The Harvesting - Galatians 6:7

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” - Galatians 6:7

    We all know that to produce a bountiful garden full of delicious and healthy fruits and vegetables we need to condition the soil, plant living seeds, and tend the garden. Did I mention to you that my once beautiful garden boxes are now full of weeds? No matter. The important thing for you and I to remember is that where ever we deliberately act the chances of getting the results we hope for are multiplied by the perseverance we put into that action. Unfortunately the same is true when we fail to act. We still get results with fallow ground; however, they are not the results we counted on. Fallow ground is simply ground we have left to disuse and weeds will find their way into the most sterile ground.
    “Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.” - Job 4:8. Here, Job confesses that he has seen with his own eyes that those who mock God by their actions receive what they deserve. The same is so for the man who fails to honor God. Is our worship lying on fallow ground? We must understand that inactivity is the same as deliberately doing the wrong thing. There are only two ways in the world - the way of God and the way of the world. “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” - Romans 14:23.  Whatever proceeds from us must glorify God. If we know that neglecting something will lead to hurtful results we have a Christian duty to attend to the issue so that it will not result in anything less than that which glorifies our heavenly Father.
    “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” - Hosea 10:12. If we but remember to glorify God everyday our spiritual gardens will never be fallow. They will always be full of God’s majestic bounty.
   

A Bad Mix - Psalm 106:35 -36

“But they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them.” - Psalm 106:35-36

    Peer pressure, worldly influence, “go along to get along;” these are all modern expressions referring to ‘mingling’, learning’, and ‘serving,’ in the broader context of the psalmist’s accusation as laid out in Psalm 106. Since we are God’s ‘chosen’ (or ‘elect’) we too are faced with the dire warnings of mingling, learning, and serving the carnal world.
“Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.” - Judges 3:5-6.  We are few and they are many. How far have we as Reformed Christians stumbled down this slippery slope? And to what end?
    What stands out in the psalm is the fact that the Canaanites and their ilk were already in the world serving their idols when God’s chosen people came along. The command to God’s beloved was simple: “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” - 2 Corinthians 6:17. However, the chosen people mingled with them, learned their ways, and began to serve their gods!
    Many will argue that Christ’s “Great Commission” ( Matthew 28:19-20) prevents the chosen people from separating themselves from the Gentiles. But it was God’s people who failed to follow the Great Commission when they encountered the unbelievers. Instead - “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.” - Judges 2:11-12.  This is the embodiment of mingling, learning, and serving strange gods. We first mingle (or mix) with the unbelievers; we then learn their wicked ways; we then follow in the cloven hoof-prints which lead to the ‘snare’ of spiritual destruction. It is like a physician who goes to cure a disease then becomes infected himself!
    It is a difficult task indeed for a Reformed Christian to compete with the allure and attractions of the world. The audience is sparse and more often than not antagonistic to the “hearing of the Word.” But spread the Word we must, and in so doing reject the entrapments which beckon us to mingle, to learn, and to serve the modern idols.
May the Holy Spirit fortify us in out daily struggle to reject the carnal world and to speak boldly about the salvation that is in Jesus Christ.

God, Gracious and Merciful - Nehemiah 9:31

“Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful.” - Nehemiah 9:31.

We have so very much to be grateful for: our lives, our families, the providence God has shown us, the salvation that is ours through Jesus Christ - the list is endless. And to what do we owe these great and wonderful bounties in our lives? What have we done to deserve all that we are or have? Truth be told, we don’t deserve any of the wonderful blessings God has provided for us. God’s grace is unmerited, otherwise it wouldn’t be grace but just compensation for what we have done. It comes to us only because of the great love God has for us.
In Nehemiah’s time the wall surrounding Jerusalem was rebuilt. Upon it’s completion there began seven days of a public reading of the Book of the Law and the people gave thanks to God for all the grace He had bestowed upon them. They recalled God’s mercy to them despite their failings of faith. God is still merciful to us today despite our failings of faith.
“But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath;” - Psalm 78:38.
Our present world is quite possibly the worst representation of mankind ever presented to God. Murder, adultery, infanticide, homosexuality, idol worship; there simply is no sin that we have not taken to a hellish degree. That God doesn’t consume us in His righteous fiery rage is purely by His grace and mercy! “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.” - Lamentations 3:22.
God is patient with us despite our glowering insolence toward Him. Such patience can be born of love alone. Paul expresses this very idea in his letter to the Ephesians - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,” - Ephesians 1:3-5. As God loves, so should we love. His grace and mercy surround us each and every day. Our love for God and our fellow men and women separates us from those who disdain His love, grace, and mercy.
May we always be thankful to our Heavenly Father who loves us and sheds His grace and mercy upon us for no other reason than His own good pleasure.

