Praying Pint

 

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

–John 15:8

God’s plan for you is to be continually built up in your Christian faith. Are you growing in your relationship with God, as He desires? If so, there’s going to be tangible evidence in your life. Think about a construction project. You don’t just take it on faith that a building is going up–you see the progress happening every day. In the same way, if you are growing in Christ, there’s going to be visible, measurable evidence. Take a moment to consider these questions:

• Are you closer to God today than you were twelve months ago?
• Do you know more of God’s Word today than you did twelve months ago?
• How many people have entered into a relationship with God in the past twelve months because of your witness?
• In the past twelve months, have you gained victory over any habits or attitudes that were displeasing to God?

If you are truly in Christ, there’s going to be progress in your spiritual life. So how do you grow in your relationship with God? You might be thinking, I know this already, Pastor. The way I grow as a Christian is by reading the Bible, praying, and going to church. Yes, those things are essential for getting the nutrients you need. But that’s not what Paul talked about in Colossians 2:6–7. He wrote, “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith.”

Let me point out the relationship between the phrases in this passage so we can understand what Paul was saying. First, notice the words “rooted” and “received.” How are you rooted in your faith? By receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Second, notice the phrases “built up in Him and established” and “walk in Him.” Those phrases are related in the same way. You are rooted in the faith by receiving Christ, but you are built up and established in your faith by walking in Christ. That means obeying Christ.

Nothing will strengthen your spiritual muscles more than obeying God, and nothing will cause your spiritual muscles to atrophy more than disobeying God. The key to continually growing in your faith is to practice obedience to God.

                                                                                                                                                              

It needs to be said: Neglect of God’s Word is a direct result of a lack of desire to grow/mature in our honor and glory of Jesus Christ in our daily thoughts, words, and actions.

 

Colossians 3:2-6 reads:

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience…

One of the things that I found remarkable about the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was how it took away many of our idols. Those cultural, political, and athletic icons that we emulated and revered suddenly came to a screeching halt.

There were no concerts, no football games, and no new theatrical releases. Work and school were canceled. 401(k)’s quickly plummeted. Politicians seemed as confused as the rest of us. The things that people clung to as anchors in life were suddenly gone.

In their absence, many realized their need for God instead.

Almost all of us have idols in our lives, which have taken a place of honor that should be reserved for our Lord and Savior. These things are mortal and temporary, yet we give them priority in our lives and follow them almost religiously.

The Bible—from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of the New Testament—repeatedly issues warnings to avoid idolatry and focus on the One True God. The admonitions are not quaint suggestions, but forceful proclamations regarding the eternal risks of turning from God to the things of this world.

The contrast is clear. If your mind is set on Heaven and your eternity is surrendered to Christ, glory awaits. Conversely, if you make the pleasures and desires of this world your idol—if you turn your back on God and worship temporary “things”—you are traveling down a path that leads to eternal separation from God.

The blessing, my friends, is that it is not too late for you! If you recognize areas of your life where you’ve elevated worldly elements into a place of power in your life, I beg you to reorder your priorities today and return Christ to the throne of your heart. Jesus died to take away the idols which once controlled you.

As you surrender those things to Him as Savior, He will give you a new life and the promise of eternity with Him in Heaven.

 

God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

–Psalm 73:26

Did you know you’re rich? The Bible says if you’re a Christian, you have a great inheritance. In Colossians 2:2, Paul prayed the Colossians would “[attain] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding.” When you have an assurance of your relationship with Christ, you realize just how wealthy you are. Here are five things the Bible says you have inherited:

• God–Psalm 73:26 says, “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” The word translated as “portion” literally means “inheritance.” God is your inheritance.
• Jesus Christ–In John 17, Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us. . . . I in them and You in Me” (vv. 20–21, 23). Jesus Christ is in you.
• The Holy Spirit–Ephesians 1:13–14 says, “Having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance.” You don’t have to beg to receive the Holy Spirit; you received Him the moment you were saved.
• Salvation–Peter wrote that your inheritance includes “a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). A portion of your inheritance is going to be distributed after you die, and that is a brand-new body free from sin and suffering.
• The kingdom of God–In Luke 12:32, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”

