Tag: Lord

Scripture Memory Challenge – Week 8

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical1 Comment

How did you do with memorizing Scripture last week? If you did not do so well, or you did not know what Scripture to start memorizing, I invite you to take up the Scripture Memory Challenge with me. You can read more about it, and get started with week one’s memory verses, by clicking here.

Memory Verses

This last week, I memorized Psalm 103:17-19. I challenge you to do the same.

Psalm 103:17-19

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.  

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Fighter Verses Set 2 Week 10

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Respectable Sins: Unthankfulness | Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical, Respectable Sins1 Comment

Do you thank God on a regular basis? When you do is it nominal or heartfelt? Do you see every circumstance as a reason to give thanks? Unthankfulness is common. So common we don’t really pay it much attention, which is why it is considered a respectable sin, and one we must deal with.

Unthankfulness Defined

When I say someone is unthankful, I mean that they do not show appreciation for the things they have been given.

Why is it a sin?

Unthankfulness is a sin because by not thanking God for all we have, we show we do not recognize everything we have is from God. Our lack of recognition and thankfulness means that we believe all we have is from our own hand. When we believe we have obtained in our own strength everything we have, then we are living ungodly lives, forgetting He is the One who has given us everything.

This is the attitude that Moses counseled against in Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17-20. There he writes,

“Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery…Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Moses explicitly tells the Israelites that they should not forget the Lord, who has given them everything. They were to remember:

  • The works of the Lord, which He performed when He brought them up out of the Land of Egypt and led them to the Promised Land.
  • As well as they were to remember that the Lord has given them their power and ability to accumulate wealth.

This means that nothing is gained apart from the hand of the Lord, and we should thank Him for everything we have.

It Can Lead To

The sin of unthankfulness can lead to:

(1) DESTRUCTION – In the above passage, after reminding Israel of the works of the Lord, Moses makes it clear that those who do not remember the Lord’s provisions are prone to go after other gods, which will result in their destruction. So instead of forgetting the Lord, they are to remember Him.

We are to do the same:

We are to remember that everything we have, all our abilities and possessions, are the result of the Lord’s hand in our lives.

For we too are prone to chase after other gods, trusting in them, or even in our own selves, instead of the Lord, which will ultimately result in our destruction unless the Lord intervenes and saves us.

(2) MORAL DECLINE – In Romans 1:18-32, we are told that those who forget the Lord and do not give thanks to Him (vs 21) have their foolish hearts darkened and they are given over to the lusts in their hearts. The result is the heinous list of sins that follows in verses 26-31. Not only do these sins cause a lot of heartache and trouble, but they also ultimately result in destruction.

Looking Forward

In my next post in this series, I will look at when we are to give thanks, and offer some Scripture to memorize to help with unthankfulness. Until then, reflect on the following questions.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Have you thought in the past that unthankfulness was a sin?
  2. Can you think of things in your life that you have not thanked God for giving you? If so, want you go ahead and lift up thanks to God right now.
  3. Do you agree that unthankfulness is closely related to ungodliness? How does knowing that change the way you think about the sin of unthankfulness?
  4. Do you agree that the sin of unthankfulness will lead to destruction and moral decline?

Resources

Post adapted from Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, 79-87.

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Scripture Memory Challenge – Week 7

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

How did you do with memorizing Scripture last week? If you did not do so well, or you did not know what Scripture to start memorizing, I invite you to take up the Scripture Memory Challenge with me. You can read more about it, and get started with week one’s memory verses, by clicking here.

Memory Verses

This last week, I memorized Jeremiah 32:17-19. I challenge you to do the same.

Jeremiah 32:17-19

Ah, Lord God! It is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. 

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God’s Heart for the Nations

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Evangelism4 Comments

Did God’s plan for Israel fail resulting in Him creating another plan that included the nations? Let me say right off I believe the answer is no.

God’s Plan Has Always Included the Nations

Even though the Old Testament is primarily focused on the nation of Israel, we see a glimpse of God’s desire to save all nations. Resulting in His mission as always being focused on, and including, the nations.

Since God’s mission has always been focused on the nations, we, as God’s ambassadors, are to take up His mission to reach all peoples with the gospel.

With that in mind, let’s look at some key verses that I believe shows God’s heart for the nations.

Key Verses Showing God’s Heart for the Nations

Genesis 12:1-3

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God tells Abraham that all the families of the earth will be blessed in Him. He then is the source of blessing. From him comes the Messianic seed, Jesus, who is the Christ. It is Jesus who will bring redemption to all nations and all peoples (Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:17; Matt. 1; Acts 3:26).

In Psalm 22:27-28, we are told that the Lord will rule over all nations and all nations will worship Him. Granted some will bow down unwillingly, but many will bow down willingly to God as their Lord and Savior.

All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.

