When the Rooster Crows

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to recognize sin in the moment? Peter sat in the courtyard outside of the place where Jesus was being tried, and three times denied his association with the One whom he had sworn just hours before to never abandon. It wasn’t until the rooster crowed that Peter woke out of his sin stupor and realized what he had done. And it broke his heart. Oh, Jesus had tried to help him. He warned him when they stood on the Mount of Olives: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (Matthew 26:34) and again in the Garden: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
The flesh wants what the flesh wants. It doesn’t care about your spirit when temptation dangles like a carrot on a stick. Or an adult website. Or an attractive coworker. It will rise up in you and me and take control. There’s something about the lure of sin that dulls our spiritual senses and makes it easy for our weak flesh to fall for the bait. In that moment we’re only thinking of pleasure. It’s after we have spent ourselves for sin, that we wake up and realize what we’ve done. Which is what Peter did when he heard the rooster’s call. He suddenly remembered Jesus’ dire prediction and “he went outside and wept bitterly” (v. 75).
It’s no wonder that Peter later wrote, “Be self-controlled and alert” (1 Peter 5:8). He learned the hard way the necessity of being sober and vigilant. The enemy is on the prowl – looking for an opportunity to take you and me down. He knows your vices, he knows my weaknesses and he takes full advantage of them.
Paul, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, said we must be aware of the devil’s schemes (Eph 6:11) and look for the way out of temptation (1 Cor 10:13) – and there is always a way out. The problem is most of us are looking for the way in. When the Bible says “Flee evil desires” that means you get away from the temptation. You don’t stand there and toy with it. You will fall every time.
I confess I am by no means an expert on resisting sin, but I know Someone who is and His advice is to “Watch and pray.” And run away. Beloved, don’t let the rooster crow on you.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

I was blessed to attend a Bible study group this week for the first time. As a teacher, it is a rare treat to have someone pour into me for a change. The worship was uplifting, the fellowship was sweet, and the message was timely: the Love of God. The speaker took us through several of the attributes of God’s love and she ended by leading us all through “Jesus Loves Me.” Yes, that is a sweet little song we teach to our children, but let me assure you, it is equally applicable to adults. There is something specials about singing that song with a group of seasoned ladies who have leaned on God’s love through the highs and lows of life.
But something interesting happened. Did you know that there are more verses to that song than we teach our babies? Do you know the words to all those verses? I don’t and neither did most of the ladies there. So we Googled the song. We all knew the first verse – no problem. And we all referred to our phones for the second verse – still good. And then we came to the third verse and we were not all on the same version. Suddenly most of us dropped out and let the leader sing a solo.
What happened? We looked to the world for the words. We trusted the internet to fill in the holes in our song. The lesson was clear to me. Trust no one else but God for truth. Sure it was just a verse in a simple, little song, and the words we pulled up were not blasphemous – they were just not the right words. But words – or rather The Word – matters. Paul urged Timothy to stay in the Scriptures that are the very breath of God (2 Tim 3:14-17). Peter confirmed that the Scriptures are given to man by the Holy Spirit – they are trustworthy and true. They are always the right words.
You may be tired of me beating the Berean drum, but it cannot be stressed enough – always, always, always take everything you hear and everything you read and lay it alongside the Bible and see if it is true (Acts 17:11). Do not take anyone’s word for truth if it does not agree with the living Word of the living God. Too much is at stake to be misled, even by one little, seemingly insignificant word.
Beloved, be a student of the Scriptures. Get to know God’s Word for yourself so that you do not fall for the wrong verse in the song. Because Jesus does love you, and you need to know it.