Consumed By God? - Psalm 63:1

“O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water..” - Psalm 63:1

    Are we consumed with God? A rather simple question it seems, but looks can be deceiving. Let’s first give definition to the word, “consumed.” Merriman-Webster says to “consume” means to “absorb the attention of.” When we think of our relationship with God is being absorbed in our attention to Him the first thing that comes to our minds? Again, let us examine this definition more closely.
    We can say that we are absorbed in a book or movie when outside distractions fail to grasp our attention. The book or film can be said to have “absorbed our attention.” Much the same can be said of relationships. When we are attracted to another by virtue of common interests or goals or even by a romantic connection we are often absorbed into that relationship to the exclusion of others. So much so, in fact, that we are often remiss in our daily duties or even other relationships. We are, in effect, consumed by the relationship.
    “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” - Psalm 84:2. The psalmist establishes that he is consumed by the Lord. This is not a momentary desire or inclination; it is a preoccupation with the things of God, a veritable passion for the Lord! Is our devotion to God  worthy to be called zealous? Passionate?
    Unless we devote our attention and energies to an endeavor we will often come up short of our intentions because we have failed to give that endeavor its proper priority in our lives. Half-measures seldom produce a fullness of result. So it is with our devotion to God. When our daily activities require our fullest attention then God must still be in the back of our minds where we can call upon Him in prayer and supplication at a moment’s notice. This is what it means to be consumed by God.
    “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” - Psalm 42:1. Our zeal for God must be greater than anything else in our lives regardless of worldly priority. Nothing should come before our Creator, our Sustainer, our Lord and our Savior. This is the essence of being consumed by God.
    May the fullness of our devotion be in our hearts and minds and souls always.



                           

Slain In the Spirit and the Damage Done - 1 Corinthians 14:33

“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” -
 1 Corinthians 14:33.

    A lie is a lie no matter where it is told. And it becomes an especially heinous lie when it is told in a church and given approval by the minister. Enter those whose lie entertains the idea of being ‘lost’ or ‘slain’ in the Spirit. Let’s be brief on the scriptural validity of such a notion: there is none! The stumbling and falling, the nonsensical gibberish, the rolling of the eyeballs back in their sockets - none of the symptoms of being “slain in the Spirit” have the support of holy Scripture . . . none of them! Nor do they bear the signature of the Holy Spirit! This is just another reason why the proper interpretation of scripture is of the utmost importance.
    Paul expressly tells us - “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,” - Ephesians 5:18. The Apostle is contrasting the stumbling confusion associated with over-indulging in alcoholic spirits with the actual effects of being “filled by the Holy Spirit.” They are not the same nor are the effects the same therefore there will be no muddled ramblings or inability to ‘keep one’s feet’ when filled by the Spirit. In fact, just the opposite is true - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” - Galatians 5:22-23.  Self-control is what Paul says the Holy Spirit will enrich us with, not falling down or babbling incoherently. The Holy Spirit leads us, guides us, directs us, and works to perfect us. He does not confuse or entangle us with mystical delusions.
    Why, some might ask, is the potential for damage to the believer so great for merely desiring an ecstatic ‘spiritual’ experience? After all, if it makes them feel closer to God what harm can there be? The harm is phenomenal! Peter tells us - “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; “ - 1 Peter 1:13. Here he was speaking directly to the people regarding the revelation of their salvation through Jesus Christ., telling them to prepare themselves, to remain sober, and to be assured of that salvation. Herein lies the profound danger of, and perhaps the greatest reason so many Christians seek a “spiritual experience” - it is because they do not have the assurance of their salvation.  They feel they need more. They feel they need more than scriptural support for assurance and that is why they go outside the bible.    There is only one thing outside of the word of God: Satan. And Peter goes on to warn us of the Liar’s formidable weaponry, “Be sober, be vigilant; because  your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8. The devil is always prepared to move into spiritual vacuums left by our lack of assurance or faith. As 1st Corinthians tells us, “God is not the author of confusion . . . but of peace.” And that peace comes by way of our assurance that we have indeed been saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
    May we always rest in the assurance and the peace provided by the Holy Spirit.

