Month: April 2021

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How Are You Saved?

The key to salvation

1Sam 4 to 7 What do you trust in for salvation? Works? Prayers? Something else? The author of Cripplegate writes:

“Most world religions are a form of what Christians call works righteousness. That expression—works righteousness—is used to describe the world view that believes God is real, heaven is real, and you have to be good to get there. Good is then defined as something along the lines of “trying hard to lead a good life.”

That is how the Israelites and the Philistines lived life. They confused the Ark of the Covenant to save them in a precarious battle only to be defeated. The Philistines captured the Ark and knew the proof of the Egyptian plagues but felt their idol god Dagon was greater. God turned that idea on his head when he defaced Dagon not once but twice.

Satan is a master deceiver. He “blinds the minds…so [we] would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.”[2Cor 4:4] Salvation only comes when we accept the provision He has provided: Jesus Christ the righteous! Remember there is none righteous no, not one. [Rom 3:10] Trust in Jesus not works: For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; [Eph 2:8]

For more from Cripplegate: https://thecripplegate.com/

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Trials and Blessings

God loves to answer His children's prayers

1Samuel 1-3 Trials and storms either drive us closer to God or far away. God has recorded the story of Hannah as an example of true faith. Her example of facing a trial and drawing close to God is one we want to follow. Hannah made an unusual vow that if God opened her womb, she would dedicate the child back to God.  Ecclesiastes reminds us that “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it”…and don’t tell the priest “it was a mistake.” [Eccl 5:4]

Even though God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman, Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, like some others in scripture, failed to keep that rule. Hannah’s rival was jealous and lacked compassion for Hannah. Enter God’s ways that man cannot understand but remind us to see how He works to receive glory for Himself.

God heard the cry of Hannah. Some months later, Hannah would give birth to a little boy she would name Samuel, meaning “asked of God.” Beloved, whatever you are facing today you can glean words of comfort from Hannah. Take time to pour over Hannah’s prayer and pray her words back to God. Hannah learned the truth of Paul’s words: bring all your requests to God, and His peace will guard your heart. [Phil 4:7]

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God is a Promise Keeper!

God is a promise keeper

Ruth 1-4 In Judges, the people ignored and rebelled against God, and every man did what was right in his own heart. Yet God can and will direct our steps, whether we can see it or not.  The time frame is the same, but the responses are 180 degrees apart. One Levite left us with a sour taste, but in Ruth, the sweetness of His aroma draws us to Him.

A famine is a test; will you trust God or self?  Elimelech, from Bethlehem, chose to trust in his ways, not God’s. He moved his family to Moab, the country that lived, breathed, and worship wood and stone idols. Yet, God was at work to change the heart of one woman that we might know the truth of Isaiah’s words about God: “my ways are higher than yours.” [Is 55:9]

In Moab, Elimelech and his two sons passed away, leaving Naomi destitute. The rumor mills are busy, and Naomi hears that there is food in Israel now. Deciding to return to her roots in Bethlehem, she begged her daughters-in-law to return to Moab. But God had other plans for God is a promise keeper, and He is in the business of preparing the Messianic line through one submissive daughter-in-law, Ruth, who chooses to accompany Naomi with these famous words: “your God will be my God.”

God can and will work even if we fail to trust Him. He has his people ready to complete his promise and bring them to Jesus.

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Sodom & Gomorrah Repeated

Judges 19-21 How do we handle stories like the one God left for us in these last chapters? God wants us to see how patient He is with our sinful natures. God is also challenging us to recognize why we need to evangelize the world with the gospel message, which is the only path to redeeming hearts that are “deceitful above all things and desperately sick.” [Jer 17:9] A third lesson we can glean from this is to see how deep the depth of sin leads even men of the cloth  to be callous, irreverent, deceitful, selfish, and liars—they need Jesus too. In summary, God has saved this story to help us see the depravity and reality of Romans 1:18-31.

There are some questions we need to be asking.  Are we spreading the good news that can alter the hard hearts, whether they are men of the cloth or just people like you and me? Are we standing up for those like the concubine and whose voice is never heard? Are we outraged at self-righteousness and hypocrisy? Are we compassionate for those who fall beneath the cracks of society? Take time today to pray for those who are caught up in this depravity. Pray for a heart change. Pray for boldness to speak words of God’s love. Pray for God’s eyes to see and His ears to hear the cry of those who need defending.

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What Do You Need to honor God?

Honor God

Judges 17: As the Israelites moved farther and farther away from Yahweh, people began to look for other means to bring them success. Unfortunately, the principle of pursuing God’s kingdom and his righteousness has taken a back seat. Meet Micah, whose name means “who is like God,” as an example. He lived in a time when Israel had no king, and each man did what he considered right. He lived just a stone’s throw from the tent of God in Shiloh, but God’s word and principles were far from his memories of a holy lifestyle. Instead, if someone stole from you and you had the opportunity to steal back, it was rewarded with words of affirmation. How far they have fallen to have forgotten the Commandment: “Thou shalt not steal.” [Ex 20:15] Micah steals, but instead of being corrected, his mother “blesses” him and has an idol made to honor his treachery.

