~God rewards the faithful~ The beautiful coastal city of Izmir, Turkey is at least 3,000 years old. The ruins of the ancient city it once was lie surrounded by the modern city of today. In Biblical times this city was known as Smyrna. The Greek word Smyrna means 'myrrh'. Smyrna was known for its export of Myrrh. Smyrna and Myrrh Myrrh is referenced several times in the New Testament. It was one of the gifts brought by the Wise Men to the young Jesus, it was offered to Jesus with wine on the cross and it was used in His burial. In the Old Testament it was used as anointing oil for consecrating priests and kings (Exodus 30: 23-25) and in the New Testament it was used for embalming (John 19:39). A Letter to Smyrna Revelation is the only book that specifically mentions the church that existed in Smyrna. It was one of the seven churches that was sent a specific letter. We read this letter in Revelation 2: 8-11. The church is described as being poor and yet rich. It is known for its works and the tribulations it has endured. It begins with a title for God, the First and the Last, and Jesus, who was dead, and came to life. God sees this church and knows it. He sees what it is enduring and how it is suffering. It is a church in action, zealously proclaiming the word of God in the face of persecution. No Criticism Of the seven letters to the churches this was the only letter that does not include a criticism. How wonderful to know that the Lord was pleased with them. As Peter tells us in I Peter 5: 10 after our suffering Jesus will "perfect, establish, strengthen and settle" us. The persecutions that this church endured had perfected, established, strengthened and settled it. Rich With the Knowledge of God The Christians in Smyrna were poor, perhaps because of their persecution. But the letter says they were rich! Why was it rich? Because in spite of a lack of worldly possessions it had the most prized possession of all. It had the knowledge of the saving grace of our Lord. It is an interesting contrast to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:17-18 which was told that, even though they think they have no needs, they are actually "wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked". The Persecuted Church The Christians in Smyrna were persecuted by many. They were persecuted by the Romans who expected them to acknowledge and worship the emperor and by the pagans, the popular culture of the day, who had temples to Cybele and Zeus, as well as temples to Apollo, Asklepios, and Aphrodite. This scripture also tells us that the 'so called' Jews persecuted them. John calls them a 'Synagogue of Satan'. Why did he call them this? Because by not acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, they had shown who they stood with, and it was not God. Do Not Fear The church received a command, not to be afraid. So many times the Lord in His word tells us to not be afraid. Why does God tell us this? Because as Isaiah 41:10 explains, it is God who strengthens, helps and upholds us. Even in the face of great persecution we shouldn't fear. Blessed Are They Who Endure The letter to Smyrna goes on to inform the church that for a time things will be very bad. The devil will cause some of them to be thrown in prison and even killed. But faithfulness to the end has a great reward. To those who are faithful, even with such great persecution, will come a crown of life! James 1:12 tells us that God promises a crown of life to people who love Him. If persecution comes we need to pray that like the church in Smyrna we too will be faithful and endure to the end. The Holy Spirit Says to Hear The Holy Spirit speaks to the church and the church is instructed to 'hear'. The church was to take heed of what is being said. The Spirit says, to the ones who overcome, the second death will not hurt. Who are the ones who overcome? In John 16:33 Jesus says He has overcome the world. It is through Him that we are overcomers also. Romans 8: 35-37 tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Paul says we are like "sheep for the slaughter" and yet because Jesus loves us we are "more than conquerors." The Second Death And what is the second death that will not affect those who overcome? Revelation 21:8 says: "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Polycarp the Martyr A famous story of persecution during the first century comes from the church at Smyrna. The Bishop of the church there, Polycarp, in about 160AD, was brought before Roman authorities and told to publicly reject Christ and acknowledge the emperor as God. Polycarp had personally known the apostle John. He is quoted as saying, "86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?" He was then burned at the stake and stabbed through the heart according to records of the event. Be Faithful, Fear Not and Hear How wonderful if today our church could hear a word from God and there would be no criticism in it. How faithful are we? Would we be faithful "unto death"? Would we, like the church at Smyrna, "fear not"? Will we "hear"?

