Safe Heaven House Of Prayer

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalms 37:5-7 Our world is in turmoil. We can point to many places, politics, and issues, but none of this turmoil would be happening without mankind's sins. According to the Bible, all people are born in sin. Because God is holy and righteous, sinful man is totally separated and without hope in this lost this and dying world. Without trusting Christ as Savior and Lord, we have no biblically grounded compass. David clearly recognized this sin problem. He saw sins in his own life, and he bore witness to sin in the lives of people around him. Furthermore, David didn't miss the fact that many of the wicked prospered despite their sinfulness. In this psalms, David

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret it only causes harm....The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. Psalms 37:7-8, 18 This psalm is just as relevant in the twenty first century as it was when David wrote it. How many times have you let someone ruin your day? The driver who cut you off? A neighbor who is just being a pain? Watching the news and losing it because if you were in charge, you would do a much better job? Does it bother you that evil people seem to get away with all kinds of things or that people who do illegal things seem to prosper? If any of those questions ring true for you, note what David said to us: "Do not fret (worry) because of evildoers." (verse 1) "Be not envious toward wrongdoers" (verse 1) "Trust in the Lord, and do good" (v

You, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 Paul mentioned the danger of false teachers three times in this epistle to Timothy, and each time Paul warned Timothy to resist them. After all, God had called Timothy to the ministry he was a proclaimed man of God. in his Grace for You ministries, Pastor John MacArthur pointed out four characteristics that mark the man of God in contrast to the false teacher. What he flees from: a man of God flees from "these things," such as the love of money, pride, disputes, envy, and strife (verses 3-10). What he follows after: a man of God will pursue righteousness, doing what is right in God's eyes and man's living with personal integrity. He will also strive for godliness has to do with at

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespass, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and make us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6 You were..."But God." From Genesis through Revelation , the Scriptures flesh out these pivotal words: "But God." Adam and Eve were lost forever because of their sin, "But God"... Noah would have been drowned with the people in the world, "But God"... Jonah would never have been given a second chance, "But God"... The same can be said of Peter, who shortly after professing his complete loyalty, denied three times even knowing Christ. "But God"... In Hebrews 11, God's hall of faith, we find a drunkard, a murderer, aa prostitute, a husband of a prostitute, a man who ran from God, adulterers, liars, and irresponsible father, a womani

God says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." Romans 9:15 Most of us living on this planet today believe we are basically good. However, the reality is quite different: all of us are fundamentally broken. We are naturally depraved. Left to ourselves, we default to selfishness and sin, and we are prone to wander. We may have some good moments, but we have plenty of bad moments. In fact, when we consider our attitudes, thoughts, and hearts, the bad far too often outweighs the good! Thankfully, God is love. And in His love, He is perfectly merciful and just. God's mercy keeps us from experiencing the judgment we deserve. God's grace gives us goodness that we don't deserve. To be specific, God the Father sent the Son to take punishment for our sins. God withholds from us the penalty of sin, directing it instead to His Son, and then gives us the gift of His Son's righteousnes

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8 God created us to live in relationship with Him. We experience a life of peace when we live in connection with God. But that connection doesn't come naturally, and one reason is our reason is our constant struggle with selfish desires. But when we humble ourselves and receive God's mercy instead of what we deserve, that choice changes us. Following Jesus changes the way we treat others, the way we plan our calendars, and how we spend the money He entrusts to our care. Our perspectives shift from focusing on what is good for us in this brief life to the impact of our actions and words in light of eternity. Walking with God is not easy and He never said it would be. The challenge is maintaining the living, breathing, moment by moment connection with our Savior. And to walk humbly is to live in submission and surrender to G

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 36:5-7 The psalms are raw, real and full of  emotion. They are prayers to God from real people about real life, so they are not always encouraging. The psalms teach us to worship and pray. They teach us that it's okay to cry, doubt, question, struggle, and even rage. They call us to trust, believe, have faith, and remember God's faithfulness throughout the ages. Psalm 36:5-7 celebrates the greatness of out God. As Creator, God is above, outside of, and apart of His creation, but that doesn't mean He is removed from it. He is deeply involved in caring for us, His most precious creation. He expresses His great love for us in His mercy. He is faithful H

