Children of Promise

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

OBSERVATION: In many ways my story, as one who has received salvation, mirrors the story of Isaac's birth.

• Isaac's birth was a physical impossibility. Not an improbability. Abraham was past childbearing age and Sarah's womb was barren. Repeated failure testified to its impossiblity. My salvation was a physical impossiblity. My repeated failure testified to the fact.
• God did what He said He would do. God had spoken to Abraham about giving him a son, and He did. Many prophecies said that God would send the Messiah to bring salvation, adn He did.
• Isaac brought laughter. (His name means 'laughter.') Salvation brings joy.
• To Isaac was given the inheritance. He received everything that God had promised. He didn't get a small portion, but all of the inheritance. Scripture also says there is an inheritance for me. (Though there is, even to this day, a battle being waged for that inheritance.)

APPLICATION: In order to address the Galatians moving into error, Paul goes back to the foundational truths about salvation. When I get mixed up, or tempted, or down, it is good for me to go back to these same truths.

• My salvation is the result of promise, not performance.
• God is patient and persistent in fulfilling His Word.
• Salvation and joy go hand in hand. Where's my joy?
• I have a full inheritance!

PRAYER: Father, If I could only keep these things always before me, I suppose that things would be a lot smoother. It's not about what I deserve but about what you have done. Give me clarity of mind and clarity of Spirit to understand living for you. Amen

Pleasing God and Persuading Men

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

APPLICATION: Paul asks two questions here: 1) Who do I try to persuade, men or God? 2) Who do I try to please, man or God?
These are very important questions. You really couldn't call Paul a people-pleaser by any stretch of the imagination. He seemed to stir up trouble with people wherever he went. He was always stepping on people's toes. He faced the supporters of the goddess Dianna in Ephesus. He faced the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. He even confronted Peter to his face. He definitely was not a people-pleaser.
Nor was he a God-persuader. He didn't manipulate God to fit his needs. When he asked God three times to remove his thorn in the flesh and God said, "No," he submitted and said, "Now I will glory in my affliction."
Paul sought to please God, not people. Paul sought to persuade people, not God. Paul had it right.

OBSERVATION: These two things are easy to mix up: Pleasing God and persuading people; not pleasing people and persuading God.

• God is the One that we serve. He is the only One we need to please. It is His opinion alone that counts. He needs to be the motivation for my action. He is not compromised or negotiated.
• People are the ones to whom we bring the message. People and popular opinion are fickle and always changing, but can be very compelling. There is a strong desire to please people -- but how can we persuade them if we seek to please them?

God's opinion, not popular opinion, is what really counts. Changing people to come to God, not changing God to fit for people, is the only way to make a real difference.

PRAYER: Father, keep me from the people-pleasing trap. I know that I am drawn to it. Amen.

Collapse

SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"

OBSERVATION: We have an unhealthy fascination with the temporal. We are enamored with big, beautiful houses, with temples, skyscrapers and elaborate complexes. Think of Las Vegas where there is the most unique collection of hotel and casino buildings and facades. Buildings are about the most lasting things that we can build. A well-built structure can outlive its builder many times over. To us, that is almost eternal.
But to God, even the most long-lasting structure is fleeting. It is still temporal. I see things from such a limited framework. ("Wow! This is something worth investing in. It is really long-term!") God's perspective is so much greater. ("That will be a pile of dust someday.")

APPLICATION: Am I enamored with stuff that is temporal? Or do I invest in the eternal? Everything in this world will crumble and fall apart someday: money, buildings, organizations, etc. People and God's Word are eternal.

PRAYER: Lord, You will never depreciate or crumble. I'm glad my eternal real estate is in heaven. Amen.

Shall or Shall Not?

SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

OBSERVATION: Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment. I may have been a trick question or it may have been a sincere question, we're not really sure. Some people are insincere in their approach to Jesus. They ask questions, not to satisfy their search for truth but to discredit Jesus and Christianity. Their mind is already made up. They are just antagonistic. Others are genuinely seeking truth and feel that Jesus might be the answer they are looking for. Whether the motive is pure or impure, the truth is the truth. We can share with people and then leave the issue of their response to them. In this story, the man's response was a good one.
When Jesus was asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" what was the asker expecting to hear? What would people of today expect if this question were asked? We think of the ten commandments. Those are the ten biggies -- the top ten, so to speak. Written by God's own finger and given to Moses on the mountain to be delivered to God's people. The ten commandments -- many people consider them to be the basis for all civilized legislatures and legal systems. So, the first words that were expected certainly these: "Thou shalt not..." This is the start and the theme of the ten commandments. But Jesus threw them a curve. Instead of 'Thou shalt not" He said, "Thou shall..." Not only that, but "thou shall love..."

APPLICATION: Many people today see Christianity as a 'thou shalt not' kind of affair. Jesus declares that it is a 'thou shalt' thing. He took all the objectivity of the law and the prophets and he hung them all on the subjectivity of 'love God with all that you are.' That's pretty awesome. And that's what allow me to be a 'thou shalt' kind of Christian instead of a 'thou shalt not' kind of Christian.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for trusting me enough to replace the 'thou shalt not's with a 'thou shall.' I will honor You. Amen.