God sees and knows our needs. God knows more than anything that in our weakness we need Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 (a) says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." God Will Show Himself Strong If we are sincere and faithful to the Lord He will "show Himself strong" on our behalf. He will defend and provide for us. He will watch over and protect us. Like David before the Philistine giant, God will defend us. David had seen God's hand of protection before. He told Saul that God had rescued him from a bear and a lion and that he would also rescue him from Goliath. David fully trusted God to show Himself strong. If God Is For Us Many times we think God is not for us, that He is against us. When bad things happen we want to blame Him. If we love Him and are faithful, then as Paul says in Romans 8:31, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Paul experienced more suffering than many of us can imagine and yet He concludes that God is for us! No matter the suffering we endure we are not separated from the love of Christ. (Romans 8: 37-39) Elisha's Servant's Eyes Are Opened In 2 Kings Chapter 6 we read the story of Elisha and the Syrian army. The Syrian army came and surrounded the city at night. Elisha's servant seeing the many warriors was worried. What would become of them? Elisha prayed that his servant's eyes would be opened that he could see that His Lord was with him, his God was for him. Then in 2 Kings 6: 17(b)-18 we read what happened, "Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha." Elisha had no doubts about who was on his side. He knew already who it was that was for him. God is Our Refuge In Psalm 91: 1-2 we are told, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” When we trust totally in God's love and protection then He will be our refuge, the fortress we run to for protection. Why do I know this to be true? Because when my trust is placed fully and completely in Him, He will be faithful, as ever, to His word. The Lord Surrounds His People How blessed are we that our Lord surrounds us. "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever." Psalm 125:2 Our Lord lifts us up, lives within us and watches over us forever. We will one day live with Him and our victory over death, made possible by his Son, will be ours. God Protects Us In Job, God describes Job as a "man who fears God and shuns evil". (Job 1: 8) . The Devil speaks up and basically says it's easy for Job to be obedient because, the devil tells God, God had placed "a hedge and around him and his household and everything he has". (Job 1:10). In Biblical times people would literally surround their homes with thorny hedges to keep out animals. This is a metaphor they would understand. God literally can protect us in the same way today if we "fear God and shun evil". Our Faith Protects Us God protects us also through the gift of faith. In Ephesians 6: 16 Paul tells us this, "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." The greater our faith in God the more our shield will protect us. The Holy Spirit Restrains Evil Our greatest gift of protection is found in the Holy Spirit. According to 2 Thessalonians 2: 7 "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way" The restrainer of evil and lawlessness is the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit present in us and in the world, the Devil would have the ability to do evil like we cannot even imagine. God Promises and Does What He Promises The word of God promises, and God does what He promises: He sees our need; God shows Himself strong; He is our refuge; He places protection around us; He blesses us with the gift of faith, our shield against evil; and He gives us the Holy Spirit who restrains evil. Thanks be to the Lord!

Legalism. This word is defined by dictionary.com as dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith. When you stress obedience apart from faith you are left with legalism. No one wants to be called legalistic. However, in 2 Peter 2: 19 Peter says, "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage." In this verse Peter describes false teachers. People in the church who are eloquent speakers and who according to verse 18, entice people with sexual sin without any consequences. To new Christians who have just come to the faith this sounds very good. They can continue in their worldly behavior and don't have to worry about it. These false teachers speak as if obedience to the Word is the same as legalism. A Standard of Conduct We know that God's word has a standard of conduct that we are expected to meet. In I Corinthians 6: 18 Paul tells us to "flee sexual immorality". This includes fornication, adultery, homosexuality, any manner of sexual immorality outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Today, in many churches we are told that it is judgmental to call these behaviors sin. Modesty is considered a laughable, old-fashioned behavior. I Timothy 2: 9-10 says women are to dress modestly and clothe themselves with good deeds. Today purity in music or television is excused as only something to be concerned about for our children (if at all). Slaves of Corruption So to return to 2 Peter 2: 19, what does Peter say happens to people who swallow the lies that sexual sin is nothing that serious? He says they become "slaves of corruption". They are "brought into bondage" by what overcomes them. These new Christians, who have just escaped the bondage of sin, are returned to it by listening to lying false teachers. The Need for Sanctification We are told by these false teachers that God loves us as we are, seemingly forgetting the need for sanctification in our lives. Sanctification is simply the experience of becoming more like Christ as we grow in our faith and knowledge of His word. We become more forgiving, more loving and also, very importantly, more obedient to the will of our Father. Transformed by the Holy Spirit We should always view those outside of Christ with a humble attitude because as Paul says, "such were some of you." (I Corinthians 6:11) We are not better than them, but we are forgiven. We are changed, transformed, by the Holy Spirit who now makes His home in each of us as Christians. If there is no change, then it is doubtful the Holy Spirit has been received. Picking and Choosing Today some of the problem comes from the fact that many people just pick and choose the parts of the Bible that they want to apply to themselves. If it doesn't fit with their own personal idea of what is "truth" then they just reject it. As Christians we profess to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Did you really hear that last part? The word of God! The Creator of the Universe has given us a book, not to dismiss out of hand because we don't like what it says, but to treasure it and keep it close to our hearts. Honesty vs Truth A person can speak honestly about themselves; they love the person they are sexually involved with, or they believe themselves to be gay, or their husband/wife is mean to them and they are seeking love somewhere else but that does not mean they speak truth. The truth we all have to search for is God's truth, not what I think truth should be, but what truth really is. God wants us to find joy in our lives and He knows the best way for each of us to find it, is by being obedient to His will in all things. Obedient to things that are easy as well as things that are hard for us. Forgiveness So if you have fallen into a trap of sin that is leading you into bondage, seek God's forgiveness. He is a gracious God. Pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome the temptations of the Devil and pray that God will lead you in the way of truth. Seek Him while you can.

