Faith Walk

[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 1 Peter 5 Ezekiel 33-34

Easier Said Than Done

Ezekiel 33-34, 1 Peter 5
Key Verse: 1 Peter 5:7

Some things are easier said than done. One of those things is casting "all [our] anxiety on him," even though we are told that "he cares for [us]" (5:7).

We do have anxieties. Our concerns range from physical needs to financial needs, from family needs to the needs of our friends. These are things of which prayer lists are made-or at least should be made.

But we have a God who cares for us! We are not a burden, an afterthought or something of which He is not aware. He cares for us more intensely than we can ever imagine. The omniscient God knows our needs, all of them, and is concerned about every one of them.

Peter tells us what we are to do with our cares. We are to "cast" them onto Jesus. As a coat is tossed to someone else with the request, "Would you carry this for me?" we are to take the cares of this world and toss them to Him.

The problem is, we tend to do that but then take back the cares. We are willing to say that we will give our anxieties to Jesus but then continue to mull over and carry them ourselves.

Do not confuse continuing to pray with failing to cast the burden on Him. God doesn't tell us to stop praying but to let Him carry our anxieties.

Do you have a prayer list? If you do, that is good. Don't stop praying. But do you worry about these things on your list? That is bad. Ask God to help you give Him the worries. Keep praying, but stop worrying.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 2 Peter 1 Ezekiel 35-36

Everything We Need

Ezekiel 35-36, 2 Peter 1
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1:3

Complete is a wonderful word, especially when putting together something like a computer system. It's encouraging when the advertisement promises, "Everything you need is included." All the necessary parts are there, with no additional cables to buy. You open the boxes, follow the instructions and ultimately the system is up and running.

God gives us a complete offer. Peter puts it this way: "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (1:3). Everything we need for life and godliness has been given to us. Nothing has to be added!

Sometimes we look for the fine print of a too-good-to-be-true offer. But Peter doesn't put anything in fine print. This offer is made possible "through the knowledge of him who called us." When we truly know God we are given all that is needed for life and godliness. Eternal life is a gift to those who know Jesus as Savior. This is not just knowing about Jesus but knowing Him.

When we know Jesus, we are changed. God changes us so that we are no longer under the penalty or the power of sin. Freed from sin's power, we can live a life of godliness. Then the better we know God, the better we will know how He wants us to live.

Knowing God begins with salvation. Knowing God better ought to be the desire of our life, one fulfilled by learning His Word. God's offer is a complete one, found in Him.

"God, I thank You for what You have given me-everything I need for life and godliness. Help me know You better so that my life may please You more."

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 2 Peter 2 Ezekiel 37-39

Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37-39, 2 Peter 2
Key Verse: Ezekiel 37:3-7

Someone has said that an archaeologist is a person who makes his living digging up dead people. If you lived in Israel today, you might believe that is true.

Israel is bustling with archaeological activity. Professionals and volunteers are digging up mounds of past civilizations, finding pottery, coins and, occasionally, human bones. They gather the artifacts carefully, but they do not anticipate that the pottery will ever again be used for cooking or the coins for trading. And they certainly do not anticipate that those dry bones will ever live again.

No so with the Lord God. He called the prophet Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones and asked, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel was cautious in his response: “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know” (37:3). God was promising that the nation Israel, which was all but obliterated due to enemy invasion, would one day live again.

For almost 20 centuries Israel did not exist as a nation. There was no Jewish homeland. The Hebrew language all but died out. And then God performed a miracle. He gathered Jews from all over the world and brought them to Palestine, and in 1948 the modern state of Israel was born. It was proof that, just as He had predicted to Ezekiel, God would not abandon His people forever. God keeps His promises, even in a valley full of dry bones.

“Thank You, Heavenly Father, for being a God of integrity. Thank You for bringing Your people back to their land and for giving us one more example that You are a God of Your word.”

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 2 Peter 3 Ezekiel 40-41

The Daily Double

Ezekiel 40-41, 2 Peter 3
Key Verse: 2 Peter 3:18

Have you noticed how some things just naturally go together? Like bacon and eggs. Batman and Robin. Peanut butter and jelly. That's true in the Bible too. Adam and Eve. David and Goliath. Priscilla and Aquila.

The last verse of 2 Peter highlights one of these biblical dynamic duos-grace and knowledge. Peter says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (v. 18).

Growing in knowledge requires the discipline to find a time and a place, and then to focus on a plan to get to know God better through His Word. Growing in a knowledge of God means both understanding what He did for us and what He wants us to do. It means applying the Word to our lives daily.

Growing in grace also requires time in the Word. It means growing in the graces that become a Christian, like brotherly kindness and love. You can read about some of these graces in the first chapter of 2 Peter.

