I don’t know about you, but this is a question I always have a difficult time answering. It seems God is constantly revealing to me the hidden treasures of His Word through the most unlikely verses, and so it’s not uncommon for my favorite Scripture to change on a monthly, or sometimes even a weekly, basis. With that said, rather than trying to pin down one verse and calling it my favorite, I want to give you a list of four verses that have proven especially influential in my own life.

“The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:”

                           -Deuteronomy 7:7

While this verse doesn’t necessarily answer the question “Why me?” that we so often ask ourselves, it does clear up any misconception that it was because we were something special. In Israel’s case, they were not chosen because they had impressed God or because they were a great multitude of people; in our case, it wasn’t because we had earned God’s favor or because we had anything great to offer Him. It is for this reason that Paul wrote, “…by grace are ye saved.” (Ephesians 2:8)

“Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.”

                  -Psalm 10:14

Most of you don’t know this about me, but I come from a broken home. About three years ago my life was turned upside down, and yet this is a verse that brought comfort to me countless times when nothing else could. Whether you are without a father, a mother, a healer, or a friend, know today that God can be whatever it is you have need of (Philippians 4:19). He can be your helper in a way that nobody else ever could.

“Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.”

                       -Deuteronomy 23:5

It’s amazing to me when I look back over the most difficult times of my life and see how God was able to bring good out of a situation that seemed completely hopeless at the time. I know now that if I hadn’t experienced some of those trials I most likely wouldn’t even been saved today, and perhaps wouldn’t be here at all. God’s love for Israel moved Him to turn their curse into a blessing, and I know that, if you let Him, He’ll do the same for you.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

        -Romans 8:1

Obviously I wouldn’t base the URL of this blog on a verse that didn’t have a very special place in my heart. When I remember the bondage of sin that used to weigh me down and then consider the freedom I now have in Christ, a sense of joy fills my soul that couldn’t possibly be described in a blog post. When the devil, the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), brings up our past sins to the Lord, I can imagine our heavenly Father answering, "Sin? I see no sin when I look on my child. He is without condemnation." Truly, there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

So what about you? What Scriptures has God used to encourage, motivate, and uplift you when nothing else seemed to do the trick? Leave a comment and let me know, as I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to read your story. Whether it’s one verse or even a whole chapter, I always love reading how God speaks to others through verses I myself might have been overlooking.

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

                      -I Corinthians 9:27

Paul was a busy man. He was constantly preaching the Gospel (I Corinthians 9:16), traveling to new places (Galatians 1:21; 2:1), and doing his best to encourage those he’d already converted by writing numerous epistles to churches throughout the region. He had such great responsibility that it’s amazing he had time for anything but the ministry and yet, in this passage, we find he was very aware of the fact that his own spirituality could not afford to be neglected in his efforts to bless others. His point was simple: what good would it accomplish if he disqualified himself from the race he was telling others they needed to run? 

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

           -Mark 8:36

So many times our circumstances make it difficult for us to spend more than a little time each day in personal, 1 on 1 time with God. It’s hardest when these distractions come in the form of ministry opportunities and obligations (or sometimes perceived obligations) to others. Whether it’s a sermon to prepare, a prayer meeting to organize, or even a blog post to write, it’s easy to forget about the fact that, when you’re constantly pouring yourself into the lives of those around you, you must take the time to be refilled yourself. Truthfully, if we do as the disciples did and “forget to take bread” (Matthew 16:5), we simply won’t have the strength to feed anybody else.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

             -1 Corinthians 9:24

While I’ve never really been involved in racing, I know from my limited observation of the sport that, when you’re disqualified, you’re no longer allowed onto the track. You can’t come up behind a struggling contestant and urge him or her to keep going; you’ve lost your platform and are confined to watching helplessly from the sidelines. Likewise, being able to minister successfully requires that we ourselves stay in the race so we will be able to help those without strength keep moving forward and, eventually, cross the finish line. Are you in good shape?

