Month: June 2013

Psalm 126:1
“When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.”

Someone says, “Pinch me, so I can make sure that this is not a dream.” That is the common phrase you hear when someone experiences something good. They say this because they really didn’t believe that what happened could have happened. It was a hope and a dream, but the reality of it just didn’t seem possible.

The children of Israel must have felt the same way. They said, “…we were like them that dream.” They couldn’t believe their captivity was turned around. They suffered many years in the land of Babylon, and they accepted that they would live the rest of their lives in captivity. Yet, when the LORD turned their captivity around, they felt like they were living in a dream. Can you imagine what it must have been like when they got back to their homeland? Can you see them walking around looking at the sites of their country? Sure, it was not like it used to be, but they were home.

Many people have dreams for their life. Often, many give up on their dreams because of time and hardship, but if God gives you a dream, then you should be sure to keep it alive and pursue it until God gives it to you. Yes, when it comes, you may feel that you are living in a dream like Israel did, but it can happen. There are several things you can take from this psalm that will help you to not let your dreams die.

First, you will notice that there was hardship before the dream was realized. The children of Israel were in captivity. You may not be in captivity, but before your dream will ever come to pass, you will have to endure hardships. No dream is truly a dream without hardship. If you got everything you wanted without hardship, then the dream would no longer be a dream. It’s a dream because it seems as if it could never happen. Don’t let the hardships cause you to give up on your dreams.

Second, you will notice that the dreams didn’t immediately come. The children of Israel were in bondage for many years. Though the years went by, they still held on to the hope that they could go back to their homeland. You must be careful not to let time take away the hope of your dream. Many people have gone years without the realization of their dream, but they kept it alive. When the hope of your dream is almost gone, let me encourage you to hang on. Don’t ever lose hope in your dream.

Third, prayer preceded the realization of their dream. You will never realize your dream without prayer. Too many times we give up on our dreams, but we never even approached the throne of God in prayer to ask Him for help. Let me ask you, have you asked God to make your dream a realization? Dreams come to life through prayer.

Fourth, be sure to plant the seeds for your dream to be realized. Keep working towards your dream. Prepare, plan and work to make your dream happen. God can certainly answer your prayer to see your dream come to life, but He also expects you to work towards it.

Friend, when the dream comes it will bring joy and laughter, but until then you must not let it die. What is the dream on which you have given up? Let me encourage you to pick it up and keep working towards it. The best of dreams will only be realized if you don’t give up on them.

Exodus 3:2
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”

The call of God in Moses’ life may be one of the most well known. There are certainly different instances in the Scriptures when God called someone to serve Him, but none are as well known as Moses’. He was in the desert when he passed by a bush that was on fire. That was not anything different than what he had seen before. What was different was that the bush was not consumed by the fire. He stopped to see this anomaly, only to hear God’s calling on his life. Of course, Moses accepted God’s call and the rest is history.

Anyone who has surrendered to the call of God should remember their burning bush experience. Mine happened when I was a teenage young man. We were in a missions conference, and our guest speaker for the week was church planter, James Holder. I heard Bro. Holder preach many times before, but that night was different from any other night. He preached about Jonah running from the call of God. He told how Nineveh needed someone to reach them before God destroyed the city. Though I was not running from God, I couldn’t help but think of my nation that was seemingly going down the wrong road. My heart began to burn inside, and I couldn’t wait for the invitation to start. That night I accepted the call of God on my life. Let me tell you, it was a life changing night. The emotions and the excitement that ran through my heart that night were great. The burning desire to do God’s call was so great that I can’t express them in words. That night was my burning bush experience.

However, I would like to testify that the bush still burns in my heart today. For over three decades the fire that has burned in my heart has not quit. For over three decades the burning in my heart has not consumed me. The burning in my heart has not expended me. It has not destroyed me. It has not wavered. The fire is not beginning to go out. The fire from the call of God on my life still burns as hot today as it did over three decades ago. Through all the battles that I have faced, the fire still burns in my life.

Servant of God, does the fire still burn in your heart? I travel from church to church and wonder at times if the fire has consumed many servants of God. I am not just talking about the preacher, but I am also talking about assistant pastors, bus workers, Sunday school teachers, soul winners and anyone who is involved in God’s ministry. The fire seems to waver in the heart of many individuals. Maybe a battle has caused the flame to go out. Maybe a health condition has caused the flame to flicker. Maybe sin is causing the flame to be quenched. I don’t know what it may be, but we don’t need God’s people to lose the fire in their heart.

