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Enough is enough.
It is time for Christians (who I am addressing today) to take a stand against the irreverent, rampant, revolting, unchecked evil that is ravaging our nation and world. Let’s call evil what it is. Evil is evil. Evil will never be good. Evil people are boldly, unashamedly, unapologetically, fanatically in some cases, standing against everything that is holy, righteous, good and decent. Unafraid, emboldened by the evil one who they blindly serve, evildoers stand up and speak out for what they erroneously believe. Deceived and duped by the devil, they spew their poisonous ideology on naïve people. I have a question. Why is it that many of God’s good people are strangely, eerily silent as evil attempts to destroy America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and history? I have an idea. It takes courageous commitment and unshakeable convictions to take a stand in our current culture. Demonic forces, evil people and weak Christians put pressure on you and me to sit down and shut up when we should be standing up and speaking up. People who stand for nothing will fall for anything. There are people, even in the church, who fall for anything because they stand for nothing. Think about this. Not taking a stand for what you believe is taking a stand that you really do not believe what you say you do. If you don’t clearly define where you stand, someone else will define your life for you, and you may not like their assessment! In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The Lord declared that His church, the body of Christ, would prevail against hell’s gates. The original intent of the verse means that God’s people would push back the gates of hell, not be pushed back, pushed around and pushed down by the gates of hell. How in the world, with a promise like that, can the church of Jesus Christ not prevail over the evil that hell has unleased through its gates? You, me and fellow believers must ask ourselves if we are prevailing or failing in the presence of Satan’s demonic hordes and evil minions. In the Bible, Peter exhorts us in I Peter 3:15 to defend our faith. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Defending Christian faith means Christians should take a stand for Jesus Christ in their daily life. You and I should be ready, prepared to share our faith with the people God puts in our path. If you profess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, do you stand up for His name and His Word? Is your faith in Jesus settled, firm, steadfast, immovable, unshakeable? Would you be willing to lay down your physical life for the Savior? Taking A Stand For The Cause Of Christ
Jesus took a stand when He died voluntarily on the Cross. His shed blood secured salvation for you, me and all who will believe. How can we not stand for Him who died in our place? There are brothers and sisters in Christ today, right now, in the world who are being killed because of their faith. Regardless of the persecution and suffering, they courageously choose to take a stand for Christ, knowing it may well cost them their earthly life. My brothers and sisters in Christ. Take a stand. Stand up for Jesus and the Bible. Arise. Get up off your spiritual fanny (I said it nicely) to stand up boldly for Lord. Take a stand now while you can. Stand by yourself if necessary. Stand up to evil with the Good News! Multitudes of people are spiritually lost. Their hearts are empty. Without Christ, they are hopeless, helpless and powerless to save themselves from sin, death and the grave. Stand with Jesus to win the lost to Christ before it is too late. “Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13 A Word For Your Week: Take a strong stand for Jesus Christ and Christianity every day. Evil from the pit of hell has reared its ugly across the world.
