“They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife,
And she goes from him
And becomes another man’s,
May he return to her again?’
Would not that land be greatly...]]>  

“They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife,
And she goes from him
And becomes another man’s,
May he return to her again?’
Would not that land be greatly polluted?
But you have played the harlot with many lovers;
Yet return to Me,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 3:1

A pastor talks about a man that had attended Bible studies and had various responsibilities in the church. He left his position at the church, moved out of his house, leaving his wife and children. Then he moved in with a man. The church was shocked. The people hadn’t expected anything like this.

However, as the devastated wife met with the pastor to work through this situation, the two remembered things that should have been clues. There were many small infidelities and those small problems led to his big problem. He had not thought of his wife’s feelings or ideas when making decisions that affected the entire family. He started isolating himself and never admitted having any faults to anyone, even his wife. His focus was on pleasing himself and not on the welfare on his family.

No person, or nation, falls all of a sudden. A person or nation takes small steps of disobedience. Each step of disobedience makes the next step easier to take. Before long, the person or nation has completely turned away from God.

The nation of Israel was warned that unless they repented, judgment was coming. The same warning is given today, both to individuals and to nations. Unless we repent, judgment is coming.

Most of us could never imagine being unfaithful to our spouse. But, it happens all the time, and every person involved will give a multitude of excuses. Many times, there are many apparently innocent acts of flirting that eventually lead to an affair.  No believer plans to turn away from following God, but it happens. It happens little by little. It happens by disobeying one thing; then there are two. Before the person realizes it, he has turned away from God and is living in sin.

Jeremiah wept over the coming judgment. Do we weep when we see sin that is so rampant today? Do we weep when we see believers being led into sin by the enemy?

First, let us examine our hearts to see if there is an area in our lives that needs the attention of the Holy Spirit. Then, let’s pray for those individuals that are slowing falling for the enemy’s lies. And let’s be in prayer for our nation, that we will return to the principles that made us a great nation.

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Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us f...]]>  

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:13-14

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “It would be a good thing, perhaps, if we went back to Wesley’s rule, to come out from the world in our apparel, and to dress as plainly and neatly as the Quakers, though alas! they have sadly gone from their primitive simplicity. I am obliged to depart a little sometimes, from what we call the high things of the gospel; for really the children of God cannot now be told by outward appearance from the children of the devil, and they really ought to be; there should be some distinction between the one and the other; and although religion allows distinction of rank and dress, yet everything in the Bible cries out against our arraying ourselves, and making ourselves proud, by reason of the goodliness of our apparel. Some will say, ‘I wish you would leave that alone!’  Of course you do, because it applies to yourself. But we let nothing alone which we believe to be in the Scriptures; and while I would not spare any man’s soul, honesty to every man’s conscience, and honesty to myself, demands that I should always speak of that which I see to be an evil breaking out in the Church. We should always take care that in everything we keep as near as possible to the written Word. If you want ornaments here they are. Here are jewels, rings, dresses, and all kinds of ornament; men and women, you may dress yourselves up till you shine like angels. How can you do it? By dressing yourselves out in benevolence, in love to the saints, in honesty and integrity, in uprightness, in godliness, in brotherly-kindness, in charity. These are the ornaments which angels themselves admire, and which even the world will admire; for men must give admiration to the man or the woman who is arrayed in the jewels of a holy life and godly conversation. I beseech you, brethren, ‘adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.’”

If Spurgeon felt, in his day, that there was very little difference in the ways the Christians dressed from the way the non-Christians dressed, I wonder what he would say if he visited our churches today. I think the thing that will draw the non-believer to Christ is not the fact that we are just like the rest. It will be because there is something different about us. I have nothing against having nice clothes. But, the thing that will make us stand out is how we treat others. This is what is really important. All the rest will just wear out and decay.

But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
You have ...]]>  

But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.  Hebrews 2:6-8

Jan Vermeer, a worker with persecuted churches, said, “The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews says that everything was put in subjection under Jesus Christ. Does His supremacy actually show in this country full of idols, hunger and death camps?”