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

             -Psalm 55:17

One of the most important decisions you can make as a Christian is to develop a personal and intimate relationship with God by spending time in prayer and Bible study each day. This should go far beyond praying over your meals or sitting quietly while your mom or dad reads from the Bible before bedtime, but actually involve you making a serious and voluntary effort to draw closer to the Lord (James 4:8).

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

           -Daniel 6:10

According to the experts, approximately 10% of what we hear sticks with us. With this in mind, I discovered that even if you attended church every Sunday of your life for 78 years (the average lifespan), you would still only absorb about 17 days worth of preaching. By contrast, the average person will spend at least 64,000 hours, or 7.4 years, watching television after their 15th birthday! My point is simple: listening to what your pastor has to say about God once a week just isn’t enough. We must pursue a personal walk with God that holds a higher priority in our lives than the newest reality show or our favorite sitcom.

“And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?”

             -Mark 26:40

Years ago I heard a pastor challenge his congregation to spend just one hour in prayer each day and see what a difference it would make in their lives. Today, I’m challenging you to do the same. Though you might have to give up something that’s  important to you in order to meet this challenge, keep in mind that nothing is so important as your relationship with Christ. If we don’t hesitate to give something as insignificant as the television almost three times as much of our day regularly, then it shouldn’t be all that difficult to give God 4% of our time.

NOTE: Click here to see the formula I used for calculating my statistics.

This Monday marked the beginning of the 7^th and final week of the 3 John Project I started back in December with some of you. Though I will admit I struggled near the halfway point due to the holidays, I was thankfully able to get back on track towards the end and finish in time. If you are one of those who joined me, I trust that God has richly blessed you in your efforts to memorize His Word and that the benefits of your commitment will last a lifetime.

Anyway, here’s is a video of me reciting 3 John from memory. This is actually the first time I was able to make it through with 100% accuracy, and so I was pretty excited to get it on camera. I hope you like it!

So lately I’ve been reading the book of Proverbs and, as always, have found myself completely overwhelmed by so many amazing verses. Oftentimes I’ll catch myself stopping every few paragraphs just to meditate on a specific passage that stood out to me, or even heading to the computer to add it to my list of verses I want to memorize. I actually use my highlighter sparingly in this book because I would probably end up coloring the pages yellow like I’ve done in James otherwise.

Anyway, one Scripture that I found very convicting, Proverbs 13:13, grabbed my attention in a new way this week and I wanted to share it with you:

 “Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.”

You see, I believe that there are very few people out there who would readily admit to “despising God’s Word.” Nevertheless, verses like this make clear to us that such people are out there, for God would not waste time describing the fate of a people group that didn’t exist. In other words, just because we don’t think we fall into this category doesn’t necessarily mean we’re completely innocent.

So what does it mean to despise God’s Word? It means we don’t like what It has to say when It challenges our way of life. It means we’ll probably read a lot faster through the Ten Commandments than we do through more “comfortable” passages like 1 Corinthians 13, and John 3:16. It means that we’d rather spend our time engulfed in fantasy novels than in the Word, and find it easier to quote Scripture to others than to ourself. After all, anybody who looks into a mirror and sees a face other than their own must have seriously impaired vision (James 1:22-25).

As we read in James 2:10, breaking even one law of God is like breaking all of them. In the same way, despising even one Scripture or intentionally overlooking just one passage is no different than despising the whole Thing. By rejecting part of It, we’re rejecting all of It. As I like to say, the Bible is God’s Word, not a math textbook: so don’t add or subtract, just rightly divide.

Christianity: An 18-wheeler is headed in our direction at 60 mph, threatening to kill us upon impact. We put our faith in Christ, the Driver’s Son, Who then pulls us out of the way.

Islam: An 18-wheeler is headed in our direction at 60 mph. We extend our arms, brace ourselves, and hope to stop the truck by our own strength.

Buddhism: Rather than acknowledging our fate, we decide that our surroundings are in fact an illusion. We sit down in the street and hope our meditations will make the truck disappear.

