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Happy Reading, Richard
The Lord is just as concerned with why a man does what he does as He
is concerned with what the man does. Many times the best way to expose
one’s motives involves asking and answering the simple question, “Why?”
It was this question that the Lord asked to identify the motive of
Cain’s anger (Genesis 4:6 ). The Lord used the same question to shed light on the motive for the disobedience of His people in 2 Chronicles 24:20 .
The Lord does not ask in order to gain an understanding for Himself.
Rather, He asks man questions so that man might examine his own heart
for the motives behind his actions. This same question will most likely
resurface in some way at the judgment seat of Christ when men’s motives
are most thoroughly examined.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): God is aware of why we do what we do (1 Samuel 2:3 b; Jeremiah 17:10 ). Compare what these people gave to the work of God: 1 Chronicles 29:17 and Acts 5:1-5; 7-9. Whose hearts were right and who wanted to impress others?
(For everyone): Take some time to look up the word why in the
Bible. What verses stand out as ones where the Lord asked men why they
did something?
The question why causes us to look inward. Why do you serve
the Lord? Why do you live a holy life? Why do you do any particular act?
If you are not living a holy life or serving the Lord, why not?
PRAYER NEEDS
Ask God to show you why you do what you do.
Thank God for the opportunity to perfect your motives here.
The Bible tells and also repeatedly proves that the Lord’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts, nor His ways, man’s ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Most people assume the Lord’s actions are motivated almost solely
because of His love for man. That may sound great, but the scriptural
reality does not teach this. God works for His own glory and for His own
name’s sake. The scriptural evidence for this truth is quite undeniable
(see 1 Samuel 12:22 ; Psalm 23:3 ; Psalm 25:11 ; Psalm 31:3 ; Psalm 79:9 ; Psalm 106:8 ; Psalm 109:21 ; Psalm 143:11 ; Isaiah 48:9 ; Jeremiah 14:7 ; Ezekiel 20:9 , 14, 22, 44; Ezekiel 36:22 ). Moses understood this truth and used it to stay the hand of the Lord when He desired to kill the people of God (read Numbers 14:13-16).
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): The children of Israel convinced Aaron to make
the golden calf for worship. This made God angry enough to destroy His
people. Read what Moses said to stay God's hand (Exodus 32:7-14).
(For everyone): Why is it actually better for us that the
Lord’s motive is more about Himself than about us? How willing is the
Lord to mar the reputation of His name?
How is the Lord’s name at stake in the working of your
salvation? How is it at stake in His daily provision and working in your
life?
PRAYER NEEDS
Ask the Lord to work in your heart for His name’s sake.
Thank God for taking such a great interest in your life.
Believers should attempt to follow the pattern set forth by God in
every way possible. If God has a motive for what He does, believers
should do the same. In fact, believers should desire to mimic the Lord
not only by having a motive, but by sharing the same motive as the Lord.
If God’s motive in working is to bring Himself glory, then believers
should “do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ). If God’s motive is the sake of His own name, then believers should do what they do for the sake of the Lord’s name (Acts 9:16 ; 3 John 1:7 ; Revelation 2:3 ).
This demands that everything a believer does is done as an ambassador
(and representative) of the Lord Jesus Christ and not for himself (2 Corinthians 5:20 ).
(For everyone): How would making your motive the Lord’s
name’s sake change the way you approach everything in the Christian life
from witnessing to praying to Bible reading and so on?
What motives are listed in Philippians 1:15-17? Which motives are obviously ungodly motives? Did the Lord know the motives of these men? Does He know your motive?
PRAYER NEEDS
Ask God to help you adopt His motive.
Thank God for the opportunity to live for His name’s sake.
The world incorporates their own means of measuring the worth and
value of those alive and those who have lived in the past. They might
suggest that men are great because of education, or wealth, or
appearance, or lineage. The Lord has His own way of evaluating men.
According to God, men can be weak, tortured, mocked, imprisoned, and
destitute while being so valuable that the world was not even worthy for
those men to have lived. Could it be that the Lord allowed men to die
for their faith because the very men who put them to death were not
worthy to walk next to them upon the earth? Apparently, the Lord honours
those who strongly sealed what they believed with the loss of their own
lives.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): During Daniel’s Seventieth Week (“the
tribulation period”), God will pour out His wrath upon the earth. One
such judgment will be to turn rivers and fountains of waters into blood.
