Wisdom Of Life

"Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God."  2 Corinthians 7:1 I need to be very candid with you. If you are a "Sunday Christian," you will not stand alone when outnumbered. Apart from a personal and vital faith in Jesus Christ, it is impossible to wage a winning effort against the system called "the world." Trying to overcome the powerful magnet of the majority without help from above would be a frustrating and counterproductive effort. Only God can give us such transforming power through our faith in His Son. As far as God is concerned, a consistent godly life is well-pleasing, acceptable to Him. As far as you are concerned, it is an act of worship. It is a "spiritual service of worship." We are like tiny islands of truth surrounded by a sea of paganism, but we launch our ship every day. We ca...

Scriptures: Hebrews 9:27 Life is so short. We really don't have many years. And to spend them doing dumb stuff seems like such a waste. I was intrigued several years ago when reading about some ghost towns littered across the plains of Nevada. The writer pointed out that there was every indication between the middle and the end of the 1800s that these towns would flourish forever. There were people by the thousands. There was gold in abundance. There were new buildings, vast plans, a spirit of excitement. There was wild and woolly entertainment at every corner houses and hotels, brothels and taverns, mines and money. The Gold Rush looked as if it would last forever. But suddenly everything screeched to a halt. Almost overnight those bustling, loud population centers became vacant dust collectors. The sound of the cash register ceased. Today, except for a handful of eccentric desert dwellers, the stores and streets are empty. Those windswept ghost towns are now silent, hollo...

Scriptures: 2 Samuel 7:1–3 There is an important dimension to hanging tough that you dare not miss. It is the thing that keeps you going. I call it a dream. I don't mean those things we experience at night while we're asleep. No, by dream, I mean a God-given idea, plan, agenda, or goal that leads to God-honoring results. Most of us don't dream enough. If someone were to ask you, "What are your dreams for this year? What are your hopes, your agenda? What are you trusting God for?" could you give a specific answer? I don't have in mind just occupational objectives or goals, although there's nothing wrong with those. But what about the kind of dreaming that results in character building, the kind that cultivates God's righteousness and God's rulership in your life? Here are a few more ideas about dreams. Dreams are specific, not general. Dreams are personal, not public. God doesn't give anyone else my dreams on the online computer screen. ...

"In th at day you will ask Me nothing."  John 16:23 When is “that day”? It is when the ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. “In that day” you will be one with the Father just as Jesus is, and He said, “In that day you will ask Me nothing.” Until the resurrection life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you, you have questions about many things. Then after a while you find that all your questions are gone— you don’t seem to have any left to ask. You have come to the point of total reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus, which brings you into complete oneness with the purpose of God. Are you living that life now? If not, why aren’t you? “In that day” there may be any number of things still hidden to your understanding, but they will not come between your heart and God. “In that day you will ask Me nothing” — you will not need to ask, because you will be certain that God will reveal things in accordance with His will. The faith and peace of John 14:1 has beco...

Scriptures: Joshua 1:9 Someone once wrote, "Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap your character. Sow your character, reap your destiny." Standing tall when tested takes courage—constant, relentless, never-give-up courage! You can be sure that the old flesh will fight for its arousal and satisfaction. All it takes is a little rationalization—just a little. Just look the other way. Just shrug it off. Don't sweat it. And before long you have a rattlesnake in your sleeping bag. First :  Standing tall starts with the way we think.  It has to do with the  mind . As I've said so often, being a person of inner strength is really a mental factor. It has to do with the way we think about God, ourselves, and others. Then it grows into the way we think about business, the way we think about dating, the way we think about marriage and the family, the way we think about the system that is designed to destroy faith and bring us down to a ...

Scriptures: John 21:20–22 People of excellence are those who see through the clutching greed of our times—people who have declared their undivided allegiance to Christ's message, people who have humbled themselves to Christ's sovereign authority. If you are greatly gifted, you may be able to do marvelous things that would cause the public to be swept up in your skills and in your abilities. In the process of your growing, you will find great temptation to make a name for yourself, to make a big splash, to gain attention, to get the glory, to strut around, to increase your fees, to demand your rights, and to expect kid-glove treatment. You're in authority now! People are talking about you! Let me remind you that if you're in life only for yourself, you'll have no endurance. On that precarious top of the ladder, you'll always have to maintain your balance by maneuvering and manipulating, lying, deceiving, and scheming. But if you're committed to kingdo...

"Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Godʼs will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 Prayer is the lifeblood of an intimate relationship with the Father. But believers often have questions about its power and effectiveness. Don’t hesitate to take your queries to the Lord, dig into Scripture for answers, and seek the counsel of a trusted spiritual mentor. Prayer is too important to neglect. Will God’s plans fail if I don’t pray? God is not subservient to believers or dependent upon their prayers. The time we invest in speaking with Him involves us in the work that He is doing in our lives and in the world, but He will carry on without us.Laboring alongside the Lord is our privilege. Does my prayer (or lack thereof) impact God’s work? I believe that Scripture indicates the answer to this question is both yes and no, depending upon the situation. There are times when God’s purpose is set. He is in control and has determined the b...

Scriptures: Exodus 35:21, 25–26 God is a God of freshness and change. But wait, before I leave that thought, let me make something very clear: God Himself isn't changing, nor is His Son. He "is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8) . Isn't that a great thought? God is no different this year than He was last year or a decade ago. Nor will He change one hundred years from now. But even though He is the same, His working is different. It stays fresh. His ways and methods are forever fresh, unpredictably new. I need to warn you, if you like things to stay the same, you're going to be terribly uncomfortable in heaven. Everything is going to be new. God is a God of freshness and change. He flexes His methods. He alters His way so much, it's as if you've never seen it before. You can't imagine what it may be like next time. God says we are to be "imitators" of Him, which really means we are to "mimic." Since G...

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate… Whoever does not bear his own cross…” (Luke 14:26–27) Jesus is unashamed and unafraid of telling us up front the “worst” — the painful cost of being a Christian: hating family (v.26) , carrying a cross (v.27) , renouncing possessions ( v.33). There is no small print in the covenant of grace. It is all big, and bold. No cheap grace! Very costly! Come, and be my disciple. But Satan hides his worst and shows only his best. All that really matters in the deal with Satan is in small print on the back page. On the front page in big, bold letters are the words, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4) , and “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9) . But on the back page in small print — so small you can only read it with the magnifying glass of the Bible — it says, “And after the fleeting pleasures, you will suffer with me forever in hell.” Why is Jesus willing to show us his “worst” as well as ...

Scriptures: Matthew 16:24-27 The Father has opened a way for sinners to be forgiven and set on the path of righteousness—namely, through faith in His Son. Trusting in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior makes us members of God’s family and takes us immediately onto the narrow road, which is only for His followers. As we journey on this heavenward highway, the Holy Spirit acts as our guide and teaches us what we need to know. Through Him, we develop the ability to look beyond the temporal to the eternal: With spiritual eyes, we will catch glimpses of the Lord’s majesty, comprehend the depth of our Savior’s love for us, and experience the invisible, powerful presence of the Spirit. We will witness the awe-inspiring transformation of ordinary, pride-filled human beings into humble, loving ambassadors for Christ. Our minds will grasp the truths of God’s Word, and we will hear Him speaking to us through it. On the broad road, none of these things are possible. Despite such amazing b...

Scripture: Psalms 31:24 Vision—the one essential ingredient for being an original in a day of copies—gets lost, overwhelmed by the odds. Too bad! We start focusing on the trouble. Then we start comparing the odds. The result is predictable: We become intimidated and wind up  defeated . What is your challenge? Which giants make you feel like a grasshopper when you face them? What does your future resemble when you measure it on the basis of facts and figures? You'd like not to surrender, right? You'd like to be courageous, wouldn't you? There is a way through, but you'll need one essential quality— vision . Vision is the ability to see God's presence, to perceive God's power, to focus on God's plan in spite of the obstacles. When you have vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic. Your attitude stays positive rather than negative. Not foolishly positive, as though in fantasy, for you are reading God into you...

"…Marvellous lovingkindness…"   Psalm 17:7 When we give our hearts with our offerings, we give well, but we must often plead to a failure in this respect. Not so our Master and our Lord. His favours are always performed with the love of His heart. He does not send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the table of His luxury, but He dips our portion in His own dish, and seasons our provisions with the spices of His fragrant affections. When He puts the golden coins of His grace into our palms, He accompanies the gift with such a warm pressure of our hand, that the manner of His giving is as precious as the boon itself. When He comes into our houses upon His errands of kindness, and He does not act as some austere visitors do in the poor man’s cottage, but He sits by our side, not despising our poverty, nor blaming our weakness. Beloved, with what smiles does He speak! What golden sentences drop from His gracious lips! What embraces of affection does He bestow...

