Rescue from this present evil age

It doesn’t take much more than reading the local headlines to be reminded that we live in a present evil age. Sometimes it doesn’t take anything more than looking at our own lives to realize it.

Jesus testified to the evil in His days on earth by saying, “For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, lewdness, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person” (Mark 7:21-23).

You don’t have to live in the inner city to know that we’re living in a present evil age. Whether it’s the world around you or your own personal circumstances engulfing you, the presence of evil in this age cannot be denied.

Furthermore, every person born into this world bears the stain of sinfulness. King David recognized this of himself as he confessed, “Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). The Bible declares, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). I’m in that category, and so are you. If you say that you have no sin, then you’re not only deceiving yourself, but you’re making God a liar, and the truth is not in you; His word is not in you (1 John 1:8, 10).

And it gets worse. Not only are we born sinful people into an evil age, but there’s a price to pay for our sin. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), writes the apostle Paul under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit. That death is an eternal separation from God in hell. The prophet Isaiah declared, “Your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you so that He does not listen” (Isaiah 59:2). The apostle John was given a revelation of the glories of heaven, and he wrote, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful” (Rev. 21:27).

And not only are we born sinful people into an evil age with an eternal punishment as our just penalty, there is absolutely nothing any one of us can do on our own to save ourselves. Even our best deeds to try to gain salvation are but “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) in the Lord’s sight. If we think we can achieve righteousness by our good works then we are terribly deceived. Many people have this idea that on that day when they stand before the Lord’s seat of judgment that He’ll place all their “good deeds” on one scale and their “bad deeds” on the other. If the good outweighs the bad, they’re in. And, of course, nearly everyone with this view believes they will come out on the good side.

The apostle Paul knew better, however, and he pleaded with the church at Galatia for their understanding. He wrote, “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse…Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law” (Gal. 3:10, 11). He goes on later to describe the works of the flesh as being obvious: “Sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar…those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21).

Now, I hope you’re still with me here, because I sure don’t want to leave it like this. If that’s all there is to look forward to, then no wonder there’s such hopelessness and despair in our world today. But, friend, all of this bad news must be rightly understood before we can fully understand and appreciate the wonder of the good news of the message of the Bible. That news is our Lord Jesus Christ, “who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever” (Gal. 1:4).

This news should make the front page of every newspaper every day! You can be delivered from your sin, rescued from this present evil age and saved from everlasting death in hell because Jesus has suffered the wrath of God for sin for you. He died to rescue you! Will you repent of your sins and receive Christ Jesus today as your Savior, or will you keep hoping your “filthy rags” will save you? Will you follow Him gladly as the Lord of your life, or will you keep following your own path of destruction and death? Will you tell someone who’s lost and dying that Jesus is their only rescue, or will you keep silent as they plunge into the eternal fire of hell?

Overflow

Have you ever wished you could retrieve something you've said? Who hasn't? We've all spoken carelessly, rashly or harshly, and no matter how quickly we realize the damage our words have caused, or the extent of their stupidity, there's no way to unsay them once they've left our lips.

Sadly, often our most hurtful words are directed toward those we love the most. Our very own families usually receive the worst of our speech. Sometimes we say things we don't really mean - but are such words actually revealing what's really in our hearts?

I believe our speech problems aren't really speech problems at all. They're heart problems. What we say reflects what's hidden in our hearts - whether good or bad.

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34b)

I'll encourage you to read the full context of this passage in your Bible, as Jesus denounces the Pharisees for saying that the healings He performed were the result of being in partnership with the devil. Their blasphemous accusation against Him was merely the overflow of evil hearts hostile to the presence of God among them. They couldn't help but speak such evil, because their very hearts were full of wickedness.

Conversely, those whose hearts are filled with a treasure of good will naturally speak with goodness as the heart overflows to the lips.

For now, for the sake of your family, your friends, your co-workers or your online buddies, I want to offer eight ways to fill the treasure chest of your heart with good, so that the o-v-e-r-f-l-o-w of your heart will be good stuff pouring from your lips.

