I like to pride myself on being a glass half-full kind of guy. You know, one who is always optimistic, looking at the bright side of things. Upbeat and positive.

Unfortunately, as I have stepped back and looked at myself I realized that lately, more often than not, I actually tend to lean towards the negative. I find I often complain about things and lament how they could have been better or different.

It was a discouraging revelation and something I that greatly disappoints me about myself. Although I have started to consciously work on being more positive and appreciative it’s been hard to make it a habit.

I was reminded of a Psalm that is helping me change my focus to be more grateful. In Psalm 103 David gives a lot to think about.

In verses 1 and 2 he wrote, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits.”

What a challenge! Instead of thinking of what I don’t have or want, to think about all the benefits the Lord has given me.

From salvation to heaven to friends and family, health, a job in this economy, a country where I’m not persecuted, life and breath and a lot of stuff I don’t really need but sure enjoy. And that’s not even the tip of the iceberg!

That in its self could take hours to sit and contemplate but in verses 3 through 12 David goes on to list some of the benefits he remembers and is thankful for.

“Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. He will not always strive with us; Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

David brings up several things that are overwhelming to think about. One main point is all my sins and how God deals with them.

As I sin and refuse to confess it God disciplines me. But He only does it as long and until I turn back to Him. Unlike me He doesn’t hold a grudge or keep account of past offenses. He is eager and quick to pardon me.

If God did deal with me according to even a fraction of my sins it would be unbearable. But when I confess them, because of His lovingkindness, He forgives them and totally forgets them! “As far as the east is from the west” is a great word picture!

Horatio Spafford, in his beloved hymn It Is Well With My Soul, put it this way;
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

How easy it is for me to focus on the negative instead of remembering I have a lot in my life that is praiseworthy, a lot of good things (shall I say Great things), that I often take for granted but should regularly reflect on.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

For my job I drive about 600-700 miles per week. I’ve done this now for several years and only got one ticket, which wasn’t really my fault. The city had a lot of road construction, they were changing the downtown area from two way to one way streets, and I’m sure I had the right to turn in front of that police office.

But I digress . . .

With all that driving you see a lot of situations. People pulling in front of you when they’re too close, others veering into your lane because they are distracted, some cutting you off or taking the right of way even though they’re in the wrong.

And although I talk on the phone a lot while driving (yes I do use a headset) there are many people who clearly can’t talk and chew gum let alone steer a moving vehicle.

Early on I would often get upset with people when they did something stupid. It wasn’t road rage or profanity, but I did master several ways to let them know what an idiot they were.

One day someone did a rolling stop through a stop sign, barely seeing me as he turn ahead of me into the lane, and as I thought about how foolish he was I remembered I had done something similar just a couple days before.

When I did it, though, it was fully understandable because I was in a new city where I didn’t know the roads and was late to an appointment, or so I rationalized.

I thought back on the situation and recalled hoping for a little grace on the other driver’s part knowing it isn’t the way I normally drive.

Since then when someone makes a driving error near me, instead of being quick to point out their mistake I remember how I have done something similar or imagine what might be going through their mind and give them some grace.

This week I had several opportunities to give “driving grace” to people. I was reminded of the words Jesus said in Matthew 7:12 commonly referred to as the Golden Rule. “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Or, as it is more familiarly quoted, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I remember several years ago thinking, if people are suppose to treat me the way they want to be treated then I can just treat them the same way and it’s okay.

But that’s not how it works.

How do I want to be treated when I arrive later than I said I would?

How much grace do I want when I say something without thinking or unintentionally use words that offend?

When I’m short and snap at someone, what amount of forgiveness, grace and understanding do I desire?

That’s how I should respond to someone else in similar situations.

God has called me to a higher standard. Regardless of how others treat me in any given situation, I must respond to them in the right way, in the way I want to be treated.

That’s what’s on my heart this week.

Mark

Several years ago I started playing golf and decided to take lessons. During the weeks I took lessons and for a while thereafter my game improved. But, since I didn’t play that often, I quickly forgot what I learned and my play deteriorated.

Looking at how I play now you would never guess I have much of an understanding of the game. Since I took lessons I should know better. I often chuckle as I’m playing when that verse comes to mind, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

I realize applying that verse to my golf game is taking it way out of context. It just reminds me that I should play better since I was once taught the right way.

This little scenario ran through my mind again this week as I came across Jesus’ parable about the houses built on rock and sand.

