Author: bthemsg

As I was reading Ephesians 6 today, I was struck by the word Paul uses to describe our spiritual struggle as we follow Jesus. Notice what it says in verse 13,

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

The word “wrestle” is describing close hand to hand combat. I think it is easy to read this verse and miss the significance of this description. Paul is figuratively describing an intense struggle and wrestling on the ground with our enemy.

Is that how you have been thinking of the Christian life?  I think this concept of “wrestling” stood out to me today because last night I experienced my first Jujitsu class. Jujitsu is a form of grappling or wrestling. After we each had learned a couple of moves, we were told to start wrestling with a partner until we could get our opponent in submission! I hadn’t wrestled since High School, but I gave it a try. It was an intense struggle to avoid being put in submission by my opponent while trying to get him to tap out.

Surprisingly, I did well against the other beginner students.  BUT, when the teacher asked to wrestle me I knew I was in trouble.   Because of his skill, speed, and experience, he was able to overcome my strength advantage.  Whatever I tried to do, he had a way to counter or get out of it.  Eventually, he got me to a point where I had to give up.  He forced me into submission!

We as followers of Jesus are fighting a very experienced foe, who has organized this world in a way to bring us into submission. The problem is that we often do not see life in this way.

As I studied this word “wrestle” a little more, I was challenged by the insight of Kenneth West when he said,

“In the word ‘wrestle,’ (palē (παλη)), Paul uses a Greek athletic term. Thayer defines as follows: ‘a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to press and hold down his prostrate antagonist, namely, hold him down with his hand upon his neck.’ When we consider that the loser in a Greek wrestling contest had his eyes gouged out with resulting blindness for the rest of his days, we can form some conception of the Ephesian Greek’s reaction to Paul’s illustration. The Christian’s wrestling against the powers of darkness is no less desperate and fateful.”

We are in a desperate fight for our obedience to Jesus, but most of us in America live as though we have no enemies. We live an unguarded life against the schemes of the evil one. He knows our weaknesses and is ceaselessly trying to pin us before we even know we were in a fight!

Paul shows us that our only hope in this battle is with God’s armor. Verse 13 says,

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Wuest continues his valuable insight into verse 13 when he says,

“The verb is aorist imperative, which construction issues a command given with military snap and curtness, a command to be obeyed at once and once for all.Thus, the Christian is to take up and put on all the armor of God as a once-for-all act and keep that armor on during the entire course of his life, not relaxing the discipline necessary for the constant use of such protection.”

Wow, what a description of our struggle to be faithful as a follower of Jesus in this world! Our only hope is to withstand our experienced foe is by putting on the whole armor of God and fighting. This armor is describing what a soldier would put on as he went into battle. Each piece had a particular purpose.

Father, I thank you for the reminder that following you in this world will be hard even though the victory is assured. I will be wrestling with a global system designed to lead me astray from simple obedience to you. Help me to remember this life will be a daily struggle and that I need your armor to be able to resist its influence. By your enabling, give me a life of victorious faithfulness.

Following Jesus with you,

Many of us can remember the commercial with the Energizer bunny. The battery it used allowed that rabbit to keep running and running and running. As I was studying today, I was impressed with the description of God in Phil. 2:13 which says,

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

The story of God working in us is fascinating. The word translated “at work” is the source for our English word “energy.” As G. F. Hawthorne points out,

This word “carries within it the idea of working mightily, of working effectively (cf. Matt 15:2; Gal 2:8; 3:5; 5:6; Eph 2:2). The form this new verb takes is a participle used as a noun; thus it becomes another name for God. The Great Energizer, the one who is effectively at work, is God.”

The previous verse (Phil. 2:12) tells us we are responsible to “work out” our salvation, and this verse shows us that God is the one who will energize us as we put forth that effort. God, as the Energizer, makes our efforts fruitful. This truth is a profound blessing for the disciple of Jesus.

