Sincere and True...

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” ~ 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, NKJV

Paul wrote the above regarding the Corinthian church's response to their member who had his father's wife. Instead of being grieved by this sin, they condoned and even paraded it, actually glorying in something that should have brought them shame. Jesus, in His parables, used leaven to represent sin. Paul continues that metaphor here. A little bit of leaven (yeast) leavens the whole lump of dough. Any sin in the midst of the "lump" of the church leavened the whole church with sin, hindering their relationship with the Lord and sabotaging their witness in the world. Since the Corinthians were truly unleavened because of Christ's sacrifice on their behalf, Paul urges the church to purge out the old leaven - the deeds and practices of their old, sinful natures - and walk in the Spirit. They needed to put away from themselves the "evil person" (vs. 13), and repent of their own sin of glorying in shame and rejecting the law of God. Then they, as a church, would be keeping Jesus' Passover feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Taking sin out of your life takes away duplicity, deceit, double-mindedness, hypocrisy, facades, manipulation, and everything that is untrue or insincere (not genuine). A believer who is walking in the Spirit (that is, under the influence of and in obedience to the word of God) is very different in character from a nonbeliever, or even from a believer who has allowed the old leaven of sin to once again permeate his life. Someone keeping Christ's Passover knows the truth and lives his life according to it. Because of this practice, he is also what we would describe as "real": genuine, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, graciously honest, forthright, straightforward, honorable, and undeceiving. Sincere and true - that's the kind of person I want to meet or associate with; that's the kind of person I want to be. But the only way I can become that kind of person is if I immerse myself in the word of God, receiving it with meekness and allowing the Spirit of God to energize its application in my life. May God grant each of His children the grace to do so.

by Rebecca...

We Have Nothing We Have Not Been Given...

“For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” ~ 1 Corinthians 4:7, NKJV

As they vied for superiority over one another, the Corinthians abandoned an important truth: we have nothing we have not been given. Everything we have - our being, our bodies, our possessions, our talents, our lives, our world, the very breath in our lungs - we have received from God. He is, after all, the Creator; there is nothing that does owe its existence to Him. So why were the Corinthians boasting about what they had (in this case, from who they had received the word of salvation), when they had no right to take credit for it? Paul urges believers to boast in nothing except Jesus Christ. Boasting about Jesus is another way to point to Him with praise and thanksgiving. It makes praise much more personal in that you yourself are deeply invested in what you share. It is profitable boasting, since it serves not only to glorify God, but to share the good news of His salvation with others! There is nothing about myself in which I can boast. But there's everything for me to boast about in Christ, not least of which is implied in the verse above: I can't earn God's love. Everything I have has been given to me, yes? I can't claim credit or ultimate, creative ownership of anything, yes? So that makes it impossible for me to even begin to earn or pay for the favor God has given me. It's not even worth trying; to do so would be an exercise in futility and a defiance of logic. I have nothing to give and there's nothing I can do about that. Isn't that great? It's a huge burden that God has taken off our shoulders! "No," He says, "you don't have to sweat and strive and sacrifice to try to afford Me, because I've made sure that such a goal is beyond your reach. I don't want you to have to labor like that. I want to give you all My love and all My favor for free. Like everything else, you just need to receive it." Unfortunately, we human beings (or at least this human being) find receiving difficult. Receiving requires humility. It requires a surrender of our self-willed independence. To receive the better things God has for us we need the filling of His Spirit, which comes through the influence of His word, so that the receiving is done in His power and not in ours. It is not an easy process. But it leads to life, and life abundantly - with a Father like no other.

by Rebecca...

Jesus, the One Who Has Borne Our Griefs...

