12-31-2022 Devotion: Beginning

 Proverbs 29: 18 reads: "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."  This proverb looks both to the lack of the Word and the lack of hearing the Word. The proverb then contrasts the joy and glory of a lawful society. As we are approaching a New Year, people are generally filled with hope for a better year. While that is commendable, a better year doesn't come from doing what you have always done if what you have done has not yielded the changes you desired. The verse speaks of two issues: first, not having the Word of God in your life, and second, the lack of application of the Word in your life. As you approach the New Year, what are you going to do with the Word of God? For years, I have read the Bible in a year and have enjoyed the experience. You need a set time every day to read and study the Words of Scripture. Also, you need to make sure that you are "walking in all the light you have." This was an old expression used by preachers from days gone by and it meant that you never did anything that you knew was contrary to the Word. As you approach 2023, I want you to walk in sunshine every day. Every day, determine to never walk in opposition to what you know the Word of God says. It will be a great year if you do!

12-30-2022 Devotion: He Knows

 Hebrews 4: 15 reads: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses." A few days ago the holiday "Christmas" was celebrated. So many people focused on Christ the baby. I have consistently maintained that to do so was an unbiblical practice. No where in Scripture are we directed to pay such homage to a baby. The better position is to focus on the risen glorified Lord of Lords and King of Kings. A scripture like the one day provides real comfort in troubling times. Christ knows our infirmities. He knew what it was like to have needs, to have nothing to ride, nowhere to lay His head, what it is to be in pain, to be despised, abused, reproached and hated. He knows the sorrows of life and the pangs of death by His own experience. He knows what it is like to be tempted to sin and troubled with horrid suggestions from Satan. Though Christ is no longer under these infirmities as He once was, He knows what we experience and He wants to help and comfort us, and do what is best for us in our conditions from His heart full of love for us. He feels as we feel. To me, regardless of what I face today, this brings a rest to my soul. My God will not abandon me. That enables me to stand for Him.

-29-2022 Devotion: Persevere

 Ephesians 6: 18: "Praying at all times in the Spirit...with all perseverance." To persevere means to hold out to the end, until God gives the thing prayed for, or takes away the subject of our prayer. Many times, we pray and we don't see an immediate result. Why does God deal like this with His people? First, He does so for His glory. Think about what Job went through. God would never have allowed Job to experience what he did if it would not bring glory to God. That is exactly what occurred in the book of Job. God received more glory and Job received more at the end than he had in the beginning. Second, God intends His people's advantage to delay His gracious answer. God may appear to be sleeping, but He is not. Instead, He is preparing a greater mercy for His children. Third, delayed mercies taste sweeter and give more joy and thankfulness because the Christian's desires are sharpened by long waiting and praying. Parents know that sometimes their children ask for things they are not ready for. It is love that often delays the answer. Our Lord Jesus Christ always has our best interests in mind. In summary, when  you don't receive an immediate answer, it doesn't mean that God is not listening. It means that He is working His plan which may or may not be your plan. I like that. It comforts me because His vantage point is much better than mine. 

12-28-2022 Devotion: Armour

 Ephesians 6: 13: "Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."  Standing is the opposite of being slothful and sleeping. Standing is a waking, watchful posture. Watchfulness is necessary for the believer in Christ. We sometimes sleep (spiritual sleeping) but Satan and his demons don't. The saint's sleeping time is Satan's tempting time. Samson was asleep and Delilah cut his hair. Saul was asleep and his spear was taken from his side. Noah was asleep and his graceless son had the opportunity to discover his father's nakedness. Eutychus was asleep and fell from the third floor. Take heed that you do not indulge yourself in lazy worldly activities that will dull your spiritual senses. Yield yourself to idleness and sloth, and it will grow upon you. Stir yourself up and use all the care and diligence possible to stand firm. Spiritual warfare is about standing, it is not about taking territory. If you stay in the Word of God, spend time in prayer, you will be able to stand, regardless of the challenge of the day.

12-27-2022 Devotion: Holding Fast

 2 Timothy 4: 10 reads "Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me." The apostle Paul was now an old man when he wrote this Scripture. He was forsaken by someone very close to him. Satan knows that nothing can prevail against those who are trusting in Christ, therefore he studies how to direct their attention to earthly or worldly pleasures. There are five things we can do to hold fast our faith: (1) Hold out a strong resolution against opposition, since difficulties will come. Make an effort to stand strong. (2) Strive to know the truth and practice what you know. (3) Get the love of God in your heart and focus on the Word. (4) Strive for self-denial. A true Christian has a single focus, the Lord Jesus Christ. (5) Grow deeper in humility. Pride goes before the fall. Stay humble. If you follow these steps, you will not fall in love with this present world.  You will be able to hold out in times of trial.

12-26-2022 Devotion: New

 2 Corinthians 5: 17 reads: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." When one truly comes to Christ in repentance and faith, he receives part of the Divine nature. The Holy Spirit has taken up residence in your heart. This is not merely a moral reformation of your lifestyle, e.g., you now attend church on Sunday or you quit some bad habit. No, regeneration (the being made spiritually alive) is the bringing of spiritual life, light, holiness, righteousness, and the exclusion of the contrary, inbred, habitual principle of sin and hatred against God. Let that sink in for a moment. If you have been born-again, you have Divine life inside you. Everything is different. You have spiritual eyes and you see the world differently. You learn that friendship with the world is to be at war with God. You can face each day, with all the challenges that are real, knowing that you are different. You are not perfect, but you want to be. I have found that a proof of your spiritual life is your recognition of your sin and seeking forgiveness (I do on a daily basis). Before you were a new creation, you cared little about sin. But now you do. Think about it.

Three Christmas Stories

 01 -- MY ARREST AND RESCUE DURING CHRISTMAS WEEK

From "Striking Illustrations" by H. C. Morrison

It was during Christmas week that I was placed under arrest and dragged into court. I was a very small boy, in my fourteenth year; I would be fourteen years of age the tenth of the coming March. I was caught in the act; there was no excuse, there seemed to be no help or hope. I was guilty, I was thrust into the prisoners' dock, the gate was slammed, and a big policeman leaned on the gate, and seemed to look at me with a degree of satisfaction at the thought that he had me, and that I was sure of punishment.

I felt utterly helpless; I could not even weep, I had wept all the tears out of my system; I was dry and emotionless, except I was crushed to the very earth with a sense of my guilt and lostness. The judge was in his big chair but I did not dare look at him. I had no hope for mercy, and I knew that justice would be my ruin.

The courthouse was packed with people; they were gazing at me, as I crouched in the corner of the dock, with looks of accusation which seemed to say, Judge, give him the full benefit of the law and save society from further trouble. Finally, the clerk announced the opening of the court and my case came first. The judge asked the clerk if the boy had any one to represent him. Represent was a new word to me; I supposed my representative was to be my executioner. The clerk answered that I had no one. The judge then said to a lawyer within the bar, I appoint you to represent this boy. The lawyer arose and walking slowly forward, picking his way among the chairs, approached the dock, pushed the policeman to one side, opened the gate and stepped inside the dock. I, withered with fear, crouched closely in my corner, and with eyes wide open with horror, gazed up at my lawyer. He had a wonderful face; it was strong and calm, full of kindness and marvelous beauty. I noticed a tear hanging on his eyelashes; that tear helped me wonderfully. He sat down and slipped his arm around me. It seemed that my very bones had dropped out of their sockets and I was scarcely breathing below my collar button. My attorney drew me up to him; the pressure was so gentle, and yet so strong, it seemed to restore and readjust my bones, relax my nerves, and I commenced to breathe more deeply. Stooping down his silken beard brushed over my suntanned face, and placing his lips close to my ear, he said, "My little friend, are you guilty?" I could not have lied to him if it had been to save my life. With trembling voice I answered, "Yes sir, I am guilty of much more than they know about." "Well," said he, "do you not think it will be best for us to confess judgment and throw you on the mercy of the court?" I did not know what it meant to be thrown on the mercy of the court, but I felt sure that if he would throw me I would alight in the best place there was for me, and I at once answered in the affirmative. My lawyer gave me a gentle pat on the head, and stood up facing the judge.

