Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

CONFORMED TO CHRIST'S IMAGE?

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, ROM 8:29.

Scripture warns, "Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after Christ," COL 2:8. This
warns us to beware of human reasoning or philosophies, which are
not totally founded upon God's Word. One of the most positive
evidences of salvation is that conformity to the image of Jesus
Christ.

Jesus said in Joh 14:23, "If a man love Me, he will keep My
words." In other words, if a man loves Jesus he will walk in
obedience, "and my Father will love him." Then what does He say?
"And we will make our abode with him." The "High and Lofty One"
dwells, "in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit," ISA 57:15.

He dwells in the heart of those who "keep my words", in the heart
of those who fear the Lord that, "delighteth greatly in His
commandments," PS 112:1. They are those who have that work of
grace in the soul. They have that new desire to do His will.
Jesus said, "If a man loves me," see the identifying mark. "He
will keep my commandments." This is the identifying mark of those
who truly love the Lord. "And my Father will love him, and we
will make our abode with him." Is there anything more blessed?

This is so beautiful. "Herein, is my Father glorified, that ye
bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples," Joh 15:8. It is in
the bearing of that fruit that the Father is glorified. What is
that fruit? The fruit is that of which we just spoke in Joh 14,
the fruit of obedience. It is that fruit of walking according to
the revealed will of God.

Let's see how Jesus shows us what it means to be conformed to His
blessed image. Oh beloved, it is so precious if we may have but
one glimpse of how the Father is so glorified by our being
conformed to that perfect righteousness, "that conformity of life
to the divine law," that perfect obedience of His Son. This
righteousness of Christ has been imparted unto all who have that
Spirit of Christ and who have that spiritual desire.

We cannot keep His commandments in perfection, nor will we
inherit salvation by our own works, but our obedience is the
fruit of salvation. It says, "Herein is my Father glorified, that
ye bear much fruit." The Lord tells us in 1 Jo 2:3-6, "And hereby
we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that
saith, I know Him and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him . . . He that saith he abideth in Him
ought himself also so to walk, even as He also walked."

Jesus said, "Even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and
abide in His love," so we also keep his commandments. This is the
fruit of that love. This is the fruit which Christ and the Father
are looking for.

Christ is pointing unto His perfect love--that keeping of His
Father's commandments by laying down His life for His church. His
perfect obedience unto death, "Even the death of the cross," PHL
2:8. That's what Jesus is pointing to when he says, "Even as I
have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love." Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

HIS NAME

JOH 3:18; "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Let's consider the word name and take it into the original. The
word name comes from the Greek word onoma which means "a name."
Do you know what that means? PHI 2:9 says, "Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name." When the Father gave His dear Son "A NAME," it was
the designation of all authority!

The name, Bill Clinton, in itself means nothing, but add to that
the words former President of the United States and now he has
been given a name. Do you see the difference? There is authority
now in the name. The Lord gave Jesus a name above every name.

Now let's go back to JOH 3:18; "He that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God." In other words, those who have
never learned to reverence the authority of His Son are under
condemnation. Why? V:19 says, "And this is the condemnation, that
light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light [Why do they love darkness rather than light? They love
darkness because they have never recognized the authority of that
Name Jesus! They have never learned reverence for that holy
Name!], because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth
evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his
deeds should be reproved."

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life," JOH 3:16, does not say that the gift of God's
Son is to all who keep the letter of the law as a Pharisee. This
Scripture deals with a heart problem, "...and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil." That is where
the condemnation lies; it is a heart problem concerning what they
love; it is not because the letter of the law was or was not
followed.

As we hold these verses in context we must understand where the
condemnation lies to fully understand what it means to be free
from condemnation. By believing in the name of the only begotten
Son of God we become free of condemnation. It is the believing in
that name, coming into a holy awe and reverence for that
authority that causes sin to become exceedingly sinful, then we
no longer cherish it. When we come to believe on the name, a name
with authority and character, when we believe in that Kingly
office, then we begin to understand what it means to believe in
Christ. The effect of believing in that name follows in PHI 2:12,
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling."

Notice the phrase ye have always obeyed. Don't stop obeying.

Christ obeyed and God gave Him a name; if you have any reverence
for the obedience of Christ and the authority that was given to
His name for such perfect obedience, then you should also obey.

If we have had but a glimpse of the Father's love in giving His
Son, seeing how He was willing to condescend to any sacrifice,
except that of truth and justice, to save fallen man, we have to
understand the sacrifice the Father made. He would not sacrifice
justice, because then sin could be forgiven without payment of
penalty. He would never sacrifice truth; He could condescend to
the giving of His own Son, but He would never stoop to sacrifice
truth and justice to save fallen man. Now we can begin to see why
it says in the context of our text, "But he that doeth truth
cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that
they are wrought in God," JOH 3:21. That is believing in the name
of the Son of God! People who act in truth do not try to hide
their sins nor do they flee from the light of His Word.

Believing in the "NAME" of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
is much more than a decision, or a certain experience; it is also
the attitude of the heart toward the authority which the
Father delegated to His dear Son for such obedience.

EPH 4:21-24 says, "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been
taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off
concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of
your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness." Do you see that
believing in Jesus is an attitude adjustment; it is a matter of
reverencing the authority of Christ instead of running from the
light so sinful deeds are not made known. There is the
condemnation. Do you run from the light to hide your deeds, or do
you come to the light so any infractions will show up and can be
remedied?

Our believing in Christ is made evident by our love for one
another which is the first evidence of our reverence for His
highest command. EPH 4:30:32 says, "And grieve not the holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Beloved, I must ask you a very personal question! Do you believe
"...in the name of the only begotten Son of God?" Do you have a
holy reverence for that authority which the Father gave His Son
as the reward for His perfect obedience? Then read EPH 5:1-2, "Be
ye therefore followers [or imitators of God as it is in the
original] of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ
also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor." If you profess to
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, be an imitator of Christ, and
walk in love "...as Christ also hath loved us," ROM 8:29. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

OUR SPIRITUAL THERMOMETER

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." MAT 6:5-6

As I ponder the years of my life I see my Lord's hedge had preserved me
many times; He had upheld me here, and there. If He had left me to my
foolishness, I would have fallen miserably in so many ways. When the
Lord comes, as He did with Moses, He will cause all of His goodness to
pass before us. "And he [Moses] said, I beseech thee, shew me thy
glory," EXO 33:18. What did the Lord say? V:19 says, "...I will make all
my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD
before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will
shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy." In seeing all the ways the Lord
had been good to him, Moses saw God's glory.

Our prayer life is our spiritual thermometer with which we can receive
an indication of our spiritual health, fervency, and warmth. The true
spirit of prayer is when we are the lowest, on our knees. When God is
exalted to the highest, and man is abased to the lowest, there is a
two-way communication line, speaking with God face to face.

Job said in, JOB 42:5-6, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the
ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent
in dust and ashes." The spirit of humility comes into our hearts when we
have seen the Lord. When we come into His presence, the first thing we
learn to seek is repentance. Job saw the sinfulness of sin, and he saw
the blessedness of what the Lord had done to preserve him.