“The North Korean Church consists of between 200,000 and 400,000 members. Fiercely persecuted, all of them hide their beliefs from the authorities. The church is truly an underground church, divided into thousands of small networks and cell groups. Most Christians hardly know other Christians outside their families. In case of an arrest, not many other Christians are in danger. The most visible proof of their faith is the possession of a Bible, which is illegal and punishable by death. Probably nowhere else in the world are so many copies of God’s Word literally hidden underground.”

“But the church is definitely growing. Many Christians keep their faith secret and are surviving. Open Doors is able to support almost 60,000 Christians with Bibles, books, training, food, clothes and medicines. Yet it is the individual tragedies that make it difficult to see with spiritual eyes that Jesus Christ is supreme even in North Korea.”

“For example, a middle aged man was arrested after the police found a Bible in his home. He is being terribly beaten in prison, as we learn from released prisoners who witnessed it. ;His face is deformed. He told us he is certain he will die.’”

“How can Christ be supreme if one of his disciples is tortured so severely?’ I’ve known this man for a long time,’ says a Christian friend of the prisoner. ‘When he came to faith, he made the decision that one day he would die for Christ. Every Christian in North Korea has made that choice. Every Christian in my country has the spirit of martyrdom in him. If you lose that spirit for one second, you cannot carry the burden of being a follower of Jesus. My friend knew that one day he could get caught and on that day he had to be steadfast in the faith and loyal to Jesus. I am convinced he can take the suffering because he constantly reminds himself of the joy that is set before him.’”

“The suffering North Korean Christians reveal Christ’s supremacy because they look at the reward: Jesus Christ Himself. He is our Treasure. He calls us to Himself, to suffer outside the gate and bear the reproach He endured. The kingdom of the Kim’s is limited in size and time. The Kingdom of our Lord is eternal and will come with power!”

Now, I have a question. It is a question for you and for me. Can we look beyond the trials we face, which are really pretty minor compared with what the Christians in North Korea face, and look beyond the trial to the treasure that we have in Jesus? I want to answer yes, but I think God is still working on me in that area.

Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge t...]]>  

Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:9

The Bible teacher and theologian A. W. Tozer wrote ,”That so-called Bible religion in our times is suffering rapid decline is so evident as to need no proof, but just what has brought about this decline is not so easy to discover. I can only say that I have observed one significant lack among evangelical Christians which might turn out to be the real cause of most of our spiritual troubles. Of course, if that were true, then the supplying of that lack would be our most critical need.”

“The great deficiency to which I refer is the lack of spiritual discernment, especially among our leaders. How there can be so much Bible knowledge and so little insight, so little moral penetration, is one of the enigmas of the religious world today....”

“If not the greatest need, then surely one of the greatest is for the appearance of Christian leaders with prophetic vision. We desperately need seers who can see through the mist. Unless they come soon, it will be too late for this generation. And if they do come, we will no doubt crucify a few of them in the name of our worldly orthodoxy. But the cross is always the harbinger of the resurrection. “

We need to be in prayer that our spiritual leaders will have discernment. The answer to that prayer might mean that a hidden sin in our lives will be shown to the leaders. But, the need in the church today is for maturity. There are too many people that sit week after week in the church and remain babies in the spiritual realm. What we need are spiritual giants, and they won’t come until the leaders are given discernment to find out what is hindering spiritual growth.

Having a leader realize where the spiritual problems are might not be comfortable. But it is necessary. At least it is necessary if we want to take our places on the front lines of the battle. And that is where we are all called to serve.

Pray for discernment in your leaders. And also pray that God would reveal to you the hidden areas that need to come to light and be dealt with.

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they la...]]>  

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:6-7

The Lord is alive. The tomb is empty. It is a day to celebrate.

Have you ever wondered why the angel told the women to go tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus was alive? I have thought about this and I think I have a reason.

Can you imagine what Peter was feeling like? He had proudly stated that he would never abandon Jesus, and yet, he fled when Jesus was arrested. Not only that, he denied even knowing Him. And he did it three times.

Peter had fallen. I think he was depressed. And, maybe, as stories started coming that the tomb was empty, Peter thought that it wouldn’t matter because Jesus would never forgive him for denying Him.