Doctrines of the Faith: The Spirit in You

As we continue to look at Church Doctrine and consider the Third member of the Trinity, we find this gem from Paul: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God…no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God…we have received the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand…” (1 Cor 2:10, 11, 12). Put simply, because the Holy Spirit is God, He knows how God thinks. He “hears” God’s thoughts. Because the Holy Spirit indwells believers, He reveals those thoughts to us – Jesus said “He speaks what He hears” (see John 16:13-14). And when He speaks to our spirits we are convicted, commanded, comforted, challenged, encouraged, directed, and inspired. (Which, by the way, is how Peter explained the transmission of the Scriptures: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but man spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20-21).)
What are we to do with the Spirit’s messages? Obey. Paul called it being “controlled by the Spirit,” “living according to the Spirit,” and being “led by the Spirit.” How does work? We “set [our] minds on what the Spirit desires.” We “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2). When the Spirit says one thing and the world says another, we choose to meditate on and obey what the Spirit has said. The world tells us that God has no authority over us. Paul said that we are “obligated” to submit to God’s Word and His Spirit. And if we don’t? Paul said we are not God’s children. God’s children are Spirit-fed, Spirit-led, Spirit-filled people. (See Romans 8:1-17)
There is another aspect of the Holy Spirit in us that I want you to grasp. Paul said in this same passage that “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (v. 16). Why is that important? Because the enemy and the world will try to tell you the opposite. Satan will hound you that God has rejected you because of your sin, that He could never love you. The Spirit says you are God’s child and God loves His children.
Give heed to the Spirit; believe and obey Him, Beloved. He is the very Life of God in you.

Acts: When the Lion Roars

Paul sits in confinement in a Roman barracks while evil things are stirring outside of the jail, things that will move Paul into God’s perfect plan. Please read Acts 23:12-35.
Paul’s young nephew overheard the Jews plotting to kill his uncle. They were so committed to their hatred that they vowed not to eat or drink until their wicked deed was done. They created a ruse to get their intended victim away from the safe confines of the barracks – and the chief priests and elders were in on it.
But the boy told Paul and the Roman commander of the conspiracy. Realizing that his own life rested on the safety of his prisoner – a Roman citizen no less – the commander intervened and ordered a large detachment of Roman soldiers to get Paul out of Jerusalem. He appealed to Governor Felix who was in Caesarea on Paul’s behalf and they whisked him away in the night. Paul was kept secure in Herod’s palace until a trial could be convened.
Every time I read this account, I picture the angels of heaven and the demons of hell in a cosmic clash of epic proportions. I’ve been in the middle of those a few times –when good and evil are battling just over my head. That’s not saying I am good and an evil person is at war with me. That means God’s purpose for my life, or the life of someone I love is under spiritual attack. The battle over Paul was the devil’s attempt to squash God’s most prolific evangelist – and the spread of the gospel.
In His last message to His disciples, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (Jn 15:18).
Every time I stepped out in obedience to the Lord – to teach, speak, write, go to seminary, or fight for the soul of someone I love – the devil set me in his crosshairs and started shooting. I have heard His wicked voice in my ear and felt his hot breath on the back of my neck. Do you know what that means? I am right where God wants me to be.
The Scripture says, “[the devil] is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short” (Rev. 12:12). If that was true two thousand-plus years ago, it is more so today. He is “a roaring lion” (1 Pet 5:8). and he roars loudest at those who threaten his wicked kingdom. If the enemy is breathing down your neck trust that the Lord and his angels are breathing down his – and you, Beloved, are in the sweet spot of God’s will.

Advent 2023: How Do We Get to Bethlehem?

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea . . . “Matthew 2:1

I had a conversation recently with a friend who is moving away. She is greeting this transition with both anxiety and excitement. “It’s all going to be so strange in a new town, but who knows what God has in store there?” I remembered my own move five years ago and that same mix of anticipation and trepidation. Like my friend, I believed God was behind our relocation and in the ensuing years He has confirmed that His will for me is here in this place. I believe God sets things in motion and orchestrates events so that His will is fulfilled. The Bible is filled with story after story of God’s hand in the events of human history, and in individual lives. But sometimes the path He chooses is hard and difficult to understand in the moment.

Joseph had a destiny in Egypt that affected his family, the forthcoming nation of Israel and the entire world. But God took him through pits and prison on the way. David would be king of Israel, but by way of the sheep fields and running for his life through the wilderness. I love the accounts of Paul; God had a purpose for him, to “carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel,” (Acts 9:15). He declared, “you must testify about me in Rome, (Acts 23:11). And he did indeed make it to Rome to declare the name of Christ Jesus, but he arrived as a prisoner, through a storm and a shipwreck and a snake (Acts 27-28).

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy made hundreds of years before: “Out of you, Bethlehem Ephrathah . . . will come one for me who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). How could that happen when His mother and father were in Nazareth, some 100 miles away? Watch what God did. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone when to his own town to register,” (Luke 2:1, 3). Guess where Joseph’s family town happened to be?

