Truth Professionals - 1 John 1:6-7

"If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." The Apostle John says in the preceding verse (vs. 5) that God is light. Therefore, those who walk in darkness are not walking with God, no matter what they say. John says that if you are walking in darkness then you are not practicing the truth. By contrast, those who walk in the light reflect God's glory; they walk in the same way Jesus walked (vs. 2:6). The light in which they walk includes both correct doctrine (truth) and God's moral law (holiness). If you "walk in the light" then you practice the truth and your behavior is consistent with your doctrine. When you live your life each day according to God's redemptive love and moral law, then you are living the truth. You are like a practitioner of the truth, a truth professional. Just as doctors practice medicine and attorneys practice the law, Christians practice truth. As a practitioner of truth, when you “walk in the light” then your life is known to others: "You are the light of the world...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16). Be a truth professional and let the way you live your life and the way you say you live your life be one in the same and to the glory of God, and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse you from all sin.

A Sudden Change of Heart - 2 Chronicles 29:36

"And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had prepared for the people, for the thing came about suddenly." During the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, he closed down the temple and built altars in many places around Jerusalem and in many cities in Judah to make offerings to other gods. When Hezekiah, his son, became king, the first thing he did was to open and repair the doors of the temple. Then he called in the Levites and priests and commanded them to cleanse and consecrate the temple. Sixteen days later they completed the repairs and consecration of the temple and the people of Judah brought so many sacrifices that there were not enough priests to prepare the burnt offerings. God had changed the people in such a way that they "were of a willing heart" (vs. 31). The change of heart of the people and the restoration of  temple worship happened suddenly. In fact, it was so sudden a change that the people, who but a few days earlier were ready to comply with wicked King Ahaz in his idolatrous ways, were now ready to be obey and worship God. King Hezekiah recognized the hand of God on the people and he seized the opportunity to repair the temple and restore the people of Judah to the worship of God. Like Hezekiah, we must be spiritually perceptive and prepared so that we can seize any opportunity to lead or restore a person to faith in God when the Holy Spirit is drawing her or him.

Between the Times Faith - John 20:29

"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Did you know that Jesus was talking about you when He spoke these words to Thomas during one of His appearances to His disciples after His resurrection? Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. Thomas declared that he would not believe in Christ's resurrection unless he saw the nail scars in Jesus' hands and the wound in His side. Christians today face a dilemma they have faced since Jesus made this statement to Thomas—that of living in that period in time after Christ’s first coming and before His second coming. Some theologians have called the age in which we live "between the times," meaning the period of time between Christ's first and second comings. While the first generation of Christians was closely connected to Christ’s first coming, all Christians since have had to address the ambiguity of the time between His first and second comings. Fortunately, according to Jesus, we "between the times" Christians are actually blessed because we have not seen Jesus face to face but have believed in Him. Although you do not now see Jesus in person, you know that you will see Him at His second coming; therefore, you have no disadvantage to Jesus' first century followers and are, actually, enriched in your love for Him, your faith in Him, and your joy received from Him: "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9).

God's Marvelous Help - 2 Chronicles 26:15

"And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong." During his fifty-two year reign in Jerusalem, King Uzziah built towers, dug many wells, organized a large army, conquered surrounding nations, and made devices for the defense of the city. Uzziah was a remarkable king who had a broad interest in the improvement of his kingdom and because of his many achievements, his fame spread among other nations. For all his accomplishments he became strong because he was marvelously helped by God. Unfortunately, Uzziah began to trust in his own strength forgetting that it was the marvelous help of God that brought him prosperity and success. Uzziah transgressed against the Lord by entering the temple to burn incense on the altar, a ceremony of religious worship that was performed by a priest. It seemed that Uzziah was not content with the authority God had given him as king and apparently wanted to add priestly functions to his royal power. You also, have been marvelously helped by God. In fact, the "marvelous help of God" is a fitting description of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit that is at work in your life: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth...for he dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit will marvelously help you and make you strong in the Lord; but remember where your strength comes from and give God the glory because pride is always lurking behind any success that you may achieve through God's help.

