i12go4God

I am terminal, and so are you. No, I don’t have some dreaded disease. Let me explain what I mean.

A few years ago, country singer Tim McGraw wrote a hit song that was inspired by his experience with his father who died from brain cancer. It was called “Live Like You Were Dying” and the message was one about how differently people live if they know the have a terminal disease. It certainly does provoke some deep thinking. What would we do differently? How would we treat others? What things would not be left unsaid?
Well I’ve got news for you. According to the Bible I’m terminal and so are you!

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27 ESV)

Well there you have it. Every one of us has an appointment with death that is certain to happen. If that’s not terminal, then what is? How long do you have? That is something none of us knows. It may be tomorrow, and it may be 90 years from now. But with this in mind, how should we live?

First off, make sure of your relationship with God. Look in the bible and find out what you must do to be saved. Don’t take someone else’s word for it, either. A dying man or woman needs to get the facts for themselves by doing their own research. You cannot afford to be wrong!

For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV)

Regarding salvation, you should also not delay telling someone about Jesus so that they can have faith in Him, too! Do not put it off until tomorrow. It could be your last chance to tell them, or their last chance to hear it. You are both terminal, so you can’t be sure. People’s eternal destiny hangs in the balance, so don’t withhold the Gospel because you don’t think they will receive it. Jesus could read men’s heart, not you. Plant the seed or water it, and let God provide the harvest!

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6, 7 NKJV)

Another thing to do is to walk in love and forgiveness. I have seen many people who made it their first order of business upon learning they were terminally ill, to make sure they had forgiven everyone, and asked for forgiveness where needed. Impending death has a way of clarifying what is important in life. I have also seen some weep with regret over things left unsaid. As our first verse said, we are all going to die, so make sure your relationships with others are right, with no thanks, or apologies left unsaid.

Lastly (although I am sure there could be more) do great things for God. Consider this for a moment. What would you do in service and love for God if you knew you would not fail? Would you learn a language and reach out to those from other cultures here or abroad with the Good News of Jesus? How far out of your comfort zone would you be willing to go to be a living epistle and show someone the love of God? Think about it! Jesus said He would be with us always, so you have nothing to fear and everything to gain.

When this life is over, wouldn’t it be wonderful to say along with the Apostle Paul:

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8 NKJV)

Time is running out. People are dying every day that don’t know Jesus. Do something! Live the adventure in Christ, and live like you were dying!

Circumcision By Baptism

Under the Old Testament systems in the Patriarchal and Mosaic covenants, there was a sign instituted between God and Abraham that would show who truly belonged to God. This sign was called circumcision and was instituted by God, because no man would ever have thought of this.

and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. (Genesis 17:11 NKJV)

But circumcision is no longer a requirement today. It has been replaced by baptism (amen) as stated by the Apostle Paul in the Letter to the Colossians chapter 2.

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11, 12 NKJV)

In former times, circumcision was a sign between man and God, but under the New Covenant, it is that and so much more! For Abraham, the circumcision of the flesh occurred after faith, so Romans 4:9-12 says he was justified by faith before the circumcision happened. But in baptism, the saving faith by which one is justified before God happens simultaneously with immersion.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:28, 29 NKJV)

So now, instead of a sign on our flesh, God uses baptism to mark or hearts permanently as His. This is a mark that only God can see. Someone can say they have the mark, but only God knows if they are true or not. At is why their praise is from God, and why we need to be satisfied with little or no praise and recognition from men. We must learn that only God’s approval matters in the end.

When people witness our baptism, they are not just watching as a soul is saved. They are seeing a circumcision take place. By salvation being a public thing, we are telling all who see it that we desire to be in covenant relationship with Jesus. Like it said in Colossians 2, as we participate in the death, burial and resurrection at baptism, we enter into the covenant that His blood was shed to inaugurate for us. And because of the faith we have in the “operation of God” that is transferring us from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of the Son, our faith and obedience combine to spiritually mark us and set us apart for God.

As we move later into Romans chapter 11, we find the theme for this passage.

For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins. Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:27-29 NKJV)

The rejection of Israel is temporary, not because of effort or merit. The eventual re-grafting of Israel is based completely on the nature of God. While humans may change their minds or dissolve a contract, God is perfect and His word is unalterable. Once God makes an unconditional promise, He will never renege on it. To do so would mean His promise was less than perfect. And God made these covenant promises with full knowledge of what would happen in the future. God has no “Plan B” and He will never need one.

In the previous verses, Paul reiterates the temporary nature of Israel’s blindness.

