The Death of John the Baptist

 Matt. 14:10, 13
 And he (Herod) sent, and beheaded John in the prison… When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart…

The death of John the Baptist did not take Jesus by surprise; it was planned from the beginning of time that John would give his life for the Kingdom of God. He blazed the trail, prepared the way for the plan of salvation. Like Jesus, John was just a man in his 30s. Surely God could have given him more years and used him to spread the news. But, even John said, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” The impact of John’s death did not go unnoticed. As a man, Jesus desired to get away into the desert and possibly remember John and go to His Father and pray. Even though Jesus knew that John would die, He bore the burden of John’s death.  It is sad when someone dies at an early age, it is natural to ask “Why?” We contemplate all the possibilities and ask God to use such a tragedy for His purpose. Go to your desert place and pour your heart out to the one who knows your sorrow and pain, and trust Him in all things

Through the Eyes of Grace

 1 Thess 5:15
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

The old saying, “I don’t get mad, I get even” is what Paul was referring to when he wrote down the word, see that none renders evil for evil. The human reaction to being wrong is to strike back. That is the carnal and natural man's response, but the spiritual man sees people through the eyes of grace, and follows that which is good. “Do good to those who persecute you.” The words of Christ, as He preached on the Sermon on the Mount. Turning the cheek towards those that despise and hate you because you stand for truth and seek to live as Christ lives is made possible because the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to love and forgive. This is not to say that we should not defend ourselves and our family from being hurt, but when situations are out of our control, we trust God to take care of us. Most people render evil because they have hate in their heart and sin causes them to hurt others. It is the grace of God that is able to change this heart, and we are the light of the world to show others there is another way to live. We can live to show love and kindness to all men, even in times when evil is being rendered to us.

Here Am I

 Exodus 3:4
God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here Am I.

It has been said that God does not want your money, He wants you! If He has you, then He has everything you possess, including your money. Some people are OK with just giving their money, but are not willing to say, “Here Am I.” When Jesus asked the rich young ruler to sell all he had and follow Him, He did not ask to give all his money to the synagogue, but wanted the heart of the rich young ruler. Yes, the young man was sad because He was not willing to sell out completely to the will of God. The call of God is made for every man, woman and child to listen to the voice and God to heed and do His will. When we say, “Here Am I”, we are surrendering everything to Him. The songwriter writes “All of my ambitions, hopes and plans I surrender into your hands.” This is the response that God desires to hear. Are we willing to open our hearts and say, “Here Am I”

In My Old Age

 Titus 2:2

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience

How ironic that on my 62nd birthday this scripture was highlighted in verse of the day in Gateway. I often don’t read the scripture of the day, but did today. I don't know if I am considered to be an “aged man”, but I am no longer a young man in my prime. With age comes experience, and with experience hopefully some wisdom. Learning from successes and failures, we learn that it is often best to wait and see how God is moving, staying steadfast in our faith that God is in control. He orders the steps of a good man and keeps him in the way of righteousness. The influence of our life trickles down to our children and grandchildren. The impact we make may never be known in our lifetime, but let it be said of me that my faith was sound, and that I demonstrated love and patience towards others.

We are Pressed Out

 2 Corinth 1:8
…we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

Paul despaired of his physical life. He was spent and exhausted from the physical abuse he was enduring because of proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God who the Jews put to death. He was a wanted man who stood up to the religious leaders of his day. Most of us who live in the US aren’t facing physical persecution. That day may some day come, but we still live in the land of the free, a country that, for the most part, allows us to believe in Christ. The persecution and pressure we face today is the battle of truth. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to stand for the truth of God’s word without being called a bigot, racist, or narrow-minded. The pressure is on to conform to the philosophy of this world. To adapt to the anti-God culture of the woke ideology. Christians are faced with ridicule and are called haters if they dare to stand for the truth of God’s word. In times like these, we need to call on God to give us strength and wisdom to face problems with love and grace. Even when under pressure, we can show the love of God in a messed up world.

Find Knowledge

 Proverbs 2:4,5
If you will seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;… Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God… Then you will understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity..

Wisdom is to be able to apply knowledge in making the right decisions. God’s Word is full of knowledge and instruction. It is applicable to our day and our culture. Society and cultures are often based on traditions and are influenced by trends and fashions that are made popular through the media and people of influence. Time and changing cultures do not change the truth of God’s Word of living right. The moral commandments of God are still truth and pierce through every age and geographical culture across the world. Lying, stealing, coveting, killing, sexual immorality, profanity, and making gods unto oneself are still sins, regardless of the accepted lifestyles in our day.

Speak with Grace

 Colossians 4:6
 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Talking to people about Jesus can feel uncomfortable. People in our day and culture are weary of those who push their religion on others. We live in a country where we have access to a vast amount of knowledge and people’s ideas and beliefs are widespread. Anyone who is vocal about their faith is looked upon as fanatical or a religious freak. As believers in Christ, we are admonished to share the gospel of Christ. To let others know of the grace of God through Christ, who is able to bring real meaning and purpose into our lives. There are those who find it easy to turn every conversation into a spiritual one. I believe such is a gift that God gives. It is true that our lives speak louder than our words, but the words we speak tell the story of the life we live. We must stay alert to the opportunities God gives up to speak of the Grace of God. How important it is that our conversation always be seasoned with the salt of kindness and gentleness. As often as we interact with the world in business and social relationships, let us always remember that we are our ambassadors for Christ and witnesses to the life He has called us.