to give. They would not be satisfied, and the fact that they are in church and trying to do right proves that they still are not satisfied. 

I am not satisfied. I am not content to be a stagnating, lazy, good-for-nothing Christian. A calm sea may seem nice for a short while, but if I wish to reach my desired haven, the winds must blow and waters must toss me to and fro. The beauty of a clear gurgling stream will be forgotten if I allow the small, seemingly harmless sticks and leaves of sin to settle in my flowing waters. They will soon make my waters slow and murky with the gathering debris, and eventually everything I worked so hard to achieve will die as I stagnate in sin and self. By refusing to be satisfied, I will create an outlet for my once-flowing stream by removing all that I know to be sin. 

Traveling the pilgrim’s path, I am not contented to dwell on this plain of sleepy bliss. I see a mountain looming before me, and I know that just beyond that peak is where victory lies. I wish to attain greater heights of faith and success for my Lord. If I stop here, I will never amount to anything. Oh, that I might press past this point! I refuse to be content with my Christian life as it is now. I want to go beyond the things I’ve always known, the victories of the past I’ve already won. I need more love for God, for others. I want more of my Christ! I desire a fresh filling of His power. I am not satisfied!  

To Finish

I’ve been reading in several different places in my Bible, and I recently started reading in John. As I was reading in John chapter 4, two words seemed to jump off the page at me. Then the next day I was reading John chapter 5 when I came across the same two words again. To finish. To finish.

At some point or another, every Christian comes to a fork in the road, that place where serious decisions have to be made--decisions to either continue following Christ down the often trial-filled path and finish or to give up on the Christian life and quit. I’ve come to that place several times. As I’ve watched dear friends around me fall prey to the world and the devil, I’ve had to decide which course I would take. Would I follow them, or would I press on and keep serving God…even if it meant I was all alone? When I was crushed because of a crucial decision my parents made regarding my future, I had to choose between picking up the pieces and going on or becoming bitter and hard. God so graciously gives each one of us a choice--the ability to exercise our own free will. The question is, what will we do when we reach the crossroads? Will we decide for Christ, or will we choose for the world, the flesh, and the devil? And if we do decide for Christ, will we decide to be faithful and committed to the cause? Will we run the race to finish?

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” John 4:34

“But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” John 5:36

These two verses were impressed upon my heart. There are two words in both those verses that have significant meaning. Jesus didn’t have to say them, but I believe He added them for emphasis, as an example to us, that we would know how we ought to run the race that lies before us. To finish.

Jesus Christ was born into this sinful world for one purpose--the saving of lost souls. So often in the Old Testament Jesus speaks of His Father’s work. Jesus had a ministry! The ministry of carrying out His Father’s will. What was His Father’s will? That none should perish but that all should come to repentance. This should be our purpose in life as well! When we see people as souls that will spend eternity in hell, we are just beginning to see as God sees.

Jesus Christ was born into this sinful world with one goal--the cross. The little baby born in a lowly manger came to live as a man, to experience the weakness of being human, to be tempted as we are (and yet without sin), and finally to suffer death by giving His life to save the human race. He was born to die. Jesus came to earth to do the work of His Father and then to finish on Calvary. He started to finish.

What if Jesus had decided not to finish? What if Jesus had chosen to be born, to heal the sick and forgive sins, but when it came time to die an excruciating death on the cross, He had suddenly allowed fear to overcome Him? What if He had chosen not to die? What if He had decided not to finish the work He came to do? We would be damned. We would be a people without hope.

What if we start and don’t finish? What if we begin our Christian life and old friends mock us and the pressure becomes too much to bear, and we decide not to finish? What happens when the lost see a Christian all fired up for the Lord and taking a stand against sin, and then suddenly they see him living his old life--with a beer in his hand and foul language spewing from his mouth? God’s name is as good as dirt. The Christian who starts and fails to finish is telling the world that Christ wasn’t enough to satisfy him. Upon entering Heaven, that Christian will bow his head with shame and wish to melt to the floor.

What happens when we fall into sin? What about those souls, just on the brink of salvation, but our ruined testimony causes them to harden their hearts towards the Lord? What if we start the Christian race and faint in the day of adversity, when the temptation seems too great to resist? 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We are all tempted. None of us are perfect. God knoweth our frame, that we are but dust. We will trip up at times, and God knows that. Proverbs 24:16 says, “A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” God has no sympathy for a person who wallows in sorrow and refuses to try again. When we falter and trip up and fall, God forgives us when we repent, and then He expects us to get up and go on. A baby, when first learning to walk, will fall on his face many times, but every time he falls, he pushes himself up on his wobbly little legs and attempts to try again…and again…and again. This is what God expects of us! He wants us to finish well!

What if we begin our ministry and things become too rough, and we decide not to finish? We leave the mission field in defeat or resign from the church staff. What kind of testimony is a quitting Christian? What happens to the lives we have touched along the way? What happens to the precious souls who are looking up to us? What if we should cause our brothers to fall by the wayside because of our lack of faithfulness to God? Proverbs 24:10 says, “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:35-39
God has given each of us a choice. Will we be a stumbling block or a stepping stone? Will we be faithful or will we fail? Will we start the race to finish?

As Jesus prayed to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (John 17:4) And then, as He hung on the cross, Jesus announced the fulfillment of His earthly ministry as He cried with a loud voice, “It is finished.” Jesus Christ had accomplished the will of His Father. From the cradle to the cross--He had reached His goal. Thus, Jesus is victoriously proclaimed “the author and finisher of our faith” in Hebrews 12:2. Praise God!!! Jesus finished!

