Meditations

What behaviors does God expect of a just person?  I was reading Ezekiel chapter 18 and I read some interesting things about the life of a person whom God considers just in Israel.   God has not changed, so let us look into those behaviors in Ezekiel chapter 18 verses 5 through 9.  It may be a good reminder for us today on practical living.  By the way, who is a just person? A just person is one who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.  One who has accepted God’s pronouncement that he/she is a sinner and needs a Savior.  Such a one has confessed that he is a sinner, repents of his sin and turns to Jesus Christ in faith for redemption.  He/She is justified in God’s sight and is no longer a sinner.  She is now a just person - a saint.  She is a righteous person in Jesus Christ, because she has accepted God’s offer of salvation.  The Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world through Hi...

Whenever I read The Acts of the Apostles chapter 2 verses 41 – 47, I always yearn to see that  “freshness” of the gospel among us believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  That excitement and innocence those very early believers had. They accepted the teachings of the Apostles and acted upon them.  They were excited about their salvation.  They were excited about their new way of living and about their deliverance from sin.  They were overjoyed regarding their new found faith.  They were glad, happy and full of enthusiasm.  They joyfully met with each other.  Many open their homes to break bread and eat together.  The believers who had possessions sold them and shared the funds with those who were in need.  Except for Annias and Saphira, who lied to the Apostles and fell dead.  (Read Acts 5:1-11)  Verse 46 of Acts Chapter 2 tells us, “they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.”   “Simplicity of hea...

And they cried with a loud voice , saying, “ How long , O Lord, holy and true …….”? Revelation 6:10:  “…..until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth”?        These words came from the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.  Revelation 6: 9.  It is okay to ask God a question and to ask it with passion.  In Revelation 6 verse 10 these saints are in heaven and they are asking a question.  These saints are not asking the Lord to judge and avenge their blood .  They know the Lord will judge.  They know the Lord will avenge their blood.  They are asking “how long” before it happens. God answered their prayer / question immediately.  Revelation 6:11:  …….and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was...

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, these things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.  The Lord Jesus gave His credentials to the Church in Philadelphia before He made His pronouncements.   The Lord Jesus is holy.  Luke 1:35 …. that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Hebrews 7:26:  “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; “  The Lord Jesus Christ is holy, so He expects us to be holy.  He lives within us, so our behavior ought to be holy.  1Peter 1:15 reads:  But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.  The Church in Philadelphia “kept His word” and they did not deny His Name.  They lived holy. The Lord Jesus is true.  He said in John 14:6:  “I am The Way, The T...

To the Angel of the Church of Thyatira Jesus said, “These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass.”  Revelation 2:18  The church in Thyatira was working in the service of the Lord Jesus.  They had love, faith, patience and works.  The Lord commended the Church on their works.  He said, “ the last (works) are more than the first”.  However, they allowed the doctrine of Jezebel  - immorality and idolatry - to be taught and practiced in the church.  Revelation 2:20 The Lord Jesus said His eyes are like a flame of fire.  His eyes illuminate whatever He looks upon.  His eyes search the minds and the hearts of His people.  The Lord knew all those in the church in Thyatira who were following the doctrine and practices of Jezebel.  He also knew those in the church who were loyal to Him.   In Jesus’ introduction, He also said His feet are like fine brass.   In Revel...

I am meditating in the Book of Revelations and I am currently reading in chapter 3.  As I read the various statements our Lord Jesus made to the seven churches, I wondered what He would say about my church that I attend.  If I were brave I would ask.  Then, who am I that the Lord Jesus would entrust His message about my church to me?  I can ask Him about myself.  How am I doing? I have noticed that the Lord Jesus made pronouncements of Himself to each church as they were related to the needs of the church.  He stated who He is, signifying He knows the issues and He is capable of correcting each one. He started with the church at Ephesus.  The Lord Jesus said, “These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:”  The Lord Jesus is saying He holds the seven angels of the seven churches (ch 1:20) in His right hand.  His right denotes strength.  He walks among the s...

When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews, Jesus responded.  “My kingdom is not of this world.  If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews …..”   Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world neither is ours.  The Lord Jesus said, if His kingdom were of this world, then He would have His servants fight for Him.  That is a message for us. Our kingdom is not of this world.   Why then are we being over- zealous over one candidate over another?   Why are some of us broken hearted because our candidate lost the election?   Our kingdom is not of this world.  Those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior belong to Him, and our citizenship is in heaven.    Jesus is the One to whom we owe our allegiance.  Therefore Believers in Christ Jesus should not be looking to politicians to meet our needs.   We have a Savior who pr...

