Our Path of Sin -- Colossians 3: 7

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When talking about sin, it is quite easy to put ourselves in a category that is different than the lost. We can see a list of sins in the Bible, like the one we looked at a few days ago in Colossians 3:5, and disassociate ourselves from the likes of those who are still committing such sins every day.  When we begin to process that "the wrath of God" will one day be fully displayed because of the sins and the sinners that practice such things, it is easy for us to sit on our spiritual high horses.  It seems that God knew that we might respond that way, and He used Paul to speak directly to us. lest we fall to the sin of self-elevation.  This is what our Bible verse says today:

"In these you too once walked, when you were living in them."

There it is . . . we too once walked in the kinds of sins that will eventually cause God to avenge Himself with His wrath.  We are not off the hook.  We must now have a special kind of patience and compassion upon those who are still walking that way.  The kind of patience and compassion that God had for us when we were the ones who were stumbling on the path of sin. 

This is also important for us to consider because we are to be dying to our self and the sins that we commit.  To put to death all of our sins and idols is to be able to honestly say that we once walked in  them.  If we are not putting them completely to death, then they are still apart of our journey, a part that God clearly wants us to remove.

Who I once was and what I once did can no longer be a part of my walk of obedience, for my works were all about disobedience.  I was a sinner dead in my trespasses.  If I am now raised with Christ and truly focused on Him, if I am crucifying my flesh in order to live in the Spirit, then there is no sin that I am free to live in.  They are dead to me, and I am dead to them.

What sins are you currently still trying to live in while trusting in the blood of Jesus?  These are the very sins that belong in the "I-once-walked-in-them" category, where all sin should be.  It is time for the church to get off its SIN PATH and on to the PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Wrath of God (Do I have your attention now?)

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God's wrath . . . it's not a topic that believers talk about much, or even want to  think about.  Depending on which theology you have on the Rapture, you might think that it is not something that you will have to deal with.  Yet our passage of Scripture today forces the idea of God's wrath in front of our eyes, and should cause us to give it some thought today.

"On account of these things the wrath of God is coming."       Colossians 3:6

On account of what things?  In order to correctly dissect this verse, we have to look back at the previous verse, which says, 

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:  sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry."

Our fleshly and earthly sins are the "these things" spoken of in today's verse. It is because of these sin that the wrath of God is coming.  His wrath will be displayed particularly in the last three and a half years of tribulation, and ultimately after the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth. At this point, the earth as we know it will be destroyed forever, and God will usher in a new heaven and earth for those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ and have experienced the necessary heart conversion.

This heart conversion takes place when the believer in Christ surrenders his whole being to the Lordship of Christ.  When we surrender in this way, Christ is then able to live out His life through us by the power of the Spirit within us.  It is only by the Holy Spirit that we will be able to put to death all that is earthly in us.  It is not something that we can simply "will ourselves" to do.  It is God's work to do within us, completing what He has begun in us.  The work is simply this, to put to death every form of idolatry in us.  Every single place in our heart that elevates something other than God to the throne of our life is an idol. If you depend on it without thinking, rather than on God, it is an idol.  It you have to have it or do it (because that's just the way you are made), its an idol.  If it is repetitive and habitual sin, it is an idol.  If it is an attitude (like self-reliance and dependence, prejudice, worry, etc.), it is a sin.  It 

The Spirit's job is to topple every form of idolatry that we practice.  It matters not if it is a physical idol (like a food addiction), a financial idol (like greed), an emotional idol (like anger), or a mental idol (like worrying and fretting).  It matters not whether the people around you can see it or not; it is an idol.  

Now, back to today's verse.  It is on account of the endless idols that are worshiped on earth, by unbelievers and believers alike, that God's wrath is coming.  How very important it is then for all believers to be about the business of truly surrendering our idols to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Why should we continue in our idolatry when we are to be dead to sin and alive in Christ.  How can we continue in our idolatry knowing that our idolatrous sins are the very same sins of unbelievers.  Will we continue to sin with the same sins that will eventually bring to the earth God's full wrath?  God is clearly calling His church to clean house!

