Promises of God in Jesus

I’ve Never Been Angrier At Myself

Ken

In the movie, Top Gun (1986), Goose said to Maverick, “The Defense Department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid.” When the devil gets the best of us, when we make careless, thoughtless decisions, real consequences occur for the Kingdom of God. Ask King Hezekiah, after he had shown the Babylonian envoys his treasures, because he was impressed that they had taken notice of Judah’s deliverance from Sennacherib (2Kings 18) and Hezekiah’s amazing recovery from his sickness, which was accompanied by the sundial miraculously going “back ten degrees” (20:9 KJV). Little Judah was receiving notice from the great Babylonian Empire, which was not good. Hezekiah was not careful about being flattered by the world, and they later would overthrow Judah after performing a military, economic reconnaissance of Judah through an unsuspecting-but-stupid Hezekiah. He should have known better! But, so should we! 

Listen to the prophet Isaiah analyze Hezekiah’s situation. 

“14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon. 15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. 16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD. 17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. 18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?” (2Kings 20:14-19). 

How to Prevent a Similar Replay of Hezekiah’s Actions in Our Own Circumstances 

First, the enemy exploits our weaknesses to turn them into sin, because there is no such thing as necessary sin. Our weaknesses are common to man. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). 

Second, if we have sinned, confess it, and throw yourself at the mercy of God to preserve us from repeating it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9). 

Third, God is not simply in the business of forgiving sin, but He is interested in preventing sin. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11). 

Fourth, here’s where most of us have traditionally missed the fact that the Holy Spirit was given to the Church through the New Covenant for the express purpose of inspiring us to obey God — not forcing us. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). 

Fifth, we have neglected the giving of the Holy Spirit, because we have not viewed it as a cooperative act of ourselves pledging loyalty to Christ through a public display, in particular, at baptism. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). 

Sixth, because we quarrel about water or grace through faith saving us, we neglect that it is Jesus that is saving us, but only so we will walk in a sanctified, Spirit filled way. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). 

Seventh, we need to turn from merely a reactive, defensive walk into an offensive, mode of gaining souls for the Lord Jesus Christ, clothed with the “whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:11), and in particular, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (6:18). 

I invite you to improve upon this plan, but we can’t sit and do nothing!

Lord Jesus, You are standing on the right hand of the Father, and have told us, “If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14 ). Stephen prayed and received Your answer in the salvation of Saul of Tarsus. May You raise up Your witnesses to this generation. Count us among that number! In Your Name, we pray. Amen.

Raise Up Godly Men

Ken

God, give us godly men, who will walk in love, faith, and purity. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV). Christianity is a hard way, unless we learn the secret of the gift of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:27; Acts 2:38). Young men, who walk in purity cannot achieve it through sheer force of will. Simply attempting to obey the command of sexual purity, will not truly accomplish it, without the Holy Spirit. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). We fail our young men, if we neglect to teach them, The Holy Spirit’s primary function is to inspire us to walk in obedience. We are commanded, “Keep thyself pure” (1Timothy 5:22). But, our good intentions will only prevail unless the Spirit of God gives us the victory. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). Faith or confidence that the Holy Spirit inspires us to obey, will cause us to be obedient, and will give us the victory. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1John 5:4). 

In the OT, a godly young person was one who sought God with their whole heart. “Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:2, 10). The greater advantage of the New Covenant is the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit, who inspires us to obedience (Ezekiel 36:27). 

Why hasn’t the heritage of the righteous always been a smooth path of obedience rather than a battle between righteousness and wickedness? 

First, the Almighty is God over everything. “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). 

Second, humanity was given stewardship of the earth. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). 

Third, Satan became the god of this world, when the entire population of the Garden of Eden rejected the Creator. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2Corinthians 4:4). 

Fourth, a spiritual battle for the cosmos has resulted, where God’s servants preach obedience to the Gospel to the ends of the earth. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). 

Fifth, love of God must overcome love of the world. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1John 2:15-16). 

Sixth, spiritual warfare requires a type of John Bunyan Pilgrim’s Progress, Holy War, where both men and women of God put on the Whole Armor of God until the KING of Kings and LORD of Lord’s returns to rule over the earth. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18). 

Seventh, a restricted understanding of our warfare limits our efforts and success. “And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1Corinthians 15:28). 

In summary, our young men will see victory in their purity, when they cooperate with the Holy Spirit to inspire them to obedience. Fathers and husbands will not only defend their families, but will lead their churches in a Spiritual War against the darkness of the world to the knowledge of Christ. 

Father, raise up men of God to lead Your people. Give us godly, courageous leaders. Educate them. Fortify them. Protect them. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Blind Faith

Ken

If faith can see an invisible God or can trust God to deliver in spite of invincible odds, then faith is blind to the natural world. “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27 KJV). Faith is not the denial of what the natural eyes see, but it is the refusal to be limited by the natural, when God commands or calls us to act contrary to the natural. “And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (Matthew 14:29). “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2Kings 6:17). 

Before ignoring the danger signs placed by humans to prevent harm and death, of course, we had better consult God on the necessity of any action. We call it miraculous, when the natural is overruled by the supernatural. God is for the miraculous, but not if it is simply a shortcut from disciplined work. Miracles are to magnify God, not to remove the discipline of work and faith from the disciple. Let us not promote Blind Faith as acting contrary to what our natural eyes see, unless we have command or authorization from God. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7). 