Paul said in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
Paul had a goal--a goal to finish well, having completed the ministry that God gave him. And then, in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

We live in evil days. We see wicked men coming to power and morals deteriorating at an alarmingly fast rate. The hearts of mankind are hard towards God, and many refuse to acknowledge His very existence. Christians are persecuted socially and/or physically for their beliefs. These aren’t easy days to be a Christian, and they are only going to get worse. Perhaps Christians feel that because the times we live in are so wicked, we are entitled to fail. If we don’t finish, we feel that we can blame it on the corrupt society in which we live. Is this any reason to quit? Are the days we live in all that much worse than Jesus’ day? We see false religion and the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Jesus endured verbal attacks, and Paul was subject to physical torture for being a Christian. Paul said, “But none of these things move me.” What things failed to move him? In 2 Corinthians 11:24-27 Paul gives us a general picture of the abuse He suffered for Christ’s sake. “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” Still, through all this, we see that Paul was faithful! Paul finished! Can we, who have never suffered even half these things, do any less???

Very obviously, Paul did not have an easy life. So what kept him going? How did he endure until the end? He, like Jesus, constantly kept his eyes on the goal. For Jesus the goal was the cross, the redemption of mankind, and His reward was to be seated on the right hand of the throne of God. Look at Hebrews 12:2. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

For Paul, the goal was to fight a good fight and to keep the faith, enduring until the end, and his reward was a crown of righteousness. Remember Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Paul’s definition of finishing = fighting a good fight, having kept the faith to the end. Those who love Christ’s appearing are the Christians who refuse to finish before reaching the finish line…those who reject the world and live separated lives unto the Lord…those who are holding a Bible in their hands instead of a beer…those who are witnessing to their neighbors instead of joining them at the bar. To the Christians who love Christ’s appearing, there will be given a crown of righteousness. But there are conditions. We have to finish! Paul finished well because he kept his eyes on the goal--his Saviour and the awaiting crown and glory of Heaven.

So what is wrong with us today? Why are so many Christians dropping out of the race? Why do we see our fellow brothers and sisters quitting before reaching the finish line? Is Christ’s power any less today than it was last year or the year before or 100 years ago? Is the arm of His strength shortened that it cannot reach us? Is His grace insufficient? Have the storehouses of His mercy been exhausted? Is the course we trod any rougher now than it was in years gone by? Or, maybe we have become too accustomed to our lives of pleasure and are unwilling to carry our cross and follow Christ. Has our vision of the crown become blurred? Have Heaven’s golden portals faded with time? Perhaps…perhaps we have just lost sight of the goal.

We lose sight of our objective when we allow sin in our lives…when we take the throne instead of giving Christ His rightful place. 2 Corinthians 8:5-6 says, “And this they [the Corinthian Christians] did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.” What we are missing today is self denial. Jesus was willing to die for us, but we won’t even live for Him!!! We aren’t willing to GIVE ourselves to Christ. We somehow get the foolish notion that we are running this earthly race for ourselves…for our own glory, not that of Christ’s. Therefore we fix our gaze on temporal pleasures instead of focusing on eternity, which ought to be our goal. It is God’s will that we give ourselves…that we surrender. Notice that Paul says when the Corinthian Christians surrendered themselves to the Lord, then Titus was able to finish the work he had begun. Church members help their pastor finish by cooperating with the Holy Spirit. By surrendering. We are running this race together, as a team. When one Christian is faithful, the others take courage. It’s works the other way as well. When one Christians is downcast or fails to finish, the others are deeply affected. We must press on together!!!

To those of us in the ministry, God has a special command in Colossians 4:17. “And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” Fulfill = accomplish, carry out, finish!!! Finish the ministry! Finish well! Complete the task God has entrusted to you! I love this verse! What a blessing!

Luke 14:28-30 talks about a man who began to build and didn’t finish what he started. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” Many Christians today are like the man who began to build and didn’t calculate the cost and effort he would need to put into his building. We plunge into whatever we are eager to attempt for God without the power of the Holy Spirit or the blessing of God. Then, when things become difficult, we wonder what happened, become bitter, and fail to finish. We should never underestimate how much it will cost us to live the Christian life and follow God wherever He leads. It could cost you your friends or family, your freedom, your homeland, or even your life. The price is great, but the eternal rewards are inconceivable. Christian, count the cost and then plunge in and build!!! Don’t quit halfway through! Don’t give any reason for friends, neighbors, or acquaintances to gaze at your unfinished work and mock the God you serve. Start to finish!

Earlier I said that I have come to the crossroads--the place of decision where I had to choose for God or the world. The Lord has brought me to some hard places, and I expect there are more to come. I’ve seen some of my dearest and most respected friends do things I never could have imagined. Now their lives are a nightmare. James 1:15 says, “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” How true it is! Sin is the only thing we should aim to finish (destroy) the second it starts.
Sin will take you further than you want to go.
It will keep you longer than you want to stay,
and it will cost you more than you want to pay.
My resolve to do right has grown stronger as I have seen the awful results of sinful living. The Lord is teaching me valuable lessons through the mistakes of others. At every crossroad I’ve come to so far, God has given me the strength to choose the right way. By His grace I will continue to run the race, pressing toward the goal. Quitting isn’t an option. I’ve started this race to finish.

Dear Christian, when you stand to give account of yourself to God, will you be able to answer truthfully with the words, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do”? Will you be able to say as Paul, “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”? Jesus finished for you by His death on the cross of Calvary. Will you finish for Him by living a crucified life? Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, left us an example, that we would know how we ought to run the race that lies before us. Not to quit. To finish.

Philippians 3:14

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Start to finish!