Beloved, a life surrendered into the hands of the Lord God Almighty may have twists and surprises, and yes even doubts and struggles, but you can be assured that He is faithful to fulfill His purpose. Don’t be afraid of these “strange things that are happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). It’s just God at work fulfilling His purpose for you.

Advent 2023: The Spirit of Christmas

Ebenezer Scrooge was the quintessential Christmas grump. The light and fun of the season eluded him – or perhaps it’s more accurate to say he chased it off. He rejected every spark of happiness or celebration of the season and did his best to squash it for others. He was bitter, hard, greedy, and rude. Scrooge had no Christmas Joy. What changed his attitude? When the Spirit of Christmas Future showed him the difference between the grief expressed at the death of Tiny Tim and the indifference at his own passing. Dickens say that when he realized he would die a lonely death and no one would care, Scrooge determined to “honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

In a culture that regards “the holidays” as big business, what does it mean to “honor” Christmas? Is it singing non-offensive festive songs? Is it toy drives and food collections? Or does it mean actually saying the word Christmas – and emphasizing the first six letters? Is it posting “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” on all our social media accounts?

I think, perhaps old Ebenezer got it right. For Scrooge, honoring Christmas meant opening his heart (and his purse strings) to Joy. And it meant sharing that Joy with everyone he met. After his change of heart Dickins said that Scrooge discovered that “everything could yield him pleasure.” He understood that real Joy wasn’t just for a season – it lasted all year long and included everything and everyone around him.

Beloved, does your Joy gets packed away with the Christmas decorations? Then your Joy is in a day on a calendar, not in the One we celebrate. Real Joy is rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Real Joy comes from knowing that your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life in heaven. That is Joy that carries you all through the year and through the ups and downs of life. It has been said that Christians are the only ones who can truly celebrate Christmas because they know the whole story. Christians know that Christmas is one part of the great story of redemption – something “even angels long to look into” (1 Pet 1:12). If Christmas is only a season of Joy, then you need to find the reason for the season and know the Joy of Christ “all the year.”

Thanks Giving

The Ark of the Covenant, the one element of the Tabernacle that was God’s special dwelling place, had been captured by the Philistines.  David set out to bring the Ark home, and the people and their king were ecstatic.  They celebrated with sacrifices and offerings and Joyful thanks.  The king wrote a psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done” (1 Chr 16:8). With the Ark secured in its rightful place, David appointed priests and Levites to minister before the Ark, to present the daily offerings and some to guard the gate to the tent.

There was another important position to be filled: “With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, ‘for His love endures forever’” (1 Chr 16:41). Their sole responsibility was to express gratitude to the Lord who was again dwelling among His people.  They led the Israelites in songs and exclamations of thanks.

Did you know that you are also chosen to give thanks? You may not be a descendant of Aaron, the first high priest, but 1 Peter 2:9 says: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light.” If you are in Christ, you have been chosen by God to be His royal priest.  You have been given the special mission of leading your family, church, community, and nation in gratitude to the Lord who created you, sustains you, provides for you, and, most importantly of all, the One who saved and redeemed you and marked you for eternal life.  Being a priest of God is a high and holy calling.

As you gather with family and friends today, remember that God is with you in your celebration. And never forget that you are a priest chosen by the Lord to give thanks.  So give thanks, Beloved – today and every day. I pray you have a blessed and Joyful Thanksgiving friends.

Loaves and Fishes and Walking on Water

The Bible is more than simple soundbites and stories. It is a continuum of God’s story and his activity and interaction with His creation. There are common threads that run throughout the Scriptures. Case in point: Peter walked on the water. A meager lunch fed thousands of people. What is the connection? Faith. Faith to accomplish the impossible with the limitations of nature – water vs. weight vs. mass. Faith to accomplish the impossible with the smallest offering in the face of great need. It was faith in Jesus that made Peter swing his legs over the side of that boat. It was faith in Jesus that led a little boy to give up the only food he had to the Teacher. Without faith, Peter sits in the boat and wonders “What if?” Without faith, one little boy has a full tummy, thousands of people go hungry, and the miraculous work of Jesus goes unfulfilled. Peter could have “logically’ reasoned that the water could not hold him up. The little boy could have kept his lunch to himself, after all, Mama made it for him, besides, “That’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this” (John 6:9-The Message).