He said: "Please your Honor, it has been my privilege to practice for many years in your Honor's court, and I have been glad to notice that when the ends of justice can be secured, and society can be protected, it has been your Honor's prerogative to show mercy. I thank the court for appointing me to plead in the interest of this little boy. He confesses his guilt. His heart is broken, he is full of contrition; he has been an orphan from his infancy and is dependent and moneyless, and begs for compassion."

I reached out my soiled, lean fingers and caught hold of the skirt of my attorney's coat. I clung to him with the feeling that if I would hold onto him he would pull me out. I thought his speech was finished but it was a mere introduction. A deep stillness fell upon the great gathering of people and his mellow voice rose until it filled the great room with a most marvelous appeal. He spoke of orphan children, of their loneliness, of their unprotected condition, of the temptations to which they were subjected, of their desolation, like lambs without a shepherd in a world full of hungry wolves seeking to destroy. He spoke until the harsh people softened, old men groaned aloud. He spoke until the tears trickled down the policeman's cheek and looking kindly at me he whispered to know if I did not want a drink of water. I was too busy clinging to the coat-tail of my attorney, gazing into his wonderful face, and listening to his marvelous words, to want anything else. I was breathing deep, new life and hope were creeping into me. I was falling desperately in love with my lawyer.

My attorney said, "Please your Honor, if you in the spirit of mercy, will dismiss the charges and set the lad free, I pledge myself to become his guardian, to see to it that he has a home and protection. I will look after his education and I promise to give to society a good and useful citizen.

I could scarcely keep from crying aloud for joy. It seemed my heart would burst within me for gratitude. I felt as if they would let me place my ragged shoes upon the bench upon which I sat, and throw my ragged coat sleeve about the neck of my attorney and kiss his cheek one time, they might take me out and hang me, and I would die shouting.

In the midst of his wonderful address my attorney, instead of addressing the judge as "Your Honor," said, "My Father." This shot through me. I saw that if the judge had appointed his own son to plead for me it was more than likely that he would heed his pleadings and show me mercy. Men were weeping all over the courthouse. I had both hands full of the skirts of the coat of my lawyer; the policeman had laid aside his cap, had gotten out his handkerchief, and had buried his face in a flood of tears. It was a powerful moment in my trial; my attorney had reached his climax. He exclaimed, "My father, this child for whom I plead is none other than my brother." I saw at once that if the judge was the father of my attorney, and the attorney was my brother, then the judge was my father also. I could restrain myself no longer. I gave a great cry of joy, leaped out of the dock, rushed up into the judge's stand and flung myself upon his bosom. He embraced me with a long, tender pressure that seemed to make me through and through a new creature. Folding me in his arms he stood up and said, "Rejoice with me, for my son who was dead is alive, who was lost is found." The entire crowd in the courthouse broke into tears and laughter. The people embraced each other; they all seemed to want to shake hands with me. They congratulated my attorney, and we laughed, and wept, and shouted together.

I hardly need tell you that the courthouse was a Methodist Church, that the trial was an old-time revival, that the Word of God arrested me and brought me, convicted and guilty, to the bar of justice; that the eternal Father was the Judge upon the throne, and that the Lord Jesus Christ was the attorney who plead my case, won my pardon, and secured my eternal salvation.

I look back with fondest memory to that great occasion when bowed and burdened with guilt, bound with sin, Jesus Christ undertook for me, broke my chains, swept away my guilt, and at the throne of the universe secured for me a full and free forgiveness, a blessed and glorious pardon, and revealed the blessed fact that the great God -- the Judge of all the world -- was, and is, my Father in heaven.

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02 -- NELLIE'S CHRISTMAS GIFT

From "Thrilling Stories," by Julia A. Shelhamer

Some years ago, while conducting a series of meetings in Michigan City, I was asked to preach to the convicts in the State prison. I sat on the platform with the governor of the prison and watched the prisoners march in -- 700 men, young and old. They marched in lock-step, every man's hand on the shoulder of the man before him. At the word of command they sat down. Among that number there were seventy-six lifers," men who had been committed to prison for life for the crime of murder.

After the singing I arose to preach, but could hardly speak for weeping. Disregarding all the rules of the prison, in my earnestness to help the poor, fallen men, I left the platform and walked down the aisle among them, taking one, and then another by the hand and praying for him. At the end of the row of men who were committed for murder sat a man who more than his fellows seemed marked by sin's blighting curse. His face was seamed and ridged with scars and marks of vice and sin... I placed my hand upon his shoulder and wept and prayed with and for him.

When the service was over, the governor said to me, "Do you know you have broken the rules of the prison by leaving the platform?" "Yes, governor, but I never can keep any rule while preaching. And I did want to get up close to the poor, despairing fellows and pray for them, and tell them of the love of Jesus the Savior. 'He came to seek and to save that which was lost. This Man (Jesus) receiveth sinners and eateth with them.'" (Luke 19:10; 15:2.)

"Do you remember," said the governor, "the man at the end of the line in the lifers' row, whom you prayed with? Would you like to hear his history?"

"Yes," I answered, gladly.

"Well, here it is in brief. Tom Galson was sent here about eight years ago for the crime of murder. He was, without doubt, one of the most desperate and vicious characters we had ever received, and, as was expected, gave us a great deal of trouble.

"One Christmas Eve, about six years ago, duty compelled me to spend the night at the prison, instead of at home, as I had anticipated. Early in the morning, while it was yet dark, I left the prison for my home, my pockets full of presents for my little girl. It was a bitter cold morning, and I buttoned my overcoat up to protect myself from the cutting wind that swept in from the lake. As I hurried along, I thought I saw somebody skulking in the shadow of the prison wall. I stopped and looked a little more closely, and then saw a little girl, wretchedly clothed in a thin dress; her bare feet thrust into a pair of shoes much the worse for wear. In her hand she held, tightly clasped, a small paper parcel. Wondering who she was, and why she was out so early in the morning, and yet too weary to be interested, I hurried on. But I soon heard that I was being followed. I stopped, and turned around, and there before me stood the same wretched-looking child.

"'What do you want?' I asked sharply. 'Are you the governor of the prison, sir?' 'Yes, who are you, and why are you not at home?' 'Please, sir, I have no home; mamma died in the poorhouse two weeks ago, and she told me just before she died that papa (that Tom Galson) was in prison, and she thought that maybe he would like to see his little girl, now that mamma is dead. Please, can't you let me see my papa? Today is Christmas, and I want to give him a present.'