Grace and knowledge. We need to grow in them every day. We get both from God’s Word. It's a daily double that will make a difference in your day.

"Lord, help me to find the time and place and discipline myself to read Your Word each day and thus grow both in Your grace and in Your knowledge. And may others around me sense that I've been with You and my life is different as a result."

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Ezekiel 42-44 1 John 1

Evidence to the Change

Ezekiel 42-44, 1 John 1
Key Verse: 1 John 1:6

There is a simple phrase that goes like this: "Do you walk the walk or just talk the talk?" The alliteration and rhyming make it catchy, easy to remember. But don't lose sight of the insightfulness of the question just because it rolls off the tongue so easily.

The apostle John never pulled his punches. He called for a commitment to Christ that included "walking the walk." To the person who said that he had fellowship with God but lived as if he did not, John's message was blunt: "You lie." Read again verse 6: "If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."

There are two opposite lifestyles from which we can choose. The one is characterized by wickedness and error. John calls it walking in the dark. The other is characterized by holiness and truth. It is walking in the light. For John there was only one choice, and it is to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light. To walk in darkness is not an option.

When a person is a Christian, his or her life should show that commitment. Christianity is not just forgiveness of sins with no change in lifestyle. We are saved not just from sin but to live a life of godliness. Do you walk the walk?

Consider your words. Do they match your life? You can lie to others and even yourself but never to God. To say you have fellowship is meaningless unless your life gives evidence to the change.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Ezekiel 45-46 1 John 2

Three Enemies

Ezekiel 45-46, 1 John 2
Key Verses: 1 John 2:15-16

First John 2 contains a much-needed reminder about the three enemies who are constantly trying to defeat the Christian. The more conscious we are of their existence and activities, the more likely we will be to have victory over them. John clearly identifies them and in his direct way warns us that affection for these enemies is an indication that a person does not have the love of God in him.

The world is the present system that is under Satan's control. Sadly, it seems that many churches have quit warning against worldliness. Loving this world is contrary to loving God.

The flesh is an enemy, not in the sense that the human body is evil but that it can be used for evil and it contains the desires that enable Satan to entice us to sin. We are not to hate our bodies but to recognize how they can be used for wrong.

The devil is the personal enemy of the believer. He is not just an influence but an individual who opposes God and the people of God. He is a fallen angel who should be respected for the damage that he can do but not feared because he was defeated at Calvary.

We need to be reminded of these enemies so we will be vigilant, keeping up our guard at all times. None of the three can be escaped, since our bodies are in this world. Escape is not the answer anyway. Victory is, and there is victory in Jesus!

Ask God to help you remember these enemies and to give you victory. Do not live a defeated life. Satan was defeated, not you. Remember that your strength is found in Jesus.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 1 John 3 Ezekiel 47-48

Together Forever

Ezekiel 47-48, 1 John 3
Key Verse: Ezekiel 48:35

Weddings are special events filled with hope, commitment and happiness. The day finally has come when the bride and groom are no longer separated; from now on the two are one. Being together is one of the great blessings of marriage. No more saying "good-bye" at the end of the day because husband and wife are home together. Times of separation due to travel may come-but they also go.

The Book of Ezekiel concludes with a great and decisive declaration. This final prophecy is about the reuniting of the scattered people of Israel with their God. A day will come when God’s people will never again be separated from Him through judgment. Forever they will live as God's people and He will be their God.

To drive home this joyous truth, Ezekiel announces that the name of the city will be "THE LORD IS THERE." Some see in the Hebrew phrase a wordplay on the name "Jerusalem." There is a similar sound. Either way it is a name of great encouragement, to be where God is-forever.

It is good for us to remember that the blessings of salvation include eternity with God. We live in a sin-sick, sin-cursed world. One day this world will be past and eternity will be our eternal present. Then the promise will be fulfilled that we will always be with God, He will be our God, and we will be His people.

"I praise You, God, for the promise of eternity with You. Help me keep my eyes fixed on what is to come!"

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Daniel 1-2 1 John 4

Resolve

Daniel 1-2, 1 John 4
Key Verse: Daniel 1:8

In any newspaper of any size you will find a sports section. The larger ones devote an entire section to the subject and at times even have more than one. With the focus on performance and results, sometimes it's lost on the reader what it took for athletes to reach their level of competitiveness. Saying it took diet and exercise is a very simplistic summary that leaves out an intangible, without which no athlete can excel. That intangible is resolve.

Resolve essentially is determination. It means that a person has a fixed purpose. The successful athlete has a determination that will enable him to endure the rigors of training in order to achieve at the desired level of performance.

If we are to excel in our spiritual lives, we need resolve as well. Many Christians are content with a low level of "performance" in the spiritual life. Their discipline is poor, inconsistent at best, and they fail to develop the maturity that God desires.