“And he [Jacob] recognized it and said, ‘It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.’ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, ‘For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.’ Thus his father wept for him.” ~ Genesis 37:33-35, NKJV

Jacob's favoritism promoted hatred and rivalry among his sons. When Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, they hid their crime by dipping Joseph's multicolored tunic in the blood of a young goat. They brought the tunic to their father, as if they had "found" it, and asked him if he recognized it. Convinced his beloved son had been taken by wild animals and torn apart, a devastated Jacob grieved bitterly. He refused the comfort offered him by his sons and daughters. He resolved to go to his grave still bearing the grief of his loss. Jacob is not the only one to respond to intense sorrow in this way; it is a phenomena that is difficult to explain within a materialistic or evolutionary framework. Why not accept comfort? Why not try to make yourself feel better? What benefit is derived from stubbornly remaining in mourning for a loss you cannot recover? What makes the pain desirable? I know that mingled in my own grief is a cry for justice. I don't accept that is, should be. Death and evil are an affront, an offense, a contaminant - not the natural order of the world. If your worldview does not include God that there is no accounting for such a bone-deep demand. There is no point or depth to relationships. There is nothing beyond this physical realm of existence. There is no hope in using your grief to throw down the gauntlet in a demand that the world be different. If you do not believe in God, then you might as well abandon your sorrow and give up any desire to see things be "right." You may as well surrender yourself to the nightmare of a world that dies. Or you can be like Jacob. Whatever his sins, he loved his son. I would rather spend my life in mourning than give in to the reign of death. I will bring my tears and my sorrow and my loss to Jesus, the one who "has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows," and by whose stripes "we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4, 5) Jesus conquered death. He overcame evil. He is salvation to those who believe in Him, so that there will come “to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’

‘O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?’” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

I'll keep my grief. Because instead of exchanging it for emptiness, I will see it transformed into joy.

by Rebecca....

Evidence of Spiritual Immaturity...

“For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” ~ 1 Corinthians 3:3, NKJV

The Corinthians' lack of spiritual maturity, as evidenced by the prideful, petty, and self-promoting divisions that existed among them, was a cause of great concern for Paul. When discussing spiritual things, he wanted to be able to give them "meat" and not "milk." But they weren't ready to dig deeper into the truth. Instead of exercising their faith to maturity, they had remained in the familiar ruts of their old, fleshly (carnal) ways. They behaved like mere fallen human beings, dead in their spirits and dictated by the lusts of their flesh, rather than like the children of the living God. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Paul cries in verse 16. Believers have the glory and power of God Himself living inside them! Our bodies are actually God's temple! His Spirit is Him, in all His fullness, and we can freely access that fullness. We can live in His power; we can shine with His glory; we can walk in His truth; we can see with His eyes; we can act with the character of His Son. By exercising our faith through obedience to spiritual maturity, we become more able to tap into the resources of the Holy Spirit. We come further under His influence. We behave not as mere men and women, still trapped in the bondage of sin, but as children of the living God, free and full of life and joy and power.

by Rebecca....

On 9/11....

“Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.
Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
So that men will say,
‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.’” ~ Psalm 58, NKJV

As I remember, the 9/11 Commission determined that our failure to anticipate the attacks made on that day was one of "imagination." We didn't think big enough to believe that our enemies would hijack passenger jets and drive them into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Even today we repeat the mistakes of the 1930s, choosing to deny or ignore or diminish the reality of evil. This is the evil of silence, and it is just as deadly as the evil that clamors and draws attention to itself. But David makes no bones about declaring evil for what it is. He speaks his mind; he uses graphic, vivid language; he calls it like he sees it. Evil is real. Evil is everywhere. Evil is powerful. To deny it and claim that doing so is righteous and upright is just to participate in a different form of evil, which weighs out violence in the earth and brings death and destruction. But where there is evil, there is also judgment! David's God - our God, the God of Israel - is a just God. He is righteous and He judges in the earth. There have been times in history when His hand of judgment has been apparent; there have been other times when it seems not so. There is also coming a day when every evil will be judged, every unrepentant soul will face His wrath - and everyone will know it. I take comfort in this psalm. Yes, the evil that I see and feel in the world around me is real, no matter how much it is denied; and yes, that evil will face judgment from a righteous and holy God. When those truths guard my heart the madness of this world cannot bring me to despair. I have hope instead.