As Christians we are told in the Bible that we will be a happy people, a joyful people. The Bible really makes no distinction between happiness and joy. We should find our happiness and joy in places that the world does not. The world places their joy in their possessions and in their careers or in a stable home life. Certainly all these things can bring happiness but when God is center stage in our lives, we look to Him as our ultimate source of joy and happiness. In Him we find eternal happiness. Joy is Good Medicine In Galatians 5:22 Paul tells us that joy is a fruit of the spirit working in our lives. Proverbs 17:22 speaks of joy as "good medicine". A happy person is often a healthier person both mentally and physically. Joy can lower stress hormones, ease depression and anxiety, and improve your immune system. Paul says in Romans 14:17 that "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." What Brings Happiness? According to the Bible many things can bring us happiness and joy: the Holy Spirit by giving us hope (Romans 15:13) being in God's presence (Psalm 16:11) the words of Jesus to us (John 15:11) the Lord's strength (Nehemiah 8:10) believing in Jesus (I Peter 1: 8-9) trials, because when our faith is tested, we grow in our loyalty and dedication to God (James 1:2-4) the promised return of the Lord (John 16:22) asking and receiving in Jesus's name (John 16:24) the hope of the righteous (Proverbs 10:28) the consolations and comforts of God when we are worried (Psalm 94:19) Where Does Your Joy Come From I Thessalonians 5:16 commands us to "Rejoice always," Again, though, where our joy comes from is the important thing. Does it come from God or does it come from the world? Are we happy because of "the fleeting pleasures of sin" as Hebrews 11:25 puts it, or the eternal happiness that only living our lives for God can bring? Isaiah 61:10 says to rejoice in the Lord because we have been clothed in salvation and wear robes of righteousness. When We Are Sad But you may ask, what about when truly sad things happen to me? When we face the difficulties of life, we often forget Who we belong to. We forget Who it is that is the source of our hope, strength, comfort and happiness. Psalm 126:5 speaks of sowing in tears and reaping in joy. We must persevere in our hope in God when things are very difficult with prayer and study, knowing that eventually there will be a harvest (a reaping) of joy in our lives for not giving up. As David tells us in Psalm 30, his sorrow was turned into joy. For more on finding refuge in God when we are sad click here. Serving Others Brings Joy One way to have joy in times of sorrow is to serve others. The focus of our lives should be outward looking. We need to have our energy turned towards others, not inward. We often spend too much time worried about ourselves and not enough asking God what can we do for others. Joy and happiness are often found in serving others for God. Jesus says, according to Acts 20:35, that more blessings are gained from giving than receiving. Proverbs 22:9 tells us that generous people are happier people. This Joy is for All When the angels came to announce the birth of Jesus, they said their "good news of great joy" would be for everyone. Have we kept this good news of great joy to ourselves? Have we shared the reason for the hope that is in us (I Peter 3:15)? Are we generous, not just with our money, but with our faith? In the U.S. we tend to believe that everyone knows about Jesus, but this isn't true and it is becoming less true with each passing year. Do We Hide Our Joy? Our Creator has promised us a life not like the world. In Him we can have joy and happiness, and a peace that passes understanding. When people are around us is this what they see? Does your soul rejoice in the Lord (Psalm 35:9)? Or have we forgotten our first love (Revelation 2:4)? Pray that we labor in love for others and that our joy is not hidden. Dear Father, Thank you for promising us joy and happiness in You. We pray that we would show this to the world and that we would not forget the price that was paid for our salvation and our hope. In Your Son's Name, Amen

Jesus speaks often of serving others but never talks about helping them. Have you ever wondered why he chose to use the word "serve" and not "help"? I never thought much of it until several years ago when I was on a mission trip in the U.S. Our sponsor made sure that we knew the difference. He Served So We Serve Jesus himself "came to serve and not to be served" according to Matthew 20: 28. When we help someone, we provide them assistance or support. We usually help someone who we think is worse off than we are. We come from a position of power and reach out to someone who is less powerful. But when we serve someone, that is different. Serving others, views the person who is served as equals. We serve because He served. We serve because we serve Christ. Service is out of love, not expecting to gain favor with someone or accolades. Service expects nothing in return. Do We Want to Be Appreciated? Many times in the Bible when Jesus did miraculous things for people, they did not even thank him. He didn't stop doing miracles because he wasn't thanked. He didn't stop performing miracles because he didn't feel appreciated. He continued serving others and He expects us too as well. It is difficult to serve others and not receive thanks. Did you pick up that random sock today on the floor for the hundredth time? I bet no one said thanks. Did you give money to the random homeless person? Maybe they said thanks, but maybe they didn't. Will you still pick up that sock or give money to the