What Really Matters

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

If you were to sum up your life right now, your purpose on this earth, what truths would you want to emphasize to your friends and family? What regrets would you have?

In Acts 20 the apostle Paul gave his final words to the elders of the church he had started in Ephesus. He essentially was summing up what really mattered to him in life. Among them was this statement: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (verse 24).

There’s an important word in Paul’s statement: “joy.” Paul was saying, “I’m looking back on my life and on what I have done here, and one word seems to sum it up well: joy.” This word could be translated “exceedingly happy.” Joy is an operative word in the life of the Christian.

Maybe you’re thinking that things must have been going reasonably well for Paul. But look at the preceding verses, where Paul said, “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me” (verses 22–23).

Paul knew what adversity was. He knew what suffering and hardship were. But in the midst of it all, he was saying there is joy.

Sometimes people think Christians live the most boring lives conceivable. But the fact is that the happy life is the holy life, the life lived for God.

Jesus not only promised us life beyond the grave, but He also promised us a dimension of life on earth that is worth living.

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Wholehearted

“So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’” (Joshua 14:9)

One of the reasons this world still appeals to many of us is that we lack closeness to God.

When we’re only giving God our bare minimum and our love for Jesus isn’t burning brightly, the ways of the world and the temporary pleasures the world offers will look more and more appealing to us. But if we can get our priorities right, we can see our world for what it is. That was what Caleb did. The Bible says that he “wholeheartedly followed the Lord” (Joshua 14:9).

Wholeheartedly following the Lord meant that Caleb didn’t compromise. He stood his ground, wanting the approval of God more than the approval of others. Wholeheartedly following the Lord meant that Caleb took God at His Word and stood on it. And wholeheartedly following the Lord meant that Caleb desired fellowship and communion with God, which gave him the strength to continue.

In contrast, it was a lack of fellowship with and closeness to God that caused the children of Israel to turn to idolatry, immorality, complaining, and testing God in the wilderness.

When you’re in love with Jesus Christ, you will see Him for who He is, and you will see this world for what it is. As the hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full at His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

When you maintain a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, this world will lose its appeal to you.

Caleb wholeheartedly followed the Lord and wanted fellowship, intimacy, and closeness with Him. This sustained him through difficult times. It will also sustain us through difficult times.

May we not be casualties in the spiritual battle. May we be strong as believers living in these last days.

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The 45-Year Wait

“I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then.” (Joshua 14:11)

Of all the people who received an inheritance in the Promised Land, only Caleb completely drove out the enemy. And Caleb faced some of the most formidable foes in the entire land.

Caleb was an 85-year-old man. And he had been waiting for 45 years. He had to endure everyone’s whining and griping the entire time. Caleb was there when they cried out for meat and complained about the manna God had provided for them. He was there when they rebelled against Moses. And he had to put up with it.

While others looked back, Caleb looked forward. While others wanted to please themselves, Caleb wanted to please God. And after resisting the temptation to go along with the crowd for so many years, he was ready to receive his reward. He believed that God would keep His promise.

Caleb said to Joshua, “I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then” (Joshua 14:11).

Being an older guy, Caleb could have asked for a nice, comfortable plot of land where there were no enemies to drive out. But he asked for one of the toughest assignments. He asked for Hebron. This was no garden spot. It was a rugged, treacherous area where there was a powerful enemy stronghold guarded by the strongest men.

I wonder if some of the young men of Israel snickered at this point. Maybe they even laughed. But no doubt, their jaws dropped when Caleb drove out his enemies.

Like Abraham, Caleb took God at His Word. He stood on the promises of God. And we need to do the same.

Caleb’s example gives us hope that it can be done. We can remain people of integrity. We can cross the finish line.

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Standing Firm

“But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land” (Numbers 14:24)

When the children of Israel arrived at the edge of the Promised Land, they sent in twelve men to spy out the land. Among them were Joshua and Caleb.

Ten of the spies returned to Kadesh-Barnea terrified by what they’d seen. They looked at the land through eyes of unbelief and concluded, “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” (Numbers 13:31). They were paralyzed by fear.

Joshua and Caleb, however, brought back a favorable report. Caleb told them, “Let’s go at once to take the land… We can certainly conquer it!” (verse 30).

But the people were swayed by the majority report. They allowed the fear and paranoia of ten people to influence them rather than the words of faith and belief brought to them by two people. In fact, they were so angry with Joshua and Caleb for even suggesting that they go into the land that they wanted to kill the two.

However, Joshua and Caleb held their ground. They didn’t do what everyone else did and stood firm at the risk of being ostracized and losing their friends, even their lives.

At this point, God had a message for the people: “You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun” (Numbers 14:30).

The Bible says, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25 NKJV). We can become paranoid about what others think and go along with the crowd instead of being concerned with what God thinks.

If we want to fully follow the Lord and finish well in the race of life, we must refuse to compromise and instead stand our ground. We must be more concerned with God’s approval than with anyone else’s approval.

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The Race We Must Finish

“These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.” (1 Corinthians 10:11)

Of the two to three million Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, only two of the original adults made it to the Promised Land. What caused them to finish well while so many others got lost in the wilderness?

Idolatry was one of the pitfalls of the Israelites who got lost in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. At the root of their problems was a lack of relationship with God, a lack of intimacy with Him. Interestingly, their first idol was Moses. When he was away receiving the commandments of God, they turned to worship a golden calf. They remade God in their image, rationalizing their blatant idol worship by saying it was a feast to the Lord.

People do the same thing today. They give God a makeover, looking to conform Him to our perverse society instead of the other way around. But once we lose that set of absolutes in our lives, all kinds of problems will develop.

Most people today who have fallen away from the Lord and into various problems and sins would be able to trace this to a point in their lives when they began to let go of the Lord. They were no longer walking as closely with Him as they should have been.

The same thing happened to the Israelites. Because God was not on the throne of their hearts and lives, they needed something or someone to take His place.

Then they tested God and complained. They exploited His goodness, pushed Him to the limit, and griped about His provision. As a result, they never made it to what God had prepared for them. They had so much potential and possibility, yet it never came to fruition in their lives.

The Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a long-distance run. We are in it for the long haul. So we need to pace ourselves and persevere.