He said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.

“And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27

How often, I thought, do I hear God’s Word, whether from a message at church or on the radio, as I read the Bible or some devotional book, and yet don’t act on what I have heard?

Sure the messages are nice and I glean something from them, but how much do I make it a point to put what I’ve learned into practice?

And for that matter, with what I already know from God’s Word and His direction in my life, how much of that do I make a regular habit in my life?

I definitely want to stand strong when the floods come and the winds blow and I get buffeted by all kinds of things. Jesus said the way to do this is to hear, read, study His Word and act upon it. That’s the only way I can be strong.

When I don’t act on it, like my golf lessons, I forget it and it is no longer are there for me to use and rely on. And that’s when I collapse under the weight, stress and strain of life.

If I take this and look at it in reverse order, when I see myself not holding up under the pressures of life then I have to draw the natural conclusion I either haven’t been in the Word enough (so I can act on it) or I’m clearly not putting into practice what I am learning from Scripture.

James makes this even more pointed when he wrote, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (1:22)

He almost adds insult to injury when he says if I don’t act on what I read or learn I am simply lying to myself. I’m telling myself I’m a strong Christian, that I can stand the storms of life, that I’m growing in my spiritual life and yet if I’m not doing what I’m learning in the Word then I’m simply deluded!

Jesus and James aren’t encouraging me not to be in the Word since then I wouldn’t know what it says so I wouldn’t be accountable to put it into practice. Their exhortation is to be in the Word a lot, to study and learn all I can of what it says but then to make sure I’m applying it and living it.

My golf game may never get any better. But my attitudes, desires and actions need to continue improving, becoming more and more like Christ’s. That way I can be strong, I can withstand the “rains, floods and winds” of life.

Being in the Word is extremely important, but acting on what I learn is equally vital if I want to develop more and more in my spiritual life. And that’s a choice I have to make moment by moment throughout my day.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

Doctor Henry Lawson (aka Hank) is a rising star in the New York City medical community, until he loses everything fighting for the life of a patient. With his career stalled and his personal life in shambles, Hank is in need of a new beginning. Fed up with Hank’s personal pity-party, his younger brother Evan convinces him to go on a last-minute trip to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend.

When the brothers crash a party at the home of a Hamptons billionaire and a guest falls critically ill, Hank saves the day. His dramatic medical rescue draws attention from the crowd, and soon Hank’s phone starts ringing off the hook with other billionaire patients demanding house calls.

This TV series, called Royal Pains, gives a glimpse of the lives of the fabulously wealthy. Their cars, lifestyles, extravagance, parties and other opulence they take for granted we average people can’t relate to.

One of the aspects of their lives is their staff of servants that are always in attendance. Waiting on their beckon call, trying to anticipate their every need and desire, working quietly in the back ground taking care of the routine and mundane.

I thought about this as I came across two passages this week in the Old Testament.

The first was II Samuel 11. This is the passage where David commits adultery with Bathsheba. David tries to cover up her pregnancy by having her husband Uriah come home from the battle, assuming he would sleep with his wife and the child would be considered Uriah’s.

Uriah chose not to stay with her so David had to devise a plan to get rid of him. Verses 14-17 tell us, “Now it came about in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he had written in the letter, saying, “Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.” So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. And the men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.”

The other passage that coupled with this in my mind was in II Kings 14. Here Absalom, one of David’s sons, seeks and audience with Joab, David’s main military leader and close confidant. Joab continues to refuse to see him so Absalom takes drastic action.

We pick up the story at that point, “Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come. Therefore he said to his servants, ‘See, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.’ So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, ‘Why have your servants set my field on fire?’” (verses 29-31)

Although much can be said about the morality and wrongness of the choices by David and Absalom in these verses, what stood out in my mind were the actions of their servants.

Joab, David’s main military leader, willingly followed his king’s command and placed one of his top men in harms way so he would be murdered by the enemy. Absalom’s servants obeyed their master and set the barley field on fire. Although Joab and Absalom’s servants knew what they were doing was wrong, yet because they were commanded to do it by their master they still obeyed.

The analogy that struck me is how I, as a servant of the Lord, should be just as quick to do what He directs without question, grumbling or complaining. Fortunately the Lord never asks me to do something wrong, sinful or immoral. His commands are only and always for the best. The best for me and anyone else impacted by what He directs me to do. But even though I know this I still chaff at times.