We see the same thing with the prophet, Isaiah, when he was face to face
with the Lord. ISA 6:5 says, "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
When Isaiah's eyes were lifted to see the Lord, he saw all of the
corruption, the fountain of corruption, in his own heart. That is
precious.

Our text, MAT 6:5-6 teaches the contrast between the true spirit of
prayer and religious pride. "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as
the hypocrites are [Be on guard against the hypocrite that lies within
your own heart. Let me warn you, he is not only alive, but he's very
well and active whether we realize it or not.]: for they love to pray
standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [The
reward of being honored by men puffs up and is the leaven of the scribes
and Pharisees that tends to drive the Lord away. If it is the Lord's
presence that we are seeking, we have to be on guard.] But thou, when
thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,
pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in
secret shall reward thee openly."

If we can come in a private way before the Lord with a true spirit of
confession, if we can come like Isaiah and Job, admitting that in our
corrupt nature, we are of unclean lips, then we shall see the King in
His beauty. We shall see the King, the Lord of Hosts by the eyes of
faith. Amen.
 

[Soldier4Christ]

A TRUE SPIRIT OF PRAYER

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they
think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye
therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have
need of, before ye ask him," MAT 6:7-8.

The spirit of Godliness in prayer is a spirit of self-abasement as we
find in verses 13-14. "And the publican, standing afar off, would not
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [Then Jesus said,] I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for
every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted." The humble spirit is necessary if there is
going to be the true spirit of prayer.

The principle Jesus teaches in our text is this spirit of humility in
prayer, not vain repetitions to make a big show. They think they are
going to impress the Lord with the wonderful speech they made in prayer.
The Lord wants a simple prayer that comes from the heart. The posture of
the heart must be in humility and self-abasement before the Lord.

"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things
ye have need of, before ye ask him." Knowing this is a tremendous
consolation when we come before the Lord. Our hearts are so overwhelmed
we don't know what to say. Sometimes it is only a groan or a sigh. The
Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.
Why? The Father knows what we need before we ask.

Sometimes we must ask ourselves if we are praying to God or to others.
Are we praying to the Lord, or are we praying to ourselves? How many of
our own prayers, if we examine them, are prayers that we pray to
ourselves? Are we trying to impress ourselves with our fair speech, or
is our heart going out to the Lord?

The more I truly realize my need of praying to God, the more important
it is that the door is not only shut to others, but to that ugly
monster, self! He says we must go in our closet and shut the door. How
often do we come before the Lord in prayer with a spirit of
self-exaltation? The Lord wants a spirit of humility.

Jesus' admonition, "But thou when thou prayest, enter into thy closet
and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in
secret," reminds me of Hezekiah in ISA 38:2. "Then Hezekiah turned his
face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD." You see, the Lord had
sent Hezekiah a message in ISA 38:1, "Set thine house in order: for thou
shalt die, and not live."

Hezekiah was summoned to appear before the Lord. Hezekiah was the king,
all of his servants were standing around, and he could gain no comfort
from anyone or anything. That is when Hezekiah turned his face to the
wall and cried unto the Lord. That is shutting the door to everything
around and about him, shutting the door to himself, that ugly monster of
self. He turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord.

In his self-abasement Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord in spiritual
travail as he said after his recovery in ISA 38:10-15. Hezekiah gave an
account of that secret prayer between him and the Lord when he was given
the message that he would not live. He was told, "Set your house in
order." Then he said, "I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go
to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.
Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove [He
didn't come with vain repetitions or fair speech.]: mine eyes fail with
looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me. What shall I
say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go
softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul."

He had a prayer that was so short, he didn't use any vain repetition of
words. He turned his face to the wall and prayed, "O LORD, I am
oppressed; undertake for me."

In these seasons of self-abasement we find the true spirit of Godliness.
It is in such a time, when the Lord brings us into spiritual travail,
that we understand that true spirit of Godliness. Hezekiah said in V:16,
"O Lord, by these things men live [This tells us where our spiritual
life is; by the cutting off of the flesh we are coming from death unto
life.], and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou
recover me, and make me to live."

There is a preciousness taught in, "By these things men live." By these
soul exercises we come from death unto life; then all "these things"
that keep our souls separated from the Lord get cut off. All "these
things" of the earth, all "these things" of time and sense, all "these
things" of the flesh must have death marked upon them. Hezekiah was
given notice: you will die and not live. It was in the cutting off of
the flesh; he said it was in "these things" men live. In "these things"
is the life of my spirit. In the cutting off the flesh is where
spiritual life begins, "...so wilt thou recover me, and make me to
live."

Where Jesus said, "And thy Father which seeth in secret..." not only
means in secret places--not only that we are by ourselves and withdrawn
from others and that we have literally closed the door, but that He
"seeth" the secrets within our hearts. Our transparency before God is
the key to understanding true prayer. We don't have to come with a lot
of vain repetitions and have an excellent speech before the Lord. As
with Hezekiah we can say, "I am oppressed, undertake for me." That was a
full prayer. The Lord understood everything; He understood all the cares
of his soul. Our text says, "...your Father knoweth what things ye have
need of, before ye ask him." Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

ALONE WITH GOD

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." MAT 6:5-6

Jesus describes the spiritual leprosy of the heart in MAR 12:38- 40,
"And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which
love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts
[but watch where their heart is]: Which devour widows' houses, and for a
pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation." They
have already received their reward from men, but they will also receive
their reward from the Lord--they will receive "greater damnation."

In His teaching in Matthew 6 Jesus uses three contrasts to illustrate
true spiritual worship. In V:6 we read, "But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy
Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall
reward thee openly." This teaching must not be used in a legalistic way.
You see, there is the next overreaction that Satan wants us to make. Our
text teaches personal and private prayer. "But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thy closet," is not condemning public prayer.

Jesus referred to personal prayer in MAT 6:6, using thou, thee and thy
eight times. We must sort that out so we don't take this verse in a
general and legalistic way, taking it out of context.

Read it again to see how personal this message is. "But thou, when thou
prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray
to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly." Eight times we see a personal pronoun, so we
cannot apply this verse to public prayer.

The hypocrite is described in V:5, "And when thou prayest, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the
synagogues and in the corners of the streets [They are not reproved for
praying publicly, but such a hypocrite is seeking to perform his private
devotions in as public a manner as possible.], that they may be seen of
men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."

Now do you see the problem? The Lord Jesus is not saying that we may not
pray publicly, but He is saying that the Pharisee was bringing his
private devotions, those things that were his personal matters, before
the public to make himself look better. "The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice
in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." This Pharisee was
praying with himself saying, "...God, I thank thee, that I am not as
other men..." and then I, I, I, I.

The Lord is not coming against public prayer, but we also need private
prayer. We must come in private prayer with our private matters. We can
still ask for prayer for private problems, and we can pray publicly for
private problems. We must see that there is a distinction between
private devotions, private prayer, and public prayer. The Pharisee's
motive was not to worship God, but to win honor, glory, and worship of
himself. His motive was to let the whole crowd know what a wonderful man
he was because of the confession he could make about himself before the
Lord in public.

When we pray our personal prayers, Jesus says, "But thou when thou
prayest, enter into thy closet." We get a much richer understanding when
we go into the original. The Greek word for closet is the same word
which is translated in MAT 24:26 as "secret chamber." It means a private
place. Now that doesn't mean that you have to build a certain little
cage with a door on it so you can go in and close the door to have
prayer. Any place where your heart is, in private, is acceptable; you
can be sitting in a multitude of people, silently meditating with the
Lord and be complying with that verse. It isn't a matter of where your
body is; it is not the physical posture. The Lord is speaking about the
posture of the heart.

Our text says, "And when thou hast shut thy door..." The Lord gives us a
double caution to take heed in that sentence. It says not only seek a
private room, but in the private room, shut the door. That is a double
warning. In other words, that door must be shut to the extent that there
is not a public show. This double warning is to emphasize the strength
of the temptation that comes to the human heart. We do not realize until
we have become an old soldier of the cross what struggles we have with
Satan against that element of self-exaltation. We will never understand
it until we have been there. Those temptations are so strong that the
Lord places a double warning on them.

This emphasizes again, and again, do not do your religious exercises,
your personal religious exercises, so you are seen by others as a
religious person. We have to be careful that our motive is not to show
others what a holy and religious person we are. That is a trap that
Satan loves to set for us. I will give you an example of how he can set
that trap. People can come to you and express their mind and tell you
that they have a high respect for you. They say they really respect your
walk of life. That is a tremendous trap that Satan puts out. That's all
for the Lord's glory, isn't it? However, now feel that yeast start to
build inside of you. Have you ever been there? I have. You can pray and
struggle against it, but you see that curse that came upon us in Eden
coming alive. That fuming of that old leaven of the Pharisee's pride
right away wants to start building. Then what happens? Who is being
honored?

Now Jesus says for us to enter the closet and close the door to the
closet! Take double caution. Let this private place be your holy of
holies, where you commune, face to face with the Lord. It must not be a
showcase, but it must be a matter in the inner chambers of the heart
where you come and present your case face to face with the Lord. Let
nothing be there but yourself and God. Now the holy of holies can be
anywhere that we are alone with God. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Why we Are to Pray in Secret

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." MAT 6:5-6

I heard of a man who was said to have come into such a deep spiritual
struggle that he laid on the floor; it was told how it took three men to
pick him up and place him on the couch. Do you know what happened? Satan
became the victor; that man was so admired for such humility in the
struggle he went through. In reality, he had his reward! Our text says,
"Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou
prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray
to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly."

If that man had been in private, it wouldn't have taken three men to
pick him up; the Lord would have done it if his prayer was genuine.
Think about that. Satan is so crafty. We can be going through one of the
greatest struggles of our life, to the point of being at our wit's end;
yet if we are putting on a scene, it is before men. This is the lesson
the Lord Jesus is teaching. He says, "in your closet," in private, not
before men; that is the lesson. It is a very dangerous thing to speak of
those who are such dear children of God as though they are perfect, but
it is more dangerous when they give their consent to being portrayed as
being perfect.

David said in PSA 34:3-4, "O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt
his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me
from all my fears." It is not wrong to come before a crowd and tell what
the Lord has done for our soul, but what are we going to tell? If we
tell the truth, our biography must include our failings. We will have to
confess we have been tempted with sin, and how the Lord has delivered us
from such foolishness.

Some of the most blessed times we can have with friends are when we can
show how the Lord has put His hedge around us and spared us from the
power of sin. Last week I was visiting with my daughter, and I had to
say how the Lord had put a hedge there, and there, and there. How often
in my foolishness I would have fallen miserably if the Lord had not put
His hedge around me. As we tell what the Lord has done for our soul, we
must tell of how "...the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would," GAL 5:17. When we can
tell from experience how by God's grace, we found we "...cannot do the
things that [we] ye would" because God spared us by His grace from doing
those things against His will. That is telling what the Lord has done
for our soul. Think. That is not exalting ourselves; that is exalting
the Lord.

True worship must come to the point where the Lord is exalted, not man.
I believe there is true fellowship of the saints when we can truly lay
before our fellow man the pitfalls that we would have fallen into if the
Lord had not put up His hedge to spare us from our foolishness. Now we
are able to come before the Lord in the right spirit and true worship.

We may relate our experiences. I believe God calls upon us to do that,
to testify to the honor and the glory of the Lord, but we have to be
very careful of our motive. I can speak of this from my own heart. I
think back how often I have told of the things the Lord has done for me,
then I have to lay my hand over my mouth and say, "Guilty, guilty,
guilty." When I think back how that curse of the broken law strives to
exalt self, then I have to examine my heart over and over again. Was it
really to glorify God?

What I told was true, but the Lord looks in the heart. What a craving
there is in the human heart to have a little glory for ourselves. It is
important in Godly worship to confess what a sinner we are when we tell
of our experiences. What is so unusual and so wonderful is that God
shows such grace to me, such an undeserving one. If we can come together
and tell what the Lord has done in that spirit, I believe it is for the
Lord's glory. We are not proclaiming what a big man we are; we are
telling the wonder of God's grace in delivering such a monster of sin
from the power of Satan and sin.

The Lord is glorified when we can tell how the flesh lusts against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and how these things are
contrary the one to the other so by God's restraining grace we cannot do
the things that we would, c.f., GAL 5:17. Oh, beloved, how often we
would have destroyed ourselves, but the Lord has come with His hedge
about us to protect us with His restraining grace.

John Newton wrote three letters on the blade, the ear, and the full corn
in the ear to describe growing in grace. When he described that last
field, which was the richest field, a man wrote him, and said, "I thank
you so much for writing that last letter because it describes exactly
where I am." Newton's short response was, "There's one thing that I
forgot to add to it: those who are in that richest field never think it
of themselves." Signed, John Newton. It's interesting, isn't it? That
was a very wise answer to that man's letter.

The Lord Jesus, who knows the heart, said in our text about seeking the
praise of men: "Verily I say unto you, They have their reward," the
actor's reward. It is the reward of praise from men for putting on an
act. Such a reward is the shallow, flighty applause of men. It has no
spiritual or eternal value. The value ends when the praise of men ends.

[Soldier4Christ]

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." MAT 6:5-6

The Lord Jesus tells us to take heed of a pretense of religiously
serving God with a hypocritical motive of self-exaltation. Those who are
strangers to this struggle against the ugly monster, "I," have a
problem. They are still spiritually blind because they cannot see the
leprosy of sin in their own heart. This spiritual struggle is going on
in the heart of every one of God's people because old Satan is there,
grappling to pollute our most earnest prayers. We must struggle against,
pray about, and act against that spirit of self-exaltation.

Pharisees and hypocrites did not only live in the time of Jesus. If we
have ever learned to know our own hearts, we will realize that the same
spirit of the Pharisee and hypocrite is as alive and well in the hearts
of men today as it was in the time of Jesus. Whether or not that spirit
is alive and well is not the important question. The question is: are we
at war with Satan in our hearts? Is there a struggle in our hearts
against that spirit of hypocrisy?

This wrong spirit can be seen often in reading religious biographies.
The story presents the person to be so perfect, his motives are so pure,
but it doesn't bring forth his failures. The book does not bring forth
the whole story of the man. There are precious biographies of some of
the saints that are pagan in nature. They bring forth what tremendous
men they were, perfect and holy in their motives. While perfection must
be the heart's desire of every child of God, what actually takes place
in our life is quite different. We have to take note of that spiritual
struggle and the curse that every man must struggle against.

The Bible has many biographies, but those biographies are inspired by an
all-knowing God. Look at the difference when you read these biographies.
You not only read of Noah's faith, but you also read of his failure.
Noah is not exalted; a gracious, loving God is exalted. We see in Noah
how he fell, but we also see the grace of God, and how God brought him
back. That makes a true biography.

Let's look at another one. The biography of David tells not only about
his love, but also of his deep failures. David was a man after God's own
heart. The Lord himself said to Solomon that his heart was not perfect
with the Lord as was his father, David's. The Lord made that statement
about David; as a true biography, it also records David's faults. You
and I must understand this principle. The biography did not exalt David;
it told of his fall to show that he was still a man.

What about Moses? Moses was the meekest of all men. Moses was so meek,
he was able to talk to God face to face. However, his sin at the waters
of Meribah is also recorded. Why? It is so we do not worship a man, so
we can see that he is still a man. Our eye must be fixed on the gracious
God who by His grace drew Moses so nigh. Grace, not Moses, brought about
God's plan.

When Moses was left to himself but for a moment, he fell under the power
of self and did not sanctify the Lord, but he exalted himself. How? He
said in NUM 20:10, "...Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out
of this rock?" You see that curse of the broken law affected Moses as
well as you and me. Moses said, "must WE.." Do you see that curse of
Eden and how even in Moses, that sin of self-exaltation began to rise
up?

The Lord did not allow Moses to enter the promised land because he did
not sanctify the Lord at the waters of Meribah. Moses took the glory for
getting water out of that rock. We must be aware of the treachery of
that fountain of sin that dwells within us.

The biography of Peter not only speaks of his zeal, but also of his
failures in his battle against self, his reputation, and self-pride. The
biography of Solomon not only tells of his love and wisdom, but it also
tells of his foolishness. If there is going to be a biography that will
tell a true story, it must not only tell of virtues, but it must show
failings, too.

Satan and our own evil heart grapple with us in this world. The battle
is real; it is genuine. Life has setbacks as well as victories. If a
person is going to sit down and say, "Come, gather around while I tell
what the Lord has done for my soul," then he is also going to have to
tell you how he fell, his failings. In his failings, he must show how
the graciousness of the Lord delivered him from his foolishness and sin.
That is the true story of what God has done for his soul; He has
delivered it from the power of sin.

[Soldier4Christ]

IN THE WRONG CROWD

"And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that
disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the
palace of the high priest." JOH 18:15. 

Before we will ever get any sense of understanding about the sieve Peter
was placed into, we need to go back to the words of our Saviour. In LUK
22:31-32 it says, "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath
desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren."

This is a heart-chilling reality. The Lord had ordained that Peter
should be left over into the sieve of Satan. The Lord's ways are so much
higher than our ways. Sometimes we become so frustrated, and we have so
many riddles we cannot understand because of the trials the Lord has
allowed Satan to bring us into. The Lord uses people and circumstances
to bring us into a test of our faith. As we unfold this, may the Lord
open our understanding to be able to apply these tests of faith into our
personal circumstances.

The Lord had a specific reason for the trial in which He put Peter.
Peter was proud and self-sufficient, yet in his own mind he may have
thought he was a humble man. Peter was converted. He had the work of
grace in his soul, but he had to be converted from being a proud,
arrogant man, to a little child who needed the Lord in every step he
took. We need this conversion too, and the Lord will work it in us in
the way of His providence.

Our text says that "Peter followed Jesus." We also may be following
Jesus, with an upright heart as far as we are concerned. Where was it
that Peter walked into the sieve of Satan? Matthew's account of this
scenario sheds a little light in on the subject. MAT 26:58 says, "But
Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in,
and sat with the servants, to see the end." Peter followed Jesus, but
from a distance. He sat with the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Peter's strong assertion, "Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into
prison, and to death" (LUK 22:33), was not made in anticipation of the
nature of Satan's sieve. We need to understand the subtle nature of
Satan and his temptations. In our own hearts we may think we are doing
what the Lord would have us to do, except that Satan tries to get our
eyes off the Lord Jesus Christ and to follow Him a far off. 

When the band of officers and soldiers who came with Judas confronted
Peter, we find Peter seemed to be true to his Master. JOH 18:8-10 says,
"Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me,
let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he
spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter
having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off
his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus." Peter did not listen to
what Jesus told Judas and his band, "Let these go their way." Peter did
contrary to what Jesus told him to do. Jesus told them to go their way,
to go home, but Peter cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Then
the Lord Jesus healed the wound that Peter made.

If we were told, "Burn your Bible or die," we would probably stand, but
if the person sitting next to us, said, "C'mon, why can't we do this?
What's the difference?" we might fall. We must be aware of the subtle
nature of Satan's sieve.   

Peter had so little understanding of the Word of God written in ISA
55:7-9, "Let the wicked forsake his way [Peter did not see the arrogance
in his heart], and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return
unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts." Peter was strong in his own strength and did not
pray that God would keep him from denying Jesus. Peter's big balloon was
burst. He thought that he would follow His Master into death.

[We saw this with former President Bill Clinton. He was strong in
himself, led an immoral life, made foolish decisions in foreign affairs,
and the Lord caused him to be publicly debased on the world scene. The
Lord takes those who honor themselves and abases them. It is remarkable
to see the Lord intervene.]

Peter had his own presumptuous imagination of what he thought was the
will of God. The Lord Jesus put him in the sieve. In Peter's human
reasoning he was following Jesus, but as he followed afar off, where did
it lead him? JOH 18:18 says, "And the servants and officers stood there,
who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed
themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself." What was the
difference between Peter and Judas? Judas had also stood with them.
Peter unwittingly stood with the enemies of the Lord.

Peter was so totally unaware of Satan's snare, which he used to lead
Peter into the sieve, and this became the occasion of his fall. He
should have obeyed the Lord and gone home, but he followed the enemies
of his Lord. JOH 18:25 says, "And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.
They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He
denied it, and said, I am not." Notice the word therefore. Because he
joined them, they confronted him.

Watch how Satan sifts Peter in a sieve that Peter did not recognize.
They could understand that Judas came and bargained with them, but this
was Peter, whom they recognized as being the very man who confronted
them in the Garden! JOH 18:26 says, "One of the servants of the high
priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see
thee in the garden with him?"
 
Hearing the blasphemy poured upon his Master, standing with Judas' band,
Peter was too timid to speak up and witness for Him. It is written in
1CO 15:33, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."
 
Peter's standing with the enemies of his Lord was Satan's occasion to
challenge his profession. How do you uphold your profession when you are
in the wrong crowd? This is the basis for the principle taught in 2CO
6:14-18, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or
what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement
hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living
God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you,
and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

LIBERTY FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." MAT 6:5-6

Our text is not only a direction in acceptable prayer, but it also
contains certain commands such as "thou shalt not," and "enter into thy
closet." Our text also teaches the right motives toward God in true
worship.

The Pharisees showed a wrong attitude of self-exaltation, which was also
revealed in their prayer life. This same pharisaical spirit is alive and
well today; it is the source of a continual spiritual warfare within
each person.

Let's consider three places in Scripture where the root of this constant
spiritual warfare originated. The first place is found in GEN 3:16 where
the Lord pronounced the curse of the broken law upon the woman. "Unto
the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy
conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." In this verse we
find the root of the spiritual warfare if we understand what the Lord is
telling us.

The curse upon the woman, which is a type of the church, reflects the
spiritual warfare that comes within the heart of the church: "...and thy
desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Now if we
don't understand this properly, it would almost sound like a blessing.
It would be one of the greatest blessings if we could say that every
woman's true desire was for the leadership of her husband. If we
understood it in that light, it would not be a curse. To understand what
this verse really means, we must go back into the original language to
find the derivation of the word desire.

This word desire is taken from the Hebrew word teshuwqah which means "a
sense of stretching out after; a longing desire for." Desire for what?
Now we must go back into the root word from which it was taken, which is
shuwq. This means "to run after or over, i.e., to overflow as water."
There is the root of the spiritual warfare. There is the curse that was
placed on the woman in the Garden of Eden; that curse was a burning
desire to overflow and to run over her husband.

Then the Lord added, "...and he shall rule over thee." There we see the
spiritual warfare. There is that burning desire for her to overrun and
overflow her husband on the one hand, and on the other hand he was
commanded to rule over her. In other words, there is going to be a
continuous warfare and a power play. Why did the Lord lay that curse
upon the woman? The temptation that Satan laid on her was that she
should be as God, a power play between man and God. That power play was
that "...and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil," GEN 3:5. In
other words, you decide what is right and wrong. This curse of constant
contention is what God has laid upon the human race as the curse of the
broken law. This constant spiritual warfare for first place will never
cease until God works grace in the soul.

This word teshuwqah is interpreted as desire only three places in the
Scriptures. Let me show you where they are so you can see how this
follows through as a desire to run over, to overflow.

The second place is where Cain came to present his fruit as an offering
unto the Lord; the Lord was not pleased with it, but the Lord accepted
the offering of Abel. "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?
and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall
be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him," GEN 4:7. The Lord told
Cain there will be a spiritual warfare between the old man of sin and
that new man of the heart which is typified by Cain and Abel. The new
man of the heart will desire to overflow the old man of sin, to conquer
him, yet in this life, we will never fully conquer him.

The old man of sin will cause the spiritual warfare of the spirit
lusting against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit. This power
play is the curse that God put on the human race for sin. Wouldn't it be
a blessing if you and I could have the old man of sin totally slain?
Then we could come into perfection; we could come to a point where we
could serve Christ without interruption. There could be no greater
blessing, but that is not the way it will be in this life. In this life
there is going to be a continual struggle through this spiritual
warfare.

The third place where we find the same word from the original translated
as desire is in Song of Solomon. Again, it denotes spiritual warfare and
the spiritual struggles of the soul. SON 7:10 says, "I am my beloved's,
and his desire is toward me." This is telling us how the church of
Christ is looking toward the Lord Jesus as their beloved and that the
desire of the new man of the heart is to overflow the old man of sin, to
bring us into subjection with the law of love. Here we see the spiritual
warfare, how the old man of sin will be struggling to overcome the new
man of the heart. Here we see that new man, the Lord Jesus Christ formed
in you, has the desire to overflow that old man of sin, that Christ
might rule over us. "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me."

Spiritual warfare becomes so manifest when we see that old man
struggling against the power of the Spirit and the Spirit struggling
against the old man. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would," GAL 5:17.

This spiritual warfare enters into our prayer chamber. Where is it? It
is in that longing desire of the old man of sin after self-exaltation.
The curse that God laid upon you and me in Paradise is what we see in
our inner prayer chambers; this struggle against hypocrisy must not be
seen as two classes of people. Struggling against hypocrisy is something
that you and I have to understand, because the struggle against
hypocrisy comes into the life of every one of God's children. It isn't
that the scribes and Pharisees are over here and the Christians are over
there. That is not what this is teaching. It is teaching about the
Pharisee that is in our own heart; that spiritual struggle that comes
within our soul, but "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
liberty" (2CO 3:17), from that curse of the broken law. When we receive
the Spirit of Christ, i.e., the spirit of submission, there is liberty
from the curse of confusion under the broken law. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

FOR GOD'S GLORY 

"That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret
himself shall reward thee openly," MAT 6:4.

Our text is preceded by this admonition: "But when thou doest alms, let
not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth," MAT 6:3. Sometimes
this verse is very misunderstood. It is very important that we
understand it. Our text says in MAT 6:4, "That thine alms may be in
secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee
openly." We may not take this out of context with what the Lord Jesus
teaches in Matthew 5; it must be held in proper balance. MAT 5:16 says,
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven." See where the motive is.
This is what Jesus is teaching; glorifying the Father is the right
motive. We are called upon to do our good works before men, to be seen
of men, but the motive is to give God the glory, not to glorify self.

Our text says that we must do our good deeds quietly, not sounding a
trumpet. How are these to be reconciled? Our light must shine, but not
to promote ourselves; it is to honor God; "that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Our text cautions
against blowing a trumpet to attract the notice of men to exalt self.

The Spirit of Christ in us delights to do the will of God, that He may
be glorified. Satan is a master at getting over-reaction. He would have
us so over-react to a passage of Scripture that we totally defeat the
intent of the teaching. He would love for us to use V:3 in a legalistic
way. In MAT 6:3 it says, "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left
hand know what thy right hand doeth." Some people will never give alms
to the church in the form of a check because the deacon would know what
they gave. That is a legalist interpretation and bondage that is against
the teaching of the apostolic church.

Look at ACT 4:34-35, "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for
as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the
prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles'
feet [Did that mean they wouldn't allow the apostles to know what they
brought? No, their motive was not to be seen. Their motive was to give
all.]; and distribution was made unto every man according as he had
need." They did not blow their horn so the world would know what they
gave, but neither did they try to conceal it from the apostles. They
laid their gifts down at the apostles' feet so the distribution could be
made according to need.

The giving was a very well known fact, done before men, but not to be
seen of men or receive the praise of men. Let's look at motives. There
was a great blessing and the church prospered when many people took
everything they owned, sold it, and laid the money at the feet of the
apostles. The fact of these contributions was common knowledge, but the
Lord looks at our motives.

The wrong motive of the heart was revealed in the sin of Ananias and
Sapphira! They wanted everyone to believe that they had given all when
in fact it was a lie. The fact that they sold their land and gave part
of the money to the apostles was not their sin; they wanted everyone to
think they had given all when they only gave a part.

ACT 5:1-2 tells the history, "But a certain man named Ananias, with
Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price,
his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it
at the apostles' feet." The terrible lie was that they would have the
apostles believe they had given their all to gain the praise of men. ACT
5:8-9 says, "And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the
land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto
her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the
Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the
door, and shall carry thee out." She and Ananias had agreed they would
sell their possession and say this is the full price, but they kept back
part.

Jesus did not say "Do not do your alms before men," but He did say,
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:" We
must see the difference. We must, "Let [our] light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven," but not with the motive of being seen of men. The Lord is
judging the intent of the heart.

It is so important to preach the whole counsel of God. If we would only
preach MAT 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven," Satan
would be sure to make scribes and Pharisees of the whole church were
giving alms to be seen of men. However, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that
the motive of the heart must be right between the Lord and us.

See how many people boast of how much they have done for their fellow
man in today's social religion and how many they have led to Christ.
Have you seen in today's evangelism those who stand up and boast of the
thousands they have led to Christ? Who are they glorifying? This
violates MAT 6:3, "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know
what thy right hand doeth." Letting others see what we have done is not
a violation, but to do alms and boast about how much good we have done
is a violation.

MAT 6:3 is not a command to live in a monastery, but it is a caution of
the motive of the heart. Our testimony before the world should be as
those patriarchs spoken of in HEB 11:36-38, "And others had trial of
cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with
the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins [It was for
the testimony of their walk of life]; being destitute, afflicted,
tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts,
and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth."

Those patriarchs were afflicted and tormented for the testimony that
they gave before the world; they were persecuted for their good works,
walking in the will of God, and for their testimony of Jesus Christ.
Satan would use MAT 6:3-4 to close our mouths so we couldn't bring forth
the testimony of Christ, proclaim His name, and be a witness for God.
Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Meet Friends: Mercy and Justice

For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

Lately, I’ve seen so many people under trial. I have one friend who, despite her wanting to stop the physical relationship with her boyfriend, the guy she wants to marry nonetheless, her own effort to stop has become useless. She’s cried out to God in her agony to stop pursuing that type of relationship, only to have the guy eventually end things. She’s under pressure now to let God be the real focus of her life so He can refine her.

I also know someone else who, in the past had gotten pulled over for drinking and driving and ended up in jail over night, with their teen daughter at home not having a clue where her mother was when she woke up the next morning.  Her mom had her license taken away and had to see a probation officer for a time. You’d think that would be a lesson learned. But a few years later I watched as this mom was pulled over for speeding, she reached over in her console. Somehow I knew what she was going to do. Then finally while the officer was in his car running her traffic history, she slipped the penny in her mouth.  I had learned that she had almost an entire bottle of wine since that afternoon. When the officer came back he told her that since she hadn’t had a history in almost 3 years he was going to let her off with a warning. She didn’t even have to pay the ticket. As we drove off I asked God why He had let her off. Why did he have mercy on her when the officer could have asked her if she had been drinking? He could have done something to make this woman wise up.  What I thought was God doing nothing could very well have been something.  Having enough fear to put the penny in her mouth was a signal though that for that moment she was under trial. That may have been God’s justice.

God always has His justice, but in Him there is mercy… a mercy that puts fire under the trials… a mercy that transforms the heart. Through trials is God’s justice. Through mercy is His grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

My Lips Hurt Real Bad
Napoleon's chapped lips can help us think about how taking action can change our lives.


Napoleon just wants to go home early. He's had a rough day at school already, dealing with Don's mockery and Randy's outright bullying. He just had his head banged against a locker, and he wants out.

So he calls Kip and starts trying to talk Kip into getting him out of there. Kip is obviously very busy right that second with, and this is an educated guess, making the biggest plate of nachos ever. We all know Kip refuses to come pick him up, so Napoleon makes a desperate last-ditch attempt to get Kip to the school, presumably to talk him into taking him home.

He has chapped lips. And they hurt real bad.

Napoleon is grasping at straws, hoping his complaining will be enough to get Kip out there.

Kip is having none of it, though, and leaves Napoleon hanging out to dry, forcing him to finish his school day.

How do you think Napoleon feels about himself here? He's been openly mocked, bullied in front everybody and rejected by his own brother. We're guessing the self-esteem meter isn't really maxed out at the moment.

Let's pretend we have a working time machine and that we can travel way back to about 1400 b.c. This was around the time the children of Israel had just escaped from their Egyptian enslavement. For 400 years, they'd been living under a severely oppressive regime in Egypt—forced into very difficult labor and seen as second-class citizens. Then, Moses came along as God's representative and miraculously led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, where they were on their way to the Promised Land.

And then they started complaining. Complain, complain, complain. "We have no food." God provided food. "This food is boring; we want meat." God provided meat. Wah, wah, wah. On and on.

But my lips hurt real bad.

The Israelites spent much of their time in the wilderness grumbling and complaining, and God would have none of it. Because of their bad attitudes and lack of trust, he kept them in the wilderness for 40 years before leading their descendants into the Promised Land.

Turns out it was the best thing God could have done for them. Because when it came time for them to go into the Promised Land, they discovered it was already populated, so they were forced to fight for it. By spending 40 years in the wilderness, they had a desire for the land that helped them put aside their pettiness and get to the business of taking their land. They wouldn't have any room for complaining about this and that—they needed to band together and fight. Plus, they'd just spent that whole time learning to trust God to provide food and water for them, so God-trust was now second nature to them; good thing, because they would need it.

Kip wouldn't listen to Napoleon's complaining. Unlike God, Kip couldn't see the whole picture and had no idea what his refusal would do to Napoleon.

Turns out it was the best thing Kip could have done for him.

Napoleon hangs up the phone and immediately stumbles on Principal Svadean trying to direct Pedro to his locker. Napoleon strikes up a conversation, shows Pedro where his locker is located and soon finds himself at Pedro's house taking the Sledgehammer on some sweet jumps.

Imagine the self-esteem boost Napoleon got when he extended a hand of friendship to Pedro and saw that hand welcomed. Imagine the faith boost the Israelites got when they finally entered their land and started winning battles.

Action, not complaint, is what changed their lives.

So maybe this reminder from the Israelites can help the next time you face a frustrating situation. It's tempting to complain, and there's nothing wrong with a little venting. But those complaints will do nothing to change the situation; action will. Ask God what action you should take, if any, and then trust that he—not your tongue or bad attitude—will turn the situation around for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Payable on Death
Why Jesus had to die.

God always wanted to be your friend. That was the plan from the beginning. He created you—and all people—so he could love you. He even built a place to live with all his creations. Then, something went wrong.

Life was good in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve happily lived there with God. But Satan had his own plan: to separate God from humans. He knew this would happen if humans were sinners because God is holy and can't stand sin. So Satan started tempting Adam and Eve to break Eden's only rule: "Don't eat off the forbidden tree." When they gave in, sin moved into the neighborhood.

Everything changed. God still loved us, but now he couldn't be around us. He couldn't exist with sin. So, he kicked us out of the very place he created for us to live with him. God's plan seemed ruined.

Well, it seemed that way. But God had a plan. As he handed Adam and Eve their suitcases, he looked at Satan (in the form of a serpent) and said, "You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel" (Genesis 3:15 CEV).

No, God wasn't talking about gardeners using shovels to kill snakes who get in their tomato plants. He was talking about Jesus. But how could Jesus make any difference?

Imagine God's original plan like a big open room where everyone could just hang around with God. When sin came in, it was like a big curtain that went up in the middle of the room with God on one side and humans on the other. This separation is exactly what we see in the days of Moses.

God wanted a place where he could be near the Israelites. He told Moses to build a home for him, called the tabernacle, where he could live with them (Exodus 25:. But this wasn't like the Garden of Eden. The tabernacle wasn't a big open room for God and people to hang around in together. Instead, God instructed Moses to put a curtain up (Exodus 26:31-33) to separate God and people. He stayed on one side, they were to stay on the other.

This wasn't what God originally wanted, but this is how it had to be. He knew he couldn't get any closer to humans because of their sin. In fact, if anyone with sin walked onto God's side of the curtain, they'd die (Leviticus 16:1-2). So imagine how shocked the high priest, Aaron, was when God told him to come to the other side of the curtain. He must have thought, Ummm, what about that whole dying thing?

But God had it all figured out. He told Aaron to stand before him once a year to pay for, or "atone" for, all the sins of the Israelites. To do it, God gave Aaron a big long list of cleansing rituals (Leviticus 16). That list is too long to mention here, but there's a pattern to all the things Aaron had to do: There was a lot of blood involved. Bulls and goats had to be killed and their blood had to be smeared around. So why all that blood?

Well, the Bible tell us that "the wages of sin is death." This means that when we sin, we deserve to die. We shouldn't be able to live with our sins. But instead of making people just die left and right when they sin, God allowed them to replace their own death with the death of a pure, unblemished animal. God explains this in Leviticus 17:11 when he says, "Life is in the blood, and I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own" (CEV).

This is where Jesus comes in. His sacrifice erased our sins because—like with all of Aaron's rituals—there was blood involved. But this wasn't just any blood. This was the blood of the sinless Son of God. People used to sacrifice pure, unblemished animals, but this blood came from a pure, unblemished man! Because he was both human and God, Jesus' blood bridged the gap that sin created between us and God (Hebrews 2:14-17).

If blood from animal sacrifices could cover up sin enough to allow one sinner to pass through the curtain, what would the holy blood of God's Son do? Well, take a look at what Luke 23:45 says happened when Jesus died: "The temple curtain split right down the middle" (NIV).

That's right, Jesus didn't just pull the curtain back a little so we could scoot through. He tore the whole thing down! We still sin, but because Jesus' blood covers all our sins all the time, each of us can now have a personal relationship with God. And when Jesus returns to Earth, he will complete God's original plan. A voice from heaven will shout, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them" (Revelation 21:3). The plan will be complete because Jesus beat sin!

But Jesus went further than that. He beat sin by dying for us, but by coming back to life he beat Satan. God said in Genesis 3 that Jesus would be struck on the heel but would strike Satan on the head. He was right—Satan did injure Jesus. He died. But Jesus delivered the knockout blow by returning from the dead. By coming back to life, Jesus completely beat death and proved that because of him, we can too.

And then we'll live with God, just like he planned.

[Soldier4Christ]

Can You Hear Me Now?
God doesn't always shout to get your attention.

When a friend calls you, how do you know it isn't just a prank caller? How do you know it's not your mother, father, brother, teacher or neighbor? You know because you know your friend. By spending time with your friend, you know how they talk—you know the expressions they use, the tone of their voice and the changes in their pitch when they're happy or sad. That's the way it should be with God: You know him—his character, his nature, his interests, his pleasures and displeasure, his joys and hurts—so well that you recognize him and his involvement in your life. God is inviting you to know more than just his voice, though. He is inviting you to know him. It's an awesome opportunity.

Did Someone Whisper?
The prophet Elijah had an awesome encounter with God, and it happened at the lowest moment in Elijah's life. The story, in 1 Kings 19, begins with the prophet hiding in a cave.

"Elijah, why are you here?" the Lord asked.

Exhausted and deeply sad, Elijah explained, "Lord, God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!"

Elijah was ready to call it quits. So what did the Lord ask him to do? Something a little odd, actually. He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain. I want you to see me when I pass by."

Elijah obeyed. But before he could step out of the cave, a thunderous wind hit the mountainside, shattering rocks in all its fierceness. But the Lord was not in the wind, or the violent earthquake that followed. He wasn't in the fire that rained from heaven after that. No doubt Elijah wondered what would come next: A lightning bolt? A flood? A volcanic outburst?

Instead, in the still silence, Elijah heard a gentle whisper. He knew it was the Lord. He got up, stood at the opening of the cave and hid his face with his coat.

The gentle voice asked Elijah the same question it had before: "Elijah, why are you here?" Elijah repeated his earlier answer. Then, the Lord gave Elijah specific instructions and told him he wasn't the only one refusing to worship idols. Seven thousand others had not left God to follow Baal.

Keep in mind that God whispered. To hear someone's whisper, you need to be near him or her. Whispering doesn't work very well if you're speaking to someone who's standing on the other side of the room. God doesn't want a long-distance relationship; he wants a close, intimate one.

How 2 Hear a Whisper
How do you begin to hear and recognize God's voice? Five ways:

   1. Have a seeking heart. In the Old Testament, David had this kind of heart. He once wrote, "In my heart, I long for you, as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert" (Psalm 63:1, CEV).

      If you want to hear God's voice, you need to seek him like David. Be honest with him. Tell him any frustrations, fears or doubts you may have about hearing from him. Ask him to give you ears to hear and eyes to see the ways he is speaking to you. Ask him for the ability to recognize the difference between his voice and your thoughts.


   2. Read your Bible. When you study the Bible, you open yourself up to the very heart and personality of God. As you study the Scripture, keep your eyes open for teachings and stories that reveal who God is and what he is like. Ask him to help you understand and apply what you're reading.


   3. Be a good listener. Hearing God's voice requires one major thing: listening. While it may sound easy, actually making time to sit still can be a challenge in your super-busy world. It is hard to get quiet and even harder to stay that way. Prayer often gets interrupted by a "hold on a sec …" because the phone rings or someone's at the door.

      Hearing from God is about more than just turning off the cell and getting away from doors. It requires a quiet heart. It means becoming still enough on the inside despite the craziness on the outside.


   4. Practice patience. All of this takes time, effort and patience. Learning to hear, recognize and understand the ways God speaks doesn't happen overnight. It may take several years before you're completely comfortable with hearing and recognizing God's voice. No matter how long it takes, be confident that he has heard your prayers and will respond.