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The First Christmas Story

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17)

The first Christmas story begins with a tree, but not our kind of Christmas tree. This was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden.

God had placed Adam and Eve in a literal paradise. Best of all, the Lord Himself showed up every day to take a walk with His friend Adam. God had given Adam and Eve only one restriction: Stay away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

But by chapter 3 of Genesis, Adam and Eve are at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We know the rest of the story. Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit. And they lost their sweet fellowship with God.

Then we come to the first Christmas verse in the Bible, where God said to the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).

God was saying, “There is One coming to destroy you, Devil. He’s going to crush you.”

Therefore, the Christmas story doesn’t start in Matthew or Luke. It starts in the Old Testament. Jesus has always been there. The Bible tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Before there was a world, before there were planets, before there was light and darkness, before there was matter, before there was anything but the Godhead, there was Jesus, coequal, coeternal, and coexistent with the Father and Holy Spirit.

He was with God. He was God. And then He became an embryo. He did not become identical to us, but He became identified with us. In fact, He could not have identified with us more closely than He did.

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When Nonessentials Displace Essentials

“After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.” (Luke 2:43-44)

We know little about the childhood of Jesus. What we do know is that He was raised in Nazareth. We know that Joseph was a carpenter, so he most likely also trained Jesus to be a carpenter.

But Jesus was also schooled in the Scriptures, and He observed the Law. In fact, Luke’s gospel tells us that every year, Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. But one year, when Jesus was twelve, Mary and Joseph somehow lost track of His whereabouts.

If you’ve ever lost sight of a child somewhere, then you know that feeling of terror that grips you when you realize you’ve lost sight of the child. Now, we might think that Jesus would have been quite easy to find because whenever we see Him depicted in religious art, He has a halo.

But Jesus didn’t have a halo. He looked like everyone else. The Bible says of Him, “He has no form or comeliness” (Isaiah 53:2). In other words, he was an ordinary-looking kind of guy. He didn’t stand out from the crowd in terms of His physical looks.

After a frantic search, Mary and Joseph finally found Jesus in the Temple, where He was reasoning with the leaders.

Mary and Joseph had traveled an entire day before they missed Him. They had breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never once saw His face through all those. They hadn’t lost their love for Him. Nor had they lost their faith. But they lost Him. Literally.

The same thing can happen to us. We can go through a morning, afternoon, and evening without a single thought about God, without a single moment given to prayer or reading the Bible. It just isn’t part of our day-to-day routine. And very easily, God’s only begotten Son can become God’s only forgotten Son. We lose Jesus when nonessentials displace essentials in our lives.

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He’s Been There

“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” (Romans 8:3)

Jesus was fully man but was also fully God. He was not a man who became God, which is impossible. He was God who walked among us as a man.

Romans 8:3 tells us, “So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins”.

Although Jesus was flesh and blood, He didn’t have the drawback of original sin. He had no sin whatsoever. Therefore, He went from faith to faith, from grace to grace, and from strength to strength. He grew up physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Luke’s gospel says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people” (2:52). He had human emotions. He knew joy, deep sorrow, and even loneliness. In fact, on the cross, when He bore the sins of the world, He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” You can be sure that at that time, He was the loneliest man who had ever lived.

The writer of Hebrews said of Jesus, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people” (2:17).

When you’re going through some form of hardship, isn’t it great to talk with someone who has already gone through the same thing? On the other hand, how shallow it is when we’re going through a difficult time and someone who knows nothing of what we’re experiencing says, “I know how you feel.”

Jesus has really been where we are now. Our God knows what we’re going through.

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Too Busy for Jesus?

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

A number of years ago, I read a story about a man who set up a nativity scene on his front lawn, but some vandals came along and stole the baby Jesus. The man was quoted as saying, “They’ve taken my Jesus, and I don’t know where he is.”

I thought, “Sir, those people did not take your Jesus. They took a plastic figure, probably with a light bulb inside, that’s a representation of Jesus. But that wasn’t Jesus.”

We can’t lose Jesus, but sometimes people lose sight of the real Jesus, especially during the Christmas season. Of course, we have responsibilities, families, and things we need to do, but let’s find ways to share the real message of Christmas. It’s easy to transition a conversation to what the Christmas season is really about: the birth of Jesus Christ.

Let’s not allow the busyness of the season to crowd Jesus out of our lives. We need to slow down, listen to the Lord, and stay in close fellowship with Him. Even if you’ve been so busy that you haven’t paid as much attention to Him as you should, He’s patiently waiting for you to return.

Jesus walked in our shoes, breathed our air, died our death, and rose from the dead. Is Jesus Christ living inside you? If not, I hope you’ll soon believe in Him. He wants to forgive all your sins. He wants to be the Lord of your life, not just at Christmastime but every day of the year. He’s an everyday Jesus, and He’s here for you right now.

Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem, died on the cross, and rose from the dead, is standing at the door of your life and knocking. If you’re not sure that he’s living inside you, will you open the door and ask Him to come in?

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God Is Paying Attention

“‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23)

I can’t think of a time of year when it’s easier to lose God than at Christmastime.

In many of the Christmas specials we watch on television and the songs people perform, there’s no mention of Jesus. I honestly think many of us know the Dickens story “A Christmas Carol” more than the story of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus.

It’s possible to lose God in this season. Of course, we can’t really lose God, but we can lose sight of Him. However, He never loses sight of us. He’s constantly thinking about us. We see this exemplified in the blessing God gave the priests to pronounce over the people of Israel: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

In the original language, the phrase “the Lord lift up His countenance upon you” means “to look, see, and pay full attention.”

We don’t pay as much attention to each other as we used to. The reason for this is the existence of smartphones. People go out to dinner and spend most of the time staring at their devices. Or they’re out walking their dogs and looking at their phones.

Researchers have found that we have a generation of people who prefer texting to talking. Thus, many of these people might not understand social cues, such as making eye contact or nodding in affirmation when someone’s speaking to them.

That’s not true of God. When we’re talking, God’s listening. He’s taking in every word that we say. He’s very interested. The essential message of Christmas is Immanuel, God with us. We may lose sight of God, but He never loses sight of us.

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God Incarnate

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

Did Jesus ever claim to be God? As a matter of fact, He did. For example, He said, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:23-24). That was a clear statement of equality with God the Father.

