More Blessed To Give Than Receive

Proverbs 21:3, 27---To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

God doesn't need your offering in the plate, but you need to give it! Sometimes we get the idea that if we give to God or make some kind of sacrifice, God is indebted to us. Maybe then He will overlook our sins that we refuse to forsake. The justification in our minds goes something like this: "I don't want to give up this thing that I know is wrong, so instead, I will give to the needy." Good deeds don't nullify evil ones. They don't earn you points in heaven. We are expected to do good when we are able to. That is simply the right thing to do. Not to do so is evil. God owns everything, even the things in your temporary possession. When you sacrifice of your time or money, you are merely giving what is God's into the hands of another. That is liberating for you. It helps you stay free from enslavement to the love of money. God gave it to you so you could pass it on to those in need. It is more blessed to give than receive. God is the greatest giver. When we give we are like Him, if we give from pure motives. Some would give expecting influence or favor in return. That is to sacrifice with evil intent. Giving should have no strings attached. It is simply a transfer in stewardship to those with a greater need. God is not after your possessions. He is after your heart. He wants you to be increasingly conformed to His likeness. That includes giving from a pure heart of compassion for the need of others, or giving at the direction of the One you love. Samuel told Saul that to obey was better than sacrifice, and to listen to God than sacrificial ram's blood. If God has your heart, then your sacrifices come from pure motives. Consider: Am I unconsciously putting strings on my gifts?

Being Made Holy

Hebrews 10:12-14---But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

This passage is reminding us that Jesus' work of redemption is finished. He is now seated at the right hand of God, the place of power and authority. What He did cannot be undone. Meanwhile, God is putting everything under Christ's feet. That is an often-repeated theme of Scripture. Part of the process of putting all things under His feet is described in verse 14. Many Christians do not understand why they continue to sin. If Jesus made us perfect if we are a new creation in Christ if our heart has been made new, then why am I still struggling with the flesh? Why do I have to crucify it daily? All those things are true of you. You have been made perfect before God. A transaction has been made. You gave your sins, past, present, and future, (for all time) to Jesus upon the cross. You received His righteousness like a credit to your account. It is not yet what you express in your daily life, but it is what the Father counts as yours. The last line of our passage sounds like a contradiction if we do not understand this idea, "made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Remember that God sees all time presently. The work is done and yet it is in progress. You are being made holy in your daily expression, yet you are perfect before God from His eternal view. Our daily struggle with sin, our daily crucifixion of our old nature, is putting the enemies under the feet of Jesus. We are being made holy, and will only be finished when we see Him. (1 John 3:2) It is the process of sanctification, and it will be completed. Don't despair of the struggle. Battle on! It is God putting all enemies under the feet of your Savior. The last enemy will be death itself (1 Corinthians 15:26). Don't be discouraged. It is a work of God.

Meditation: How can I cooperate today with God's work of making me holy?

Learning To Listen Instead Of Speaking

Proverbs 13:3----He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 17:27-28---Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Today there seems to be an effort to speak the most words and dominate any conversation. I have often listened to conversations in which two people speak at the same time, as if they were vying for airtime. Does our society consider the silent one to be the wise one? It seems the one who gets his point across the clearest and most convincingly is considered the winner. But does it matter how it seems? Ultimately, for you to come to a correct conclusion, an understanding of God's view is really the important thing. Do you find yourself falling into our cultural norm of saying too much and then wishing you'd shown more restraint? The proverbs we are considering today teach that guarding our lips is guarding our very life. It is the man of knowledge who shows restraint. One appropriate word can demolish an edifice built by a thousand rash words. Restraint gives you time to consider the validity of what is said and to search out any faults in an argument. Language has a number of patterns that are designed to build a case. Many of them have flaws that are easily pointed out. The Holy Spirit can show them to you if you are listening. If you are trying to speak just to make your point, you will miss that quiet voice of the Spirit. There is nothing wrong with saying nothing and speaking another day after considering the matter. You don't have to win every discussion. Consider: We have two ears and one mouth. Does that tell us something about the ratio in which they should be used?