Putting Your Sin To Death --The Short List (Col. 3: 5b)

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In the first 5 verses of Colossians 3 we have learned these 5 principles:

1.  We have been raised with Christ and must now begin to seek what is above. (Col. 3:1)

2.  That means we must stop living for earthly pleasures.  (Col. 3: 2)

3.  All believers are now considered dead to themselves.  (Col. 3: 3)

4.  Christ now has the right to live His life through us.  (Col. 3: 4)

5.  All that is "earthly" in us must be put to death.   (Col. 3: 5a)

My guess is that you believe all of these statements to be true.  God has said it, so it must be true, right?  But we must take it beyond what we know to be true in theory, to the place where it is true in our response to God.  Our actions must align with the truth.  That is why He gave us the second part of Colossians 3: 5.  God gets very specific now with us.  We are to put to death what is earthly in us.  Then He gives us a specific list by which we are to examine our own lives.  Theory should become highly personal in this part of the verse as you read through this short list of sins.

"Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry."

Ouch!!!

I have to say, though, at first blush, it is so easy to read each one slowly and tell yourself that "That is not me."  But if you wait just a moment, the Holy Spirit will likely begin to convict you in one of these areas, if not all of them.  That is where my "ouch" came from. 

You see, you don't have to be sleeping around to be sexually immoral.  A inappropriate sexual thought is all it take to make you guilty of the sin.  And if you have had one of those kinds of thoughts, you are now guilty of impurity as well.

Then if you consider what things you are passionate about, you might discover with the Spirit's help that you are imbalanced in your passion, so it has become sin in your life.  If you have let that passion develop a deep root in you, then you are likely have to crossed a line without even knowing it into desire that is no longer pure, but evil.

Now, maybe you still can't relate, and the Spirit is convicting you of nothing so far.  Praise God for that!  You may be the rare one that is not guilty of the first four.  But don't break your arm patting yourself on the back just yet, for the fifth sin will convict us all.

We don't often think of coveting something as being idolatry.  We tend to think it is only wanting what someone else has, stemming from our own jealousy.  But biblically speaking, covetousness is far more than desiring someone else's stuff.  Covetousness has a much deeper root than that.  It is the act of wanting something instead of what you have.  In this case of sin, it is wanting something more than you want God.  That is why is is referred to as idolatry.  It is the sin of having something that is more important to you than God.  And if you think about it, all of the 5 sins listed could be considered idolatry.

In the course of any ordinary day there are idols in my life that choose above God.  In this, I break the first commandment of God which states I should have no other gods other than God.  I can think of several idols that are currently active in my life.   Maybe you struggle with the same thing.

No matter which of these 5 sins you commit, (and of course this is not the complete list!), Paul is telling you in Colossians 3: 5 that they are earthly, and they are to have no part of you. They are to be put to death.  They are to be mortified.  Your life and mine is hidden in the holiness of Christ, so we must put to death anything that will tarnish His holiness.  It is a command:  "Put to death what is earthly in you."

 

Put To Death what is earthly in you! Really? -- Colossians 3:5

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Death . . . it is not a topic that we like to talk about much.  It ranks right up there with surrender and obedience when it comes to living as a believer and convert of Jesus Christ.

Yet, it is impossible to walk in the Light and by the Spirit without a death in us, not a physical death, but a death of our flesh.  That is what makes the topic so very unpopular in the western church. Those who claim to love the Lord struggle with the thought of crucifying their passions, lusts, idols, and sins.  We tend to justify our sins under the guise of, "Well, I am just made that way."  And if that is your excuse, I bet you have one, just like I do.

             " PUT TO DEATH what is earthly in you."