"'No,' I replied gruffly, 'you will have to wait until visitors' day,' and started on. I had not gone many steps when I felt a pull at my coat, and a pleading voice said, 'Please, don't go.' I stopped once more, and looked into the pinched, beseeching face before me. Great tears were in her eyes, while her little chin quivered with emotion.

"'Mister,' she said, 'if your little girl was me, and your girl's mamma had died in the poorhouse, and her papa was in the prison, and she had no place to go and no one to love her, don't you think she would like to see her papa? If it was Christmas, and your little girl came to me, if I was governor of the prison, and asked me to please let me see her papa to give him a Christmas present, don't you -- don't you think I would say yes?'

"By this time a great lump was in my throat, and my eyes were swimming in tears. I answered, 'Yes, my little girl, I think you would, and you shall see your papa, and, taking her hand, I hurried back to the prison, thinking of my own fair-haired little girl at home. Arriving in my office, I bade her come near the warm stove, while I sent a guard to bring No.37 from his cell. As soon as he came into the office he saw the little girl. His face clouded with an angry frown, and in a gruff, savage tone he snapped out:

"'Nellie, what are you doing here; what do you want? Go back to your mother.' 'Please, papa,' sobbed the little girl, 'mamma's dead. She died two weeks ago in the poorhouse, and before she died she told me to take care of little Jimmie, because you loved him so; and told me to tell you she loved you, too -- but, papa' -- and here her voice broke in sobs and tears -- 'Jimmie died, too, last week, and now I am alone, papa, and today's Christmas, papa, and -- and I thought, maybe as you loved Jimmie, you would like a little Christmas present from him.'

"Here she unrolled the little bundle she held in her hand, until she came to a little package of tissue paper, from which she took out a little fair curl, and put it in her father's hand, saying, as she did so: 'I cut it from dear little Jimmie's head, papa, just afore they buried him.'

"No.37 by this time was sobbing like a child and so was I. Stooping down, 37 picked up the little girl, pressed her convulsively to his breast, while his great frame shook convulsively with suppressed emotion.

"The scene was too sacred for me to look upon, so I softly opened the door and left them alone. In about an hour I returned. No.37 sat near the stove, with his little daughter on his knee. He looked at me sheepishly for a moment, and then said, 'Governor, I haven't any money; then suddenly stripping off his prison jacket, he said, 'Don't let my little girl go out this bitter cold day with that thin dress. Let me give her this coat. I'll work early and late; I'll do anything, I'll be a man. Please, governor, let me cover her with this coat.' Tears were streaming down the face of the hardened man.

"'No, Galson" I said, 'keep your coat; your little girl shall not suffer. I'll take her to my home and see what my wife can do for her.' 'God bless you,' sobbed Galson. I took the girl to my home. She remained with us a number of years, and became a true Christian by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."

Tom Galson also became a Christian, and on a subsequent visit to the prison the governor said to me, "Would you like to see Tom Galson, whose story I told you a few years ago?" "Yes, I would," I answered. He took me down a quiet street, and stopping at a neat home, knocked at the door. The door was opened by a cheerful woman, who greeted the governor with the utmost cordiality. We went in and then the governor introduced me to Nellie and her father, who, because of his reformation, had received pardon, and was now living an upright Christian life with his daughter, whose little Christmas gift had broken his hard heart. --Anon.

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03 -- HOW GOD ANSWERED A PRAYER FOR CHRISTMAS FOOD

From "2700-Plus Sermon Illustrations" Compiled By Duane V. Maxey

A tired-looking woman entered a grocery store and asked the owner for enough food to make a Christmas dinner for her children. When he inquired how much she could afford, she answered, "My husband was killed in an accident. Truthfully, I have nothing to offer but a little prayer." Although the man was unmoved at first, he thought of a clever response to the woman's simple request.

"Write your prayer on a piece of paper and you can have its weight in groceries," he said sarcastically. To his surprise, she plucked a folded note out of her pocket and handed it to him saying, "I already did that during the night while I was watching over my sick baby." Without even reading it, he put it on one side of his old-fashioned scales. "We shall see how much food this is worth," he muttered.

To his dismay nothing happened when he put a loaf of bread on the other side. But he was even more upset when he added other items and it would not balance. Finally he blurted out, "Well, that's all it will hold anyway. Here's a bag. You'll have to put these things in yourself. "I'm busy!" With a tearful "Thank you," the lady went happily on her way. The grocer later discovered that the scales were out of order.

As the years passed he often wondered if that was just a coincidence. Why did the woman have the prayer already written before he asked for it? Why did she come at exactly the time the mechanism broke? Whenever he looks at the slip of paper which bears that mother's petition, he is amazed, for it reads, "Please, dear Lord, give us this day our daily, bread!"

12-25-2022 Devotion: Christmas

 Today is Christmas. I believe it is error to focus on the birth of Christ. He is no longer a babe in a manger. He is the glorified Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. You cannot look at Christmas without seeing the shadow of the cross of Calvary. On this day, don't focus on the birth, instead focus on the Gospel message: Christ crucified, Christ buried, Christ's resurrection, Christ ascension, and Christ coming again. That is the Gospel. 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 reads: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures...." As you take time to celebrate today, remember the Gospel message. That is the true Christmas message.

12-24-2022 Devotion: Believe

 Today is Christmas Eve. Some are awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus or looking for Frosty the Snowman. Those symbols of the worldly holiday season offer no hope. I am looking for the blessed return of my Lord Jesus Christ. It is Him alone that you will find true peace and rest, regardless of your circumstances. We have been focusing on making a "Christian invitation." It is found in Matthew 11: 28: "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Rest such as this is within the reach of all who are willing to seek Him and receive Him. The poor man is not sio poor but he may have it. The ignorant man is not so ignorant but he may know it. The sick man is not so weak and helpless but he may get hold of it. Faith, simple faith, is the one thing needful in order to possess Christ's rest. Faith in Christ is the grand secret of happiness. Neither poverty, nor ignorance, nor tribulation, nor distress can prevent men and women feeling rest of soul, if they will only come to Christ and believe.

12-23-2022 Devotion: More Rest

 We are continuing  to look at the holiday "Christmas," and we are focusing on making a "Christian invitation." It is found in Matthew 11: 28: "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "Rest" spoken of in this Scripture is a rest from the uncertainties in life. Regardless of what you are facing, when you have the Savior's "rest" you have all you need to face whatever comes your way. Rest such as this is the privilege of all believers in Christ. Some may know more of it and some less. Some feel it only at distant intervals, and some feel it almost always. Few enjoy the sense of it without a battle with unbelief, and many a conflict with fear. But all who truly come to Christ, know something of this rest. Someone struggling could be asked, "Would they like to give up Christ and go back to the world?" The true believer will give the answer, "Weak I may be, fearful I am, but I will never renounce my Lord Jesus Christ." Friends, regardless of the challenge, never forego Christ. Come to Him and receive His rest. That is your best life now.

12-22-2022 Devotion: More Rest

 We are continuing  to look at the holiday "Christmas," and we are focusing on making a "Christian invitation." It is found in Matthew 11: 28: "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." What is the "rest" spoken of in the passage? It is no mere health of body, or wealth,  or large houses. You can have all those things and be miserable. The rest that Christ provides is an inward thing. It is rest of heart, rest of conscience, rest of mind, rest of will. It is the sense of sins being forgiven and guilt put away. It is a rest from things to come, laid up beyond the reach of disease, death, and the grave. This type of rest is beyond price. You can't buy it or earn it. It is a gift when one comes to Christ in repentance and faith. Look around today and observe people. You may find one that needs to hear this "Christmas invitation" that brings forth rest. Testify to what Christ has done for you.