This privileged reality for the disciple of Jesus is in stark contrast to something else that Paul teaches us in Eph. 2:1-2, which says,

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.”

If you notice in these verses, Satan is described as the one “at work” in unbelievers. It is the same word used by Paul in Philippians 2. Here, Satan is the energizer of those who live contrary to God’s will.  Satan’s influence leads to a life of fleshy indulgence in disobedience to God, but God’s power leads to life in conformity to the image of His Son.  When we become a Christian, we are transferred into the Kingdom of Light and God becomes our Energizer as we put forth the effort to follow Him.

Father, thank you for the reminder that through your work and influence in my life to energize me, I can become who you want me to be! Your design of salvation allows for this incredible possibility.  Thank you for setting me free from the one who used to enslave me to pursue his will through my selfish interests before I was a disciple of Jesus.

Following Jesus with you,

Have you ever been lost? I remember a time that I was scouting a new area I wanted to hunt.  It was a beautiful forest. I had planned on only being there a short time so I didn’t bring anything with me except my binoculars.

As I walked through the woods looking for the best place to set up my deer stand, time got away from me. As the sun was setting, I exited the woods, and to my shock, I was completely lost and nowhere near where my car was located.  In fact, I was not sure where I was. I guessed that I was  2-3 miles from my car which I thought now was on the other side of the woods. Darkness was also upon me. I had no flashlight or compass, and I was not certain what direction I needed to go.  I began running back through the woods to try to get through as much of the dense timber as I could before it became completely dark. Once darkness engulfed me, I continued through the thicket slowly fumbling through the woods. When I finally came out of the forest, I was very thankful that I could see my car!

What was my problem? My inner compass was “off.” I thought I knew where I was and the best way to get to my destination, but I was terribly wrong. This memory came to mind as I read Gen. 19. This passage describes the tragic story of Lot and his efforts to protect the two angels who had come to Sodom. He was willing to give the mob (consisting of all the men of the town), his two virgin daughters so that they would not pursue their homosexual desires with the angels. What a corrupt city and foolish dad!

The story is sickening, but how could Lot be willing to give up his two daughters to protect the angels? The only explanation is that his moral compass was “off.” As K. A. Mathews notes,

“That Lot sanctions the rape of his daughters indicates a moral compass gone awry; he places hospitality above the protection of his own children.”

Our society’s moral compass has also gone awry. Sinful behavior is parading before us on the news, in the movies, and in many other ways.  Many who are living life by their inner moral compass pursue a selfish and sinful agenda because they no longer have accurate bearings. They no longer see God and His will as true North. The result is that our culture is on a fast downward moral spiral.

Father, I thank you that you do not change. I thank you that you and your will always functions as our moral compass. From your Word, we can determine how you want us to live. If our personal agendas are in conflict with your clearly communicated will as we find it in scripture, then our compass is “off.” Help us to consistently seek you and your will and guide us by your moral compass.

Following Jesus with you,

All of us have probably had news that caught us off guard. News that may have changed our lives very unexpectedly. In Genesis 17, Abraham had been living with his son Ishmael for 13 years with the clear thought that Ishmael was going to be the heir of the Promise that God had made. That was not God’s plan, and it is here that God shares some fantastic news with Abraham that changes everything.

God again appears to Abraham in this passage and renews his Promise to make him the father of a multitude of nations, and through his seed, the promised Messiah would come. It is also in this passage that God makes clear that Ishmael is not the son through whom the Promise of God will be fulfilled. The Promise is going to go through the son of Sarah. Hearing the reaffirmation of God’s covenant, Abraham still does not understand and thinks God is talking to Ishmael. Notice what he says in Gen. 17:18-19,

“And Abraham said to God, ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before you!’ God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name hIsaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.’”