As I came to this verse (and a few that follow it), I found the very flesh that I am to be crucifying rising up inside of  me.  You see, I struggle a bit with anyone telling me what I have to do. Maybe you experience the same struggle.  If so, Colossians 3:5 will likely hit you over the head, especially as you realize, as I did, that knowing that we are to do something does not equal the actual doing of it.  This verse requires strong, immediate, and continual action. This one is our responsibility in Christ.

There you have it!  Everything that comes from the inside of you that is worldly (earthly), must be put to death.  It isn't a suggestion; it is a command!

Thinking back to verse 3, I have to ask myself.a couple of questions  You should, too.

• If I have died and am hidden with Christ in God, then why am I working so hard to keep my flesh alive? 

• Can I be 'positionally' hidden in Christ, and still have sins that are clearly not hidden?

• What is preventing me from surrendering my earthly (and very fleshly) sins, and walking in obedience to what the Word commands me to do or not do?

• Why have I not reacted more diligently to the truth that what is of this world in me is NOT of Christ?

It is my responsibility, given to me by God Himself, to put do death my very flesh . . . every bit of it.  That includes some very specific sins (that will be included in my next blog), but it really includes every sin that can be found in me.  I am not walking in obedience if I do not take full vengeance on my every sin, idol, evil thought, passion and lust, personal goal, desire, dream, attitude . . . well, you get the picture!  To not hide them in the shadow of Christ and His every desire for me is to leave them active.  When they are active in me, they expose the true measure of my love for Christ, and it is not a favorable review.

The one who desires to be totally focused on what is above, not on what is earthly, will begin to take up his own cross of earthly and fleshly crucifixion, and walk after the Savior.  This one will discover what I am beginning to understand:  My part is to surrender; the Holy Spirit in me will live the Life of Christ through me as I do so.  But I must surrender in order to climb onto the cross of my own crucifixion.  When I do, the Spirit will lead me to the death of myself in every area where I am prone to stumble.

What sins, lusts, idols, and attitudes need to be put to death in you?  

 

 

Appearing With Christ -- Colossians 3:4

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In order to fully understand the meaning of today's verse from Colossians 3, we have to look back at the first three verses.  Here are the first three, followed by today's text.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."   (Colossians 3: 1-4)

To take that last verse out of context, only looking at what it says without the previous verses, would surely keep us from discovering the reality behind its truth.  Let's see what we must do to actually appear with Him in His second coming.

When Jesus returns to earth in His 2nd Advent, the church will be returning with Him.  The church is biblically defined as the Body of Christ, or in other words, those who have been redeemed in the Church Age, from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture.  The raptured Church, then,  is the body of Christ that will be raised up from the earth and into heaven at the end of the Church Age.  Those who are true believers who die before the Rapture will already be raised up. Understanding this part of the timeline found in the word of God will help us to better understand what Paul is writing about in Colossians 3.

Paul is telling the Church (whom have not yet died or  been raised in the Rapture) that if we are truly a part of the body of Christ, we have a responsibility to be seeking the heavenly things while we are on earth.  Remember, your focus must be on what is important to God, not on the things of this earth.  

In order for you to set your mind and your eyes on the truly important things, you will, by necessity, have to begin to die to yourself.  Your life must become less and less important, and the life of Christ, who dwells within you in the form of the Holy Spirit, must be come the only life that matters.  This is the criteria for being raised.  Those who live life in a state of crucified flesh will, by definition, be allowing the Spirit to live in us and be released out of us.

When you are dead to yourself,  your "life"  becomes all wrapped up in Christ.  This is the desired outcome:  that we are truly hidden in Him and only His desires are what come forth from us.  The believer who lives in such a way will not only be in heaven when they die or are raptured, but they will also be the ones who return with Christ in His glory!  (See Rev. 19:14)

Those who learn to live life hidden in Christ, those who have willingly surrendered their lives so that Christ is the One alive in them, these are the ones who will ride white horses with Christ in His 2nd Coming IN GLORY!  