I do not have to tell you that Satan inspired, demon empowered evil is spreading like a deadly viruss of death throughout humanity. Misguided men and women and their supporters, under the devil’s dominion, are savagely ravaging their fellow human beings with their blind belief that lies and hate are greater than truth and love. Unchecked evil, that ruins and destroys innocent people’s lives, gets my spiritual dander up. If you don’t know what spiritual dander is, it means evil really ticks me off! Makes me righteously angry! Defiance and rebellion towards God. Disrespect for lawful authority. Sexual immorality. Perversion of purity. Violence against others. Murder of the unborn. Taking advantage of the elderly. Lying. Stealing. Cheating. Corruption. Vile hatred. Terrorist attacks. Barbaric butchering of human beings. Being a false witness. These evil deeds, as well as others, get Steve Roll’s dander up in a hurry! My friends, it is time to call evil evil. The words evil, evils, evil doers, evil deeds are mentioned at least 700 times in God’s Word. If you want to know what is evil, pay clear attention to what God says is evil, (not the world, media, political figures or your favorite celebrity!) In the Bible, God calls good good and evil evil. Nowhere in the Bible does God tolerate evil. Sorry politically correct world: Tolerance is not a biblical principle regarding evil. Meditate on this ominous, foreboding warning from Isaiah 5:20-23. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink; who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right.” No comment necessary except if you dare to call evil good or good evil, you better think again. God’s “woe” means watch out! Hit the deck! Judgment from the hand of Almighty God is coming! Satan, “the evil one” in the Bible, always makes evil look good. The devil is a deceiver who entices and seduces unsuspecting, naïve, vulnerable people into accepting evil over good. Satan is a liar who peddles falsehood to folks who are not grounded in God’s good Word. Our current culture, and some segments of the church, are soft-peddling evil, making light of and mocking what is good. Christians who love the Lord and His Word should be appalled, ashamed and gravely concerned about the tolerant attitudes toward evil that are coming from some pulpits. Many so=called Christians are blinking and winking at evil when they should be speaking out and standing up against it. Making evil palatable and excusable is inexcusable for the body of Christ. Jesus never tolerated evil in any way, shape or form. The Cross was horrifically evil. Jesus voluntarily died on that cruel cross to save you, me and all of mankind from the evil of all evils, eternity in hell. Compromising and coddling evil by the culture or church invites the displeasure of the One who Sent His only Son to redeem us from sin and deliver us from the evil one. What do you think about evil? How do you feel about evil’s onslaught on our society and world? Does it matter to you that evil is being exalted while good is being trampled underfoot? Steps For Standing Up Against Evil
Truth. Goodness. Righteousness. Holiness. What is right. What is just. What is pure. What is sacred. When have these biblical virtues ever been a majority? My friend, boldly rise up with others as a fully committed, God-loving, God fearing minority that has the full force of heaven on our side to turn our increasingly evil society and world back to goodness and decency. I am signing up for God’s side. How about you? “Then Elisha answered, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” II Kings 6:16 A Word For your Week: Evil will retreat when God’s good people stand up against it. Currently our world is deeply troubled.
The ominous threat and unnerving possibility of widespread world war among nations is hovering over humanity. Peace eludes many. Not just peace from war, but peace in hearts torn by fear and terror that war produces. Like me, you dislike trouble. If someone likes trouble, they are in real TROUBLE! Most of us will agree that life is not trouble free. Trouble is part of living in a fallen world. Troubles can find you and me when we are not even looking for them! Trouble’s troublesome head was first raised when Adam and Eve decided to listen to the devil instead of God (see Genesis 3). Humankind and trouble have been traveling companions throughout human history ever since our first parents were booted out of Paradise for disobedience. But man’s Creator had a remedy for trouble. Jesus Himself said that we would have tribulation (trouble) in this world. “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 The Lord was no stranger to trouble. Everywhere He turned, the Son of God’s traveling companion was trouble. Because He and we are not of this world system, we will experience trouble too. All kinds of it. We must remember that the servant is not above His Master. We must also remember that trouble did not master our Master. Jesus mastered trouble. So can you and me. We can be courageous in Christ. Jesus tells His followers to be of good cheer and courageous when troubled. Why? Because He has overcome the world where trouble comes from. We can overcome trouble because Jesus overcame the world. Triumphing over trouble is a hallmark of people of faith in Christ. One of my favorite scriptures is John 14:27. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, or let it be fearful.” John 14:27 The Lord tells us specifically to not be troubled in our hearts. Neither are we to be fearful. The trouble with trouble is that it can lead to a fearful heart. A fearful heart loses courage to walk by faith. When we walk in fear instead of faith, trouble triumphs over us. Life may not be trouble free, but our hearts can be. The Master’s key to triumphing over trouble is God’s peace. Note it is “My peace” that Jesus gives to us. Not the world’s false peace, but God’s true peace. Peace that overcomes is the peace that comes from the Prince of Peace. Jesus’ peace kept him victorious in times of trouble. AMAZING TRUTH: Jesus gives us His peace. I have God’s peace when I trust in Him! His peace stills our spirit, enabling us to stand firm and steady during trouble’s storms. The God of peace sends Christ’s peace to calm our troubled hearts and give Christians courage to rise up and overcome life’s difficulties. Seven Steps For Triumphing Over Trouble 1. Believe in God and His only Son Jesus Christ. 2. Receive the peace of God. 3. Be courageous in the face of trouble. 4. Do not allow fear to take hold in your heart. 5. Turn away from your troubles. 6. Turn to and turn up your faith in Jesus. 7. Walk every day in Christ’s victory over the world. Multitudes of people across the world are troubled by trouble. Some of them live next door or down the street from you. You work with folks who are anxious and fearful concerning world events. Governments are scrambling to contain trouble. Even some professing Christians are not sure what to do. How about you? Are you currently troubled by trouble? Please don’t be. Turn the table on trouble. Trouble is in trouble when God’s children are not troubled by trouble. When trouble knocks on the door of your heart, simply tell it to go away. Tell your troubles to take a hike in Jesus’ mighty name! Stand firm in your faith. Send trouble down the road to trouble you no more. I say again: do not be troubled or be afraid. Jesus’ peace has trouble covered! “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14:1 A Word For Your Week: Triumph over trouble through trust in Jesus Christ. At this time, you, me and precious, innocent, decent, well-intentioned, good people all over the world are witnessing hell unleashed through evil men and women. Unrestrained, horrific, abominable, Satan inspired, demonic empowered evil from the fiery pit of hell is stalking the world.