"If then you have been raised with Christ,… Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."   Colossians 3:1–2 Jesus Christ is refreshing. Flight from him into Christless leisure makes the soul parched. At first it may feel like freedom and fun to skimp on prayer and neglect the word. But then we pay: shallowness, powerlessness, vulnerability to sin, preoccupation with trifles, superficial relationships, and a frightening loss of interest in worship and the things of the Spirit. Don’t let summer make your soul shrivel. God made summer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute. If the mailman brings you a love letter from your fiancé, don’t fall in love with the mailman. Don’t fall in love with the video preview and find yourself unable to love the coming reality. Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer. He is preeminent in all things (Colossians 1:18) , including vacations and picnics and softball and long walks and cookouts. He inv...

"Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.& Psalm 15:1-2 If some corporate position is the god of your life, then something terrible occurs within when it is no longer a future possibility. If your career, however, is simply a part of God's plan and you keep it in proper perspective, you can handle a demotion just as well as you can handle a promotion. It all depends on who's first and what's first. Breaking the magnet that draws things ahead of God is a lengthy and sometimes painful process. There is a line found in the Jewish Talmud that puts it well: "Man is born with his hands clenched; he dies with them wide open. Entering life, he desires to grasp everything; leaving the world, all he possessed has slipped away." Everything created was through Christ and His power, and furthermore, it was created for Hi...

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"   Psalm 56:3‭-‬4 There is a slogan that has worked its way into popular usage over the past few years: the stalwart cry, “No Fear!” Generally, this phrase is attached to some daring athletic attempt. But can the expression also find a deeper meaning related to our Christian life? Clearly, it is impossible to live in this world without ever facing uncertainty, doubt, confusion, and even honest fear. Scripture does not dismiss these concerns. Instead, the Word is truthful about the adversity that we all face. The right response to these hardships is to admit our fears to the Lord and trust that He will work the situation out for His own glory and our good. (See Psalm 56:11.) Too many people try to excuse God from responsibility when they come up against an apparently immovable obstacle. What we often fail to realize is that God ...

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."   Hebrews 10:23‭-‬25 When you hear the word church, do you picture a little white building full of smiling people in fancy clothes? As lovely as that image may be, God’s design for church is unrelated to it. He created the church to be a unified fellowship of believers who encourage each other and carry out His ministry to the world. The Bible clearly defines the following as ministries of the church: worshipping the living God, instructing and edifying believers, making disciples of all nations, and serving the needy. Unless the leadership is careful, however, these purposes can all too easily get out of balance, with the unfortunate result that the body ends up mal...

~ Scriptures: 1 Samuel 15:1–35 Even though I have known people like this, still, I cannot fathom Saul's perspective. How can anyone be so clueless? He disobeyed the Lord's direct command by keeping not just a few things under the ban, but keeping everything having any value. On top of having no sense, Saul had no shame. Instead of being humiliated by his own guilt, he erected a monument to himself to commemorate the day. At least Achan had the good sense to be ashamed of his sin. Not Saul! Somehow he managed to twist events and rearrange facts to portray himself as God's champion. Samuel's response is priceless: " What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" (1 Samuel 15:14) . Amazing how simple facts can so easily prick a deceiving heart. I see two timeless principles at work in the story of Saul that deserve our attention. => Fir st , how you finish is far more important than how you start. No one...

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."   Proverbs 22:6 If we were asked to name the greatest and most influential people, we’d probably think of presidents or leaders of industry, business, banking, or education because their decisions shape the world. But who shaped them? Perhaps one of the most influential people in anyone’s life is a mother. When a woman is in the process of raising small children, changing diapers, wiping noses, and settling squabbles, it may not seem like important work. However, God has given mothers the responsibility of shaping those young lives and teaching the importance of knowing and loving Him. Susanna Wesley didn’t have a high-ranking title at a large company, but she raised 19 children, including two sons—John and Charles Wesley—who were the founders of Methodism. Despite the demands of a large family, she committed herself to spending a full hour with each child once a wee...

Scriptures: Matthew 14:22-32 The Lord wants to do far more in believers’ lives and through their witness than most are willing to allow. We believe He can do great things, but the problem is that we are not sure He will act on our behalf. Consequently, we hesitate to trust Him fully for specific answers regarding our personal situations. Vacillating between faith and doubt like a boat in a squall makes for a sick and tired Christian. If we desire to calm the sea of faith, we must first decide to act out of obedience rather than simply make choices according to feelings or sight. Peter walked on water because he chose to proceed by trust instead of by reason. As believers, we will not become stable in our faith until we recognize that believing God is a choice. The second action of a faithful believer is to focus attention on God. When we look at our circumstances, we are restricted to our own limited view of the situation. As long as Peter was staring at Jesus, his feet stayed ...