God knows the world was not worthy of those who were persecuted for
Him. Yet, the world was worthy of something. Read Revelation 16:4-7 to find out what.
(For everyone): Read the stories of some who died for their
faith. How is it accurate to say the world is not worthy of such people?
What can you learn from those who paid the ultimate price for
their faith? How could you use more of the faith that they demonstrated
in their deaths?
PRAYER NEEDS
Ask God to help you see things from His perspective.
A few years ago, I attended a conference where pastors were
encouraged to meet at a pub after the general sessions. A few of these
pastors could exercise their liberty, but why publicly? I wondered how
many people at the conference stumbled because of it.
The
demands of life often tempt us to seek gratification in alcohol and
other things. We must be on high alert. The enemy uses "opportune times"
to draw us away from God. (cf. Luke 4:13.) The line is so thin that it is often hard to determine when we cross over.
The
person who consumes alcohol walks a very fine line between freedom and
sin, responsibility and carelessness, liberty and abuse—over-indulgence
can even disqualify a person from leadership (see 1 Tim. 3). This
discussion is not about a glass of wine or beer now and then, it's about
abusing liberty. Damage done to families and individuals through
alcohol use demands a closer look.
Pastor John MacArthur
states what many of us feel but seldom discuss, "It is puerile and
irresponsible for any pastor to encourage the recreational use of
intoxicants—especially in church-sponsored activities. The ravages of
alcoholism and drug abuse in our culture are too well known, and no
symbol of sin's bondage is more seductive or more oppressive than
booze." I couldn't agree more. The trend of young Christian leaders
consuming alcohol on a regular basis is alarming. Many will look back
and regret the damage that was done to lives, churches and their own
testimony.
Pastor Darrin Patrick, in his book Church Planter, writes, "I am shocked at the number of them [pastors] who are either addicted or headed toward addiction to alcohol."
David
Wilkerson adds, "Alcohol is now the modern golden calf, and millions of
people, young and old, male and female, have been seduced by it." Many
counseling appointments are because of alcohol and drug abuse. Add to
that the amount of domestic violence cases and the number of abused
children because of alcohol, and we would be remiss to ignore its
dangers.
We often flaunt liberty and laugh in the face
of God's grace by posting our favorite beer brands and wines on
Facebook, all under the guise of "exercising liberty." While Romans 14
discusses personal freedoms, it also has strong warnings "not to do
anything that will cause others to fall" (vs. 21).
Consider the following:
Jesus
was filled with the Spirit. Holiness flowed from every area of His
life. This cannot be said of those who consume alcohol regularly. What
is the fruit of today's preoccupation with alcohol? Conversations often
turn away from God, if they were there to begin with. We begin to
compromise our time and interests; we'd rather head to Vegas than a
prayer meeting. Jesus said that "wisdom is justified by her children"
(cf. Luke 7:35). Carnal Christians consume alcohol regularly. The
harmful fruit that results from a lifestyle focused on alcohol is proof
enough.
The Bible never encourages crossing the line. A
preoccupation with alcohol is just one indicator of alcoholism; a
preoccupation with drinking at events or social gatherings is another.
Some even bring out their private collection of hard liquor after having
a few drinks. This is not liberty; it's addiction.
We
assume that the alcohol content today is the same as in Jesus' day. In
His day, a little water was often placed into the wine and thus
decreased the alcohol content (see 1 Tim. 5:23),
much like an O'Doul's today. "Strong drink" meant drinks with higher
alcohol content that led to drunkenness. Ale beer, for example, often
has two times more alcohol than normal beer. Those having two pints of
ale may have the equivalent of five regular beers.
"Jesus
ate and drank with sinners." "But there is no suggestion in Scripture
that Jesus purposely assumed the look and lifestyle of a publican in
order to gain acceptance..." (John MacArthur). We should fellowship
without engaging in the practices of a secular lifestyle. The world will
know we are Christians by our love and by our convictions, not by how
well we imitate the world around us. We seldom hear non-Christians say,
"I'm turned off by Christians because they seldom compromise." But we do
hear, "Christians who say one thing and do another really turn me off."
"Do not be among winebibbers" (Prov. 23:20a).
Drinking
often is now called liberty instead of addiction. Many Christians
center everything around alcohol—fellowship, events, birthdays, Bible
studies and so on. When alcohol is the center of attention, it becomes
an idol and an addiction. This is why many will be offended by this
article.