For the Love of God - Ephesians 2:4-6

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” - Ephesians 2:4-6

    Anyone of my generation can probably recall those high-school American Literature classes and reading the works of Hawthorne, Melville, and Twain among others. But I recall a story written by Edgar Allen Poe which made quite an impression on me at the time - “The Cask of the Amontillado.”  It was a terrifying story of the darkness of man’s soul as seen in revenge.
    The victim, one roguish Fortunato, realizes he is being entombed in a wall and cries out to his captor - “For the love of God, Montressor!” His crypt-builder ignores his plea and continues to “wall” him in replying, “Yes,”(I said,) “for the love of God.”
    Of all the invocations one could possibly make toward someone who wished them harm why would they appeal to “the love of God?” The answer, even to Poe, who was not known for his religious nature was easy: there is simply nothing in heaven or on earth that can compare to God’s great love for us. If anything could ever save us it would be the love of God!
    “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16.
    As Paul tells us, God’s love for us is immeasurable and unconditional. It had to be for Him to send His own Son to die in our places. - “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8. That is the compelling nature of God’s love. That is the immensity of God’s love. That is the strength of God’s boundless and timeless love for us. That is why Poe used this plea of Fortunato to Montressor - because God’s love is simply so powerful! That being said, however, is not the end of the story. For if it were we would be preaching the Gospel of Universalism; all men would eventually find their way into heaven on the skirts of a Godly love which compromises the innate justice of God. There is no such love!
    We are compelled to love God - “We love Him because He first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19.  God’s love made it possible for us to return His love. But return it we must! It is a commandment of God that we love Him in return - “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” - Matthew 22:37. And how is it that we can know we return God’s love? “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” - John 14:21. Of course we can always choose to spurn God’s love for us. And should we reject the love of God we place ourselves into the winnowing pit of God’s justifiable wrath! From there we shall face the fire of His righteous anger. This is the reality of God’s love and justice - one cannot be subject to the other. Both God’s justice and love are attributes of equal proportion. One’s greatness does not exceed the other’s.
    May we always be grateful . . . for the love of God.       

Pssst . . . Remember When You . . . .” - Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” - Romans 8:1.

    There may be times when we sense the presence of an ominous dark cloud gathering on the edges of our consciences. Please don’t misconstrue my words. It is not that we doubt our assurance of salvation in the Lord, Jesus Christ; it’s just that old feelings of guilt sometime arise when carnal memories peek in from the past. There are two primary reasons this occurs and both of them come about with sulfurous breath: 1) to encourage us to fondly ‘revisit’ old sins or (2) to convince us of our condemnation for these past iniquities. In either case it is of the devil’s doing.
    Charles Spurgeon once said, “The devil says there is condemnation and, therefore, he accuses us day and night. He was a liar from the beginning and the father of lies! Conscience sometimes censures us, even conscience, itself, needs to be enlightened and to be purged from dead works.” - Charles Spurgeon: Sermon # 1917. Accusations amount to nothing for those of us who are “in Christ.” We must but remember Paul’s words of strength in times of Satan’s accusations - “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” - Galatians 5:16.
    Because Satan’s attack is often twofold we must deal with it in a twofold manner. In the first place we must never recall our previous sins allowing for a wistful or prurient memory to take the rightful place of the Holy Spirit in our hearts . . . never! Secondly, we must never allow the devil to weaken our assurance of salvation that we have in Christ. Our walk in the Spirit demands we not give deference to any sin, present or past. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” - Romans 6:12. Nor should we ever fear the accusations of the Liar! “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” - Romans 8:33-35.
    It will be Satan who sidles up to us in our moments of weakness with a leer on his wicked face and the question - “Remember when you . . . .?” There is no greater advice for the justified than to heed the words of James. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” - James 4:7.
    We need never fear for our salvation in spite of Satan’s accusations. He is a liar! And just as he lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden he lies to us. If we walk with the Spirit we need never fear anything he has to say. The next time the devil sneaks up and asks , “Hey, remember when you . . .” Stop him in mid sentence and turn to the Holy Spirit for strength and protection from the accusations of the liar. May God keep us and strengthen our desire for holiness.