Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7)

I must confess that I really do not like fasting. At least in the traditional sense of the term.

No food. Growling stomach. Dizziness. Lack of concentration. All of these things and more can make it difficult to go without.

Yet I also know that millions of people around the world do without one or more meals daily, not by choice but by happenstance. If it were up to them, they would never want nor would they need to see their children suffer. It is difficult enough to go without food yourself, but when your children are starving nothing else matters.

Isaiah 58 should be read by everyone before they decide to abstain from food. When the chapter was written, people were fasting but doing so for all of the wrong reasons. In fact, God rebuked the Israelites who were more concerned with outward appearances than they were with the things of God. Those “things” included helping the oppressed, removing burdens and caring for the poor. In God’s perspective abstaining from food wasn’t His chosen fast, rather helping others was.

So does Isaiah tell us not to fast from food? No. But it does tell us to have our priorities straight before we fast.

Recently I completed a one-day fast, the first “food free” fast I’ve done in years. For several days prior to my fast, I felt God leading me to abstain from eating, something I wouldn’t have done on my own. I’ve fasted from food many times over the years, but not recently. Instead, I’ve attempted to live out Isaiah 58 particularly the two verses I have included here.

In my case fasting was purely for personal enrichment. And it wasn’t on a day when I was able to get away and pray for hours or read the Bible. Instead, I had to spend that day working on my taxes while offering up a prayer here and there. I also read one Psalm during the middle of a much too busy day.

Why did I fast? To draw closer to God. Specifically, I was looking for clarity from God regarding my business and direction for my life. Maybe not reason enough for some people to fast, but something I needed to discover.

I won’t go into detail, but I have seen God’s hand move since my fast ended. No Red Sea was parted nor did I see a sign in the heavens. Instead, God opened up an opportunity that may very well lead to something beyond my personal expectations. Importantly, He worked through my personal circumstances—I would have preferred solitude, but God faithfully touched me where I was at.

I can’t wait for the next time God calls me to fast and pray!

So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar — 2 Samuel 9:4

Lo-debar was a desolate place, a town in Gilead devoid of pasture. By the sound of it, Lo-debar had nothing much going for it, but it was home of Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan and grandson of King Saul.

Leaving Lo-debar

Yesterday, our Pastor — Rodney Finch — preached a message titled, “Come Out of Lo Debar” where he compared the life of Mephibosheth to our own lives before we came to faith in Jesus Christ: barren, empty and desperately needing a blessing.

Are you still living in Lo-Debar?

In 2 Samuel 4 we first learn of Mephibosheth who was at that time just five years old and being cared for my a nurse. Frightened because both Saul and Jonathan were dead and fearing that a similar fate awaited the boy, the nurse fled the scene, carrying him in her arms. But, in the process of running away she dropped the boy which caused him to become permanently lame in both feet.

For Jonathan’s Sake

A generation later David is found inquiring if anyone in the House of Saul is still alive, wanting to show them kindness for Jonathan’s sake. Though Saul showed David much evil, Jonathan showed David extraordinary kindness, something that David wanted to extend to Saul’s survivors.

Mephibosheth was found living in Lo-debar with his young son and was immediately brought to his household to dine at David’s table, a place of honor befitting a family member. David also restored Mephibosheth’s inheritance to him, appointing Saul’s servant, Ziba, to minister to him. With fifteen sons and twenty servants, the retinue of people assigned to Mephibosheth was quite large.

6 Points About Mephibosheth

Interestingly, there are six things about Mephibosheth which should be noted:

1. Mephibosheth’s name means “shameful one.”
2. By living in Lo-debar, Mephibosheth was missing out on the best. That city’s name is translated as desolate, barrenness, etc.
3. Mephibosheth would have perished without David’s help.
4. David made no mention to Mephibosheth about his lame feet, rather he wanted Jonathan’s son to receive the blessing due him.
5. Mephibosheth said nothing about his own feet although in verse 8 he did refer to himself as a “dead dog” perhaps fearing that David wished him harm.
6. No one else in David’s household made issue of Mephibosheth’s handicap.