We also know that on many occasions, Jesus accepted worship, something that was reserved for God alone. In fact, in the wilderness, when the Devil tempted Jesus to worship him, Jesus quoted Scripture: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:10).

Jesus was underscoring the fact that worship is to be given to God alone. Yet, He accepted worship on many occasions. If He was not God, then He would have immediately stopped the people who worshiped Him.

As we read in the book of Revelation, an angel revealed some great truths to the apostle John. As a result, John was so overwhelmed that he fell down to worship the angel. But the angel told him, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God” (21:9).

Yet Jesus accepted worship. We find an example of this after the resurrection, when He appeared before Thomas, who said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Jesus replied, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (verse 29).

Now, if Jesus wasn’t God, He would have basically said, “Thomas, stop right now! That’s blasphemy!” But Jesus accepted worship because He was—and is—indeed God.

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An Essential Christian Belief

“For unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets: God became a man. When you really stop and consider it, no other way would have accomplished God’s goal.

Of course, it would have been possible for Jesus to come into this world as a complete yet sinless human being without a woman bearing Him. In other words, He could have just appeared and said, “Here I am—God in human form!” He wouldn’t have had to go through the entire process of being born in Bethlehem and being raised in Mary and Joseph’s home.

But if Jesus had come to us that way, He would have seemed unapproachable. It would be hard for us to believe that He was someone like us.

On the other hand, Jesus could have been born of two human parents, and God could have supernaturally intervened and caused Him to be without sin. But then, that could have given us a nagging doubt about whether He was really the Messiah.

God could have chosen other ways to send His only Son to Earth, but He chose the right way, even the logical way. Of course, the Virgin Birth was a miracle, an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence brought forth by the hand of God. If you don’t believe that, it means that you don’t believe what God says. It also means that you don’t believe He can do miracles. However, if you believe that God will do what He says and can work miracles, then you can believe in the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection.

Jesus said, “For unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).

Believing in the Virgin Birth is essential to being a Christian. It’s necessary if you are a true follower of Jesus Christ.

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The Only Gift That Keeps on Giving

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

At this time of year, a lot of people get excited about what will be waiting for them under the Christmas tree, thinking that these things will somehow bring them fulfillment.

But how many of us remember what we received last Christmas? A few months after the coming Christmas, we probably will also have forgotten about the gifts we will open on Christmas day. Christmas is really not about gifts under a tree; it’s about a relationship with God. Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness.

Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). Jesus came to this earth to bring us a meaningful life, a life with purpose. Medical science may add years to our lives, but Christ adds life to our years. He gives us a life that’s worth living.

Jesus also came to give His life as a ransom for many. He was born to die so that we might live. Jesus came with a rescue mission. He came to die on a cross. He said of himself, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Jesus was born in a manger so that we could come into a relationship with God through Him. And He offers us the gift of eternal life. The Bible calls this the unspeakable gift.

What drew me to Christ at age 17 was the hope of finding the meaning of life. I wanted to know why I was on Earth. And I found that in Him. Truly, what Christ gives us is the only gift that keeps on giving. We only need to receive it.

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Willing to Obey

“Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife.” (Matthew 1:24)

Just as God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah, He also chose Joseph to be Jesus’s father figure on Earth. A carpenter by trade, Joseph was a hardworking guy, the kind who chops down trees, frames houses, and builds tables.

Not only was Joseph a good father figure for Jesus, but he also stood bravely with Mary. Initially, when Mary told him the angel Gabriel had appeared to her and announced that she would be the mother of the Messiah, he didn’t buy it. Knowing that Mary was a godly person, he decided to put her away privately. He wasn’t going to expose her. However, his heart was broken because he loved Mary.

Then an angel also appeared to Joseph. Matthew’s gospel tells us, “But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit’” (1:20).

Joseph could have simply said, “No, thank you, because no one will believe this”; instead, he eventually decided to go through life with people believing that his wife had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. And Mary went through life with the reputation of being a loose woman.

In fact, we read that on one occasion, the Pharisees said to Jesus, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God” (John 8:41). They were effectively saying, “At least, we weren’t born out of wedlock.” Those were fighting words.

Yet Mary was fulfilling prophecy, and she obeyed God. And Joseph was willing to do the same.

Has God called you to take a step out of your comfort zone and do something unexpected? Follow the examples of Mary and Joseph, whom God used to change the world.

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God of the Impossible

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

Gift cards are popular items for the Christmas season, yet a lot of people have unused gift cards lying around. In fact, a 2021 study revealed that the average person in the United States has about $116 in unspent gift cards.

The Bible says that God has “given to us exceedingly great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4). Yet God’s promises are a little like Christmas gift cards. All too often, they go unclaimed.

God keeps His promises. There are more than 500 passages in the Old Testament pointing to the arrival of the Messiah. These passages prophesied how He would be born and where He would be born. They speak of His crucifixion, His resurrection, and more.

Just as surely as there are hundreds of promises in the Old Testament pertaining to the birth of Jesus, there are also many promises in the Bible pertaining to the return of Jesus. Jesus said that He would come again.

So don’t hesitate to hang on to God’s promises. That’s what Mary did after the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Gabriel was telling Mary that she would be the mother of the Messiah. Her life was about to change in one of the most amazing ways imaginable. And she was responsive to what God wanted to do through her.

When Mary asked the legitimate question of how God’s plan in her life was going to happen, Gabriel responded, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

Maybe you’re currently facing what appears to be an insurmountable obstacle. You have a problem that’s so big you don’t know how it can ever be resolved. God is bigger than your problem. With God, nothing’s impossible.

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The Myth of the “Little” Sin

“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:10)

A while ago, I read a story about a teenager from England who kept a Great Black Emperor scorpion as a pet. The teen had a habit of giving the scorpion, whom he named Twiggy, a goodnight kiss.

But one night, much to the teenager’s surprise, Twiggy stung his owner on the lip. Then Twiggy jumped into his mouth and stung him again. As a result, he was hospitalized.

Clearly, he underestimated the nature of that creature.

We can be like that when it comes to sin in our lives. Most people fall into sin by entertaining what they see as small sins. But those so-called small sins snowball into big ones.