By Rebecca Lilley..

Led Astray by Pride...

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” ~ 1 Corinthians 2:12, NKJV

Led astray by their pride, the Corinthian believers were wasting time pursuing the wisdom of the world rather than the wisdom and power of God. Paul reminds them, “‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” Since we have been given the Spirit of God (who alone knows all the things of God), we have unparalleled access to Him and can know all the things that He has, in His infinite love, freely given us. These things include His wisdom; His grace; His salvation; His life; His power; His exceedingly great and precious promises; His (Christ's) inheritance; His hope; His joy; His peace; and so much more. How could the Corinthians neglect this gift in favor of the things of the world, which, apart from God, are passing, empty, and damaging? How can any believer follow the Corinthians' example? Unfortunately, of course, we find it all too easy; we "default" to the ways of the flesh, and it takes time for the truth to become rooted in our hearts and replace our old habits of thinking and feeling and doing. But oh, the joy that we have when it does! When the Spirit teaches you the things of God, and you know what He has freely given you, your cup becomes filled to overflowing.

by Rebecca...

Walking in the Fulfillment of God's Promises...

“Also God said to him [Jacob]: ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.’” ~ Genesis 35:11-12, NKJV

In this passage, the Lord is passing on to Jacob the promises He also first gave to Abraham and to Isaac. But in Jacob's case, he is actually beginning to see God's word come to pass. Abraham was promised that he and Sarah would be the parents of a great nation, and yet they had just one son together, and that when they were old. Isaac and Rebekah, in their turn, were barren for many years before finally just having two sons, Esau and Jacob. As far as descendants and nations and claiming Canaan went, the size of their family looked highly inadequate. But with Jacob the tide changed. Twelve sons and one daughter filled his household! With each generation came more increase, until Pharaoh, king of Egypt, would become to afraid of Israel's numbers that he force them into slavery and enact brutal population control measures. What a privilege it was for Jacob to witness with his own eyes the beginning of the fulfillment of the promises God had made to his fathers. When we see God's promises fulfilled in our own lives, we get a glimpse of His glory, His perfect timing, and His sovereign power. My prayer is that these truths about my God would be so engraved upon my heart that the way I think and what I believe would be transformed.

by Rebecca...

You, Think You're so Great?

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” ~ 1 Corinthians 1:25, NKJV

Paul addresses the divisions and contentions that existed in the Corinthian church by addressing their root cause, human pride. He points to God's own strategy for our salvation, and His methods of action in the world - using the foolish things of this world to accomplish His purposes and to confound the humanly wise - as proof that God is not interested in our glory. In fact, He is interested in the opposite. Why? Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men! Man doesn't have anything to glory about! In His love for us, God breaks down our pride and exposes our frailty so that we do not, in our pride, drive His salvation far from us. I love 1 Corinthians 1. I love the Lord's care for us and His sense of humor. (You think you're so great? All right. I'll turn your whole world upside down, and I'll use twelve broken-down, Galilean commoners to do it!) I love most of all that I serve a God who is so much greater than me! If His foolishness is wiser than the wisdom of men, and His weakness is stronger than the strength of men, then I am safe indeed.

by Rebecca....

Behold, God is my Helper...

“Behold, God is my helper;

The Lord is with those who uphold my life.

He will repay my enemies for their evil.

Cut them off in Your truth.” ~ Psalm 54:4-5, NKJV

Without God truth has very little meaning and very little power. God, after all, is truth. He defines truth, He encompasses truth, and He empowers truth. He's what gives truth weight because truth is what He is. David suffered much injustice during the years he fled from Saul. Truth was buried. He wrote this psalm after the Ziphites informed on him to Saul, saying, “Is David not hiding with us?” So when David prays for the Lord to cut off his enemies in His truth, he is praying for justice; he is praying for God's laws to be manifested. Going against the ways of God is like violating a natural law. The penalty is usually built into the crime. Defy the law of gravity, and you will fall; defy the law that human beings cannot breathe water, and you will drown. Defy God's spiritual laws and the result is much the same. You bring upon yourself misery, death, and ultimately, separation from God (the definition of hell) as truth exacts its toll. David indeed suffered many trials during his years on the run, but he took comfort in the inviolable nature of God's truth. So can we.

by Rebecca...

