Fixing Our Eyes On The Eternal

James 4:13-15---Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

In the first century, there were more Jews living outside of Israel than inside its boundaries. God gifted them with a good sense of business. Cities that were being founded in remote areas would offer incentives to begin a business there. It gave Jews an opportunity to make large sums of money. The expression in the passage was quite common. In our world, it is just as common. A business idea captures our imagination. Things start to fall into place, and before you know it, we are boasting about the great success we are about to experience. Our heart becomes enthralled with what we expect to take place. James is warning us that life is transitory. Our vision needs to be fixed on the eternal. If God wills, we may have financial success, but we must always keep it in balance with the fact that it is temporary. When we keep our eyes on heaven, the business of this world cannot steal our hearts from what is truly important.

The Beginning Of Eternity

Isaiah 26:19-21---Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

In Isaiah 26, the prophet contrasts the hopelessness of the world with the hope of the people of God. He tells us that the world's great ones come and go, forgotten. Their kingdoms rise and fall. God disciplines them, but they do not learn. He chastens them, but they refuse instruction. The people of God are different. When God deals with them, they learn righteousness. Though they are oppressed and downtrodden by the world, they have the hope of this passage. The day is coming when God will do the treading upon those who do evil. He will come to judge the earth. No murders will be unsolved. No crimes will be hidden. There will be retribution for all evil that is not repented of. The people of God will rise from their graves. They will meet the LORD in the air. The world thinks it will silence the righteous by killing them, but they will return. The wrath of God will be poured upon the earth, and then they will return to rule and reign with Christ. Are you looking forward to the hope that is set before us, or are your eyes set in the earth, on the passing things? Do you think evil will go without justice being met? All sins will be dealt with, either by the redeeming blood of Jesus or the wrath of the Lamb. If you have chosen repentance and redemption, you will one day wake up and shout for joy. Your death here is only the beginning of eternity in God's presence. We have this hope!

A Bright Hope For All Who Believes

Isaiah 9:6-7--- For unto us a child is born, unto us a son, is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

In the midst of all of Isaiah's prophecies of doom and gloom, he predicted a bright hope. He begins chapter 9 telling us the region of the coming Messiah's ministry will be humbled now but honored in the future. He says they will see a great light and have joy. Why this turn around? A child will be born. God will be incarnated. A son will be given to us, the Son of God. The government of the Kingdom of God is on his shoulders. One day all the government will be on his shoulders. We call Him our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Isaiah said we would call Him by those names, and we do. None else could dare to claim any of those sacred titles. The end of Judah was coming, but there would be no end to the government and peace of the Messiah's kingdom. We experience that even now. Two thousand years later the Kingdom of God has only grown. Though the world is at war, we have peace in our hearts. He will reign on David's throne. The nation of Judah had forgotten righteousness and justice, but the kingdom of the Messiah will uphold and establish them. How will this come to pass? The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish it! It is not a work of man. Consider: The miraculous birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was accomplished through the zeal, that white-hot burning love, that God has for us.

Dying To Self and Living For Christ

James 2:14-17---What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Faith produces action. The early church must have had just as much trouble as we do today when they realized that they were saved by faith in Christ. People looked at it as a magic formula. They thought if they understood what Christ did for them and voiced their acceptance of it they had a guaranteed place in heaven. James is trying to tell them that genuine faith will result in actions. You can't separate faith and actions. The actions don't save us, but they will accompany the faith. Jesus said the same thing by declaring that you will know a tree by its fruit. If someone has a real faith in Christ, then their actions will be like those of Christ. James' illustration was of meeting physical needs. You can tell a person to be fed and clothed, but it won't do any good unless you take some kind of action to see that they receive the food and clothes. The analogy says that saying you have faith means nothing. The evidence of genuine faith is a transformed life. If you have believed you were right with God but continued in your old lifestyle, then you must come to the realization that you are fooling yourself. Repentance is a change of direction. To accept Christ as Lord implies that you are no longer the master of your life. Consider: Is your faith alive? Is there enough evidence in your life to convict you of being a Christian? If not, go to the cross and die with Christ, and be raised to a new life in Him!

