Whose Report Will We Believe?

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

What would it be like to be so convinced, as the apostle, that nothing can separate us from God’s love? Nothing.

What must it be like to know that you know that He holds us in the palm of His nail-scarred hands, that he never leaves us, will never forsake us. When storms lash, when mountains fall into the sea and terror strikes, how would our lives be different with the absolute assurance that God is with us?

There’s a difference between knowing about Christ and knowing Him, between talking to Him and hearing Him. Between searching for Him and being found by Him.

“Who will believe our report?” the prophet asked (Isaiah 53:1). It’s the same report that prophets, apostles and ordinary men and women of God like you and me have proclaimed through millennia: God is with us. He loves us. He holds us in His hand.

Satan, the enemy of our souls, whispers that our confidence is misplaced. We believe a myth. There is no help for us in God.

Whose report will we believe? God’s, or the angel of darkness?

Holy Spirit, burn away my doubts. Lead me into truth. Grow my love and confidence in the Father until I also can say with the apostle, “I am convinced!” Amen

Sprinting Toward the Battle

Today I read this passage in 1 Samuel:

“But David said to Saul, ‘. . . . When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. . . .The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine . . .’ " (1 Samuel 17:34-37).

David knew what it was like to battle against what seemed to be overwhelming odds. As a young shepherd, he killed deadly animals with nothing more than a sling shot, his strength -- meager as it was against a lion and bear – and faith in God. And the current battle against what would seem overwhelming odds would be no different.

David remembered his previous victories in the Lord, and that gave him the confidence to sprint toward this latest battle. The nine-foot Philistine warrior would fall before him as did the lion and bear.

Think about your own battles against what seemed at the time overwhelming odds. You were armed only with the equivalent to a sling shot, your strength – meager though it was against your giants – and faith in God.

Remember the victories God won for you in the past. Meditate on them. Ruminate on them. Let them feed your faith. And then sprint in confidence toward your next battle.

Rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net

Nourishment for the Battle

It will help if you read the entire chapter of 1 Samuel 14 to get a good handle on the context. Essentially, Israel was in the midst of a war against their long-time oppressors, the Philistines. Through miraculous intervention, many Philistines fell in the ensuing battles, but for some reason known only to King Saul, he ordered his army not to eat anything until they’d completely beaten their enemy. Jonathan, Saul’s son, hadn’t heard the command.

We pick up this story in verse 28:

“Then one of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint." Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"

The analogy is not perfect, but I think close enough. Scripture is pretty clear: We’re in a battle, a continuous deadly war, not against flesh and blood, put against spiritual forces (see, for example, Ephesians 6). Scripture also tells us weapons of steel and iron are useless in this fight. We must use spiritual weapons against a spiritual foe (see 2 Corinthians 10).

Our long-time spiritual oppressor – Satan -- knows if we don’t nourish ourselves on spiritual food, we'll find ourselves weakened and unable to effectively fight the good fight. That’s why he deceives us into believing we don’t need the daily honey of Scripture, prayer and frequent fellowship with other Christians.

Little wonder, then, we often lack spiritual strength to overcome sin, live godly lives and bear fruit for the Master

The Psalmist said, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34). Come, then. Gain the nourishment you need for the daily battle.

Rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net

Press On!

"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD , but serve the LORD with all your heart.” (1 Samuel 12:20)

What a great message of hope Samuel offered to the people. “Yes, you’ve sinned,” he said. “But don’t let your sin prevent you from repentance and renewal. Press on with the Lord. His love is new every morning. His faithfulness is as great as the heavens.

I’ve known people – perhaps you have, too – who’ve tried and failed, and tried and failed again. And again.

Discouragement gnaws at their hearts. The Christian life is just too hard. There’s no use in continuing. Surely God won’t forgive me THIS time.

Yes, He will. “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Don’t be afraid. You’ve sinned, but do not turn away from the Lord. He still extends His hand to forgive. Take hold of it. Repent, and move on in His grace.

Rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net

At My Side -- Always

“David said about him: 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Acts 2:25)

Did you ever wonder why, when we pray, we tend to look toward heaven? Yet, the Lord Jesus said, “I will never leave you. I will never forsake you,” and in another place, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

And here, in Acts, Peter quotes the psalmist, “I saw the Lord always before me . . . he is at my right hand.”

I suppose it’s a matter of perception: in heaven (which implies, at least to me, far away), or at my right hand (which implies to me nearness and intimacy) -- Where is He?

Because He is God, He is in all places, but I’m going to make a conscious effort to imagine the Lord Jesus at my right hand, literally close enough to reach out and touch Him.

I wonder how that might affect my daily walk through this life.

I'll let you know :)

Rich
rmaffeo@comcast.net

Unknowingly on holy ground

Amaziah, one of the kings of Judah, "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD , but not wholeheartedly" (2 Chronicles 25:2).

How much like Amaziah am I? I do right, but only partly. I commit myself to Christ, but not wholeheartedly. I hang tenaciously to my will, my plans . . . even my favorite sins. How well I understand Paul's lament: "Wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7).

One of the prayers I often offer to God was first offered by St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556):

"Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding, and my will. All that I have and cherish you have given me. I surrentder it all to be guided by your will. Your love and your grace are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more. Amen."

I pray this for at least three reasons. First, I'm VERY forgetful. I often don't remember from one day to the next the promises I make to God. Second, I remind myself that nothing I have originated with me. Wealth, health, talent, reputation -- everything was given me by and through His grace. And third, as much as I can mean it in my human frailty, I want Him to use whatever I have for His will and purpose.

It's easy to serve God only half-heartedly. I want to do better than that.

Rich

Order from disorder, fullness from emptiness

Genesis begins: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

That scene has played in my imagination for the past several days.

God was before the beginning --before the chaos, the emptiness and darkness.

He was there when those things gave way to order, fullness and light.

And He was there, at the end, when He called it all, "Good."

As it was for earth, so it is for you and me. Are we living in chaos? Is darkness and emptiness a constant, gnawing companion?

God was there before it began in our lives. He is here, now, to bring order, fullness and light. He will still be there when His work is complete in us, to call it, "Good."

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever," Scripture assures us. And the Lord promised, "I make all things new."

In the beginning, God brought order from disorder, fullness from nothing, light from darkness. And he brought life from the dead.

And He is before our beginning, He is here in our 'now' and He will be with us tomorrow.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.
------
rich

Defending the faith, and forsaking our first love

On my way through the Revelation, I stopped a moment at this passage in chapter 2:

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love."

I wondered how often I get my proverbial dander up, defending the faith, sharing the faith, preaching the faith -- that I forget to LIVE the faith. How often do I forget to turn my eyes toward Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, and satisfy myself with working for Him instead of loving Him.

Help me, Lord, that the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart always please you.

amen

Rich@
rmaffeo@comcast.net