Hinduism: We acknowledge that death is inevitable, but find hope in the thought that, perhaps, it won’t be as painful in our next life.

Atheism: How can there be a truck if we can’t see the Driver?

"Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD."

               -Joshua 24:14

How many times have we all heard it said to “just be sincere”? Whether it’s in regard to a person’s religion or the convictions they establish within that religion, it doesn’t seem to matter anymore exactly what you believe just so long as you believe it well. Yet despite our culture’s tendency to validate any person’s belief as long as they are sincere about it, the Bible tells us in many different places that the only way sincerity will count is if it’s founded upon the truth.

“Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

                -Romans 10:1-3

In this passage of Scripture, Paul explained to us one of the fundamental problems he saw in the Jewish community of that day: though they were indeed zealous, their zeal was not “according to knowledge.” While they were very passionate and sincere in their beliefs, just as many in our culture are today, they were terribly misguided in the essence of what they believed and, unfortunately, were sincerely wrong. However commendable their zeal may have been, it was not a solid enough foundation to build their lives upon (1 Corinthians 3:11). As it was said by Joshua, we must serve the Lord in both sincerity and in truth!

“Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.”

                    -Ephesians 6:24

Christ reminded us in Matthew 22:37-38 that the greatest commandment in Scripture is to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind. This is the greatest type of zeal one can possess, for it is founded, not upon man’s wisdom, but in Christ. Such sincerity is by no means misguided.

“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you…”

              -I Samuel 12:23

Look through my archives, and you’ll see that I’ve posted on a very wide variety of topics over the past several months. I’ve actually done this intentionally in hopes that, no matter where you are in life, you can come to this site and be blessed in your walk with God and find encouragement through His Word. Yet in spite of my best efforts, I truly believe that sometimes the best way to uplift our brothers and sisters in Christ is to simply pray for them. Truthfully, as my readership has continued to grow, I couldn’t possibly post what each of you need to hear at just the right moment even if I knew exactly what that was.

Anyway, after spending much of this evening working on it, I’ve just finished adding a new page (above tab) where you can actually send me your prayer requests directly from this site! Simply enter your name or pseudonym, e-mail address, and a description of how I can be praying for you. By clicking submit, your message will automatically be sent to my personal inbox and I will remember your need each day in my prayer time.

However big or small your need may be, I hope you won’t hesitate in sending me your requests. Whether it’s a test in school or a sick loved one, we are reminded again and again throughout Scripture of the miracles that can be accomplished when God’s people join together in faith and prayer (Matthew 18:19). After all, that’s what the Body of Christ is for (Galatians 6:2).

No book in history has ever compared to the Word of God. It has  been hated and loved; burned and cherished; neglected and trusted; criticized and yet never undefended. Many countries have banned Its use entirely, while others have built their very foundation upon Its words. Amazingly enough, what makes God’s Word unique is not the fact that It has proven so controversial, but that It has proven Itself accurate time and time again:

• Scientists once falsely believed that air had no weight, even though God had told us otherwise thousands of years earlier (Job 28:25).

• At a time when it was largely accepted that the Earth rested upon the back of a large animal or giant, the Bible spoke of its suspension in space (Job 26:7).

• Long before the discovery of atoms, the invisible “building blocks” of Creation, God had revealed “…that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3)

• During an age when Science claimed the earth to be flat, Christopher Columbus sailed west through faith in the Scriptures: “It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth…” (Isaiah 40:22)

In Isaiah 55, God promised us that His Word would not return unto Him void. Like the rain and the snow from heaven, It has a purpose that will be accomplished. Though mankind has attempted numerous times to block that purpose, they have failed miserably on every occasion and have served only to further prove the inerrancy of Scripture. As it was said by Charles Spurgeon, “Had I written [the Bible], there would be men who would pull it to pieces at once, and perhaps quite right too. But this is the Word of God; come, search, ye critics, and find a flaw; examine it, from its Genesis to its Revelation, and find an error. This is a vein of pure gold, unalloyed by quartz, or any earthly substance. This is a star without a speck; a sun without a blot; a light without darkness; a moon without its paleness; a glory without a dimness.”*

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

        -Hebrews 4:12

Without a doubt, the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It has no equal, and thus reflects the nature of Its Author (1 Samuel 2:2). Jesus is Its grand subject, our good is Its design, and the glory of God is Its end (John 1:1, 14; 1 Corinthians 7:35; Philippians 2:9-10).