Does your lifestyle line up with this picture of one who is "living dead?"  Are you seeking the things that are above and setting your minds on them?  Have you died to yourself so that you can be hidden in Christ?  Is He truly all of your life?  The ones who do these things are the ones who will appear with Him when He appears.

Today, contemplate the state of your life, and consider your standing before God.  I know I am.

Hidden with Christ in God

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I know that this seems like a strange image to use on a blog, but honestly, it was the closest thing that I could find to convey the message of today's blog: Hidden with Christ in God.

This is a concept that we likely know, but it is so often not lived out by believers.  I know this on a personal level.  

You see, Paul has told us in Colossians 3:3 that we "have died and [our]  life is hidden with Christ in God."  The problem is two-fold in my walk with the Lord.  I don't live like I am dead, and I often can be seen more by the world than Christ can.  Can you relate?

In this short verse there exists both conflict for my flesh, to live as though I am dead to myself, and victory for the Spirit within me, as I discover the joy of allowing Christ to live His life through me.  

The struggle is found for me in living this verse out daily.  I know my need to die daily, yet as the moments of each day present themselves, the easy ones and the difficult ones, I am prone to forget that I am supposed be dead.  Literally I have been declared dead, yet I, more often than not, discover that my will, my wants, my desires, my opinions are quite alive and at work in me.  I forget in most moments that Jesus is the light that is to be shown out of me.  It is His light, and not me, that is to be the brightest.  Me and my flesh should be so dead that I appear to be out of focus, while the light of Christ should be able to be most clearly seen.

The  resolution to the conflict in my flesh of trying to remain alive can only be in living my life hidden, for it is no longer my life that is relevant, but His as it comes forth out of me.  His life flowing out of me is what should be in clear focus to the world around me.  As a converted believer, I no longer have a life of my own to live.  I am DEAD, and my dead life is now overshadowed by the life of Christ within me!

Look back at the picture and ask yourself the questions it now begs of you.  Are you the brightest and most in-focus part of the picture, or are the works Jesus is doing through you what the world can clearly make out?  Are you in clear focus, or is the Light of the world?  Is the image of your flesh fading away is it gives way to the life of Christ?

My prayer today is that I will be so surrendered, and then so obedient, that the world will cease to see me, but only my Savior at work in a vessel wholly yielded to Him.  

Consider making that your prayer as well.  What difference would it make in your family, city, state, country, and world if you lived life dead, and you were hidden away by the Lord of your life?

FAITH LOOKS UP! -- Colossians 3:2

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Yesterday, the message of "seeking things above" was presented.  The next verse in Colossians 3 mimics that same idea.  This is what it says:

"Set your minds on  the things that are above, not the things that are on earth."  (Col. 3:2)

In order to seek what is above, we must take a critical first step.  We will have to reprogram our minds and the way we think about these "things". We must train our minds to be set on the things of God, rather than on the things of this world.  The flesh looks around our world to see what it is that  we desire for ourselves.  But faith looks up; it desires the things that God desires.

My problem with living out this particular Scripture passage is this:  I know I should seek the things of God and set my mind on them.  I say that I should seek them. And I often teach others, as well,  their need to look up and to seek after the eternal things (even as I am teaching you right now). But to actually put this into practice in my day-to-day, even moment-to-moment life, well let's just say I typically fail, and fail miserably in practicing this.

It is true that there must be a shift of focus (Col. 3:1), but before there can be a true shift, there must be a firm and decisive choice,  to choose God over the lust of the eyes, flesh, and world.  For us to change our focus from looking around us to looking above to God, we must begin to practice a "line in the sand"  type of theology, making a right decision, choice by choice.  The line in the sand can be called the "choice line." On one side of the choice line is what is of this world; and on the other side is what is of the Spirit.  This is the scenario for every choice we will make.  There are no other choices.  