homeless? Our responsibility is to serve others, not to feel important or somehow better than someone else because we helped them, but to show them love. The kind of love Jesus showed us and still shows us - an undeserved love. "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5: 13-14 Charity Isn't Pity As Mother Teresa said once, "Charity isn't about pity, it is about love." Do we serve others with everything we have? Jack London once said, “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” It is easy to help others when we are in a position of strength, but when we serve, we should do it no matter our position. Why? Again, because our motivation is love. Service That is Love There is a story of a hungry Christian family in India that was once given food. Immediately the mother divided the food and took half to the Muslim family next door that was also starving. That was service. That was love. Jesus Strengthens Us Do we serve out of our own strength? No. Only in so much as we are connected to Jesus and long to serve Him can we truly serve others with love. As I Peter 4: 10-11 (ESV) tells us "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." As Peter explains above, it is not that we serve in our own strength, it is God that gives us our strength. Service can be hard at times, unrewarding and thankless, but we do it, according to Peter, so that "in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ". Love In Action When we serve others, don't forget that ultimately we are serving Christ. Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 25: 35-40. In these verses we see what service really is - love in action. " for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’" Enjoy the beautiful song, A Living Prayer, by Alison Krauss here.

The Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Booths), today known as Sukkot, is a Jewish feast that God commanded to be celebrated forever in Leviticus 23: 39-43. For Jewish people it is a time of looking back and a time of looking forward. God commanded them to construct temporary shelters to remember God's provision for them when they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. This Feast also looks forward to a time when all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. God Provides Just as God provided for the Israelites so also does He provide for us today. He provides for our needs, but most importantly he provides a way of escape from the punishment of sin by the cross and resurrection of His Son. Every day should be a day of celebration, of feasting, when we realize how God watches over and cares for us, His children. Flocking to Jerusalem During this feast men were commanded to go to Jerusalem to celebrate. Many thousands of people would attend this celebration in Jerusalem. This feast is highly symbolic, for just as people flocked to Jerusalem for this feast, so to at the end of the age, will the nations come to Jerusalem when God establishes His kingdom. The Tabernacle - the Center of Everything Tabernacle literally means dwelling. The Tabernacle of the Lord was constructed by the Israelites according to God's instructions. This holy tabernacle went with the Israelites on their wilderness journey. It was instructed to be placed in the center of their group. This was symbolic in that it meant that God should be the center of our lives. Everything should move around Him. Everything depends on Him. As Paul reminds us in Acts 17:28, "for in Him we live and move and have our being" Jesus Our High Priest This feast takes place five days after the Day of Atonement for the people. When the tabernacle was constructed it had three parts. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to pour out the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat for the sins of the people. Now, because Jesus is our high priest, we have no need for animal sacrifice. His blood, shed for the atonement of our sins, was shed once for all. Living Waters In John 1:14 John tells us that "the word became flesh and dwelt among us". The word translated dwelt means tabernacle, literally, to dwell in a tent. In John chapter 7, Jesus teaches in the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. On the last day of the feast, in John 7:37-39, Jesus promises that living waters will flow from the hearts of those who believe in Him. These living waters are symbolic of the Holy Spirit which lives in those who call Him Savior. With the advent of the Holy Spirit we are now quite literally the dwelling place of the Spirit of God. God's Kingdom In Revelation 21:3 we read that God, when His kingdom is established, will dwell among His people and that we will be His and He will be our God. In Zechariah 14: 16-21 Zechariah says that in that day all the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship and keep the Feast of Tabernacles. In Zechariah 14: 8 the prophet says in that day that living waters will flow from Jerusalem and the Lord will be King over all the Earth (Zechariah 14:9). This kingdom of God on Earth is described in Revelation 20:4-6. (Please note that some people believe that this Earthly kingdom is purely symbolic, while others believe it to be literal.) God Dwells In Us “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 (b) We thank you Father that you sent your Son to walk with us. We praise you Father that you are our God and that we are Your people. We praise you for the Holy Spirit that lives in us. We praise you for your provisions for us. We praise you God for dwelling with us. In your Son's name, Amen Enjoy the hymn, All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, here.