Go To The Throne Of Grace And Ask

Hebrews 4:14-16---Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Why should we endure in this faith that we profess? It's because Jesus has gone through the heavens and into the very presence of God to intercede for us. Having gained such a great victory for us, all we must do is endure. What a tragedy if we fall away after He has done and is doing so much for us! Cling to your faith. After all, this faith that we have is like no other. This faith declares a God that feels our suffering with us. Having endured every temptation we face, He can speak to our hearts the solution that He proved works. He can show us the way out of each and every temptation we face because He found the way Himself. After blazing that sinless trail for us, He gave us His righteousness while taking our sin to the death of the cross. It is with His righteousness that we can confidently approach the very throne of God. It is a throne of grace to us who have received His mercy through the blood of Christ. There, before the throne, we not only receive grace, that which we do not deserve, but also mercy, that which we do not deserve in the place of judgment that we do deserve. Asking for the gifts we need to endure and to be what we are called to be is asking for grace. Asking for continual cleansing for our shortcomings and for gifts in spite of the fact that we did not use them properly when last given is asking for mercy. We can confidently ask for both because of our Great High Priest. There is no need to wallow in condemnation.

Going In The Direction He Leads

Proverbs 16:9 and 25---A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

We often go through life guessing which way is best. A man who wants to please the LORD will ask for His direction and help in decisions. Sometimes the answer comes clearly, and at other times there seems to be no answer at all. Yet, because of our situation, we must make the choice we think is best. Scripture declares that the LORD has already planned our steps. He has ordained each day of our lives to teach us and draw us closer. We often fret over our decisions, but what a peace to know that when we choose what we believe to be the LORD's will, we will either have His instruction that we have made a mistake or we will go on in the steps He has already ordered.  The other side of this coin is the second verse above, which is repeated in the proverbs. To merely go by what looks good or seems right, may end in disaster. Only God can see all the consequences from a decision. We need to take the time to seek God's direction. Just because it looks good to men, or even maybe a success in the eyes of the world, doesn't mean it is good for you. So what are we to do? Commit your way to the LORD. Seek to know His will. Get the counsel of godly people. Make your decision with a heart surrendered to God. Then, trust that if you have erred, the LORD will make it clear to you and show you how to correct your error. It is not as if God cannot get through to us. As long as we have a surrendered heart that is listening, He can make His will clear to us.

God Knows How You Feel

Hebrews 2:14,17-18---Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

It is important for us to understand that Jesus was all man. That does not change the fact that He was all God, but in every way He was made like us. He was one of us. He had flesh and blood. He had Mary's lineage. He was tempted. He had to endure just like we have to endure. When Adam lost the dominion of earth to the devil in the Garden, God promised the offspring of the woman would one day crush that devil's head, his authority. That offspring had to be flesh and blood to take back what flesh and blood gave up. He is the Second Adam in that He took back what the first Adam lost. The sin of the first Adam brought death to all. The Second Adam came and provided life to all, by destroying him who held the power of death. As a man enduring all the temptations and sufferings that we face, He can give the perfect counsel. He faced the same things and yet came through in sinless victory. What better priest could we hope for? All others have failed like us. How can we be sure of the answers they give us? But Jesus became the merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, giving us God's direction and presenting our requests to God. As He intercedes, He can convey our feelings and difficulties in complete harmony with how we mean them, because He has been where we are. That is why He is the one person that can help you in whatever your need is. He is the One that can perfectly understand your heart and present it to God with mercy and faithfulness. He made it possible through the atonement that He provided in His flesh and blood body.