Sadly, many Christians live like spiritual paupers. We don’t understand the wealth that is already ours, so we’re timid in our relationship with God. We’re afraid to ask God to do big things for us. We’re paralyzed by guilt. We don’t think we can ever break free from sin. We’re like the man on the cruise ship who was eating peanut butter sandwiches because he didn’t realize his ticket included an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Look at your ticket and see what’s included in your salvation. Peace of mind, power over sin, and victory in temptation are all yours because of what Christ has done for you. That’s the benefit of having an assurance of your relationship with Christ.

 

 

[Attain] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself.

–Colossians 2:2

A man dreamed all his life of going on a luxury cruise. Eventually he saved enough money for a ticket; however, he did not have enough money left over to purchase all the sumptuous food he had seen in the brochures. So he took a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter with him onto the ship. While the other passengers were enjoying wonderful buffets, he sat alone in his cabin eating peanut butter sandwiches. After three days, he couldn’t take it any longer. He asked a steward, “How can I get one of those meals I see everybody else enjoying?”

The steward gave him a quizzical look. “Don’t you have a ticket, sir?”

The man said, “Yes, but I don’t have any money for food.”

“You don’t understand, sir,” the steward said. “Meals are included in the price of the ticket.”

A lot of Christians live like that man on the cruise ship. They think Jesus’s death on the cross was sufficient to provide a ticket to heaven–but nothing else. They don’t realize that with eternal salvation come all the provisions they need for this life as well. And because they don’t understand their wealth in Jesus Christ, they are tempted to chase after other philosophies, religions, and experiences to satisfy the hunger that only Jesus can satisfy. Jesus Christ is sufficient not only to get you to heaven but also to provide for every need you have in this life.

The sufficiency of Christ is the theme of Colossians. Paul wrote this letter when he heard the Colossian church was being invaded by false teachers who said Jesus Christ is not sufficient. Even today, there are people who say Jesus is sufficient for salvation, but He is not enough to satisfy your deep emotional needs or break your addiction to sin–you also need the latest philosophy or experience. In Colossians 2, Paul shared five ways we can stand firm in our faith and not be deceived into chasing after other philosophies and experiences. First, we need to strengthen our minds with God’s Word. Second, we need to be unified with other believers.

 

 

There are many kinds of tears. Some come from chopping onions. Others come from a fit of laughter. A sad movie can turn on the water works. Even smoke from a campfire can make our eyes water. Babies begin their lives with tears. Tears are important for lubricating our eyes and flushing away debris.

But when we think of tears, we usually think of burdens. God sees our tears as seeds. Each tear shed in grief, disappointment, pain, or emotional distress is like a seed that falls from our eyes and lands in the garden of God’s grace. He knows the meaning behind every drop, and none of them are unnoticed by Him.

In the same way that Romans 8:28 tells us that all things will work together for our good, Psalm 126:5 tells us that somehow our tears will produce a harvest of joy. How can that be? We don’t fully understand the scope of God’s grace, the power of His providence, and the depths of His mercy. But every promise in the Bible is true, so you can adopt Psalm 126:5 as your own today.

 

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.” (Genesis 14:22-24)

Abram was the great patriarch of the Jewish people and the father of all who believe, those who trust God and are declared to be righteous. We don’t often think of him as a military man, but on at least one occasion he was. In Genesis 15, a group of four kings attacked a group of five kings, to punish them for rebellion. In the attack, the armies of the four kings took Abram’s nephew Lot as a hostage, and they returned to the north.

That didn’t make Abram happy. Lot was family, and Abram would protect him. Abram gathered an army of 318 trained fighters among his servants and pursued the armies holding Lot. In a bold night attack, Abram defeated the four kings, rescued Lot, and recovered all the spoil the kings had seized from the five cities. After the battle, the king of Sodom wanted to reward Abram, offering him all the plunder.

Abram replied, I will take nothing – not even a thread! Abram would not take any of the plunder because of a vow he made to God Most High. Abram made the vow because he didn’t want any man to rightly say, I have made Abram rich. Abram determined that all the credit for his success and wealth should go to God and God alone.