The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. Psalms 25:9-10 I really like to receive mercy, but I'm not very good at giving it. And maybe that's the fundamental problem: I like to get more than I like to give. Put differently, the pride in my heart hinders my progress on the Lord's path of mercy. God is looking for the humble of heart, not someone like me who trusts in my own ability, education, background, and life experiences. I need to trust God. And like His people in the Old Testament, I humbly and honestly have to deal with my fears, my limited perspective, my shortsightedness, my confusion, and my doubts. I don't have all the answers. Even Google doesn't have all the answers. At the end of the drama and debates of life, though, I don't need answers I need God. When I humbly approach Him, I will find what I am looking for and what I n

I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:5-6 Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Have you ever wondered, "Where is God when I need Him?" or "Does He even care about me?" or "Why me, God? I can't stand this?" The psalmist understood these internal struggles, grief, and despair. Sometimes inner turmoil leads to a host of emotions or makes one unable to move forward in life. We ask questions and cry out for relief, but the apparent absence of God overwhelms us and causes us to run either from Him in despair or to Him in desperation. When God seems conspicuous in His absence, how do we regain a sense of His presence? The psalmist's response was the choice to trust. I heard someone put it this way, "Don't doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light." God is still God even when we don't see Him or feel Him. He can

Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace....Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 Jesus is your sufficient grace. Maybe you've been backed into a corner by trouble, weighed down by heartache, or paralyzed by disappointment. If so, I have good news: in Jesus, we have a never ending supply of grace. As God told the apostle Paul when he prayed about the thorn in his flesh, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). In the verse above, the apostle John described God's sufficient grace as "grace for grace." To understand that concept, imagine standing on a sandy shore watching wave after wave come in. Just as each new wave replaces another, we experience wave after wave of grace "grace for grace" when we follow Christ. Jesus is the truth that sets men free from their bond age to sin and death, free from their separation from God, and free from purposelessne

Through Jesus we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you are the called of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:5-6 Jesus is your sustaining grace. The gift of grace becomes active in our lives the moment we call out to God and receive it from Him. And, thankfully, His grace continues to sustain us long after the trail has passed. For an illustration of God's grace, sit down at a piano. Press the pedal on the right. Then press any key and listen as the sound resonates for what seems like forever. That is what God's sustaining grace does: it keeps resonating in us and empowering us for what seems like forever. Becoming a Christian is a very simple thing to do. In order to persevere in our commitments and our obedience to our Christ, we need His sustaining grace. Paul knew that God had called him to be an apostle and that God would provide the grace he needed to fulfill that calling. For the apostle Paul, faith and ob

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed. Romans 3:23-25 Jesus is your redeeming grace. Several years ago a pastor friend and his wife welcomed into their home a young boy as a foster child. He wasn't even a year old, yet his leg had been broken in the abuse he suffered at home. The couple immediately fell in love with him and soon adopted him. They showed this boy redeeming grace. To redeem a slave from slavery was to pay the purchase price to the owner. To redeem us from slavery to sin and Satan, Jesus paid the purchase price with His shed blood. We were orphans with no hope and no future, and then God sent Jesus to redeem us from our sins. God "set Jesus forth as a propitiation" You and I nev

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Jesus is your guiding grace. The Son of God came "and dwelt among us." He was light for a dark world. He was peace for a world of chaos. He was joy for a world in despair. He was "full of grace and truth" for a world filled with legalism and confusion. And He still is. Jesus was filled with grace. No sinner was so sinful that he was beyond Jesus reach. No one was so lost that he couldn't be saved. Jesus was filled with truth. He was born into a world filled with half truths, opinions, and outright lies, but He was truthful with the sinners nd the saints. Jesus lights the way for people throughout history who have, like the disciples, heard His call and followed Him. Today people continue to follow Him, who loves with merciful grace that reaches the outcast, the unbelieving, and the undeserving. Jesus promised

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 Jesus is your saving grace. Salvation is the ultimate gift of God. He is the Giver of all good gifts, but most of all, He is the Giver of salvation. And what a wonderful gift He has given in the sacrificial death of His Son on our behalf. The gift of our salvation cannot be purchased. Neither is it a wage we can earn or reward for anything we have done. Our salvation is a gift purchased by the blood of Jesus that we can receive only when we admit our sinfulness. And it is a gift of eternal value: it opens heavens to us. God's grace has no strings attached. Jesus becomes our Savior not because of the good we have done or the good we might do. Jesus becomes our saving grace as an absolutely free and unmerited gift. Salvation was God's idea, and it was a gift wrapped in Jesus and given because "God so loved world" (John