Sometimes when God wants to use us, He has to place us through undesirable situations.  Sometimes He has to break us away from our pride and arrogance, and that breaking process can be very painful for us.  Sometimes God has to bring the reality of our sinful fleshly nature to our attention.   A good example of how one can come to the end of him or herself is in the parable Jesus told of the lost son. In the parable Jesus told about the son who went astray from his father in Luke 15: 11-32.  The lost son came to himself and he realized he had nothing. He had reached bottom.   He was hungry.  He was living in an awful condition.   His father had everything he needed, a warm bed, plenty of food and clothes.  There he was among pigs living in abject poverty and his father was wealthy.  He started to think, to reflect on his life at home in his father’s house.  There was plenty of food at home and here he was starving....

There is   none   who understands ......Romans 3:11 No one understands God.  No one understands life. No one understands the universe.   Many if not all of us at some point in our lives ask the question.  "Why am I here?"  Why do I exist?  No one understands. I am sure all of us at some point in our lives ask ourselves and others, "why me”?  Why is this circumstance happening to me?   Some commit suicide because they do not understand the circumstances in their lives.     Some ask why is there severe poverty in the world.  Others question the cause of weather related disasters.  No one understands.    No one understands the ways of God.  God says in Isaiah 55:8,9:   "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.   V9:  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways. and My thoug...

…. there is none   who seeks after God . Romans 3:11 God does the seeking. God seeks after us. This is why Jesus came to this earth over 2,000 years ago. To seek us out, to redeem us back to our God and His Father and to Himself.   When Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying His Command, they hid themselves. God came into the garden and called Adam. Genesis chapter 3. God is still calling men, women, boys and girls today to come to Him – to come and have a relationship with Him.  John 3:16 Jesus when He was here on earth said to Zacchaeus in Luke 19:10, "for the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost".  The Lord Jesus also said, ….”for I did not come to call the righteous (those who thought they were), but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:13     We are all sinners in need of a Savior.  That's why Jesus came.  Our human nature is at war with God. We want to do what we want, when we...

Romans Chapter 3 verse 10:   As it is written:  There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none righteous outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.  "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."  Romans 10:10 None of us are born righteous, neither can we adopt righteousness.  "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceive me."  Psalm 51:5  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23 Romans 4:3:  For what does the Scripture say?  "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness". For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.   John 3:16 Accept God's righteousness today if He offers it to you!!   Today is the Day of Salvation!!! Tomorrow is Satan's line...

Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Proverbs 23:23 tells us. Buy the truth - a cquire the truth through sacrifice. "What is truth?" Pilate rhetorically asked Jesus this question in the Gospel of John 18:38.  The Lord Jesus answered that question in his prayer to our Father. "Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth ."   John 17:17.  Earlier this summer I was speaking to a young man.  He was trying to persuade me that my truth may not be the same as another one’s truth.  How many truths are there as many as there are people?  I told him there is only One truth – God’s Word.  Hopefully, he was persuaded. To acquire the truth, we have to pray to the Father, read the Word of God and meditate therein.  The Holy Spirit will enlighten our understanding.  We buy the truth when we give of our time by purposefully pursuing the truth of God in His word.  We have to purpose in our heart to meditate in the word of God. We must ...

There seems to be much dismay among some evangelical Christians over the selection of the next president of the United States in November. In listening to two talk show hosts and some of their guests and reading opinions on the candidates, I can hear and read the discouragement in some of their voices. Is this a sign of Christians placing their hopes in human beings? Where is God? Why are your souls disquieted within you? Hope in God!! Why are some believers in Christ Jesus so discouraged? Hope in God!! He is a present help in time of trouble. Whatever happened to prayer? Are we praying? We have to pray individually. We cannot look to others to pray for the country while we stay silent. The Almighty God is in control. He is in control of the universe and everything in it. Why then are we so disturbed? Why are our souls disquieted within us? Hope in God!! Where is all of the concern coming from? Is it coming from hearts that do not know God? If so, I can understand the concern. As ...