As a man of faith, Abram had decided to live so that whatever outward success he gained, everyone could see that it was because of the blessing of God, not because of any generosity or help from man. His faith was in God not man; his reward would be from God and not man.

This is wise living, and especially a wise way to serve God. If apparent success comes through man-centered methods and strategies, then it is difficult to confidently say the blessing came from God. It is much better to rely on God’s methods and wisdom, so if apparent success comes, then God receives the glory, and everyone sees it was God’s work.

However, at the same time, Abram did not impose his principles on his Amorite allies – they could take their portion. They were entitled to as much of the spoil as was appropriate under the customs of the time. If they wanted to live by Abram’s faith, they could choose to do so. Abram wouldn’t force it on them.

Dear brother or sister in Christ, determine to live by faith in God instead of looking to or leaning on man.

 

 

 

2Pe 2:10-17  and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.

In our society today, false beliefs and teachings are often accepted without ever being tested. People believe that social media memes and TV talking heads are the source of truth. They latch on to rumors, myths, and hearsay like it’s the final word.

Sadly, heresy (non-Biblical or anti-Biblical teaching) is even creeping up in our churches.

While we’re seeing this a lot in our modern world, it is not a new phenomenon. Even in the first century, false teachers were making their way into churches, and people were buying the lies they were selling.

Nearing the end of his life (likely in prison and soon to be executed by the Romans), the Apostle Peter had become very concerned about the heresy that was creeping into the churches in Asia Minor. False teaching had actively led followers of Christ away and was causing dissension.

It troubled Peter so much that he wrote a letter to these churches (his second letter to them, actually), in which he called out the heretical leaders that were causing so much trouble.

In doing so, he gave us several characteristics of false teachers. Nearly 2,000 years later, 2 Peter 2:10-16 still serves as a warning and guide in the church today.

First, pride is a sign of false teaching. Make no mistake about it. Pride is a serious and dangerous malignancy. The Scripture says that a false teacher is “presumptuous” and “self-willed.” In other words, they view their own authority as taking precedence over the Bible’s authority.

Perhaps they view the Bible as “inspired” by God, but feel like it needs to be updated to their modern understanding of societal norms. In doing so, their pride causes them to pervert the Holy Scripture in a way that was never intended.

Second, a false teacher is willfully ignorant. Whenever I see false teaching, I wonder how supposedly “Christian” teachers could say something that is so totally at odds with the Bible. However, Peter tells us in verse 12 that false teachers “speak evil of the things they do not understand.” They are willfully ignorant of Scripture on one hand, while claiming the moral authority of the Bible on the other.

In reality, they are much like Paul described in Romans 1:25. They “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.”

Third, lust is a sign of a false teacher. The passage describes false teachers by saying they:

• “walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority,”
• “count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime,” and have
• “eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls.”

Lust is a result of loving ourselves and pleasure more than God. The false teachers that Peter described were so brazen that they didn’t even wait until the cover of night but were openly pursuing depravity during the day. Further, they used sexual pleasure as a way of appealing to their flock with their heretical messages.

Finally, false teachers are covetous and are driven by greed. The passage says, “They have a heart trained in covetous practices.” In other words, they desired other people’s property and worked to exploit those around them.

As an example, Peter referenced the Old Testament prophet Balaam, who preferred wealth and popularity over obedience and righteousness. His covetous ways produced teachings of immorality and sin instead of truth and purity.

My friends, as followers of Jesus Christ, we must always view everything through the lens of truth itself: the Bible. I encourage you to spend time in God’s Word, digging deep in Scripture, meditating on it, and committing it to memory. The more you understand and internalize the Bible, the easier it will be for you to discern truth from lie and solid doctrine from false teaching.

Though heresy has been around for millennia, it’s as important as ever before to be on guard against it in today’s culture.

 

 

Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way?