Seeking And Waiting On The Lord

Isaiah 8:19-20--- If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

One of God's complaints against his people was their willingness to seek direction from mediums and spiritists. When people turn their heart away from God, they will want to know what the future holds so that they can prepare for it. Their fear is not their impending judgment, but circumstances they hope to avoid. They will not inquire of God because God would tell them to change their ways. This fascination with knowing the future stems from a lack of faith and trust in God. If a person is walking in the Spirit, they trust God for each day. If there is a need to inquire about direction in life, they wait upon the Lord. The Great Shepherd cares for His sheep today and in the future. Only those who are wandering from the sheepfold will be desperate to know what tomorrow will bring. King Saul was such a person. He dared not inquire of God for he would not repent, so he sought out a witch to act as a medium. Evil sources of information will often contradict what God has said. In this passage, Isaiah was told to not be like the people he lived among. He was told to continue to fear the Lord. The mediums will often bring up a person who will speak in contradiction to the word of God. They had no light in life, and they have none in death. The dead have finished their time in this life. How can they help others where they failed? Jesus is the one that is victorious in life and death. Wait upon the Lord. Seek Him. He will be our guide, even unto death.

Stepping Into The Light

Isaiah 6:3-5---And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

In Isaiah chapter 5, Isaiah was pronouncing words of woe to the corrupt society in which he lived. In chapter 6, the king had died. Isaiah went into the house of God and saw a vision of God's throne. Angelic beings were flying about the throne singing to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." The sound of their voices was so powerful that the doorposts and foundations shook. Isaiah was no longer pronouncing woes on others. There in the presence of God, in the light of His holiness, Isaiah saw his own sinfulness. He pronounced woe upon himself. A vision of God's holiness reveals the depths of our sinfulness. The realization of his own depravity caused him to say he was ruined. The Hebrew word can be translated 'unraveled'. Like a rug that had come unwoven, Isaiah felt as if he had fallen apart. The first thing he noticed was the words he had spoken. The words we speak reveal our wicked heart. We live around people who are constantly speaking unkind, corrupt, and ungrateful words. We tend to speak like those we are around. In the light of God's perfections, Isaiah saw this as his most blatant rebellion against God. We need a greater revelation of God to see by contrast how great our sin is and how desperately we need to change. Consider: Jesus said that whoever loves truth comes to the light. Step into the light and let your need be revealed.

Asking For Godly Wisdom

James 1:5-7---If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

What a wonderful promise we have in this passage! We are always in need of divine wisdom. James says that all we need to do is ask, but he also encourages us that God doles it out generously. God does not only give it to the perfect, holy person, but to whoever would ask. He is just waiting for us to ask. Wisdom that is from above will lead us in the way of righteousness. That is why you don't have to have attained some state of perfection to ask for it. It is the path to a righteous life. It is a revelation of the ways of God. Lest we think we can ask in any state of mind, James warns that the one thing that is required is to believe and not doubt. Perfection is not required, but belief is. God will not inspire you with wisdom when you will doubt the wisdom He is ready to give. The picture is of a wave blown and tossed by the wind. It is not that you must attain to some great state of faith, but you need to believe in the character of God. If you ask and doubt what He gives, you will treat His wisdom with skepticism and be worse off than when you started. That is an indication of self-trust. Then, with your own wisdom, you will weigh what God has given as just one of many choices. That makes you more accountable for ignoring His direction. If you are going to ask for wisdom, believe it is coming and accept it without wavering. He is glad that you asked and glad to give it.

Prayer: Lord, I need Your wisdom each day of my life. Help me to understand what is of You and by faith to follow it explicitly.

His Love For Us

Song of Songs 8:5-7---Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

The bride has lost her identity in her lover. As He approaches, she clings to Him and is not recognizable apart from Him. This is where Christ longs to draw us. It is a place where those who see us associate us with Christ. We frequently find our place alone with Him and give Him our love. There is time for corporate worship, but if you do not spend time alone with Him, how can you say you truly love Him? She asks for Him to place her like a seal over His heart, like a seal on His arm. He has done both. The pierced side and arms will forever be a seal of His love for us. He is at the right hand of the Father with those marks that proclaim His love. We could call them love wounds. When He first met with His disciples He displayed those marks to ease their fears. It is a love as strong as death. No greater love has anyone than to lay down their life for the one they love. If He loves us like that, He will jealously guide us away from anything else that would compete for our affection and attention. That zeal for us is like a blazing fire. He would consume all else so we would be completely His. That is the picture you see as Jesus cleansed the Temple with a scourge of cords.