So if we will set our minds on what is of the Spirit, first and foremost, then we will have a greater ability, and even a greater desire, to begin to seek what is above.  Revival comes to a heart and life that is determined to be set on the God-things that it seeks, attempting to keep our mind from returning to a place where it seeks the world's things again.  The God-things will never be found on earth.  They can only be found where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. That is the place of the "above".   Faithful followers of Christ will learn to walk through life looking up!  

Are you looking up, or are you looking around you?  Above or on earth?

I am back!!!!

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I know it has been a long time since I have posted a blog, and I have missed it so very much.  Now that my summer projects are nearly completed, I am back!  And I am excited to share with you what the Lord has been teaching me this summer.

Last May, after teaching my Ladies Group at church on Colossians 3: 1-17, I challenged them to take the summer and attempt to memorize the entire passage.  Realizing that it would just be completely "wrong" for me to ask it of them, and not follow through myself, I set out with a little notebook and a sincere desire to memorize the passage and hear what the Lord would speak to me about it. 

Now here is the embarrassing part.  I love the Word of God, but I have never been very interested in the memorizing part.  I am quite sure that the Lord would have loved for me to be memorizing along with my study, but I never thought that it was for me.  What a shame!  I have found it to be a delight to my soul, and I will be aiming at memorizing more complete passages in the future.

Colossians 3: 1-17 is chocked full of meaty tidbits that every believer should not only know, but LIVE!  This passage is to be walked out!  It is a challenge to even the most seasoned Christian, but none-the-less, it is part of our holiness training.   The closer look at this passage leaves me with just one question, "What would happen in the world if every believer took these words to heart, surrendered themselves to the Holy Spirit within, and just allowed Him to live it our through them?"  I know what the answer is:  REVIVAL in us and the opportunity for the lost to see Christ!

So let me begin, taking one verse at a time, and I pray that the Lord will be revealing more to you than what I share.  I will not be going into great detail, but instead, just offering a morsel to think about, just a few comments from my little journal.  I pray that we will all heed the call and be challenged to actually begin to live the life that Paul is describing.  

Colossians 3: 1     "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

I spend far too much time seeking the things that are here on earth.  What do you seek?  If you are like me, the first thing that I am going to have to do to  "seek the things that are above" is change my focus.  I tend to look out and around, but Jesus is saying, "Look up!  Look where I am!  I am sitting next to My Father.   You must train yourself to set your eyes on Me and My Kingdom."  

Now, to me that means a shift in all of my thinking.  It means that I will have to change my gaze in order to have a correct view --  a view of what is eternal.  When I change what I think about, then that automatically should bring about a change in what I focus on.  So, my "seeking the things above" means that I will have to think differently about the things all around me, my circumstances, my feelings, my desires....well, I think you get the point.  I will have to stop thinking about me.  And you will have to stop thinking about you.  I recorded it this way in my journal:  

"The constant seeking of things of the earth, the worldly chase of money, position, notoriety, prestige, beauty, power, acceptance . . . must end and be replaced with the search for the godly and the eternal.  There must be a shift of focus."

Though we do not often live like we have been raised with Christ, we have already been.   Our life as believers has already been translated out of this world, and into His world.  We should then have Heaven on our minds, even while we are still living here on earth.  

This is a good place to begin, looking up to the Heavens and seeing ourselves there, not here.  It seems that this one small shift of focus makes it more than possible to change how I think and act here while living day to day.  Would it change the way you think and act?  Maybe we should give it a try!

GOD'S WORD TO ME--"Contend For The Faith!"

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GOD'S WORD TO ME

(Jude 3, 5-7)

"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints . . . Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.  And angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, He has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day--just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire."

Though these are difficult verses to read, the Lord is speaking to my heart about America.  My heart has been burdened for many months now regarding two great evils in our country, and both of them stem from the sin of sexual immorality--abortion and homosexuality.  I need not state my opinion on these because, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word, I align myself to my Lord and His opinion.  