Perhaps the most important lesson in the life of Mephibosheth is that he accepted David’s grace graciously. Which brings me to an important point: do we accept God’s grace graciously or do we continue to focus on our past life and the sins which separated us from fellowship with God?

Your Inheritance Awaits

The Bible doesn’t indicate whether Mephibosheth was ever healed of his lameness, but 2 Samuel 9 certainly shows that the grandson of Saul received his inheritance. We may go through this life with our own set of physical and emotional problems, but our inheritance can be restored too provided we put our trust in Jesus Christ.

Remember grace is: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Think about it!

Photo Credit: Ali Taylor

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,a to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:1-3)

I almost hate to quote these three verses in Isaiah apart from the remainder of the chapter as all eleven verses are so instructive as well as encouraging.

Mind you, when I set out to develop this article, I had only one verse in mind and a snippet of it at that — “…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…” — which is a portion of Isaiah 61:3. The entire word of God is meant for our digestion which means that even a portion of one verse can minister so very powerfully.

Beauty For Ashes

I’ve honed in on “beauty for ashes” portion of the verse for one reason and that was to serve as reminder to me that God sees me differently than how I see myself.

Sure, God has seen my sin and how ugly it was, accurately understanding my depravity in a way that I’ll never be able to fully comprehend at least on this side of eternity.  Beyond that, while we humans tend to focus on our shortcomings, blunders, outright disobedience and a host of sinful thoughts and practices, God looks at us differently — He sees us as we will soon be, not as we are.

And that kind of Godly perspective is what every believer must hold onto throughout their lives.

Outer Beauty Fades, Inner Beauty Grows

I’m not talking about exterior beauty which soon fades, but the inner beauty given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, there is a sanctification (cleansing) process that takes place while we’re on this earth which will ultimately bring us to Him looking far different than what we once were.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Certainly, we are “beauty in the making” which means that we’re transitioning from something that is wretched, godless and awful to become people who are godly, lovely and beautiful.

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. (1 John 3:21-22)

Of course, if we’re feeling pretty “ashen” of late there could be sin that needs to be dealt with, so tackle that sin and then walk in the assurance that your heart isn’t condemned and that you are pleasing before God.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Created For Good Works

Know that God not only sees you differently than how you see yourself, but He wants you to know that he made you and that you were created for good works. Walk out your faith believing that God sees you as a vessel of honor and you’ll be trading your ashes for beauty in no time!

Are we perfect yet? No, we’re a work in progress. But even a work in progress begins to take shape, transforming from an ugly lump of clay into a vessel of honor, worthy of God’s praise.

See Also — What Does It Profit A Man?

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it — John 8:44 (NKJV)

This past Sunday our family visited a sister church in another city where we were blessed to be able to worship with God’s people and listen to a sermon titled, Unforgiveness.

A Heart That Had Been Broken

Coincidentally (is there really such a thing in God’s will?) we also heard the testimony of a teen believer who shared how God moved mightily in her heart while she was at a recent youth retreat.  She recounted her feelings of worthlessness, recalling those times when she had no desire to live, even ‘tempting fate’ by walking out in the street, wanting to be killed.

Apparently, this young woman — who was pretty and articulate  — believed some terrible things about herself, lies which were being fed to her from the pit of hell. But, God showed Himself faithful, lovingly revealing sin in her life while giving her the opportunity to repent.

A Young Life Saved and Restored

Restored and filled with His Spirit, her story received the applause of all who were in attendance as we rejoiced and thanked God for his deliverance perhaps knowing that her story could possibly parallel our own experience or what our children sometimes experience. God’s mercy was evident — a life had been spared and transformed!

John 8:44, taken in context of the chapter, shows how Jesus had to ‘get real’ with the Pharisees by telling them that their witness was false. Cutting to the chase, Jesus called them children of the devil — who is the father of lies.

Satan, Your Enemy

I believe it is important for each person who has surrendered his or her life to Jesus Christ to remember exactly who wants to destroy them. Satan, an angel who was once called Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:15-17) was filled with sin, cast out of heaven and has been at war with God and his saints ever since.  He not only is a liar but a thief who tries to steal, kill and destroy while Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly.

While the liar/thief has only your ill will in mind, God has a better idea:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope — Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB).