*http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0015.htm

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth…”

                  -Isaiah 43:18-19

Our society can easily be divided into two main categories of people: those who live in the past and those who live in the future. And while it’s true that both the past and the future hold a certain significance we should be careful not to overlook, too often people consume themselves with what is unchangeable and forget about the gift of today. As somebody once said, “The past is a good place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.”

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

             -Psalm 103:12

In today’s Scripture, the Lord told Israel they needed to forget about their past. It wasn’t a good past, but that’s precisely why they needed to forget about it. God wanted their full attention to be on the work He was about to do - not on their previous failures. In the same way, I believe God is calling His people to quit feeling guilty about things He’s already forgiven them for. If you are saved through the blood of Christ, then you’re sins have been cast into His sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19), and are removed from you as far as the east is from the west. Why should we continue burdening ourselves with yesterday’s sin, when God Himself – the Judge of all things (Ecclesiastes 12:14) – has declared us justified?

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

                -2 Corinthians 5:17

David couldn’t have describe forgiveness better than he did in Psalm 103:12. When you go north, you can only go so far before you find yourself going south; and if you keep going south, you’ll eventually find yourself going north. But when you turn east, you can go as far as you’d like and never run out of room. It just keeps going. East will never meat west, and west will never meat east. So far hath He removed our transgressions from us.

Over the years we’ve come to label many things in Scripture as great. There’s the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), the Great Commandment (Leviticus 19:18; James 2:8), the Great Flood (Genesis 6-9), the Great Physician (Mark 2:17), and, of course, the Great I Am (Exodus 3:14). And while nobody can deny that these are all “great” verses, one passage of Scripture stands out in my mind above the rest as some of the most beautiful words ever spoken: the Great Invitation in Matthew 11. It is in these verses that Christ not only puts into perspective the weight and bondage of sin, but actually shows us the way out by promising rest to all who put their faith in Him.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

                      -Matthew 11:28-30

As Matthew Henry wonderfully put it in his famous commentary on the Bible, “All those, and those only, are invited to rest in Christ, that are sensible of sin as a burden, and groan under it; that are not only convinced of the evil of sin, of their own sin, but are contrite in soul for it; that are really sick of their sins.”* It is that place to which we all must come – where we are actually sick of sin and the burden it brings – before the significance of this Great Invitation can really begin to sink in. In other words, if we fail to see that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), then we’ll be unlikely to show even the slightest interest in an offer of redemption from it. On the other hand, however, those who experience Godly sorrow because of their sin (2 Corinthians 7:10) and recognize its destructive nature will joyfully respond by “casting their burden upon the Lord.” (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7)

Like the tree in my photo, sin leaves a person nearly broken under its weight. It leaves them frozen, lifeless, and barely able to make it from day to day. Yet in this truly Great Invitation, God has shown us a better way that is free from sin’s burden and penalty - a way of life and salvation that is accessible to all who call upon His name (Romans 10:13). Those who travel it, no longer having a burden to carry, can do as was written by the prophet Isaiah and “…mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) After all, they will have nothing to weigh them down anymore.

*Matthew Henry’s Commentary in One Volume , Page 1,262

“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

               -II Corinthians 1:4

Over the past several months, this has become one of my absolute favorite passages of Scripture. I quote it to myself when I’m going through a trial, to others I know who might be experiencing hardship, and even to those who simply have  friends that are discouraged. Though it’s not a verse you’ll find printed on many T-shirts, it does answer possibly the most common question among Christian’s today: why does God allow His people to suffer? While the trials we face do have a purpose in our own life, it’s just as Biblical to say that God sends these things our way in order that we may comfort others in similar situations. After all, how could we comfort those in pain if we never experienced it ourselves?