But today He is speaking to my heart about my complacency and the complacency of most of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  While I know what I believe, and I am ready to stand with my fellow believers and discuss the sin that is so prevalent in our country, I don't know that I want to "contend for the faith."  Loving the sinner, but hating the sin quietly is my typical mode of operation.  Maybe it is yours, as well.

So today, I am challenged to pray many more prayers of repentance, for my own complacency, yes, but also for our collective complacency as a nation.  I will be praying repentant prayers for the Body of Christ, too.  We are all responsible, in part, for the downfall of this great nation, as we have continually turned a blind eye to the sin in our own camp.

It is time for sorrowful, heart-felt, repentance, my dear brothers and sisters.  Will you join me? 

GOD'S WORD TO ME--Walking with a Limp

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I Kings 18:21

"And Elijah came near to all the people and said, 'How long will you go on limping between two different opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.'"

Do you ever feel like your spiritual walk is more like a limp?  I know that I do.  Sometimes it is because I have been wounded or beaten up through spiritual attack as I try to traverse this life as a Christian.    But all too often I am reminded of my limp when I consider the great battle that rages between my spirit and my flesh.  More and more I am realizing that this battle is between polar-opposite opinions, God's good and perfect will and plan and the evil that entered the world with the very first sin. 

I  only have two choices in every situation.   I can choose God's way or the wrong way.  The wrong way, the way of Baal, consists of three entities.  I John 2:16 describes the three as "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life."  This is the way of the world, the way of Baal.  How often I take this path and follow Satan's way in the world.  It is no wonder that I walk with a limp in so many situations.

My call is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, for this is the only "Way" to walk without a limp.  When I create my own 'altars of sacrifice,' that I willing lay upon, it is no wonder that I then find myself limping, for I will always limp around altars of my own making.  (I Kings 18:26--Read it!) 

Lord Jesus, today I choose to follow You.  Open my eyes to see those places where I am  sacrificing my trust in You by trusting in my flesh, what I can see, and my own sinful pride, for these are the altars that make me limp.  Lord, continue to show me that a limp can quickly become lameness.  Forgive my idol worship of life in this world while forgetting You. Come, lead me today, that I might walk in Your strength and power! 

GOD'S WORD TO ME--Declare These Things

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GOD'S WORD TO ME:  "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.  Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority.  Let no one disregard you."  (Titus 2: 11-15)

This is the call of every believer, but God is calling me specifically to this lifestyle.  He calls me to not only be self-controlled, upright and godly in these days, but He has also called me to be a voice that renounces ungodliness and worldly lusts.  It is wonderful truth that the Lord has redeemed us, but now He wants to purify us and re-create our hearts to be without spot or wrinkle. Once we have been redeemed, and are in the process of being purified into His Holy Bride, it is then that we will become a people who are ZEALOUS for good works.  Rev.  19:9 tells us that these good works are the very clothing that we will wear when we marry the Bridegroom.  I want to make sure that I am properly dressed for that ceremony in Heaven!  

Lord Jesus, show me every day who of Your flock I am to declare these things to.  Let me exhort and rebuke any that You are drawing to Yourself.  Without fear, let me proclaim to them the good news with all authority, in such a way that none will disregard me.  By Your power and for Your glory, Amen!

The Danger of Blending In

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I Samuel 8--Israel wanted a king.  Since coming into the Promised Land, they had fought many battles to gain possession of their inheritance.  They had won many, but they had lost some too.  The battles that they had lost could be attributed to one thing:  in some way they had not fully followed the commands of God.  When they were obedient, God's favor was upon them and God routed many of the people from the land without Israel fighting a battle.  But when they were disobedient, God's favor was removed and they fought alone.  Ultimately, they lost these battles  because they tried to fight without God.