We live in disturbing, turbulent times. It is good to be reminded that we have the love of God promised to us and that this love will keep us and hold us even when we doubt, even when it is hard to remember His love towards us. God does not forget His promises. Hebrews 6: 17-19 tells us that God is unchanging, that He does not lie, that He is a consoler and an anchor for our soul. What God has said He has done and what He has promised He will do. Hebrews tells us that God swears by an oath that He swore on Himself to do what He has promised. He does this to make clear the fact that His purpose is unchanging. He certainly did not have to swear an oath but He did so to show His love to us. "Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 6: 17-19 God Consoles Us God offers us consolation. Consolation means comfort after a loss or a disappointment. Why do we need consoling? Because our experience as humans tells us that people often don't keep their promises, that they often lie. Because the Devil attacks us and makes us doubt the love of God. But God and his Word can always be trusted. They are immutable, unchanging. God's promise is a promise of a future with Him because of the gift of his Son. What better consolation for the trials and troubles of this life can there be than to know that He has prepared a place for us with Him. (For more on God's peace click here.) God is Our Refuge We flee to God for refuge looking towards the hope set before us. What is our hope? In Psalm 71: 5 the Psalmist says that "you O Lord are my hope and my trust.". In the Old Testament people would flee to refuge cities to escape death by an "avenger of blood" (Numbers 35: 19) for an accidental death they may have caused. Our Savior offers a safe refuge. Christ conquered death, and as believers, we too, have been given victory over death. Our refuge is our hope. We will never die and His gift of life is eternal. (For more about God as our Refuge click here.) Our Comforter the Holy Spirit In Romans 15: 13 Paul tells us "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." So our ability to hope, to have joy and peace, comes from the power of the Holy Spirit filling our lives. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our consoler. An Anchor of the Soul Our hope that we have is "an anchor of the soul". What does an anchor do? In this sense it means that when life batters us like a storm, God and His word provide security. God's anchor keeps us from drifting away from our one true love. God's anchor reminds us of His promises and faithfulness to us. An Anchor to Heaven Unlike a real anchor that is cast into the depths of the sea, our anchor reaches into the Heavens. Jesus has become our Great High Priest. Jesus can approach God's throne and intercede for us. Our Savior - Our Hope As Paul reminds us in Titus 1: 2 "in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began," Our hope lives in the fact that eternal life was promised before time began by the God of the universe who is unchanging. John tells us in Revelation 13: 8 (b) "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". Before the world was formed our Savior was promised to us. God provides us with an anchor for our soul, a firm foundation on which to rest our hope! Blessings to all reading this. If you don't have an anchor reach out to the Savior. He is waiting for you. Hallelujah!! How Firm a Foundation How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word What more can He say than to you He hath said To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled Fear not, I am with thee; oh be not dismayed For I am thy God and will still give thee aid I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand When through the deep waters I call thee to go The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to its foes That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake I’ll never, no never, no never forsake Please enjoy this beautiful version of the great old hymn, How Firm a Foundation here.

