Fully Convinced [Romans 4:18-21]

Rom 4:18 Against hope, with hope he believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.
Rom 4:19 He considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb, without weakening in the faith.
Rom 4:20 He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
Rom 4:21 because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

The story of Abraham is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. While there are many lessons and principles that we can gain from his life in Genesis, what I want to focus on today is what these verses in Romans say about Abraham.

When Abraham comes onto the scene in Genesis, right from the get go we see God’s promise of offspring go into effect. “Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.” (Genesis 18:11). The only hope that Abraham had for an heir was either a son born from one of his slaves, or the hand of God. As we continue reading the story we see that God restated His covenant with Abraham numerous times. Abraham did not waiver from belief in God’s promise, but he did try to speed up the hand of God (Genesis 16). Abraham knew what God had said and knew that He would keep His word.

Isn’t it hard at times to believe God? Not because God lies, but because His promises sometimes seem “out of reach,” whether by time or status. The popular verse in Numbers 23:19b says, “Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” Today I’m asking you to look at your life and the promises that you know are from God. Do you hesitate to believe Him? Why?

Aaron Taylor

What Are You Trying to Achieve? [Ecclesiastes 2:10]

Ecc 2:10 All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.
Ecc 2:11 When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

What are you trying to achieve in life? Many times as students and adult we will pursue things that at the time seem “important,” but in reality how important are they? What are we gaining by devoting our lives to their pursuit? Let’s look at a brief part of Solomon’s journey in this area:
We read that Solomon “built houses and planted vineyards” (vs. 4), “made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them” (vs. 5), “constructed reservoirs of water… from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees” (vs. 6), “acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in his house” (vs. 7), “owned many herds of cattle and flocks, more than all who were before him in Jerusalem” (vs. 7), “amassed silver and gold for himself, and the treasure of kings and provinces” (vs. 8), and “gathered male and female singers for himself, and many concubines, the delights of men” (vs. 9). Solomon “…became great and surpassed all who were before him in Jerusalem; his wisdom also remained with him.”

Sounds like a lavish lifestyle, right? The life of a celebrity perhaps? The majority of which most of us would love to possess. What is wrong with these pursuits? They were all for Solomon to fill HIS desires, he was trying to fill a gap by his own futile efforts. As we continue to read, we see the realization coming over Solomon’s eyes that all his desires proved to be worthless, but at the end of this chapter he reveals to us an interesting truth that he saw acted out in his life- “For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God's sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” (vs. 26).

Solomon realized that his efforts to gather for himself added up to nothing, but gathering for those who were pleasing to God. It wasn’t until he was pleasing in God’s eyes that he would gain His blessings. His life efforts meant nothing if they were not for the glory of God. As said before, what are you pursuing? Are they things to “fill” a void? Or are they things that will honor God?

Aaron

How long must I wait? [Psalm 27:14]

Psa 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the LORD.

This verse sums up what I view as the most difficult aspect of the Christian life, waiting on God to work. There have been many times in my life (and even as I write this) where I knew God was telling me to wait for Him to act. So, what makes that so difficult? When you have to wait to get a paycheck or wait to see a friend, most of the time we have a general idea of when the event will take place, with God it is rarely like that. It seems (at least in my life) that I know what I am waiting for, but when its conclusion is going to take place is a mystery. Let me give you a bit of encouragement from my life that has always made the waiting bearable- Spend time in God’s Word. Every time I get “down and out” waiting for God and I go and read the Bible, God shows me things I had previously overlooked, many of which I share with you through these devotionals on a weekly basis.

The question today is: What is God telling you to wait on as you are reading this? How are you reacting? If you learn something new in these tough times, share them with me. I will gladly write you back and discuss what you have written.

Wait on God, His timing is always right.

Aaron Taylor

Wake Up People! [Romans 13:11-14]

Rom 13:11 Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Rom 13:12 The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Rom 13:13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy.

Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.