In Jesus' day, society was
much more isolated. We cannot calculate how many people are affected by
today's social media. A person with 500 "friends" may be encouraging
dozens to stumble. It is the selfless motivation of love that keeps us
from causing others to stumble (see Romans 14).
1
Peter 2:16 reminds us that many use liberty to hide sin: "A covering
for evil," and Galatians 5:13 says we should not "use [our] liberty to
give an opportunity to the flesh." If these points raise concerns, I
encourage honest repentance. It's often not if alcohol consumption
causes damage, but when. Why would we willingly walk into the enemy's
camp?
God does not want us to be enslaved to anything.
It is important that we take an account of our lives and see if this
area has a hold on us. Be honest. How much do you drink? Is it really
one drink now and then, or is it throughout the week? Is it a large
goblet that holds ¾ of a bottle of wine, and do you fill it twice?
Do
you make excuses in order to exceed moderation and plan activities
around alcohol? Do others comment on your drinking? Do you often argue
and try to justify your position? Paul said that even though we have
freedom, not everything is good for us. We should not become a slave to
anything (cf. 1 Cor. 6:12). It's time to break free from this flawed liberty.
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of
Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, just North of
Los Angeles. He recently released his seventh book, Desperate for More
of God atshaneidleman.com. Shane's sermons, articles, books, and radio program can all be found atwcfav.org. Follow him on Facebook at:facebook.com/confusedchurch.
For many ages now, the people of God have been asking, “how long?”
How long until sin is vanquished? How long until all mankind has a love
for the Lord? How long until our King and Lord is the King of kings and
the Lord of lords? How long until the saints of God are no longer
persecuted for their faith? How long until the blood of the martyrs will
be avenged by God? These questions suggest a longing, a longing for the
Lord to set things straight. Although believers may not know the
timing, we do know that the future will come in God’s time. This promise
and hope comforts the saints in times of trouble and gives them courage
in the face of danger. It is this hope that reminds us that all will be
recompensed in the end.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): In Psalm 94:1-7, the psalmist wanted the Lord to make things right. According to 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9, we know that He will. Romans 8:22-23 says not only God’s people but all of creation desires the Lord’s return.
(For everyone): Look up the phrase “how long” in your Bible.
Name the people who asked this question. What do they have in common?
What are some of the reasons people asked “how long”?
Are you facing persecution for your faith in Christ? How do
you find comfort in knowing that the Lord is going to make all things
right at some point in the future?
PRAYER NEEDS
Thank God for the promise of avenging the blood of His martyrs.
Ask the Lord to remind you that one day all will be well.
During John’s prophecy, the Bible says that he “wondered with great
admiration” when he saw the future persecution to come upon the
followers of Jesus. This persecution will come by the hands of a
religious organization that commits fornication (has an inappropriate
union) with the kings of the earth. This religion, portrayed as a woman
in Revelation chapter 17, is “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS,” indicating she
gives birth to other religious institutions who likewise involve
themselves in the inappropriate unions of their “mother” religion. This
seems to be why John was so perplexed. He could not fathom the thought
that a group would identify itself as a Christian group while putting
others to death for their faith in Christ.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:16-17). Jesus rebuked the leaders of His time and warned His disciples of the persecution that would soon come (Matthew 23:27-35; John 16:1-3). It is important to remember that God is still in charge and will make things right in His time (Revelation 18:5 , 8).
(For everyone): Have there been religious groups in the past
that persecuted and put to death those who professed faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ?
Have there been religious groups in the past that persecuted
and put to death those who professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
PRAYER NEEDS
Ask God to open your eyes if you are associated with “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS.”
Ask the Lord to put a hedge of protection about His people.
There comes a time in each person’s life when two loves conflict and
one must be chosen as the now superior love. A great example of this is
the events that take place during Daniel’s Seventieth Week. After the
Rapture of the church, there will be people who must choose whether they
prefer to please the Lord or continue to live. According to Revelation 12:10-11,
there will be many who will choose the latter as they love “not their
lives unto the death.” Their love for the Saviour will far surpass their
love for even life itself. Perhaps this does not sound as hard as it
is, but one should consider that many of these dear saints who choose to
die will leave behind loved ones. For instance, some mom will give her
life for the cause of Christ knowing that she leaves behind a child or
children. Some husband will give his life although he will leave behind
the wife he loves so dearly.
(For everyone): How much do you love life? Would you be
willing to give your life for the cause of Christ if duty demanded it?