Anxiety, fear, terror and uncertainty, like a dark, sinister storm cloud, is hovering over the human race. People everywhere are asking “Who will deliver us from evil?” The government? Military power? Political coalitions? New leadership? Economic prosperity? My friend, look no further than God’s Word, the Bible. Who can and will deliver good, righteous people from evil? Almighty God will. The God of the Bible is a God of deliverances. For as long as I can remember Domino’s Pizza advertising slogan has been “Domino’s Delivers!” Personally, I have eaten my share of pizza pie in my seven decades of life. Piping hot sausage and cheese pizza delivered to my door has a wonderful way of rescuing me from hunger pangs. Yum! Can’t you just taste your favorite pizza melting in your mouth about now? Some of you are ready to dial Domino’s aren’t you! Domino’s is not the only one who delivers. I am not talking about pizza here. God is in the delivery business too. Delivery with a big “D.” Domino’s Pizza rescues from hunger. But God rescues His people from their enemies. David’s chapter title for I Samuel 17 could read GOD DELIVERS! David was obviously overmatched when the giant Goliath (9 feet tall and weighing 700 pounds) stepped onto the battlefield to taunt him into a fight. King Saul and the Israeli army, paralyzed by fear, stood frozen in their sandals for forty days and nights. Eighty times the gigantic, menacing giant ate their lunch. Israel seemed powerless to do anything about it. Day forty-one, enter David who possessed a bucket load of faith, a laser guided slingshot (okay, I am exaggerating a bit!) and a handful of bunker busting stones (I did it again didn’t I?). You read the story for yourself and see what really happened. With brazen, unbridled, and brash boldness, David decisively defeated the mighty Philistine warrior Goliath. How in the world did this little known, pint-sized shepherd boy bring down the towering, trash-talking giant? David confidently and courageously exercised faith in the God who delivers. “And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” I Samuel 17:37 Where did David’s conquering confidence come from? He was confident of God’s ability to rescue him from Goliath because of past deliverances. As a shepherd tending sheep in the field, David had faced danger before. At least two times. Attacked by a lion and bear, David rehearses how he was rescued from disaster. God’s mighty hand overpowered the paws of the two prowling predators, delivering David and his flock from destruction. Therefore, full of faith, David concluded that as God rescued him from the lion and bear, He would certainly deliver him from this mountain-sized menace of an ungodly man. The God who had delivered David yesterday would deliver him today. How about you? How is your faith in God as your deliverer? Right now? During these perilous, unnerving times in human history? Do you need God to rescue you from an enemy or difficult circumstance? Psalm 68:19-20 declares. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. GOD IS TO US A GOD OF DELIVERANCES; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.” Absolutely Awesome! God is a God of deliverances! Note “deliverances” and “escapes” are plural. He delivers from anyone, anything and everything, every time. However many times we need delivered, GOD DELIVERS! He rescues the redeemed from the hand of enemies. While I am writing I say glory to that!!! The focus of this week’s word is this: Our God who has delivered us in the past will rescue us in the present and the future. If you are like me, I need my memory jogged from time to time. Especially when I am under attack from the enemy. I need to focus my faith and reflect upon past times when God delivered me from the assaults of Satan, the mockery of men, the hurt of heartbreak or the insecurity of a sudden setback. Let us help ourselves out by not forgetting past deliverances. Remembering past rescues stimulates faith for rescue now. Take a pad and pen and write down all the times God rescued you from the enemy. Refer to it when under attack. Rejoice in what God did for you. Then rest assured that the God who delivered you before will deliver you now! When Facing A Goliath You Need Rescued From….