The Quest for Truth - John 18:37

"For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." This statement was made by Jesus to Pilate at His trial before Pilate. Pilate's rhetorical question to Jesus in the following verse, "What is truth?" glibly dismisses the relevance of truth in the very presence of the One who is truth incarnate. Ironically, the one charged with determining the truth in the matter had no regard for the truth himself. Incredibly, Pilate sought no answer from the only One who was The Answer: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (vs. 14:6). People have not changed much over the last two thousand years. There are many who say that there is no truth or that truth is relative. If you have found truth in Jesus Christ, then you know that there is absolute truth in this post-modern world. But truth once discovered becomes a journey, not a destination. The pursuit of truth lasts a lifetime--it doesn't stop with that initial understanding. It's just that now you know where to find it. As a follower of Jesus, you are a lover of truth, a truth-seeker. Now you are involved in a lifelong quest for truth and God graciously reveals His truth--reveals Himself--to you as you seek after Him.

Time for a Tune-Up? - 2 Chronicles 23-24

"And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest" (vs. 2). The story of Joash, king of Judah, is an object lesson we all need to take to heart. When Joash's father, the king, died prematurely, his father's mother usurped the throne. She had all of the royal family killed, but Joash, the infant heir to the throne, was concealed in the temple for six years by his aunt and uncle, Jehoida, the high priest. Jehoida led a coup to restore the throne to the house of David and install the rightful heir, Joash, as king. In the first part of Joash's reign while Jehoida was alive, Joash was devoted to the restoration of the temple and adherence to God's law. After Jehoida, the high priest, died Joash succumbed to the evil counsel of certain leaders in Judah who identified with the evil ways of Ahab, the former king of Israel and so Joash established idolatrous practices in Judah. Joash even commanded that the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Jehoida, be put to death because he spoke against the king. In a battle with the Syrians Joash was severely wounded and brought to Jerusalem where he was killed by his own officials in revenge for Zechariah's death. King Joash's faith was dependent upon Jehoida and once Jehoida was gone, so was Joash's faith. Furthermore, Joash listened to bad advice from the wrong spiritual advisors. Joash couldn't handle dissent--everyone around him had to agree with him. The lessons we can learn from Joash are to always guard your faith; don't let your faith be based on the faith of someone else; be careful who you listen to for spiritual advice and then be careful of the spiritual advice that others give; and don't dissociate yourself from those who disagree with you because God may be using them to reprove and discipline you! Your faith requires continual maintenance--is it time for tune-up?

Jesus' Prayer For You - John 17:20-21

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Did you know that Jesus prayed for you when He walked the earth two thousand years ago? In John 17 Jesus prayed first for himself (vs. 1–5), then for his disciples (vs. 6–19), and then for later believers, which includes you and me (vs. 20–26). So what did Jesus pray for us? Of all the things Jesus might have prayed for us, He prayed for our unity (vs. 21–23) and that God's love would be manifest through us (vs. 26). While it's easy to understand why He would pray for God's love for us, why unity when there are plenty of other needs to pray for us? When Jesus prayed for future believers, He prayed for those of us who believe in Him because of the message passed to each generation of believers from the apostles (vs. 20). The only way we could be believers of the the apostles' message two thousand years later is because there is internal consistency to the message and among those proclaiming it. In other words, there is unity among those who believe and declare the message so that what is believed is the same as what is declared and vice versa. If there is not unity among Jesus' believers, then we send mixed messages and nobody knows what to believe and either believe a lie or believe nothing at all about the gospel. Unity starts with each of us individually and is built on love for one another collectively. So that's why Jesus prayed for you: "I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me" (vs. 23).

When God Does What You Ask For - John 16:23-24

"Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full." This enigmatic command is repeated by Jesus three times in John 14-16 (see 14:13-14, 15:16, and 16:23-24). It must be important if Jesus repeats it to His disciples three times on the same occasion (at the Last Supper). What does Jesus mean to ask the Father in His name and the Father will do it? The obvious answer is that up to this point Jesus had been with His disciples in person and so there wasn't much need to pray to God the Father when Jesus was right there with them in person to supernaturally intervene in people's lives. Now Jesus is going away (in physical presence) and so He is teaching them a different way to ask of or pray to God that applies also to us. With each repetition of this command Jesus taught the disciples more about how this new prayer relationship with God works. When Jesus tells the disciples in chapter 14 that He will do whatever they ask in His name, He also tells them to believe that He acts by the authority of God the Father because He is of the same nature as the Father and they can act on His authority (as God) when they do the same works that He did (vs. 10-14). In chapter 15 Jesus tells the disciples that He will tell them what He has heard from the Father, that is, He will reveal God's plans or will to them so they can be productive for God's Kingdom (vs. 15-16). In chapter 16 Jesus tells His disciples that they can have a happy and fulfilled life because they can talk to God the Father directly in Jesus' name. God will do what you ask of Him (and you will have a happy life) when you ask by the authority granted you by Jesus as His obedient disciple and you ask those things that are consistent with God's character and will.