12-21-2022 Devotion: Sweet Rest

 As we continue to look at the holiday "Christmas," we are focusing on making a "Christian invitation." It is found in Matthew 11: 28: "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I want you to think about the word "rest." Many people today feel like they are in a rat race that never stops. Rising inflation, job insecurity, financial concerns, all these things hinder one's ability to rest. The beauty of the invitation is that the one coming to the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't need to bring rest or work it up. It will be a consequence of one coming to Christ if repentance and faith. Rest is a pleasant thing. Few people today know the sweetness of rest. Yet, rest is one of the principle offers which the Gospel makes to man. While I go about my days, I hear talk of Santa, Frosty the Snowman, and reindeer, but there is no rest found in them. True rest only comes from Christ. That's great news, it is the Gospel, tell someone today. That is the best gift you can give.

12-20-2022 Devotion: Gratitude

 We are continuing to look at the holiday known as Christmas. Remember, this is not a Biblical holiday, it was invented by the church in 336A.D. in an effort to attract members of some Babylonian cults who celebrated the Winter Solstice on December 25th. The church basically said, join us and you can still have your holiday. The festivals were drunken affairs with plenty of immorality contrary to how a Christian should live. We have been reading Matthew 11: 28: "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." I want to focus on your coming to Christ. You should be aware of mistakes as to the manner of coming to Christ. Dismiss from your mind forever all ideas of worthiness, merit, and fitness in yourself. Throw away notions of goodness, righteousness, and deserts. Think not that you can bring anything to recommend you, or to make you deserving of Christ's notice. All you bring is your sin. Yet, in spite of all your lack of goodness, Christ chose you (if you have "come" to Him) and elected you to salvation. That should drive you to your knees in gratitude. Thank Him for His grace and mercy given to you. 

12-19-2022 Devotion: Believing

 We are continuing to look at the holiday known as Christmas. Remember, this is not a Biblical holiday, it was invented by the church in 336A.D. in an effort to attract members of some Babylonian cults who celebrated the Winter Solstice on December 25th. The church basically said, join us and you can still have your holiday. The festivals were drunken affairs with plenty of immorality contrary to how a Christian should live. We have been reading Matthew 11: 28: "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." What does it mean to "come." This is an expression often used, but often misunderstood. To "come" does not mean: going to church, or taking communion, or listening to popular preachers, or more than a head knowledge of Jesus Christ. To "come" to Christ means coming to Him with the heart by simple faith. Believing in Christ is coming to Him, and coming to Christ is believing in Him. It is that act of the soul which takes place when a person, feeling his own sins, and despairing of all other hope, commits himself to Christ for salvation, trusts Him, and casts himself wholly on Him. With that explanation, I ask you, "Have you come to Christ?

Attributes of God Part 6: The Faithfulness of God

 Today, we look at part 6 of our series on the Attributes of God: The Faithfulness of God. We cannot form a right conception of the LORD unless we consider Him as all faithful see that faithfulness in His operations. If you talk to many in the church world, you will become convinced that their view of God is not the God of the Bible but is a god of their own creation. The religious world is merging into the great apostasy and is being brought under a great delusion, which is preparing it for the acceptance of the Antichrist when he appears on the scene.

Introduction

The primary text for this message is found in Hebrews 11:11: "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." Here was Sarah, a child of the living God, who believed the promise that God had made to her that she would bring forth a child, the child of promise. She had to face every doubt, every fear, every human opposition, every impossibility humanly speaking, and believe the promise of God and count Him faithful who had promised. In the face of every impossibility, she trusted the faithfulness of God to do what He said He would do, i.e., strengthen her womb so that she could conceive a child in her old age, who would become the child of promise.

We face many challenges today including financial problems, rising inflation, an emerging sense of cultural confusion on gender, sexual identity, abortion and many others concerns. This message will teach about "The Faithfulness of God" and at its conclusion you should find yourself encouraged to trust in His Faithfulness even more than you have before. The Word of God speaks clearly to God's faithfulness. YES, GOD IS FAITHFUL.

Section 1: Scriptures on Faithfulness

Consider the following Scriptures:

1. In Deuteronomy 7: 9, we read "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God."

2.  In 2 Timothy 2: 13, we find these words, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." 

3. Psalm 89: 8 we also read, "O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? Or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee."

4. It was prophesied of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Isaiah 11: 5, "Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reigns (waist)." 

So, we see from the Scriptures that faithfulness is essential to God's being. Without this great attribute He could not and would not be God. In other words, for God to be unfaithful would be for Him to act contrary to His nature, and that is impossible! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Over the years I have encountered people in the church that don't trust the faithfulness of God. They take matters into their own hands and fix the problem. Listening friend, that is the attitude of the world today. Both religious and those that are not, do not trust the LORD. This has been a problem in the church that began using what is referred to as the "seeker sensitive" approach to bringing people to the Lord. I have remarked that the moment tries to get people saved before they know. Of course, this is not possible. People don't trust the Lord to save His own children, so they take matters into their own hands to get people saved. It doesn't work. All it does is create a group of people who were never saved, thought they were, and they fall away and are labelled backsliders. No, they aren't backsliders, they unsaved religionists!

That is why we must preach the pure gospel. If the Holy Spirit is drawing someone to Him, that person would crawl through broken glass to get to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must preach truth and rely upon God's faithfulness.

GOD IS FAITHFUL.

Section 2: The Unfaithfulness of Man

Over against the faithfulness of God we see today the unfaithfulness of man. Someone once said, "Unfaithfulness is one of the most outstanding sins of these evil days." Believe it or not, there was a time in our country that "a man's word was his bond." If you said something you would honor what you have promised. In the business world, a man's word is no longer his bond. I hope you have had the privilege of knowing some people that you could depend on their word. I remember when some of my children were younger. They might ask for something that I could not immediately provide for them. They would be listening for me to say, "I promise." If I uttered those words, they would scamper away to their siblings saying, "Daddy said I promise." They knew that I always fulfilled my promises. To them, it was as if they possessed what they desired. They knew it was coming. It is a rare exception to find a man in business today whose word is his bond. It seems the motto of the business world today is: "Make money; make it honest if you can; if you can't, make money. 

MAN IS UNFAITHFUL IN THE REALM OF HIS WORD.

Then, in the social world the sacred bonds of wedlock are being broken with as little regard as the discarding of an old shirt. Homes everywhere are broken, because men have no word of truth. It seems to be a virtue today to lie, to be untruthful and unfaithful. In other words, men and women live a lie. They pretend to be that which they are not. Very seldom do you see folks in the social world live what they are. Almost half of all marriages end in divorce. That is a staggering statistic. It should be noted that divorce statistics tell us the rate is falling. You know why? It is because more people are just living together without marriage. 

MAN IS UNFAITHFUL IN THE SOCIAL WORLD.

Another area where man is unfaithful is in the realm of religion. When a man is ordained, he takes solemn oath to preach the truth of God's Word without compromise, but many times these "preachers" have no scruples in attacking or denying the truth of God's Word whether in the pulpit or in the seminary. Instead, they will preach a "feel good" gospel, that convicts no one, but promises prosperity, fun and fellowship. 