We might say, “It’s a little thing. It really won’t do any harm.” So we will commit a little sin in our estimation, something that doesn’t seem significant. And then we’re shocked when it turns around and bites us, when it hurts us. We can’t believe that it happened.

But what were we expecting?

If the Bible tells us to stay away from a certain thing, even if we don’t think it’s significant, then we obey, because God is looking out for us. If He tells us not to do something, that means it will hurt us if we do it. And if He tells us to do a certain thing, that means it will help us if we do it. We need to learn to trust Him.

It’s not for us to second-guess God or edit His Word. Who are we to do that?

Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14). He didn’t say, “You are My friends if you do whatever you’re personally comfortable with or find easy.”

Thus, we must obey God in all things, big or little, because the little compromises in life lead to big compromises.

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Active Obedience

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

In the Old Testament, we find the story of Saul, a king whom God rejected because of his constant wickedness. God instructed him to go into battle and destroy his enemies completely, along with their livestock. But after defeating his enemies on the battlefield, Saul saw some sheep and cattle and decided to keep them for himself.

Afterward, when the prophet Samuel went to meet him, Saul greeted the prophet and said, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:13).

Samuel replied, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” (verse 14).

In effect, Saul told him, “Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I saved those for the Lord. I’m going to sacrifice them to God.”

Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).

Samuel was saying that foremost, God wanted Saul’s obedience. Our worship, praise, giving, and service are fine, but obedience comes first.

Let’s say, for example, that a husband is unfaithful to his wife, and she finds out. So he goes out and buys her a nice gift. Then he’s unfaithful again, so he buys her a new car. But his wife says, “You’re missing the point. I don’t want all this stuff. I want your faithfulness more than anything else. These things can’t take the place of what really matters.”

A relationship with God, a friendship with God, requires active obedience. It’s more than not doing bad things. It’s also doing good things, the things that are pleasing to Him.

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Proving Our Friendship

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:14)

You can’t be friends with someone you don’t have a relationship with. Friendship involves giving and taking. It includes offering something to someone who then reciprocates.

In the same way, we can’t say we’re friends of God unless we meet the criterion He has laid out to us through Jesus: “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14).

True friends of Jesus will obey Him. Imagine someone claiming to be your close friend but always talking about you behind your back, cutting you down, and telling lies about you. You go to that person and say, “Excuse me, are you my friend?”

The person says, “Yes, I’m your friend.”

You then say, “If you’re really my friend, why do you spread lies about me? Someone just told me you said this about me. Is it true?”

“I’m sorry,” your friend says. “It’s true, but I really do love you. Can you forgive me?” Then your friend shows up the next day with a nice gift for you and says, “I still want to be your friend.” So, you forgive them.

But the next day, you hear that your friend’s talking about you again behind your back. So once again, you confront them. They apologize again and give you a more expensive gift than the last one.

A few days later, the same thing happens. Finally, you say, “I don’t want your gifts. I just want your honest friendship and loyalty.”

We can be like the disloyal friend with God. We may claim that we’re His friends, but we don’t obey Him. We break His commandments repeatedly and then try to make up for doing so. But there are no substitutes for obedience to God.

We can show our love for God quite simply, by doing what He says. If we don’t, then we really have no right to call ourselves His friends.

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The Best Friend of All

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

A time of hardship or crisis often reveals who our real friends are. When we’re going through difficulties, we’re often disappointed because certain people we thought of as friends don’t come through for us.

But we can also be surprised when those whom we never thought of as friends stand up for us or are there for us in our time of need. An old adage says that a true friend walks in when others walk out.

The Bible tells us that there is “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). That friend, of course, is Jesus Christ.

God proved His willingness to have friendship with us in a tangible way. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”.

Jesus was called the friend of sinners, and that was certainly not meant as a compliment. But He really was, and is, the friend of sinners. In fact, He is the best friend that sinners can ever have. And He showed His desire to have friendship with us when He went to the cross and died in our place while we were still His enemies.

I don’t know how many people would die for their friends, but I think many people would be willing to die for their husbands, wives, or children. However, I think there are very few people who would die for their enemies.

Yet, while we were still sinners, while we were still God’s enemies, Jesus died for us, showing us His friendship. In fact, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus showed that great love. Talk about having friends in high places. Jesus is the best friend we can ever have.

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Trust God’s Plan

“We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Malchus should have been thankful that Peter was a fisherman and not a swordsman. As the disciples spent time with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, they saw the crowd coming. Peter drew his sword without hesitation and took a swing. Malchus, the high priest’s servant, lost his ear.

Peter was trying to fight a spiritual battle with physical means.

Jesus said to him, “Put away your sword. . . . Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Matthew 26:52-54).

In other words, “Peter, that is not the way to fight this battle. This isn’t the time for that.”

The Bible tells us, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

It is also worth noting that Jesus healed the high priest’s servant. Malchus didn’t deserve it. Yet Jesus reached down and healed his ear. That was the last miracle Jesus had ever performed.

You know the rest of the story. Our Lord was crucified. He bore the sins of the world. And He rose from the dead.

For every Christian, there will come a Gethsemane, a place where we realize that our obedience overrules our personal desires. The glory of God becomes more important than our glory and desires, and we say, “Not my will, but Yours, be done.”

Are you at such a place right now? Surrender to the will of God. You will be glad that you did. His plan for you is better than your plan for yourself.

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Let the Lord Choose for You

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Have you ever drunk something so foul that you couldn’t finish it, like milk that you didn’t realize was already spoiled?

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus bowed down and prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).

The cup that Jesus gazed into was something that turned His stomach. But it wasn’t a literal cup; it was a cup of suffering. Our Lord recoiled from the knowledge that He—someone who was sinless, perfect, and pure—would have to take upon Himself everything that was sinful, imperfect, and impure.

Jesus had never spent a moment out of fellowship with the Father, but soon He would have to bear all the sins of the world. Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knew that Judas would betray Him, His disciples would abandon Him, and Peter would deny Him. And He knew about the whipping, the crucifixion, and all the rest.

Jesus didn’t want to drink this cup, but He knew He had to. There was no question that it was going to be very difficult for Him, to say the least. He was going to face the full wrath of God against all sin.