Meditation: What a love He has for us! You cannot purchase it. You cannot earn it. He has set His love upon you, and nothing can turn it from you. How will you respond?

Being A Blessing To Others

Hebrews 13:15-17---By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

The great sacrifice that was pleasing to God has already been offered, but we can still bring a sacrifice of praise. It is not a sacrifice for us unless it comes from difficulty. A difficulty is common in Christian life, but praise should be just as common. The difficulties refine us and prepare us for eternity. We can always praise God in the difficulty because He is our sufficiency. He meets every need and sees us through every trial. Each one should strengthen us. Sometimes, praise alone is enough to lift our hearts to victory. Another sacrifice that the writer encourages is doing good to others. It usually costs us something to do good and share. When we do it as unto the Lord, it is a sweet smelling sacrifice to Him. Do you want to do something to put a smile on God's face? Bring a sacrifice of praise or of doing good and sharing. Verse 17 is rarely uttered by a humble leader to his own flock, but by a shepherd to another fold such as the case here. Your pastor most likely will not tell you to stop making His work such a pain or to submit to your God-appointed authority, but let us hear it from the writer of Hebrews. It is not good for either of you when you are a burden by constant criticism or insistence on your personal preferences. Be a joy, not a pain! Meditation: Your praise, good deeds, and sharing can be a sacrifice to God. Be a joy to your elders, not a pain.

We Will All One Day Give An Account Of Our Lives To God

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14---Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Solomon searched out all the avenues of life to find something of meaning. He encouraged mankind to enjoy his labor and the simple pleasures of life but to avoid extremes. Everything he looked to for fulfillment, he concluded was meaningless. But here in the last two verses of this book, he gives us his conclusion of all his seeking. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. A healthy fear of God will deter us from evil. His commandments are given for our good. If we will let God's word direct our lives, we will certainly be better off than if we had ignored it. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path. We sometimes get confused about what God would have us do. This sentence helps make the will of God an idea we can grasp. "If I will fear God and keep His commands, I will have done all that I should." That is our whole duty in one sentence. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. The temptations of life lose their attraction when we consider standing before God to answer for them. There is nothing hidden from His eyes. God will reward the good and punish the evil. Those in Christ can thank God that their sins are covered with His blood. There is still the judgment of reward for us, but many of our deeds may be determined to be wood, hay, and stubble. Those done by the Holy Spirit through us will be the precious stones that endure. Consider: Is your life in keeping with the duty of man described here? Do you live in the light of the fact that we will all one day give an account of our lives to God?

Being At Peace With All Men

Hebrews 12:14-15---Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

One of the great struggles of the flesh and spirit is over relationships. We expect reciprocal kindness from those with whom we share our life. We often bare our soul to them and that makes us very vulnerable to them. So when a family or church member turns against us, whether through misunderstanding or difference of opinion, the conflict often becomes very personal and painful. The author of Hebrews asked the flock to make every effort to live in peace with all men. It is easier to live at peace with a semi-hostile world than it is with those who are close to us. To give us some direction, the writer included holiness along with the effort to be at peace. Then, to put the screws on, he added that without holiness we wouldn't see the Lord. (Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.) Then, to give the flesh a final deathblow, he added that we are missing the grace of God if we let bitterness grow. Not only that, but our bitterness will end up defiling many. How can we let willful conflict continue when we see these consequences? The way out of this downward destructive cycle is to be merciful. You have received mercy you did not deserve; pass it on! Be to others as God is to you. Make every effort! You may not be reconciled, but making every effort means that you will always desire reconciliation even if it means agreeing not to agree. Take the situation to God in prayer. Get inside the other person's shoes and try to understand them, rather than insisting on being understood. The peacemaker is blessed and will inherit the earth.

Giving Your All For Christ

Hebrews 12:1-3--- Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

The picture that the author is painting is of a great arena. The faithful who have died in Christ are occupying the stands. You and I are still here on the track running our race, staying in our lanes. The Greek runners ran in the nude so as not to be hindered by their clothing, but we seem to have all kinds of things on us. We carry some of the things of our past life, the life before we came to Christ. We need to drop it all and run! Keep your eyes on our hero and role model, Jesus. Look at the amazing race He ran. If that doesn't inspire you to drop everything and run, nothing will. He fixed His eyes on the joy of seeing you transformed. With that vision, He was able to finish His run on a shameful cross. That was the victory tape. When He burst through He found Himself the winner of all time, seated at the right hand of the throne of God. That is where we need to keep our eyes. When the race gets tough when you are tired and tempted to just give up, look at Jesus. What a race He ran! What a victory He won! He started you on this race, and He will help you finish it.