   5. Obey God. Hearing from God doesn't mean much if we don't obey. But many people constantly wonder if what they hear is really from God. This keeps them from taking action. The fear of being wrong prevents them from ever having the opportunity to be right.

Remember, God looks at the heart. When he sees you stepping out in faith—even if you're heading in the wrong direction—he can lovingly correct you, pointing you in the right direction.

Through a pattern of obedience, you begin to develop a confidence and assurance that you really have heard from God. You can't really explain it. It's internal. Someone may ask how you know you're supposed to do something in particular. You respond, "I can just sense it inside. I just know."

You just know. And the reason you know: You have been building a deep and growing friendship with God. It's a relationship so close that you can't help but hear that gentle whisper.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Courage to Be Gentle
Devotions on the fruit of the Spirit

    The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV).

If you have a conversation about what makes somebody cool, the word "gentle" probably won't come up. Gentleness? It's anything but cool, right? In fact, it's often seen as a sign of weakness, like wearing a sign on your back that says "kick me." But that's not how the Bible presents it. The Bible is really very big on gentleness. God's Word even commands us to "clothe" ourselves with gentleness-to wear it as closely as we would a shirt (Colossians 3:12). This means being considerate in the way we treat others. It means looking beyond people's tough exteriors to the hurt or insecurities that may be hidden deep inside. Does that sound like weakness to you? It can actually take a lot of strength and courage to be truly gentle.

The Gentleness of Jesus

    Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).

When it comes to Jesus, we get a lot of wrong impressions. He was gentle, right? So he kind of smiled a lot, and constantly turned the other cheek and let people push him around? OK, we're pretty sure he was a man with a gentle smile. We definitely know he encouraged turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). And at the end of his life, he was willing to let people smack him around and make fun of him (Luke 22:63-65). But he also walked into the temple one day, got seriously mad at a bunch of crooked salesmen, knocked over their tables and chased them out of God's house. He was not weak. He stood up for what was right and he boldly told off religious leaders who made a mockery of God's truth (Matthew 23:1-36).

So what made him gentle? Watch him hold a little child (Mark 10:13-16). See him touch and heal hurting lepers (Mark 1:40-42). Hear his caring words to a needy, hurting woman (John 4). Check out his willingness to go to the cross and die for our sins (Romans 5:. That's gentleness with a capital "G."

What does all this mean to you and me? It means we can come to Jesus and know he will touch our hurts, hold us caringly, speak gentle words to our needy hearts. Most importantly, it means he will forgive our sins and "give us rest for our souls."

The gentleness of Jesus is always there for you. So don't let the painful struggles of life keep you down. Commit yourself to living for him, study his life and learn from his lessons. Let him be your gentle and humble teacher.

What About You?

   1. What makes you feel weary and burdened?

   2. Is there anything keeping you from coming to Jesus? What is it?

   3. Pray that God would help you to understand and accept his gentleness.

Gentleness Changes Us
But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about." And as soon as he said these words, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times." And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly (Luke 22:60-62).

Before Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death, he predicted Judas would betray him and Peter would deny him. "Never," Peter replied. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." That was Peter's promise. But when the pressure was on, he crumbled.

When Jesus was taken to the high priest and questioned by the religious leaders, Peter followed at a distance. Waiting outside to hear the outcome of the trial, he stood among the guards, warming himself by the fire. That's when a servant girl recognized him. "You're one of his disciples, aren't you?" she said. "Oh no, not me," Peter replied. "You must be mistaken." But this girl wasn't easily put off. She kept questioning Peter, until he swore, "I don't know the man!" That's when the rooster crowed, and Peter realized he had done just what he promised he would never do. He'd turned his back on Jesus. Just weeks before, he had said he knew for sure that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. Yet in a matter of minutes, he buckled under fear and denied ever having known Jesus.

Peter felt horrible. Scripture says he "wept bitterly" over his sin. "How could I have done that?" Surely he must have asked himself that question a thousand times. But unlike Judas, Peter didn't let his regret and guilt keep him from seeking forgiveness. Jesus, of course, knew what Peter had done. And when Jesus appeared to the disciples after he had risen from the dead, he would have had every reason to be cold and harsh toward Peter. But Jesus was gentle. That didn't mean he acted like everything was OK. But rather than attacking Peter, he calmly asked, "Do you love me?"

"Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know that I love you." Two more times Jesus asked the same question, giving Peter the opportunity to make up for how he had failed him. Then he told Peter to follow him.

This encounter with Jesus was a defining moment for Peter. From that point on he was completely devoted to the work Jesus had given him to do-telling others that Jesus is the Son of God and true life is in him. He would never again waiver out of fear for his life. In fact, he would eventually die defending the name of Jesus.

Sometimes when we fail, we may think God is angry with us and that he couldn't possibly have any use for us. But if we come to Jesus, admitting that we've done wrong and need forgiveness, he promises not to treat us as our sins deserve. With gentleness he will restore us and make us "strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:10, NIV).

What About You?

   1. When you mess up, how do you treat yourself?

   2. How did Jesus respond to Peter when he messed up? What does that tell you about how he will respond to you?

   3. Ask God to help you go to him for forgiveness when you fail rather than allowing your guilt to drive you away from him.

Treating Others Gently

    He will not crush those who are weak, or quench the smallest hope, until he brings full justice with his final victory (Matthew 12:20).

"I'm so sick of Laura," Ashley groaned. "She's always so depressed."

"Oh, I know," Beth agreed. "She sat with me at lunch today, and all she talked about was how ugly she is and how she doesn't have any friends. It's no wonder! She's no fun to be around."

Have you ever been part of a conversation like that one? Sometimes it's easy to criticize someone when we don't stop to consider what could be causing them to talk or act a certain way. But being quick to criticize shows little care or concern for a struggling friend.

The verse above is a much better example to follow. It's talking about Jesus and his treatment of those who are hurting. It's basically saying that Jesus doesn't kick them when they're down. If they're on the edge, he won't push them over.

It may not always be obvious when someone is hurting. Everything could look fine on the surface, while inside they're falling apart. So we should strive to treat everyone with gentleness. In Beth and Ashley's case, this would've meant trying to figure out how to help Laura instead of gossiping about her. In other situations it could mean being kind to someone who's being difficult-remaining calm and in control of your emotions when you'd rather return their harsh words. These aren't normal responses, of course. Our human nature wants to treat people the way they treat us instead of treating them the way we want to be treated. That's why we have to look to a strength that's found outside of ourselves. It comes from God, and he wants to give it to us when we ask. As we trust God to provide and make the decision to be gentle, we'll help others to understand the true nature of God-that he is full of care and concern for all those in need.

What About You?

   1. When is it most difficult for you to be considerate of others? Why?

   2. Think about someone who's hard to get along with. Why do you think they act the way they do? How can you show that person gentleness? Plan ahead.

   3. Ask God to give you the patience to accept the weaknesses of others and the self-control to treat them gently.