But look at what it accomplished. It brought about our salvation. Because of what Jesus did, because He drank that cup, we can call upon His name. Although it was difficult, it was necessary for the attainment of the ultimate goal.

Jesus gave us a model of what to do in times of uncertainty. He prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will.” We are not going to know the will of God in every situation. In those times when we don’t know the will of God, will we let Him choose for us? We must never be afraid to place an unknown future into the hands of a known God.

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Share Their Burden

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. (Job 2:13)

In one day, Job’s world fell apart. He lost everything he held dear in life. Then, to make matters worse, he was struck with boils from head to toe.

As he sat in ashes and scraped his boils with a piece of pottery, his wife managed to add insult to injury. She said, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Job really needed some encouragement.

Then we read that three friends came to visit him. And when they saw his miserable condition and how he was covered in boils, they were so stunned that they simply wept and sat with him for seven days without saying a word. That was the perfect thing to do in that instance.

The Bible tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Sometimes, that’s all we need to do.

We should avoid the easy answers and clichés when we’re seeking to comfort a suffering person. Sometimes, what we say to them can offend them because we didn’t think it through. We try to be helpful, but we can instead end up being hurtful.

We say things like “I know how you feel” when we really don’t, or “There’s a reason for everything” when the person we’re trying to comfort clearly can’t see one. And it certainly doesn’t help to point out that there’s always someone worse off when there are also a lot of people who are better off.

That doesn’t mean there’s no time for us to share Scripture or to pray with someone who’s hurting. But don’t come in with a fast answer. Just go with them through what they’re going through. Accompany them. Be a companion to them.

The Bible tells us, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). When someone is suffering, sometimes the best thing that we can do for them is to simply be there for them.

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Repentant? Or Just Remorseful?

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

If I were to get in my car and go down the freeway at 140 miles per hour, I would be remorseful if the highway patrol pulled me over. Why? Because I’d pay a penalty for my choices. I’d get a ticket and maybe even spend the night in jail. And my insurance rates would go up significantly.

But if I were to get in my car and do the same thing the next day, it would show that I was not repentant.

There’s a difference between remorse and repentance. Sometimes we confuse the two. We’re remorseful when we’re sorry for getting caught. But we’re repentant when we’re sorry enough to stop doing the same thing.

A lot of people feel remorse. Maybe someone traps them in a lie or catches them stealing. Or maybe they sin in some other way, and it catches up with them eventually. Thus, they’re remorseful. But do they change their behavior?

If they simply plot a little more carefully the next time and hope they won’t get caught, that’s not repentance; that’s just remorse.

The Bible says, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

If you can continue on a course of sin despite feeling guilty about it, that tells me you don’t know God.

Maybe you’ve never given your life to Jesus. Maybe there has never been a moment in your life when you said, “Lord, I’m sorry for my sin, sorry enough to turn away from it.” Perhaps you’ve been sorry because you’ve been found out, but are you willing to turn away from that sin and put your faith in Jesus?

Jesus is telling us, “Friend, I love you, and I’m reaching out to you.” But you must reach out as well and take His hand. Have you done that yet?

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The Road to Nowhere

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. (Proverbs 16:25)

This world can appear so glamorous, especially when we’re young. We turn on the TV or watch a movie, and sin looks attractive. They make things like illicit sex, drugs, partying, drinking, and adultery appear so wonderful. Tragically, this web draws in person after person and then chews them up and spits them out.

That’s what happened to Judas Iscariot. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, but where did that get him? Nowhere.

Matthew’s Gospel tells us, “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. ‘I have sinned,’ he declared, ‘for I have betrayed an innocent man’ (27:4).

If Judas had gone back to Jesus and told Him, “Lord, I have betrayed you. I know you’ll go to the cross because of what I’ve done, but I beg you to forgive me,” I believe that even then, Jesus would have forgiven him.

Yet Judas did not turn to God for relief. Instead, he turned to the religious leaders, who basically said, “That’s your problem, not ours. Get lost!” Then Judas went out and ended his life.

If we turn to religion, it will offer us no real help in our hour of genuine need because it’s manmade. It consists of rituals, of things that we do for God rather than what God has done for us.

Christianity, on the other hand, is a relationship with Jesus Christ. He went to the cross and shed His blood for us because there was no other way to satisfy the demands of a righteous and holy God from whom we were separated.

Religion and morality cannot do it. That’s why Jesus came to this earth and paid such a radical price for our sins.

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Give Thanks Anyway

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)

During the Thanksgiving season, it’s easy to lose our perspective and forget that we have so much to be thankful for.

Maybe you’re having a hard time right now. Maybe you’re having health, financial, or family problems. I don’t want to suggest, in any way, that these things aren’t difficult, because they are. Yet we still should give thanks.

That’s the reason that we were created. God put us on this earth to glorify Him and give thanks to His name. The Scriptures urge us again and again to do this. In Psalm 106:1, we read, “Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever”.

Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”.

Hebrews 13:15 tells us, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name”.

Yes, praise and worship can be a sacrifice because we don’t necessarily want to do it. When we are discouraged or depressed, when things aren’t going that well or tragedy befalls us, we don’t feel like praising God.

But the Bible doesn’t say that we should praise the Lord only when we feel good. Rather, it says that we should always praise the Lord because He is good.

After Jesus healed ten men with leprosy, one of them, a Samaritan, returned to give thanks. Jesus asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18).

Just like the Samaritan, we should be as definite about giving thanks as we are about asking for help. Have you given thanks to God for all He has done for you?

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God’s Grace on Display

But Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, why have you come?’ Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. (Matthew 26:50)

“Friend, why have you come?” Of all the things to say to a man like Judas Iscariot. Was Jesus oblivious to what was going on?

Obviously not. Jesus was giving Judas one last opportunity to repent. It was the grace of God on display.

This reminds us that God takes no delight in the death of the wicked (see Ezekiel 33:11). Sometimes we wonder whether God would hear the prayer of someone who, in the last few minutes of their life, calls out to God. Would God answer and forgive them?

Absolutely. That is what the Bible teaches. At the crucifixion, the criminal on the cross turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

Jesus told him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (verse 43).

This gives some comfort to those of us who have lost loved ones or friends who we’re not sure were Christians. Maybe we shared the gospel with them or they went to church with us, but we don’t think they ever made a commitment to Christ.