Galatians 6:7 gives a stark warning to all of us, "Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap." As Christians, the Lord has been gracious to forgive us of our sins but sadly there is still a reaping that happens from the bad seeds we have sown. Was anger your great sin, if you repented then God forgives you, but that anger has consequences (what we reap). Was pornography your sin, adultery, fornication, or lying? Whatever you have done it can be forgiven, but there are still consequences. The consequences of our decisions are usually not immediate. It may be decades till we see them. King David In 2 Samuel 12 David is told by Nathan that God has forgiven his great sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband however there will be consequences to those sins. The sword will never depart from David's house, adversity will be against him from his own home, his wives will be with other men and his child born with Bathsheba will die. David lived his whole life facing these exact consequences. David saw the death of four of his sons. Two of those sons tried to gain the throne for themselves. One of his sons, Amnon raped his own half-sister. David's son Absalom slept with David's concubines in broad daylight. War was a part of David's life almost constantly. David Praises God in his Psalms What is so wonderful about David and his relationship to God was the fact that David, in the midst of facing the consequences of his sin, did not forget to praise and give glory to God. The great book of Psalm that is such an encouragement to us today was written by the very man who lived this life full of consequences. How could David be so optimistic while going through so many tragedies? Because he knew His sins were forgiven, he knew God was faithful to his promises, he knew that God loved Him, he knew that God was greater than the circumstances he found himself in. When David was discouraged, He cried out to God and God answered him. When David was filled with praises for the blessings in his life, he sang those praises. When David didn't know where to turn, he ultimately always turned to God. The writer of Psalm 23 had seen much evil, even in his own family, and yet he wrote, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." This is why the book of Psalm speaks to us so well. David was a forgiven man, like us, but he still faced the consequences of his sin and he still loved God with all his heart. Consequences for Bad Decisions Sometimes we think that forgiven means there will be no consequences. But there always are. Sometimes our consequences are spiritual and sometimes physical. We are not the ones who decide what the consequences of that sin are, it is God who decides. Our bad choices could keep us from having opportunities to serve God that may be lost. Our bad choices may have health consequences years later. Our bad choices may cause us to struggle with certain temptations more than we should have to. Our bad choices affect others. Consequences for Good Decisions But what happens when the seeds we sow are for God? What happens when our choices and decisions are guided by God? It is then that we see the fruits of the Spirit. These fruits come from seeds that are sown by us for God. These are listed in Galatians 5: 22-23 - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. How much easier, happier, and simpler our lives would be if we would reap this kind of harvest. But our greatest reward for a Spirit filled, Spirit led life is Heaven. As Dr. John Barnett has said, "What really counts in life-actions that lead to positive consequences-are the works Jesus does in and through us when we make ourselves available to God." Pray that God will help you to become more like David and praise Him in the midst of trying times, in the midst of your consequences, and pray that we will, every day, allow Jesus to work through us so the positive consequences of the fruits of the Spirit will be ours.

Counting the Cost Before You Begin My other job is remodeling homes. I often find a home for sale that has been gutted, and some remodeling done, but not finished. Often tools and supplies will be left lying around the home, everything in disarray, as if someone just dropped everything and ran. The previous remodeler didn't count the cost very well. He thought he knew how much it would cost but since he didn't inspect the job thoroughly he was surprised. In order not to lose any more money on the job he just quit. A House Unfinished In Luke 14: 28-30 our Lord relates a similar story: "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?" Hate my family? What costs are Jesus alluding to? Quite plainly, just prior to this, Jesus says in Luke 14:26: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Several times in the Bible this talk of hating family, even hating your own life, is used as a way to show preference. It is seen in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 21:15, Malachi 1: 2-3 and Romans 9: 13. All are examples of showing preference, not as actual emotional hatred towards someone. Our preference should always be God, no matter the cost. Christ Above All Are we counting the cost? When we count the cost are we willing to forego our relationships with our mother or father, with our children, to put Christ first? Are we willing to give up our own lives, either literally or figuratively, for the calling of God? In the West we have been very spoiled. We rarely sacrifice very little to follow God, but that seems to be changing. Do our parents think us stupid for following God? Do our children make fun of us for our quaint, old fashioned beliefs? Does society view us as uneducated or unloving because we won't accept bad and call it good? A Hopeful Promise For those called to sacrifice their families or perhaps even their lives Jesus promises this in Mark 10: 29-30: “No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life” Giving it All In Matthew 22: 37 Jesus declares the greatest commandment is this: "‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’" The cost is high to serve God. Our Lord's expectations are high. We will love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. Are we prepared to do that? Have we counted the cost? Are we willing to finish after we have laid the foundation or will we run away. Our God of hope is with us to give us the strength to continue, no matter the cost. Thanks be to God.