Yesterday we looked at Romans 13:8-10 and we saw how we are still fulfilling the Law. When we love each other, we are fulfilling all of the Law in our lives. Today, we are going to finish up Romans 13. So, let’s get going!

Paul tells us in this verse that we need to awaken from our sleep. What does that mean? Christians need to wake up from their spiritual “stupor”! He is telling us, “Why are you sitting around! There is so much to do! Our time is short!” Our salvation is closer than when we first believed? From the moment we got saved time is continuing to pass and as it does we are coming closer and closer to our glorification with Christ. This life that we are residents of has almost come to an end; it is only a vapor. As this life ends, stay in eternity is growing closer. What are you going to do to prepare? Let’s continue…

Christians need to live such a life that the daylight has nothing to expose; a life that is not characterized by darkness, but saturated in Jesus. We are given examples of lifestyles that characterize those walking in the dark: drunkenness, sexual impurity, jealousy, etc. Let’s say not to ourselves, our plans, our wants, our desires, anything characterized by “I” and say yes to Jesus, His plans, His wants, His desires and anything characterized by “Him.”

Aaron Taylor

The Law? Or Love? [Romans 13:8-10]

Rom 13:8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 The commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment--all are summed up by this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Rom 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

How many times have you heard in church: "The Law does not apply to me…" or "I’m a New Testament believer, so I don’t have to follow what is in the Law." I have heard this on more than one occasion. As I was reading through Romans, I came across these verses that deal with this issue.

Now I know that if we look at verses likes Romans 6:14 which say, "For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace," we know that as Christians we are free from the Law. This is not the issue I would like to deal with because I do believe that we are free from the Law; what I find interesting is that we still fulfill the Law without even knowing it.

How do people know that we are Christians? John 13:35 says, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Our love for other Christians (that "one another" statement means "one of the same kind" so this is referring to Christians not unbelievers) is the proof of our love for Christ. According to Romans, that love is the fulfillment of the Law in a Christian’s life. How is that? Any commandment (don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, etc.) is encompassed in the command to "love your neighbor." To love your neighbor (love one another) is the main commandment for Christians.

We may not be bound by the Law anymore, but as Christians we are still fulfilling the Law in our lives when we are obedient to Christ through our love.

Aaron Taylor

Was Jesus real?

I know this is extremely long, but please take the time to read it. I was posed with the argument today that Jesus never really existed and Christianity is basically a hoax. I also was called a false prophet and a liar. Which was kind of exciting (the prophet part) because God has called me into ministy to be a prophet (one who proclaims the Word of God)! I thought it was interesting how an unbeliever made that statement. What we have to understand is that those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, the Bible is not always a "valid source" of historical information. What I provided below (Most of it came from Gotquestions.org) is a listing of why Christianity is unique and reliable sources outside the Bible that show the existence of Jesus. I hope this helps you in your Christian walk.

What makes Christianity different from other religions and how do we know Jesus existed?

• Christianity is the only religion where God pursues a relationship with us- Other religions all make a pursuit of their god. Christianity is the only religion where God made a pursuit to man through Jesus.

• Jesus claimed to be God- No other world religions key figure claimed to be God.

• Jesus showed his deity by doing miracles (which are also recorded in extra biblical sources)- Other world religions had people who gave “good” messages, but none of them showed their miraculous power like Jesus did.

• Jesus rose from the dead- Many times in his life Jesus told that he would be crucified and rise from the grave three days later. He wanted to prove without a doubt His deity. It is interesting that the Roman authorities knew this was His pursuit so, what did they do? The posted 11-14 man group of guards (who knew if they failed at their duty they would be killed) and also sealed the tomb with the Roman insignia (which warned others to stay clear). Despite this, three days later his body was gone and he was seen by more than 500 people over 50 days. No other religion claims that their key figure rose from the dead (or even claimed to). • The message of the Bible is unique- The Bible is not a collection of poetic, disjointed ideas (some poetry can be found in it). The Bible (in its original manuscripts) is found to be without error. All attempts to find error have been dismissed.