O - Open your heart to the Lord. This is the first and fundamental step toward filling the storehouse of your heart with good. Sin leaves a nasty stain on each man's heart, a terrible blemish that darkens us spiritually, separates us from a holy God, and eventually kills us with an eternal death in hell. The only way to cleanse the heart and make it worth anything good at all is to receive the complete forgiveness and cleansing of sin that Jesus Christ alone can offer. Open your heart by believing that Jesus died on the cross for your sin, repenting of your ways and giving Him control of your life. He will enter into your heart in the power and abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and fill you up with all the good He offers. When you open your heart to the Lord, the overflow on your lips will be such things as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

V - Vacate your own agenda. Lay down your self-centered ways, your selfish ambitions and self-sufficiency. Get rid of all the junk that clutters your heart with worry, doubt, fear, pride, lust, envy, anger and bitterness. Allow the Lord God to search your heart and convict of sin and unrighteousness. The apostle Paul said it this way: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I life by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20). When you've vacated your own agenda, then when you open your mouth the overflow from your heart will be free of any anxious, worrisome words, free of unwholesome talk, free of crude and coarse joking, free of gossip and hurtful comments, free of arrogance and prideful boasting, and free of bitterness and rage.

E - Enjoy Christ! Enjoy the life you have in Him. Delight yourself in the Lord. Let your heart sing with thankfulness and gladness to the One who has rescued you from darkness and brought you into the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins! Rejoice in the Lord always - when things are good and when times are bad. He is your Rock, your Refuge, your Shelter in the time of storm. Look at all He's done for you. Count your blessings. Meditate on His incredible love and mercy poured out for you. Cherish Christ as the priceless treasure above all treasures that He is. Abide in Him fully. Let His word abide in you. Remain in His love by obeying His commands, and listen to what He promises: "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). When a true enjoyment of Christ Jesus fills your heart, then that joy will overflow when you open your mouth to speak.

R - Read the Bible. What a marvelous gift God has given to us by giving us His Word! Read it. Study it. Meditate on it. Pray through it. Memorize it. Rely on it. The Bible is the infallible, inerrant, eternal Word of the living God revealing the Almighty to mankind. It is Truth, and Truth is the authority that must govern our lives. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, training and correcting in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). When your heart is filled with the word of God, then the overflow as you speak will be wisdom, praise, gratitude, encouragement, admonishment, and so much more - it will be the word of God and the message of Christ Jesus.

F - Fellowship with God in prayer. If you want to fill your heart with good, then spend much time in prayer-fellowship with the Father. We forfeit so much peace and joy and contentment in our lives by shallow or neglected prayer-fellowship with our Lord, who promises so very much, yet we ask so very little. Look at the strength Jesus Himself in the flesh drew from His Father in heaven in prayer. If Jesus needed such prayer-fellowship with God, how much more do we! Sincere, meaningful prayer with the Lord acknowledges our dependence upon His power in our weakness, His provision in our need, His protection in our trouble, and His presence in our lives. When our hearts are filled with the strength and comfort and peace God provides to us in prayer, then the overflow on our lips will reflect the sweet fellowship we enjoy with our Savior.

L - Love, love, love. Because He first loved us. Take some time and truly meditate on the ultimate demonstration of God's love for you at Calvary. See the compassionate eyes of Jesus fix upon yours as He hangs from the cross. Hear His tender, merciful words, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34), uttered on your behalf even as He gasps for each breath. Feel the weight of sin He bore in His body on the tree - your sin, your punishment, your place. Why did Jesus endure such agony and pain for you? Why did He suffer and bleed and die such a horrible death as crucifixion? It was because of His amazing love - a love we do not deserve, a love we could never earn. When you meditate on the overwhelming love of God for you, then your heart will be filled with love, and the words of your mouth will overflow from the heart with love and goodness toward others.

O - Oversee your heart. Protect it with all diligence. Guard it well. Tighten the borders and let nothing impure enter in. As soon as you let down your guard or leave the gate open, the adversary will sneak in begin destroying you. He'll come in through the door of rationalizing thoughts, as you reason with yourself, "This movie isn't that bad...this website isn't too off-color...this novel isn't that graphic." He'll come in through open gate of compromise. Jesus told His followers to "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Wherever you let your guard down, that's where the enemy will advance. And he comes like a thief with a mission to kill, to steal and to destroy. You must oversee your heart! Guard who and what comes in. Guard every gate and set a watch on every wall. When you oversee your heart with all steadfastness and faith, the treasure of your heart will be kept safe and the overflow remain pure.

W - Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. Worship is so much more than the songs we sing in church Sunday morning. It's more than raising our hands or bending our knees. It's more than dropping a few bucks in the offering plate or donating land to a charitable organization. It's more than a random act of kindness that makes you feel good about yourself. Worship is the daily, living sacrifice we present to the Lord as we yield ourselves completely to His will. Worship can be beautifully expressed in the external, but it's truly a matter of what's inside the heart. This is what God sees. When our hearts are filled with the wonder and awe and reverence and adoration of our incomparable Savior, our Prince of Peace, the King of kings and Lord of lords, then our lips will be quick to speak of the grace and glory of our God as praises overflow from hearts that are captivated by the name of Jesus.

May your heart be filled with the goodness of Christ Jesus and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, so that as your heart overflows the glory of Christ may be forever on your lips.

Draw Me, Dear Jesus

There's a great hymn that's probably too often neglected in the music of the church today. Actually, there are probably many of them we don't sing anymore that would teach, encourage and inspire us in the Lord richly. But I'll have to reserve that line of thought for a different day.

The hymn "Be Thou My Vision" is one I find echoing my own prayer before God. Here's the first line:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art:
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

That's what I want - the presence and the vision of the Lord to be my guide, to be my light. Nothing else, but Christ and Christ alone.

The third stanza:

Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

Is that not the desire of all who seek Him? That Christ Himself be our greatest treasure? I'm not looking for men's applause or the temporary trappings of popularity or riches in this world. I want to lay up treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves can never break in and steal.

There are some rich truths found in this hymn that lead me to lift up my hands in praise of the One in whom I know will answer - and has answered - this prayer.

Dr. Butler's Hymnology class in seminary provided an assignment where we were asked to write a hymn. What follows is my humble classwork attempt to express my own prayer using the same tune as in "Be Thou My Vision," the tune SLANE, a traditional Irish melody. It is a prayer of faith, hope, endurance and love, based much off of Psalm 63 and Hebrews 10.

"Draw Me, Dear Jesus"

Draw me, dear Jesus, to Thy wounded side
Knowing that safely in Thee I abide
Sheltered in shadows of rest in Thy wings
Grant me firm faith as my soul to Thee clings

Holding unswervingly, Lord, unto Thee
For every promise of Thine comes to be
Surely Thy blood on the cross paid my price
Grant that this hope be my anchor in Christ

Spurring each other toward love and good deeds
Led by Thy Spirit we gather, agreed
Turning, encouraging hearts to Thy way
Grant us endurance to live for the Day

Better than life is the love of our King
Purer than all of the praises we sing
Higher than all of the heavens above
Grant us a cup of Thy unfailing love

Battling the Storms

A few weeks ago when severe weather warnings were out, we had the TV on with Wayne Hart providing the play-by-play coverage. Our boys know that if a tornado warning directly affects us, then they are to go into the bathroom for shelter. It did not appear that we were in imminent danger, but that didn’t stop our boys from doing something about it. As the wind continued howling outside as we tried to get them into bed, Toby came up with an idea. He said, “I’m gonna go get my sword and fight the tornado.” Actually, he called it a “tormado,” which is probably due to too much exposure to Bob the Tomato, and it’s easy for a three-year-old to get mixed up.

Well, they got their plastic swords out and ran throughout the house swinging and fighting the evil tornado. I’m not sure how much good they would have done in the event of an actual emergency situation, but it did help them feel like they were doing something about it. And, yes, bedtime was much later than usual that night.

There were several damaging storms were to our south, where tornados did strike and leave dozens dead and many more injured. You know about the destruction at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Union is an excellent Southern Baptist, four-year liberal arts university. If you’ve seen pictures of the campus in the aftermath of the storms, you can’t help but believe that it was literally a miracle that, despite injuries, not a single student on campus was killed.

It makes you think that maybe they got their swords out. Not the plastic kind, but the one sharper than any doubled-edged sword. I’m referring to the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). What power and protection and provision there is for the one whose trust is the Lord!

For God’s purpose and for His glory, He chose to spare the lives of the students at Union University. As Christians we are not promised a life of ease and comfort, a trouble-free or pain-free life, but we are promised the victory in Jesus. In fact, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

God would not be any less God if there were students at Union who died in that storm. He would not be any less loving, any less caring, or any less concerned about the sufferings of His people. No matter what the circumstances of life around us, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). And furthermore, “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor 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).