Jesus Enters Jerusalem During this Easter season we read the story of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The people are expecting their Messiah to come as a conquering hero but instead He rides a young donkey with cloaks as a saddle. He carries no weapon. He is the meek and humble suffering Savior soon to be crucified for our sins. How different it will be when He returns. He Will Bring Recompense Our God is holy in all that He does. He judges the world with righteousness. When He returns, He will bring recompense to the world. When He comes again it will be very different from that day in Jerusalem. The God of Recompense In Jeremiah 51:56 Jeremiah tells us that God is the God of Recompense. Recompense is a reward or a punishment for a behavior. Isaiah 59:18 delivers a similar message. "According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay." In Second Thessalonians 1: 3-10 Paul says that when Jesus returns it will be with flaming fire to take vengeance on those who don't know God or obey His gospel. Their punishment Paul says will be everlasting destruction from the Lord's presence. Rewards or Punishment Paul writes in Romans 2: 5-10 that eternal life is the reward for those who are patient in doing good and that they will have glory, honor and peace; but for evil doers their recompense will be indignation, wrath, tribulation and anguish. John describes in Revelation what happens to the nations of the earth who have chosen evil over serving God. Jesus will return and bring recompense to His enemies. Riding a White Horse What will Jesus look like on His return? Beginning in Revelation 19:11 we learn that this time He will be riding a white horse. The white horse symbolizes purity. A white horse is a conquering warrior's horse. Verse eleven says the name of the rider is "Faithful and True" and that He makes war in righteous judgment. This is He who conquers sin and death! Fiery Eyes Revelation 19:12 describes our Lord having eyes like flames of fire. This could signify how fierce his anger is towards His sinful enemies. It also may remind us that He sees everything we do, even the secrets of our hearts. His eyes are blazing to cleanse the evil He sees. Nothing sinful can stand before the purity of those flames. A Robe Dipped in Blood In verse 13 of John's Revelation the robe our Lord wears is described as being dipped in blood. There is a dual meaning here. The blood comes from his sacrifice on the Cross but also it is from the winepress of the wrath of God on His enemies. Isaiah refers to this in Isaiah 63:2 when he asks why the One who is mighty to save has on "red apparel" that looks like someone who has worked in a winepress. A Sword of Judgment John continues in Revelation 19:14 that Heaven's armies will ride with Him and then in verse 15 we read that a sharp sword comes from His mouth to strike the nations of the Earth. This reminds us of 2 Thessalonians 2: 8 which tells us that the lawless one will be consumed with the breath of His mouth and the splendor of His arrival. This is not the double edged sword of Hebrews 4:12 that refers to God's word. This sword is a sword of judgment and destruction on those who have rejected their true King - Jesus. A Rod of Iron Revelation 19:15 continues to say that He will rule them with a rod of iron. Where God's children are comforted with a rod (Psalm 23:4) these people will be broken to pieces. Psalm 2:9 (which is quoted in Revelation 2:27) says that nations that oppose God will be ruled with a rod of iron as the Potter's vessels are broken to bits. The Winepress of Wrath The end of verse 15 concludes with the imagery of God treading the winepress in His wrath. The same imagery is used in Isaiah 63:3 and in Revelation 14:19. For some of us it may be difficult to imagine our loving, forgiving Savior in this verse. But we must remember that God is also a God of justice. God says vengeance is His and He is the one who will repay (Romans 12:19). We are told to love others and to love God. We are to wait on God who is the One who will bring justice to the world. King of Kings So during this time when we picture our Savior riding a donkey into Jerusalem to the shouts of Hosana from the people, remember that He will return some day as the judge of the world, a conquering King, with a name that stands above all thrones and dominions, a name above all powers and positions. He will wear a robe dipped in blood and He will come with a name written on his vesture, "King of King and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:16)! Enjoy the praise song, King of Kings, here.