Right now in my life there are things the Lord is having me deal with, work through, accept and even wants me to be grateful for. I’m not handling it very well. I find myself becoming frustrated, upset, critical and negative. I feel He is being unfair and unjust. Why should I have to put up with this?

Then I just “happen” to come across theses passages depicting the attitude of a real servant.

Although the Lord calls us his friends (John 15) I am still to regard myself as His humble servant, or as Romans 6 call me, His slave.

“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (verses 16-18)

Am I His slave? Am I His bond-servant as Paul (Titus 1:1), Peter (II Peter 1:1) and James (James 1:1) call themselves?

If so, then I must choose to yield my will, and my attitude, to His leading and direction. I must accept what He has happening in my life as the humble servant of a loving Master.

It doesn’t come easy, at least for me. The events and circumstances in my life are still there, but it’s up to me to willingly accept it with a good and positive spirit or be upset about it and let the frustration continue to build.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

A couple nights ago I watched the movie Defiance. It is a true story about Jews in the early 1940’s who hid from the Germans in the woods for several years in order to avoid being sent to concentration camps or killed.

At first there were only a handful of people who gathered to seek refuge in the forest but the number eventually swelled to over 1,200. They built shelters with branches, cooked meals with food they scavenged or stole, only eating about every other day, and tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy while being vigilant to avoid enemy soldiers.

At one particular point in the movie they assembled for the Rabbi to pray. Although the prayer was not verbatim from a prayer offered by the actual Jews hiding in the Russian woods, it seemed to me it undoubtedly depicted their sentiment.

What he said was, “God, we do not want to be your chosen ones any more. Please take back Your choice of Abraham and his descendants as Your people. If this is how we are to be treated we no longer want to be Your favored nation.”

As I watched the movie I reflected on the opportunity I had to be in Israel several years ago. I thought about the Holocaust Museum we walked through with all the pictures and videos of the atrocities of World War II. I remembered our tour guide who spoke very little about the war but did mention his involvement and time in a prison camp. He shared how his wife as a girl lived with her family in a cellar during that time, only coming out for fresh air at night and not seeing the sun for over a year.

The Jews are God’s people. Whether they desire to be or not they still are and He won’t reject them. This is seen throughout Scripture but a few passages that remind us of it are:

I Samuel 12:22 “For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.”

Psalm 89:31-37 “If they violate My statutes, And do not keep My commandments, Then I will visit their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. His descendants shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful.”

Jeremiah 33:25, 26, “Thus says the Lord, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.’”

Romans 11:1, 2a “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. . .”

Two things weigh on my heart as I think about this.

The first is we need to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. . . ” Psalm 122:6

We must pray for the nation of Israel. Lift its leaders to the Lord, ask for protection from their enemies and for wisdom as they work out the peace accord with the nations around them.

Second we must pray for our nation and our leaders.

We read in Genesis 12 where God told Abraham (then called Abram) to leave his people and start a new nation which would be His special people.

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (verses 1-3)

I believe God’s statement to Abraham several thousand years ago still applies today. Nations that bless Israel God blesses and those who curse them are cursed by Him.

The U.S. has always been one of Israel’s strongest allies and we have seen God’s continued blessing as a result. It appears, however, we are starting to go soft on our support of Israel and I believe this will be catastrophic if we do.

I heard a sound clip today of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s answer when asked if there would be retaliation if Israel were attacked. She said, “I don’t think there is any doubt in anyone’s mind that were Israel to suffer a nuclear attack by Iran, there would be retaliation.”

The questioner followed up with, “By the United States?”

Her reply was, “Well, I think there would be retaliation” without committing our country to stand strongly with Israel as we have in the past.

Although we Christians have a special place in the eternal plan, the Jews are and always will be God’s chosen ones. We need to pray for the regularly and often. We also need to consistently and fervently pray that our nation stays strong as Israel’s ally. God’s blessing on our country depends on it.

That’s what’s on my heart this week.
Mark

Imagine being dropped in the middle of a jungle to live for three weeks with very little food and only the absolute bare necessities. To some that sounds wonderful. To me, not wonderful. Definitely not wonderful!

I’m A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here! is a summer reality show where celebrities (or almost celebrities) experience this to win money for their favorite charity.

I would much rather be on Celebrity Apprentice if it were me.