God's B.F.F. (Best Friends Forever) - John 15:14-15

"You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." Jesus promises that if we do what He has told us to do, we can be best friends with God and He will be best friends with us. In the parlance of MySpace and Facebook, God is inviting you to be His friend. Think about it. The eternal, omnipotent Creator of the universe wants to be friends with you! In the Old Testament only Abraham (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8) and Moses (Exodus 33:11) were called “friends" of God. Now Jesus extends this privilege to all obedient believers. And when you are friends with God, then He wants to tell you what He is doing just like you tell your friends what you are doing (Isn't telling your friends what you are doing the fundamental premise of Facebook and MySpace?). Now a friendship is a two-way street and God wants you to be His friend not just so you can be saved, but also so your life can be fruitful and productive in fulfilling the plans and purposes God has in mind for you: "I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you" (vs. 16).

The Dwelling Places of God - John 14:23

"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." The Greek word for "home" (monē meaning dwelling place) used in this verse is the same word used for for "many rooms" in vs. 2 of this chapter: "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" In vs. 2 Jesus gives the assurance that each of His followers has an eternal dwelling place with Him and He is going there to prepare it. In vs. 23 Jesus and the Father come to dwell (by the Holy Spirit) with those who love Him and keep His word so that His followers can prepare for their eternal dwelling place: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (vs. 15-16). Jesus gives us an assurance for this life that there is an assurance of eternal life with Him. The Holy Spirit (and Father and Son) dwell with us to help prepare us for our eternal life with Them. In other words, you will dwell with God then because He dwells with you now so that you will be prepared to live eternally in the place Jesus has prepared for you!

God's Power of Attorney - John 14:12-13

"Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do." Jesus not only had power to do God's works, He also enabled those who believed in Him, His disciples, to do the same. Because Jesus was born of God and was God, He exercised His authority by birthright. Since we are the created beings of God and not of the Divine Nature as was Jesus, we are granted the authority that Jesus had not by birthright but by proxy when we ask in Jesus' name. When Jesus said to ask in His name and He will do it, He was giving His power of attorney. Power of attorney is a legal concept or transaction authorizing one to act as an agent on behalf of the one granting the authority. Once Jesus had atoned for the sins of the whole world, He returned to heaven and gave His power of attorney to His disciples. God has put us in charge of His Kingdom until Christ the King returns, but He has not left us powerless. He has granted us authority and power to seize this world for His Kingdom. When we individually and collectively ask God for the accomplishment of His will, God's power is released through us to accomplish the same things Jesus did and even more. Just as power and authority was vested in Jesus by the Father: "The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works" (vs. 10), our personal relationship to Christ is the only legal basis for our authority in His Kingdom, and that authority is effective only to the extent that it expresses God's will.

Your Divine Counselor - 2 Chronicles 10:16

"And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David. So all Israel went to their tents." The reign of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, is marked by the division of Israel into the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). The division of the kingdom was the direct result of Rehoboam listening to the wrong people and following their bad advice. When Rehoboam became king, the people of Israel gathered before Rehoboam and asked him to lessen the use of forced labor. Rehoboam first conferred with the elders, the older men who were Solomon's advisors, and then with the young men who were his friends and contemporaries. The older men advised Rehoboam to lighten the service of the people but the young men advised Rehoboam to increase the service of the people. Rehoboam, "forsaking the counsel of the old men" (vs. 13), threatened his subjects "according to the counsel of the young men" saying he would increase their forced labor even more than what Solomon, his father, required. As a result of Rehoboam's poor decision-making, all the people of the northern tribes renounced allegiance to Rehoboam according to the saying of vs. 16. So be careful not only about the the spiritual counsel you choose to follow, but also about who is giving the counsel. The Holy Spirit is the One you should seek for spiritual advice--He is your Divine Counselor. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26). "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth" (John 16:13).