One of the hardest things in the world is to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and true to the souls of men, and the hardest thing is to be true to the members of your own family and be true to those who love you. It truly is. My heart all but sinks when I recall how unfaithful to Christ and to the great privileges and opportunities which God has entrusted to me. As I have grown older, and you know that there is more of your life behind you, than before you, I have become increasingly committed to speaking the truth regardless of the consequences. This may cause me to be attacked, but they did so and more to my Lord Jesus Christ. Let me be true to the gospel should be a motto of every born-again believer.

It is refreshing in these dark days to know that the Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and is the Faithful Witness. Psalm 36: 5 reads: "Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds", and every believer can exclaim, "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3: 22, 23). God never forgets; God never fails; God never falters; God never forfeits His Word. Every promise in His Word, every prophetic utterance in His Word He will make good. Yes, in these dark days we can rely upon God's unbroken Word and upon His faithfulness. for our God cannot lie. (Titus 1: 2; Hebrews 6: 18) Friends, that is where I rest; that is where I live in the quietness of my heart and GOD IS FAITHFUL. 

Section 3: Illustrations of God's Faithfulness

Consider the following Biblical illustrations of God's faithfulness:

1. In Genesis 8: 22, God said to Noah: "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." We see that every year which comes and goes furnishes us a fresh witness to God's fulfilment of this promise. There comes the spring, the planting and harvest, then the summer heat and the cold, wintery nights. The day comes, then the night shades fall fast. Every day you live you can see the truth of God's faithfulness. Have you ever thought the seasons and every day this way to give you a reason every day to trust the faithfulness of God?

2. If you look at Genesis 15, you will find that God said to Abraham, "Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs's and shall serve them" (v. 13). Then the LORD went on to say, "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again" (v. 16). Time went on, and we see Jacob with seventy souls moving to Egypt during the severe famine. God blessed them, but ultimately, we see them under heavy loads, groaning amid making bricks without straw as slaves of a mighty foreign power. I'm sure that many thought about God's promises and they must have believed that God had forgotten them. However, God had not forgotten! In Exodus 12: 41, we read: "And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt." God never forgets a promise! The omnipotent (all-powerful) God is able to bring every promise to pass. Never has a promise in God's Word been broken and none ever will. Saints and sinners can rely upon His promises because OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!

3. In Isaiah 7: 14 we find these words: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Centuries rolled on, and time turned grey with old age. Men's hearts began to fail them. But the saints of God still looked to the future trusting in God's unbroken promises. So, according to Galatians 4: 4, "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman." The shepherds upon the hills heard the angels singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2: 14) The wise men from the east saw His star and made their way to the cradle of the Holy One.

Yes, the God of the Bible is a faithful God; His Word cannot be broken, His promise cannot be set aside. Every awakened sinner can rest upon the promise of God's Word, knowing that it cannot be broken (John 10:35) and that God will verify His promise under every circumstance. 

4. The Lord Jesus came, and when He went back to heaven from Mount Olivet that morning, the two angels who stood there said to those men: "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1: 11) This same Jesus will come again. That promise will be fulfilled. Yes, it will!

AWAKENED SINNER, SALVATION IS FOR YOU! Why should you despair with a faithful God on the throne? My awakened sinner, there are promises for you from the God of the Bible. If you come to Him, He will never turn you away!

5. Remember Hebrews 11: 11: "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." One day God spoke to Sarah, "I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life, and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son." (Genesis 18: 10) God spoke it and Sarah believed and she judged Him faithful who had promised. She could not be shaken from that Word; she could not be moved away from His Word. God is true; His Word of promise is sure. God is faithful to His people and to every awakened sinner. You may totally rely on Him. Let me say this with all emphasis of my soul: No individual--saint or sinner--has ever really trusted God in vain. My friend, the faithfulness of God is the basis of our confidence in Him.

Now hear this, it is one thing to accept the truth of the faithfulness of God, but on the other hand it is quite another thing to act upon it. Peter said: "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises" (II Peter 1:4). They are great--they are exceeding great; they are precious. But are we really counting on His fulfilment of them and counting on the faithfulness of God? Are we? Are you?

Let me ask two categories of people a question:

1. Awakened sinner, are you counting upon God to save you; are you really relying upon Him to fulfil His Word? I know resting upon the promise isn't salvation but resting upon the promise brings salvation. Are you really expecting God to do for you all that He said He would do? Remember Hebrews 10: 23: "He is faithful that promised."

2. Let me ask every born-again believer, are you living by the promises of God? Or are you living by your fears and your doubts? Are you resting upon His unbroken Word? That is all I have to live by. The God of the Bible, whom I know and who knows me, has taught me, and "learned" me, and led me to trust first, for salvation (and God did not turn me down); second, He has led me slowly but surely to rest everything in His hands and to trust Him for every detail of life, for every need. His Word is true and cannot be broken; we can safely rely on every word written. We can face the storm clouds of life in confidence based upon His Word. No matter what you face today, every day you see evidence of God's faithfulness. In the good and in the bad, we can have confidence. Do you have this confidence? If not, you can! Come to Him, take His yoke and He will not fail you. 

I try to live my life as one continual confession, one continual desire to walk in His will, to rest upon His Word as a little child, and to believe Him as a little child, because "He is faithful that promised. "The only two crutches I have are the crucified, buried, and risen Lord, and His unbroken Word. They are my resting places.

Section 4: Responding to God's Faithfulness

I know that there are times and seasons in our lives when it is not easy to believe that God is faithful. So many times, our ears are distracted with the noise of the world or harassed by the blasphemous whisperings of Satan, and God seems to have withdrawn the comforts of grace from us until we can no longer hear His still, small voice found in His Word. All our plans seem to have failed and friends on whom we thought we could depend on, even our best friends have failed us. Someone whom we thought was a brother or a sister in Christ has betrayed us. Under all this load of disappointment we are made to stagger, as the clouds become dark and hide His face from us.  BUT GOD IS STILL FAITHFUL! Listen to Isaiah 50: 10: "Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and stay upon his God." 

My friend, I will grant you there are times when you cannot harmonize God's mysterious dealings with His love and His faithfulness. I don't try to do it; it is our place to wait upon Him for more light. Our God is in His own good time will make it plain to you. Let me whisper this to your ear, God has never forsaken or deceived His child.

What should you do when you feel harassed by Satan and circumstances? Isaiah 30: 18 provides an answer: "Blessed are all they that wait for him." God can be more gracious and more real in hours like these and more wonderful than when you are on the mountaintop. Do you know it is in these difficult times that the faithfulness of God is proven.  