Daniel was a man of resolve. As a young man, promoted to the king’s palace, tapped for success, he "resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine" (1:8). He had a fixed purpose and the determination to accomplish that goal. Without resolve, the enticement of the delicacies would have entrapped him. He would have been defiled. But he was not, because he was determined.

Are you determined to be all that God wants you to be? It will mean refusing those things that defile you spiritually. Satan will test your resolve, as he did Daniel's.

The spiritual resolve we need is not temporary like most New Year's resolutions. It must be the consistent character of our life. Watch for times today that your resolve is tested, and then ask God to help you be like Daniel.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Daniel 3-4 1 John 5

The First Martyrs

Daniel 3-4, 1 John 5
Key Verses: Daniel 3:17-18

The following is a "trick" question, not intended merely to fool a person but to provoke thought. The question is, who were the first martyrs? In one sense the correct answer is Stephen in Acts 7. He died for refusing to renounce his faith. The thought-provoking answer is Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Now the argument begins. How could they be martyrs since they did not die in the fiery furnace?

A martyr is one who sacrifices his life rather than renounce his belief. That is exactly what these three men did. They should have died. The temperature of the furnace into which they were thrown had been increased to seven times hotter than normal. The flames were so fierce that the soldiers who took them to the blazing furnace died. But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not. God protected them.

Martyrs or not? There's no argument that they were willing to die for their faith. To the king they said, "We will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (3:18). Still, they are not remembered as martyrs but as men who stood for God even when threatened with death.

Few of us will ever be in the same situation, yet the sad truth is that thousands of people around the world die every year because of their faith. We should pray regularly for those who are confronted with the choice to renounce Christ or die.

And we should pray that if we ever face that choice, our resolve will make us stand for the One who died for us.

Ask God to help you resolve to never deny your faith.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Daniel 5-7 2 John

Hand in Hand

Daniel 5-7, 2 John
Key Verse: 2 John 6

If we were to define love the way it is portrayed in the media today, the result would be a definition of something not found in the Bible. Love is not the unexpected emotion that justifies a deserting of commitments and the abandonment of morals. Yet that is the "stuff" of love stories today. Emotions run hot and heavy. Spouses are deserted as well as other obligations. Morals typically do not enter the picture.

Yes, we are told to "love one another" (v. 5), but read on. The very next verse states, "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands" (v. 6). Love and obedience go hand in hand.

First, notice that love can be commanded. The first part of loving one another is an act of obedience, not a rush of emotion. Certainly emotion is involved, but essentially the love commanded is an act of the will.

Then notice that love and obedience must go together. We cannot separate our relationship with God from our relationship with others. When we seek to live according to God's Word, how we act toward others will be affected positively. It may sound like an oversimplification, but the truth is this: live the Word and those around you will be loved.

To love without obedience is to conform to the world and its view of love. But to love one another and obey God is to conform to the Word. Love and obedience are to go hand in hand, always.

Have you tried to love and not obey? It can't be done. Decide today to obey God's Word and look for ways that this will help you "love one another."

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference 3 John Daniel 8-10

Confession Is Good for . . .

Daniel 8-10, 3 John
Key Verses: Daniel 9:4-5

Remember this phrase--"Confession is good for the soul"? It seems like we readily agree with that statement, especially when we are trying to get someone else to confess! At the same time, it's quite possible that the least frequently offered prayer is one of confession. We do best with requests, remember to at least say, "thanks," are possibly passable with the amount of worship in our praying, but fail miserably in regard to confession.

So if you agree that confession is good for the soul, when was the last time you practiced it?

One of the great prayers of the Bible is in Daniel 9. Daniel offered it in response to reading Scripture. He understood what the Word said, and it affected him tremendously. He prayed, fasted, and confessed.

Read again carefully this prayer of Daniel. Note the request portion. It is very short, toward the end, and really no more than one phrase--"turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill" (9:16). Then immediately Daniel returns to confession.

Our prayers should be balanced. They should include worship, thanksgiving, requests and confession. It is not necessary that each prayer have all four, but as we examine our prayer life, all should be evident, including confession.

Think now about your prayer life. Perhaps it isn't much. (That is a subject all its own to consider!) Whatever the current condition is of your prayer life, do you confess?

"Father, right now I need to confess that . . ."

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Daniel 11-12 Jude

Under Construction

Daniel 11-12, Jude
Key Verse: Jude 20

What is the biggest room in your house? The room for improvement, of course! There is always room for improvement in our lives. No matter how much we may think that we have arrived, there are still rough edges and missing pieces that need work. The typical homeowner knows that there is always something that needs to be fixed, replaced, removed or added. That means he has two choices-either get to work on those things or forget about them. Obviously, the former is preferred over the latter.