Now they wanted a king.  Their perspective of what a king would mean to their nation was in direct opposition to what God's perspective and plan was.  Israel wanted 3 things as seen in verses 5b and 20:

1. They wanted to be just like all the nations around them
2. They wanted a man to judge them, not the Holy God
3. They wanted to just live their lives, without having to fight for their land 

God wanted just one thing from His chosen people.  Verse 8 reveals the heart of God.  He desired the trust and loyalty of Israel.  But His heart sounds like it is breaking again when He recalls their past, saying, "According to all the deeds that they have done, even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you."

By desiring a human king, Israel was forsaking their God who had made them a people when they were not one, who brought them out of bondage in Egypt, who walked with them in the wilderness, who brought them in to their new land, and who had helped them dispossess the wicked people who lived their.  Having done all of that, they now had grown independent of their  God, and wanted a king in who they would completely rely on, a king who might not judge them so harshly, and who would take his armies to battle. But most importantly, they just wanted to be like everyone else.  They no longer wanted to stand out; they wanted to blend in.

Anything that we use to dethrone and replace our Lord will have a negative effect on us, just like it did Israel.  God tells Samuel to warn the people about asking for a king.  Samuel tells Israel all that a king will take from them.  But his critical last sentence to them in verse 18, regarding replacing God with an earthly king, was a stern warning, a warning we would be wise to pay close attention to:

"And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."

I cannot read these Old Testament stories of God's people without thinking about my own life as a Christian.  How often do I turn to a 'king' in my life, depending on that particular idol so that I can blend in and be more like the world, so that I won't stand out so much? How often do I turn to the 'kings' in my life who will not judge my sin as harshly as a Holy God?  But it is the last category that hits home the hardest for me.  What 'kings' do I allow in my life for the sheer comfort of being an idle Christian?  You know the ones I speak of, don't you?  They are  the 'kings of laziness and sloth' that I sit under so that I don't have to do the hard work of evangelism, ministry, engaging with people, acts of love, crucifixion of my flesh.  

These sinful 'kings' lead me down the path of unrighteousness, and they weaken my faith.  They are replacements for the one true living God, and they are, moment by moment, causing me to blend in instead of stand out.  Today my heart must answer the question:  Will I be a regular paper clip or will I be the only bright colored one in the bunch?  How will you answer that question?

The Tests of God

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“Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of Him may be before you, that you may not sin.”  (Ex. 20:20)


Oh, how we struggle with the idea that God will test us!  Yet, after God gave the 10 Commandments to Moses, the Israelites became terrified.  They had just seen the lightening, heard the thunder, saw the mountain smoking, and heard the trumpet of the Lord.  Of course, they were terrified!  They wanted Moses to remain as the one who God would speak to.  They were afraid, and were happy for Moses to continue in his job. 

Sensing their great fear, Moses speaks to them the words I quoted above.  Jesus also came to test the hearts of all men.  Some will permanently fail the test; others will pass the important test (belief in Him), but fail countless other tests, and never attempt to consistently please the heart of God. 

I pray that I can be found in this last category.  I know that I have passed God’s first test of believing in my need for a Savior, and inviting Him to come into my life and change me.  And I am now in the process of learning how to pass His tests every moment of the day.  These individual tests have only one question that I must answer:  “Who will be in charge right now?”  This one question only has two answers:  The Holy Spirit or my sinful flesh.

God desired that His chosen people would not sin.  He still desires that I would not sin.  They Israelites had no Old Testament or New Testament.  I have both.  Israel had no Holy Spirit inside of them to help them make the right choices and do the right thing.  I do.  I can understand why they struggled so in the tests God brought to them, failing miserably most of the time.  I, however, have absolutely no excuse!

For the Israelites, God used their fear of Him to motivate them toward surrender and obedience to His word.  God uses something quite different in me; He uses my faith and my need of Him to motivate me toward that same surrender and obedience.  In both cases, God has only one goal.  “That we may not sin.”

I desire to pass all of my tests today, and everything is a test!  I surrender to the Lord Almighty, and to His Spirit within me, that I may walk by the Spirit in obedience to the will and command of God.  I desire an A+ at the end of the day!  What about you?