How beautiful is the sunshine of the presence of the Lord when He comes walking to you upon the troubled seas of time and embraces you with His arms and whispers in your heart the sweetness of Calvary, of the empty tomb and the glory of His presence at the right hand of the Majesty on High. God is faithful in preserving His own people. In 1 Corinthians 1: 9, we read: "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

Do you know the confidence of every born-again believer in the absolute security of his salvation in Christ is based upon the veracity of the God who cannot lie? (Titus 1: 2) You know, God's Word says, "All the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6: 37) He says again, "Those that thou gavest Me, I have kept, and none of them is lost...." (John 17: 12) Paul writes, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8: 35) Our Lord also said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, nor shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10: 27, 28)

Section 5: Faithful in Discipline

God is faithful in disciplining His people. God is just as faithful in what He withholds from His people as He is in what He gives His people. God is just as faithful in sending sorrow as He is in giving joy. God knows what is best for us. When God smites us with the rod of correction, He is faithful. It is up to us to ask Him to conform us to His will. He said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." (Matthew 11:29) Yes, we are accustomed to His yoke. His yoke is the sweetest thing in the world to walk in His will, whether in shadow or in sunshine, whether under the correcting rod of chastisement or on the mountain of blessings. OH, THAT YOU AND I COULD HEAR HIS VOICEABOVE THE RANGING BILLOWS OF THE SIN-TOISSED WORLD SAYING, "ALL IS WELL; ALL IS WELL!"

My friend, if you and I would turn our ears from all the other voices and let the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ ring in our ears through His written Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit, how gracious it would be! Let us keep our eyes on our blessed Lord, not straying to the right or the left. Let us run the race leaning on His faithfulness and trusting in His Word.

Conclusion

Friend, you have heard the truth today. You have a choice: will you trust, rely, and count on our Lord's faithfulness or will you listen to the world's voices and be defeated. Stand for the truth of God's Word and His faithfulness. His Word will see you through no matter what hurdles you face. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Disbelieve and be damned. My prayer is that you will come to the Lord Jesus Christ, fall at His feet and be His disciple.

12-18-2022 Devotion: Come

 We continue looking at the holiday known as Christmas. Remember, this is not a Biblical holiday, it was invented by the church in 336A.D. in an effort to attract members of some Babylonian cults who celebrated the Winter Solstice on December 25th. The church basically said, join us and you can still have you holiday. The festivals were drunken affairs with plenty of immorality contrary to how a Christian should live. Yesterday, we read Matthew 11: 28: "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We know the Lord Jesus is speaking to those hurting. What does He ask the hearer to do; He asked them to "come" to Him. He didn't ask you to join a church, make a decision for Him, or "accept" Him. No, He says to come to Him. Lay down your excuses and accept responsibility for your sins and sin nature. Come to Him in repentance and He will give them "rest." People are tired today. There are financial and cultural issues abounding. People feel overwhelmed. But we can offer the Christmas invitation as directed by Christ to "come" and He will give you "rest." Rest is a beautiful gift to those that are suffering. Be an ambassador of rest today and make a Christmas invitation.

12-17-2022 Devotion: A Christmas Invitation

 Disclaimer: Before beginning a series of devotions on the Christmas holiday, I want to be clear that I am not anti-Christmas. However, I do believe we should be Biblical in our approach to all holidays and celebrations. That requires a candid look at Christmas. 

We are approaching December 25th which has been labeled "Christmas," by the church. We will spend the next few days talking about Christmas. The first Christmas was celebrated in the Roman Empire in 336A.D. Let me be clear, there is no Bible recognition of the holiday, and we can assume that the Lord Jesus Christ did not tell His disciples to celebrate that day because there is no evidence they did. What should be the Bible believers' response to the holiday? You may have heard the expression, "Put Christ back into Christmas." The problem with this is that He never was part of Christmas, so He can't be put back into something He never was a part of. I think the best approach is found in making a Christmas invitation to those in your family and friends. What is the Christian invitation? Matthew 11: 28 reads, "Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The Lord Jesus Christ is making the invitation to those that are suffering and struggling. This time of year, you can find people everywhere in this group. Many people are hurting. This is a time of the year that making a call to those are struggling to come to Christ is appropriate. He will never turn someone away who comes to Him in faith and repentance. When you tell someone this invitation, you are testifying about the best present ever!

12-16-2022 Devotion: More Rewards

 Today, we continue looking at the reward of trials. 2 Timothy 4: 8 reads: "In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." We will all receive the same crown: the rewards of eternal life, righteousness, and glory. However, I must make a distinction: endurance does not earn eternal life, but it is the proof of true faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ, whose reward is eternal life. There is a crown waiting for you. Think about that for a few minutes. We believe in the perseverance of the saints. Contrary to this being an excuse to sin, rather it is encouragement and a commitment to fight the good fight of faith as long as we have breath in our bodies. There is never an excuse for sin. While none of us is perfect, and we fail to meet God's absolute standard of Holiness every day, we can still battle and resist the devil, resist temptation, and keep our eyes on the prize, i.e. eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. Never give up!

12-15-2022 Devotion: Reward

 Today, we look at the reward of trials. The reward for the believer who does not collapse under trials is eternal life. "Once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life." (James 1: 12) The words "crown of life" could have been translated as "crown which is life." The crown is eternal life, which God has promised to those who love Him. While we presently experience some benefits, we are still waiting to enter into the fullness of our future reward. When the Lord returns, He will grant to us the fullness of eternal life. Do you ever think that one day all your labor will be over and you will spend eternity in joyful contentment? While trials may be difficult and times challenging, we need to keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. He will see us through and we will persevere until the end. Then, the crown will be waiting. Thank Him today for the gospel that saves you.

12-14-2022 Devotion: Opportunity

 We continue looking at the statement: Trials are opportunities to prove the perseverance of the true believer. You reveal you belong to God if you don't abandon your faith in times of trial or otherwise. There is an apparent paradox: A believer is saved because he was chosen by God before creation (Ephesians 1: 4), yet he is not saved without exercising faith (Romans 10: 9-10). God's covenant faithfulness is the Christian's only security for salvation and ultimate glorification, but we are still responsible to obey and persevere. Let me give you an illustration to make the point. When some of my children were younger, they wanted to learn to ride a bike. They had training wheels on to keep them from falling. When their balance was better, it was time to take the wheels off. I would have my child get on the bike and they would start pedaling. I would be running next to them to make sure they didn't fall.  Now they were doing the work of pedaling but I was running alongside to make sure they were successful and did not fall. That is how our Lord works. He is with us continually making sure we persevere. We have to use some effort, but He will keep you from falling. Keep looking to Him and regardless of the trial, you will persevere. 

12-13-2022 Devotion: Prove

 Trials are opportunities to prove the perseverance  of the true believer. The important Biblical truth known as "perseverance of the saints is a major tenet of orthodox Christianity. We believe that the saints will not totally abandon their faith, i.e., that they will persevere in believing God through every circumstance until they are glorified. No true believer will fail. 1 Corinthians 10: 13 reads, "No temptation (trial) has overtaken you but such is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." This is so important. Regardless of what you are encountering today, God will hold you tight to Him. He will provide you with an exit strategy to avoid falling away. We all have trials. We all face challenges and we are all tempted to sin. We can rest that as we continue to walk in faith we will persevere to the end. That is a soft pillow at night.

12-12-2022 Devotion: Love

 Trials enable us to demonstrate our ongoing love for our Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian is not simply a person who at one point believed the truth. The true believer has an ongoing love for God that even trials cannot shake loose. The Lord Jesus explained on multiple occasions what it is to love God: the one who loves God keeps His commandments. John 14: 15 reads: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Believers may experience times of struggle and doubt, but we know our faith remains intact because we'll see it continue working itself out as a love that obeys God. That type of loving perseverance results in abundant spiritual blessings. Friend, are you struggling about something today? Perhaps it is a lost loved one, a relationship breakup, financial concerns, or a health issue, know that as you continue to demonstrate your love for the Lord Jesus Christ, you will persevere and be blessed as you lean on Him.