If not, why not? Is it because you fear death or because you do not love
God?
No one should ever seek to be martyred for the faith. At the
same time, each believer should love the Lord enough that he or she
would be willing to be martyred for the faith.
The Bible has received unjust criticism for stating that the end
times will see the believers of that time period “beheaded for the
witness of Jesus.” Critics mock the idea that the world would return to
such a practice of beheading as a means to kill God’s people. Not
surprisingly, the last few years have seen a huge resurgence of
beheadings. It comes as no surprise to anyone that believes the Bible
that there will indeed be people who live in the future who will love
the Lord and His word enough to willingly lay their heads on the
chopping block. These brave men and women will be offered a means to
avoid martyrdom, but their love for the Saviour will compel them to
testify even to their death.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): John the Baptist was beheaded for what he believed (Mark 6:17-18, 27). The Bible gives us a glimpse into his character. He truly knew and loved the Lord (John 1:26-30; John 3:30 ). Jesus gave him a compliment (Luke 7:27-28a). Oh, that we loved the Lord that much.
(For everyone): During Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the church
will be in heaven with the Lord, but there will still be people who love
the Lord enough to willingly die for Him.
How much do you love the Lord? How important is it to you to
be a “witness of Jesus”? Would you be willing to die for what you
believe?
PRAYER NEEDS
Thank God for all who are and have been willing to die for Him.
Stephen was a faithful servant of the Lord, even unto his death. As
one of his last acts of service, Stephen preached Christ to the Jewish
people. They rewarded Stephen’s faithfulness to the Lord by stoning him
to death. By all natural appearances, this was the end of Stephen’s
service for the Lord, but God had something else in mind. On the day
Stephen was martyred, a young man named Saul stood by and gave his
consent to Stephen’s death. Apparently, that day greatly affected Saul.
It was not long thereafter that Saul was born again and had his name
changed to Paul. Later, Paul gave the testimony of his conversion to the
Jewish people, and he recounted that he had witnessed the death of the
Lord’s martyr (Acts 22:20 ).
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): God used the apostle Paul to write more books
than anyone else in the New Testament, fourteen in all. These writings
are a blessing to us as they teach salvation by grace, how we should
live, and give instructions to churches and pastors.
(For everyone): How does your life affect others? Have you
lived your life in such a way as to affect others after you leave this
world? What can we learn from Stephen’s life and death?
Have you ever read the testimony of a martyr’s death? (If
not, consider purchasing a copy of Martyr’s Mirror.) How was your life
forever changed by the testimony of a martyr?
PRAYER NEEDS
Thank God for the testimonies of martyrs found within scripture.
Ask the Lord to give you a boldness like He did to the saints of old.
It has been said that an individual is not truly ready to live for
the Lord until he is willing and ready to die for Him. There are many
reasons why one might not be ready to die for the faith (i.e., sin,
regret, desire to remain with loved ones, fear, etc.). As a believer,
one should not fear death. He or she should also realize that “to be
absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 ).
Death (or the Rapture) is the only means by which the believer enters
the truest form of life. Paul understood this truth and was willing to
die if it were the will of God. As it turned out, it was not Paul’s time
to die. Yet, when that time came, Paul said, “For I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6 ).
(For everyone): Are you ready to die should your time come?
If not, why? Have you trusted Christ as your Saviour? Is there something
you need to do for the Lord? Is there some unconfessed sin in your life
that you need to take to the Lord?
Why is it so important to live in such a way as to always be ready to die? How would this help you live a holier life?
PRAYER NEEDS
Ask God to help you be prepared to die.
Ask the Lord to help you with any sin or regrets you may have.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
Once upon a time, there lived a wise and righteous king who cared
deeply for his people. In order to ensure that his kingdom prospered,
the king summoned one of his servants and gave him this decree, "Go and stand at the door of the palace. If someone comes and asks to
see me, open the door and allow them in so I may speak with them."
So the servant went and did as the king commanded. People came from far
and wide to see the king. Some were rich men, some were great scholars,
others were from noble families, and when they asked to see the king
the doorman gave them entry. Then one day a poor beggar came to the
palace door and asked to see the king. The doorman looked him over and
frowned.
The beggar's clothes were dirty and torn, he wore no shoes and was unpleasant to look at.
"Surely my king would not wish to meet with such a man as this," the
doorman said to himself, and turned the beggar away. Soon the doorman
began turning others away; people he deemed too poor, or too sick, or
too strange. When the king discovered what was being done he summoned
the doorman to him.
"Why have you been turning people away from the palace?" the king
demanded angrily. The doorman was surprised and replied meekly, "My
king, I was only performing the duty you gave me."
"Your duty was to open the door for those who would see me," said the king, "not decide if they were worthy to do so."
It's unfortunate when we behave like the doorman in this story. We
style ourselves the "Watchmen on the Wall," and if we see someone who
doesn't quite fit our definition of worthy, we slam the door in his or
her face. But God's grace is not ours to give away, and true forgiveness
belongs to Christ alone. Our job is to open the door that leads to
Christ, through prayer, through friendship, and through service.
Remember, we all stand on equal footing at the door of Christ's mercy.
Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you been turning away people who are looking for God? Or lighting the way to the narrow path? Take some time to consider.
Simon Peter confessed his willingness to die for the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:33-35; Luke 22:33 ; John 13:36-37).
After the Lord’s resurrection, He told Peter he would indeed have the
opportunity to die for his faith. The Bible says that in Peter’s old
age, someone would stretch forth his hands, gird Peter, and “carry
[him] whither [he] wouldest not.” These things may sound like a possible
description of the life of any elderly person, but the Lord made a
point to tell Peter that these things referred to his death. It was at
this point that the Lord made a most unusual statement: Peter’s death
would “glorify God.” From this statement, we know that it is not only
necessary to glorify God in one’s life but also possible to glorify God
in death.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): The apostle Paul suffered many things for the Lord (Acts 9:16 ). His main concern, whether he lived or died, was that he glorified God (Philippians 1:20 ). Jesus also said that the death of Lazarus was to glorify God (John 11:4 , 40).
(For everyone): How can an individual glorify God by his
life? How can that same believer glorify God by death? How could this be
accomplished whether someone is a martyr or dies of natural causes?
Would it be safe to say that the death of the Lord Jesus
Christ brought glory to God the Father? If so, how? How could the same
truths cause your death to glorify God?
PRAYER NEEDS
Thank God for the opportunity to glorify Him by life or by death.
It takes a special person with strong conviction to be willing to
die for a just cause. This is especially significant when that cause is
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, martyrdom for the faith in
itself does not indicate that the individual was a mature and complete
Christian. The apostle Paul indicated that an individual can give his
life for the faith and yet lack charity (1 Corinthians 13:3 ).
In fact, we are told that a man could give his “body to be burned” and
profit nothing because he lacked the necessary charity. Unfortunately,
there are many Christians today that seem willing to die for the faith.
Some even seem willing to provoke the world to put them to death but
lack biblical charity. According to Paul, those people who may even
sacrifice their lives profit nothing.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(For children): The Bible tells us to have charity (1 Peter 4:8 ). It is treating others like family and like you would want to be treated (3 John 1:5-6a). It is the greatest indication that you are a grown-up or mature Christian (Colossians 3:12-14).
(For everyone): What would you think of someone who was
willing to die for his faith? Why is it important to keep things in
proper perspective concerning those who are martyred?
Sometimes Christians make idols out of martyrs. How does 1 Corinthians 13:3 admonish us to keep things in the proper perspective?
PRAYER NEEDS
Ask God to help you to live a balanced Christian life.
A martyr is one who is killed for his faith. Only two individuals are specifically named as martyrs in scripture: Stephen (Acts 22:20 ) and Antipas (Revelation 2:13 ).
The word itself appears only three times, twice in the singular form
and once in the plural form, but each time, the writer associates the
martyr(s) with the Saviour (“thy martyr”—Acts 22:20 ; “my . . . martyr”—Revelation 2:13 ; “the martyrs of Jesus”—Revelation 17:6 ).
Scripture provides very few details concerning the life of Antipas.
Yet, that which is mentioned conveys volumes. According to scripture,
Antipas was a faithful man slain for his faith. He was a man who, like
the believers at Pergamos mentioned in Revelation, held fast the Lord’s
name refusing to deny the faith.
(For everyone): A man must meet two requirements in order to
be identified as a martyr; he must be a man of faith, and he must die
for that faith. How do we know these things are true of Antipas?
Why is it such a beautiful truth that the Lord’s martyrs are
directly associated with Him each time in scripture? How does this
demonstrate that Christ takes special ownership of His martyrs?
PRAYER NEEDS
Thank God for those who have loved Him enough to die for Him.