Heritage

For the past couple weeks I keep coming across several words during my Bible reading, one of them being the word “heritage.” I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, so I decided to look up all the verses in the Bible containing that word, and these are a few of the interesting verses my Online Bible program came up with. I wasn’t planning to do this, but after meditating on some of these verses I ended up writing a bunch of thoughts I had. So, here goes…

Exodus 6:8 ~ And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

Psalm 16:6 ~ The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

Praise God! I, like David, can say that I have a goodly heritage. I’ve got parents who love God first and foremost and, therefore, love each other even more deeply than they otherwise would. It truly is a mystery to me how that works. It’s like a triangle. You wouldn’t think it would be possible to love a spouse better by loving God more; to the world that sounds preposterous, but it works! I’ve seen it! When God is put first, everything in a marriage falls into place. Take Him out of the picture, and things quickly become a mess. God is the glue that can make broken marriages brand new!

Anyway, to continue what I was saying… My parents love God and love each other and, therefore, love me enough to make me do what I often don’t want to do. I recently discovered, once again, that parents really are a good thing to have. Sometimes they make difficult decisions that I know I should make but don’t have the courage to carry out. At times they have to exercise their authority by creating rules that often make them as sad as they make me, but they are right and will be best for everyone involved. I actually have the easy part; all I have to do is obey!!!

You know, I think being a parent is probably one of the toughest jobs in the whole world. Good parents love their children enough to restrain them. Good parents love their children enough to temporarily be the “bad guy,” because they know in the end their decision will be best for their offspring. Good parents take the time to make their children obey them. Bad parents let their children do whatever they please, which may seem like love, but it is actually extremely damaging.

We look around today and wonder why society is such a mess…why people have to be taught the most basic of basic things. The main reason why this world is a scene of chaos is because of authority problems, which is interesting, because that is what got Satan thrown out of Heaven. Satan rebelled against God, and then Satan turned the human race against God when he tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. That’s where it all started. The fact is, this world rejects God’s authority and that is the root problem to all other problems we face today. Those in the highest seats of authority--kings, queens, presidents, senators, governors, judges--reject God’s supreme authority. Civilians reject the authority of their superiors--the police, their bosses, etc. Children see parents who aren’t in subjection to God or the authorities placed in their lives; therefore, they are disobedient to their parents. We see the domino effect of disobedience; it never involves just one person, and it has a downward spiral that goes beyond the imagination. 2 Timothy 3:2 says that in the last days children will be disobedient to parents. Dad said this in his message a few Sundays ago, and it’s true. We have disobedient children because we have disobedient parents. Today we see the disturbing results of a heritage of disobedience, rebellion passed down from one generation to the next. This is not the “goodly heritage” David described in Psalm 16:6.

I’m thankful that the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage. I am thankful for godly parents, for having been born into a Christian home and brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Praise God!!!

Psalm 61:5 ~ For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

This verse goes hand-in-hand with Psalm 16:6. Being born into a Christian family, I have received the blessing of learning early on in life to fear God’s name. My parents raised me, not on fairy tales and books that have little meaning, but on the Bible. Before I was born I was in church every Sunday. Before my parents knew me they introduced me to the God who was tenderly forming me in my mother’s womb. Before their ears heard the sound of my infant cries, my ears heard the Bible being read and the spiritual discussions of my parents in our home. What an awesome thought! And then upon being born I was prayed over and as I became a toddler the Children’s Bible was read to me every time I was laid down to sleep. What a precious thing! “Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.”

I was reading a book the other night about a family’s search for God--a God they had never heard of before but knew must exist simply because they felt the intricate detail of human life proved the existence of a Creator. Though it was fiction, I wondered how many times this scenario has actually happened in real life. The father, concerned for the eternal souls of his young children, began searching for some answers. Answers that would explain how one went about pleasing the God of the universe. Answers that would explain what happened after death. Answers that would procure a place for his children in Heaven. Answers that would satisfy the emptiness of his own soul. He started out by trying to go to church, but there were no services being held in the vacant church building. He asked around, but nobody had the answers he needed. One day his wife remembered a Bible she had received from her grandmother. For years this family read the Bible, until all the children knew the Bible stories by heart. Still, no peace came. Their search only seemed to get them so far. What could one do to please God? What could one do to enter His Heaven? The husband searched the Scriptures. He even tried to find an altar, thinking that would draw God’s attention and help them to pray. Then one day the pieces fit together. A close friend, still unsaved, told about his childhood experiences in church. Putting together what he had said and cross-referencing Scripture with Scripture, all the pieces of the puzzle fit into place!!! God had made man perfect. Man had sinned. God had required a payment for sin in the form of animal sacrifice. But that wasn’t enough. So God sent His sinless Son to die on a cross for the sins of mankind. All one had to do was repent, ask for forgiveness of sin, and trust in the finished work of Christ on Calvary. As both parents and their children experienced the joy of forgiveness and peace filled their souls, I cried as this picture unfolded in my mind. I suddenly realized that having grown up in a Christian home I've taken the simplicity of the gospel for granted. My siblings and I were raised knowing how to be saved; it was never a mystery to us. But to read the intense longing of one who doesn’t know... It really was an eye-opener. And it made me very glad to be saved. “Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.” Those of us who can say this have something to be exceedingly thankful for!!!

Psalm 119:111 ~ Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.

David received a goodly heritage of the Lord, and as he grew up and became a man, he declared, “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever.” Notice the possessive word “taken.” David decided it wasn’t enough to be born into a Christian household. He had to make God’s testimonies--first salvation, then the Bible and Biblical principles--his own. David had no say in the parents he was born to, as he admitted when he wrote “the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places.” Here in Psalm 119:111 we see that David deliberately chose to make his “goodly heritage” his very own. He claimed it and embraced it as his. Why? Because he saw by example and experienced by application and practice in his own life that God’s testimonies rejoice the heart. Like David, I have made the decision to embrace the goodly heritage I received at birth as my very own--first, by becoming a Christian, and, second, by committing my life to Jesus Christ. I can say without a second thought or a shadow of a doubt that God’s testimonies are the rejoicing of my heart!!!