Therefore, the angel makes it clear that Peter is to be told. Jesus wasn’t going to abandon Peter. Jesus was alive and He was going to meet with His disciples. And Peter was one of them, still.

There are those that try to discount the resurrection. Some think the disciples stole the body and preached a resurrected Christ, knowing that He was really dead. Think about it. Would Peter have preached the Gospel the way he did if he knew Jesus was still dead? Would you? How could Peter change from a fearful man to a powerful preacher? How could Peter give his life for a lie?

Jesus is alive. Peter felt that he was not worthy of forgiveness. But, Jesus forgave him. Maybe you feel like Peter, and say that you have failed the Lord in such a great way that there is no forgiveness for you. Don’t believe the lie. Put your name in the verse. Jesus is saying to you that He is alive and wants to forgive you and give you a new life. Maybe you won’t preach and see thousands converted like Peter did. But, Jesus has a purpose for you, just as He had a purpose for Peter, even after he denied knowing Him.

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will ...]]>  

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”

and

“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 1 Peter 2:6-8

Charles Spurgeon wrote in “The Tomb of Jesus”, "I slew him—this right hand struck the dagger to his heart. My deeds slew Christ. Alas! I slew my best beloved; I killed him who loved me with an everlasting love. Oh eyes, why do you refuse to weep when you see Jesus' body mangled and torn? Give vent to your sorrow, Christians, for you have good reason to do so."

Many times, people have said that the Jews killed Jesus. Well, the Jewish leaders wanted Him dead. But, in reality, we are all guilty. Jesus never would have had to die if we weren’t sinners.

I read that when the movie “The Passion of Christ” was made, the director Mel Gibson’s hand was the hand hammering the nails. He said that he did it because he recognized that his sin nailed Christ to the cross. I don’t know if it is true. But, I am guilty of His death. So are you. We are guilty because He died for our sin. The good news is that because of His death, we can be forgiven of all sin.

When thinking about how unfair Christ’s suffering and death was, you don’t need to look far to find the ones that are guilty. Every person on this earth is guilty of that crime. But, if we accept the salvation that Christ won on that cross, we will never be punished for that crime or any other sin we have ever committed.

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 C

But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed cal...]]>  

But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves. Malachi 4:2

Have you ever actually watched a calf playing in a field? You’d probably think you were witnessing the worst possible case of bovine ADD. Human children act in a similar way, especially at one certain time of the day. Wait outside an elementary school just before the day’s final bell. It doesn’t matter if a child has to go wait in line to get on a bus or if he can walk home, all of them seem to do one thing—they run.

Now, let me ask you a question? Do you sense the joy at watching a calf jump and run in a field? Do you sense the joy and freedom that children feel when the school day is over? Do you sense that joy in your salvation?

In Psalm 28:7 David asserts: “My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise [God].” That inner jubilation works well for some of us, but we can’t all see ourselves physically leaping. Our hearts, though, alive in Christ and inspired by joy, can bound and jump.

Preacher and writer Oswald Chambers wrote about the joy of being right with God when he wrote, “No language can express the ineffable blessedness of the supreme reward that awaits the soul that has taken its supreme climb, proved its supreme love, and entered on its supreme reward. What an imperturbable certainty there is about the man who is in contact with the real God! Thank God, the life of the Father of the Faithful is but a specimen of the life of every humble believer who obediently follows the discipline of the life of faith. What a depth of transparent rightness there must be about the man who walks before God, and the meaning of the Atonement is to place us there in perfect adjustment to God--not faultless, but blameless, undeserving of censure in the eyes of God.”

Are you afraid of expressing so much joy because you might be criticized and possibly have been criticized? Or, do you express that joy without thinking about what others might think. The fact is that it doesn’t matter. As Christians, we revere God’s name. And we’ve been healed and forgiven. When God looks at each of us, washed in the cleansing blood of Christ, he sees something incredible—absolute perfection! We’ve been “released.” How can any of us consider keeping such news to ourselves?

So, maybe you won’t be leaping for joy as David did when the ark was returned to Jerusalem. But, let your joy show. There is a world that needs to see that joy in you and in me.