A Relationship With God Changes Our View Of Life

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 9-10---Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Solomon set his heart to find the meaning of life. He tried pleasure of all kinds. He tried to find satisfaction in wealth, in building projects, and in increasing his great wisdom. In the end, he concluded it was meaningless. A million men had come and gone before him, and nothing had changed. He grieved over the fact that those men are not remembered nor would he be. We don't know what Solomon looked like. We can't know him personally. All we have are a few pages of history and some of his sayings of wisdom. Is that all there is to life? He had the wisdom to see that everything that is promoted as new is just a different face on an old product. A man still tries to find pleasure in the same things he looked to millenniums ago. He'll still be seeking the same things tomorrow. What Solomon in all His wisdom did not see was the coming of Jesus. Though the promise was made to his father, and though as the son of David he was a foreshadowing type of Christ, he did not see his descendant would be the Messiah. Could he have said that all is meaningless if he knew God was going to show us how to live and die through the sacrifice that makes us fit for heaven? To seek the things of the world and personal satisfaction is always meaningless. To come into a relationship with your Creator and find His purpose for your existence is filled with eternal significance. Solomon knew we were to fear God and keep His commands, for there would come a day of judgment. What he missed was a deepening daily relationship with that God, which lays up treasures in heaven that do not perish.

Lord, Increase My Faith

Hebrews 11:1-3---Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Faith, it is a difficult thing to describe. The Bible's definition is to be sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This chapter in Hebrews goes on to give us numerous examples of faith demonstrated in the lives of people in Scripture. The introduction to the chapter says that the possession of this sureness and certainty is what made the lives of the saints commendable. We often think that great deeds done are the reason that God would approve of a life, but this passage says it is the source of the deeds, faith. One could have faith and not have opportunity to express it, such as the thief on the cross next to Jesus. In most cases, faith expresses itself in unusual action that the world considers crazy or worthless. What has your faith motivated you to do that made no sense to the world? What is it motivating you to do today? The first illustration of faith is creation. How was the universe formed? Honest science says there is more than the forces we understand at work. Faith simply reads the Word of God and declares that God said it and it was. Science must declare matter to be eternal for it is a "scientific" fact that nothing comes from nothing. Faith says matter came from the Creator. Which takes more "faith"? If everything you see was formed at God's command, what does your faith tell you of the hope of sanctification and heaven? Is it any easier for God to speak universes into existence than it is for Him to bring you to heaven perfected in body, soul, and spirit? (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Faith declares, "God said it, and I believe it." It is being sure of our hope, and certain of what we can't see. God can finish the work He started, crowning His creation with purified believers.

Prayer: Lord, increase my faith. Help me have the certainty that You will finish the work You started in me.

Being In A Fellowship Of Believers

Hebrews 10:25, 35-36---Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

It is an epidemic in the church today. The worldly attitude of not being bothered has found a place in the hearts of many Christians. Stay at home Christians probably outnumber those that worship together. For many, it began when they were offended by something that happened where they found fellowship. It may have been a pastor that was immoral, an accountant that cheated, or power struggle that got ugly. Instead of realizing that flesh had gained one small victory, they counted the war for encouraging fellowship lost. Instead of striving all the more to make that fellowship strong and safe, they retreat to the comfort and predictability of their home. "I can watch a TV preacher." It was a problem in the first century also, (minus the TV) because people are prone to sin. Fellowship isn't safe! Neither is God! God and the fellowship of believers will challenge you, test you, and change you. We need that to grow and mature. Instead of allowing the trials and tests to grow us, we often retreat to our cave and hole up so that our heart won't be hurt again. That is the way of stagnation. There is a fellowship of believers that needs you, and you need a fellowship of believers. The trials will strengthen and grow you. If you aren't in a fellowship of believers now, ask yourself why. Don't throw away your confidence in what God can do in you and through your brothers and sisters in Christ. Stick it out! Pray it through. Be a part of the positive, encouraging transformation of your local fellowship. God has promised to bless you for it. The author of these verses warned us that as we approach the Lord's return, it is all the more necessary to meet together for encouragement. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Consider: How can I encourage others where I fellowship?