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; (Romans 11:25, 26 NKJV)

Who is the group being referred to as “all Israel” here? It is made up of the true children of Abraham. Those who have faith, whether born as Gentiles or Jews. And there will come a day when the last of the Gentiles who God foreknows will obey the Gospel is saved, and the blindness is taken away, and masses of Jews turn to the Messiah and are grafted back into the olive tree.

For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. (Romans 11:30-32 NKJV)

Just as we, as Gentiles, we’re once lost and walking in disobedience, and received mercy for salvation, God will cause Israel to turn from their disobedience because of His mercy. Thus, God will have saved both groups for one reason alone. Because He decided to do it!
Paul makes it clear that we are not qualified to determine the reasons God does things. It’s not about us, or what we think should happen. God’s ways are beyond our ability to fully fathom.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 NKJV)

It’s not about us. It’s about the glory of God. Period! And so both groups, Jew and Gentile alike, will fulfill the plan of God together. We can’t do it without them, and they can’t complete it without us. I will finish this one with what the Hebrew writer said:

And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. (Hebrews 11:39, 40 NET)

I hope you’ve got some time on your hands, because we are going to analyze every verse about Israel in the Bible. Okay, just kidding. What I really want to do is to take a closer look at what Paul has to say about the nation of Israel in Romans 11. See? It doesn’t seem so bad by comparison, does it!
From doing so, I plan to show two things.
1. Israel’s rejection is not total; and,
2. Israel’s rejection is not permanent.

God’s Rejection Of Israel Is Not Total

I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, Lord , they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life? But what does the divine response say to him? I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day. And David says: Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. Let their eyes
be darkened, so that they do not see, And bow down their back always. (Romans 11:1-10 NKJV)

Clearly, at the present time, the church which is made up mostly of Gentiles, is what God is using. But that does not mean that He will not use the Jewish people in the future as He promised. If that is not the. As, then how does that reflect on the faithfulness of God, who made certain unconditional and everlasting promises to Israel? God is not capable of being anything but faithful to His Word.

So let’s take a closer look at this passage verse by verse.
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1 NKJV)
Has God thrown away His people? Did He finally say that He could not take it any longer and cast them out? To some it would appear to be so, since God is using those of us who have been adopted into the Family of God . It could seem like this was the case.

It is kind of like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Aaron is under contract to play quarterback for the team. But what would happen if the season started and he started getting full of himself and disregarded the instructions of his coach. He would be pulled from the game and benched. But would he still be a part of the team? Even though he might feel that the team has broken promises to him by keeping him out of the game. But that would not be true. He is still on the team, but he is not on the field. Eventually, he will grow tired, or even jealous, of seeing a second string quarterback in his place on the field, change his attitude, and be put back onto the field when he starts obeying the coach’s instructions.

That is where Israel is right now. They were selected and prepared to fulfill a position before God, but chose to be rebellious. After rejecting their Messiah, they We’re benched and spiritual Israel, the church, has taken their place. But they have not been fully rejected by God. Because of that, Paul can answer his own question in verse 1 with a resounding “no!”

But do we have any other evidence that this is true? Yes, Paul uses himself as evidence. And since God had saved him, and he was an Israelite, then the rejection isn’t a complete one of all Hebrews. The fact that there are some believers of Jewish descent shows that God has not cast off all Jews from henceforth.

God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, Lord , they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life? But what does the divine response say to him? I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. (Romans 11:2-4 NKJV)

“God did not reject his people whom he foreknew.” God knew ahead of time how Israel would reject The Messiah. This was not a shock to Him. And yet he still chose them and gave them a covenant in spite of that. There were many times Israel’s rebellion seemed so total that they were beyond repair. For instance, during the time of the prophet Elijah, he complained, “Lord they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to kill me.” It probably seemed to Elijah that God’s plan for Israel had failed, that there were no faithful people left to work through. In verse 4 we find God’s answer to Elijah, “I’ve reserved for myself 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In other words, God had a remnant, a small number of faithful Israelites, to work through and fulfill his promises even in the worst of times. According to verse 5 the same is true today.

Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. (Romans 11:5, 6 NKJV)

There are not huge throngs of Jewish Christians, but there are a few. Because that is true, it cannot be said that God has negated his promises or completely rejected his people. Why are these remnant Jews saved today? Is it because they were more deserving, or worked harder at it than other Jews? Of course not! Paul answers that in verse 6 by saying they were chosen by grace. What is different is that they chose to obey the Gospel of grace instead of trying to earn God’s approval by law keeping.

But why are there so many who reject the grace of God in Christ Jesus? Paul answers that question in the next verses.