"The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and brings to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:26 Maybe you've have heard this old joke: "If my memory were any worse, I could plan my own surprise party." When we consider sharing our faith or choosing to be God's light, we may oftentimes fear that we won't remember Scripture passages or know what to say. I couldn't count all the times when I didn't know how to answer a question and suddenly the Spirit of God came to my aid. He helped me remember exactly the right passage I needed to give a helpful answer. We should not be surprised that the Spirit helps us recall biblical truths, sometimes verbatim. After all, holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It is, therefore, not difficult for Him to remind you of something you have read. The Spirit knows the Bible inside and out but do you? Imagine you autho

"When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me." John 15:26 Knowing that the Holy Spirit is also called the Helper may prompt the question "What is He going to help us do?" One thing the Spirit helps believers do is fulfill the Great Commission. You and I can't in our own human power help a lost person recognize the need for Christ. We need the help of the Helper. The Bible tells us that we are all born "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1), and dead people, as we know, can't see, hear, speak, or make decisions. It is the Spirit of God who enables the spiritually dead to see, hear, confess their sins, and choose to follow Jesus. The Spirit of God testifies to the spiritually dead not only that what Jesus did dying on the cross, being buried, and being raised from the dead actually happened, but also that He did it for them. It is the Spirit who

If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:10-11 It is a great truth to know that, as a believer who has trusted in Christ as your Savior, you have the Spirit of God dwelling in you. That is worth saying again: you have the Spirit of the living within you! But perhaps you should consider this great question: does the Spirit have you? Is the presence of the Spirit in your life impacting how you live? Are you treating your body like the very temple of the Holy Spirit? Are you enjoying the fullness of His presence in your life? That same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is able to give you abundant life, and you will discover that living for Christ is the most energizing experience this side of heaven. When the Spirit empowers you

What man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 What does it mean to truly know another person? It means knowing his thoughts, his heart, and his nature, and that knowledge comes when we spend time with someone. We certainly know ourselves. We know what we like and dislike, what makes us joyful or sad, what we love and whom we love. Now imagine having the ability to place your mind in another person's life so that he or she could come to know you, the real you. Well, that is what God has done for us as believers: He has placed His very Spirit in us so we can know the mind, heart, and nature of God. The Holy Spirit allows us to know God's love, His likes, and His dislikes. When we spend time with God in pr

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. Luke 12:10-12 As a pastor I am asked occasionally, "What is the unpardonable sin"? Most people assume it is a sin like suicide. Suicide is not the unpardonable sin. Jesus Himself answered this question: blasphemy "against the Holy Spirit...will not be forgiven." Perhaps more relevant on a broader scope is the fact that all sin is unacceptable to God. In other words, any one sin can damn a person to tell. God must forgive all of our sins, or we all are doomed. But don't panic. Each one of us will die one day with multitudes of sins of which we have not repented or we even remember committing

I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. John 14:16-18 Jesus spoke these comforting words to the disciples at a dark moment of grief. Jesus had just told Peter that this very Peter would deny even knowing his Lord. Judas had been sent out of the room earlier as a traitor. Worst of all, Jesus had just told the remaining eleven that He was leaving them. The disciples had depended on Jesus for everything. When they got up in the morning, they probably looked at Jesus and said, "What do we do today? Where do we go?" When a situation did not go as they planned or imagined, they looked to Jesus to handle the situation. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the storms, and answered the critics. He also calmed His disci

I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber...The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. Psalms 121:1-3,5 There is an old story passed down through the years about a young girl. The four year old daughter was afraid of the dark, and tonight, with her husband gone, the mother felt a bit fearful also. When the light was out, the child caught a glimpse of the moon outside the window. "Mother," she asked, "is the moon God's light?" "Yes," said the mother. "Will God put out His light and go to sleep?" The mother replied, "No my child. God never goes to sleep." Then the young girl said, "As long as God is awake, we can go to sleep!" In Psalm 121, the psalmist reminded himself of God's protection. In this psalm, the sun and moon represent all th

The Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10 Job experienced a horrific day. Satan had sought and received God's permission to subject Job to a whirlwind of intense misery. In one dreadful day, Job lost all seven sons and his three daughters. He lost all his cattle and most his servants. In just a few hours, Job's children and business were gone. And when his friends visited, any hope Job had of receiving comfort and condolences quickly faded. The so called friends shared only words of rebuke and criticism; their thoughts left Job feeling shame and guilt. Then one day everything changed. Job was set free from pain and blessed with glorious prosperity. What made the difference? "He prayed for his friends." The Lord was not impressed with Job's friends. They were in danger of God's judgment. But when Job prayed for them, God set Job free. Earlier, when Job had prayed for