By God’s grace this “goodly heritage” will not stop with me, but will be passed down to my children and my children’s children. Sometimes I find myself praying for my children, that they will serve God all their lives. This may sounds funny since I’m not even married yet, nor do I have children. Still, it can’t hurt to pray about it. If there is one thing I desire above all else it is that a heritage of godly Christians might continue on, so that when Christ appears to take away His Bride, there might be a remnant of dedicated Christians that He can delight in--a “Noah” who finds grace in His sight.

These verses don’t mention the word “heritage” once, but the meaning of the word is all over if you look closely.
Psalm 78:1-8 “Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”

Psalm 127:3 ~ Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

This is one of those verses that I consider absolutely precious. Children are an inheritance. A gift lent from God. A reward. Children are adorable and precious! Especially children who are well behaved, I might add. I can’t understand people who don’t want kids. There is definitely something seriously wrong there! Then again, when I look around I can understand why some people have no desire to have kids…because the majority of what you see today are little rebels who only cause trouble and enormous frustration. It’s a sad thing, because it’s not even the children’s faults, but the parents who are to blame. God created children to be a blessing…a reward, meaning something to be enjoyed. Children who are well trained truly are a blessing to their parents and all who come in contact with them. Psalm 113:9 says, “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.” A joyful mother of children. That means God considers motherhood a thing that should bring great joy. God approves of women keeping the house (being home makers) and raising children that bring joy and not shame. God delights in parenthood, and God loves children. His heart bleeds as innocent babies are murdered every day. God HATES abortion, as do I!

Psalm 127:4-5 goes on to say, “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” Interesting that the Bible compares children to arrows and says that happy is the man who has his “quiver full of them.” Interesting to note that “a quiver full” probably means more than just two children, since two arrows would hardly fill a quiver. I never saw it that way until just now.

Why would God compare children to arrows? Arrows penetrate an object. Arrows pierce the object they are aimed at. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” As parents train up their children, they are aiming them, like arrows, at a goal in the future. Parents can train their children to be good “arrows” and shoot at the bad or to be bad “arrows” and shoot down the good. So why would God compare children to arrows? Maybe because He wants parents to train their children in the ways of the Lord so that their children will be as sharp arrows to the enemy, doing great damage to the kingdom of darkness.

Did you notice that phrase “children of the youth”? “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth...they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” I personally think God delights in the youth. We see throughout the Bible that God used young people, fully surrendered to Him, to accomplish His will. Age isn’t an issue with God. He looks past that and sees the heart…the will of an individual to please Him. An “arrow” (young person) in the hand of “a Mighty Man” (God) will not be ashamed and will “speak with the enemies in the gate.” To me that means witnessing. You know what I believe is really impressive? A young person totally sold out to God and taking a public stand for his or her beliefs. To be honest, you really don’t see that too often these days. Godly young people are becoming more and more scarce. In this day and age when nobody knows what they believe and dedication and commitment are almost nonexistent, I believe it is impressive, even to the lost, when they see a young person who is noticeably different from the average punk. Sure, people won’t always agree with you on everything, but they will begrudgingly admit that they respect you regardless! Young person, I encourage you to take a stand for what you believe. Stick with the stuff! God will bless you for it!!!

Psalm 111:6 ~ He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.

Isaiah 54:17 ~ No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Praise God! We have victory in Christ! This is an awesome verse!!! My dad had us memorize it as children, and it has often come to my mind in times of discouragement or temptation.

Isaiah 58:14 ~ Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Jeremiah 3:19 ~ But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

Joel 3:2 ~ I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Micah 7:18 ~ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Don’t we serve a GREAT God? He’s still in the saving business! I sure am glad He forgives sin and then throws it as far as the east is from the west. That’s a loooooong ways!

1 Peter 5:2-3 ~ Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

God’s heritage. When we got saved we were born into the family of God. Together Christians make up the body of Christ, the church, and the church, “the flock of God,” is God’s heritage. I think that is an endearing term. “God’s heritage.” Aren’t you glad for your church? Aren’t you glad you don’t have to hide away in a basement to worship God? There are countries in the world we live in today where churches are outlawed and Christians have no legal rights. We take too many things for granted, and that’s a fact. We take going to church every Sunday and having our religious freedom for granted. To some people church is an option. We go to church when churchgoing is in fashion or the weather is crummy and there’s nothing better to do. Otherwise forget it! God have mercy on such a wicked attitude as that! Going to church on Sundays and Wednesdays should be a time that is treasured.

Those of us who are in the ministry have the wonderful privilege of serving God’s people, His precious heritage. It is our responsibility to not abuse the authority we have as the “leadership,” but to be good examples to those around us. I’m so glad God has counted me worthy to be in the ministry! I wouldn’t trade places with anyone else! I love playing the piano for our church services; it’s not perfect, but it would be a sin if I withheld from God the little bit of talent I do have (see Matthew 25:14-30). I love working in the nursery with the little kids and serving in the kitchen and doing other jobs that need to be done.

You know, I can’t understand people who just go to church and warm a pew. How can Christians not want to get involved? When one loves somebody they do their best to please that person. Many Christians claim to love God, but their lack of action and enthusiastic involvement says otherwise. One person wisely observed: “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” Like James said, “…Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:17-18) I don’t understand why the church doors aren’t being knocked down with volunteers or why pastors aren’t having to turn people away from offering to fill a job in the church or the church’s ministries.

