“With charity toward all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nations wounds.” During the American Civil War, these were the words of President Abraham Lincoln in his March 4, 1865 Second Inaugural Address, about a month before Lee’s surrender at Appomattox and 41 days before his assassination. Charitable love must be the foundation of civilization and law, or we will descend into tyranny and despotism. “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV).
Jesus
Asking God As Friend
We come to God in the first place because He is our Father, but we are emboldened to pray because He is our Friend. Friends help friends. “And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves” (Luke 11:5 KJV). We know that our Friend is well able to give us what we need because He is God Almighty. Even Jesus made it clear we are His friends. “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). Here, prayer graduates to intercession for others.
It Really Is All About Jesus
Everyone needs Jesus. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1Timothy 1:15 KJV). But, only the Holy Spirit will ever truly convince us that we really do need Jesus. “When He [Holy Spirit] comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in Me [Jesus]; about righteousness, because I am going [ascending back] to the Father, where you can see Me no longer” (John 16:8-10 NIV).
Happiness Is A Choice
Happiness is a personal choice, but only Yahweh can persuade and aid us at being so blessed. “Kiss the Son [Messiah, Christ], lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him” (Psalm 2:12 KJV). In both Hebrew and Christian Scriptures “blessed” and “happy” are translation equivalents. Bless us, O LORD, and we shall be blessed. Amen and amen.
Vindication of Wisdom
“Wisdom is justified of all her children” (Luke 7:35 KJV). When Solomon proposed cutting an infant in half to satisfy the parental claims of two prostitutes (1Kings 3) or Jesus answered the resurrection denying Sadducees (Matthew 22), we miss the point, if we credit skill, diplomacy, or astute knowledge to their success. Wisdom flowing only from God can answer all of humanity’s unanswerable questions. “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29 KJV).
A Reasonable God
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18 KJV). We are relieved to hear God announce His willingness to reason with us. If He was more harshly inclined, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy this opportunity to seek His better side. Just as gravity pulls our bodies down, our selfish actions push us away from God. Thank God, Jesus invited us, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 KJV).
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem
Jesus was very emotional about the Jews rejection of Himself. He considered them His, not because of their choice, but His choice. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not” (Matthew 23:37 KJV). Jesus also knew what Paul knew. “He is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:29 KJV).
More Blessed to Give Than Receive
“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 KJV). The Father gave His One and Only Son. The Son laid down His life for a world of angry rebels. If Jesus said giving is more blessed than receiving, then God is well pleased with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Now, we need to be as convinced as He is about our giving. Faith believes we aren’t being defrauded by the world, but we are in heart sympathy with our LORD.
Plainness of Speech
“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” (Matthew 5:37 KJV). Why did Jesus command such plainness of speech? Because saying more or less than the intended words draws attention to the messenger and not the message. This impresses people with our education or lack. As messengers for our Lord, we desire the attention only for Him.
Stand Your Ground
Stand your ground. No retreat. Deny the enemy the opportunity of flanking and destroying the line. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1Corinthians 16:13 KJV). Since this is a spiritual war, every action translates into consequences for the progress or delay of victory. Satan and the forces of the Antichrist cannot ultimately win, but they can delay the Almighty’s final victory and their judgment. If you were Lucifer wouldn’t you want to put off the final day of your reckoning with your Creator and Judge? This was the thinking of the demon possessed pair that met Jesus. “What have we to do with thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29 KJV). No matter how long the delay, the All Knowing Creator is not surprised or confused by the enemy. Lucifer will be a chained lion (Revelation 20:1-3) during the Millennium, but He presently “walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8 KJV). Spiritual warfare demands, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 KJV). We may admire the tenacity of soldiers such as Joshua Chamberlain at the Battle of Gettysburg, who stood their ground and even bayonet charged their foe; but, we know our victory is by faith assured, if we will have the spiritual backbone to “resist stedfast in the faith” (1Peter 5:9 KJV). God bless all soldiers of Christ!
We Need A Miracle 