You see, God never promised us a life free of heartache. In fact, He promised us just the opposite in Matthew 5:11 when He said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you…” It’s never been a question of if hardship will come; it’s simply been a matter of when. The amazing thing is that we can face each and every one of these valleys with the knowledge that we are not alone, for Christ has promised never to leave nor forsake His children regardless of the circumstances (Hebrews 13:5). As the old song beautifully reminds us, “He never promised that the cross would not get heavy, or that the hill would not be hard to climb. He never offered our victories without fighting, but He said help would always come in time.”*

Maybe the mountain you’re facing seems too high to climb, and the valley to wide to cross. Maybe logic is screaming at you to throw your hands up and give in, and you don’t know how much longer you can ignore its voice. If this is you, know today that God is on His way. He hasn’t forgotten you, and has promised never to burden us with more than we’re able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). If He brought you to it, He’s certainly able to take you through it.

*The Crabb Family in their song, “Through the Fire”

“For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

                       -2 Corinthians 4:6

In Ephesians 5:8, Paul vividly described our spiritual condition prior to salvation when he referred to us as having been darkness. He didn’t say we walked in darkness, or even that we were deceived by the darkness; no, he said plainly and simply that we were darkness. That’s pretty blunt but, in reality, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. In Ephesians 2:1, we were “dead in trespasses and sins”; in verse two, we were “the children of disobedience"; in 1 John 3:10, we were the “children of the devil” (see also Romans 3:10); and in Romans 5:10, we were God’s enemies. The message is plain and the emphasis clear: we were in bad shape.

Yet despite the miserable self-portrait we find of ourselves in these verses, Paul quickly reminded us that the story didn’t end there for God’s people. He continued, “…but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) Again, I think it’s important to notice that we aren’t described as just being in the light; we actually are light (Matthew 5:14)! How did this incredible transformation occur? The answer is simple: God shined in our hearts. This means He penetrated and dispelled the darkness that was once present. It means that, rather than roaming through the darkness of sin, we can now enjoy what Jesus called “the light of life” (John 8:12) and help bring that light into all the world (Matthew 28:19-20). Perhaps most importantly, it means we have opened the doors of our heart to Christ (Revelation 3:20), and that our God is now for us rather than against us (Romans 8:31). The concept is amazing; the reality of it is even greater!

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

                      -Ephesians 4:1-3

We could never deserve the gift of salvation. As we are reminded in Romans 11:35, there is nothing we could possibly do that would make God a debtor to us, and any act of obedience or sacrifice to Him is nothing more than our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). Yet in Scriptures like the ones we’ve just read, we are urged to walk worthy of our vocation (i.e. calling). We’re the children of light (I Thessalonians 5:5), and we’re being told to start acting like it.

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

                                                   -Proverbs 13:20

In my last post on friendship, I focused primarily on the last half of this verse by emphasizing the importance of guarding against unhealthy relationships. Today’s focus will be a little different, however, and I instead want to look at the other end of the spectrum. That is, instead of writing about the danger of bad friends, I want to take a minute and look at the benefits of having good ones.

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

              -1 Corinthians 15:33

This verse has long been one of my favorite passages of Scripture concerning friendship. It wasn’t until the other day, however, that a friend of mine brought out an intriguing point on the subject when he said that in the same way as “bad company corrupts good morals” (which is how the NASB words it), it’s just as true to say that good company corrupts bad morals. And though I’d never thought of it in that way before, such a statement is really nothing more than a reiteration of today’s Scripture: “…he that walketh with wise men shall be wise.”  Though our culture is quick to preach sermons against unhealthy relations with the world, we aren’t reminded enough of the positive potential that lies in having a Godly friend to help us along on our journey.

“…And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.”