Greet Apelles, Approved in Christ...

“Greet Apelles, approved in Christ.” ~ Romans 16:10, NKJV

The closing chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans is filled with names as he greets, with much love, individuals known to him. The phrase Paul chooses as Apelles' identifier is "approved in Christ." Technically speaking, all believers are "approved in Christ." Jesus is the one who makes us good enough, who marks us as sufficient - not because we are sufficient, but because He is. What we could not achieve Jesus achieved for us, and imputed it to our hopeless accounts. Did his approval in Christ mean so much to Apelles, perhaps because of his past or ethnic background, that this was how people knew him - as the man whom Christ had made sufficient? Or was it Paul's subtle encouragement to Apelles by reminding him that in Christ, he did, indeed, have the approval of God? I don't know. But I treasure Paul's words. Like Apelles, I am approved in Christ. I am sufficient. I am good enough. I meet the mark. I've been adopted as God's daughter, perfect and complete, without flaw or blemish. There is no condemnation, no despair, no defeat, no tearing down for the child of God. He is approved in Christ.

by Rebecca....

The Goodness of God Endures Continually...

“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

The goodness of God endures continually.” ~ Psalm 52:1, NKJV

David wrote Psalm 52 after a servant of King Saul, Doeg the Edomite, told the king that David had gone to the house of Ahimelech, the high priest. Not knowing of King Saul's vendetta against David, Ahimelech willingly provided David with food and a weapon. When Doeg reported this to Saul, Saul had Ahimelech, eighty-five priests of the Lord, and a city full of the priests' families were executed - by Doeg's hand. From Psalm 52, we know that Doeg boasted in his evil. He loved devouring words, lying over speaking righteousness, and evil over good. He worked deceitfully and his tongue devised destruction. (See Psalm 52:2-4) But Doeg was foolish. The goodness of God endures continually. Because He is God, because He is good, and because He is unchanging and eternal, any evil is doomed; God will not fail to judge and bring justice. David addresses Doeg in his psalm, writing that as Doeg worked destruction, "God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, and uproot you from the land of the living." (vs. 5) There is no need for the believer to despair or be discouraged when evildoers lift themselves up and glory in their deeds. If they do not repent, their judgment is sure. But those who are clothed with the grace of God's salvation (because we deserve judgment just as surely as Doeg), there is peace. We trust in His mercy forever and ever. (vs. 8) We are blessed and will be made to prosper. For us, eternity holds not judgment, but life. What peace we have with God!

by Rebecca....

The God of Peace Be With You...

“Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” ~ Romans 15:33, NKJV

Paul writes this verse as he prepares to close his epistle to the Roman believers. Earlier, he had written, “Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: ‘For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.’” (vs. 8-9) Jesus, while He was on the earth, submitted Himself completely beneath the strictures, ordinances, and rituals of the law (or the circumcision), so that in fulfilling it He might then, through His death, confirm God's promises of salvation and restoration. He did this “for the truth of God”; that is, so that God's word might be true. He did this furthermore for the Gentiles, allowing those who were once apart from God to bring Him glory through His mercy to them. Jesus' death on the cross, as penalty for sin, brought peace with God to both Jew and Gentile. The law - though good - is death to both groups alike! We can never fulfill it, and it justly condemns us. Our enmity with God brought us the death contained in the law. With death comes all its dreadful cohorts, those enemies who are to blame for every breach of peace in the world: fear, envy, strife, anger, bitterness, pride, rebelliousness, selfishness, greed, despair, anxiety, and the like. But when the God of peace walks beside us - and because of the peace won by Christ He can walk beside us! - there is no room for death and all his friends. They are cast out by God's perfect peace through His unfailing and unlimited love.

by Rebecca...

