ARE YOU GOING?

 

Sunday, April 19, 2026

 

ARE YOU GOING?

 

Acts 4:11-12

11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

          If you walked up to a man on the street and asked him if he were going to heaven, he would very likely tell you yes. If you pressed him for a reason why he thought so, he would list all the good things that he had done and then tell you that he has done none of the atrocious things seen on the late-night news. He is faithful to his wife, grudgingly pays all his taxes, is a member of at least one service club in the community, and he goes to church occasionally. The problem in all of this is that there is no mention of Jesus – and Jesus is the Lord of the heaven to which he claims to be going.

 

          The New Testament is conspicuously free of any mention of denominations. We do not see Catholics, Methodists or any other denomination that claims a superiority of faith or methodology to all the others. We do see one Baptist, but I don’t think that qualifies. Allegiance to a particular clan or group and a close following of their practices is insufficient to purchase a ticket to heaven. Jesus is the Lord of heaven.

 

Rom 3:23-25

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

 

          The word “propitiation” in verse 25 is the Greek hilasterion which literally means “an atoning victim!” Practically, the word means that Jesus and His shed blood is the only thing that will satisfy the righteous requirement of God. So, we can cast aside our own self-made goodness along with our religiosity and community involvement because Jesus is the only propitiation for sins. The only One!

 

Yes I know!

Words & Music: Anna W. Waterman, 1920

 

Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
Jesus’ blood can make you free;
For He saved the worst among you,
When He saved a wretch like me.

 

Refrain

And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,
And I know, yes, I know
Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.

 

Dear Lord, tearfully I thank you for being my atoning victim! AMEN

 

THE LORD WILL FINISH IT!

 

Saturday, April 18, 2026

 

THE LORD WILL FINISH IT!

 

Ps 138:8

8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:

 

Comfortingly, the Hebrew word translated “perfect” here is the word gamar (gaw-mar') and means “to end.” The idea is that God will bring all that concerns us to a successful completion. The New Testament confirms this thought in the following verse.

 

Phil 1:6

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

 

The Greek word for “will perform” is epiteleo (ep-ee-tel-eh'-o) and means to fulfill further (or completely), i.e. execute; by implication, to terminate, to bring to a full and satisfying end.

 

God will keep working on me until He is satisfied with the finished product. He will keep on working despite my ignorance until wisdom begins to develop in me. He will keep on working despite my weakness until His strength is made perfect. He will keep on working in spite of my stubbornness until I am humbled because He is a firm but loving heavenly Father. He will bring me to maturity.

 

God will keep on fine tuning His purpose for me. He will bring into my life those who can influence me for good even if the circumstances of these encounters seem bad at the time. He will shut down some of my pet projects because they do not fit His purposes for me. He will lead me through hard paths because they end in the accomplishment of His greater purpose. He will allow pain and restrain pleasure so that I may become mature.

 

Rom 8:28-31

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

Dear Lord, thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for seeing value in me that I cannot see in myself. Thank you for changing my good plans for your better plans. AMEN

 

DO YOU REALLY WANT IT?

 

Friday, April 17, 2026

 

DO YOU REALLY WANT IT?

 

James 1:5-8

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

 

Jas 1:5 

If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. 

 

                We need wisdom to deal with some folks who drive us crazy! They do things they should not do and then tell us that we didn’t see what we clearly saw. Sometimes we believe the lie against our own senses. Psychologically, there is a word for it, and we need wisdom to combat it.

 

                James says that, if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us – generously. But there is a catch. You have to ask without doubting. This is not referring to doubt regarding receiving the wisdom but doubting as to whether we really want it. We doubt whether we really want to know. This is self-doubt.

 

                Double-minded is from the Greek dipsuchos and it means “two-spirited; vacillating in opinion or purpose.” You can’t have two opposing opinions on the same matter, or you will tear yourself apart. Paralysis is the result.

 

                Begin with the attitude that you really WANT God’s wisdom on a matter and that you firmly intend to ACT on the wisdom God gives you even if God disagrees with you. The request for wisdom is set in the context of trials so don’t expect a calm to sweep over you before wisdom appears. Wisdom will sometimes appear within a storm.

 

Isa 30:20 

Though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of oppression, yet your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will [constantly] see your Teacher. 

Isa 30:21 

Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left. 

 

Lord, even during a storm, let me hear Thy voice of wisdom. AMEN