When the Righteous Die and the Wicked Live - Ezekiel 33:18-19

"When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this." This warning spoken by God through the prophet Ezekiel hardly seems fair. The formerly righteous person dies while the formerly wicked person lives! God explains His position on this matter in vs. 13-16. If a righteous person trusts in his own righteousness, which causes him to act unjustly, then none of his righteous acts matter and he is responsible for the injustice he has inflicted and he shall die. But if a wicked person repents and turns from her sin and begins to do what is just and right, then she shall live. God's redemption is always tempered by divine justice. What matters is Who you trust in--yourself or God. The self-righteous person really only trusts in himself, not God. The penitent person no longer trusts in herself, but God. What matters in the end is what was the transforming effect of God's redemption on your life? In fact, it is a matter of life or death!

If My People Pray - 2 Chronicles 7:14

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." After the temple was built and dedicated, the glory of the Lord filled the temple (vs. 1–3) and God appeared to Solomon and told him that He had heard Solomon's prayer (vs. 12–22). God's answer to Solomon's prayer was a message of repentance and restoration. God's purpose above all is to forgive his people and heal their land when they repent of their evil ways. This verse describes the process of individual and collective repentance: humble oneself, ask God for forgiveness and mercy, and turn away from sin and unrighteousness. When God's people truly repent, then He will “heal their land,” which includes not only deliverance from drought and pestilence but the restoration of people to their right relationship with God. Be assured that God hears you and will restore you into fellowship with Him when you repent and turn away from your sin and unbelief.

The Most Powerful Words Ever Spoken - John 11:25-26

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Word came to Jesus while He was on the other side of the Jordan River that his good friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was very ill. By the time Jesus reached Bethany where Lazarus lived, Lazarus had already died and his body placed in a tomb where it had been for four days. Martha, one of the sisters of Lazarus, came to meet Jesus as He approached the tomb where Lazarus was buried. Martha told Jesus that Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had been there before he actually died. To Jesus, it made no difference when the miracle occurred. Both a miracle of healing before physical death or a miracle of resurrection after the physical death of the Lazarus made no difference to Him because in Him and His Words were the power both to heal and resurrect people and give them eternal life. Jesus said that in Him is resurrection and eternal life. If you believe in Him you can live forever! In this simple yet powerful promise can be found the gift of eternal life. All you have to do is believe in Him and the death of your physical body will one day be transformed into eternal life.

The Door to Eternal Life - John 10:10

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Jesus used the metaphor of a sheepfold and a shepherd to tell a beautiful story in John 10:1-18 of how God desires to care for and protect His people. A sheepfold was a courtyard bordered by a stone wall in which one or more families kept their sheep for protection. A sheepfold had a gate that was sometimes guarded by a “gatekeeper” (v. 3), someone hired to stand watch or even the shepherd himself. Jesus likened Himself to the shepherd who entered the sheepfold by its door or gate to lead his sheep out to find pasture. His sheep followed him because they recognized the sound of the voice of their shepherd, the same way a family pet knows the voice of its master. When the Jews did not understand what Jesus meant, He revised the meanings behind the metaphor. In the second version of the story Jesus identified Himself as the "door" (vs. 7) or gate of the sheepfold (as well as the shepherd) and no one comes in or goes out without His authorization. So whoever enters the correct way by the gate is saved from evil (the "thieves and robbers" of vs. 1 and 8 who break in the sheepfold) and enabled to go in and out to find pasture. Then Jesus contrasts His purpose for the sheep in the sheepfold (people) with that of the evil one. While the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy people, Jesus wants people to have life in all its fullness, abundant life, eternal life. The point of the story is clear: the devil wants to destroy you, but God wants you to live eternally!