Jacob Wrestles with God...

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.” ~ Genesis 32:24-25, NKJV

As Jacob prepared to meet Esau again, he spent the night alone on one side of the ford of Jabbok. Here he wrestled with God until dawn - and he prevailed. It's not good to prevail against God! A man only prevails against God when God restrains Himself, as a father with a child. God, our heavenly Father, wrestles against our wills in order to bring us into submission to Him, where we can prosper, have joy and peace, and be blessed. When we, like Jacob, won't yield to the Lord, He must move beyond wrestling and cripple us. A shepherd with a perennially wandering sheep will break that sheep's leg in order to save it from destroying itself (as would surely happen if it kept wandering). Then he binds the leg and tends the sheep as it heals, keeping the sheep close to himself. Later, when the sheep is well, it no longer strays far from the shepherd. Sometimes, as with Jacob, our wills our so vehemently opposed to God's that the Lord must cripple us in order to save us. He put Jacob's hip out of joint. He may send an injury, a sickness, a disability, or a confining circumstance to other Jacobs. When God cripples, whether permanently or temporarily, He always does it in love and with His child's best interest at heart. Through a crippling we learn, as a sheep does, that the best place to be is close to Him. But how much gentler, how much easier - on God and on ourselves! - to let Him prevail when He wrestles us! We save ourselves much time and pain, and we come that much quicker into the blessings and goodness of our loving Father God.

by Rebecca...

Whatever is Not From Faith is Sin....

“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” ~ Romans 14:23, NKJV

Eating the meat of an animal sacrificed to an idol was considered as part of the act of worship. In pagan cities, where animals were offered to idols and the meat was served to guests or sold in the marketplace, believers faced a difficult decision. Was eating the meat tantamount to idol worship? Or was it, as Paul wrote on more than one occasion, just meat? Nothing in God's creation is unclean of itself. If someone had the faith to accept God's word and eat the meat without a doubts in his conscience, this was all well and good - as long as his eating wasn't making another, weaker believer stumble. But it was not well and good for someone to go against his conscience and eat the meat, because his actions, indeed, would be sin - he was going against his conscience and doing that which he believed to be wrong. Faith is the believer's connection to everything that is good. Faith is what holds him to the truth of God's word. Faith is how he receives the Holy Spirit and God's nature. God's nature is good and encompasses all that is good; human nature, on the other hand, is only evil. So, as Paul writes above, whatever is not from faith is sin. All the good motivations - such as love - have their roots in faith. All the evil motivations, like fear, pride, envy, self-seeking, anger, and revenge, are found apart from faith. It's an eye-opening and rather intimidating division of sin and righteousness, but it's also a division that brings simplicity. Where are my actions coming from? Are they from faith? Are they in accordance with the word of God? Are they empowered by the Holy Spirit? Or are they not? Paul makes it very easy to see what deeds are worthless and what deeds are not. And the grace of God is always there to help us walk by faith and not by sight.

by Rebecca

Fear of Isaac...

“Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.’ And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.” ~ Genesis 31:51-53, NKJV