Stick With The Script

SCRIPTURE: Mark 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

OBSERVATION: The power of this verse is in its sharp contrast with verse 22. In verse 17 he came running -- with eager anticipation and enthusiasm. In verse 22 he went away sorrowful. He came running but went away sorrowful. Like the month of March which sometimes "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," this guy came in to Jesus with great excitement and zeal but left with a whimper.
This encounter with Jesus did not play out the way that he had pictured it in his mind. He played his part right, just as he had rehearsed: He came running -- check! This showed his youth, his health and his vigor. He asked the right question -- check! "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" This showed his spirituality and a willingness to work. Jesus asked him about the commandments and he was able to flash his spiritual credentials, "all these things I have done from my youth." -- check!
Everything was going according to the script, but then Jesus went off the script. Jesus asked him to do something that he hadn't planned on, that he had not rehearsed, "Go, sell all you have and give your money to the poor."
That was totally out of the blue. It was totally unplanned. Everything was going so well up until that point. But then everything changed. His excitement and enthusiasm immediately disappeared and were replaced with sorrow. He left the conversation quite differently than he came in to it.

APPLICATION: Jesus doesn't stick to the script. Whenever I presuppose or prefigure His answer or activity I set myself up for disappointment. We are no different from this guy. WE come running up, excited about Jesus and life with Him and how well everything is going to go. When things don't go the way we have it planned, it can certainly be unsettling. It can rattle the very core of our relationship with the Lord. It can change the demeanor and attitude of our service.
I have seen people who have started out strong, like this guy. Running to the Lord, they can't wait to start with Him. But then something happens. Jesus doesn't stick with the script. It's not the way they had it planned.

• Maybe it costs more than they thought it would cost.
• Maybe He doesn't give them the accolades or position that they thought they would get.
• Maybe they just don't understand: "How could this be this way... How could He treat me like this... when I've said all the right things?"

Jesus just doesn't stay on script. He says what He wants, when He wants. Actually, He is the writer of the script. If some one deviates from the script, it's me not Him. This is how this particular scene was supposed to end: "And the man, realizing that his great wealth was a snare to him and the blessing that he could be to others, gladly sold all he had. He gave every penny to the poor and ran back to the Lord, even faster than the first time. He was a changed man. And he followed Jesus from that point on, trusting Him to supply his every need. The End, and Amen.

PRAYER: Jesus, You are the scriptwriter. I will follow Your script, not expect You to follow mine. I want to finish with greater enthusiasm than I started with. Amen.

Continue in the Faith

SCRIPTURE: Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

OBSERVATION: Paul and Barnabbas did what spiritual leaders do. After sharing the message of salvation to the unbelieving crowd many became saved. Now their language had to change somewhat from their message to unbelievers ("Repent and be baptized"), to the message to believers ("Continue in the faith").

APPLICATION:

• Continue in the faith. I don't think we can imagine how difficult that might have been at that time. There was no established church. There was no Christian Bookstores, Sunday School curriculum, Christian worship songs -- there was not even a New Testament.
• Continue in the faith. The main sense and meaning of the word is to 'remain in' the faith. Don't depart from it. In spite of hardships and difficulties. They were told, "through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God." It's not an easy road. Fasten yourself to the mast of faith and hold on (like the sailing scene in 'What About Bob'). Don't be discouraged or derailed by life's tribulations. Hang on. Continue in the faith.
• Continue in the faith. To continue in the Christian faith isn't just static -- it is dynamic and growing. Continue means maturing, bearing fruit, changing from milk to solid food, etc.

PRAYER: I'm not done! I am still in process. Lord, I need Your guidance, Your grace and Your strength. I will continue in my faith, not just stand still or shrink back. Amen.

Free From Expectations

SCRIPTURE: Acts 12:11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

OBSERVATION: Peter was free! He had already been free for some time but didn't even realize it. It was something so incredible and so amazing that he thought it must have been a dream. But it wasn't. It was real. The prison walls that held him no longer held him. The guards that restricted him no longer restricted him. Herod, the one who intended to kill him, no longer threatened him. And the Jewish people, who had a certain and final expectation for the end of his life, no longer had control over him. Peter was totally free.

APPLICATION: I like the phrase, Peter knew that he was free from "all the expectation of the Jewish people." Other people had a plan for Peter's life. They had a certain expectation for him. But Peter was going against the grain, the expectation of the Jews for him was one of death. He must be stopped. It was really the expectation of the Jews that landed him in prison and set him facing death. But the Lord set him free.
How much control do other people's expectation have over me? Do I let them become a prison for me, directing me for a certain end? Can I really believe hat the Lord has set me free from the expectations of others, or does it just seem like a dream? It is real.
And, in the same way, Jesus has set others free from my expectations of them. Don't imprison others with my expectations.

PRAYER: Jesus, You said, "If the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed." It is not a dream. I will come to myself and walk in the freedom that You have given me. Amen.