–Proverbs 20:24

The sovereignty of God means He has a plan for our lives. Should it surprise us that the architect of the universe has a precise plan for everything that happens in His world? The apostle Paul said it this way in Ephesians 1:11: “We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.” God has a plan, and He works all things together to accomplish that plan.

That means the selection of rulers is under God’s control. Daniel 2:21 says, “He removes kings and establishes kings.” The change of seasons is under His control. Jeremiah 5:24 says God is the one “who gives rain in its season, both the autumn rain and the spring rain, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.” Even the roll of the dice is under His control. Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

God also has a detailed plan for your life. Psalm 139:13 says, “You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.” God planned everything about your physical and emotional makeup. Now, we can accept that God is in control over the things we can’t control, such as our genes. But we assume that we control other areas of our lives, such as how we spend our time. We think it’s solely our decision whether to watch television, take a nap, or mow the lawn. But look at Proverbs 20:24: “Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way?” Every step we take has been ordained by God. I don’t know about you, but I’m comforted by the fact that someone wiser and more powerful than me controls my steps.

Jeremiah was a prophet in the waning days of the kingdom of Judah. He was imprisoned, beaten, and threatened with death, yet he never wavered in his prophetic calling. What gave Jeremiah such confidence in his assignment? The fact that God had chosen him and predestined his life. Look at Jeremiah 1:5: God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Eugene Peterson wrote, “Before Jeremiah knew God, God knew Jeremiah. . . . Jeremiah’s life didn’t start with Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s salvation didn’t start with Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s truth didn’t start with Jeremiah. He entered the world in which the essential parts of his existence were already ancient history. So do we.” God’s sovereignty means God has a plan.

 

Continued from yesterday…….

4. The masquerade. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul must embrace the “foolishness” of defending his apostleship in light of the “super apostles” who have infiltrated the church (2 Cor. 11:1, 5). These “false apostles” and “deceitful workers,” who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ, proclaim “another Jesus,” “a different spirit,” and “a different gospel” (11:4, 13).

Paul writes that such attacks on the body of Christ should not shock us: “And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works” (11:14-15).  Just as the evil one masquerades as the good guy, false teachers ride the Trojan Horse of eloquent persuasion to gain entrance into the church, and then proceed to destroy it. Satan employs not only evil spirits to do his bidding, but willing unbelievers. Professing themselves to be Christians, they weasel their way into unsuspecting churches and, from the inside, teach what Paul describes as “teachings of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). Jesus also warns about these false prophets, likening them to ravaging wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15).

5. Lying signs and wonders. Paul describes the last days with these words: “The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie, and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing …” (2 Thess. 2:9-10).  Jesus also addresses this subject in the Olivet Discourse: “For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24).  At final judgment, some unbelievers protest Christ’s sentence of hell, arguing, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?” Unmoved, Jesus responds, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!” (Matt. 7:22-23).

6. Enticement.  He strikes hard and low at Jesus in the wilderness, although he fails to entice the Son of God to abandon the path of suffering and death (Matt. 4:1-11). He proves more successful in his pursuit of Judas Iscariot in the hours leading up to the apostle’s betrayal of Jesus (Luke 22:3-6).  Paul worries aloud for the Corinthians, admitting, “But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). Sure enough, the local church Paul had planted in Corinth a few years earlier is now embracing false teachings about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the gospel (2 Cor. 11:4).  James warns how subtly and pervasively sin overtakes us. God cannot be tempted to sin, and he never tempts us. But the evil one sows seeds in our thought processes and – unless we immediately take these thoughts captive – we start down a slippery slope that ends in sin: “But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death” (Jas. 1:14-15).