Unsurprisingly, Jacob and Laban's relationship ended on rocky ground. Laban had used Jacob and dealt dishonestly with him. Jacob - while a tricky man himself - ultimately obtained great wealth from Laban because the Lord supported him. Having heard from the Lord that it was time to return to Canaan, and afraid of Laban's displeasure, Jacob left Haran secretly with his wives, children, servants, and goods. Laban pursued him and the two parties met in the mountains of Gilead. Here they set up stones, shared a meal, and struck a pact of mutual distrust. Neither Laban nor Jacob would pass the stones towards the other while intending harm. The idea was: “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.” (vs. 49) It's interesting, however, that when Jacob swears to uphold this covenant, that he swears by the "Fear of his father Isaac." The Lord is the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (Abraham's brother), but He is also called the Fear of Isaac. Why? Isaac feared God, certainly, but I don't think that's what this term implies. There is also no indication that Isaac was a particularly warlike man. I don't think he needed to be. The fear of God guarded Isaac from his neighbors' ill-will. Fear of Him was synonymous with fear of Isaac, because God favored Isaac. Our God favors all His children. We will almost certainly experience harm at the hands of the world, facing tribulation and trial and suffering, but there is nothing we can do or the world can do that the Lord will not work together for good for us. Nor is there anyone who does us harm that will "get away with it." The Fear of Isaac awaits them for judgment in eternity, and what we might endure now is nothing compared to what they will have to endure. Because of the certainty of God's judgment, I don't have to hate my enemies. I don't have to wish vengeance on them. I have a Fear on my side that vastly outweighs the fear of evildoers, and instead of responding to my enemies with defensiveness I can show love instead. I can pray that they will find mercy and salvation. I can pray for the joy of receiving them as a dear brother or sister instead of as an enemy. When I trust in my fear-inspiring God, and have confidence in His love for me, I have great peace.

by Rebecca

Put on Jesus...

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” ~ Romans 13:14, NKJV

It's a mistake to focus either only or foremost on the latter half of this verse (making no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts). A believer's flesh is his or her "old man," or old nature, which is a slave to sin. Am I offended by a perceived wrong someone has done me? That's my flesh at work. Am I afraid to the point that I disobey God (which is the only thing that should really frighten me)? That's my flesh at work. Am I trampling over the hearts and needs of others in an effort to get what I want? That's my flesh at work, as well. Would I like to be able to make no provision for my flesh (don't feed it, don't give it room or opportunity to work), fulfilling God's purposes instead of my old man's? Yes. Do I? No, not really. When it comes to those fleshly desires that challenge my commitment to obey God, I don't have a lot willpower to overcome them. That's why it's deadly to focus only on the latter half of the verse above. If I try, if anyone tries, to overcome their flesh in their own strength, it will only end in defeat and discouragement. Our human efforts may in fact only sink us deeper into bondage. Instead of release, we find only guilt, condemnation, and fear. This is not what God has for us! He tells us first to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ," because unless it is Christ doing the fighting, our flesh is going to win the battle. Putting on Christ, however, is not a magical, one-time thing, or some fantastic effort of self-hypnosis. On the contrary. To put on Christ, you must become like Christ. The way to become like Christ is to spend time with Him through immersion in His word. As Paul wrote earlier in Romans 12, the truth renews one's mind and transforms him into someone heavily influenced by the Spirit of God. The more we come under the influence (control) of the Holy Spirit, the less provision is made for our flesh; and gradually, instead of the lusts of the flesh, we begin to produce the fruit of the Spirit: "...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) Putting on Christ is the only way to victory!

by Rebecca

The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable...

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” ~ Romans 11:29, NKJV

Paul spends three chapters of Romans on the spiritual condition of Israel, which weighed heavily on his heart. He longed to see his countrymen believe in their Messiah. Though God had His remnant among the Jewish people (a remnant which included Paul and many others), the majority of Abraham's physical descendants remained in belief. Paul spends time in Romans 11 showing how much Gentile believers owe Israel for the gospel which came to us through them (even through their rejection of the gospel). Believers are to love and bless Israel because it is through them that we were given all our spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. As a rule, the Jews were enemies of the gospel for the sake of the Gentiles, but "concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers." God chose Israel - the people descended from fathers much loved by Him - and called them out of the world as His witness to the world. While the fullness of the Gentiles comes in they remain, as a whole, in unbelief. But the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable! God is not done with His people. In the last days they will experience revival and will once again be His witness. God's gifts, and His calling, are irrevocable. That promise holds true for us as well as for Israel. I have been called out of the world. I have been gifted with all the riches of God in Christ Jesus. The Lord will not go back on His word! He does not give up on me; He does not abandon me; He does not take back what He gives. I can rely on His faithfulness and know that what He has given me is permanent. In a changeable and faithless world, this is precious indeed.

by Rebecca

“When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.” ~ Genesis 29:31, NKJV