What are we afraid of? That the water won’t hold us up? That the little we have won’t be enough? Christ honors and esteems our faith. Will you hold on to the meager things, thinking it’s best to keep what little you have than lose it? Will I decide that the risk of failure outweighs the call of God? I’m preaching to myself right now. What am I afraid of? That Jesus will let me down, let me sink, leave me hungry? That I will be embarrassed by stepping out in faith and failing? That’s not my Jesus.

You see, by definition, faith is more than warm thoughts; faith is a belief and a confidence that leads to action. I want to be a woman of faith. I want to step out of the safe confines of the boat; I want to give to Jesus the little I have and trust Him to not only provide everything I need but to spread the little I have out to bless many more. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ said, “God does not require you to have great faith. You simply are to have faith in a great God.”

Beloved, how is your faith today?

Cold Hearts

In recent years there has been a rash of “celebrity Christians” who have renounced their faith and “deconstructed.” (I think it’s more accurate to say they have “self-destructed.”) What happened to these pastors, musicians, authors, and communicators? I remember a quote that said – “If you don’t feel close to God anymore, think about who moved.” Peter is the prime example of one who walked closely with the Savior, yet allowed himself to drift.

One of Christ’s most passionate disciples, Peter swore allegiance to Jesus when he announced, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). But Jesus knew that Peter’s bold talk would not sustain his resolve. He told Peter “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me” (v. 34). And sure enough, Luke 22:54-62 tells us that Peter did just as the Lord said he would.

How does one who walked so closely with Jesus turn away from Him so easily?

The last part of verse 54 gives us an important clue – “Peter followed at a distance.” He heads out to accompany his Lord and Teacher with the passionate heart of a disciple. But out of fear for his own life, he fell back, and the distance between him and Jesus began to work on his heart. When he separated himself, his passion for the Lord cooled, and rather than a heart warmed by his love for Jesus, he warms himself beside a man-made fire. His passion for Christ had chilled to the point that he openly denied the One he previously swore to follow to prison and death. Not once. Not twice. But three times.

It is the same with you and me – we allow the cares or the fear or the glitter of this world to draw us away from our Savior. It’s quite subtle at first. A thought here, a compromise there, a shift in priorities and soon our hearts begin to cool toward Christ. Rather than draw near to Him, we turn and warm our cold hearts at the world’s fires. God promised in His Word to never leave us, but you and I can certainly drift and lose our white-hot passion for Christ. Beloved, don’t let anything this world has to offer cause you to deny your Savior. Stay close to Jesus with prayer and Bible study and humble surrender. Be sure you’re not seeking the warmth of strange fires.

My Redeemer

You may have heard folks talk about “the patience of Job” I don’t know who coined that phrase, but I’ve studied Job a lot and I can say that he was not the paragon of patience he is purported to be. Neither am I. He and I have a lot in common. We both have been attacked by satan and we both have struggled to keep our eyes on God. Granted he had a rougher time of it than I, but I know what it’s like to be in the devil’s crosshairs. Which leads me to another similarity. Like Job, I also tend to whine. A lot. This year has been full of trials and heartaches. I trust God, but man, those fiery darts can be mighty painful.

Here is another point in which Job and I are alike. We both have a Savior.  He said, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth . . . [and] I myself will see him with my own eyes . . .” He was sure with all his heart that God would vindicate him and redeem him. I cling to the same hope And we both long for the day when He destroys the evil one and death forever. He said, “How my heart yearns within me” (Job 19:25,27). Mine too, Job. Mine too.

But there is one way that we differ. Job looked for a Savior he didn’t know. But I have found my Redeemer and His name is Jesus. Job spoke in his pain, wishing God would “guard my steps, but not keep track of my sin.” He wanted God to “seal up my offenses in a bag [and] cover over my sin” (Job 14:16-17). Because I am in Christ, that is exactly what He has done! My sin – “Oh the bliss of this glorious thought”[1] – all my sins are under the blood of Jesus and God watches me – not to keep track of my every offense, but to guard and guide my steps.

Peter wrote, “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8). Jesus’ blood is love poured out lavishly on those who believe and receive God’s gift of salvation. And He didn’t seal our sins up in a bag, but He left them buried in the tomb that could not hold Him. Do you know my Jesus? Do you have the sweet assurance of His forgiveness and grace? You can be set free from your sins, Beloved. He is just a prayer away.

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[1] “It Is Well With My Soul” Horatio Spafford and Philip Bliss 1873.