A Goliath of terrorism is has raised its ugly head and sword to annihilate decent human being. Who are you turning to: “Breaking News or God’s Good News? When Goliath shows up on your turf resist him with faith. Summon the God of deliverances. Stand back with bold confidence. Watch Him deliver you from your adversary. Then rejoice in the God who rescues! It is time for good people to stand up to evil, trusting in the God who delivers. “But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, and Thou has put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted all day long, and we will give thanks to Thy name forever.” Psalm 44:7-8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 A Word For Your Week: The God who delivered you yesterday will deliver you today and tomorrow. As I write today (October 18th) dark, ominous clouds of uncertainty hover over humanity.
Anxiety. Fear. Terror taunt and haunt the hearts and minds of men and women everywhere on planet Earth. Why? The prospect of a possible world war is on the table. The war cry is eerily loud. Modern sabers are rattling, instilling uncertainty and confusion in folks like you and me. People of all stripes are troubled, wondering and worrying about what may be next. As a born-again, Spirit-filled Christian, what should Steve Roll do in a time such as this? I believe I should stand firm in faith as to what I am convinced of. To be convinced means to be certain, persuaded, without any question or doubt. There are people in our culture and world who are convinced of wrong things. Evil things. I choose to be different. In II Timothy 1: 12 the Apostle Paul shares with us what he was certain about. “For this reason I also suffer, but I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed and am convinced, completely persuaded, that He (God) is able to keep what I have entrusted to Him against that day.” Paul was a convinced, committed, confident Christian. Paul suffered for his faith (see II Corinthians 11: 22-31). The faithful messenger of the love and grace of God never sucked his spiritual thumb or threw a personal pity-poor-me party. On the contrary: I have suffered. I am not ashamed. I know who I have believed. I am convinced. I like the personal pronoun “I”. Paul’s “I” meant he was an-all in guy. Being convinced in my and your Christian faith is powerful. Do you believe that God will guard your commitment to Him every single day, no matter what?
RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD TIME Are you convinced the world system is your security? Think again. Are you convinced the government will always protect you and your loved ones? Think again. Are you convinced that the economy is your supply? Think again. Are you convinced some political figure, celebrity or popular pastor is your savior? Think again. Are you convinced that fellow humans could keep you safe from Satan? Think again. Look up Romans 8:31-39 in your Bible. Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired pen records incredibly motivating words of unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ in verses 38-39. “FOR I AM CONVINCED that neither death or life, or angels, or principalities, or things present, or things present, or powers, or height, or depth, or any other created thing, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.” Paul nailed it down for himself. Even though he bore in his body evidence of suffering for Christ, he knew without a single question or doubt what he was convinced of. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever separate Paul from God’s love in Jesus. I do not know about you, but I want to be like Paul in the way he followed Jesus. How about you my fellow Christian? Are you convinced, fully persuaded, that absolutely nothing can separate you from God’s love? Are you completely convinced that God is who He says He is and does what He says He will do? Seriously, are you on board 100% with unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? No matter what happens? Even if others around you are uncertain about their faith? Even if the world chooses to go to hell in a hand-basket? I challenge you in these uncertain times to be convinced. Make this your confession of faith. ‘I (Your Name) am not ashamed; for I (Your Name) know in whom I have believed and I (Your Name) am convinced that He is able to guard what I (Your Name) have entrusted to Him until that day. I will be unwavering in my personal devotion to My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who laid His life down for me through the shedding of His precious blood so that I could be saved for time and eternity.” THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOR WATCHING OVER ME EACH AND EVERY DAY! “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Who shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life. Who shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, MY HEART WILL NOT FEAR. Though war rise up against me, in spirt of this, I SHALL BE CONFIDENT.” Psalm 27:1-4 A Word For Your Week: Conduct your daily life as a convinced Christian. An astute observer of baseball remarked “You will never steal second base with your foot on first.”