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than brother. Proverbs 18:24 Are you blessed to have "a friend who sticks than a brother"? Mary and Martha had a brother named Lazarus who did stick with them until he became sick and died. More than likely, he had been the handyman around the house and the one who shouldered many heavy burdens. He probably would have come to their defense in a moment's notice, but he was gone. The hands of death suddenly ended earthly closeness. But Mary and Martha did have a friend who would come to their aid when their brother couldn't, and He is the same Friend you and I have. Jesus is the Friend who sticks closer than any brother. He will be close in times of grief, and, when we fall, Jesus will lift us up. When Lazarus died, his friend Jesus called him back from death to life. Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than any brother. God said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you&qu

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 One of my favorite things to do is share a meal with family and friends (especially if it's barbeque). I find great delight in sitting across the table from people I love and hearing about their joys or concerns. God wired us to need community; He created us to function as social beings, not solitary creatures. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon pointed out that people can accomplish more by working together and that walking with a friend is good when dealing with tough times. Those tough times are valuable as Charles Colson knew: "No Christian can grow strong and stand the pressures of this life unless he is surrounded by a group of people who minister to him and build him up in the faith." Believers need each other, and it is vital for our souls to be activ

The scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. James 2:23-24 The lifeblood of friendship is trust. And isn't it remarkable to see how much Abraham trusted God and how much God trusted Abraham? God called Abraham to leave his home in the city of Ur, near the Euphrates River, and travel to Canaan, the promised land. Abraham was required to live by faith each step of the journey, not knowing where he was going. He simply obeyed the Lord's instructions. In Genesis 18, two angels visited Abraham as they traveled to Sodom to inspect the city's sin. He greeted them and extended to them the best of desert hospitality. He stood by them, waiting to serve them, and the n the scene suddenly shifted to Abraham, still standing and communing with the Lord. Abraham was now a friend of God. Abraham's grea

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servants does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have known to you." John 15:13-15 Friendship is one of the greatest gifts in life. Friendships allow us to be loved, to love, to give, and to receive. Our friendships with one another and with the Lord may not always be perfect, but His friendship with us is. In John 15, Jesus referred to Himself as the Vine and His followers as branches. This vine metaphor illustrates the closeness Jesus desired to have with His disciples. Jesus voluntarily laid down His life so that we might be called friends of God. We must be careful, however, not to sell short the meaning of the word friend. For example, in the context or royalty, the word refers to the inner circle around a king or di

Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Hebrews 5:8-9 Jesus suffered. In God's great plan for our salvation, the blessed Son of God, our Lord Jesus, suffered. He suffered rejection. He suffered hunger and thirst. He suffered loneliness and abandonment. He suffered pain and torture. And He suffered complete separation from the Father when He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The only One who was ever perfectly innocent, totally free of sin, suffered and He suffered for you. And Jesus didn't have to suffer. He was the Son of God and equal with God. But Jesus chose to suffer. He willingly humbled Himself, took upon Himself the role of a servant, and became obedient unto death. Jesus suffered because He had come to earth for this very purpose: to bring us salvation. But Jesus was innocent and sinless, so why does the Bible say He was "

Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10 And if I die before I wake...Many childhood prayers contain this line, and it's actually quite frightening. "If I die before I wake"? Who wants children to think about that just before bed? Yet life is uncertain. We don't know how long we will live. God has numbered our days, and we don't know the number. What we do know is that one day death will indeed come. But we who follow Christ know more. We know that death is not the end. God has promised us life. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead will raises us up. When we receive the gift of Jesus, we receive forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life. We are no longer "appointed t

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10 Promises. Promises are often made and often made and often broken by people. Not by God. When God makes a promise, we can stake our lives on His doing exactly what He said He would do. In fact, we can stake eternity on God's promises. And this the biggest promise: if we confess and believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, we will be saved from punishment for those sins. Despite the fact that Christianity is two thousands years old, people still ask, "How can I be made right with God? How can I have eternal life?" Religions around the world have been designed to address that dilemma, to answer those questions, and the consensus is...do something. These religions propose that finding God. righteousness, and eter