Attributes of God Part 5: The Power of God

 Today, we look at part 5 of our series on the Attributes of God: The Power of God. We cannot form a right conception of the LORD unless we consider Him as all-powerful as well as all-wise. If you talk to many in the church world, you will become convinced that their view of God is not the God of the Bible but is a god of their own creation. The religious world is merging into the great apostasy and is being brought under a great delusion, which is preparing it for the acceptance of the Antichrist when he appears on the scene.

Introduction

If God cannot do what He wills and perform, or bring to pass, all His pleasure, then He cannot be God. God has the power to execute His will. God who ordained everything from the beginning has the power to bring to pass what He ordained. To quote the old Puritan Charnock:

"The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatsoever He please, whatsoever His infinite wisdom can direct, and whatsoever the Infinite purity of His will can resolve. As holiness is the beauty of all God's attributes, so power is that which gives life and action to all the perfections of the divine nature. How vain would be His eternal councils, if power did not step in to execute them. Without power His mercy would be feeble pity, His promises an empty sound, His justice a slighted scarecrow. God's power is like Himself: infinite, eternal, incomprehensible; it can neither be checked, restrained nor frustrated by the creature." 

Let us now examine the Power of God.

Section 1: Power Belongs to God

Psalm 62: 11 reads: "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; THAT POWER BELONGETH UNTO GOD." In Matthew 24: 35 the Lord Jesus Christ said: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." God's Word stands, and when Psalm 62: 11 says, "Power belongeth unto God," why should God have to speak more than once? We poor weak mortals like to bring God down to our level and make Him altogether such as one as ourselves and think of Him as not being able to perform what He promises, but God has power to bring to pass all of His promises, and His decrees. Our God is able! In Psalm 89: 6, we read: 

"For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them."

Then in Daniel 4: 35, we hear: "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and he (God) doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

I like to think of my God, the better yet, the God of the Bible, as the all-powerful One-One who is able to perform all that He wills and desires according to His glory. And who am I to try to stay His hand, or even suggest to Him, because the God of the Bible does as He pleases, as He wills and counsels with no one! Not even with you, I don't care who you think you are!

The God of the Bible has all power and authority.

Section 2: Power of the Lord Jesus Christ

When the Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth, a leper approached Him (Luke 5: 12), and said, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And the Lord Jesus Christ said, "I will; be thou clean," and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. We see the dread disease of leprosy fleeing at His command. One day two sorrowing, weeping sisters led the Lord Jesus to the tomb where their brother Lazarus had been buried four days (John 11), and Jesus standing before that open tomb said, "Lazarus, come forth," and he that was dead came forth. Here we see death fleeing at the command of our Lord. After the resurrection He said, "I have the keys of death and hell."

 One day He was in a boat with His disciples on the stormy sea of Galilee (Mark 4: 35-41); the waves were rolling, and the boat was out of control. It seemed death was certain. Then the Lord Jesus Christ stood up in that boat and said, "Peace be still," and the waves lay at His feet like the family dog, so much so until the disciples marveled. My friend, God has power over the raging waves of the of your heart so tossed by the power of Satan. We are to keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ when times are challenging. He has power over sickness, death and nature. Turn to Him and look all those that are awakened to their lost condition. He is your only hope. 

Listen again, one day our Lord stood yonder in Gadara at the edge of a graveyard (Mark 5), and a man who was possessed with a legion of demons stood before Him, crying, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God," and the Lord Jesus said, "Come out of him," and the demons came screaming out, leaving him in his right mind. Yes, the demons of darkness obey His command.

All the powers of hell, of Satan and all of the demon forces of hell cannot compare with the power of our Lord. They have nothing on Him! They cannot cope with Him. No human will, no combination of human wills and no combination of people, I don't care how many there are, how large a group, how many nations can oppose Him, our Lord sits in the heavens and laughs at them. Yes, He does, and our Lord is on the throne. My friends, His Holiness so surrounds every child and so overshadows us until Satan can't touch one of God's children apart from Our Lord's will. Just as sin surrounds you who are not saved, and Satan, the evil one, has you in his control, just so, when God delivers His child, He surrounds that individual with His holiness so that the evil one cannot touch him. God's child lives in that state of the holiness of God, and that is the thing that makes you in the image of the Son of God.

Listen to this, I want to make sure you get this, THE DEMONS FLEE AT HIS COMMANDS. All diseases flee at His command. Christ has only to speak the Word, and the fevered brow is cooled, the deformed made perfect, the harlet is cleansed, the dead raised, the sinner is cleansed. That's POWER!  It took the power of a Sovereign God to break my stubborn will, lift me off the path toward hell, and make me into the image of the Son of God. His Power brought me crying, "My Lord, and my God, my Lord and my God!

I actually feel sorry for Christ rejectors today. It must be fearful to face all that is happening today without the Lord Jesus Christ. How glorious it is to know Him and be known to Him, because of His great saving power. It was the power of God that stopped me one day to see my lost condition and said to me "STOP." Do you know this experience friend? If you don't, you can.

No awakened sinner need despair that God is not able to deliver you. He is able to deliver the vilest, the lowest, the most wretched; just take Him at His Word. You may be addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or pornography (and most Christian men are according to statistics and surveys), but His Power can set you free. How, you ask? Ask Him through the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver just for one day. He will, you will defeat the addiction with His power. Do the same the next day, and the next day and so on. Just like sin gets more dominant as you yield to it, the same works for righteousness. As you depend more and more on the Holy Spirit to deliver you, He will, and the temptations and addictions will grow quieter and quieter. 

Remember this: not one creature in all of God's universe has one ounce of power except what God gives them. No awakened sinner is able to deliver yourself, but God says in His Word: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." (John 1: 12) Paul wrote: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it (the Gospel) is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (Romans 1: 16). Again, our Lord said: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you (Acts 1:8)." Christ also said, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth (Matthew 28: 18)."

C.H. Spurgeon said: "God's power to save himself; this power is like Himself, self-existent, self-sustained. The mightiest of men cannot add so much as a shadow of increased power to the Omnipotent One....He is Himself the great central Source and Originator of all power." Job 38: 4-6 says: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or Who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or, who laid the corner stone thereof?"

Listening friend, as we behold the power of the Almighty One and realize that we have no power except Him, this completely brings our pride down and lays it in the dust. Most churches today make man in charge. Salvation is man's doing not God's doing. Man will take charge of his destiny. This is all false theology and look where it has got us. Churches embracing LGBTQ+, abortion rights and transgender issues, all contrary to the Word of God. Remember the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the drowning of the Egyptian army, and other Biblical events that demonstrate His unmatched power. Our God has the right and power to do with His creations as He wills. Don't forget that!

Section 3: God's Sovereignty and Power

The God of the Bible is not only Sovereign, all-wise, and holy, but He is all-powerful and is able to bring to pass what He wills; He does as He wills in heaven and on earth and no man "can stay His hand." That being true, we as God's children need never despair, because He is able to supply all our needs. It is our business to walk in His will and in His way. Let His will become our will and our will lost in His will. Ephesians 3: 20-21 says: "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end."

Consider these verses as we reflect upon God's Sovereignty and power:

1. Philippians 4: 19 states: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

2. Genesis 18: 4: "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" This is similar to when our Lord said to His disciples: "All things are possible with God."