To go forward in life we must move from where we are. May people, Christians included, desire to round the bases of life and score a winning run. But they never will with their feet firmly planted on first base. In Matthew 14:22-36 Jesus walked on the water. The disciples witnessed with their own eyes the Lord gliding on top of the sea. Peter was very impressed. He also desired to be with Jesus. So, he asked the Lord to command him to come to Him on the water. The command was issued: “Come!” “And He said “Come!” and Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29 Without hesitating, Peter took a step of faith, got out of the boat, and walked on the water toward Jesus. What was that like Peter to walk on water? Pretty awesome! As you read the rest of this miraculous story, you will discover that Peter’s faith faltered. He started sinking when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind and waves. “But seeing the wind Peter became afraid, and beginning to sink cried out Lord, save me.” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Peter’s initial, courageous, gutsy faith turned into a bout with doubt. Fortunately for Peter, Jesus rescued him. Then came a word about faith and doubt. The disciples learned a lesson about faith and marveled at who Jesus was. Our emphasis today is on Peter’s getting out of the boat. I applaud him for doing what the other disciples did not do. Peter left the safe border of his boat, venturing into a whole new world while his brothers stayed on board. People today are BORED and BORING because they stay on BOARD their boats. Let’s be honest. It is so easy and so boring to stay on board our little boats. A vast ocean of God’s blessings and miracles await those who will step out of their boat and step into God’s opportunities for their life. It seems so safe and secure to stay in the boat. But safe and secure does not move anybody forward. Staying on board our boat keeps us from experiencing new things. It is traditional for sailors to name their boats. So, let’s name a few or ours. How about comfort, security, safety, sameness, rut, familiarity, laziness, excuses, procrastination, and so forth. Some of these boats ring a bell in your life? They do in mine. I heard Joyce Meyer say “Jesus did not come on board the boat and take Peter’s hand to lead him across the wind-tossed waves. When Peter took a step out of the boat, then God met him on the water.” What an incredible insight! Too often we want the Lord to meet us on the boat when He is inviting us to get out of the boat and meet Him where He is. Meditate on that thought for awhile. Walking on the water is where Jesus is. How about you? Are you sitting still on the sea of life or are you walking on the water by faith in Jesus Christ. We say we have faith. That’s good. But when is the last time you stepped out of your boat on to the sea of God’s faithfulness? If we want a bigger boat, we must get out of the boat we are in. If we want to do more for Jesus, we have to step out in faith and leave our little boats behind. Is the Spirit of God challenging you to make some changes in your life? Is there some water the Lord wants you to walk on by faith? Is Jesus calling you to draw closer to Him? To go where He is and wants you to go? Is He commanding you to come? You will have to get out of your boat. You will never walk on water while sitting in your boat. So, why not get out of your comfort zone? Every one of the heroes in the Hall of Fame of faith in Hebrews 11 and many other saints throughout history got out of their boat at some time to meet God in a new way. They stepped with faith on the water before them. Maybe it is time for you to step out of that rut you have been spinning your wheels in for days, weeks, months or years. Break away from that bad habit that holds you back from greater usefulness for God’s Kingdom. Take a prayerful, careful, faithful risk and walk toward Jesus who is outside your boat. Jesus’ call is the same: “Come!” Coming to Jesus when He calls is an act of faith and obedience. Can He count on you to get your be-hind out of your boat and answer His call? “Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1 A Word For Your Week: You will never know if your faith will float until you get out of the boat. In the late 1970’s a television commercial for a home emergency paging system made the phrase famous “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” Some of you remember this. I can still see the elderly lady calling out for help from the living room floor.