What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day. And David says: Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them. (Romans 11:7-9 NKJV)

Paul’s point is that, as a general rule, the have their hearts “hardened” to the Gospel message. And hard ground resists seeds planted on it. This is the consequence of their resistance to the Messiah. It is judgment for rejecting the Gospel when they had the chance to understand and obey it.

There is more contained in these verses, but the point Paul seems to be trying to make is that God’s rejection of Israel was not total. There is a small group of Jewish Christians who are being saved, but this will not always be the case. For the present, there is a minority who believe and a majority who reject Christ. But that leads to the next point.

God’s rejection of Israel is not permanent!.

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Romans 11:11-15 NKJV)

Is this fall permanent? In other words, is God finished with Israel forever? According to Paul, that is not the case. At some point, they will get back into the starting line up and be back in the game with us. This is important because so many have been taught “Replacement Theology” where the promises to Israel were forfeited and they have been replaced by the Church. Unfortunately, this has also led to some anti-Semitism, which is totally contrary to what Paul is teaching here about the attitude gentile Christians should have toward the Jewish people.

Paul even makes a point of showing how this has been a benefit to us, because salvation has come to the Gentiles because of it. Only God can take something so bad and turn it around for good! And if Israel’s loss is our gain, how mu h fuller and richer will it be when they are with us!
And eventually, many will be converted because of our gentile witness, and will be resurrected as a result. Rather than being against the Jewish people, we should be actively praying and sharing the Gospel with those who may listen. Then they too will receive new and eternal life in Christ.

And in the end, physical Israel will rejoin the tree from which they were broken, and join with those of us who have been grafted in. And our love for them, through whom Jesus came into the world, will grow more and more as true Israel, Gentiles and Jews alike, will be saved by their obedience to the Gospel message. When will this happen? I don’t know, but let it not be delayed by our lack of preaching the Good News to them at every opportunity!

Does that statement shock you? Have you been told repeatedly that sinners need to just accept Jesus into their heart and/or invite Jesus into their lives for salvation? Well, in fact, that is not only wrong, it is the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen. Before you delete this or send angry comments, let me explain.

So what is wrong with inviting Jesus into your life? To start with, it puts the focus on you instead of where it belongs, which is on Jesus. The fact is that Jesus is inviting us into HIS life! The call to salvation is a call to die to our lives, in order to be resurrected to life in Christ. As Paul put it in Galatians:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NKJV)

Jesus himself said that if anyone does not pick up their cross daily, they cannot be His disciple (Luke 9:23). There is only one reason for someone to take up a cross — dying! So what we need to do is to give up our lives and enter into His life. It is only after we have given up our lives in exchange for His that He can make all things new. Just as Jesus “emptied himself” (Philippians 2:7) in order to become like us, we must also empty ourselves to be enabled to become more and more like Him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

But what about Revelation 3:20? Doesn’t it say that Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts, and all we need to do is to let Him in? In fact, that verse is not talking about salvation at all. It is a tragic picture of Jesus trying to gain entrance into a congregation of Christians that have decided they have it all figured out and no longer need Him. Our hearts actually appeal to God for a good conscience when we obey the Gospel in baptism! (1 Peter 3:21)

Well then, how do we die and enter into the life of Christ? Paul spelled it all out in Romans 6:3-11.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:3-11 NKJV)

So rather than do something as foreign to Scripture as repeat a sinners prayer, call on the name of the Lord by being baptized into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. That’s the key; baptism is the sinners prayer! Don’t invite Jesus into your life. Accept His invitation for you to die to yourself and enter into His life!

Many times these days I hear someone talk about getting a new revelation from God. Or groups will claim that God is yet revealing many new things (usually only to their leader). Is this possible? Is God still sending new revelation about Himself to mankind? The writer of the letter to the Hebrews would disagree.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:1, 2 NKJV)

At the start of this rich letter, the author addresses the subject of revelation from God by showing that Jesus is a superior revelation than what had been received in the past. In the Old Testament, revelation was progressive and was received bit by bit until the truth was complete. As the Lord told Isaiah, “For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little.” (Isaiah 28:10 ESV)

Notice, too, that the writer says that this was accomplished in the past tense. What is necessarily implied here is that this method of revelation, prophets, was no longer being used. So much for having a living prophet or an organization that is the conduit of divine revelation today. No, because we now have the complete revelation that is to be provided. It is a superior revelation that makes the other method obsolete. In fact it is not a method, but is now a person. Verse 1 states that God has now spoken to us by means of a Son — Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the full revelation of The Father, and as such, we need no other. In verse 3, the writer says of this Son that he is the exact representation of His (God’s) nature. Paul says the same thing in Colossians chapter 1:15 when he describes Jesus as “the image of the invisible God.” Do you want to know what God is like? What His nature is? Then go to Jesus, for the fullness of the Godhead dwells within Him in bodily form and you need look no further.