So, when the storm threatens and the sea rages and the earth quakes around your feet, you need not fear, dear friend, if your trust is in the Lord. Get your Sword out and discover for yourself the power of the Lord Almighty. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).

Get your Sword out and find in His Word the wonder of His presence. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Get your Sword out and examine and see that the Lord our God is mighty to save. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3).

God is boundless in His love for you, dear friend. His love for you was expressed in ultimate measure by giving His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins, to save you from the dangers of hell and offer you everlasting life with Him in heaven. There’s a day coming that will be infinitely much worse for unbelievers than any storm on earth. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses (and some in plastic swords), but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm” (Psalm 20:7-8). The battle is real and the storms will come. What, or rather, Whom, are you trusting in?

If Only

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be cut off nor destroyed from before me." - Isaiah 48:18-19

Why do we as believers in Christ Jesus not wholly and gladly yield ourselves in obedience to the Word of God? Just look at the peace that would be ours. Look at the many gracious promises God gives to those who follow His ways. Look at how strong and wise and able our Lord is to make good on His Word.

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." - Psalm 81:10

God reminds His people of how mighty He is to save, to deliver and to provide us with His richest blessings. He reminds us of how sure He is to answer in our distresses and bring us to the place of abundance and rest. Yet, Israel was so quick to chase after other things and ignore the clear warnings given them through the prophets.

"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices." - Psalm 81:11-12

Those who stubbornly continue to refuse the Lord will suffer in themselves the due penalty for their sin (cf. Rom. 1:18-31). God is indeed patient with us and gives man numerous opportunities to turn from sin and trust in Him, but He will not coddle us forever. Sometimes the very worst punishment He can inflict on a man is simply to let him follow his own ways, forfeiting the protection and provision God offers.

One of our deacons came early Sunday morning to shovel the sidewalks at the church. We had just enough snow and plenty of ice this past week to make the conditions dangerous for many people. He cleared the walkways and entrances to the building so that no one would get hurt. He didn't want anyone to fall.

Anyone who pulled into the parking lot could see clearly that the sidewalks were safe to walk on. Imagine then, if someone intentionally chose to avoid the cleared walkways and tried to skate in some other way. There would be a good chance that they would slip and fall and get hurt.

God has plainly shown the way that we should walk. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path (Ps. 119:105). How foolish it is for us to attempt to walk a different path! If we avoid following the commands of His Word we're missing out on the protection and provision He lovingly offers to us in this world. He longs to keep us safe from the dangers and entanglements of sin. He does not want us to stumble and fall. But if we stubbornly refuse to take His instruction, then we will suffer the inevitable consequences.

"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!" - Psalm 81:13-14

Don't you see how the heart of God yearns to display His power and His might among His people? Why would we choose to spurn God's commands which are for our good, when He promises us such blessings?

"Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." - Psalm 81:15-16

If only we will follow the commands of the Lord. We would not only avoid so much turmoil and grief and worry and fear, but we will receive in great confidence the promises of God's protection and provision and peace. We will be fully satisfied in Him.

This Is the Day

I suppose today is an ordinary Monday, sandwiched between Super Sunday and Super Duper Tuesday. Of course, if you are a fan of the New York Giants there's nothing ordinary about it. You're telling everyone who will listen about how your team slayed the mighty dragon. For Patriots fans, well, remember, it is just a game.

Either way, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps. 118:24). We can rejoice in each day, not necessarily because of the circumstances around us, but because of who Jesus is and who we are in Christ Jesus.

We can even "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2). How?

• "Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:3).
• Because "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
• Because "these [trials] have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:7).

God often shapes and refines us for His purposes and glory through the hardships we face. What better way to examine the depths of our faith in Christ than in the fire?

Last week I was out of commission for a couple of days due to illness. Every one of my family has been sick with something in the past two weeks. We've not been feeling well, we've been couped up together more than usual, our schedules and plans have been changed, put on hold or canceled altogether...and frankly we've been going a little stir crazy.

Not a major fire, but enough to test my faith. There were some things about mine I didn't like. The fruits of the Spirit (especially the patience thing) weren't very pleasing to taste. Counting it all joy wasn't exactly what I had in mind. And how God worked any good from it I can't tell you.