Recently I had two deaths in my family my mother-in-law and my brother. Both fell victim to cancer. My mother-in-law loved the Lord and lived a victorious life. She was truly the woman of Proverbs 31. My brother lived a free spirited life, and touched many lives with his generosity. Their passing on made me think more about the passing on of our spirit and soul. The Lord Jesus gave us some insight into life after our physical death. We read in Luke chapter 16 verses 19 – 31 regarding the passing on of Larazus a poor and destitute believer and a rich unbeliever. They knew each other on earth and had some level of communication. However, once they passed on from this life, they parted ways. The poor man Lazarus went to paradise. The rich man – his name was not given – passed on to hades. We learned from the account given in Luke 16 that believing Lazarus was at rest. Not a word was spoken by Lazarus. The unbelieving rich man however was very vocal. He called out to Abraham and asked...

Love not hate.   Christians – born from above are called to love one another and to love the peoples of the world; just as God has loved us and as He loves the entire human race.    We are to be known as Christ ones because of our love for everyone.  Please let us believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ not be influence by the voices that are around us today.  We know there are injustices and inequalities in our society.  Truly in every society in the world the same exist.  Life is of God.  No one can exist outside of God’s breath of life.  That means every human life, no matter the skin tone, is valuable and precious in God’s sight, and should be as well in ours.    God shows us in 1Corinthians 13 what love looks like and what love is not.  Verse 1- 3 warns us about the nature of our works (after we have accepted God's salvation). V1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have...

On July 4th, 1776, the United States declared their independence from Britain. Since that time many countries including some of the islands of the Caribbean - more recently - have gained their independence from Britain. Britannia no longer rules the waves. It is good to be independent of others. Everyone craves independence.  To whom we are dependent to that one or ones we are beholden. From the time a child discovers walking, that child wants to be independent of his or her parents. That desire for independence thrives and develops as the child develops. Finally one day the adult child ventures out to be an independent person - away from her parents. Independence works a little different with the children of God. When we were born into the family of God, we were independent of God. We were accustomed to doing our own thing.  We were living our lives according to us.  Do we crave dependence on our Heavenly Father, or on our Savior?   No.  We love our i...

I n the wake of the mass killing of innocent victims at the club in Orlando, Florida; this event should have awaken us to the fact that this act of terror can happen anytime and anywhere.  There was the incident last year at the church in South Carolina.  This too was an act of terror.  We should consider that we are no longer safe from terrorism.   In this awareness, how are we to live our lives?  Are we ready to meet our Lord with open arms?  God forbid any of us should fall victim to this type of crime. None of us knows the date and time we will leave this earth whether by our passing or via our Savior’s coming.  Therefore we are to live in a state of readiness.  Luke12: 39, 40 reads:  But know this that if the Master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Verse 40:  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour yo...

Do you believe God?  or do you believe in God.  There is a difference. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  Romans 4:3  Abraham believed God when He told him his seed will be as numerous as the stars in the heavens.  God justified Abraham because he believed.  It is God who justifies, who makes us righteous.  Romans 3:27 Do you believe in God?  Are you working for your salvation?  Those who work for their salvation are really working to pay off a debt.  A debt they can never live long enough to repay.  Therefore, their work is hopeless.  Their works are all done in sin.  Sin cannot redeem you from sin.  When you think you are finished working you will be still a sinner.  Isaiah 64:6 says:  "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;....."  Romans 4:4 states:  "Now to him who works, the ...

Where can I flee from Your presence?” asked David concerning the Lord.  As I was praying a few days ago after I had awoken from sleep.  I thanked the Lord for watching over us during the night.   The Holy Spirit whispered to me, that we were in God’s presence.  In other words, while I was sleeping I was in God’s presence.  WOW!!!  David said, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there;  If I make my bed in hell, …. You are there.”  David said if he lived in the uttermost part of the sea, God would be there.  There is no place in the universe that we can go and be removed from God’s presence.   Even in the darkness God sees us.  His eyes are as a flame of fire.  Darkness and the light are both alike to God.  I knew God was watching over us while we slept.  In my mind, God was in heaven and I was in my bed on the earth.  To know that I am sleeping in God’s presence is profound to me.  This mean...

O Lord, hear!  O Lord, forgive!  O Lord, listen and act!  Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your Name.  Daniel 9: 19  Daniel through his studies saw that God would complete seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem, so Daniel decided to pray. Daniel chapter 9 Today we see the decline of our society in everything that is God’s, and we come to pray.  God knows what we are going to pray.  While the word is on our tongue God knows.  God does not have to wait until we are finished praying to act or to respond.  At the beginning of Daniel’s prayer God sent forth his command. “At the beginning of your supplications, the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved;  therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:”  Gabriel told Daniel Verses 21-23  God answered Daniel’s prayer by showing him His plan – what would take place in...