The Joy of Giving - 1 Chronicles 29:9

"Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly." In preparation for building the temple, King David accumulated precious metals and stones and wood for its construction. In addition to all the materials he accumulated as King, he gave a substantial amount of gold and silver from his personal wealth. Then he asked the leaders of Israel what they would give. They also gave a substantial amount of precious metal and stones from their personal wealth to help pay the costs of the temple construction. After these gifts were given the Israelites were joyful because everyone had willingly given without being commanded. They gave freely to the Lord and the result was that it made them happy! David acknowledged that what they gave was only what God had given them in the first place: "For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you" (vs. 14). Giving to God is not a burden but an expression of our worship of Him. When done willingly and freely with a whole heart, giving makes you happy! But always remember that when you give to God you are really just giving back to God what He has blessed you with in the first place.

Planners and Builders of the Kingdom - I Chronicles 28

King David assembled all the military, civic, and religious leaders of Israel and declared that God had revealed to him that not him but his son Solomon would build the temple. David had formulated comprehensive plans to build the temple because "he had it in his heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord" (vs. 2). Because God wanted Solomon rather than David to buid the temple, David turned the plans and preparations over to Solomon, his son, who would be the one to build the temple. David gave Solomon “the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord,” (vs 12). David said that God had made it clear to him “in writing from the hand of the Lord, all the work to be done according to the plan” (vs 19). God inspires us in different ways by His Spirit to do His work. Some develop plans; some construct the buildings or implement the programs. So he who plans and she who builds are both are doing the work of the Lord. Whether your role in God's Kingdom is planner or builder, let the Holy Spirit give you inspiration for using the abilities God has given you to advance His Kingdom!

True Disciples - John 8:31-32

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The phrase in verse 32, "the truth will set you free," is frequently quoted out of context. It should be understood in connection with the previous phrase, "if you abide in my word," in verse 31. Thus, "the truth will set your free" means that the way to know the truth is by abiding or continuing to believe and obey God's Word. We are transformed spiritually through the action of abiding in Christ. When you cultivate and saturate your life with God’s Word, the Bible, and practice God’s presence through prayer and meditation in the Holy Spirit, then you abide in Christ and begin to take on His character. Then you are truly His disciple, set free from the enslaving guilt and power of sin!

The Qualities of Godly Leadership - Ezekiel 22:30

"And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." The walls surrounding a city were its main lines of defense in ancient times. A breach or gap in the wall around a city had to be closely guarded as a possible entrance point by an enemy until the breach could be repaired. Ezekiel used this wall of defense metaphor to identify two characteristics of godly leadership. Godly leaders are persons who will "build up the wall" and "stand in the breach." Ezekiel listed the evil done by the leadership in Israel at the time to cause this moral decline: faithlessness, sacrilege, irreverence, apostasy, extortion, greed, and injustice (vs. 24-29). Instead of helping God's people, the leaders were taking advantage of them. God is, therefore, searching for people who can provide godly, principled leadership, then and now, to protect and defend His people and His name. God is searching for men and women who will "build up the wall" and by their example of faithfulness and righteousness repair the moral damage by confronting evil by speaking up for God and His goodness. God is also searching for godly men and women to "stand in the breach" and make intercession for a lost and dying generation through prayer and proclamation of God's salvation. Are you ready and willing to be the kind of leader that God is searching for?

A Gift for Everyone - John 7:38-39

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." Jesus did not mean that there was no work of the Holy Spirit in the world prior to His resurrection for we know the Holy Spirit was active in creation and inspired those leading or speaking to God's chosen people throughout biblical history. Once Jesus' work on earth was finished, however, the gift of the Holy Spirit was available to everyone who believed in and followed Jesus, not just a select few. Jesus declared that God wanted to give His Spirit to all people so He could have fellowship and a personal relationship with every human being. God wants to give you His Spirit so that you can begin to live in His presence in this earthly life and in preparation for eternity!

Willing to Do God's Will - John 7:17

"If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority." In this verse the teaching of Jesus is clear. To be His disciple requires a conscience act of one's own will--a personal decision--to believe in Him and obey Him. No one can make the decision for you. You can't inherit salvation. Each person must come to the place in his or her own life where it is your will to do God's will. Those whose will is to do God's will, then comprehend the reality and truth of the teachings of Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins and are saved. Be willing to do God's will!