In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Psalms 62:7-8 Sometimes we just need a safe place. Where is your safe place? In our world of criticism and unkindness, deception and deceit, pain and sorrow, and sadness and separation, what is your place of refuge? When your heart is overwhelmed, where do you find refuge? Where is your safe place? Recently, I spoke with a woman who said, "I feel like I'm drowning." Everything in her life that she had thought was solid was turning to quicksand. Everyone she thought she could count on was leaving her life. I felt overwhelmed just listening to her. But then I reminded both of us that God is our refuge. The psalmist proclaimed that God was his refuge and his rock. God never promises us ease and safety in this world, but He does promise to be our refuge when life is difficult or when we nee

Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:28 We who follow Christ look both backward and forward. We look backward into history and see that Christ first came to this earth to deal with our sins. Our world is broken because we are broken: we are sinners. We stand guilty before God, yet the good news of the gospel is that Jesus came to deal with our sins. The Son of God died on the cross bearing the guilt of our sins, and He died in our place. His sacrificial death atoned for our sins, and we who trust in Christ by faith receive the gracious gift of God's forgiveness. And now we wait for Jesus to come a second time. He is not coming to deal with our sins He has already taken care of that but to bring the culmination of our salvation. Jesus is coming to finish the work of salvation He started and guaranteed He would complete. Preacher Jerry Vines once said, "We

Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Psalms 25:4-5 Everyone knows what it's like to be lost. At one time or another we've all been confused. We have deviated from the proper course and found ourselves in unfamiliar territory. Paths do have a way of taking us somewhere, and the wrong path takes us to the wrong place every time. When you choose a path, you aren't just making a choice; you are setting a course. You aren't just making a decision; you are determining a destination. It's the principle of the path: where you're going determines where you will end up. That's why we turn to God. When you need to know the right path to take, ask Him. He knows where every path leads. He knows the outcome of every choice and every decision. So ask Him to show you, teach you, and lead you. God leads us in the path that leads to salvation, and He will lead

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:5-6 I know of no greater testimony than one's life pleasing God and that is what was said of Enoch. Notice three things from the life of Enoch: First, take note of his motivation. After Enoch had his son, Methuselah, he began to walk with God (Genesis 5:21-22). The greatest way to train one's child is not to "talk the talk" but to "walk the walk." Actions speak louder than words. Second, Enoch's method is noteworthy. He walked with God, and that means they spent time together. God cannot do something through us if He is not doing something in us. If we are not careful, we can get busy doing good thing

We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 A cemetery in New England has the following inscription on a tombstone: "Stranger, pause as you pass by. As you are now so once was I. As I am so you must be. Prepare for death and follow men. Someone took a marker and wrote below it: To follow you, I'll not consent until I know which way you went." I am thrilled to report that when Christians die, they enter into very presence of God because "to be absent from this body" is "to be present with the Lord." "Present with the Lord." Can you even imagine seeing Jesus in all of His glory, holiness, splendor, and majesty? Standing before the Lord Himself may be beyond our imagination, but we can trust that it will happen and we are wise if

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17 I have had  the awesome privilege of leading several pilgrimages to the land of Israel, and after every trip I have a deeper love for the people and for the land. As believers, we have a deep  indebtedness to the Jewish people. Have you ever thought about what they gave us? 1. The Scriptures 2. The Prophets 3. The Apostles 4. Jesus Christ Jesus was born to Jewish parents, dedicated to God in the Jewish tradition, reared in Jewish home, ministered to the Jewish people, and died with a sign over His head inscribed, "THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS." With great confidence, I say to you there would be no Christianity without Judaism. Our hearts and prayers should be that Jewis

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 A little boy once asked his mother if God lived inside him. She responded, "Yes." Then he asked if God was bigger than he was, and again she said, "Yes." Then the boy said, "Mom, if God is in me and He is bigger than me, shouldn't He stick out?" I truly believe one of the ways God sticks out in our lives is through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When a person names Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she acknowledges God the Father, recognizes Jesus as God the Son, and is filled with God the Holy Spirit. And it is that gift of the Spirit that prompted Jesus to say, "It is to your advantage that I go away" (John 16:7). He explained that when He left, He would send His Holy Spirit our Helper, Comforter, and Teacher. The way God sticks out, the, is through  the Holy Spirit sown frui