"…And will manifest myself to him."   John 14:21 The Lord Jesus gives special revelations of himself to his people. Even if Scripture did not declare this, there are many of the children of God who could testify the truth of it from their own experience. They have had manifestations of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a peculiar manner, such as no mere reading or hearing could afford. In the biographies of eminent saints, you will find many instances recorded in which Jesus has been pleased, in a very special manner to speak to their souls, and to unfold the wonders of his person; so, in this way their souls been steeped in happiness that they have thought themselves to be in heaven, whereas they were not there, though they were well nigh on the threshold of it—for when Jesus manifests himself to his people, it is heaven on earth; it is paradise in embryo; it is bliss begun. Especial manifestations of Christ exercise a holy influence on the believer’s heart. One...

"…I am with you alway…"   Matthew 28:20 It is well there is one who is always the same, and who is always with us. It is well there is one stable rock amidst the billows of the sea of life. Let us not set our soul's affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set our heart upon him who abides forever faithful. Let us not build our house upon the moving quicksands of a deceitful world, but found our hopes upon this rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall stand immovably secure (Matthew 7:24-27 ). My soul, I charge you, lay up your treasure in the only secure cabinet; store your jewels where you can never lose them. Put your all in Christ; set all your affections on his person, all your hope in his merit, all your trust in his efficacious blood, all your joy in his presence, and then you may laugh at loss, and defy destruction. Remember that all the flowers in the world’s garden fade by turns, and the day comes when nothing will ...

"But now is Christ risen from the dead…"   1 Corinthians 15:20 The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that “Christ is risen from the dead;” for, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: ye are yet in your sins.” (v17) The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection, since he was “Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4)   It would not be unreasonable to doubt His deity if he had not risen. Furthermore, Christ’s sovereignty depends upon His resurrection, “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.” (Romans 14:9)  Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the covenant, is linked with Christ’s triumphant victory over death and the grave; for “He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans ...

"Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings."   Ephesians 1:3 Christ bestows all the goodness of the past, the present, and the future upon His people. In the mysterious ages of the past, the Lord Jesus was His Father’s first elect, and in His election He gave us an interest, for we were chosen in Him from before the foundation of the world. (v4) He had from all eternity the prerogatives of Sonship, as His Father’s only-begotten and well-beloved Son, and He has, in the riches of His grace, by adoption and regeneration, elevated us to sonship also, so that to us he has given “power to become the sons of God.” (John 1:12) The eternal covenant, based upon suretiship and confirmed by oath, is ours, for our strong consolation and security. In the everlasting settlements of predestinating wisdom and omnipotent decree, the eye of the Lord Jesus was fixed on us; and we may rest assured that in the whole roll of destiny there is not a line which militates against the i...

"He that was healed wist not who it was."   John 5:13 Years pass so quickly for the happy and healthy; but thirty-eight years of disease must have seemed like a very weary length along the life of the poor impotent man. When Jesus, therefore, healed him by a word, while he lay at the pool of Bethesda, he was delightfully aware of a change. Even so the sinner who has for weeks and months been paralysed with despair, and has wearily sighed for salvation, is very conscious of the change when the Lord Jesus speaks the word of power, and gives joy and peace in believing. The evil removed is too great to be removed without our discerning it; the life imparted is too remarkable to be possessed and remain inoperative; and the change wrought is too marvellous not to be perceived. Yet the poor man was ignorant of the author of his cure; he did not know the sacredness of his person, the offices which he sustained, or the errand which brought him among men. Much ignorance of Jesu...

"…Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all."   Matthew 12:15 What a mass of hideous sickness must have thrust itself under the eye of Jesus! Yet we read not that he was disgusted, but patiently waited on every case. What a singular variety of evils must have met at his feet! What sickening ulcers and putrefying sores! Yet he was ready for every new shape of the monster evil, and was victor over it in every form. Let the arrow fly from what quarter it might, he quenched its fiery power. The heat of fever, or the cold of dropsy; the lethargy of palsy, or the rage of madness; the filth of leprosy, or the darkness of ophthalmia—all knew the power of his word, and fled at his command. In every corner of the field he was triumphant over evil, and received the homage of delivered captives. He came, he saw, he conquered everywhere. It is even so this morning. Whatever my own case may be, the beloved Physician can heal me; and whatever may be the state of others w...