To get real food to eat these celebrities have to win various challenges. The team that wins the competition dines on a fine cut of meat or fish, fruit and vegetables while the losing team eats rice and beans.

Some of the challenges are physical endurance contests. Others include eating the tail of a rat or trying to get something out of a hole where they can hear and feel their hand being chewed on by mice. They must really love their charity!

In between the challenges they show what goes on in “camp” as the celebs try to deal with their isolated surroundings and each other. Needless to say boredom reigns, personalities clash and tempers flare.

One such clash came between John Salley (former NBA star) and Janice Dickinson (former supermodel). John seems to be very helpful. Besides carrying her backpack along with his own the 3 hour hike into camp, he helped Janice (as well as others) in many ways. She, on the other hand, seemed to take advantage of his goodness and didn’t reciprocate by helping John or the others.

The straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back was when he asked to use her shampoo. She refused and a profane verbal battle ensued (words bleeped because it is on TV). It sounds petty but after several days in the jungle being sleep deprived, eaten by all kinds of bugs and getting very little food it didn’t take much to snap.

A little later after things cooled down John and a few of the guys discussed what happened. In his defense he said, “I will give and give and give, but if you try to take from me, that’s when I get upset.”

What he was saying is, as long as I can be the one choosing what and when I give it’s okay, but if you want to decide what I give then I get real upset.

Unfortunately that statement really resonated in my heart.

What struck me is how often I find if I am in control of what is given, how it is given and how much is given, I’m okay. I can do it with a good heart and positive spirit.

But let someone take something from me I am not wanting or ready to give, watch out! A good heart and positive spirit are not what’s going to come out.

James encourages us to be honest with ourselves when he wrote, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.” (3:14)

His challenge is that I acknowledge that part in myself that wants to control things. The bitter jealousy that wants to keep things unless and until I want to give them to someone. The selfish ambition inside me that wants to be the one calling the shots.

Clearly we are not to let people abuse us and we are to provide for our families (I Timothy 5:8). But we are also instructed to not be so tight fisted with what God has given us that He isn’t able to give it to others for their use if He desires.

Jobs attitude after he lost everything is to be ours. In Job 1:21 we read, “And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Whether it’s one of my possessions, my reputation or even my family, it all belongs to God. He gave it, He can take it away. Either way, His name is too blessed.

I have to constantly keep in mind that it’s all His and I am simply His steward. He has a right to do anything He pleases.

I must admit I really struggle with this.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.

Mark

This Sunday we will look at Ezekiel 38 and 39 which address God and Magog and describe God driving the armies from the north down to attack Israel.

Looking at these chapters it’s not exactly clear when this will happen. Some say it will take place just before or right at the beginning of the Tribulation and is the reason the Jews sign the covenant with the Anti-Christ. Others equate it with the Gog and Magog referred to at the end of the Millennium in Revelation 20:8.

I personally think it will happen just before the middle of the Tribulation and will lead to the Anti-Christ committing the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15.

As you study prophecy what’s interesting is how much information we are given and how much is left out. It seems God wants us to know general things with some specifics but definitely not all the details.

Jesus actually commented on this idea at the beginning of the book of Acts.

After His death and resurrection the disciples were eager to know how things would unfold. In 1:6 we read, “And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Seems like a reasonable question.

True to form Jesus didn’t give them a direct answer. “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority’” (1:7)

Jesus tells them that exact times and all the specific details of future events won’t be revealed. I think His underlying statement is, “Even though it’s important to study and understand end times information, don’t be so fixated on future events that you forget to do what is more important.”

He goes on in the next verse to explain what that is. Verse 8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Notice the two “you shall’s.” These are what He says we should be most concerned about.

First, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . .”

Of primary importance, Jesus says, is understanding and utilizing the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Oswald Chambers states it this way, “It is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit that changes people, but the power of the ascended Christ coming into their lives through the Holy Spirit.”

Each of us who have accepted Jesus as Savior has the Holy Spirit living in us. He is there to guide, strengthen and work in us to make us more spiritually mature and Christ-like.

In Galatians 5:22-24 we are given some of areas the Spirit seeks to cultivate in our life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

He also brings to us and develops in us supernatural love. It is described in I Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

The second aspect the Lord said is important is “you shall by my witnesses.”

It’s true we are to be witnesses by regularly telling others about salvation through Jesus’ death. But it’s more than that.