Friend, if the fire has consumed your life and coldness has set in, then may I beg you to get alone with God and not leave Him until you get the fire back. This world needs to see people who are burning, but not consumed. This world needs to see people who will set themselves on fire for God and not let the fire destroy them. Yes, Satan will go after those who have the fire burning in their heart, but you must not let that stop you. If you see the flame of your fire beginning to flicker, get alone with God and spend time in His Word and prayer until the fire burns again. Make it your goal to live your whole life with the fire of God burning in your heart, and don’t let that fire consume you.

Genesis 37:35
“And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.”

In the verse above, a very disturbing statement is made about Jacob. It says, “…but he refused to be comforted;…” This statement was made about Jacob after he received the report that Joseph was killed. There is no doubt that his heart broke for his son. Joseph was the firstborn son of Rachel. Jacob loved Joseph more than his other children. Now, his dream was taken away. The focus of his life was gone. When his children came to comfort him, he refused it. He decided he was going to go to the grave mourning the death of his son.

Hold on! How foolish to refuse comfort from those whom Jacob still had. Jacob determined to mourn the death of Joseph for the remainder of his life. In all reality, he refused to move on in life. What Jacob missed was that he still had ten children who were alive. Some of those children had given him grandchildren. He still had a daughter who loved him. Yet, he missed all of this because he refused to move on from the loss of Joseph.

From what major tragedy in life have you refused to move on? Have you experienced the loss of a loved one? Maybe it was a child who passed away? Maybe it was your spouse whom the LORD took home to Heaven. Maybe it was a parent whom you were not ready to lose. Dealing with the loss of a loved one can certainly not be an easy thing with which to deal. Yet, when you experience a loss, you can either let the loss destroy the rest of your life or you can move on and let the loss build you to help others.

When you experience a loss in life, you must decide not to let that loss take the rest of your life from you. In other words, life is moving on whether or not you do. If you refuse to move on from your loss, then you are robbing yourself of life that God could use. You are not helping yourself or anyone else by refusing to move on.

Moreover, there are others in your life that still need you. When you refuse to move on from a loss, you are hurting those who still love you. If you will look around after a loss, you will see there are many others on whom you can place your love. Instead of allowing your life to waste away, you need to move on and place your love on those who are still alive.

Furthermore, take the loss in your life and use it to help others. God never sends something in your life without a purpose. Every time God allows something to happen in your life, He meant for you to use it as a tool to help others. If you will move on from your loss, you will find that you can allow your loss to be a blessing to others who have experienced a loss.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t mourn when you experience a loss, but what I am saying is that you should not let the loss take the remainder of your life away. You still have life, and your can either waste it by refusing to move on, or you can take the loss as God’s instrument to make Heaven a sweeter place and a tool to help others with their loss. If you choose to move on, you will find that the one whom you lost will grow sweeter in your heart and mind than if you refused to move on. Don’t let your loss rob you of life. Move on and turn your loss into a blessing for you and others.

Genesis 24:37
“And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:”

Marriage is one of the greatest relationships you can have. Other than a relationship with Jesus Christ, a relationship with your spouse is the best and most rewarding relationship. Finding the right person to marry will certainly make marriage what God intended for it to be. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac, you find the qualities for what  a young person should look for in a spouse.

First, the verse above shows that you should look for a person who is not of the world. Abraham didn’t want his son to marry “the daughters of the Canaanites.” A Christian has no business looking in the world for a spouse. That will only bring heartache to your marriage.

Second, verse 38 shows that you should look for a spouse of your own kind. Abraham told his servant to find a young lady who was of his “kindred.” In other words, it wasn’t good enough that they were not of the world, but he wanted his son to marry someone who was like them. One of the greatest causes of marital problems is couples don’t believe like each other. It is important when choosing someone to marry that you believe like each other spiritually and politically. These two areas have destroyed many marriages.

Third, verse 39 shows that you should look for a spouse who is willing to follow. I know this story is about a wife for Isaac, but I believe the principle of following is important in every marriage. If you are not done with the dating life, then you are not ready to be married. In other words, if you are not done looking around, then don’t get married. You should only get married when there is no one else whom you would rather be with than the person you are dating. You should only want to be with them and no one else for the rest of your life.

Fourth, verse 43 shows that you should look for someone who is pure. Purity before marriage will carry on after marriage. I’m not saying that a person who lost their purity before marriage will be unfaithful after marriage, but I am saying that it gives a higher chance of that happening. You need to stay pure, and you need to look for someone who has kept themselves pure.

Fifth, verse 43 shows that you should look for someone who is a worker. You don’t want to marry a lazy person. If they won’t work before they are married, then they won’t work after they are married.

Sixth, verse 43 shows that you should look for someone who is hospitable. You don’t want to marry someone who can’t get along with others and treat others right. Eventually they will treat you the same way they treat others. Look how someone treats those they don’t know to learn how they will eventually treat you.

Finally and most importantly, verse 45 shows that you should look for someone who is spiritual. Rebekah was spiritual enough to follow the LORD’s guidance to go at the right time and to also talk to Abraham’s servant. An unspiritual person makes a poor spouse. On the other hand, a spiritual person will make a great spouse. More than anything, you want a person who walks with God.

These are some of the most important qualities you should look for in a spouse. However, if you are married, you should be sure that you represent these qualities. If you lack in one of these areas, then you should work on it so that you can be for your spouse what God would want you to be. These qualities in a spouse will make for a long and happy marriage.

Genesis 12:11
“And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:”

Egypt is a picture of the world. It seems as if the world’s intimidation has been a problem from the very beginning. Because of a famine in Bethel, Abram left to go to Egypt. Before he arrived in Bethel, he told his wife to tell people that she was his sister because he was afraid they would kill him to have her. Amazing, when you consider that God had provided for him for his whole life. Amazing, when you consider God’s guidance from the time he left the Ur of the Chaldees. Yet, the intimidation of the world affected Abram, a man known for his faith in God.

The world has long made its affect on Christians through intimidation. You must realize that intimidation is all that the world can do. The world has no history to show for what it offers. In fact, when you look at the world’s history, you see that it is filled with heartbreak, sorrow, broken lives and regrets. Everything the world offers is a smokescreen for what it actually gives. There is no reason a Christian should ever be intimidated by the world.

Christian, don’t let the world intimidate you with their education. The world will often flaunt their educational degrees at Christians to intimidate them into believing that their education is inferior. You see Christian schools competing with the world’s education system, when if you compared the graduates from the world to the Christian school, it is often laughable. Don’t tell me that creationism is inferior to evolution. Don’t tell me that liberalism is superior to the truths of God’s Word. We could go on and on, but all I’m trying to get you to see is that you should not be intimidated by the world’s education. Their education is not superior to the truths of God’s Word.

Furthermore, don’t let the world intimidate you with their lifestyle. The world’s lifestyle is not as pleasurable as they would like you to believe. They try to intimidate you into believing that God’s lifestyle keeps you from having fun. Consider the end of the world’s lifestyle compared to the end of God’s lifestyle. Don’t tell me that abstinence is inferior to losing your purity. Don’t tell me that drugs and alcoholic lifestyles are superior to being clean and having a clear mind. Don’t tell me that partying with the world is better than having a happy family. The only reason the world will try to intimidate you into living their life is because they know their life does not produce happiness.

The only reason the world’s intimidation works is because Christians are not confident in the ways of the LORD. If you were truly confident that what you were doing is right, then no level of intimidation would ever influence you. The only way you are going to build your confidence in the LORD’s way of living is through reading and living the Scriptures. You will build your confidence in the LORD’s way of living by watching the LORD answer your prayers. You will build your confidence in the LORD by remembering what the LORD’s way has done for you.

I challenge you today to stop letting the world lure and intimidate you into following their pathway. Stop cowering to the world and look at what the world has done to others. Consistently remind yourself of what the LORD has done for you. When you do this, you will find the intimidation of the world will not influence you.

Revelation 18:2
“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”

It seems like a regular part of my week is trying to help the fallen get back up. Don’t get me wrong, I want to do my best to help restore the fallen, but it gets wearisome hearing of those who have fallen. It seems as if someone falling is becoming more of the norm that it is an anomaly. Though throughout history it is common see people have fallen, it simply becomes tiresome and heartbreaking when those you love fall.

In the verse above, a voice cried out that Babylon fell. Babylon was the tool God used to judge sinful nations. What was once a nation that was used of God is now become a fallen nation. When God describes what will happen to Babylon when she falls, you see the symptoms of the fallen.

First, the fallen become a regular place of the works of the Devil. What are the works of the Devil? You will find that the works of the Devil are the same as the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19 shows us these works. Sadly, a person who has fallen is one who will regularly perform the works of the flesh. What once was a tool used of God to help the fallen has succumb to their own flesh to become whom they once used to help.

Second, the fallen will have a bad spirit. Notice is says, “…and the hold of every foul spirit,…” When a person falls, it is amazing how their spirit changes from a sweet spirit to a bad spirit. Where they once used to be joyful, now they are one who regularly complains. Where they once used to see the works of God and praise them, now they’ve become one who criticizes everything that happens.

Third, the fallen will have a hateful spirit. Notice it says, “…and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Imagine, here was a person who used to be loving, but now they have become a person who is hateful towards others. No, I don’t think it is intentional, but it is the natural result of sin.

These are just three symptoms of the fallen. But, what is it that leads to a person falling? Verse 3 shows us what leads a person to fall. First, pride sets into their heart. Notice is says in verse 7, “How much she hath glorified herself,…” Babylon became so confident in themselves that they wanted others to see what they did. This is nothing more than pride. You will find that a person who is about to fall will start pointing towards themselves and not towards God.

Second, they become a person who lives for possessions. Babylon became more interested in her “delicacies” than she did in serving God. She became a nation who focused on acquiring more. When you become possessed with possessions, then you are headed down the road of the fallen. When having money, fame, position and the best of material things becomes your central focus, then it won’t be long before you are working the works of the flesh.

Christian, do you see any of these symptoms in your life? Do you see yourself justifying cutting back on what you do for God for the sake of worldly position and possessions? If you find these symptoms moving slowly into your life, then you are on the road towards falling. It happens so easily, and the best of people have succumb to these symptoms. Be careful that you don’t think you’re above these. Daily ask the Holy Spirit to convict and reveal these symptoms to you so you can change your actions. Be tender towards the Holy Spirit when He speaks to you, and change what you’re doing so you don’t become another fallen Christian.

Revelation 1:18
“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

They often say that the man with the keys is the person who is in charge. Whenever I am at a church, I always know that the pastor will have the keys to every door because he is the person in charge. When the person in charge resigns or loses their position, they are always told they need to turn in their keys.

The verse above says that God has the keys. In other words, this verse is teaching us that God is ultimately in charge. When you got saved, you not only received salvation, but you also received access to the One Who is in charge of all things. I find there are several things to which God holds the keys.

First, God holds the keys to death. I don’t know if you quite understand what this means, but God is ultimately the One Who determines when death will come your way. Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Christian, just like God made you to fill a position in this world, He also prepares your death to give Him glory. We often talk about God preparing our ways in life, but we often forget to remind people that God also prepares our death. You have nothing to fear about death, for God conquered death and will only allow it to come your way when He has prepared you. That is why you often see those whom God has prepared not afraid when they are at death’s doorstep. God prepared them for that time. When the shadow of death comes your way, you have nothing to fear for God holds the keys of death.

Second, God holds the key of knowledge. In Luke 11:52, Jesus rebuked the lawyers because they rejected the key of knowledge. Jesus is the key of knowledge. One of the biggest travesties we see today is how our education system has kicked Jesus out of the public school system. They wonder why grades are dropping, and the answer is they kicked the key of knowledge out. You will never gain the knowledge you need in any area without including God in your life. Yes, you may acquire some knowledge, but God holds the keys to unlock all knowledge.

Third, God holds the key to the house of David. This sounds strange, but it is important that you understand what these keys hold. This represents that Jesus is the royal possessor. In other words, Jesus will take the throne of David someday and will rule the world. Because He has the key to the house of David, it means that He is the stronghold against the enemy. It means that He is the One who can unlock the closed doors in your life. It means that He has the keys to the treasure house. In other words, God has the resources to supply all your needs. No matter what you face in your daily life, God has the keys to supply those needs.

One thing you can rejoice about today is that God is the One Who has the keys. He is in charge of everything in life, and when He chooses, He can unlock the doors to your needs. Whatever your need is today, you can talk to the One Who holds the keys to unlocking the resources to supply your need. Prayer is the key to unlocking the resources for your needs. Don’t let there be a day when you forsake your opportunity to talk to the One Who holds the keys for your day.