This last verse should be of immense comfort for those who are following Jesus Christ as well as those who want to escape their lives of sin: God has good things in mind for you, but you have to quit listening to the lies and walk in truth to apprehend all the goodness He has for you.

Satan knows that his time is short and he wants to rip people off. For the believer, we need to recall God’s promises and lay hold of every one of them so that we may walk in victory with the One who has overcome the world.

Photo Credit: Joël Dietlé

Books of prophecy — which is what Daniel is all about — usually leave me scratching my head, not so much for what I’ve read but for the varying interpretations from Bible teachers. Over the years, I’ve learned to balance contradicting or confusing interpretations, while dismissing those which aren’t grounded on the full counsel of God.

But, that isn’t why I’m writing about Daniel today. Instead, I’ve been thinking about Daniel the person, more than Daniel the prophet, the leader of God’s people, etc.

From the start, the book reveals that Daniel and three friends — Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah — were quite young when Judah was invaded by Babylon and God’s people taken captive. In the first chapter, verse three, we learn that some of the children of God are brought before the king, youngsters in verse four who are described as:

youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

What we have here are four young men, probably still in their teens when they arrived in Babylon, each of whom were good looking and well educated. Just what the gal next door hopes are the attributes she finds in the guy living nearby.

But, for Daniel and his friends life wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

Instead, they were uprooted from their homeland and taken captive by a foreign army. Leaving all that was familiar with them — and likely seeing family members and friends killed in the process — the Judah Four were taken to a land that was polar opposite to the one that they knew and loved.

Yet, while there, Daniel and friends stayed faithful to what they were taught in their youth, learning all about Chaldean culture and language, while remaining true (verse eight) to what they had learned. In the process, Daniel managed to convince the king’s servant (verses ten through sixteen) that adhering to their own dietary requirements would leave them with a better appearance than their Babylonian contemporaries, an action God blessed (verse seventeen) by giving them all of the “…knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

Wow! God truly does bless obedience, so much so that Daniel and his friends were awarded with a superior countenance, knowledge and skill, and in Daniel’s case prophetic understanding. In verse twenty of the first chapter the king examined the young men and found them to be ten times better than his own magicians and astrologers in matters of wisdom and understanding.

So what can we get out of the first chapter especially as we try to apply it to our lives? Several things including:

• Your position in life may be completely different from what you wish, but if you remain faithful to God, He will bless you where you are at.

• God will give you favor before man, so much so, that you’ll be able to demonstrate to them your faithfulness,  becoming a living testimony to God’s goodness.

• Your humble position in life can quite suddenly be significantly raised up if you hold fast to what He has shown you.

These are my personal observations, you may have found some other ones. Reading forward by several chapters, this was only the beginning of the testings that the Judah Four would experience, with each test giving them an opportunity to remain faithful and reap God’s rewards.

Quite honestly, I cannot imagine myself being ripped away from all that is familiar to me, at least to the extent that Daniel and his friends were. But, I can recall a number of times when I was thrust into circumstances not of my own doing, but where God’s hand was evident in my life.

At the very least, the first chapter of Daniel shows how God can take people who are no longer in their comfort zones and use them mightily. Never once do we read about Daniel complaining and you know he must have longed to return to the land of his birth and be with his people.

From a very young age Daniel knew to do what was right and he followed all of God’s commands. People have speculated how his life ended, something I won’t touch on here, but this one thing we do know: Daniel never returned to the promised land.

To me, Daniel is a testimony to staying the course, no matter how difficult things may be. I may never be taken captive to a foreign land, but I do dwell in a land (or world) that isn’t my home. Whether I witness Jesus’ return in the flesh or end up coming back with him at the end of the age really doesn’t matter. However, my personal faithfulness does matter.

Photo Credit: Cíntia Martins

The back drop for Naaman’s story is in the days when the kings first began to rule over Israel. However, it was the prophets who had the biggest impact on Israel as they interceded on behalf of the people to God in times of war and in times of peace. In many cases the kings did not consult the prophets first, reaping the errors of their ways. Elisha was the prophet of that day, a protege of Elijah who had been taken up in a whirlwind to heaven (2 Kings 2:11).