Oh, to have the faith of men like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego! To say to the king while the furnace blazes: "Bring it on! We'll face the fire if that's what you want. There's nothing you or anyone else can do us to us from which the Lord our God will not save us. He will rescue us from your hand without working up a sweat. And we'll tell you this - even if He chooses not to, we're still not going to deny our faith by serving your gods."

So, face the fire with faith, dear friend! Rejoice in this day - whatever may come. God's got in all under control. "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" the king wanted to know. "But, look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods" (Daniel 3).

Christian, you're going to have trouble in the world. Jesus never promised it would be easy. But He promises you peace in Him, saying "Take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Whatever hardships, sufferings, pain or trouble this day brings, rejoice in the Lord! I will say it again: Rejoice! "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:4-7).

Choose Life

This week we have witnessed the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision which legalized the killing of unborn babies. Nearly 50 million babies have been killed since 1973. What a shameful smear on the legacy of this country. I believe the history books will one day record what a disgrace this has been upon the land, a disgrace which may well contribute significantly to our nation’s undoing.

Beyond that, how the taking of each life must absolutely grieve and anger the heart of God. The Bible declares that the Lord God creates life in the womb, from the moment of conception, knitting us together being fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:13-14). We must love what the Lord loves and hate what He hates. We must value every life in every womb in every circumstance – the way Jesus valued your life and mine. The sin of taking away the life of an unborn child in the “best interests” of the mother or the child or society, for the sake of convenience or financial concerns or selfishness or whatever, will not be dealt with lightly.

However, forgiveness is available in Christ Jesus. If you’ve ever had an abortion or encouraged and supported it, I’m not here to beat you up over it. You already know the pain and grief of that experience. I want to tell you that through Jesus you will be forgiven of this – or any sin – by humbly admitting your sin before Holy God, repenting, and believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord. He can and will heal you.

Jesus suffered and bled and died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, so that you can go free. He will cleanse you and make you new. He will save you. But anyone who chooses to reject His Word, His Truth, the Life that He alone gives, stands condemned already. “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deut. 30:19).

Gracious and Compassionate God

Have you ever tried to run away from God? You know the Lord has a message or a mission for you, but for your own reasons you have not embraced that call, either conveniently ignoring Him or defiantly rebelling.

Have you ever wished for God to just punish the wicked and be done with them? Maybe you have felt that certain groups of people such as child abusers, drug addicts, liars, murderers or jerks at work simply do not deserve God's compassion, and there's no way in the world you would ever give them the chance to receive salvation.

That's why so many people throughout the ages have identified so closely with Jonah.

You know the story. God called His prophet, Jonah, to go to Nineveh and preach against it. Why? Because the wickedness and violence of that city was flying up in God’s face. A holy, righteous God displayed the greatness of His patience toward this city by sending His messenger to give them a chance to repent. He could have simply wiped them out like an exterminator getting rid of nasty bugs you don’t want crawling around your house. That’s what Jonah thought He should do. And He would have been justified in doing it.

God was justified in sending the flood in the days of Noah. The Bible records for us that “the Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain” (Gen. 6:6) because He saw how great man’s wickedness had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil all the time. The world was filled with corruption and violence, and it broke God’s heart with great anguish.

God was justified in raining down burning sulfur to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. You can read the graphic details of their wickedness in Genesis 19 if you’d like.

The truth is that God’s judgment is always right. He is just in all His ways. And on the day when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Thess. 1:8-9).

But with an unfathomable compassion for mankind, God, who is also gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, gives men everywhere a chance to turn from their wicked ways and trust in Him for salvation from hell. That’s why He sent Jonah to the Ninevites. That’s why He called Noah to be a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5) in his generation. That’s why He spared Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible says of the Lord, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Jonah did not understand God’s compassion. He couldn’t comprehend why God would give such wicked and sinful people a chance to receive His favor. “They don’t deserve Your mercy!” Jonah protested. “Look at how evil they are! Don’t you see how defiant and rebellious and violent these people are? They deserve Your wrath, not compassion!” In putting it bluntly, Jonah's attitude was: "They can just go to hell."

And so Jonah tried to escape this call by taking a cruise to the other side of the sea. But God would not be denied. On this cruise Jonah found himself immersed in a life lesson concerning the preaching of God’s Word. Jonah learned first hand the awesome power and sovereignty of God as the wind and waves rocked the ship. He discovered the challenge to obey as God kept him alive inside the belly of a great fish. And when God gave him a second chance Jonah set his sights on carrying out his mission, reluctantly though it was.