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:9, 10 NKJV)

Do you want to obtain wisdom and knowledge from God? You will only find it in Jesus, ” in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3 NASB) So if you want to know what God has revealed for us to know, you will only find it in Jesus! A search for the Word of God begins and ends at the feet of the One who was and is Word made flesh (John 1:1-14)

In fact, there is spiritually mortal danger in going beyond the revelation and teaching found in Jesus.

“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9 ESV)

Jesus is not only all of the revelation we need, He is all the revelation there is! He is the complete revelation of God, and we have no need to look elsewhere!

There are many seals out there. I don’t mean aquatic mammals or elite Navy commandos. I’m talking about seals like the Great Seal of the United States, or a family crest. They usually have a theme to them with a short phrase or two that succinctly states the organization’s mission or the family’s focus.

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he lets us know what is on God’s seal. In a way it is the family crest for His eternal family.

However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.” (2 Timothy 2:19 NET)

One unique feature of our family crest is that with the two statements on it reflect God’s side and man’s side of this covenant relationship. The first one is about God. He knows those who belong to Him. By this, I don’t think it is just saying that God has the master membership list of the saved. In itself, there are two facets of that.
He is very much aware of who we are, with our strengths and weaknesses.

“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13, 14 ESV)

In addition, He has a personal relationship with each of His children. He knows us intimately, the way a husband knows his husband. His love for each of us is so deep that He sent His Son to die for us while we were enemies (Romans 5:8)

Next comes our part of this kingdom covenant. It says that everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil. It does not say that we are to be prosperous. It does not say that we are to feel good. It says that the main characteristic of our lives must be that we are going in the opposite direction that was the story of our former lives.

Jesus was very straightforward about this in Matthew 7.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

“But I thought we are saved by faith, not by works!” that is true, in context. As I said in a prior post, talking about faith apart from obedience, is to take it out of context. In reality, faith cannot exist alone. Without obedience it is dead. More precisely, a lack of obedience means faith has died. That is why Jesus will appear a second time for those who obey him!

So this family seal shows both sides of the relationship. God intimately knowing and loving us, and our response of repentance and obedience. It is not optional. It is the test with which we can examine ourselves and se if we are in the family of God!

The nation of Judah had returned from captivity, and it was the time for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. They were to rebuild the walls of the city, and also the Temple. What began with good, even godly, intentions had begun to be neglected. The people had become concerned with their own priorities instead of with God’s priorities. It is into this scene that the Lord sends the prophet Haggai. Twice he warns the people to stop and think, or in other words, “consider your ways”.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. (Haggai 1:2-5 ESV)

It is clear that the people had become more concerned with personal desires than what God required. Indeed, this rebuilding of the temple was one of the two main reasons they had been able to come to their homeland at all! God is reprimanding them for not keeping Him as their first priority. It amounted to self-love.
We do much the same today when we fail to follow the command of Jesus to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV) the problem was not that God was against paneled houses. The problem was that their works showed that their paneled houses were more important than the Temple.
We, individually and corporately, are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we put on the outward show of having it all together and make sure we look good to others, yet neglect our spiritual walk with Jesus, our temple is in ruins. We, too, must stop and “consider our ways” and rebuild our inner man to be a fitting temple in which He can dwell.
Haggai then gives them a list of things that are going on with them that were supposed to be wake up calls from God but were being ignored.

You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” (Haggai 1:6-11 ESV)

Because His house is in ruins, God begins to treat their house like they are treating His! The discipline to which He subjects them is an utter futility in everything they do. They have much to eat and drink, but are running around thirsty and hungry. They earn money but it’s as if there are holes in the money bag. Why? Because God will not, ever, take second place in anyone’s life. He will not be the featured guest of a specific section of our lives. We cannot say “Jesus is Lord” while segmenting Him into a corner, and making other things a priority. God will not tolerate the breaking of the First Commandment. What part of “no other gods” did they not understand? If Jesus is not master of everything, then He is master of nothing. He will not accept divided allegiances.

Are you going through anything described in the verse above? Is there a pattern of diminishing returns in your life? A good, biblical, place to look is in your priorities. Is Jesus really number 1 in your life?

During any period of economic challenge, the church needs to rise up and seek first the Kingdom of God instead of our wants and desires. It is a healthy thing to take time out and consider our ways. Let’s put an end to some of the destructive duplicity and build up the temple of God that is in and among us!

How do you define success? Specifically, how would you define “success” in ministry? Is it having a large congregation? Is it being a sought after speaker? The number of baptisms you have performed? And does your definition match God’s definition of success?