But, these are the days we are living in. We see hearts growing cold and hard. It’s another sign of the times. The Bibles talks about the coming of the Son of man being like the days of Noah. God searched throughout all the earth and found one righteous man and his family. One righteous man!!! Praise God it’s not quite that bad just yet, but sometimes I catch myself wondering…How many righteous persons will there be when the Lord returns? How many Christians will be holding a beer, and how many Christians will be holding a Bible? When Christ appears, I want to be busy for the Lord. I want to be found faithful!!! I want to hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” That’s the best praise anyone could wish to hear!!! Look up, Christian, and stay busy in the King’s Business, for our redemption draweth nigh!

Well, those are some verses and thoughts on the word heritage.

The Lies That We Believe

You can’t do anything right.
You are a failure.
You are worthless.
Nobody loves you.

Do you ever hear the devil whispering any one of those thoughts in your ear? He’s real good at making us feel like trash. When our enemy can’t get us to sin, he finds other ways to crush us. He goes through the backdoor and does his dirty work where we’re least expecting it. Sin destroys from the outside and slowly eats away at the inside until we are all rotted out, but when the devil can’t get us to sin, then he works from the inside to the outside by tampering with our emotions, telling us lies about ourselves that we believe, and eventually we become so discouraged that we are powerless as Christians.

Yesterday morning I was listening to some of those lies. I was discouraged and crying and very upset. Everything had been building up, and I haven’t been feeling well physically, which certainly doesn’t help having a positive outlook on life. Mom tried to comfort me and finally ended up calling Dad. My parents are my greatest encouragers. I truly don’t know what I’d do without them.

Whenever I have one of these times when it just seems like the devil is riding on my back, Dad prays for me and gently reminds me of the truths of God’s Word. Then all of Satan’s demons of discouragement flee and the lies crumble. Dad always directs me back to the Lord, and that makes everything better. He doesn’t tell me anything I don’t already know, but sometimes it’s good to be reminded.

2 Corinthians 10:5 is an old standby. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

The “high thing” spoken of in this verse is the great big monster of a lie that fills our minds. Like a giant gazing despicably at an ant, this demon of discouragement looks down on us in disgust and tells us we are worthless, we are of no value to God, and nobody loves us. This “high thing” exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

What is the knowledge of God? The knowledge of God is that we will never be expected to do more than we can accomplish. We will never be expected to be more than we can be. We will never be expected to go through more than we can handle. “There hath no temptation [trial] taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

“Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly.” Psalm 138:6
God sees our weakness. He sees our circumstances and knows our limits. He sees that we are nothing, and still He looks down from the heavens and has respect unto us and loves us. God is not the one who would have us feeling so low. It’s the devil who is the accuser of the brethren and the father of all lies.

How do we cast down the imaginations of discouragement and worthlessness? By bringing every thought into the captivity and obedience of Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Yesterday I spent the rest of the day saturating my mind with Scripture (praise God for Alexander Scourby!) and good Christian music. That’s the best way I know of to rid my mind of Satan’s lies. God’s Word is mighty to the pulling down of strong holds!!! The devils run when we go past our emotions and feelings and instead fasten our gaze on Jesus Christ, our great encourager! He is cheering us on! He loves us! We are complete in Him!

“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:11-14

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Psalm 42:11

“Thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” Psalm 139:13-18

Truly, the Lord loves us!!! And if you still feel like you are worthless and you have too many problems for God to consider using you, check out this list!!! God used these people despite their inabilities, and when they surrendered in obedience to Him, they were used in unbelievable ways!

God can only use those who realize they are nothing and have nothing!!!
God can only use empty vessels!

Remember…

• Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children
• Jacob was a liar and a deceiver
• Joseph was a dreamer
• Moses stuttered
• Gideon was afraid
• Samson was a womanizer
• Rahab was a prostitute
• Hannah was barren
• Naomi was a widow
• Ruth and Esther were both foreigners
• Jeremiah and Timothy were too young to be in the ministry
• David had an affair and was a murderer
• Elijah was suicidal
• Naaman’s wife’s slave was only a young girl and she saved Naaman’s life
• Jonah ran from God
• Abigail had a lousy husband
• Job went bankrupt
• Martha worried about everything
• The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
• Matthew was a despised tax collector
• Zaccheus was too small
• Paul was too religious
• Lazarus was dead
• The Disciples fell asleep while praying
• Peter denied Christ
• And the list goes on…

Sacrifice

Several months ago I started doing a study on sacrifice, but I lost my notes, so I’m going to have to start over again. Bare with me here as I plunge into some thoughts and interesting Scripture verses on the subject…


Sacrifice for a Selfish Deed

The subject of sacrifice, as opposed to selfishness, is very interesting when you consider that selfishness was the cause or the reason that we find ourselves living in a disaster-filled world today, and a sacrifice was needed to rectify the wrong of that first selfish deed.

If we go back to the very beginning of the world--that would be the book of Genesis--we see that God created two perfectly sinless people named Adam and Eve. They lived in the Garden of Eden and were told they could eat of any tree they wished to…all except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan, in the form of a snake, tempted Eve. This is a conversation that transpired between the two…

Serpent: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
Eve: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
Serpent: “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

Satan promised that with the fruit of the forbidden tree came the supernatural knowledge of godhood. Selfishness, or self-interest, triggered Eve to reach out and take the fruit, because she wanted to be better than God had made her and better than God Himself.

THE RESULTS: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Genesis 3:1-7

Selfishness was the first sin of disobedience to God, and today we still see that selfishness is a predominant curse which has destroyed and continues to destroy the human race.
The deed was done, and now a sacrifice was required.

“Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12


Sacrifice of a Lamb

The first sacrificial deed ever recorded in human history is found in Genesis 3:21, when God killed an innocent animal to clothe Adam and Eve who realized their naked, and now sinful selves.

The first sacrifice for sin made by man is recorded in the Genesis 4, when Abel killed a lamb, thereby making temporary atonement, or payment, for his sins. From Genesis all the way to the books of the Gospels we see that the continual sacrificing of an animal was made to hold off God’s wrath towards sinful mankind. The blood of an animal was substituted for the life’s blood of a human who deserved to die.

In Exodus 12 we read that the captive Israelites were to kill a lamb and swipe the blood on the doorposts of their houses so that the firstborn would be spared when the death angel passed through the streets of Egypt.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 12:12-13

Blood was the only payment that would suppress God’s fury towards disobedient man. Hebrew 9:22 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

There’s a trail of blood leading from the first act of sin, and it continues on and on throughout the pages of the Bible. God, in His holiness, knew that the sin offering of an animal was only a temporary reconciliation, a band aide, if you will, for the real problem. The only payment that could permanently cancel God’s terrible judgment on mankind was the blood offering of a sinless person. But WHO? Who could save a people lost in sin?


Sacrifice of The Lamb

God Almighty sat on His great throne. His voice, like the sounds of many waters, thundered out, “Who will go and redeem My people?” The soft whispering of thousands of angels echoed like the soft rustling of reeds throughout the courts of Heaven. Who? Who would go? Suddenly One arrayed in garments as bright as the sun stepped forward. A hush fell. “I will go, Father. I will buy them back.” It was the voice of the perfect, spotless Son of God.

And God so loved the world full of lost sinners that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a young virgin, to live a sinless life, and finally to offer Himself as the perfect Lamb.

The sky was black as pitch. The ground trembled underfoot, and a terrible rumbling filled the heavens. The stifling air seemed almost about to crack with an unexplainable tension.
People stood all around, silent, as though expectant of something unknown. Earlier there had been much noise and commotion. The angry shouts of soldiers. The echoing ring of a hammer striking a nail. A long scream. A thud. Then groanings of agony.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. The occasional flash of lightening bathed the scene before me in an eerie glow. Through the dim light I discerned the form of three crosses on a hilltop. To the left and right hung two thieves to die as they deserved, but…there was something about that middle cross that drew my somber gaze. The sight I saw was one of indescribable suffering.
A body stretched on rough wood, nailed at the wrist and the feet. Blood flowed in torrents from that cross. Pooling at its foot, it ran in small streams off the side of the hill.
And as my eyes gazed upward, past a body so bruised and beaten and bloody, I saw the face of a man, almost unrecognizable. It was the face of One who had endured torture and mocking.
On His head was a crown of long, sharp thorns planted firmly into the scalp. I took in this scene of excruciating agony…and words failed me.
Suppressed emotions almost choked me and I felt hot tears welling in my eyes. I had almost turned away, but then my eyes met His gaze, so stead and sure. His eyes… I never saw such eyes. Such innocent eyes. Such love radiating, as though from a supernatural source. What I read there was not anger or rage or hate, but…forgiveness. He seemed to look right through me…as though He was seeing into my very soul.
I lowered my head, feeling shame and guilt because I knew what secrets I guarded inside, and still I felt the warmth of His love washing over me. I backed away in confusion and cowered in the shadows.
All was still and calm. Then came a soft voice, breaking the quietness. “Father! Forgive them, for they know not what they do!” I could hardly believe my ears, but I saw His lips utter those astounding words. The soldiers and others close enough to hear whispered among themselves. Who was this man that forgave those who had so cruelly abused Him without a cause?
It grew darker still and the low rumbling noise increased. The air seemed charged with a strange, unidentifiable energy. It was as though the whole universe stood still as if transfixed, time had stopped, and the eyes of nature were focused on this scene as though it was the axis on which all history--past, present, and future--turned. Tension mounted. Then a powerful cry wrenched the air. “IT IS FINISHED!”
The earth shook violently. Suddenly the sky exploded with crashing thunder and lightening licked the ground as quick flashes of blinding white light pierced the blackness--like a snake furiously lashing out its tongue at its victim. The heavens above opened up and angrily unleashed pounding rain and hail.
I fell to the ground as though struck, and as I did so, my hand splashed in sticky liquid. Blood. His blood. Trembling, I gazed up at the now limp form stretched on the cross. It was as though an unseen battle had been waging all that time as He hung there dying…and now, with His last breath, it was won!
Surely, this was the Son of God who had taken the sins of the world in His body and bled and died that we might live. Jesus Christ, the Lamb, had offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice.

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first [lamb offering], that he may establish the second [Jesus’ offering on the cross]. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:4-10


Spiritual Sacrifices

The need for animal sacrifice was done away with when Christ completed His work on Calvary. The blood of Jesus washes away our sins. Praise God!!! Still, the Lord asks sacrifices of us, His blood-bought children.

We talk quite freely about sacrifice, but do we really know what we mean when we say “sacrifice?” I didn’t realize until recently how many verses there are that mention specific sacrifices that we, as Christians, are to make.

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

Each one who has received Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour is like a building stone, a brick, and together we make a spiritual house, a church, and it is there that we offer sacrifice--not bulls and lambs, but spiritual sacrifices.

The following points were such a blessing to me! Let’s take a look at some of these spiritual sacrifices…

~ Body
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1

How do we present our bodies as a living sacrifice? As Christians it is our obligation to look, dress, smell, talk, act, and live like the blood-bought children of the highest King of kings and Lord of lords! This is certainly a sacrifice; it’s not always easy! But Paul says it’s your “reasonable service.” Translated, that means this: it’s really not too much to ask. It’s reasonable!