Next, we wonder why a Levite has left his home in Bethlehem, and he is looking for a place to stay. Micah bribes him with ten pieces of silver per year, but that loyalty only lasted until a better offer came along.

When God is absent, men do what is right in their own eyes. [Judges 17:6] Men think having something tangible will make them more holy. They look to the visible when the invisible attributes of God are clearly visible in creation. [Rom 1:20]

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How much faith do you have?

How great is your faith?

Judges 13-15 This chapter reveals a God who cares for His people even if they don’t seem to care for Him. God loves all His people, especially barren women. God, in particular, loves to bless these women. For four chapters, we read about Samson, the son of Manoah and “Mrs. Manoah.” It is the “Mrs.” that has the initial contact with the angel of God. It is she that quoted verbatim his words to her husband, Manoah. But, like the priest Zechariah, Manoah needed more confirmation.

Mr. Manoah, as well as Zechariah, may not have understood all the details about the birth to come, but they are commended for their obedience and faith as they entreated the Lord. 

Mr. Manoah, like Jacob, wanted to know the name of the “man of God.” He needed confirmation on all accounts. After seeing the miracle of the flame and the rising of the angel to heaven, he then had a crisis of belief: “surely we will die for we have seen God.” But Mrs. Manoah was perceptive: look at the evidence, God answered our prayer, he accepted our offering, and he wouldn’t have shown us these things or let us hear something like this! How great was her faith! And God blessed her with a son.

When God speaks, do we believe Him 100 %! Or do we need more confirmation like Manoah and Zechariah did? 

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God hears the cries of His children

God hears the cries

Judges 10 There is a pattern that becomes very evident in this book and it is what we read in [Judges 10:1] “The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord: “We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.” How many times does a nation have to walk the same route to get the message that God is God and He will not share his glory with another? And yet: “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. “ [Ps 34:17]

Judges 9-12 reveals that once again the nation started out correctly but soon diminished into chaos and idolatry. It is then that they come back to God in tears and repentance. When the judge died and the people are left without a godly leader they revert back to idolatry. The patience of God is remarkable; He allows us to wallow in the mire but is ready to forgive and reinstate us to a higher state. God has placed these chapters in here for a reason that we might learn and apply biblical principles to our lives.

What lessons is God teaching you as you read this book?

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Idols are a snare…

beware of Satan's schemes

Judges 8-9 From One Idol to Another

What is about idols that we gravitate to them? Why did Gideon tear down the Baal idol at night and then resurrect a new one that glittered in the sunlight? Unlike Gideon and the townspeople, the Thessalonians turned from idols to worship the living and true God and never looked back.  

Gideon was a hero to the nation, but he wisely refused when asked to be a king. However, he did ask for the gold earrings to melt down.  Behind that question, we learn that he wanted to make a golden ephod.  The scriptures are pretty clear that that single event became a snare. How easily Satan manipulates us to think about elevating some “thing” and not God. Gideon began righteously; “The Lord will rule over you” [Judges 8:18], but his life ended disastrously.

Gideon meant well, but in hindsight, he is much like us. We fall right into the trap that Satan lays because he knows our weaknesses. He is a master deceiver and does what he did in the Garden. He subtly puts into our minds a single thought which, when embellished, turns to sin.

This chapter ends tragically; the ephod became a snare to Gideon and his family. It was like a spider web just waiting to trap unsuspecting victims. Be on guard against Satan’s schemes.

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God’s Hidden Valiant Warrior

be strong and courageous

Judges 6-7 As our story opens, we find fearful Gideon hiding in a winepress, threshing his family’s wheat crop. At that moment, an angel of God appeared, telling him he was a brave warrior. Does God ever come to you when like Gideon? Gideon will soon be the brave warrior of fleeces and lapping water fame. But for now, he is hiding in a winepress to thresh his family’s wheat harvest because of fear.  Does that fit the description of a warrior? Warriors are supposed to stand tall, face the enemy, and be victorious, yet Gideon lives by fear. Gideon and the Israelites were living examples of the first part of this verse:  “The fear of people becomes a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be set on high.” [Prov 29:25] Gideon questioned the angelic presence;  if God is for us, why are we facing this? If God is near to us, why don’t I see or experience him?

Yet, Gideon is just the kind of person God is looking for so that the “one who boasts, boasts in the Lord.” [1Cor 1:31] The angel of the Lord told Gideon what lay ahead, but he needed more confirmation—not once but twice. God graciously answered because he wanted Gideon to cast off his former view of himself and rise to the occasion.

Perhaps God is calling you to a ministry or a challenge. Are you hiding in a winepress or stepping out so you can hear God saying: “I will be with you.”  

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