The day of the Lord’s judgment will come. But He is giving you this moment the chance to receive His salvation. That’s why God displayed His compassion in the ultimate measure by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross in the place of every sinner. There He took the full weight of God’s wrath for us. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

The truth is, none of us deserve His compassion any more than the Ninevites. But, oh, the mercy and grace of Christ Jesus! When warned, the Ninevites believed God. They turned from their wicked ways and God had compassion on them and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.

What about you? Confess your sin before the Lord today. Turn away from wickedness and trust in Jesus Christ for your forgiveness. Believe that He died on the cross for your sins and that He rose from the grave. Come in faith to Jesus, for "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). You will experience that truly our God is a gracious and compassionate God!

What We Cannot Do

Some things I can do well; I can re-fold a road map. Some things I’m okay at; I’m about a 70% free-throw shooter. Some things I cannot do at all – like earn my way to heaven.

Do you realize that there is nothing you can do to save yourself? Save from what, you may ask? From the wages of sin, the Bible answers, which is death. Not annihilation, as some false teachers claim, but an eternal state of anguish and torment in hell. You might think your life is a living hell right now, and to some degree it may be.

In hell you are separated forever from the presence of God. Right now you may have distanced yourself from the presence of God by rejecting Him, rejecting Jesus as Savior and Lord, or by simply ignoring the reality of who He truly is and denying His activity in the world all around you. If hell is the absence of God, then maybe you are living in a sort of hell today.

But I’ll be honest with you from God’s own word – you ain’t seen nothing yet. “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:41). “These,” says the King, the Son of Man to those do not respond in faith to the gospel of Christ Jesus, “will go away into eternal punishment” (Matt. 25:46). If you think you have it bad now, just wait until the Lord unleashes the fury of His holy wrath against sin.

Whether you realize it or not, God is pouring out His unfathomable compassion and mercy upon you even as you breathe. If He even began to take away His hand from this world for one moment, this universe as we know it would crumble into ruin. No, contrary to what evolution and big bang theorists would have us believe, “by Him (Jesus, the image of the invisible God) all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible…all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).

And so God, in displaying His glory in His creation, in providing you air to breathe and a heart to beat and ears to hear and a mind to receive His message, gives you this moment the opportunity to be saved from death and hell. The Bible says even though God will certainly bring judgment and destruction upon the ungodly, that He is also demonstrating His patience toward us now, “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

The message is this: Repent from sin and believe in Jesus! Turn to Jesus and be saved! God loves you so much that He willingly gave His one and only Son to die on the cross for your sins. He doesn’t want you to die. He came to bring you life – eternal life! The Bible says that “whosoever” believes in Jesus will not perish, but have everlasting life. God demonstrated His wondrous love for you in that while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you (Rom. 5:8). You can be saved right now by confessing your sin before God and believing in Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

"Yeah, but you don’t know what I’ve done,” you may say. “You don’t know how many terrible things I’ve said, how many people I’ve hurt, how much hatred is in my heart and the anger in my soul. I could never be good enough to be saved.”

If that’s what you’re thinking, then I say to you that you are on the right track. You can never, ever, be good enough to be saved. There is no amount of good deeds that can possibly earn salvation. In fact the Bible declares that there is “no one righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve gone to church, how many religious deeds you have done, how good a worker you are, how good a parent you’ve been or how much money you’ve donated to charity. You can do absolutely nothing to save yourself.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Eph. 2:4-5). Friend, the only way to be saved is on the basis of God’s grace, which we receive through faith. Come to Jesus today – He’s the only Way to heaven.

Daily Devotions for 2008

This past year I had the opportunity to contribute eight writings in the Illinois Good News Daily Devotion Guide. It was a wonderful opportunity to participate in a work I pray will encourage and strengthen your faith. I want to thank Ed and Donna Handkins for their diligence in compiling this book and allowing this pastor to contribute.

These devotions are now available online at http://www.goodnewsddg.com/. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, you may do so at www.lulu.com/edhandkins7.

It's my hope that God will stir your heart to a greater desire to know Him through His word and through the experience of obedience in 2008.