As ladies it is our responsibility to dress in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord and helps our brothers in Christ grow closer to Him; that means we don’t cause them to lust! Guys have the responsibility to be clean-shaved and have a short haircut and also to dress in a neat way that glorifies God’s name.

Not only are we supposed to be outwardly presentable, but we should act and live in a way that is holy and acceptable to God. People around us are studying us. What do they see? Are we blameless? The Bible refers to our lives as letters known and read of all men. Do people look at you and detect a noticeable difference? It’s only reasonable that you look different from this world since you’ve been born into the kingdom of God.

~ Righteousness & Trust
“Stand in awe, and sin not…Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.” Psalm 4:4-5

It’s a sacrifice to live righteously. The world doesn’t like somebody who tries to be different--a person who goes against the grain. You can be guaranteed that if you are living right, Satan is going to throw everything he’s got your way. Be prepared! It’s not easy, but it is the only path that leads to lasting reward.

“Put your trust in the Lord.” Trusting the Lord is a sacrifice for sure. There are times in my life when I’ve looking to heaven and cried, “What are You doing?! I don’t understand!!!” The Christian life is a pathway that sometimes requires blind faith. I have to trust that God is working all things together for good because I love Him (Romans 8:28).

~ Love
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:2

If you have a family and live with them 24 hours a day, then you already know it’s a sacrifice to walk in love and keep walking in love. Brothers and sisters can test one’s patience to the limit. We have a saying in our house. “Smile and nod.” Sometimes it’s best to just shut up. A soft answer (or no answer at all) turneth away wrath.

Then there are other times when you meet up with brothers and sisters in the Lord who you love but don’t really get along with well; sometimes people’s personalities tend to clash. Remember what Proverbs 10:12 says, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” The best way to learn to love somebody is to pray for them. “Lord, help me to love ______ with Your love, because mine isn’t sufficient of itself.”

~ Communication
“But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13:16

Communication is essential for everyday living. Those who don’t communicate properly often have a difficult time in life. Often busy schedules can cause it to be even more difficult to communicate effectively, as people are racing about in life. Communication is a sacrifice. I know I often have a hard time putting my feelings into words and letting those I love get a glimpse into my heart.

Paul says, “To do good…” In other words, it’s a good thing to communicate! There are so many ways of communication, especially these days when we not only have snail mail, but email and instant messaging and unlimited phone service. Anybody can reach anyone just about anywhere at any time.
Being a missionary’s daughter, I often think how blessed we are to be able to contact those we love in just a matter of minutes, across the great expanse of an ocean. God is so good! Sometimes, though, I think that as the means of communication has progressed unbelievably, people communicate less. Life gets busy, and sometimes we become so preoccupied with our lives that we forget about others. We forget about lonely missionaries on foreign fields, and even those closer to home, like the older folks in our churches.
Those of us who are young often tend to be selfish. (Yes, it’s that very first sin from our father Adam rearing its ugly head once again.) Our whole life lies before us, and we have so many grand plans we wish to carry out. We forget that we aren’t the only ones who have physical, and even more important, emotional needs.
We would do well to STOP for just a few minutes and ask the Lord how we can reach out to others. We need to let Christ have some say in our lives for a change! How can we communicate better? Maybe take some time and sit down and write a missionary or somebody who is going through a struggle, or bring some fresh baking to an older person in your church. It’s a sacrifice of your time and your energy, but you might be surprised how happy you could make a soul that is so very precious to the Lord. And in the meantime you’ll make yourself glad as well, because you’ve made a spiritual sacrifice to God!

What do you think is the most important message we can communicate to those around us? The Gospel! Soul winning isn’t an easy thing, at least, it isn’t easy for me. I think even the most outgoing person on this earth has a hard time speaking with people about the fact that they are sinners and their sin is going to send them to Hell. There’s that element of pride inside that screams, “You look like an idiot! You shouldn’t be offending these people! What will they think of you?” And then there is that nagging fear of, “What if I say something wrong? What if I don’t have the right answer?” Soul winning isn’t an easy task, yet the Lord says we are not to forget to communicate in this way and that He is well pleased with this sacrifice.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:14-15

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30

~ Thanksgiving & Praise
“And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.” Psalm 107:22
“I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.” Psalm 54:6
“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.” Psalm 116:17
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15
“But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving.” Jonah 2:9

Sometimes we find ourselves surrounded by trying situations we never believed could exist…and certainly not in our lives. Marital problems, financial problems, relationship problems, health issues…the list goes on and on. It’s hard not to become depressed under such a load of cares. This is when giving thanks and praise to God becomes a sacrifice. It’s so easy to be glad when life is going fine, but the true test of sacrificial thanksgiving and praise is when we’re surrounded by trouble and there seems to be no way out. We have a choice--curse God or bless Him.

As Job lay covered in sores, all his children dead, and earthly possessions stolen or destroyed, his wife’s advice was, “Curse God and die.” (Nice lady!) Job’s response was this: “Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” And the Bible continues on to say “In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” Job refused to put the blame for his trials on God and yield to the pressure of his wife and “friends.” Instead, Job offered a sacrifice of praise most precious to God. “And [Job] said, ‘Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’”

~ Joy
“And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.” Psalm 27:6

Joy is the fruit of the sacrificial gifts of thanksgiving and praise. When God sees a heart willing to trust and praise Him even in tribulation, He gives a wellspring of joy, and we make a sacrifice when we pour that joy out before Him in the midst of trials. Often we face what are called every-day irritations. Sometimes it’s not so much the big problems that cause frustration as the many small ones.