7. Accusation. In the first recorded encounter with humans, the evil one accuses God of denying Adam and Eve what’s rightfully theirs: to become like God (Gen. 3:5). We see Satan again in the Book of Job, alleging that Job’s loyalty to Yahweh hinges on the hedge of safety God has built around his servant (Job 1:9-11). When the Lord allows Satan to kill Job’s children and destroy his property, Job maintains his integrity.  So, Satan returns to Yahweh to seek permission to strike Job’s flesh and bones, certain that Job will curse God to his face (Job 2:5). Job endures painful sores from head to toe, along with self-righteous moralizing from his friends, before experiencing a humbling encounter with God, who restores Job’s wealth two-fold and grants him seven sons and three daughters – a number equal to those who had perished. Satan appears again in Zechariah 3 to accuse the high priest, Joshua. This time, the angel of the LORD comes to the rescue, rebuking Satan, forgiving Joshua’s sin, and clothing the high priest in fresh garments. The evil one’s accusations continue today. His ultimate defeat is certain, however, and his days of finger-pointing are numbered. In Revelation 12:10, the apostle John writes: “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down.”  Until that day, the evil one continues prosecuting the people of God. But, just as the high priest, Joshua, had an advocate – the angel of the LORD, or the preincarnate Christ – so we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus, who “is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25).

8. Institutional leverage. Satan leads the world astray through false religions, as well as cultural, political, and economic institutions (cf. Rev. 13). For example, major world religions like Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism express a high regard for Jesus. Yet their Jesus is strictly human, or mysteriously divine, and totally unable to address mankind’s greatest need of redemption. Even more damaging are today’s counterfeit forms of Christianity, most notably the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses).

 

 

The Book of Revelation identifies Satan as “the deceiver,” or “the one who leads astray” (ho planon; see Rev. 12:9; 20:10; cf. 20:3, 8). The idea behind this term is to entice someone to wander, like the sheep in Jesus’ parable (Matt. 18:12-13) or the saints of old forced to wander through a world not worthy of them (Heb. 11:38). As Peter Bolt writes, “The title ‘deceiver’ reflects Satan’s endeavors to lead people away from the love and security of our holy God.

Satan’s role as deceiver is grounded in his character as the father of lies (John 8:44; see Chapter 5). His nature – his every tendency – is to distort the truth so that people made as God’s imagers miss the very purpose for which God designed them. But how, exactly, does the evil one accomplish this? He sports a quiver of fiery darts and launches them strategically. Let’s briefly examine eight arrows the evil one hurls to deceive us.

1. The well-placed question. We see this in the garden of Eden, where the serpent challenges Eve’s understanding of God’s clear command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). This question subtly misquotes God – who made every tree in the garden available to Adam and Eve, except one – and leads Eve to wonder about God’s transparency. Did the Lord speak too hastily? Overstate his intentions? Or maybe try to keep Adam and Eve from enjoying the one thing that would truly make them God’s imagers?

We see the well-placed question in contemporary society. How often do we hear these questions: Doesn’t God just want me to be happy? Is Jesus really the only way to eternal life? How can my desires be wrong since God made me this way? Hasn’t society advanced beyond outdated biblical commands? Why shouldn’t I live my truth and let other people live theirs? And on it goes.  Often, the first step to wandering away from God is questioning his word. When Eve allows herself to question the Lord, she ends up fallen and then banished.

2. The outright lie. Jesus makes it clear that Satan “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). After his well-placed question to Eve, the serpent slings his barefaced lie: “No! You will not die” (Gen. 3:4).

When told forcefully and often enough, a lie may become an acquired truth. An unborn child becomes an expendable blob of tissue. The aged and infirm become pitiable objects of euthanizing in the name of “quality of life.” Gender becomes fluid. The covenant of marriage becomes an open-ended agreement. And sexual immorality becomes a liberating right that all enlightened people must celebrate. The outright lie shocks us at first. But over time, we become desensitized and, finally, accepting. The evil one wields blunt-force lies to wear us down.

3. The blinded mind. This is especially true with regard to unbelievers, about whom Paul writes: “But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:3-4).  Jesus describes this tactic in the parable of the sower. Like birds who swoop down to pluck seeds from a footpath, Satan snatches the word of God’s kingdom from unbelievers’ hearts before the truth can take hold (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23).  As John Piper notes, Satan “not only speaks what is false. He hides what is true. He keeps us from seeing the treasure of the gospel. He lets us see facts, even proofs, but not preciousness.” While the evil one keeps unbelievers in the dark, he also strives to obscure our thinking. In this way, we fail to be effective witnesses for Christ.

Tomorrow we will see the other five.