Reaction To Rebuke

Proverbs 9:8-10---Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

It takes a humble heart to receive correction. You can almost gauge your spiritual growth by how well you take rebuke. When we are prideful and immature, our first response is to pick out the wrong in the one who has come to instruct us. We may even voice what we think is wrong with them, just to show them that they are not without fault. As we grow and God deals with our pride, we tend to listen without responding, and we may even thank the one who has taken the effort to correct us. But later, behind their back, we tell others how arrogant they were to pick out our fault when they have so many of their own. We may acknowledge some truth to their statement, but we console ourselves with justifications for our weakness. "After all, who is perfect?" we ask. When we have failed like this a number of times and the voice of the LORD begins to get through our walls of our pride, we begin to understand that the LORD and His love for us is what makes us of value. Then, when a voice of correction comes, we may still flinch with pain from the blow, but we no longer look at the messenger. We know God allowed the messenger to come for our good. We take the message to the LORD and examine our condition. As we discern how much of the rebuke is true, we ask the LORD to help us express His life in that area, and not self. We take that old nature to the cross and leave it there. Then we can rejoice that the LORD has drawn us closer to Himself. We may even sincerely thank the messenger and ask for their help.

Hearing From God

Hebrews 1:1-3---God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Hebrews is an incredible letter, but we don't know who the author was. It tells us of Jesus' superiority over angels, prophets, and Moses. It declares that His sacrifice was the fulfillment of all sacrifices and that He is now our Great High Priest. It gives us a number of important warnings. It encourages us in the importance of faith. Hebrews begins by telling us that God no longer speaks to us as He once did. In the past, He used prophets that prophesied in many different manners. Some told parables, some acted out their prophecies, and some wrote poetry. The author of Hebrews declared that now God is speaking to us in Jesus. His life and words are the final and full message of God to man. If you need to hear from God, look to the life and words of Jesus. The Holy Spirit's ministry is to remind us what He has said. (John 14:26) Jesus is the heir of everything. He is the instrument of creation. He is the outshining of God's glory. He is the exact representation of God's being. Everything is sustained by his powerful word. What an incredible and glorious description of the Son! This powerful declaration goes on to say that Jesus provided purification for sins. This letter will explain why His blood was necessary for our purification. Now, He is sitting in the place of power, at the helm of the universe, at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews declares Jesus to be our wonderful Savior, but it also declares His awesome superiority over all His creation. It encourages us to go to Him to access God, but to do so with reverent respect.

Christian Qualities In Our Lives Are Important

Titus 1:5-7---For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

This is the beginning of the list of the qualifications of an elder. Another list can be found in 1 Timothy 3. The first century church did not have a single man that led the local congregation, but a group of elders. Notice that in the above passage elders is plural, but town is singular. The Christians in each city, even though they may have met in several different homes, were considered the church of that city. Paul, Timothy, Titus, or one of the other church planters appointed the men who met the qualifications and were called of God as elders. We have an example of how they functioned in the first verses of Acts 13. Instead of having "board meetings", they met together in prayer and fasting. As they worshipped, they sought God's heart. Though some individuals may have led out, the head of the meeting was the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. They were following the pattern of the synagogue worship that they came out of. Those who had an understanding of God's word were given opportunity to speak. It wasn't always assigned to one man. The word elder, overseer, and shepherd/pastor were interchangeable in the first century. (Acts 20) Together they oversaw the flock of God under the Great Shepherd. They may not have all had the gift of preaching and teaching, but they were all pastors who were ready to share God's word. This is why the qualifications of an elder are important enough for us to have twice in Scripture. Though the interpretation varies among groups, we can see that the standard of an elder is very high for a reason. They should not be elected in a popularity contest but appointed because of their reputation as men that live and teach God's word while looking out for God's sheep.