Everything you touch falls to the ground and smashes to smithereens. The kids spill milk and food all over the kitchen or track mud onto the freshly scrubbed floors. You feel sick, and nobody understands how ill you are. You can’t stand your job. You are ridiculed at school because you are a Christian. You feel like too much is expected from you, and you can’t do anything right. Life seems to be pressing in on every side. Everything adds up until there is an explosion of anger or tears.

At these times it truly is a sacrifice to be joyful. It’s a sacrifice to say, “Praise the Lord anyway!” and trust that better days are ahead. David said, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11) When we find ourselves in a crisis, we need to stop and find a quiet place and get in God’s presence. It is there that we will discover the refreshing our souls desire and the fortitude to go on. And then in the middle of what feels like chaos we offer the sweet sacrifices of joy to the Lord.

~ Prayer
“LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2

David compared his prayer, the deepest longings of his heart, as a sacrifice to God. Prayer is one of the hardest things I do. When it comes time to pray all at once I can think of several unpleasant jobs that suddenly look very appealing. And when it’s not that problem, then it’s the distractions that never fail to come up. I have to force myself to bow the knee before God.

Why is prayer so difficult? Well, for one thing, my wicked, prideful flesh doesn’t like to humble itself in prayer. When I pray I’m admitting that I have no strength or wisdom of my own. I am throwing myself on God’s mercy, acknowledging that I need divine help and guidance in my life. Prayer is a battle, in that I am turning my back on all that my eyes can see and my hands can touch, and I am reaching out in faith for that which cannot be felt or seen. I’m exiting the temporal world and entering the spiritual realm of the eternal. This is when I come in contact with God and my spirit is refreshed. For this reason the devil hates a praying Christian, so pray, Christian!!! Offer the sacrifice of prayer to God! It is a worthy endeavor indeed!

~ Broken Spirit & Contrite Heart
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17

That which is viewed by this world as despicable is beautiful to the Lord. He loves a spirit of submission and contrition. Is it any surprise that this, also, is seen as a sacrifice to God? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blessed those whom the world would reject. The poor in spirit, those that mourned, the meek, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted.

God willingly accepts those who come to Him in humility, realizing their need, but He turns His back to the proud. “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.” (Psalm 138:6) How do we captivate God’s attention? By eliminating every despicable speck of selfish pride. By coming to Him with a heart broken by the realization of sin and a spirit of repentance. One of the greatest displays of sacrifice is prayer and fasting. Truly getting a hold of God!!! Jesus said, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29) Some things just won’t change unless we show God that we are serious.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were extremely upset about something--perhaps a friend or loved one who was backslidden or lost--when you wanted something so desperately that you were willing to do anything, to give up anything, in order to see God work? Sometimes the sorrow is so overwhelming that words just won’t come…they aren’t enough. Then “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

Have you spent time crying out to God, sobbing for the deepest burdens of your heart? Have you shown Him the results of a broken spirit? God hears the cry of the righteous. As a father, when he hears his child crying, the Father in Heaven looks down and sees and hears and comforts and mends the broken hearts of His children. It is a sacrifice well pleasing to God when we care so much about others that we become broken for them.

Then there are some things that won’t change until we get right! I wonder how often we have stood in God’s way. How many times has our pride, our selfishness, our own great plans, hindered a marvelous work He was willing to do? Christian, don’t stand in God’s way; that is a dangerous place to be! We need to be so very careful that sin does not rob us of the blessings God desires to pour out upon us.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

~ Giving
“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:17-19

In this verse Paul is speaking to the Philippians about their gifts to him, which he said were a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God. The Bible speaks many times about tithing. It is every Christian’s responsibility to give 10% of his or her income to the Lord. This is to support the pastor, the church, and missionaries. Paul was a missionary, and he needed financial support to continue the ministry he had received of the Lord. He accepted the gifts from the Philippians as their sacrifice to God.

God does not call every Christian into fulltime ministry and service on the mission field. Few are called, but those left behind to stay “with the stuff” have their own responsibilities. God gives those members in the church a part in missionary work by supporting the workers on foreign fields financially and with prayer. So, you see, as long as we are sacrificing as we ought to be, we are all missionaries, whether we go to the mission field or stay on the home front and supply the needs of foreign laborers.

Not only should we be giving our money to the Lord, but our time and effort as well. God desires our bodies as living sacrifices. How can we become a living sacrifice? By giving ourselves! “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” (2 Corinthians 8:5) Recently I heard the story of a young couple who goes to the alter to surrender to the mission field every time they have a missions conference at their church. They make themselves available to God…and that is all He asks. God sees our willingness to serve as though we had already done it! (Romans 4:17) When we give God our best, He promises to supply all our needs. Our need determines God’s supply!

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38

Better Than Sacrifice

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22

With all these sacrifices mentioned above, we haven’t mentioned the ultimate spiritual sacrifice that God requires of His children. The greatest offering we can ever give God is the sacrifice of absolute obedience. Better than anything else we could offer Him is a will totally surrendered to the Lord.

King Saul thought he could please God by sacrificing cattle when his orders were to destroy everything that belonged to the Amalekites. Instead of obeying, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered up sacrifices in carnality. Saul had a fake sense of holiness. He did what appeared to be right, but he was really in rebellion to God’s will. The price he paid was high--his removal from the throne and eventually his life.

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”

Beware of false holiness! Deeds not done from the heart do not count. We cannot offer one spiritual sacrifice and think we escape the others that we do not like. God must be obeyed all the way. Once we have abandoned our will to Him, all the sacrifices above will come naturally as the Spirit of God works in our lives. The first step to spiritual victory is this--obedience.

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5