God also responds to Abraham, and his desire for the blessing of Ishmael by saying,

“As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” (Gen. 17:20-21)

Ishmael, as one of the sons of Abraham, would experience blessing. He too would become a great nation, but it will not be through his lineage that the Promise would be fulfilled. It will be through Isaac that the Promise will come. Through Isaac, the Messiah would come, and His rule would be established.

This passage is a good reminder that Ishmael and his descendants also will experience the blessing of God.  This blessing comes through their connection to Abraham by the covenant of circumcision. God graciously is able to extend his blessing to more than the singular line of Issac., but it is only through Isaac that God’s covenant and future reign would be accomplished.

This clarification for Abraham is stunning! He is 99 years old and Sarah is 90 years old at this point! This is news that goes beyond anything that Abraham could have ever imagined. This once again is evidence that we serve a BIG God.

Father, your grace truly is amazing. What a benevolent God you are! I am also so thankful that you are a God with a plan. You have been in control of your plan of salvation from day one. Thank you for loving us enough to control history to ensure the birth of a Savior for all the world.

Following Jesus with you,

One of the scripture passages I find puzzling is Gen. 4, which describes the story of Cain and Abel. In that section, we see that both Cain and Abel bring sacrifices to God as an act of worship. Abel’s sacrifice is accepted, and Cain’s was not.

The text does not tell us why one offering pleased God and the other did not. Many speculate, but the text is silent as to God’s reasoning. We also know from Leviticus, that both types of offerings were good and acceptable so, to say Abel’s offering was better than Cain’s seems to be a stretch.

What then is the point of the story? Notice what is said in verses six and seven,

“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.’”

It appears that Cain was struggling with God’s right to be in authority over him and reject his offering! He was mad that his act of worship was not accepted and he was going to take it out on Abel. Allen Ross makes an excellent observation in this passage when he says that in the Garden, Eve, was a sinless and unfallen being who was talked into sin by the evil one. In contrast, Cain was a fallen being, who could not be talked out of sin even by God!

The story is showing that God is God and Cain is not. God has the authority to accept and reject at his discretion even when things do not appear right or fair from our perspective. As John Gibson notes in verse six,

“‘If you do well’ means not ‘if you behave yourself,’ but ‘if you accept my decision,’ however, difficult it may be for you to understand.” In conclusion, Gibson goes on to say, “Cain is being counseled to take it on the chin like a man, and not to give way to pique and indignation.”

How could Cain have successfully endured this frustrating set of circumstances? He simply needed to submit to God’s authority and accept it, even though he did not understand. Acting in this way would have worked out well for him, and his countenance would have changed from anger to joy. If he chose to fulfill his feelings of resentment and anger toward God, sin was waiting to pounce on him and control him. Unfortunately, Cain chose the latter, and he then killed his brother.

What can I learn from this for my life today? I need to remember God is God and I am not. I need to live a life yielded to his leadership regardless of my ability to understand why things work the way the do. I need to trust and obey.

Father, I am sorry for the times I grumble and complain when things do not appear to be working out in a way that I think is right or fair in my life. I need to heed your warning to Cain and yield to your leadership in my life and let go of feelings of frustration and resentment. I need to live above my circumstances and trust you and your leadership in my life.

Following Jesus with you,

One of the things I have noticed about my life now that I have been a Christian for about 40 years is how easy it is to have my heart drift from simple allegiance and obedience to God! It is something that I have to be sensitive to and be disciplined to stay in the Word and focused prayer.

This morning I was struck by this issue in the life of Solomon. We know of God’s incredible blessings in his life, including wisdom, power, industry and worldwide fame. In spite of these amazing blessings in his life, he made the tragic mistake of letting his heart drift from his allegiance to God. This gradual process led to a lifestyle of sin which resulted in God’s judgment. This story is found in 1 Kin. 10 and 11. What was the sin he repeated that led his heart astray? He chose to marry 700 women, and the text says that they led him away from God in idolatry.

Marrying that many women must have taken years, so this was a gradual decline that ended in the pursuit of other gods. I found 1 Kin. 11:11 to be very insightful and encouraging even though it must have been very heard for Solomon to hear. This verse says,

“Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.’”

The wording that I found so encouraging is “Since this has been your practice.” This judgment from God was not for one act of defiance but a practice of sin over many of years.

God’s patience with Solomon eventually wore out, and he paid the price for his disobedience. But what we can be encouraged with is the example of God’s patience in our lives. We all sin, and sometimes that sin may have immediate consequences from God. Other times, He is slow to respond, and is extremely patient, waiting for us to repent.

Let us be disciples who keep our heart focused on God and not allow our hearts to drift in our absolute allegiance to him.  And let us be thankful for all that God has given us and not take it for granted like Solomon.

Father, thank you for being so patient with my failings as I pursue you. May you keep my heart hungry for you and may my life display this passionate pursuit by keeping you the #1 allegiance of my heart.

Following Jesus with you,

In the book of Daniel, we get a glimpse of a hero, a true man of God and that person is Daniel. In chapter 5, great drama is unfolding, and a startling confrontation takes place between Daniel and King Belshazzar.

Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar and became the king of Babylon when his father died. Although Belshazzar had known of the God of Daniel and seen his work in his father’s life, he rejected God. He also left Daniel out of his role of influence in the kingdom that he had with his father. In addition it seems that Belshazzar had no regard for God at all. He had the audacity to use the items of the temple for his drunken party and worshiped the gods of gold and silver. He was a very proud man until confronted by a miraculous writing which appeared on the wall during this celebration.

When no one could read the writing on the wall, the queen reminded him of Daniel. It is interesting here the queen was not one of his wives since they are already present and was most likely the queen mother. That is, his mother who would have experienced all that happened to Nebuchadnezzar! At his mom’s prompting, he seeks out Daniel to interpret the message on the wall.

I love how Daniel responds to the king’s promise of riches and power if he would reveal the writing. In Dan. 5:17 it says,

“Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another.”

Daniel was so laser focused on being God’s faithful servant that he did not even entertain the thought of money and power for doing God’s work. To me, this is such a challenging example because we all are tempted by money and power and unfortunately see the corruption that follows those who have been lured away by its appeal. Daniel’s ability to reject the king’s offer reminds me of 1 Tim. 6:9-10 which says,

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

The pursuit of money can lead a person to wander away from following God and as a result, pierce themselves with unnecessary pain. Daniel’s ability to keep it simple, by living a life of faithfulness without responding to the temptation of money and power allowed him to be laser focused as he spoke a blistering message explaining the meaning of the writing on the wall. In a nutshell, that wording said, “your pride has brought you to the end, and your kingdom will be given to another.” That night the king was killed!

Can you imagine the courage to be that direct and unwavering in speaking with the king who could have had him tortured and killed by his command? WOW! What a man!

Father, thank you for the great example of Daniel. He kept the right priorities in life and was not lured away to pursue things that could lead him away from his laser focus of being the man you wanted him to be. May you help me be such a man.

Following Jesus with you,

The book of Daniel is another incredible display of God’s power and the courage of some of his people. The portion of the story that hit me today is contained in chapter three.

In this section, King Nebuchadnezzar had a 90 foot statue built and then organized an elaborate celebration, including music to inaugurate the worship of this new god created by him.

Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are brought before the king because they did not bow and worship as commanded. As a result, they were bound and thrown into the furnace after the heat was raised to seven times its normal temperature.  Miraculously, they were kept from any harm and the king was overwhelmed with the greatness of their God!

One of the aspects of this story that is so impressive is the way Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded to the king’s command. Notice what it says in 3:16-18,

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

With their very lives in the balance, they responded without wavering. As I read this almost 3,000 years later, of course I know they should not sin by worshipping another god, but in the moment, what pressure they must have felt to compromise! And yet, they simply said, “no.” Whether they lived or died really was not important to them. Obedience to God was what mattered. Everything paled in comparison to their allegiance to God. So for them, it was so simple.  There was no real decision here.  It was black and white.  They must obey God and not let the potential consequences of their obedience confuse the decision.

I also think that it may have taken months for this image to be built. It is not too hard to imagine that they knew the intended purpose of that idol. As it was built over some months, they probably wrestled with what they would do if they were required to worship that image. When the day came, they were ready.

Should it not be as simple for us today? I find myself entertaining debates with myself about obedience at times. It really is so simple. I must have my allegiance to God above anything else. When I do, what seems like a hard decision, or tempting, will easily fall into its proper place. I simply say “no,” just like they did.

Father, thank you for this amazing display of courage in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When life becomes complicated, may I remember that simple obedience is what you expect from me. I need to trust you with the results of my obedience just like Daniel’s friends. May fear of the consequences not cloud my choice to obey.

Following Jesus with you,

We live in a time and culture where there is great confusion related to truth, appropriate conduct, and spirituality. The Bible is now considered a threat by many and Christians are cast in a light where we are the problem in our nation.

In the spiritual chaos of our time, it seems a lot like what it must have been like during the time of the Judges. The summary of that time was “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6). Everyone lived by what they felt was best for them instead of by the absolute truth of God’s Word and under his leadership.

A verse that impressed me today because of these observations is Jer. 10:10a which says,

“But the LORD is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King…”

At the time of Jeremiah’s writing, there were many “gods.” The problem is that they were all created by man! Jeremiah is reminding his readers that In contrast to those created idols, we serve THE TRUE God, THE LIVING God and THE EVERLASTING God. Our God is THE one and only God.

Father, it is a comforting reminder to call to mind who you are! You are the true God because you are the truth! You are the living God and all life comes from you. You are the eternal God who always has been and always will be. Thank you for your greatness and for your desire to have a relationship with me!

Following Jesus with you,

In our crazy and complex world it is hard to find peace. Often our minds and hearts are racing trying to keep up with all of the demands and desires of our lives. Yet, God makes an incredible promise in Is. 23:6 which says,

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

A few observations about this passage that hit me:

1) God is the one who gives us this peace. It is not something we manufacture. He is the source. Peace comes from him.

2) The kind of peace he offers is “perfect peace.” This is describing complete peace. Peace the way it was meant to be. “Peace (Hb. shalom) had a much richer connotation than the English word does since it conveyed not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God.” (ESV Study Bible)

Wow! The peace God wants me to have is so much more than the lack of turbulence in my life. He wants me to experience the blessing of having a right relationship with him!

3) My responsibility in this process is to use my mind correctly. In our passage, the word “mind” carries the connotation that we “have a ‘frame of mind, perspective, constitution’ … that is ‘steadfast’… which implies an undeviating commitment to a purpose, conviction, or person” (New American Commentary)

4) This frame of mind that I need to have is described as “trust.” The word for “trust” here “is the feeling of safety and security that is felt when one can rely on someone or something else” (Complete Word Study Dictionary). I need to go through my day always relying on God. I need to leave my life in his hands.  When I have tried to take back the control of my life in the past, it has always made me worried rather than peaceful.

So how can all this all be summarized? God will keep in complete peace, the person who continually has the frame of mind where he chooses to trust in, depend on and rest in God.

When my mind starts to doubt, or I try to take control of a situation that only God can handle, I need to refocus and lean on him. The fruit of my unwavering trust in him means, I will experience his peace. This peace comes from letting go and trusting in him.  Relying on God to fulfill his promises does not mean I should not do my best, but that I should yield my life and heart to him and trust him to care for me the way he knows is best.

Father, thank you for this amazing verse. Thanks for thinking about me in such a way that you know I need peace. This peace comes from a right relationship with you where I trust you completely and continually. Help be to keep my mind focused on you and your trustworthiness so that I can experience your peace in spite of my circumstances.

Following Jesus with you,