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." 2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly Sorrow Produces Change 2 Corinthians 7:10 talks about a godly sorrow that isn't regretted. This is compared to a worldly sorrow; one that leads to death. What does Paul mean? This godly sorrow Paul talks about comes from realizing what our sin has done to ourselves and to others. Godly sorrow enables us to see how we have failed Christ. Godly sorrow produces change. It produces repentance. Grieve Your Sin In James 4:9 James says to grieve, mourn and wail over our sin. When Peter realized that he had betrayed Christ just as Jesus told him he would, he weeps with bitterness (Matthew 26: 74-75). David tells us in Psalms 6:6 that he "flooded my bed with weeping" over his sin. Paul himself, in Romans 7:24, says he is a wretched man and asks who will rescue him "from this body of death". Paul knows the answer to his question. It is Jesus and Jesus alone who rescues us. Worldly Sorrow - Oops I Got Caught! Worldly sorrow is different from godly sorrow. I may grieve over what I have done that has hurt someone but more likely I am grieving because I got caught in my sin. I grieve for the personal embarrassment that that sin caused me. I grieve because I can't continue doing that sin. Worldly sorrow doesn't lead to change. When a person only has worldly sorrow, they continue making the same mistakes, the same poor decisions, the same sins. Their sorrow is temporary and most likely selfish. Worldly sorrow leads to death. A Changed Life Without true repentance there is no true salvation. Salvation leads to change. We aren't just sorry because we got caught, we are sorry and want to change the course of our life because we have sinned against God. When we realize that we have offended the God who has given us His only Son for our sins, we can do nothing but sorrow. But we don't stop at sorrow. We don't stay there. The next verse, 2 Corinthians 7:11 says this, "For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. " Sorrow Produces Something Good This great sorrow, verse 11 says, has produced something in the Corinthian Christians. It has produced diligence (consistent persistence in following God), it has caused them to eagerly and earnestly try to make things right, it has caused indignation (anger) towards the opponents of Paul, it has produced a godly fear that respects God and respects His judgment. They now have a zeal, a great desire, to do what is right in the sight of God. The sorrow that is worldly only leads to more sorrow. Godly sorrow however leads to something good. A transformed life, a life that determines that by the grace of God and His forgiveness we can move forward. We can stop being fornicators or adulterers or liars or proud or selfish or anger filled people with God's help. We may not be a perfect people but we are a forgiven people who have a heart to learn to "sin no more" (John 8:11). Blessed to Be Forgiven When we have godly sorrow we can join David when he says in Psalm 32:1-2 (NIV), "Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit." Doesn't it feel wonderful to know that we are blessed in such a way by God? Our sins are covered, the Lord does not count them against us! There is no regret for that old life, that old way of sin, when we turn our faces toward Jesus and accept His forgiveness. Giving up those sins we used to be guilty of doesn't cause us regret. We don't long for that life that was lived that led to death. We look forward to our hope - our Savior - Jesus Christ. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

Many of us have heard the story of the Israelite spies who went in to the Promised Land to scout it out. The Israelites had been promised this land by God since the time of Abraham. And yet when the spies came back to report to the people, all but two said it was impossible for them to defeat the many strong tribes that lived in the land. (Numbers 13) What promises has God made to us today as Christians? There are so many promises so I will only mention a few: God promises to never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13: 5) He promises to provide a way out of temptation. (I Corinthians 10:13) He promises to return. (Luke 12: 40) God promises, if we ask, to give us wisdom. (James 1: 5) He promises comfort in our trials (I Corinthians 1: 3-4) The God we serve today is as faithful as He was in the days of Moses and Joshua. In I Thessalonians 5:24 Paul tells us: "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." We serve the same God today that the Israelites served. God made these marvelous promises to them of a promised land that flowed with milk and honey. He had shown Himself as a miracle worker. He had parted the Red Sea and provided food for them in the desert. He was faithful. And yet the majority of the spies said the task of gaining the Promised Land was impossible. They saw only the obstacles. And even sadder, the majority of the Israelites listened to them and did not remember the faithfulness of their God. Why then today do we doubt, like the Israelites did, that He will fulfill His promises? We doubt because we listen to the doubters. We listen to those who point out the impossibility of God being able to fulfill His promises. Or we listen to the thoughts in our own head that doubt. We think that God's promises are for others but surely not for me. We see all the obstacles but we forget who is on our side. We forget God's faithfulness. Paul reminds us in Romans 8: 31: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" The answer to this question is a resounding, "No one!". Can't we look back in our lives and see God working in our lives just like the Israelites could have done? His most wonderous miracle is our salvation. Christ paid the penalty for our sins, by sacrificing His life on the cross, and forgives us when we accept His gift of grace. We are renewed by His everlasting love, freed from the bondage of our sins, and given the opportunity to follow Him in a life forever changed by His Holy Spirit. Yes, the Cross is where lives get changed! If you do not have the love of Jesus in your life. If you are broken, sad, lonely, hopeless, in need of forgiveness, in need of a purpose and a promise, in need of something so much bigger than yourself, there is a promise made by God that is secure. In Him we find our rest. In Him we find our true life. Not the life that the world promises, but the truth of God and the love of God. We find a life that fills us with " joy inexpressible and full of glory" (I Peter 1:8b). God promises us that when we repent of our sins "He is faithful and just to forgive" (I John 1:9). That is a promise that gives hope. We stand on the promises of God. Let us pray that we would not be like so many of the Israelites who doubted God even in the face of so many miracles. Let's pray that we trust God and not those who would make us doubt Him. Let's pray that God would remind us of His love and care, and for those who don't know God, let's remind them of His greatest promise - salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Enjoy this newer version of the old hymn, Standing on the Promises, by Candi Staton.