The same is true with our spiritual lives. There is always room for improvement, and we can either work on it or forget about it. God's will is that we "build [ourselves] up in [our] most holy faith" (v. 20).

You started out your Christian life as a baby believer, one needing to be fed the milk of the Word. As you grew and developed, you moved from milk to meat. The parallels between physical growth and spiritual growth make it easy for us to understand. As the child is fed, he grows and develops. As the believer is fed the Word, he also grows and develops.

Sometimes, though, a Christian may be content to stay a child in the faith. That is not the same as childlike faith. Also, there is no excuse for stunted spiritual growth. God wants, expects and commands us to mature. It is a building process that should occur in the life of every believer.

Are you growing in your faith, or are you stagnant? Reading the Bible is part of the growth process, as is praying, which is also mentioned in this key verse today. Be sure to do both every day.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Revelation 1 Hosea 1-4

Loved

Hosea 1-4, Revelation 1
Key Verse: Revelation 1:5

The apostle John knew Jesus. He walked with Him, heard Him teach and joined with Him in ministry. When Jesus died on the cross, John was there and was given a special responsibility, that of caring for Mary, the mother of Jesus. He is remembered as the Apostle of Love-but he was not always known by that name.

In the list of disciples in Mark 3, John and his brother James are called the "Sons of Thunder" (v. 17). When the Samaritans would not receive Jesus, John and James were ready to command fire from heaven to destroy the place (Luke 9:54)! John not only was with Jesus, but he also was changed by Jesus. He went from one who would react with a call for judgment to being characterized as a man of love. John knew the reality of being loved and became one who loved.

In the opening chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John gave greetings and a doxology. Doxologies are words of praise. His praise of Jesus includes this phrase: "to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (v. 5). John had experienced both the love of Jesus and the cleansing that can be received from Him.

John may not have been the most lovable of individuals. Typically, someone described as a "son of thunder" does not invoke images of relational warmth! Yet there is no more tender picture of closeness and purity in relationship as that of John at the table during the Last Supper, leaning on Jesus. He knew love and was changed by the love of Jesus.

We are loved and it should show. How do others see you? If you are more like a son of thunder than an apostle of love, ask Jesus to help change you like He changed John.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Hosea 5-8 Revelation 2

Repent, Part 1

Hosea 5-8, Revelation 2
Key Verse: Hosea 6:1

Perhaps we should make a list of the "lost words of Christianity." It seems like some things are not talked about as much today. Worldliness, for instance, is a forgotten word, erased from usage by an overemphasis and sometimes misapplication of Christian liberty. Sin and some of the classic words for it have been dropped from the vocabulary. Adultery is an "affair" or a "fling," for example. Seldom do we hear the word repent.

Repent implies the need for change. Something is not right; actually, something is wrong. The tendency today is to teach how God can meet man's need, and not so much about how man needs to change. The concept that God would judge is foreign to the minds of some people yet is essential to His nature as a God of justice and righteousness.

To the people of Israel, God sent Hosea, a man who became a living parable of repentance and return. His story is shocking: he was married to a prostitute whom the Lord commanded he love as the Lord loved the Israelites (3:1). The reality of Hosea's marriage teaches us the reality of God's love for His wayward people, for us. We are told, "'Come, and let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds'" (6:1).

That is not what people may want to hear, but it is what we need to hear. God will work in our lives, sometimes in forceful and unpleasant ways. His goal is not to destroy but to bring us back to Him.

Examine your life and think about areas in which God wants you to change. Repentance is not just something of the past. It needs to be a part of our present.

_________________________

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[nChrist]

Author: Woodrow Kroll, Tony Beckett
Source: Faith Walk
Scripture Reference Hosea 9-11 Revelation 3

Repent, Part 2

Hosea 9-11, Revelation 3
Key Verse: Revelation 3:19

About the time we start to think that repentance is only an Old Testament idea, along come verses like this one from the New Testament: "'Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent'" (v. 19). There is an interesting blend of two contrasting actions-love and rebuke.

We may not understand how love and rebuke go together, but they do. It is vital to our understanding of God and the development of our spiritual life to understand that they are both a part of our relationship with Him.

God loves us. That is a comforting thought. We do not typically draw as much comfort from the thought that God rebukes us-until we realize that His rebuke is an act of love. He cares for us enough to correct us, and His desire is to help us change.

Several times in these letters to the churches, the message of Jesus includes a call to repentance. It is a message that we must not miss nor misunderstand. Do not misunderstand it as being anything but an expression of God's love for us. And do not miss the need for change, removing from your life those things that God says are wrong. We are saved from the penalty and power of sin. God desires that we turn from those sins and determine to do that which is right in His sight. Repent truly is a word for us today.

Do you need to change something in your life? Repent is still a word for today!

_________________________

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