I say, through grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 There is a fable that expresses a great truth about a boastful bird. A woodpecker was pecking away on a tree when it was struck by lighting. The tree split from top to bottom, and the woodpecker flew off. A little while later it came back, proudly leading nine other woodpeckers and saying, "There it is, fellows! Right over there! Look what I did!" We need to open God's Word and heed it's call to humble ourselves. A few years ago, I had an amazing experience that I will never forget. I traveled to Montreat, North Carolina, to visit with Rev. Billy Graham. I sat in a very modest home and visited with spiritual giant who wore blue jeans, a flannel shirt, tennis shoes, and Timex watch. At one point, he spoke of his wife's death. He also said that when he gets

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 The great preacher D.L. Moody once said that Christians should quit praying for faith and to read their Bibles. If they do this, God will give them faith. I truly believe that everything we need in life is found in the Bible. It is sad that the average American home has four copies, yet only eleven percent of Americans read it daily. I don't understand why Christians will not make time for God's Word when the Bible is: 1. A lamp unto our feet (Psalms 119:105) 2. Bread for our hunger (Matthew 4:4) 3. A mirror for our life (James 1:22-25) 4. Honey for our soul (Psalms 119:103) 5. Fire for our discouragement (Jeremiah 20:9) Many times throughout my Christian journey, when I have been walking through difficult days, I would fall asleep at night holding my Bible. You may think I'm a nut! That might be true, but I'm screwed onto the right bolt. God didn't give us the Bible to increase our kno

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:12-14 On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus shared with His disciples a significant promise. He declared that after He had gone away, the disciples would be able to do even greater works than they had seen Him do. That would be possible when the Holy Spirit came to reside in them: the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead would now enable them to do great things for their Lord. Then Jesus transitioned to the topic of prayer, explaining to His disciples that by asking in His name by appealing to God based on Jesus authority they can pray with confidence that Jesus "will do it." Wow! What a promise! But it's fulfillment is contingent on one key thing: whatev

Now may the manifold wisdom of God...be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which God accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Ephesians 3:10-12 It's not easy for a finite human mind to grasp much of our God's infinite wisdom and knowledge. Consider the magnitude and scope of God's redemptive work on our behalf, in our hearts, and through His church. We naturally reduce to our small and simplistic thinking miracle of rebirth and new spiritual life that Christ accomplished and to make it worse, we conclude it was just about us. We have that egocentric way interpreting everything because, by nature, we're self centered. However, we see here that God revealed to the powers of His master plan of redemption. God did not keep it a secret that He sent Jesus to atone for our sins and to buy back fallen humanity. The salvation st

Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:25-26 There is much to fear in this fallen world that is populated by sinners like you and me. Black is called white, evil makes headlines, and people are callous and cruel. The call in Proverbs 3:5 to trust in the Lord remains timely. The chapter also offers insight into how we can eliminate our fears by choosing faith and a confident belief in our powerful, all good, God. Yet most us tend to borrow trouble. Honestly, it seems 90 percent of the things that I've feared or worried about never even happened. (And I'm pretty sure that's true for you as well.) Yet I keep borrowing trouble. But according to this text, we aren't to be fearful because our God is in control. R.C. Sproul says that there is not one maverick molecule in God's universe. Of course the God who orchestrates the rising of th

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15 The apostle John wrote this epistle to remind believers of confidence building truths rooted in their commitment to Jesus Christ. Actually, more than thirty times in five short chapters, John used the word know: he wanted us to know with absolute certainty that we can have complete confidence in God's promises. But what about the promise "If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us"? All of us can list unanswered prayers. How many times have we wondered, "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?" First, are we praying according to the will of God? When we do, He hears us and answers our requests. Second, what sin has crept into our lives? Isaiah the prophet said our transgressions cause God to refuse to hear us (Isaiah

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 Who doesn't need encouragement? The apostle Paul wrote these words from a prison cell to people he loved in Roman province of Philippi. He wanted to given them assurance that God would bring to completion the wonderful work of deliverance that He began that momentous day when they first believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a reassuring promise to all of us, though! We are kept by God, through the person of the Holy Spirit, and nothing can separate us from His redemptive love (Romans 8:35-39). What can  you and I do to embrace this assurance? First, we must remember that salvation is ours by grace: "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5) . Second, if we are saved by grace, we will be kept by the same grace (1 Peter 1:5). Third, Jesus promised us that no o

Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:35-36 Don't give up on the hope of heaven! Don't "cast away your confidence" that Jesus is coming back! Don't defect from your life giving faith in Jesus Christ! Apparently, the Hebrew recipients of this letter were abandoning the truth of the gospel and returning to their former Jewish practices that were incompatible with their newfound faith in Christ. So this is a clarion call to persevere and stay committed to the truth of our salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus death on behalf of our sin and His victory over sin and death. The Bible clearly teaches the assurance of our salvation: God's power keeps us, the Holy Spirit seals us, and our salvation is sure. This guarantee, however, isn't a license to neglect personal obedience or to sin presumptuously. Also rememb

"The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body is also full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness." Luke 11:34-35 Recently, when I was singing with my brothers and sisters in Christ at a worship service, I found myself extremely distracted by all that was going on around me. The musical instruments, the flashing lights, the words on the screen, the people sitting near me, and seemingly a dozen other things were competing for my attention. I realized I had to regroup. Why was I in church? Whom was I there to focus on and worship? I was distracted by things that didn't matter. We can also be distracted by good things, so distracted that we leave the best undone. So let us commit ourselves to being the very best for Christ that we can be. When we keep our eyes focused on the Light of the World, His light can shine through us into a worl

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take head how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Luke 8:16-18 Have you ever known a young woman who has just accepted a marriage proposal but didn't tell everyone she knew the good news? Probably not. She usually wants the world to know that she is soon to be a bride. And that is the kind of joy and passion with which we who follow Jesus are to share our knowledge of Him. The truth He has taught us is a tool to expel the darkness in the world. Jesus didn't share the news of salvation for the disciples ears only. Rather than hiding what the Teacher had taught, the disciples were to proclaim with their word

"Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Mark 4:21-23 What good is it to have a lamp if we never let anyone see it? What good is it to have a lamp if we never use it for what it's meant to be used for? In both cases, that lamp is of no use at all. Things are created for a purpose, and it makes sense to use them for their specific purposes. Consider now Jesus life, death, and resurrection. What if Jesus had never revealed the purpose of each event? What if He had paid the ransom for our sins but never communicated it to mankind? We would still be dead in our sins and separated from God. Before Christ ascended back into heaven, He who is the Light of the World declared that His followers are to be the light of the world as well. It is, therefore, our p

"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23 Modern medicine has made cataract surgery an outpatient procedure, and afterward many patients celebrate that objects are no longer dark or cloudy, but clear and plain. In order to see the world as God does, we need to keep the spiritual cataracts from our eyes. Only then will we not be blinded by our self-centeredness and greed. Our healthy spiritual eyes will instead be focused on the things that have eternal value. Spiritually unhealthy eyes are focused on what one can attain for the here and now, the life that someone lives on earth. Could your vision be one reason life today seems dark? Are you focusing your eyes on the temporary rather than on the eternal? Prayer : Father, may Your Holy Spirit help me

"You are light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in a house." Matthew 5:14-15 I had a conversation with a father about Easter with his family. He had enjoyed hiding Easter eggs for his young children and then watching them quickly find each egg. He was, however, puzzled that one egg out of the four dozen had not been found. Like that unfound Easter egg, our Christian faith our life changing acceptance of Jesus as our Savior and our day to day walk with Him was never intended to be concealed. Yes, one's relationship with Jesus is very personal, but we are not supposed to keep it private. We are meant to talk about our faith; we are to be ready to share our salvation stories. What would you think of a person who planned a trip to Hawaii and, upon arriving, told the desk clerk at the hotel that he wanted the darkest room available? Then he

"I am the light of the world. He follows Me shall not walk in darkness, nut have the light of life." John 8:12 The old testament identifies God as light: Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" Isaiah 60:19 "The Lord will be to you an everlasting light." Micah 7:8 "When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." Jesus stood and said, "I am the light," and this claim a statement equating Him with God ultimately caused Him to be arrested and crucified. An X-ray can reveal what is hidden from the naked eye. It can confirm whether a bone is broken or a tooth needs a filling. Similarly, the Light of the World sees what is inside us, our problems, our hurts, and our sins. Not only can He see our sins, but He reveals them to us so we can confess them and He can cover them with HIs grace. Another light we know is the kind that lights our way and that can be a flashlight or a floodlight. Remember whe