What are some extra Biblical sources that show the existence of Jesus?

• The first-century Roman Tacitus, who is considered one of the more accurate historians of the ancient world, mentioned superstitious "Christians " ("named after Christus" which is Latin for Christ), who (Christians) suffered under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius.

• Suetonius, chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian, wrote that there was a man named Chrestus (or Christ) who lived during the first century (Annals 15.44 ).

• Flavius Josephus is the most famous Jewish historian. In his Antiquities he refers to James, “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.”

• There is a verse (18:3 in Josephus’ works) that says, "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats. . . . He was [the] Christ . . . he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him." One version reads, "At this time there was a wise man named Jesus. His conduct was good and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who became his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders."

• Julius Africanus quotes the historian Thallus in a discussion of the darkness which followed the crucifixion of Christ (Extant Writings, 18). (Also seen in Luke 23:44)

• Pliny the Younger, in Letters 10:96, recorded early Christian worship practices including the fact that Christians worshiped Jesus as God and were very ethical, and includes a reference to the love feast and Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

• The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a) confirms Jesus' crucifixion on the eve of Passover, and the accusations against Christ of practicing sorcery and encouraging Jewish apostasy.

• Lucian of Samosata was a second-century Greek writer who admits that Jesus was worshiped by Christians, introduced new teachings, and was crucified for them. He said that Jesus' teachings included the brotherhood of believers, the importance of conversion, and the importance of denying other gods. Christians lived according to Jesus’ laws, believed themselves immortal (eternal life), and were characterized by contempt for death, voluntary self-devotion, and renunciation of material goods.

• We can almost reconstruct the gospel just from early non-Christian sources: Jesus was called the Christ (Josephus), did “magic,” led Israel into new teachings, and was hanged on Passover for them (Babylonian Talmud) in Judea (Tacitus), but claimed to be God and would return (Eliezar), which his followers believed - worshipping Him as God (Pliny the Younger).

While these are great sources, let me remind you of the greatest proof of Jesus in the life of a Christian: What Christ did in your life. The change that occurs in the life of someone with a personal relationship with Jesus is the best proof of the existence of Jesus and him being different from other religions.

This is Love for God [1 John 5:3]

1Jn 5:3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,

As you can probably tell, I am liking this study out of 1 John. So, today we are going to continuing looking at this book, but moving on to the next chapter, chapter 5. Leading up to this we have talked about out love for God and reaching perfection in love. What was that? It was when we fall so in love with Christ, that there is not more discipline that has to occur. The passage talked about there being “no fear in love.” The fear was the fear of punishment. Next, we talked about our love for other Christians and how we claim to “love God,” but turn right around and hate our brother. What did John call this kind of person? A liar. We were posed with the question of how we can love God whom we can not see, yet not love our brother whom we can? Today we are going to continue looking at this idea of love, but jump back to loving God. So, let’s jump into it!

In verse three, John gives us a very basic definition of what love for God is: Keeping His commands. Initially, I thought: “So, if I force myself to follow the commands of God, that means I love Him, right?” I’m going to say no. This is saying that keeping God’s commands is the natural response of those who love Him.

“Yeah, but God’s commands are just a set of rules, they are too hard to follow.” The text says that God commands are not a burden. The Greek word here actually means “heavy.” God’s commands are not “so far out there” that we are not able to do them. If we get our hearts right with God, meaning we are at a good relational status with Him, we won’t even see his commands as a burden. As I said before, they will just be a natural response out of love.

To finish this up, I like what Matthew Barnes says on this verse, “They find His service easier than the service of sin.” Who is talking of here? He is talking about Christians that are so in love with God it is unexplainable. To them, sin’s commands seem like a burden, they seem “heavy.”
Where are you at? Do you naturally obey God’s commands or are there areas where your love for Him just is not complete? I think most of us would fall into the second category, but I want to provide you with a little encouragement here. I think many times when we read Scripture and especially passages like this, we make ourselves think that the bar set by God is “just a little too high.” Let me tell you something, you can achieve this “perfection in love” we have covered over the past few days; it is within reach. The only question is what are YOU doing that is holding YOU back? God’s already there and waiting to help you along the way, you just have to say, “I’m ready.”