"…We dwell in him…"   1 John 4:13 Do you want a house for your soul? Do you ask, “What is the purchase?” It is something less than proud human nature will like to give. It is without money and without price. Ah! you would like to pay a respectable rent! You would love to do something to win Christ? Then you cannot have the house, for it is “without price.” Will you take my Master’s house on a lease for all eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the ground-rent of loving and serving him forever? Will you take Jesus and “dwell in him?” See, this house is furnished with all you want, it is filled with riches more than you will spend as long as you live. Here you can have intimate communion with Christ and feast on his love; here are tables well-stored with food for you to live on forever; in it, when weary, you can find rest with Jesus; and from it you can look out and see heaven itself. Will you have the house? Ah! if you are houseless, you will say, “I s...

"…I will be their God, and they shall be my people."    2 Corinthians 6:16 What a sweet title: “My people!” What a cheering revelation: “Their God!” How much of meaning is couched in those two words, “My people!” Here is speciality. The whole world is God's; the heaven, even the heaven of heavens is the Lord's, and He reignes among the children of men; but of those whom He has chosen, whom He has purchased to Himself, He says what He says not of others— “My people.” In this word there is the idea of proprietorship. In a special manner " the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” (Deuteronomy 32:9) All the nations upon earth are His; the whole world is in His power; yet are His people, His chosen, are more especially His possession; for He has done more for them than others; He has bought them with His blood; he has brought them nigh to himself; He has set His great heart upon them; He has loved them with an everlasting l...

All those going through a storm need to be engaged in the process. No one is promised a magical escape clause. Passivity is faith's enemy. It isn't an acceptable option to fold our arms and wait for the storm to pass. It may mean some hard work. It may require humbling yourself before God and others. It might mean a season of counseling where a trained, compassionate individual helps you reorder your life. You may be required to admit several wrong actions and seek reconciliation as you make restitution. Whatever the case, you'll need to be involved. Reality mandates that type of mature response. It's part of throwing the anchor of reality and trusting God to bring you to shore. The best plan for surviving a storm is preparation. No seasoned fishermen or responsible ship captain sets across the open sea without a thorough knowledge of the vessel's equipment and without making sure all is in proper working order. They rarely leave without having first spent suffi...

"… In the world ye shall have tribulation…"   John 16:33 Are you asking the reason of this, believer? Look upward to your heavenly Father, and behold him pure and holy. Do you know that you will be like him one day? Will you easily become conformed to his image? Won't you require much refining in the furnace of affliction to purify you? Will it be an easy thing to get rid of your corruptions, and make you perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect? Next, Christian, turn your eyes downward. Do you know what foes you have beneath your feet? You were once a servant of Satan, and no king will willingly lose his subjects. Do you think that Satan will leave you alone? No, he will be always at you, for he “goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Christian, expect trouble, therefore, when you look at the world around you. Where are you? You are in an enemy’s country, a stranger and a sojourner. The world is not your fr...

"I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world."   John 17:15 In God’s own time, all  believers will occur to the sweet and blessed occasion of going home to be with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 4:7) will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their Lord. But although Christ prays that His people may eventually be with Him where He is (John 17:24) , He does not ask that they may be taken at once away from this world to heaven. He wishes them to stay here. Yet how frequently does the weary pilgrim put up the prayer, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest;” (Psalm 55:6) but Christ does not pray like that, He leaves us in His Father’s hands (John 7:11) until, like shocks fully ripe corn, we shall each be gathered into our Master’s garner. Jesus does not plead for our instant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is need...

"His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers…"   Song of Solomon 5:13 At last, the flowery month has come! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all bedecked with beauty. Come my soul, put on your holiday attire and go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. You know where to take yourself, for to you “the beds of spices” are well known, and you have so often smelled the perfume of “the sweet flowers,” that you will go at once to your Beloved and find all loveliness, all joy in him. That cheek once so rudely smitten with a rod, often covered with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spit, that cheek, as it smiles with mercy is as fragrant aroma to my heart. You did not hide your face from shame and spitting, O Lord Jesus, and therefore I will find my dearest delight in praising thee. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned with red lines of blood from your thorn-crowned temples; such marks of ...