Fast forward to 2023: many people are falling and not getting back up. What a tragedy that people today in our culture and world have adopted this ad slogan as their excuse for not coming back from setbacks and succeeding after falling or failing. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” can become a cop out, an easy excuse to stay down in life’s journey. Truth be told, all of us fall down because we take hits in life. Living in a fallen world no one is exempt from taking a fall from time to time. From out of nowhere life hits take the wind out of our sail, knocking our feet out from under us. None of us like to fall. But falls happen. It is sad and disheartening to watch people take a fall and not get up to stand tall again. Staying down when we have fallen down is not a steppingstone to success. Solomon has something significant to say about the righteous man who takes a fall. “For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” Proverbs 24:16 Life tends to trip up even the best of us. Note that a “righteous man” will fall. Good, godly people fall how many times? At least seven. I am sure I have fallen more than seven times in my lifetime so far! How about you? You and I must nail this down as God’s children: It is inevitable we will fall down from time to time. There is no fall-free life. Believers in Christ are not granted an exemption from falling. If you think Christians are free from falling, read your Bible and think again. From cover-to-cover righteous men and women of God took tumbles and stumbled in life. BUT THEY GOT UP! The righteous man falls. But every single time, he gets up. The righteous man rises above Satan’s hits and his own shortcomings, mistakes, missteps, flops, fumbles, and failures by getting back up. EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!!!
The unrighteous person (“wicked”) also falls in a time of calamity (testing, trial, or difficulty). But instead of rising up to run another lap in the race of life, his stumble crushes him and causes him to crumble. He lies down and wallows in the misery of his fall. Without faith in God, he falters and fails in his self-centered pursuit of success.
What is your attitude to falling down? Winner or quitter? Falls and even failure is neither final nor fatal for those who brush the dust off their britches and get up and go again. Do not, I repeat do not, let the devil keep you down. Boldly and confidently rise up in Christ’s righteousness. Take back what the enemy has tried to steal from you. Remember: What God has given you, belongs to you, not anyone else! Fight the good fight of faith! Overcome in Jesus’ mighty name! Have you fallen lately? Need some motivation to get back up? Adopt Micah’s inspiring battle cry for success. “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; Though I fall I will rise, though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.” (Micah 7:7-8) I love Micah’s fighting words! Makes me want to charge hell with a water pistol! Micah made his decision. The prophet is telling us from personal experience that if you tumble you do not have to stumble. When life trips you up, get up and get on with living. The Lord will lift you up and light your way. Tell the devil you are ready to rumble in Jesus’ name! Victory over the enemy is not in never falling. Getting up after a fall is! Getting back up after a fall is not always easy, but it is the path to victory! Recovering from a fall in life requires fortitude, faith and a relentless resolve to rise above adversity every time calamity strikes. Those who fall (that is you and me) are promised victory over falling through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (I John 4:4, 5:4). My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, let us stop whining about life and start winning. Let us stop complaining about falls and conquer them instead. We overcome when we get up after a fall and get right back in Satan’s face in Jesus’ mighty name! 2023 is the time for Christians to grow up, step up and lead the way in getting back up after a life fall. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” II Corinthians 4:7-10 A Word For Your Week: If you want to stand tall, get right back up after a fall! If you could choose, what would be the DAY of days for you?
I mean the DAY of all days. In 1976 I experienced one of those DAY of days. Jo Ann and I had been married for just nine months when Uncle Sam and the United States Navy separated us for thirteen months. Back then in what my adult children call the dinosaur days, there was zero technology. No computers. No cell phones. No texting. No Facebook. No Facetime. Only slow, slow snail mail. Kodak photos. Overseas phone calls were super expensive. So, our attic stores many, many boxes containing hundreds of love letters we wrote across the Pacific Ocean. I have forbidden my children to read them! Jo Ann and I cherished a few pictures of each other. But I tell you, pictures are one thing. Anticipating seeing her again was another. What we looked forward to was day 397, THE DAY when I borded the Freedom Bird, swooping out of Kadena Air Force base on Okinawa to land in San Bernadino and see my sweetheart in person, face to face. Oh my! Indescribable joy overwhelmed my emotions as I took her in my arms, looked into those sparkling blue eyes, kissed her and said “I love you” in person. That day with Jo Ann was absolutely awesome! But there is a DAY THAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO LIKE NO OTHER. An off the chart day. A day, THE DAY IS COMING when the bride of Christ (the church) will see the bridegroom (Jesus) in person when He returns to earth to take His people home to heaven. Paul tells us “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:16-18 John writes “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and is has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies Himself just as He is pure.” I John 3:1-3 Did you get what Paul and John said? God’s sons and daughters will see Jesus in person. Face to face when He, with the heavenly host, splits the eastern sky to take His followers home. What a day that will be! No more manmade pictures of Jesus hanging in Sunday school classrooms. No more actors portraying the Lord in blockbuster movies. No more speculation about Christ’s appearance. We, we who personally know Jesus through faith in Him, will see, yes see, His face. Just as He is. Oh my goodness! Can any day ever compare to THAT DAY WHEN JESUS COMES TO TAKE US HOME!!!! My friend, are you ready to see Jesus face to face? Just as He is… the Lord of glory, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Savior of the world, Son of God who sits at the right hand of our heavenly Father? Have you surrendered yourself to Christ? Have you repented of your sin and confessed Jesus Lord of your life? Have you opened the door of your heart and welcomed Jesus in as Lord and Savior? If you have you are ready for THE DAY OF DAYS! If you are not ready to meet Jesus in person, get ready. Get ready now. Now is the day of salvation, not tomorrow (II Corinthians 6:1-2). Repent. Turn from sin and turn to Him. Receive Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior. I cannot speak for you. But I get spiritual and emotional goose bumps thinking of THE DAY when I see Jesus face to face! Whether I see Him in the clouds of the air or I see Him when I have died a natural death (“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” II Corinthians 5:8) I will shout Hallelujah like I have never shouted Praise the Lord before! How do you feel about seeing Jesus fact to face? Honestly, I can only imagine what I will do when I see my precious Lord and Savior. It is going to be really, really good!!!! My fellow Christian, spend some devotional time this week focusing on seeing Jesus. Study the Word regarding His return for the saints. Welcome the Holy Spirit to stir your soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory as you anticipate the return of the Savior!!! Jesus is coming back. Soon. Any day now. We will see Him as He is. I hope you are ready and excited to see Him! “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” I Thessalonians 2:19-20 “And though you have not seen Him you love Him; and though you do not see Him now but believe in Hiim, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” I Peter 1:8-9 “He who testifies to these things says “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:21 A Word For Your Week: Look forward with expectant faith to seeing Jesus face to face one day. Glory.The word glory, according to Webster, means “renown, praise, honor or distinction extended by common consent.”
The world you and I live is intoxicated with extending glory to men and women we highly admire. Academy award winning actors/actresses, brilliant business leaders, charismatic politicians in power positions, outstanding athletes and even popular pastors and ministers have glory attributed to them through awards, trophies, plaques, monuments, statues and many other forms of recognition. Admittedly, in many quarters of America, celebrities are worshipped. Adoring, awestruck (may I add fickled!) fans pour glorious accolades upon them…. and the recipients soak it up. Who doesn’t desire to be recognized for their achievements? Who hasn’t dreamed of being recognized as Most Valuable Player, Olympic champion, world’s best, business person of the year, salesperson of the month, and on and on. Glory is something that appeals to our flesh. Appropriate recognition and rewards are honorable and important. All of us need love, acceptance and approval strokes that contribute to positive, healthy self-esteem and self-confidence But I wonder if sometimes we give glory to men above glory to God? We praise and honor talent, gifting and human performances. But where did the abilities to stand out above others come from? Who is the real one behind man’s glory, the One who deserves all the glory? Most of the psalms (scripture songs) are attributed to David. In addition to his musical and lyrical gifts inspired by the Holy Spirit, his resume’ includes serving God as a shepherd boy, a giant slayer, warrior and king of Israel. As king, he received adoration, admiration, accolades and glory for his many victories over God’s enemies. But David knew who the real King of glory was. “Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.” Psalm 24:7-10 David is saying two things. 1. The Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle, the Lord strong and mighty, He is the King of glory. The God of the Bible is holy and full of glory. No one is renowned like Him. 2. King David declares that Almighty God, the sovereign Creator of the universe and redeemer of creation, that He alone should be revered and worshipped as the King of glory. He talks about gates and doors being opened. For what purpose? To welcome the King of glory in. Lift up your heads refers to looking up to the Lord. You and I are to focus our faith on the King of glory by opening the door of our heart to Him. In Philippians 2:9-11 Paul writes “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Chris is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus’ name is above all names. Every tongue will confess and knees will bow, acknowledging His lordship. Sounds like Jesus Christ is the King of glory, doesn’t it? At least He shares the glory of the Father. If you want to have a good day…..