Aaron Taylor

I Love God? [1 John 4:20]

1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

We talked in the previous section about the fear of God in three aspects: the sense of awe, the fear of punishment, and the fear of discipline. We concluded that the fear of discipline can be removed when we fall completely in love with God. This verse in 1 John 4:20 is a continuation of that thought.

John makes a very bold statement to Christians who claim to “love God.” How can we say that we “love God with all our heart,” yet despise our Christian brother sitting two rows up from us? We cant, it is a lie.

It seems the point John is trying to make here is how can you not love another Christian, who is created in the image of God, but claim to love the One whom that image came from? Again, it is a lie.

This is not a difficult passage, but I think I hold a lot of weight because we just can’t seem to get it right. As you go through the rest of your day/ week, think about Christians in your life that you have a “severed” relationship with. Mend those; fix them, because until that happens your love for God will not be complete.

Aaron Taylor

No Fear in Love [1 John 4:18]

1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.

Let’s first take a moment and examine what the “fear of God” is. From what I can find, there are three aspects of the fear of God:

The first is: Awe and reverence for who He is. This is that feeling of complete amazement that you get when you look over a field of flowers, knowing that God placed each one individually. It’s the realization you get when you look into the sky and see the vastness of space; knowing that the God who holds that in the palm of His hand, cares about you individually. It’s Laminin (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xg_ZVS6Kecw). It’s the fact that our God is the only God and in His awesomeness and His greatness, He is unfathomable.

The second is: The fear of His punishment. What makes us deserving of God’s punishment? Sin. If we have sinned, we no longer live up to God’s righteous standard and are deserving of His punishment. Matthew 25:46 tells us that the unrighteous will go away into eternal punishment. In Jude 1:7, we read that sinners will be cast into eternal fire. That is definitely something to fear! There is good news though! If you are a Christian you no longer have to fear that punishment. That punishment has been paid by Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. That fear has been removed.

The third (this is the one I believe this verse deals with): The fear of His discipline. Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us that God will discipline the ones He loves. Just as a father disciplines his child for doing wrong, so does God. A child does not look forward to getting spanked by his father, in reality, he fears that. It is a painful experience.

It seems that this verse is talking about the fear of God’s discipline in the Christian’s life. When we do things contrary to God’s Word, it is sin. In order to get us back on track, God will correct that sin and as we said before, that is not pleasant. It is when we love God with our entire being, with everything we are we desire to grow more and more intimate with Him, that this fear is removed. No longer will we be caught in the fear of discipline because God will not have to discipline us. This is the perfection in love talked about. What areas do you need to change to reach “perfection in love?”

Aaron Taylor

Canon of Scripture [Gotquestions.org]

Last night I was posed with the question of “How did the early church know which books belonged in the Bible?” The person I was talking to brought up the fact that archeologists are finding new books (Book of Judas, etc.) so, how do we know that they were not meant to be in the Bible? Today, I am going to take a moment and talk about how the early church decided the “canon” of Scripture. This could be beneficial to everyone because this is not the first time I have been asked this question. (The text to follow is from Gotquestions.org, with slight modifications for understanding.)

The term "canon" is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. The difficult aspect of determining the Biblical canon is that the Bible does not give us a list of the books that are to be included. Determining the canon was a process, first by Jewish rabbis and scholars, and then later by early Christians. Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the Biblical canon. A book of Scripture belonged in the canon from the moment the Holy Spirit inspired its writing. It was simply a matter of God convincing His human followers which books needed be included in the Bible.