Let God's Ways Become Your Ways

Proverbs 3:5-7---Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

One of our greatest temptations is to trust our self. We say, "If you want it done right, do it yourself." We look to our own experiences, our own insights, our own intellect when it is not even comparable with the infinite wisdom of God. Is it because we don't think God will answer us? Or perhaps we think He will not answer in a way that will please us. Why can't we trust Him to answer us in a way that is ultimately best for us? That is to place trust in His nature, in His heart. If I refuse to do that, I must ask myself why. Either I do not believe He is who the Word declares Him to be, or I prefer to make my own decisions and be my own lord. If I love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I should trust Him with all my heart as well. The LORD intricately plans all your ways. Do you see His hand? Can you see the abounding mercy? We should acknowledge His grace in our lives, and let Him reveal to us what He is doing. When we look to His direction, the crooked paths become straight. Life becomes a wonderful interaction with our Maker. He touches the world through us, and in the process, transforms our lives. To be wise in our own eyes is to deceive our self. It is a refusal to acknowledge our frequent mistakes and our real condition. We desperately need the LORD for guidance and discernment. If we think we can do it on our own, we have no fear of a just God, who, like a father, will discipline us.

A Righteous Rebuke

Psalms 141:3-5---Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

This could be our daily prayer. Our mouth seems to be the most likely member to join in with the sin of others. It is most likely to express any evil in our own heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When we hear someone slandering a person who has caused us harm, or whose ideas and goals are different from ours, we have a tendency to jump right in and join in the slander. James teaches that if we can control our tongue, we can control our whole body. We need the Holy Spirit to be the guard over our mouths, to keep the door of our lips sealed, unless we can speak words that build up and encourage. (Ephesians 4:29) Our world is full of slander and complaints. Let us be a voice of encouragement and praise. David prayed his heart would not be drawn toward evil. After his fall with Bathsheba, he no longer trusted his own heart. Do you realize how easily your heart can be drawn after evil? It is always there to entice us with a lie. It offers us a delicacy, but that delicacy will take us further than we wanted to go and cost us more than we wanted to pay. This is similar to the Lord’s Prayer when He prayed, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One." We need the blows of a friend to wake us up when our mouth or desires are out of control. True friends love you enough to warn and correct you. Fair weather friends will never confront you. A true friend will risk the friendship to tell you the truth. Receive it like anointing oil. Don't be offended! In the last line David does not pray against the people, but against their evil deeds. Those deeds can cause pain and suffering in other's lives. Our battle is not against people who have fallen for the delicacies offered by Satan, or we may find ourselves praying against ourselves. It is against the actions that lead to destruction.

God's Word Equips You For Service

2 Timothy 3:16-17---All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The Jewish religion divides up what we refer to as the Old Testament into levels of inspiration. The books of Moses are the most revered. They are said to come from the mouth of God. Paul knew this as well as anyone. He is flying in the face of their tradition when he declares that it is all God-breathed. Peter declared that Paul's letters are a part of Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Certainly the Gospels are also God-breathed. Our entire Bible is the breath of the Spirit through godly men. We have the words of communication that God chose to speak to mankind. All of it is useful! We sometimes ignore some of the more mysterious or historical references, but it is all useful. Paul tells us that it is to be used for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. We have so many other teaching materials. We need to use the Word of God to teach. Most churches readily accept teaching, but are offended if anyone is rebuked or corrected. "How dare you think you are so spiritual that you can say what applies to me!" Very few elders will love enough to rebuke and correct. It is love because it risks rejection and ridicule for the spiritual growth and equipping of the flock. Most modern church attendees will leave and go to another fellowship rather than to face the correction of elders. The response is often to find fault in the elders rather than to receive correction. When the Word rebukes and corrects, there is always the hope of restoration, but if it is personal or political motive, it is always out of desire to dominate. All the uses of the Word lead to one purpose, equipping the man of God for every good work. Whatever our calling, we need to be equipped for it by the Word of God. The God-breathed Scriptures will show us how, correct our errors, rebuke our failings, and correct and train us in righteousness.

In God's Time

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry"   (Habakkuk 2:3).