As I understand the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life and let Him work as He desires then the evidence of His fruit and love will become clearly seen by those around me. They will see it in my attitudes, words, actions and desires.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

As fun and interesting as it is to study Bible prophecy, or other favorite scriptural topics, I need to come back and ask myself how I’m doing in the two areas Jesus said “you shall” be working on.

Am I growing in my awareness of the Holy Spirit in my life and allowing Him access to more and more areas of my life? And am I letting His work and presence in me affect how I relate to others so I am an effective witness not only with my words but also with my actions?

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.

Daniel said, ‘I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.

The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.

And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, “Arise, devour much meat!”

After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.’” Daniel 7:1-7

As we study prophecy this is one of the passages that loom large in helping unlock our understanding of future events. What Daniel saw in his vision was almost all future to him. To us it’s mostly ancient history. But the part still unfulfilled gives us background and clarity of the man of sin – aka – the anti-Christ.

The vision God gave Daniel was of the four successive Gentile world powers. This also corresponds to Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in Daniel chapter 2.

At the time of the vision the known world was controlled by Babylon, seen as the lion. The bear representing the Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon and extended the empire even farther. Alexander the Great led Greece, represented here by the leopard, to defeat Medo-Persia.

Incidentally God used the leopard with its speed to represent Greece since its dominion was extremely aggressive and quick. Alexander was only 33 when he finished his conquest. He died shortly after that and his kingdom was divided and given to his four top generals (hence the four heads of the vision).

The last beast represented Rome which came almost out of nowhere to vanquish Greece and extend the world domination to its furthest point. The image of the iron teeth and crushing, devouring and trampling down clearly depicted the way Rome moved across Europe and Asia, ruthlessly annihilating the opposing armies.

As I studied these versed this week in preparation for class this Sunday I was brought back again to God’s omniscience (all knowing) and omnipotence (all powerful).

The supposed psychics of today make great claims about being able to tell the future. But generally their predictions are often so vague (there will be a great calamity in 2009, etc.) that any one of a number of things could be seen as fulfilling them.

God, on the other hand, years before these empires were ever known, not only identified who they were and that they would be world powers, but He also gave specific information about them so we can be sure they are exactly the ones He predicted.

God not only declared the end from the beginning (omniscience) but also has the power (omnipotence) to make happen what He desires.

In Isaiah 46:9-10 we read, “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’”

This brought me back (for the umpteenth time) to remember how God is aware of and in control of things in my life. Nothing slips by His notice. Nothing comes into my life He hasn’t ordained or isn’t being used for my ultimate and eternal good.

I still am responsible for my choice and actions but I can assuredly look at things in my life and with confidence say God knows what is going on and He is strong enough to help me handle it.

Prophecy is fun and interesting to study. But its greatest value is when I step back and realize how much it tells me about God’s awareness of the details in my life.

That’s what’s on my heart this week.
Mark

I have a tendency to be selfish.

I see this in many areas of my life. When there’s a line, I want to be at the front. When there’s cake or pie, I want the biggest piece. When I’m in competition, I want to win and if I don’t have a chance to win I’d often rather not play.

I have been working on controlling this though and over the last while it seems I’ve been doing a good job handling it, with the Holy Spirit’s power of course. I see more unselfishness than selfishness in my words and actions and have been pleased with my progress.

I was pleased, that is, until I read again what Paul wrote in Philippians 1:19-25.

He said, “For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

“But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.

“And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.”

In a time of reflection Paul muses, if it were up to him, which would he prefer to go to heaven or stay and live on here on earth?

If he died, that would be great! He would finally get to be with His Lord and Savior in Heaven. What could be more wonderful than that?

On the other hand if he remained he could continue to share the gospel and help others in their spiritual lives.

To put his thinking in perspective remember as he writes this he is imprisoned in Rome. Also, think back on all he endured over the years as he served the Lord.

In II Corinthians 11:24-27 Paul gave a rare personal glimpse of what he faced in order to preach the gospel and strengthen believers.

“Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

“I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

Paul’s thought about the two options wasn’t a choice between a good life and a better one. It was between staying on earth with more abuse, affliction, hardship and heartache and going to heaven with freedom from pain and suffering and eternal bliss.

Notice what he said at the end of the Philippian passage, “to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.”

He said if he had to choose he would rather stay since it would be of more benefit to them. He was more concerned about their good in spite of the impact on his life and the trouble he would experience.

