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Promises of God – He will fight for you!

Posted on by Bob Mathews

“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:14).

In the book of Exodus, there is an amazing situation that comes about when you get to chapter 14. This is a moment, early in the outset of the people of Israel, when they have fled Egypt and headed for the wilderness. Even having been “let go” by Pharaoh (Ex. 13:17), his hardened heart led him to chase after the Israelites with an army. You can probably imagine how terrifying it might be for people who where servants, having nothing, to see the Egyptians rising up and giving chase. However, in that moment of panic God was there for them. He not only protected them with the pillar of cloud (Ex. 14:19), but He also gave them a way to safety (Ex. 14:16).

Just as God fought for the Israelites when they were stuck between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, God has fought for you through Jesus. He fought and defeated the power of sin in your life. This means  you can do the right thing even when it’s difficult. Even the apostle Paul said that he had a hard time doing the right thing because his selfish desires kept urging him to do something else. Everyone who wants to please God faces this problem. However, Jesus went up against all of your selfishness and temptations. He fought the battle to clear the way for you to do all the right things. The wonderful fact is that He won that fight.

Moses told the Israelites, “You shall hold your peace.” That’s true for you. You can stand firm because Jesus has already won your battle. Does that mean you just hang around, doing nothing? No, you can determine to stay strong, stay close to Him, and keep believing that He’s already won.

You are not alone. God has always been there for you. God has been fighting for you from the beginning. He was willing to give up His Son in that fight for you. He wants to be there for you and give you peace, but He can’t force it upon you. If you want true peace and safety no matter what gets thrown your way, then draw near to God.

Domino Effect

Posted on by Bob Mathews

The best way to avoid a pattern of negative choices is to seek wisdom from God to make good choices from the start. That’s the ultimate way to live as a follower of Jesus—fueling our daily decisions with God’s wisdom! That can lead to a positive domino effect, where one good choice leads to another good choice—and on and on it goes. And thankfully, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can be forgiven and set back upright again even when we do make a poor choice.

Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in our own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.”

Jesus cares about your decisions. Think of some choices you made today or this week, do you feel good about those choices? Are there some choices you would like to go back in time to change? In the passage we read, we’re warned to not rely on our own understanding. Why is that so hard to do? Because we like to be in control.

It’s true that God is in charge of everything, but he cares deeply about us and about all the little choices we make in everyday life. Jesus has the wisdom we need to make solid choices, and he wants to give that wisdom to us!

Your choices affect other people. I’m sure that all of you can remember a choice someone else made that affected you, either positively or negatively. God designed us to live life together, not alone. What’s one wise choice you’ve made that’s improved your relationships with other people?

Most of us know that relationships—with friends, family, colleagues, classmates, teammates—are really important. But sometimes we forget how much better those relationships could be if we sought wisdom from Jesus. The next time you’re about to make a choice that you know will affect someone else, ask Jesus to help you make the right decision. This Scripture says he’ll show you the right path to take.

Your choices either build up or tear down your reputation. Think about this: You can quickly gain a bad reputation because of one bad choice, and then it can take a long time to get rid of that bad reputation. Like it or not, our choices cause people to see us in a certain way. As Christians, we bear the name of Jesus Christ. We can make choices that honor him and reflect him.

Listen to this statement: “It can take five minutes to gain a bad reputation and a year to lose that bad reputation.” Do you know anyone in your life that has proven this statement to be true? If so, what can you learn from that person’s situation? Not trying to say we have to be perfect, but simply trying every day to be better.

What’s one choice you can start with today to create a positive domino effect in your relationship with the Lord?

In Search of Wisdom

Posted on by Bob Mathews

There is something about the value and splendor precious metals that has always attracted the human eye. If we stop and think about it, much of America’s westward expansion was due to precious metals. Many pioneers came from the East in search of silver and gold.

In 1849, people heard about the gold in California and “rushed” to find some for themselves. This is the background for the name of the San Francisco 49ers, a National Football League team. In 1859, there was another “rush” into the Pike’s Peak district which later became Colorado. Gold had been discovered, and a mob of 50,000 prospectors were drawn to this territory like a magnet. They came from California, the Mississippi Valley, and the East. One last important gold find is worth noting. In 1874, gold was found in the Black Hills of the southwestern Dakota Territory.

It was the prospect of a better life that drew these people from place to place in the west. Gold and silver could make one wealthy. And for that reason, it was worth earnestly searching for. Many left their homes and exhausted their resources in search for gold and silver. The wisest of all men, Solomon, uses the search for precious metals and hidden treasures as a comparison to our quest for spiritual wisdom:

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if seek her as  silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (Prov. 2:1-5).

All throughout the Proverbs Solomon tries to aid in our search for true wisdom. Always pointing to God as the source of that truth, Solomon wants us to have the same passion to seek after the wisdom and knowledge of God as we would the things that hold monetary value to our lives. He even goes on to teach that all things under the sun are pointless without having God. God is the one that has given all things and all things will return to Him. After talking about the truths in life and what has worth and what doesn’t matter, Solomon gives one final conclusion that is the exactly what we all need if we truly are searching for wisdom.

He had this to say, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is; fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14).

As a person what are you searching for?

Is it for money or fame? Do your search for knowledge and truth? Have you been wondering where to find the truth of God? God has made the truth readily available to you by having it written down. Are you willing to put in the effort of searching the scriptures as if searching for silver and gold?

FACT of the Gospel

Posted on by Bob Mathews

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John present the one true gospel (see Gal. 1-6-9) from four different perspectives. Each writer has a particular audience in mind as he portrays the life of Jesus. Major themes within each account compose the acrostic “FACT.”

Fulfillment. It is believed that the Gospel of Matthew was sent primarily to Jewish Christians. Matthew uses the genealogy of Jesus to prove he is the fulfillment of prophesy the Messiah. Matthew includes the greatest number of quotations from the Old Testament in any New Testament book. Matthew also discusses divine intervention in the world of men and establishes Jesus’ sinless nature and position as master teacher. He does this to prove that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the fulfillment of the Old Testament because that is the goal of the book.

Action. It is believed that the Gospel of Mark was sent primarily to Gentile Christians, possibly in Rome. Mark’s account is the most concise as he portrays Jesus as a “man of action,” a powerful miracle worker. The episodes of Jesus’ life are woven together by the Greek word eutheos which is translated “straightway,” “immediately,” “at once,” and “without delay.” It is used 42 times throughout the short 16-chapter book.

Compassion. The Gospel of Luke was addressed to “most excellent Theophilus” (Luke 1:3), but it was certainly intended for a wider audience among the Gentiles. This book was the first of two volumes, the second being Acts. Luke demonstrates the compassion of Jesus for the disenfranchised of Jewish society: women, the poor, Samaritans, tax collectors, and sinners. Luke also helps comfort all those who read his writing of the gospel by providing a sense of assurance in the accuracy of the message. He lays out facts in an orderly fashion, but not merely just trying to present history. He presents historical facts that point to something greater/significant – the fact that God has entered into human history offering His Son as the payment for the sin of mankind. No greater compassion can be shown.

Truth. It is believed that the Gospel of John was written for Christians and non-Christians alike, possibly in Ephesus. John emphasizes the evidence or testimony for faith in Jesus. “Truth” is a key word, occurring over 50 times in the account. Jesus’ miracles are signs that testify to the truth: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. (John 20:30-31 – “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”)

The FACT of the matter is that Jesus is the Fulfillment of everything that was told and promised, the perfect man of Action to carry out God’s will, Compassionate in a way that proved God’s love was shown for all mankind, and the Truth that we need to believe in and bear witness of in our own lives.