There are many names of people in Scripture who God declared to be successful, that the world (and I dare say much of the church) would say had failed. Take Noah for instance. The man preached for over 100 years, and the only converts he had to show for it were his wife and kids. Or the prophet Elijah, who as a reward for preaching the truth had a price on his head! Or Jeremiah, whose message was greeted with such hostility, they threw him in a cistern to die.
And then there was Isaiah, whose commission from God was as follows:
“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate, (Isaiah 6:10, 11 NASB)

Why did these men do these things if they were doomed to fail? Because God doesn’t measure success the way man does. God measures success as faithful obedience in a relationship with Him. It has never been about how well we do a thing. It is based on having a right standing with God. When that happens, spiritual fruit will follow.

Having that kind of focus will keep us from burning out when the world doesn’t beat a path to our door, fall to their knees, and ask what they must do to be saved. Jesus told the disciples this same thing.

And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” (Luke 10:18-20 NASB)

If we get too focused on what we are doing instead of who we are doing it for, we are setting ourselves up for failure, even though the world may call us a success. Jesus knew this and redirected the disciples’ rejoicing to something of eternal significance — that their names were written in heaven.

Paul admonished Timothy to make full proof of his ministry. He didn’t tell him to market the church, or raise outside support. He was to preach the Word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). Put in simpler terms, that means to preach the Word when people want to hear it and when people don’t want to hear it. Preach when it is easy and when it is hard. And if you spend your live faithfully giving spiritual food to His sheep, the Good Shepherd will reward you on the last day.

Just be diligent to deepen your walk with God, and the rest will follow. Paul’s charge to Timothy sums it up well.
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:16 NASB)

It sounds like a planet from a science fiction book, doesn’t it? But it was a little village in ancient Canaan located down on the plains of Sodom. It was so small that it would have passed into history and never have been remembered. But Lot and his family put it on the map of scripture for all time. Let’s see what we can learn from little Zoar from Genesis 19.

The angels of the Lord have condemned Sodom due to their sin, and are telling Lot to take his family and flee.

When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” (Genesis 19:15-17 NASB)

Notice that the angles tell Lot to get completely away from the Valley and to flee to the protection provided by the mountains so that they will not see what is about to happen. Here is where Lot makes a critical mistake. He is willing to leave the city, but he doesn’t want to go too far away. He is leaving, but his heart is still back with what they have just left. So Lot asks for permission to exercise partial obedience and just go to Zoar. The name Zoar means “smallness”.

But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar. (Genesis 19:18-22 NASB)

This was another in a long line of foolish decisions for Lot. They began in Genesis 13:10-13 when he saw what looked like an easy life down in the Jordan Valley near to Sodom. A few years later in chapter 19, Lot has moved into town and has let the culture corrupt his thinking. This is evidenced by his offer of giving his two virgin daughters to a crowd to be sexually assaulted like it was normal practice.
And now, he takes the easy road again, and it will cost him dearly again. Rather than make the trek to get completely away, he begs to make the shorter journey and stop at Zoar. The problem with Zoar was that he would be able to look back and long for what they had just left.

The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:23-26 NASB)

So what lessons are there for us in this story?
First of all, the will of God is rarely, if ever, the easy way. In Genesis 13 Lot had chosen to live by Sodom without ever praying and asking God what he should do. How often do we make decisions we have not prayed about just based on how wise it looks in our own eyes.

This is also a story with application to repentance. Lot started by getting close to sin. Finally, he was comfortable moving in with it. He became so used to it that when he left, he wanted to keep it close by, just in case. So often our repentance can be the same if we are not intentional about it. We decide to leave a sin, but give it our forwarding address, too.

Christ has called us to be holy. That simply means to be set apart for Him. We cannot do that if we insist and keeping our favorite sins close by. Lot had been told to completely leave and forsake Sodom. Instead he settled for smallness in Zoar. So instead of dwelling in the place of protection, he tried to see how close he could stay without actually being inside the city. And yet Christians have a bad habit of seeing how close we can get to sin without crossing over the line. When instead we should be getting as far away from it as we can. And we are not the only ones who suffer the consequences of our decisions. In Lot’s case, it cost the life of his wife. There are no victimless sins. Someone is going to be hurt. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) so why are we hanging out with it? Satan is a serial killer and there will always be a price to pay for compromising with sin.

Christians, let’s go all the way with God and forsake out sin completely. Let’s go to the protection of the mountain of the Lord. God has wonderful good works prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). There is no need (indeed there is real danger) to settle for a Christian life of smallness in Zoar.

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19 NASB)