What an amazing way of thinking! My personal benefit, happiness and convenience are to take second place to the support, encouragement and help of others.

Or as Paul states to these same Philippian believers in 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;”

This type of thinking, this putting others first, this not making my convenience and comfort primary in my life is to be a core part of my Christian life. It is to be such a part of me that selfishness isn’t even a consideration.

That’s what struck me as I read the Philippians 1 passage earlier this week. I think I’m doing so well because at times when I feel my self-centeredness rear its ugly head at times I choose to ignore it and think of others. Boy have I set a low standard!

The standard, the expectation, the norm should be that I’m always thinking of others. I’m always putting them and their needs first. I am so letting the Holy Spirit control me it’s a natural part of my mind, words and actions to look out for their best interests. And along with that I’m not looking for praise or acknowledgement when I do it!

It’s a tall order, but I think it’s clearly what’s expected.

How am I doing with my selfishness? Compared to this standard, I’ve got a long ways to go!

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.

Mark

As I have been studying to teach the End Times something stood out to me I hadn’t thought of before.

In Revelation 12 we read “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (vss. 7-9)

Over in chapter 20 we are told, “And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed . . .” (vss. 1-3)

The scene in chapter 12 is at the mid point of the Tribulation when Satan and his demons are cast to earth. From the beginning of time when they rebelled until this point they have had access to heaven where they accuse the saints. (Rev. 12:10) When they are thrown down they are bound to earth and lose the right to go heaven.

In chapter 20 we see how at Christ’s return to earth Satan (and evidently his demons) is bound and thrown into the abyss (aka the bottomless pit). Because of this they are not able to deceive, attack, possess or otherwise influence mankind for 1,000 years.

What struck me about both of these is why didn’t God do this before? Wouldn’t it be great if Satan wasn’t able to accuse us night and day before the Father? Imagine what life would be like if he weren’t around to influence the world for evil and hinder God’s work for good.

It’s not that God doesn’t think of it before the end of time since Revelation was written over 2,000 years and God is eternal so already He knows everything all the time. Nor is it that He isn’t powerful enough yet but thanks to a great exercise routine He’s able to bulk up enough to finally do it.

Then why not do it sooner? Why wait until the end?

The main reason I came up with is God is letting things run their course until the point that He steps in and handles Satan. He could have done either of these things anytime He chose right from the beginning but He will hold off because He knows there are things that need to take place, many behind the scenes, which set the stage for His work and His plan.

This is something God has done through out history.

In the mid-300’s B.C. God gave Alexander the Great the ability to conquer the known world. After that God empowered Rome to be the super power of the world.

Neither of these empires was God fearing. As a matter of fact many of the leaders felt they were god and expected to be worshipped as such. Their tactics were brutal and often inhumane and they had a blatant disregard for the lives of those they conquered.

But God was at work behind the scenes even in allowing these godless, nefarious nations to rule.

As Alexander conquered nations he forced them to learn the Greek language. As a result there was a common language throughout that whole region. With Rome’s dominance came the improvement of travel and ease of trade.

As much as the Jews hated to be under the control of outside nations, God used it to accomplish His ultimate purpose.

Joe Stowell in Our Daily Bread writes, “Jesus’ arrival during the Roman Empire’s Pax Romana (the peace of Rome) was perfect timing. The known world was united by one language of commerce. A network of global trade routes provided open access to the whole world. All of this guaranteed that the gospel could move rapidly in one tongue. No visas. No impenetrable borders. Only unhindered access to help spread the news of the Savior whose crucifixion fulfilled the prophecy of the Lamb who would be slain for our sins (Isa. 53).”

The point that struck me in all this is that this is exactly what God is still doing today. He is always at work doing things to accomplish His will and plan both in my life and in those around me. Much of what He does, however, I am not privy to. I don’t see it nor understand it.

At times I get upset at how things are going. They don’t make sense, they’re definitely not working out as I want and plan.

What this has brought me back to remember is that God is at work behind the scenes. It’s not that He might be it’s that He is. He always is.

God tells us in Isaiah 55:8, 9, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’”

As I look at whatever is going on in my life I realize God is strong enough to step in and get rid of it. But thinking about Greece and Rome in the past and Satan in the future has reminded me that a big reason He doesn’t step in is He is at work in ways I may never see or understand but always works to accomplish His ultimate best.

I just have to be patient and trust Him!
Mark