Compared to the New Testament, there was very little controversy over the canon of the Old Testament. Hebrew believers recognized God’s messengers, and accepted their writings as inspired of God and authoritative as Scripture. There was undeniably some debate in regards to the Old Testament canon, but by A.D. 250 there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture. The only issue that remained was the Apocrypha (books written during the time between the Old and New Testament. Not considered equal with Scripture due to historical and theological errors)…with some debate and discussion continuing today. The vast majority of Hebrew scholars considered the Apocrypha to be good historical and religious documents, but not on the same level as the Hebrew Scriptures.

For the New Testament, the process of the recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church. Very early on, some of the New Testament books were being recognized. Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18, Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some of the books of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight New Testament books (A.D. 95). Ignatius of Antioch acknowledged about seven books (A.D. 115). Polycarp, a disciple of John the Apostle, acknowledged 15 books (A.D. 108). Later, Irenaeus mentioned 21 books (A.D. 185). Hippolytus recognized 22 books (A.D. 170-235). The New Testament books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John. The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in A.D. 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. In A.D. 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with the Apocrypha) and the 27 books of the New Testament were to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (A.D. 393) and the Council of Carthage (A.D. 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.

The councils followed something similar to the following principles to determine whether a New Testament book was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit: 1) Was the author an apostle or have a close connection with an apostle? 2) Is the book being accepted by the Body of Christ at large? 3) Did the book contain consistency of doctrine and orthodox teaching? 4) Did the book bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit? Again, it is crucial to remember that the church did not determine the canon. No early church council decided on the canon. It was God, and God alone, who determined which books belonged in the Bible. It was simply a matter of God convincing His followers of what He had already decided upon. The human process of collecting the books of the Bible was flawed, but God, in His sovereignty, despite our ignorance and stubbornness, brought the early church to the recognition of the books He had inspired.

Aaron Taylor

Servant. [Philippians 2:3]

Php 2:3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.

Today I think I have seen one of the greatest acts of servanthood that I have in quite a while. This morning my church began preparations

for our annual Clothing Giveaway. For those of you that do not know what that is:

We put about 40 tables up in our gymnasium. Over the period of about a year, we have a barn that gets filled with donations (clothing, toys, furniture, etc.). All of those donations are taken into the gym and separated out onto tables (Each table gets about a 4-5 foot pile of clothes on it). The day of the giveaway our church not only gives away the clothes, but also a hot lunch, drinks and a bible to each family.

Back to the point:
This morning I saw about 40-50 members out of our congregation take time out of their schedules to set up, haul and sort the donations. I don’t know about you, but I know that I could have found many others things to do this morning. On top of that, I was extremely hot and humid.

We see in Philippians, Paul talking about being a servant. We are to take on the attitude of Christ, who came to this earth to serve and not to be served. I definitely saw that this morning out of the members of First Baptist.

Great Job!
Aaron Taylor

(The clothing giveaway is this Saturday from 9-1. Spread the word!)

Your Testimony...! [2 Timothy 1:14]

2Ti 1:14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.

As all of you know, tomorrow is the fourth of July. The day that we celebrate the independence of our nation, the United States of America. I know where I live celebrations begin tonight, such as Red, White and Boom! Tomorrow will be full of many cookout, fireworks and just good times. So, what am I getting at? I don’t know how many of you reading this are professing Christians, those that have accepted Jesus’ death as payment for their sin. What I do know is there are some of you reading this who are. With celebrations like those we will be having today and tomorrow, it will be very easy for us to do things that could ruin our testimonies. If people know you are a Christian, they will look for opportunities to make you fail and when you do you will never live it down.

So, I know today’s devotion is extremely short, but take it to heart. Think about where you are going, who you will be with and what you will be doing during these July 4th celebrations. Is that someplace you would take Jesus? What will it do to your testimony?

Have a great 4th and God bless America!

Aaron Taylor

When Jesus Walked... [Colossians 1:16]

Col 1:16 because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.