However, we don’t know what happened in the last few moments of their lives on earth. God is gracious and merciful, and if someone calls on Him, even in their last moments, He will hear their prayer.

The important thing is that we did our part to lead others to God. We sowed the seeds of the gospel in their lives. We prayed for them. And maybe the person we think has been lost forever will greet us when we get to Heaven one day because in the last moments of their life they told Jesus, “Lord Jesus, would you receive a wicked sinner like me?”

Isn’t it great to know that we’re serving a God who would forgive in such a way?

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Ultimate Hypocrisy

‘So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss’ (Matthew 26:49).

Why was it especially wicked for Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus with a kiss?

In the culture in Jerusalem at that time, there were many ways that a person could greet someone. They could kiss the other person’s feet, which was what people who had been conquered in war, who were slaves, or who were meeting a monarch did. Ordinary people would kiss the back of the hand of the person they were greeting. But to kiss someone on the cheek then and embrace them was a sign of close affection and love, reserved for those with whom one had a close relationship.

That was how Judas greeted Jesus. And the original language implies that Judas kissed Jesus repeatedly. A literal translation would be, “He smothered Him with kisses.” Judas kissed Jesus again and again.

It was ultimate hypocrisy.

We say, “That’s so wrong. It’s so sinful!” Yet one of the definitions of worship is “to kiss forward.” Therefore, it’s not much different from when we come to church and lift our voices in song to God yet live in a way that’s not right with Him.

Those who go to great lengths to look the most spiritual or more committed to God than other people are actually the most wicked. In reality, they’re contradicting their appearance by the way they live.

God would rather that we didn’t sing a word in worship of Him than to sing loudly and contradict it by the way we live. This doesn’t mean, however, that if we have sinned, we shouldn’t worship. If this were the case, we would have very quiet worship services.

But if we’re deliberately doing the wrong thing again and again without any desire whatsoever to repent, that offends God. And it’s not much different from what Judas did in the Garden of Gethsemane.

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Not a Victim but a Victor

The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: ‘You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.’ (Matthew 26:48)

Why did Judas Iscariot have to show who Jesus was by betraying Him with a kiss? Would Jesus not have been easily recognized by those who came to arrest Him? After all, we always know who Jesus is in religious paintings. He typically has a halo. And often, when we see Him portrayed in film, He’s usually quite handsome, even strikingly so.

However, I think Jesus was quite ordinary in His physical appearance. This was perhaps one of the reasons that Judas had to identify Him. Judas said, “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss” (Matthew 26:48).

John’s Gospel gives us a unique detail about what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas, a delegation of Roman soldiers, and the Temple guards arrived to arrest Jesus.

Jesus met them and said, “Who are you looking for?”

“Jesus the Nazarene.”

Jesus replied, “I am he” (John 18:4, 5).

The Bible tells us that at this point, they all fell backward. Can you imagine the scene? They fell on top of each other, swords and spears flying, torches in the air. This was the same God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush and said, “I am who I am,” and the same God who said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Jesus could have said, “I am, and you were! Bye!” And that would have been it. He could have spoken all of them out of existence with a single word. He could have called down the angels of Heaven, who would have gladly come and delivered Him.

This serves as a reminder that Jesus did not go to the cross of Calvary as a helpless victim but as a victor in complete control of His circumstances. He willingly laid down His life for us.

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Not What It Looks Like

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. (John 12:3)

It sounded so spiritual. Yet Judas said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5).

What prompted this criticism from Judas was Mary’s act of devotion. Things clearly had been coming to a head in Jesus’s ministry. He’d had a number of confrontations with the religious leaders, and they wanted Him dead.

Jesus was aware of this. He knew He was on the road to Calvary. So He decided to spend an evening with His friends at the home of Simon the leper. His close friends, Mary, Martha, and the newly resurrected Lazarus, joined them.

As everyone was taking in this night, Mary felt deeply moved to do something completely unexpected. She took a jar of expensive, fragrant perfume and poured it onto Jesus’s feet. She then wiped Jesus’s feet with her hair.

To the other disciples, Mary’s actions might have seemed extravagant. They were probably thinking, “That Judas! He’s so spiritual and concerned about the poor. And he has a point. This is wasteful! This is foolish!”

But John added this detail: “This [Judas] said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it” (verse 6). In other words, Judas was adept at coming off as spiritual when, in reality, another agenda was at work.

Jesus rebuked Judas and the others who had joined in, saying, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? . . . I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Mark 14:6, 9).

She who appeared frivolous and wasteful was actually the spiritual one. And he who appeared thrifty and compassionate was actually the unspiritual one. Things are not always as they appear.

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Welcome God’s Discipline

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? (Hebrews 12:7)

When my sons were growing up, it was my right, even my responsibility, to correct them when they did something wrong. I didn’t have that right with someone else’s child (although I wish I did at times). It’s someone’s right and privilege only with their own children. And it’s a right they ought to exercise.

The same is true with God. He corrects and disciplines those who are His.

The writer of the book of Hebrews in the Bible says, “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, ‘My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child” (12:5–6).

It’s frightening to think that someone could be tremendously exposed to God’s truth yet remain in—and even become strengthened in—unbelief. A perfect example of this is Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus handpicked to be His disciple.

Judas watched as Jesus walked on the water and raised Lazarus from the dead. He witnessed blind men seeing and deaf people hearing. He saw Jesus heal people who had been afflicted with the dreaded disease of leprosy. He saw and heard it all, but his heart became even more hardened. And of his own volition, he betrayed the Lord.

The Bible tells us, “So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God” (1 John 3:10).

Therefore, if you find yourself immediately being disciplined by God when you start to cross a line, if you find that deep guilt sets in when you have sinned against God, then rejoice.

Rejoice over being disciplined and feeling a deep guilt? Absolutely. These are reminders that you are indeed a child of God.

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The Problem of Habitual Sin

Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. (1 John 3:9)

If we were walking the dusty roads of Israel with Jesus and came upon the man known as Judas Iscariot for the first time, he might not be what we had expected him to be. At first blush, we might even think that he was a stand-up guy.