    -Acts 27:3

We find in Proverbs 27:17 that Solomon compared a Godly friendship to the sharpening of two pieces of iron. It may seem like a strange comparison in some respects but, in reality, it couldn’t be more appropriate. Friends won’t always agree, and yet if handled properly, God can use that friction to make those concerned better people, closer friends, and stronger Christians. Whether that  friction comes in the form of a disagreement, or even a simple word of encouragement or exhortation (Hebrews 10:25), we know from the Word of God that such occasions provide the perfect environment for spiritual growth and edification. That, in reality, is what friends are for.

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

                       -John 4:13-14

Okay, I’m excited. I was visiting someone’s blog this evening and, as I hovered over the Scriptures referenced on their page, a small pop-up window appeared that allowed me to read the verse myself without ever leaving their site. I thought it was pretty cool, until I realized the potential of implementing such a feature here at A Look at Life from a Deerstand – then it became really cool! I immediately headed over to Reftagger.com to find out how I could add this awesome program to my own site.

Anyway, after messing around with it for a while, I’m thrilled to announce that you can now view every Scripture reference I use right here without ever touching a button. Just hover over the text itself (ex. John 3:16), and it will pop right up in a convenient little box and even allow you to click over to Biblia.com and read the context of the passage. Pretty neat, huh?

But, as exciting as it is, there are a couple strings attached that I should probably mention. First of all, when viewing my old posts, you’ll still have to click over to the online Bible I’ve been linking to in the past for most of the verses. For some reason, Reftagger wouldn’t pick up on references enclosed in parentheses and I currently have to override the system to make it work in those cases - something that would take a long time to do in each of my old posts. Second of all, if you’re viewing this post from your inbox, you’ll probably still have to click on all the links manually and read the passage in a separate window. Sorry about that, but I don’t think Reftagger supports e-mail formatting.

Either way, I’m really happy about this new feature and I hope it makes it easier for each of you to dig into God’s Word right here on my blog. Let me know what you think!

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

         -Proverbs 13:20

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”

         -2 Thessalonians 3:6

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless…”

                   -John 14:16-18

The Holy Ghost is mentioned throughout the entirety of God’s Word. From the creation of the world in Genesis (1:2), to the closing verses of Revelation (22:17), It has always been active among God’s people. Yet in spite of this, we find that the Spirit’s dealing with mankind was significantly hindered during Old Testament times due to the sinful condition of humanity and need for redemption. You’ll often find instances where the Holy Ghost rested upon an individual (Num. 11:25; I Samuel 10:6), and perhaps even filled them (Luke 1:67), yet the Lord clearly differentiated between the Spirit’s work then and now by saying, “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.” (John 14:16) You see, the difference in New Testament times does not lie in Who is dealing with us; the difference is that the New Testament saint can now be filled with the Holy Ghost continually.

This promise of Christ to His disciples (and to us) was fulfilled not long after The Ascension on a day we now call The Day of Pentecost. Scripture says in Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This “initial evidence”, as it’s come to be known, of being filled with the Holy Ghost is found elsewhere in the New Testament where the recipients of this great Gift from God spoke in other tongues as the Spirit Itself gave them utterance (Acts 19:6).

But just as being saved consists of more than going to church and praying, being baptized in the Holy Ghost is much more than the outward manifestation of speaking in other tongues. The Holy Ghost also comforts (John 14:16), strengthens (Romans 8:26), keeps us from sin (Galatians 5:16), reveals God’s will (Revelation 3:6), and many other things too numerous to mention. Each of these benefits should be more than enough reason for each Christian to diligently seek the baptism of the Holy Ghost (study Acts 19:2).

Though many would say that the Holy Ghost only manifested Itself so mightily during the first century, Peter emphasized the lasting nature of this offer from God (Acts 2:39). Any saved, sanctified Christian is eligible to partake in this wonderful experience, and can seek it in faith knowing that “…every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:8)

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Hey everybody. I just wanted to let you guys know that I finished working on my new blog button this evening and it’s ready to be imbedded! All you have to do is add the above code to the sidebar of your blog  (create an HTML widget first), and the above image will show up and link back to this site whenever somebody clicks on it. Any takers?