How often do we really sit back and examine the awesomeness of God? Do we realize how big He is? Yet, He desires to live in and through me? As I was coming home from work last night, I heard a pastor on the radio give a “ministry minute” segment. This is basically what He shared:

Can you imagine what it was like when Jesus first walked among His creation? I can just picture Him walking along the Sea of Galilee, seeing the horizon in the distance and saying “I remember when I created this…” Or imagine Him traveling and seeing Mount Herman in the distance, “I formed you and you are still as mighty as the day I created you…”

Many times we take for granted that the creator of the universe came down in the form of a man, to die for the sins that I committed. Do we really understand or grasp the enormity of that? The One who spoke creation into existence, dwelt among man. Wow.
So, today when you look outside and see the blue sky which Jesus set in place or the green grass which He caused to grow, take a moment to say “Thank you.”

Aaron Taylor

Unto God, not men [Colossians 3:23-24]

Col 3:23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men,
Col 3:24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord--you serve the Lord Christ.

For those of you that do not know me very well, I am a part time delivery driver at Pizza Hut. It may not be the most glorious job, but you can’t beat the money! You may be thinking to yourself, “What does this have to do with the verse in Colossians?” Last night as I was coming in from my last delivery, I knew I would have to go over and finish up the dreaded DISHES. If you have ever worked in a restaurant before, you know what I am talking about. The dish room (the area you think would be the cleanest) is disgusting around the loading area. First of all, there are dirty dishes everywhere, the sink is full of leftover food and drinks, garbage disposal does not give off the most pleasant of odors, it is just not a pleasing place to be in.

Again, “What does this have to do with the verse in Colossians?” It is very easy to get discouraged when work we do does not seem “ideal.” We get the “I’m better than this” idea, “Why am I the one that has to do this?” Look at what Matthew Henry says about this: “Do it cheerfully, not discontented at the providence of God which put you in that relation.” When we are in these discontenting situations, we must realize that God allowed us to be a servant in that capacity. Matthew Henry also says, “We are really doing our duty to God when we are faithful in our duty to men.”

Dishes may not be the most appealing task for anyone, especially at a restaurant, but when I realized that I was glorifying God by having a good attitude, it was all worth it. What about you? What “duties” in your life have you discouraged? Next time they get you down, remember it is to be done enthusiastically and unto the Lord.

To God be the glory!

Aaron Taylor

"Pull one over on God" [Genesis 18:11-15]

Gen 18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
Gen 18:12 So she laughed to herself: "After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?"
Gen 18:13 But the LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Can I really have a baby when I'm old?'
Gen 18:14 Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son."
Gen 18:15 Sarah denied it. "I did not laugh," she said, because she was afraid. But He replied, "No, you did laugh."

Abraham and Sarah had been promised a son by God many times, although God never told them when they would receive their son. At one point they even tried to speed up the process by Abraham sleeping with Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. There was a son from that union, but not the son of the promise.

What we read here is the Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. Abraham had his servants prepare a meal for his visitors and he served them under the tree. The Lord then inquired of Abraham “where is your wife Sarah?” “There, in the tent,” he answered. Then the Lord makes a statement to them that they had been waiting on for many years, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year's time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” The time had come for them to bear their heir! We would expect to see uncontrolled excitement from them, but we see in verse 12 that Sarah just laughed about what God had said. She began to reason in her heart, “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?” She laughed at God and did not truly believe he had to power to bring her a son in her and Abraham’s old age.

Lets look at verse 15, “Sarah denied it. ‘I did not laugh,’ she said, because she was afraid. But He replied, ‘No, you did laugh.” She tried to hide the fact that she did not believe in God’s promise. She tried to hide the fact that she did not believe nothing was impossible for Him, but God knew her heart. She could not hide her inner thoughts from Him.

When we look at our lives, it is safe to say that we do a lot of thing that are not pleasing to God. How many times do we try to “hide” our thoughts and even our sins from Him? Almost as if we think we can “pull one over” on God. We read in Psalm 94:11, “The LORD knows man's thoughts.” We can’t hide from God. I would encourage you to make your sin known to God. Don’t try to keep it from Him. He already knows about it, so go ahead and put it on the table.

God is good!

Aaron Taylor