We might believe that he was devout, deeply religious, and very concerned about others. And we would have been shocked upon discovering that he was the one who betrayed the Lord. That’s because Judas was an incredible actor. He was a performer. He knew how to talk the talk, but he certainly didn’t know how to walk the walk.

Yet Judas had no excuse. He had the privilege of spending a number of years with God incarnate. He would have been fully aware that Jesus was never hypocritical or inconsistent in any way, shape, or form. He saw Jesus live a flawless life.

Yet Judas did not believe. And not only that, he turned against Jesus and sold Him for 30 pieces of silver, the price commonly paid to purchase a slave.

Judas was able to do the wicked things that he did because he never really knew Jesus. Sure, he knew about Him. In fact, he knew about Him more than most people did. But he never personally knew Jesus. Judas’s life could be summed up by this statement about him: “So he went his way” (Luke 22:4). He lived the way that he wanted to live.

If you can habitually commit sin without any remorse, that’s a clear indicator that you don’t know God. There are a lot of people running around today saying, “I’m a believer. I’m a follower of Jesus.” Yet, if they can persist in sin, something isn’t right.

The Bible doesn’t say that a Christian won’t sin, only that a Christian won’t habitually sin.

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Afraid of Change

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When God changes a life, it’s so dramatic, so significant, that you usually can’t even tell what the person was once like. That’s what God can do.

And that’s what the Savior did when He met two demon-possessed men after crossing the Sea of Galilee. There was a herd of pigs nearby, and the demons begged Him, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs” (Matthew 8:31).

So the demons went into the pigs, who then went over the side of a cliff and committed mass suicide. This shows us that the men’s demon possession was real. Otherwise, someone could have claimed they were just putting on a show, that it was all phony.

How did the people in the community react? Matthew tells us, “The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone” (8:33–34).

The terrifying men who lived in a graveyard were transformed. The community couldn’t believe they were the same people as before. You would think the community would rejoice and want Jesus to stay and perform more miracles. But they were afraid. That’s because Jesus was bad for business. They were making good money off those pigs (which, by the way, were unkosher), and their livelihood had just gone over a cliff. In their minds, Jesus had ruined everything, so they begged Him to go away.

Jesus might have wanted to change their lives, but they didn’t want that change. Instead, they wanted Him to leave.

What would you have done if you had been living in that community at that time? Would you have said, “Lord, come into my life” or “Away with You, Lord!”? When it comes to Jesus, those are really the only two choices we have.

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A Dangerous Lesson

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)

Some people think they can take on the Devil. Maybe you’ve even seen some TV preachers mocking the Devil and calling him names.

Yet the Bible tells us, “Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” (Jude 1:9).

If someone as powerful as the archangel Michael would not engage with the Devil, then how much more should we keep our distance from him? James tells us, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (4:7).

In the book of Acts, we find a story about some men called the sons of Sceva who thought they were exorcists. By the way, there are people today who say they have the ministry of exorcism, but there’s no such ministry in the Bible. We find examples of demons being cast out, but no one was called to be an exorcist. In fact, the Bible’s only mention of exorcists refers to people who weren’t even believers to begin with.

Here’s the trouble that the sons of Sceva got themselves into. They found a man who was demon possessed and told him, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches” (Acts 19:13).

The evil spirit replied, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” (verse 15). Then the man attacked them and almost killed them.

We need to keep our distance from the Devil. He’s a lot more powerful than we may think. Don’t play around with sin, and don’t play around with Satan.

Instead, here’s what we need to do: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). Before it says anything about putting on the armor of God, the Bible tells us to stand in the Lord and in His strength. It tells us to stand in His might.

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Demonstrating Faith

When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area. (Matthew 8:28)

You may be surprised to know that demons and the Devil himself are neither atheists nor agnostic. You could even say that, in a very limited sense, they are quite orthodox in their beliefs.

They believe in the existence of God. They believe that Jesus is coming back, even if some liberal theologians don’t believe this.

They also believe in the divinity of Christ, as shown by what two demon-possessed men said to Him when He arrived in the region of the Gadarenes: “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” (verse 29).

Now, I’m not suggesting that the demons and the Devil trust in God. The Bible teaches the very opposite of this. It tells us that Satan is in rebellion against God and hates God and His people. The Devil knows that his days are numbered. He knows that his time is short. That’s why he goes out of his way to wreak so much havoc in the world.

However, the Bible also says, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror” (James 2:19).

The demons and the Devil know that Jesus is powerful. At the same time, they acknowledge that something is true without believing in it.

James shows us that we, too, can be quite orthodox in our beliefs. That is, we can believe that the Bible is God’s Word and that Jesus is God’s Son without this belief affecting the way we live. James goes on to say, “Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? . . . Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works” (verses 20, 26).

If we say that we have faith in Jesus Christ, then let’s show it by the way we live.

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Peace in the Storm

Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. (Matthew 8:24)

The violent storm didn’t awaken Jesus, but the cry of His disciples did. In one sense, He was asleep, but in another sense, He was not, because the Bible says of God, “Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:4).

This is a beautiful glimpse into the humanity and divinity of Jesus. What could be more human than sleeping after a long day of work? And what could be more divine than rebuking a storm and watching it stop a moment later?

Jesus told His panicked disciples, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” (Matthew 8:26). This verse goes on to say that Jesus “got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.”

Mark’s Gospel adds that Jesus said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39). A more literal translation of the phrase would be “Peace, be muzzled!” It’s as though Jesus were speaking to a wild animal. Indeed, Jesus was speaking to Satan, who was behind this storm. The Devil was trying to stop Jesus from reaching His destination. On the other side of the lake, Jesus would find two severely demon-possessed men, and He would deliver them from their suffering.

This reminds us that Satan is always on duty. He doesn’t rest. In fact, the Bible describes him as “a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This is the reason that a spiritual battle will ensue when you try to save someone from Satan and bring them to Christ. The Devil doesn’t want to let his captives go.

Jesus didn’t promise the disciples that the journey would be smooth sailing, but He did say, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35). In the same way, the Bible says that God will complete the work He has begun in you (see Philippians 1:6). You will reach the other side.

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The Safest Place to Be

Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. (Matthew 8:23)

When I read through the Gospels, I find it interesting how many times storms hit the Sea of Galilee. In a technical sense, Galilee isn’t a sea; it’s a large freshwater lake about thirteen miles long and seven miles wide.