Chapter 5 offers a pair of stories about Naaman which are tied together but have somewhat separate messages. In verses 1-19, we have the story of Naaman’s healing and salvation; in verses 20-27 we have the story of Gehazi, Elisha’s greedy servant. For the sake of brevity, my discussion is about the first story.

11 Steps Toward Spiritual Awakening

The following outline demonstrates the steps Naaman took which brought him to God. For those of us who believe, I think we can also say that our understanding of the things of God has come over time:

Naaman is defined – The most powerful man in the Syrian army of that day was Naaman to whom victory was given to him by the Lord. Syria was at that time an enemy of Israel, but the country had its own enemies too. We don’t know who Syria had battled, but God intervened through Naaman to give Syria that victory. Naaman was mighty in valor, but he also had the most debilitating of all diseases of his day — leprosy (v.1).

A messenger is sent — In one of Syria’s skirmishes with Israel, a young girl from that country was captured and became the servant of Naaman’s wife. She knew about Elisha and how he could heal Naaman and told Naaman’s wife that Elisha would heal him of his leprosy (v.3). Sometimes the message of hope is brought to us by the lowliest people (v.3)!

Naaman heads out to see Elisha — Naaman heeded his wife’s servant and told the king of Syria what he knew. The king of Syria gave Naaman his blessing and sent out a letter to the king of Israel along with many pieces of gold, silver, and fine clothing. Israel’s king, thinking that the king of Syria was looking for an opportunity to go to war with him, tore his clothes in exasperation, which got Elisha’s attention. Learing the real reason for Naaman’s visit, Elisha asked the king to send Naaman to him, which he did (v.9).

A second messenger is sent — Expecting to see Elisha, Naaman was surprised that a messenger was sent instead of the prophet, a man who instructed Naaman to wash himself seven times in the River Jordan in order to be healed (v.10).

Naaman tells God how to heal him — Naaman’s expectations on how he was to be healed almost caused him to miss the blessing. Furious that a messenger was sent instead of the prophet himself, Naaman’s reaction was all too typical of the way we sometimes react: we expect God to move in ways familiar to us. I wouldn’t be too hard on Naaman and God certainly wasn’t. Apparently, Naaman was familiar enough with the way God moved as he expected something else: “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ “Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” Enraged that events didn’t unfold as expected, Naaman left (v. 11-12).

Additional messengers intervene — God could have let Naaman go and that would have been the end of that story. But, God wasn’t done with Naaman, sending Naaman’s own servants to him who reasoned with him. This verse is the turning point of the story as Naaman immediately heeded their advice (v.13).

Naaman is healed of his leprosy — Because Naaman listened to his servants, he went down to the River Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times as instructed by Elisha through his messenger, and received healing of his disease (v.14).

Naaman believes — Along with his healing, Naaman believed. He declared, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” First came the physical healing, second the spiritual healing. Jesus, when he preached before the crowds, always met their physical needs first (v.15).

Naaman’s gift is refused — Elisha’s messenger refused the gift which seems at first to be an odd response. However, given that Naaman was from Syria and that it was customary to offer payment for services rendered, more than likely Elisha’s servant was teaching Naaman an important spiritual truth — you cannot repay God (v.16).

Naaman follows God — Though his gift was refused, Naaman asked that earth from the land of Israel be given to him, probably as a reminder of what God did for him. At this point he pledged to offer sacrifices to no other gods, directing his offerings and sacrifices to the Lord God Almighty alone (v.17).

Naaman asks for understanding — Even after we’re saved, how many of us immediately quit our jobs to seek other employment or to go into full time ministry? Not many. In Naaman’s case, he knew that he would be returning to Syria and be accountable to his master, the king of Syria. However, as part of his job duties, Naaman would be bringing the king to a false god’s temple, where he would find himself in a potentially compromising position — kneeling down before that idol to uphold his master. Clearly, Naaman knew just how wrong this looked and asked to be pardoned in advance of this action, something the servant of God immediately offered (v.18-19). God knows just how difficult our jobs can be!

What The Story Of Naaman Tells Us

Naaman’s story should be one of hope for everyone.  Not only did God heal someone outside of the camp of Israel, He saved him too. We already know that not many wise or noble people are saved, but through this account God has demonstrated that He does, in fact, save some very powerful people. What powerful people do you move among?

We’re not too different from Naaman, are we? Naaman expected to be healed in a certain way, but God had another plan for him. Don’t we sometimes expect that our pastor will have words of comfort for us when often it is the person who cleans the sanctuary who brings God’s message to us? Does it really matter how our prayers are answered? As in Naaman’s case, God brought several messengers (servants) to him at various times, an ongoing pursuit that culminated in his salvation. God will pursue us to the ends of the earth if that is what it’ll take to save us!

Our God is a practical God too, who knows that we must live in this world working jobs and supporting our families. Naaman returned to an idolatrous environment, but God did not call him to leave Syria. Instead, Naaman was a man of new found faith, a public testimony to people in his sphere of influence that God does indeed heal and save. With thousands of troops at his disposal and a face well known throughout Syria, imagine what sort of testimony about the God of Israel was made through his life.

Friday is the birth date for the United States of America, the 232nd celebration of this country’s independence. It seems only like yesterday that we celebrated America’s bicentennial, an event that took place less than two weeks after I graduated from high school.

I’ve witnessed plenty of changes in our country over the years and, what I don’t recollect personally, I heard at the knees of my parents, aunts and uncles, and my grandparents. Knowing people who remember when residential electrical and/or telephone service first arrived, who actually owned a Model “T”, or who fought in the second, never mind the first world war tends to broaden one’s scope on how dramatic the changes have been. I heard a lot of stories about life during the Great Depression, a time that truly tested this nation’s resolve.

My feelings about these and other changes are mixed — civil rights and freedom for all Americans has been realized, but many people are taking the word “freedom” and twisting it to mean “license” to do whatever they want. I’m not going to rehash the obvious, rather I’m urging Christians to do what we should never tire of doing: interceding in prayer to God on behalf of this nation.

“If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

If you read through the Old Testament, you soon realize that the problems facing America today are similar to the problems facing the nation of Israel thousands of years ago. The Israelites turned away from God, chose to follow idols, and found themselves practicing every sort of debauchery possible. Leviticus 18 offers a clear illustration of the sins practiced and the result of that sin — God promised to vomit them out of the land for defiling the land.

Unlike some who teach that all Americans must repent in order for God’s blessing to return, I believe 2 Chronicles is directed at people who “are called by my Name.” For Israel, that applied to the Jews of that day; but for America, the call seems directed at professing believers — followers of Jesus Christ.

I believe that instead of railing against the sinful practices of so many of our fellow Americans we should examine our own hearts and come before the Lord in repentance. Once our hearts have been made right before God, then we are in a position to cry out to Him on behalf of others. Who knows, but it may not be too late for this country and God could choose to heal our land.

Sure, I understand the application of this verse applies to Israel primarily, but it also serves to remind Christians the world over of one important point — we need to have our own hearts cleansed and we’re to intercede on behalf of others. Why? So that we can live in peace will all men.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1:6)

I believe that the United States of America is perhaps the greatest nation ever to rise up on this earth. Israel, of course, is the nation that God chose to be a light to all of the nations, but God has blessed America in so many ways that some have lost sight of that fact while others aren’t even aware of it.

I know that I can’t change people’s hearts and minds, but I know of Someone who can. The most effective “weapon” we have in this world is prayer, so let’s use it often to intercede on behalf of this great nation.

May God truly bless America with a repentant heart.

Photo Credit: Mark Alan

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NIV)

These are perilous times for the church of Jesus Christ, then again there have always been perilous times since the church was founded.

Throughout church history various false creeds, cultists, and legalists have crept in, seeking to overthrow the faith of those who are weak, ignorant, or otherwise vulnerable. In various places in the New Testament followers of Jesus Christ are warned about false workers, people who can lead the unwary astray.

People who know me very well are familiar with my spiritual journey, with some learning that I was in a Bible cult many years ago. I say “Bible cult” because though many of the tenets of the Christian faith were espoused and we used the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the condemnation and hostility shown to people outside of our group as well as to errant followers contradicted scripture.

Thankfully, my stay in this group was short-lived — just eight months — but the damage was already done. When I left, I left the Lord as well and lived a rebellious life for the next 7 1/2 years. When I returned, I eventually got sucked into a legalistic fellowship where I remained for just over five years. After church hopping for two or three years, I finally found a fellowship that taught the word and encouraged people to read the word on their own.

In retrospect, I realize that God protected me even during the most difficult times of long ago. Through personal Bible reading I saw that I was choosing the wrong path and prayerfully asked God to redirect my ways. Many years later I am able to look at God’s intervention with thankfulness and am now better equipped to clearly separate truth from error almost immediately.

False teachers are many and I see them on the scene today. Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagin are some of the “easier” to see leaders who are leading people astray today, but there are other visible (mostly televangelist) preachers who I avoid as well.

Beyond naming names there are two hallmarks of a false teacher which can be identified by those seeking the truth.

1. Listen to what they say and what they teach.
2. Watch what they eat. They eat sheep!

False teachers aren’t content with spreading their lies, they want to consume you in the process.

I have great sympathy for people ensnared by those who would lead them astray, able to understand why some people remain — misplaced devotion. Cultists, legalists, and other disciples are usually the most devoted to their beliefs, but devotion is no substitute for the truth: lots of people around the world are devoted to their religion or god, but our devotion should only be to Jesus Christ, not to a religion, church, or personality.

If you know of someone who is ensnared, your words may not do much good. However, your intercessory prayers can help move mountains and I cannot think of any bigger mountain than one put up by a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

God is in the habit of calling people out, and those that are His will be able to separate His voice from the false teacher. For the rest of us, remaining diligent is important as the next wave of false workers is certain to appear as sure as the tide rolls in.

Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious institutions are participating, with the plan to encourage members or followers to call upon God to intervene on our nation’s behalf.

I won’t tackle the issue of people from various religious backgrounds praying, that is something that they can do, but as a Christian I know that my wife and I will be calling upon the God of our fathers, who manifested Himself personally as Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit we will pray and we’ll not only be praying for our nation, but for everyone in it.

…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. — II Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

In II Chronicles, the people of Israel were encouraged to call upon God to ask Him to heal them of their sins. The Israelites were beset by many problems including national division, invading armies, internal strife, double-mindedness, you name it.

In other words, they were afflicted by the same sins common to all man — rebellion against God.

God doesn’t want us to stay away from Him and He gives us the steps necessary to make our return: humbling ourselves, praying for forgiveness, and turning away from our sin. If we do, then God promises to heal our land.

I realize that the application of this verse was very much for the Israelites, but I believe that if we personally repent, then God will heal our land — specifically, our own relationship with God.

We don’t need to have one day to make our relationship right with God, but I’ll take it nevertheless. Any reason to repent is a good one, whether it is on the first Thursday of May or some other day during the year.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)

I confess: I don’t fully understand what love is. I’ll take that one step further: you don’t either.

We say that we love others, but our actions show otherwise: we cannot tolerate our neighbor, we wish our enemies ill will, and we don’t heed God’s call to submit to Him.

Love isn’t some sentimental feeling that we have toward another human being, rather love is patient, kind, overlooks another’s faults, and is always being put to the test.

It is easy to love those who love us, that is precisely what the heathen do. But, loving the unlovable (which can include ourselves) isn’t possible from within, but it is possible with outside help, namely through God who made us and understands are disposition.

Today is Valentine’s Day when so many people make at least a token effort to show love to the person they care about the most. These tokens of love are often expressed in the giving of roses, chocolates, cards, and the like. Often, the gifts are given in exchange for something else, proving that a lot of people do not know what unconditional love is.

God loved us even when we didn’t love Him. Through sin, God shows us exactly where our hearts are and that our hearts aren’t seeking Him. Through the redemption of His Son, Jesus Christ, God has demonstrated what pure love is and what we must do to be saved.

Because He knows that we don’t have it within ourselves to love each other or to love Him, God sent His gift of love — the Holy Spirit — who dwells with those who put their trust in Him. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can begin to grasp what love is all about and turn around and truly love others in His name.

We cannot earn God’s love as that already abides with us. We can walk in His love by allowing Him to reign in our hearts.

God is love — can you sense His love for you today?

Photo courtesy of Mike Thorn.