3. 1 Samuel 17: 47: "The battle is the LORD's.  This is true so why should we despair? 

4. We should trust in the LORD with all our heart; and lean not unto our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct our paths." (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

5. Mark 14: 62: "The Son of man sitting on the right hand of power." Here, "power" is used as a name of God. In other words, "sitting on the right hand of power" means sitting at the right hand of God. 

GOD AND HIS POWER ARE INSEPARABLE. God never manifests all His power; we might say there is more power lodged in the nature of God than is expressed in all His works. Ponder that thought for a while.

God is Sovereign and He manifests His power as He wills. Consider the following Biblical examples:

1. God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass as they escaped from Egypt, but He let the enemy drown in the depths of the sea.

2. God manifested His power in sending them food from the skies and water from the rocks. 

3. The Lord exercised His power is delivering Peter from prison, but He retrained that power and let Stephen (stoned) and James's die (king cut off his head with a sword). 

4. In Hebrews 11, we read about the deliverance of Noah from the flood, Moses rescued from the slayers, but God permitted thousands of other children to be put to death. 

5. God's power threw down the walls of Jericho, but He made the children of Israel take the rest of the cities at the point of a sword. 

6. Many were delivered by His power, but "others had atrial of cruel mocking's and scourging's, yes, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword (Hebrews 11: 36-37). 

GOD IS ALL POWERFUUL AND HE WILL DISPLAY HIS POWER WHEN HE CHOOSES. 

Section 4: Responses to God's Power

In light of what has been said, the only thing that we believers can do is to cast ourselves upon Him and rest at His feet wholly submissive unto His will. Our God is able to deliver; our God is able to save, and though He is Sovereign in the demonstration of His power, yet I have never seen the LORD reject anyone who comes to Him pleading nothing but the shed blood of Christ on his behalf and asking for mercy. We respond to God's power to save by coming to Him with all our defenses and excuses gone/ The sinner that cries, "Christ died for a sinner like me," will never leave disappointed. 

Listening friend, you cannot come any other way. That is the only way you can come; that is the only way God will admit you into His presence. You come taking responsibility for your sins. They are not mistakes, indiscretions, or missteps, they are sins.NO ONE EVER GETS SAVED UNTIL HE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS INDIVIDUAL SINS.  I have seen people come and make a pseudo repentance, a few tears and he says, "I'm sorry," but they had a disclaimer or blame another. When someone comes clean before the Lord, they are ready for God's saving grace and mercy.

You cannot become a son of God within yourself: you are utterly dependent upon God to make you a new creature in Christ Jesus. You are totally dependent upon God to break the power of Satan over you. You are completely dependent upon the Lord to deliver you from Satan and translate you into the kingdom of the Son of God. Lost one, all that being said, I would not rest until I got to Him completely broken, resting in dust and ashes at His feet. That is where I have to live all the time; that is where I want to live. This is impossible to do until the Sovereign Lord changes who you are and makes you a new creation. That new creation will want to sit at His feet in repentance, the old carnal mind hates the things that pertain to God. This shows the power of our Lord. He has the power to change you into a new person. Bless His Holy Name! The new creation loses his will into God's will. That is the power of God! To change your want To's into His want.

Section 5: A Picture of God's Power

Consider the following Scriptures that reveal a beautiful picture of the power of God:

1. In Job 9:8 we find these words: "Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth (walketh) upon the waves of the sea." Here we see the LORD walking not running, no haste, no hurry, "upon the waves of the sea." This is a picture of uncontrollable power. In Job 22: 14, we find these words: "And he walketh in the circuit of heaven." These words tell us of the immensity of His presence and that all the heavens are under His control.

2. Psalm 104: 3: "Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariots: who walketh upon the wings of the wind." Here we see God walking "upon the wings of the wind," which would signify the swiftness of His operations. Our God has everything under perfect control; the worlds are held in their place by the word of His power and move with such precision that scientists can tell you when the sun will be in eclipse a thousand years from now.

3. Psalm 33: 6 reads: "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth." For any individual to say there is no God, shows his totally depraved, blinded nature and that his utterly rebellious heart is pitted against his maker. Just think how everything you see was made without materials. To not believe in God is to believe that everything sprang from emptiness itself. It was the LORD who said, "Let there be," and it came into existence. The LORD willed and it was done. What amazing power!

Section 6: God's Power in Preservation and Government

Let us consider God's power in preservation. Did you ever stop to think that no creature has power to preserve himself, or itself. No flower can grow without soil; no beast would ever live without food Psalm 36: 6 says: "O LORD, thou preservest man and beast," and in Hebrew 1: 3 we find He upholdeth all things by the word of His power. As Psalm 66: 9 states, truly He "holdeth our soul in life." Do you see how we are at the mercy of an Almighty God? You are alive this very moment because of His Mercy!

Let's notice God's power in government. In 1 Peter 5: 8 we read: "The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Satan is filled with hatred against God, and he hates the saints of God to the very utmost of his soul. Except for the power of God Satan would have every saint put to death before the sun sets. But thank God, Satan has no more power than God delegates to him, and Satan will go no farther than God permits! God restrains the natural corruption of men. If God should remove His hand, there is no limit to what they would do against the sons of God. Romans 3: 14 says, their "mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood." This is the natural condition of the human race. 

Man by nature hates God; man by nature would take God off the throne. But thank God, He restrains the wrath of man and holds him in check (Psalm 76: 10). No sinner would ever be saved if he could help it. Talk about the free will of man; man has free will but that will is subject to his depraved nature and will always freely choose against God. Man's free will chooses evil. Man left alone without the constraining influence of the Holy Spirit would not only destroy everyone else, but he would destroy himself and would never come to Christ for salvation. Man by nature, hates the Gospel of the grace of God with a dying vengeance. So, you see, the only way in the world that a person is ever saved is by the Holy Spirit taking the Word of God and breaking the sinner down until he is made to cry, "God, be merciful to me a sinner."

Let us consider God's power in judgment. For years, man has tried to remove the sword of judgment out of the hand of God. In Ezekiel 22: 14 we find that when God smites, none can resist Him. When God sent the flood, no person could escape God's hand except those in the ark of safety. At Sodom and Gomorrah, all in those places could not escape the fire and brimstone. Someday God is going to display His mighty power upon the sons of men who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will find their place in hell. God is a God of love, but He is also a God of wrath.

Every sinner, before he is saved, learns in unmistakable terms that God is a God of wrath. No sinner can know the love of God until he first knows the wrath of God in judgment. Every sinner, before he is saved, is brought into the court of justice. He is made to see himself under the wrath and judgment of God. He is made to see and feel the wrath of a sin-avenging God as he sits in the court of justice. The sinner takes responsibility for his sins, blames no one else. The Holy Spirit open's the sinners' eyes to see and to know that God loves him, and that Christ died for him, to see and to feel and to know his sin debt was paid in Christ. By faith, the sinner sees his blood substitute and knows that he is eternally saved.

Conclusion

Our God is a God of power. His power is so immense and limitless that no being, spirit, or force can deter Him. What He wills to do, He will do. What He purposes for you will come about, and nothing can stop it. That is the God I serve. Is this the God you serve? If not, come to Him in repentance and have faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to save you. He will never turn anyway away that comes to Him.