However, the perils in the Sea of Galilee are infamous. One moment it can be sunny and calm, and moments later, a storm is brewing. This is due to its unique geography. Mountains with deep ravines surround the sea, which is well below sea level. The ravines serve as gigantic funnels that bring winds whirling down on the lake without notice. These gales, strengthened by a thermal buildup in the low valley, violently suck the cold air downward. This simply means that it can be smooth sailing one moment and horrendously stormy the next.

That was exactly what happened in chapter 8 of Matthew’s Gospel. As Jesus and the disciples made their way across this lake, a violent storm suddenly came upon them.

In the same way, storms will unexpectedly come into our lives, spoiling our plans. Most of us don’t like storms: they hit with great force, and we don’t know how long they will last. We call on the Lord to stop the storms, and sometimes He does. However, sometimes, instead of calming the storms, the Lord strengthens us through them.

The disciples had no reason to panic that day because Jesus was with them on the boat. When Jesus Christ is in your life, you have no reason to be afraid. You’re safer with Him in the night than you would be alone in the daytime. You’re safer with Him in the storm than you would be in a quiet, restful place.

It’s better to be with Jesus in any circumstance than to be anywhere else without Him.

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Godliness and Persecution

‘Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.’ (Matthew 5:11)

If you’re living a godly life, your very presence can be an irritant to some. The example you set is a rebuke to a person who isn’t living a godly life. It’s not so much what you do to that person but who you are, what you stand for, what you believe, and whom you follow that irritates them.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

Righteousness, by its very nature, is confrontational. Even when we aren’t preaching it, it confronts wickedness by its very contrast to it. Jesus pointed out, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20).

Persecution can show itself in a lot of ways. Sometimes, it’s through force. For instance, all the apostles except one died the death of a martyr. Throughout church history, millions of Christians have also died as martyrs because they refused to deny their faith in Jesus Christ.

Even in the United States, we face persecution, although not on the same level that many believers around the world face it. Persecution isn’t limited to someone striking or threatening you. It can also include harassment or even mockery.

Maybe people have ostracized you because of your faith. Maybe you know what it’s like to lose a position because of your commitment to Jesus Christ, or to be the odd one out in your family because of your convictions as a believer. That, too, is persecution.

Yet, what does the Bible say about this? Matthew 5:10-11 tells us that we’re blessed, a word that can also be translated into “happy” in this passage. If you’re pure in heart, merciful, and all the other things the Beatitudes list, then you’re acting like Jesus. And that will bother some people.

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How’s Your Focus?

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ (Matthew 5:8)

What does it mean to have a pure heart?

We use the word “heart” today to refer to our emotions. We might say, “My mind tells me one thing, but my heart tells me another.” We tend to equate the heart with gut-level reactions, emotions, and feelings.

In contrast, we think of our minds as more logical. The Bible, however, doesn’t make these distinctions. The heart, mind, and will are intertwined.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). This statement is part of the Beatitudes, and each beatitude connects to the others.

Jesus also said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).

When the Bible speaks of purity of heart, it means purity of logic. It means purity of will. It basically means that purity is permeating our lives. It also speaks of those who have a singular focus, who know where they’re going.

From the original language, the word “pure” could be translated into “single” or “without hypocrisy.”

The apostle Paul wrote, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do” (Philippians 3:13). And David said, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek” (Psalm 27:4). He also prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Purity is having a singular purpose. When you’re pure in heart, you’ll have a singular, clear focus in life.

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Righteousness and Mercy

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.’ (Matthew 5:7)

What’s your attitude toward someone who has sinned? Whether it’s someone who doesn’t know the Lord at all or a Christian who has fallen, how do you feel toward the person?

If your reaction is that you can’t believe they did what they did, and if you’ve thought, “What a loser! I thank God I would never do something like that!” then it tells me something about you.

On the other hand, if your heart is broken, if you’re concerned for the person’s situation and want to help them get back on their feet again, it tells me that you’re a godly person (see Galatians 6:1).

A happy person will be forgiving and merciful. Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The statements of Jesus in the Beatitudes have a specific sequence; one leads to another, which leads to another, and so on.

First, we see ourselves as we are. Then we mourn over our condition. Next, we become meek and empty ourselves, and we find a new hunger for God Himself. Then we become people of mercy. Because we have experienced mercy, we want to extend it to others.

A litmus test of our real condition before God is whether we have gone through these steps.

The more righteous someone is, the more merciful they will be. And the more sinful someone is, the harsher and more critical they will be. Show me a person who’s always condemning and nitpicking and I’ll show you a person who’s not walking closely with God.

If you’re poor in spirit, if you’ve mourned over your condition and know what it is to be meek, if you hunger and thirst for God, then you will be merciful.

And if someone isn’t merciful, the question is whether they know anything about the mercy of God themselves.

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Humbled and Healed

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. (2 Kings 5:1)

The great Syrian general Naaman was famous. He was celebrated. But he also had leprosy, and at that time, leprosy was incurable. However, Naaman heard about a prophet in Israel named Elisha, whom God had used to heal people.

Naaman made the journey to meet with Elisha, no doubt expecting that as soon as he rolled in with his entourage, the prophet would come to greet him and promptly heal him.

However, when Naaman arrived at Elisha’s house, Elisha sent his servant with a message for the general: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10).

This offended Namaan. He effectively thought, “What? He didn’t even come out to greet me! I’m going home. We have better rivers in Syria.” But then he realized that he didn’t have many options, and he decided he should give it a try.

Why was Namaan reluctant? Immersing himself in the Jordan River meant that he would have to remove his beautiful breastplate. He would have to lay aside his royal robes. He would have to take off the helmet that he hid behind. Basically, he would have to expose the fact that he had leprosy. And that would be humiliating and embarrassing.

Naaman was a proud man, a military man. But he also was someone who needed to humble himself in the sight of God.

So Naaman went down to the Jordan and immersed himself in it one time. Nothing happened. He immersed himself a second time, and again nothing happened. Nothing changed either after the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth time he immersed himself. But when he came up from the water the seventh time, he was healed. That’s because he humbled himself and did what God wanted him to do.

Naaman had to see his real condition before God. We need to do the same.

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