Father, we desire to see Your glory. Teach us the discipline of a faith that worketh by love, so we can discern when You are commanding us to act contrary to the evidence of the natural. Preserve Your people from self-delusion. Take away the ammunition from the mockers, who do not know how to respond to the Elijahs. Raise up men and women of faith to inspire confidence in You. Awaken Your Church. Deliver and convert Israel. Support the Persecuted Christians of India, China, and North Korea, who view Christianity as subversive. Cause Your people to stand, thrive, and set the example for the rest of the world for faithfulness to Your name. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen.

Trusting God Fights Paranoia

Ken

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8 KJV). The absolute standard for trust is “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Unwavering trust in God keeps us from being unsettled by humanity’s fickleness. If God can be unreservedly trusted, then humanity’s often untrustworthiness would not be surprising. In fact, when humanity does the admirable in not seeking its own at the expense of others, it can only be because God made it so. Of course, praise should also be given to man, when it is praiseworthy. The opposite of paranoia is when we can see God successfully working in a human heart to do the acceptable and right thing. If this is never possible, “we are of all men most miserable” (1Corinthians 15:19). Faith in God breeds hope, which “maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). The cynical, “In God We Trust, All Others Cash,” sign at the store checkout needs to be balanced in our hearts “With God All Things Are Possible” (Matthew 19:26). Give God the chance to change even the cynical human heart. Father, make it so. In Jesus name, amen.

Praying in the Spirit

Ken

In Scripture, the Holy Spirit has been present and at work since the “Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2 KJV). Specially commissioned crafters of the priests’ garments and the ark of testimony were given God’s Spirit to complete their work (Exodus 28:3; 31:3). God’s prophets, who penned Holy Writ, “spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2Peter 1:21). But, the special feature of God’s New Covenant with us is the “gift of His Spirit” (Acts 2:38 NET) to inspire us to obey Him (Ezekiel 36:27). 

Prayer is especially the place of privilege for God’s people. Since the words of Scripture are inspired by the Spirit (2Timothy 3:16), we know spiritual prayer is in the language of Scripture. When we are unsure of the will of God in any matter, we are to commit that concern to the Lord in prayer with the assurance of the Spirit’s infallible answer. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Rather than an indifferent petition, “Do whatever You think is best,” but instead, “I know what I desire [emotion], but is that the best thing [understanding]?” Once the Spirit directs our desires to understanding, then we can persevere in our petition. Even then, emotion has a legitimate place in our prayer life. “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26). Our emotions will motivate our perseverance — not simply repetitious “much speaking” (Matthew 6:7) — then, we can have reasonable assurance our request has been granted. 

Father, we know not what to pray for as we ought, so we desire Your Spirit teach us, what man cannot. Help us not to stifle the emotion that would cause us to persevere in our asking. Give us of the influence of Your Spirit, and cause us to be easily entreated to do Your will. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Communion and the Coming of the Lord

Ken

The NT church practice of communion has its roots in the Passover observance of Jehovah passing over the households in Egypt and not slaying the firstborn, when the blood of a lamb was applied to the door posts. Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples and directed them to continue the practice with the focus upon His substitution as the sacrifice for our sins. 

“And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20 KJV). 

Why the need for an ongoing repetition of the ceremony? 

His glory. 

“For My sake alone I will act, for how can I allow My name to be defiled? I will not share My glory with anyone else!” (Isaiah 48:11 NET). 

He is worthy.

We need to be very jealous about the name of our LORD, even as He is jealous. If the Church takes lightly God’s honor and glory in not remembering the Lord’s atoning death on the Cross, how can we expect the world to take seriously the love of God for a sinning world? 

What is the connection with our Lord’s Coming for His Church?

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come” (1Corinthians 11:26 KJV). 

Once the Lord returns, we shall see Him as He is, and we won’t need ceremonies to remember Him. So, when we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we are both remembering His sacrifice for us and looking forward to His return. 

“Them that honour Me I will honour” (1Samuel 2:30). 

Father, we desire to glorify You now and forever, for You are worthy. Thank You for the sacrifice of Your Dear Son. May it echo throughout eternity the good and great God You are. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.

Promises of God in Jesus

Ken

“For all the promises of God in Him are yea [Greek, nai, yes, verily, truly, surely], and in Him Amen [Greek, amēn, so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled], unto the glory of God by us” (2Corinthians 1:20 KJV). What greater confidence than the name of Jesus attached to a promise! Is this only youthful enthusiasm? What greater accomplishment than the promises of Jesus fulfilled in our lives, and in those around us? He who is the Word accomplishes every jot and tittle of His promises because He is the essence of faithfulness and will not let one promise fall to the ground. 

The very placement of the words in the text of Scripture are not accidental. When Jesus stood up in the synagogue at Nazareth to preach the first sermon of His messianic career, He read Isaiah 62:1-2, but completed His reading at the end of the comma — “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,” (Isaiah 61:2). He did not complete Isaiah’s sentence with “and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn” (61:2) because that would only be fulfilled later. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18). Just as Jesus fulfilled His Word in atoning for our sins on the Cross, so He will keep the prophecy of fulfilling His promise of vengeance during the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:26), then Israel will finally turn to Him at His Second Coming. “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8). 

Father, You will keep all Your Word through Christ Jesus in the salvation of Israel, since all Your promises in Him are yea and amen. Magnify Your name. Keep Your Word. Save Israel. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen and amen.