Sad fact: People who glory in people will always be disappointed and let down. Maybe, just maybe, our sad, sin-sick world would be a much better place if we glorified people a little less and glorified God a whole lot more. Just a thought. A historic hymn of the church says it just right. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” “Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength; ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name, worship the Lord in holy array.” Psalm 29:1-2 “And in His temple everything says, “Glory!” Psalm 29:9a How about you? Do you say “Glory?” to God. A Word For Your Week: Daily open wide the gate of your heart to the King of glory. To err is human; to forget is routine. As I mature as a human being, this forgetting routine is becoming up close and personal.
Recently I went into the bedroom to get something and could not remember what I was supposed to be getting! Too embarrassed to ask my wife. My dog Daisy looked at me wondering why I looked confused. Someone said there are three indicators of getting old. First, the loss of memory—and we cannot remember the other two! Natural memory loss inhibits us from remembering things we should not forget. In our verses for this week Jesus’ closest followers were long on forgetfulness and short of memory. “Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you took up?” Matthew 16:9-10 Setting: the religious leaders were testing Jesus (verses 1-6). The Lord warns the disciples to watch out for them and their sign-seeking. Their response to His wise warning? A discussion group. They missed the lesson because they focused on not having any bread (verse 5). The disciples failed the bread test (verses 7-8). Enter Jesus into discussion. “You men of little faith.” My goodness, (my paraphrase!) you watched the miraculous feedings of the 5,000 and 4,000 and their families. And you still don’t get it? Have you forgotten what you should be remembering? Think about it. They personally witnessed with their own eyes and held the bread in their own hands when Jesus fed two crowds that numbered in the thousands. Two major physical miracles in the short span of a few days. “Little Boy’s Lunch Of Loaves Of Bread And Fish Feed Thousands” makes for huge headlines in the Jerusalem daily journal! And they are talking about “no bread”. How in the world could they be so lame-brained, memory drained, forgetting about all those who “ate and were satisfied” and the overflowing baskets of leftover bread? (Matthew 15:37) The disciples lapsed into SPITIRUAL MEMORY LOSS which is very dangerous to our faith life!
Slick strategy by the evil one. Deception is his game. Hey Christian, forget what God did yesterday. Are you sure you can trust Him to act on your behalf today? Forgetting can easily led to lack of faith and unfaithfulness to the Lord. When we are in need, how easy, frustrating and unproductive it is to forget how God has met our needs in the past. So often the message of Moses and the prophets to Israel was “REMEMBER YOUR GOD!” (Deuteronomy 8:1-18). Forgetting stifles faith while remembering stimulates faith. REMEMBER THE LORD needs to be our banner and battle cry when life turns upside down. Remembering what we should not forget will turn life right side up. An insightful person wrote “God gave us our memories that we might have roses in December”. Remember These Ten Things When Tempted to Forget 1. God is Almighty. There is nothing too difficult for Him! (Jeremiah32:16) 2. Absolutely nothing can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:35-39) 3. What God did for His people Israel; He will do for you because you are His people. (I Peter 2:9-10) 4. God is a god of deliverances who has delivered you before! (Psalm 68:19-20) 5. God made a way for you in the past when there was no way! (Isaiah 43:19) 6. God supplied your need yesterday and will supply today. (Philippians 4:19) 7. God sustained you through a previous crisis and will sustain you now. Psalm 55:22) 8. God came through last time and will come through this time. (Joshua 4:23-24) 9. God blessed you yesterday and will bless you today and tomorrow. (Job 42:12) 10. God has never failed you and will not fail you today! (Hebrews 13:5) TRUTH: We should not forget what we should remember. “Remember to forget your losses, your setbacks, and your defeats. Do not forget to remember your blessings, your triumphs, and your victories!” William A. Ward: Don’t forget to remember what God has done for you! Experiencing a tough time? Remember--- the same good God who took good care of you last time will take good care of you this time! “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, yes and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 A Word For Your Week: Remember today what you should not forget. |
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