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?...Through an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. Psalm 27:1-3 Fears. Well all have them. Some fade as the years go by (I'm no longer dreading recess and fearing I'll be the last person chosen for the kickball game), and too often others step into the void (parenting can mean worries about friends and bullies, teachers and coaches, college admissions and career possibilities). What do you fear? Maybe you wrestle with one or more of these common fears: Failure Sickness Embarrassment Rejection Intimacy Loss Death Finances In today's text the Bible calls us not to be afraid even if an army rises against us in war. And that is an appropriate metaphor because all of us face battles, and we will no doubt encounter a battle or at least a skirmish or two day. Fear not! T

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 A text without a context can cause problems, confusion, and the spread of untruths. But sometimes the context does more than prevent those things; sometimes the context adds greater strength and significance to even a single line. Today's often quoted text gains even more power when you read it in it's context. In Philippians 4:11-12 we read that Paul has traveled to many places, experienced much hardship, befriended dear people only to have to say "goodbye," took big risks, and stayed faithful to his Lord despite the cost. And God had provided His sufficiency in each every situation. Maybe that is one reason why, in verses 10-13, the apostle Paul spoke of being content in every situation. In low times as well as in seasons of ease, whether he faced plenty or hunger, abundance, or need, Paul turned to the Lord and found strength in Him. Paul experienced the glory of doing all things in the powe

He gives power to the weak, and those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31 Today's reading offers rich encouragement for us during our most wearying and trying times. Wonderfully, God promises us power and strength to fly, run, and walk, but did you see the conditions in this text, one even more explicit than the other? First, we must acknowledge our need for strength and our inadequacy in the face of life's challenges We are weak and powerless in ourselves. But only when we recognize this reality only when we recognize our need will we go to the One who can provide for those needs. Second and more explicitly we are to wait for the Lord. In Psalm 40:1, the psalmist told us he "waited patiently for the Lord

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil....Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-11, 13 Jesus followers are fighting a war. The persistent, insidious, and evil schemes of the devil must be combated. We are called to be strong and stand firm. Yet this fight is not physical; it will not and cannot be fought or won in the flesh. That's why Paul called us to be strong "in the Lord and in which power of his might." Paul then went on to describe the armor of God, which is essential for the believer's survival. I find these six pieces of the armor a great list to pray over each morning as I dress for the day and after a few weeks of doing so, you'll have the list memorized: The belt of truth The breastplate of righteousness The shoes of peace The shield of faith The hel

We do not cease to pray for you that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened will all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Colossians 1:9-12 Paul was again praying for Christ followers, for "the saints in the light," and thanking God for the inheritance He has for His people throughout eternity. What do we know about that inheritance? When we are redeemed from our sinful ways of living apart from God, we receive an inheritance that certainly includes heaven. In addition, we inherit the presence of God in our inner man. In other words, our spirit is made alive in Christ as His might and power work in us. Jesus grants us inner strength "for all patience and longsuffering with joy." The Father has qualified us

I bow my knees to the Father that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you may be able to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14, 16-17, 19 Today's Scripture passages are a portion of one of Paul's prayers. He was on his knees before the Father, interceding for his beloved church in Ephesus and for us to be strengthened through the Holy Spirit in the inner man. Twentieth century Christian teacher Watchman Nee often spoke of the outer man, the inner man, and the innermost man. He defined these as the body, the soul (mind, will, and emotion), and the spirit. It is this innermost man, the spirit about which Paul was praying. That is the part of human beings where divine power resides. God's Holy Spirit then works outwardly through the soul and body. Thr

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:17-18 What do you think Jesus meant when He told those listening to Him, "Do not think?" Have you ever tried to stop thinking? If I were to tell you to try not to think about anything while I count to thirty, you would keep thinking. (Go ahead and try it if you don't believe me!) Jesus wasn't really telling us to quit thinking. He told us to quit thinking the wrong away. Jesus said, "Don't think that I came to tear things apart. I came to put things back together, and when I am finished, everything will be completely put back together just as God intended in the beginning." My grandsons love to play with their LEGOS but I don't. That's because I can't put them together. Whenev

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Saviour, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen  Jude 24-25 When I was eight, my grandparents took me on vacation to see the California redwoods. Growing up in Oklahoma, I had never seen tress that huge. I couldn't even see the tops of them! We walked over to one area where there was a deep drop and a fence only kept visitors from falling down the mountain. I climbed onto the fence only to feel my grandfather's hand immediately grab my arm and pull me back. He then explained how easy it would be to slip off that fence and how dangerous it was that I had not paid attention. He picked me up and held onto me as we looked down the mountainside. He smiled and said, "I'm not letting go of you. I want to bring you home safely." Jesus has made a similar promise to each of us w