Looking through my archives, I realize that I’ve written a number of posts talking about the evils of gossip and, as Paul called it, “corrupt communication.” But today I want to do something a little different and, instead of looking at how we shouldn’t talk, I want to take a moment and share with you some Scriptures that present Christians with another, more holy, alternative.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

                      -Ephesians 4:29

Throughout chapter four of Ephesians, Paul listed several things Christians ought to avoid. Among these are dishonesty, theft, foul language, and resentment toward others (Eph. 4:25, 28, 29, 31-32). But if you look even more closely, you’ll see that each of these sins are to be not merely removed, but replaced. Dishonesty is to be replaced by the truth; theft is to be replaced by hard work and generosity; and resentment by forgiveness and longsuffering. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s not enough to simply avoid evil; we must pursue righteousness. That message is clearly integrated into this chapter, and Paul lets us know that to just avoid foul language isn’t enough either. That which is “good the use of edifying” must take its place!

Perhaps you’ve overcome the temptation to gossip, but are you actively edifying those around you with your words? Do you encourage those who need encouraged, comfort those who need comfort, and correct those who need correction? I know this is one area in which I fall drastically short. Too often we are quick to point out the negative which, though it does sometimes need pointed out, can quickly cause a fellow Christian to stumble if all they ever hear about is their mistakes. If someone succeeds more than they fail, then why are we more prone to point on their downfalls than their virtues?

“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt…”

                    -Colossians 4:6

Whatever we say, we are commanded that it be both edifying and full of grace. That doesn’t mean God will only call us to speak words of peace and joy, but that, when we do speak, He should be shining through us. If He’s not, then chances are what we’re saying falls under the category of “corrupt communication.”

 

I’ve been wanting to write about humility for a while now, but I didn’t really know how. As C.J. Mahaney once wrote, “If I met someone presuming to have something to say about humility, automatically I’d think him unqualified to speak on the subject.*”  My prayer, though, is that you won’t view this post as instruction from one who is a master at resisting pride and remaining humble. I’m not. Instead, look at these words as a message of encouragement from someone who must daily battle against pride in his own life. I’m not perfect, and I won’t claim to be.

“(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)”

                       -Numbers 12:3

If we want an example of humility, we needn’t look further than the life of Moses. I know I mention him often, but few men in history have ever been used by God so mightily as he was. In spite of that, the Scripture tells us that he really wasn’t anything special. In Exodus 4, Moses himself even admitted to his poor social skills and begged God to pick someone else to lead Israel in their Exodus from Egypt. Yet the Lord chose him anyway because He knew that Moses wouldn’t seek to steal the glory that only God deserved. It is no less true today that the Lord will only use a vessel that He knows will redirect any glory it receives to the One Who truly deserves it. 

I don’t know about you, but many times I’ve found myself longing to be used by God for selfish reasons. How many times do we ask God to use us for the sole purpose of being noticed by others for our “commitment to God”, and yet somehow find ourself surprised when He doesn’t use us in the way we thought He would! The truth is, selfish motives indicate a prideful heart which is rarely used by God to accomplish anything (1 Peter 5:5). 

“For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

                          -Galatians 6:3

Contrary to what you’ll hear from many people today, humility doesn’t require a person viewing himself as less than he truly is. No, humility is assessing yourself properly in the light of Who God is and what He has done. When we do that, we’ll see that anything we have ever, will ever, or could ever do falls amazingly short. Isaac Watts said it best when he wrote, “When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.**”

*C.J. Mahaney in his book, “Humility: True Greatness”

** Isaac Watts in his hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

                           -Jeremiah 1:5

I came across the below quote from Charles Spurgeon earlier this evening and found it very humbling. And even though I generally share my own thoughts on the topics I choose to write about, I don’t think I would ever be able to put it in words more beautiful than these:

“I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love.”*

                                     -C.H. Spurgeon.

*http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm