Month: April 2025

 

[The righteous] will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid.
Psalm 112:7-8

There are numerous instances in the Old Testament where God said something was done before it happened. For example, before the Israelites conquered Jericho, God told them, “I have given Jericho into your hand” (Joshua 6:2). Between the time of God’s promise and its realization, the Israelites acted in faith and saw the walls fall down.

In the New Testament, promises were made, and faithfulness was expected in the interim. For example, ten lepers were cleansed only after they obeyed Jesus’ instruction to go to the priests (Luke 17:11-14). A blind man was healed only after he obeyed Jesus’ instructions to wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6-7). So what should we do in the interim between asking God for something and seeing it realized? Absent any specific instruction, we can praise and thank God for what His love and goodness will deliver in our time of need (Psalm 103:1-5). That is how we exercise faith after we have made our needs known to God (Philippians 4:6-7).

After you pray, be sure to praise God for the answer He is going to bring. (Dr. Jeremiah)

 

 

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.
Psalm 139:16

Why do fake indulgences like horoscopes, fortune cookies, and fortune tellers attract people? Because they all deliver messages about the same subject: the future. If the average person could have one question answered, it would likely be this: What does the future hold for me?  That is a human question, one as old as time. (Dr. Jeremiah)

———————————————————–  Even outside of the foolishness of horoscopes and fortune tellers, people will try to tell you what to worry about, what to fear, how to prepare, what to think, how to think, when to act, all for something in the future.  There are times when we should listen; hurricanes, severe storms, winter storms, floods, pending volcanic eruption, etc…. Not listening to these warnings has caused many people harm.

There is a time coming, in the future, when everyone will be judged by God. This is not so much a warning as it is more a promise or declaration.

We all know that every one of us will die. We don’t know when or how, but we know we will die. It is the way of life. What we believe now affects our destiny in eternity. God’s Word promises eternal life for all who trust in Jesus Christ for their salvation and forgiveness of sin. It also states that all of mankind falls short of God’s holiness and is on a path leading to eternal torment (Hell). It states anyone who denies the offer of salvation/redemption from Jesus Christ is condemned. It also states that there is no work a person can do that will make them right before God. It also states that God stands at the door of our hearts and knocks beckoning us to believe in His grace, mercy, and love through belief, trust, reliance, and faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

We indeed know very little about what tomorrow holds for each of us, but one thing is for sure; If we die with faith in Jesus Christ we will have eternal life and without faith in Jesus Christ we will have eternal torment in Hell.

 

 

Psa 32:1-6   Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah  Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.

This psalm, which has given healing to many a wounded conscience, comes from the depths of a conscience which itself has been wounded and healed. One must be very dull of hearing not to feel how it throbs with emotion, and is, in fact, a gush of rapture from a heart experiencing in its freshness the new joy of forgiveness. So, then, here is this thought; all sin is a going away. From what? Rather the question should be-from whom? All sin is a departure from God. And that is its deepest and darkest characteristic. And it is the one that needs to be most urged, for it is the one that we are most apt to forget. We are all ready enough to acknowledge faults; none of us have any hesitation in saying that we have done wrong, and have gone wrong. We are ready to recognise that we have transgressed the law; but what about the Lawgiver? The personal element in every sin, great or small, is that it is a voluntary rending of a union which exists, a departure from God who is with us in the deepest recesses of our being, unless we drag ourselves away from the support of His enclosing arm, and from the illumination of His indwelling grace. (MacLaren)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,…. Or “lifted up” (m); bore and carried away: sin is a transgression of the law; the guilt of it charged upon the conscience of a sinner is a heavy burden, too heavy for him to bear, and the punishment of it is intolerable: forgiveness is a removal of sin, guilt, and punishment. Sin was first taken off, and transferred from the sinner to Christ, the surety; and who laid upon him really and judicially, as the sins of the people of Israel were put upon the scapegoat typically; and was bore by him, both guilt and punishment, and taken away, finished, and made an end of; and by the application of his blood and sacrifice it is taken away from the sinner’s conscience; it is caused to pass from him, and is removed afar off, as far as the east is from the west; it is so lifted off from him as to give him ease and peace, and so as never to return to the destruction of him; wherefore such a man is a happy man; he has much peace, comfort, calmness, and serenity of mind now can appear before God with intrepidity, and serve him without fear; no bill of indictment can hereafter be found against him; no charge will be exhibited, and so no condemnation to him. (Gill)

We try to cover our own sin by a multitude of ways:

Neglect of studying God’s Word and thereby not seeing or aware of sin

Turning a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit’s conviction 

Following others who’s lives are weak in faith, understanding, and knowledge of God’s Word and things of God.

Saying my sin is not that bad.

Discounting the significance of the sin.

Thinking it is hidden from God.

Going to a place of worship that does not speak of the sinfulness of sin in light of the holiness of God.

Making our own justification for the reason(s) of or for our sin.

Saying I was just born weak in this area.

Allowing our time to be consumed by worldly things and pleasures so we don’t have time to reflect about how we are living our life.

There maybe some short term pleasure in a life of willful sin, but it will never satisfy your inner being. Forfeited will be true joy, hope, peace, and rest until it is recognized, confessed, and repented of. God’s amazing grace, mercy, and love should not give us reason to sin, but should rather, give us reason to walk humbly with intentional purpose to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all thoughts, words, and actions.  

 

 

 

Ephesians 3:20-21.  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20

Ever since Adam and Eve, families have been messy. Even the best of families encounter stress and complications. Our deepest hurts often involve our deepest loves. The Lord knows all about that. His own earthly family—the Church—can be messy too. What do we do when things are not going well?

We cannot control other people, but we can bring our own lives under the Spirit’s control. We can ask Him for patience, for influence, for the ability to minister grace to grief. We can leave our deepest burdens with Him, remembering the words of Luke 18:1, that we “always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

In building a successful family, you must put God at the head of it—the center of everything. Ask God to take control, and let it begin with allowing Him total control over your own life. Ask for greater measures of the fruit of the Spirit, qualities like love, joy, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. We must draw on God’s grace and rely on His timely intervention. The Lord is certainly more able than we are—“exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

 

Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. (Genesis 40:21-23)

Because he stood for righteousness, Joseph was put in prison. Most anyone else accused of assault by Potiphar’s wife would be immediately executed. But Potiphar knew Joseph, and he knew his wife – and instead sent Joseph to prison.

In prison, it would be easy for Joseph to be self-focused because so much wrong had been done against him. Yet, by the hidden hand of God’s grace, Joseph was concerned about others. When distressing dreams troubled two other prisoners (Pharaoh’s own butler and baker), Joseph cared enough to help them.

Joseph explained that the butler’s dream meant he would be vindicated and restored to serving Pharaoh. That was good news. Joseph also explained the dream of the baker, that he would be convicted and executed. That was bad news. Three days later, Joseph was proved right and found to be a true messenger of God.

Sadly, even though Joseph helped the butler greatly, yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Here, Joseph was wronged again. He thought that the butler’s kindness might mean his release from prison, but it was not to be. God had another purpose.

All men God uses greatly, He first prepares greatly. Few are willing to endure the greatness of God’s preparation. God was in both the steps and stops of Joseph’s life, and this is an example of how God works in the life of a believer today.

When we read the Bible, we often see ourselves in the characters. It’s easy to read Genesis 40 and say, I am like Joseph – though I have been wronged, God can use me to reveal His word or His mysteries to others. There’s a place for that, but it’s not the best way to see ourselves in Genesis 40. Here is a better way to read Genesis 40.

More than being like Joseph, we are more like the butler and the baker. In this picture, Jesus is like Joseph to us.

– Jesus is the innocent Man who came into our prison and shared our condition.
– As He shared our condition, Jesus revealed God’s message to us.
– Like Joseph, Jesus was proven true in three days.
– Joseph shows us Jesus, whose message from God brings life or death.
– If you are looking for a message from God, look to Jesus.

There is also a blessed contrast, a difference between Joseph and Jesus: Joseph’s word only rescued the innocent prisoner, not the guilty one. The good news – the greatest news – is that the message and rescue of Jesus is also for the guilty who repent and believe on Him.

Jesus shared our condition and brought the message of life. Respond to Him with faith, gratitude, and remembrance.

 

Jeremiah 45:1-5  The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:  You said, ‘Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’  Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”

According to Scripture, each believer has a gift to be used to advance God’s kingdom. And what a joy and privilege it is to serve Him! There is nothing quite like it, yet our service can be hindered or even corrupted by thoughts of grandeur.  Such was the condition of the prophet Jeremiah’s co-laborer Baruch.

Jeremiah was front and center as a prophet, while Baruch, the scribe, worked behind the scenes. Both were vital callings, but brewing within the scribe was a desire for some of Jeremiah’s limelight, and God knew it.

Baruch may have kept his hopes to himself, or he may have voiced them aloud. Scripture doesn’t say what prompted the Lord’s strong words, but one thing is certain: If we want notoriety and applause from people, self-seeking will follow, and no one is exempt from that. John the Baptist’s disciples experienced this when they felt overshadowed by the rise of Jesus’ ministry, “Behold, He is baptizing, all are coming to Him!” (John 3:26). John’s response is a healthy reminder to all those serving God, “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

God’s admonition to Baruch wasn’t easy to hear, but it came with this promise, “‘…behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,’” says the LORD. “‘But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go’” (Jeremiah 45:5b). Like Baruch, we have the precious promise of salvation. Let us determine to glory in that alone. (Hibbs)

 

 Habakkuk 2:1   I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.

 

I slowly inched my motorcycle down the mountain road, staring into a dense blanket of fog unlike any I had ever seen.

I was in the middle of holding evangelistic meetings in multiple communities in Montana when a few of us decided to take a quick road trip to Glacier National Park. Things hadn’t gone as planned, however. Rainy weather had already obscured much of the view, and we eventually rode into a cloud that had formed around the mountain. I couldn’t see two feet in front of me.

I couldn’t keep riding. After all, I could barely see my own boots, let alone the road ahead. Further, the asphalt had recently been repaved and there were no painted lines. With absolutely zero visibility or clarity, the only option was to slowly push forward, feet on the ground, scanning for car headlights slicing through the dense fog.

At one point I nearly bumped into the steep rock wall to my right. I didn’t see it until it was inches away. A few minutes later I almost hit the guardrail that separated the road from the cliff on the other side. I was in a tough situation.

It occurs to me that life—especially in our current culture and world—can be like that treacherous, obscured journey through the fog. As we follow God’s Word, we know that we’re ultimately on the right path, but everything around us appears sin-sick and confused. The Prophet Isaiah once warned, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20, NKJV). That certainly seems to describe the fog of our modern world.

We may even wonder why God is allowing the chaos and pain that surrounds us. What is His plan? Why is He seemingly silent as the world devolves? We take encouragement in Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV), where God says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts”—but we long to see clearly how the plan fits; how “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NKJV).

This begs the question: How do we as Christians respond when the fog of life overtakes us?

For the answer, let’s look at the Old Testament Prophet Habakkuk. He found himself in a situation similar to many of us today. He spoke with God and knew His commands. He understood righteousness. He also knew that the culture around him in Judah had grown wicked. I imagine that his heart ached as he saw people doing what was right in their own eyes.

As a result, Habakkuk cried out to God, and frankly he didn’t hold anything back. While Habakkuk wanted his sinful neighbors to repent, God revealed a plan to punish Judah for its wicked ways, and to use the godless Chaldeans (Babylonians) to accomplish it.

Imagine Habakkuk’s dismay. A nation that was far worse, by any measure, would be used to enact God’s judgment on Judah. Evil was going to triumph. Talk about being in a fog and not having any idea of how God’s plan was being worked in the midst of chaos.

Habakkuk desperately tried to make sense of the situation. He struggled in his sorrow and prayed another strongly worded lament. What happened next is very interesting. After he petitioned God one last time, he made a simple statement: “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected” (Habakkuk 2:1, NKJV).

It is in this singular sentence that we can learn lessons on how to respond to the fog that surrounds us.

First, we must live a life of commitment.

Habakkuk went to the rampart—the fortified wall—of the city to wait for God’s answer. He had proposed questions to God in chapter 1, and now he waited patiently for God to respond. Similarly, when we cry out to God, we also need to put ourselves in a place to hear God speak to us. We do this not by going to a physical location necessarily, but by going to our knees, by studying His Word, and by resting in His presence.

Second, we need to live a life of anticipation, expecting to hear from our Lord.

The God that we serve is a God who desires to make Himself known to all people. Like Habakkuk, we should realize our own utter dependence upon God. We must cling to Him and be sensitive to His leading in answer to our prayer.

Finally, we are to live a life of correction.

Habakkuk had just boldly challenged God about the injustices he saw around him. Once he had said his piece, however, he humbled himself. He recognized that God’s ways are perfect, even if he didn’t understand them, and he was ready to be set right. What a lesson for us! Rather than holding stubbornly and sinfully to our personal desires, we must let God’s response shape and correct our views.

Habakkuk’s circumstances had not changed. He was surrounded by wickedness, and judgment at the hands of the Chaldeans was on the horizon. However, in the midst of the fog, Habakkuk called upon the Lord and humbled himself, recognizing that God was truly in control.

The world may look dark, our hearts may hurt, and chaos may envelop us. However, as we live a life of commitment, anticipation and correction, and as we keep a heart of worship and praise to our Heavenly Father, we can trust that He sees more clearly than we ever could and has a plan and purpose for all things. (Graham) 

 

 

 

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust.
Joel 2:25

In the late 1940s when people began to consider the consequences of atomic weapons, a new word came into our vocabulary: fallout. Billions of airborne particles ejected into the atmosphere by a nuclear explosion would settle on earth and contaminate it. The word fallout soon came to be used to describe the results of any kind of problem. Christians began to talk about the fallout of their sins—the aftereffects of hurt and pain that follow disobedience.

When we sin and ask God’s forgiveness, He is happy to give it. The blood doesn’t lose its power. But that doesn’t mean we’re exempt from the fallout of sin. Often our sin bears consequences, and we reap what we sow. If you have sin in your life, go to God for forgiveness, then trust Him to manage the repercussions.

Romans 8:28 says that “all things” work together for good for those who love the Lord. Even though the fallout of sin is painful, God can even use that—in time—for His purposes and His glory. He can restore what the locusts have eaten.God’s Word should be our nutrition and food for living.  Christian music is like a vitamin to help us rejoice and worship Jesus Christ. (Jeremiah)

 

 

Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.” (Genesis 41:38-39)

It’s been said that the successful executive is the one who can delegate all the responsibility, shift all the blame, and take all the credit. Hoping to find success, that’s the plan many people follow. But that strategy is like a house of cards. Joseph’s example shows us God’s way to achieve and handle success.

Note that timing is important to the success that God gives. Here, in Genesis 41, Joseph had just arrived at the pinnacle of his success; but it took him a long time to get there. It may have felt that Joseph had been “wasting” his time in prison the previous few years, but it wasn’t a waste at all. It all had a place in God’s timing for Joseph’s success. From his youth, Joseph had the idea God had destined him for great things. But Joseph didn’t know the fulfillment would take so long.

Psalm 31:14-15 says but as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand. Can you say this also? We might feel as though we are all ready for what we know God will do through us, yet we must rest in the LORD, and say to Him “my times are in Your hand.”

Pharaoh finally promoted Joseph. He rose from the pit all the way to the pinnacle. But Pharaoh wasn’t the one responsible for Joseph’s promotion – God was. Joseph wasn’t waiting on Pharaoh to get out of jail; he was waiting on God. The psalmist reminds us: For exaltation comes neither from the east, nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another (Psalm 75:6). The credit for Joseph’s amazing rise to power did not belong to Pharaoh, or to Joseph, and especially not to blind fate or circumstance. Joseph’s rise was the fulfillment of God’s divine plan.

Genesis 41:50-52 tells us Joseph had two sons, naming them Manasseh and Ephraim. Joseph lived in Egypt, married an Egyptian woman, and worked for the Egyptian Pharaoh – but he gave his two sons Hebrew names. This shows us that Joseph did not forget about God, even in his success. Many people, when they have been promoted the way Joseph was, feel they no longer need God. They think that God is only good for the prison, not for the palace. We should be like Joseph, who was devoted to God no matter what – good times or bad. (Guzik)

Here’s a good prayer for today: “God, give me a heart that will wait on You and serve You faithfully even when I am successful in the eyes of the world.”

 

He Has Risen

He Is ALIVE