Jacob the deceiver and supplanter met his comeuppance in Laban, his mother Rebekah's brother. Laban willingly lied to and cheated his nephew (though he ultimately lost more out of their relationship than Jacob did). After Jacob served him seven years for his daughter Rachel, Laban gave him Leah, Rachel's elder sister, instead. Jacob didn't discover the deception until morning, when he challenged his uncle's actions. Laban gave Rachel to Jacob as well as Leah (for another seven years' labor), and predictably, Jacob loved Rachel and did not love Leah. Leah had her own sins, but when reading Genesis 29, one cannot help but pity her. I love that the Lord brought balance to the situation by blessing Leah with many children. Leah and Rachel never had to compete with each other for God's love or favor. He sought the best for them both, working their sins and their husband's and father's together for good. I do not serve a God who is out for Himself, or a God who esteems people the way men esteem them; I serve a God who loves me unconditionally, unchangeably, and unreservedly. Abiding in His love brings the heart peace in the midst of a stormy, unkind, and tumultuous world.

by Rebecca

Our Reasonable Service...

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” ~ Romans 12:2, NKJV

Paul broke into praise at the close of chapter eleven, declaring that “of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (11:36) He uses this doxology as a springboard from which to launch into the practical portion of his epistle. If all things - including we ourselves - are of God, through God, and to God, doesn't it make sense that becoming living sacrifices (12:1) is our reasonable service? Under the old covenant, a sacrifice - usually an animal - was something given wholly to God. The animal would be killed, with parts of it burned on the altar and the rest eaten by the priests and the ones who brought the sacrifice. But believers are living sacrifices - we die only the sense that we die to ourselves, our old man of sin, as we give ourselves wholly to the Lord. In so doing we find ourselves sharing in the fullness of the life of God as we conform not to this world, but to the likeness of His Son. Becoming a living sacrifice is not easy; it is a battle. The way we fight that battle is by renewing our minds with the word of God (the truth) so that, little by little, we come more under the influence of His Holy Spirit. You recognize someone who is filled with the Spirit! Their lives are markedly different - they're more alive, more joyous, more loving, more peaceful, more gracious...more complete. This kind of living proves God's will to be what He says it is: good, acceptable, and perfect. No, it's not easy giving one's self wholly to Him. It's easier to just jump off the altar. But when you do obey and you do die to yourself in, say, one particular battle, you come through on the other side with experiential knowledge of just how much it is to be doing it God's way than your way. This knowledge gives you courage to obey again and again and again, as you watch your life and your heart transformed by the power of God.

by Rebecca

The Faithfulness of God...

“[The LORD to Jacob as he journeyed to Haran]: ‘Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.’” ~ Genesis 28:15, NKJV

After Jacob infuriated his brother Esau by stealing his blessing, Rebekah convinced Isaac that Jacob should be sent to her brother in Padan Aram so that he might take a wife from among his own family and not from among the daughters of Canaan. Jacob left with Isaac's blessing and journeyed towards Haran and Padan Aram. As he stayed the night in a certain place, the Lord spoke to him in a dream, confirming to him the promises He had previously made to Abraham and Isaac. Additionally, the Lord addressed Jacob's present situation - his banishment from home and his uncertain future. The Lord told Jacob that He would be with him, no matter where he went, and that He would also bring him back to the land which his descendants would one day inherit, "...for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." Jacob had a long way to go before he could truly be called God's man, Israel; he responded even to his vision in a very pragmatic and self-willed manner (like me). But he made a step in the right direction. And whether Jacob believed it or recognized it or not, his God never left him - He stayed with him to accomplish all that He had promised him. This faithfulness of God applies to us as well. The Lord never fails to carry out His word to the full. He never leaves nor forsakes those who are called by His name. When He makes a promise, He stands by it. Regardless of our worthiness (or rather unworthiness), reactions, failures, and faithlessness, the Lord remains faithful. So we can be "confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..." (Philippians 1:6, NKJV)

By Rebecca