Mercy may seem slow, but it is sure. The LORD in unfailing wisdom has appointed a time for the outgoings of His gracious power, and God's time is the best time. We are in a hurry; the vision of the blessings excites our desire and hastens our longings; but the LORD will keep His appointments. He never is before His time; He never is behind. God's word is here spoken of as a living thing which will speak and will come. It is never a dead letter, as we are tempted to fear when we have long watched for its fulfillment. The living word is on the way from the living God, and though it may seem to linger, it is not, in reality, doing so. God's train is not behind time. It is only a matter of patience, and we shall soon see for ourselves the faithfulness of the LORD. No promise of His shall fail; "it will not lie." No promise of His will be lost in silence; "it shall speak." What comfort it will speak to the believing ear! No promise of His shall need to be renewed like a bill which could not be paid on the day in which it fell due-"it will not tarry." Come, my soul, canst thou not wait for thy God? Rest in Him and be still in unutterable peacefulness.

By C.H. Spurgeon

Unity Makes Everyone Look Anointed

Psalms 133:1-3---Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

That is the whole psalm. It is one of the most beautiful expressions of the blessing of unity in Scripture. Most of us have witnessed very little of this type of unity. We are such demanding individuals in the flesh that, while in our flesh, this type of unity is impossible. The only way to arrive at this wonderful blessing is to do as the Apostle Paul said, "Esteem others better than yourself." Only when a group of people comes to real humility in Christ can they find this blessing. In most assemblies, we find more division and disunity than anything else! I have witnessed unity in a couple of different settings. One was in a cult. All members gave up their individual beliefs and preferences to follow the leader and submit to his teaching. That is not the unity written about here. This unity in the psalm has the blessing of God, life forevermore. The other setting was amongst a group of pastors who focused on Jesus and His salvation, the need to win the lost, and to touch their town with His love. They differed on the interpretation of Scripture, on style, and even on how best to get to the goal, but they were united in purpose. They humbled themselves to listen to one another in hopes of the LORD leading them to the victory they so longed for. They realized that if one of them was successful that they were all going to be blessed. Verse two compares unity to the anointing of Aaron for the priesthood. The anointing oil, a picture of the Holy Spirit, ran down over his beard and dripped on his priestly robes. When we humble ourselves and experience unity, we will see an overflowing of the Holy Spirit, not just a drop. Then he compares it with dew on Zion. The heights of Mount Hermon would have dew when the rest of the nation was dry and dusty. Unity is attractive because it is so rare. The morning dew must have made the buildings on Zion glisten as if they were all made of silver. Unity makes everyone look anointed, shining because Jesus is able to shine through.

Wait Expectantly For God

Psalms 130:3-6---If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

The LORD does keep a record of sins. Every idle word we speak, we will give an account of in the Day of Judgment. BUT – That word must be the most valuable conjunction to man. "But with You there is forgiveness!" Since we know it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to wash away sin, this can only be looking forward to the justice of God born by the Son of God. The ransom of our soul is precious indeed. It removes all our sin as far as the east from the west. If there is forgiveness with God, one would imagine that fear would then have no place. The psalmist says there is forgiveness, therefore He is feared. In 1 Kings 8:37-40 we may find the source of the thoughts of the psalmist. When we are rebellious toward God, He brings difficulty into our lives. Then we turn to Him, who knows our every deed and seek forgiveness. He then heals our heart and our conditions. The fear comes from knowing that He will justly deal with us when we rebel. Look at it another way. A parent will deal with their child more severely when the child is acting in a way that is dangerous. A parent who doesn't forgive doesn't care, and will not bother with discipline. The fact that He cares enough to provide forgiveness, should show us that He is to be feared when we are rebellious. Waiting on the LORD is a lost discipline. We are such a busy society, we have forgotten what it means to wait for something. The psalmist trusted that the word of God is true, and so he could wait for God to respond in God's time. That does not mean he is not eager to see the answer. On the contrary, he is watching with expectation, like the watchman that waits for the sunrise when his shift ends, and he can finally close his eyes and rest. Waiting is inseparable from hoping in God's word.