What Makes God Happy - Ezekiel 18:23

"Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" Sometimes people think that God is somehow out to get them. Embedded in the prophetic words of Ezekiel is this fundamental declaration of God's plan for humanity--its redemption. Although God will punish sin to vindicate his holiness and justice, God feels sorrow over the punishment and death of human beings created in his image so He endeavors to save them (see also 33:11). God certainly takes no pleasure in human beings dying in their sin and rebellion and being eternally separated from Him. And, in fact, the reality is the inverse--God takes pleasure in redeeming us so that we may spend eternity in fellowship with Him. God isn't out to get you--He's out to redeem you! Your salvation makes God happy!

Doing Right Things Right - I Chronicles 17:1-15

"Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent” (vs. 1). Doesn't building the temple of God seem like the right thing for a man of God like David to do? David had built himself a permanent home--a king's palace--and the ark of God still resided in a tent--the tabernacle. So David thought the right (righteous) thing to do was build a permanent home--a temple--for the ark of God. Nathan, the prophet of God, endorsed the plan because he knew David only wanted to do what was right (vs. 2). Unfortunately, neither David nor Nathan consulted God about the construction plan and God had a different plan in mind (vs 3-4). God's plan was not for David to build the temple, but for David's son (Solomon) to build the temple (vs. 11-12). We often try to serve God according to our own plans thinking that because we are "doing it for God" it must be the right thing to do (when really we are doing it for ourselves trying to be "righteous"). Instead, let us follow the pattern of ministry demonstrated by Jesus (and taught by Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God). Let us see what God is doing and where God is working and join Him in that work: "The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise" (John 5:19). When we follow Jesus' model of ministry, then we will be doing the right things right because it will be according to God's plan and will!

God's Pattern for Supplying His Provision and Care - John 6:1-15

God’s care and provision are demonstrated by Jesus in the miracle of feeding the five thousand. The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four gospels (cf. Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15) and is recorded with substantial narration in each of these gospels. The telling of this miracle in all four gospels may suggest its importance among the miraculous signs of Jesus’ ministry. The feeding of the five thousand was a significant miracle based purely on the scale of the miracle itself by feeding an estimated 15-20 thousand men, women, and children from five loaves of bread and two fish. The miracle demonstrates God’s pattern for supplying His provision and care. God offers His care and provision to us not by creating more things but by taking resources that already exist and extending or expanding them to meet a need, even to an abundance. When you offer any and all the resources you possess totally and willingly to God, He provides His loving care by extending or expanding those resources to meet your needs, sometimes even to the point of prosperity.

Living Among the Dead - John 5:24-29

"An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live" (John 5:25). With the inauguration of the Kingdom of God on earth the time has come when many “dead” people hear the voice of the Son of God and He grants them eternal life and they begin to live. Jesus also described a time in the future when people will actually arise from their graves and those who believe in Him will arise to eternal life and those who do not will be condemned and perish: "An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29). So those who hear and believe the message about Jesus, the Son of God, have passed from a state of existence defined by death to a state of existence defined by life (vs. 24). So believers in Christ are as those who live among the dead--those who are dead to God in their unbelief. It's almost like the Kingdom of God is being built in a cemetery and its heavenly mission is the recovery of dead bodies! The Kingdom of God inhabits a lost and dying world and it is our duty to assist in the recovery effort.

Divine Commission by Individual Submission - John 5:16-22

Because of the misunderstanding of the Jews, Jesus provided a detailed description in this passage of His relationship and commissioning by the Heavenly Father. His relationship to God the Father was one of submission and in turn established the conditions under which He commissions believers:
1. "My Father is working until now, and I am working" (John 5:17). Jesus conducted His ministry when and where He saw God’s activity and providence even if it was on the Sabbath. Because the nature of the Father is continuous activity, Jesus, therefore, occupied Himself with constantly performing the work and activity of the Father
2. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise" (John 5:19). Jesus did as God the Father did. Jesus was completely submitted to the will of God the Father in accomplishing His mission. Therefore, Jesus did not act or speak of His own accord but only spoke or did what the Father told Him.
3. "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel" (John 5:20). The succession of authority flows from God the Father to the Son to Jesus' disciples. Because the Father has commissioned the Son, the Son has the authority to commission His disciples.
As Jesus' disciples, we should serve God following the same model Jesus used in His ministry, which is to be completely submitted to God so that you can see where God is working and then say or do what God directs you to do. Notice this approach is just the opposite from how most of us serve God , which is to think what good things we can do for God, go do them,  and  then ask God to bless our efforts.