In Psalm 67, the Psalmist prays that God would bless the nation of Israel, so that His blessing on them would cause all the nations to know He is the one true God and worship Him.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

In Isaiah 56:3,6-7, the foreigner is not kept from joining Himself to the Lord. Rather, he will be brought into God’s holy mountain. His  sacrifices will be accepted, and he will experience the joy of the Lord.

Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,
“The LORD will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.”

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”

In Zechariah 2:10-11, we are told that many nations will join themselves to the Lord.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

So then, after reading the verses above, we are not surprised at what Paul writes in Ephesians 3:1-6

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

As well as we are not surprised that in Galatians 3:28-29, Paul tells us that all those who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved, and that all those who believe in Jesus by faith are Abraham’s offspring.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Conclusion

The nations were not an afterthought. The Gentiles were not God’s Plan B. He has always had a concern for the nations. His desire has always been for them to experience salvation.

While Israel is God’s special people, experiencing special privileges, they are not God’s only people. Rather, they were the way in which God deemed right to bring salvation to all peoples. In short, Israel was God’s first ambassadors. They were how God manifested Himself to the nations. They were God’s light to the world.

Through God working in Israel the gospel has been made known to the Gentiles. As well as the gospel has been believed by the Gentiles because they were also foreordained to be God’s people.

So then, God has always had a heart for the nations. It has always been His plan to bring salvation to both Jews and Gentiles alike.

Application

Now that we know God’s mission, we are to take up His mission. We are to be His ambassadors, bringing the message of the gospel to all nations, so that all nations will experience salvation.

Questions for Reflection

  1. How are you doing at being a light for God where you work, live, and play?
  2. If we took our mission seriously, do you believe there would be more people reached with the gospel?
  3. Are you allowing the world’s comforts to stop you from sharing the gospel with others?

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An Impossible Task Powered by God

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

As Christians, we have been called to an impossible task. Jesus told us that we are to make disciples by going and sharing the gospel with our neighbors and the nations, teaching them all the commandments of God, and baptizing them (Matt. 28:18-20).

Not only are we to do this work because Jesus commanded us to do so, which is a good reason, we are also to spread God’s gospel because we are God’s ambassadors (see my last post: Be an Ambassador). We are the means God uses to bring His message to others.

An Impossible Task

At first thought, this task seems impossible. There are people in our own backyards and around the world, who want nothing to do with Christianity. Whole nations have rejected it. Laws have been passed to punish those who spread it. Friends, family, and co-workers deride us for believing it. And that is just what others are saying. If we honestly examine ourselves, we will find doubt, fear of man, and a desire for our own comfort ripe within.

With so many people, and even ourselves, against us being ambassadors for God, how are we empowered for this mission? Others do not empower us, nor do we empower ourselves. So then, how are we empowered to overcome the obstacles of gospel proclamation and disciple making?

The Holy Spirit Empowers Us

In Matthew 28:20, after Jesus gives the Great Commission, He tells His disciples,

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Then in John 14:15-18, He tells His disciples after He leaves He will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to them. For He will not leave them as orphans in the world.

In keeping with His earlier promise, before Jesus ascends, He says to His disciples,

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

And indeed the Holy Spirit is sent to them on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). On this day, the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ disciples, empowering them to be God’s ambassador to the nations.

Likewise, all those who believe in Jesus as their Savior receive the Holy Spirit and are empowered for their God given mission (Rom. 5:5).

Conclusion

So then, God empowers us for the mission He gives us. We do not take up His mission in our own strength. We are to rely on God for strength, wisdom, and courage to carry out His mission. A mission that seems impossible but is not when we rely on God to strengthen us. One way we can rely on the Lord is through prayer. Asking Him to work in us and among those He has called us to reach with the gospel.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you try to do God’s work in your own power?
  2. Can you think of a personal example, or a biblical example, where men tried to act in their own strength to do the work of God?
  3. Would you share a personal example where God has worked through you to reach others with the gospel as you relied on Him to do so?

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What is My Purpose in the World?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical4 Comments

What is my purpose in the world? That is a question everyone asks at one point or another in their life. You may be asking this question right now. If so, I invite you to read along.

In my last post, I argued that we are not writing our own story. Rather, we are characters in God’s story. As a result, we need to know where we fit into God’s story. In other words, we need to know our purpose in God’s story, which will then tell us our purpose in the world.

Our Purpose is to Image God

Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are created in God’s image. Here is what the author writes,

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

This means that everyone has been created in God’s image, and it is everyone’s duty to image God to others.

God’s Rescue Mission

Even though it is our duty, everyone cannot image God, because they are corrupt, defiled, and sinful (Rom. 3:23). But it is God’s plan for mankind to image Him by taking up His mission to reach the nations, so He goes on a rescue mission. He send His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, in order to redeem mankind. All those who repent and believe that Jesus is the Christ, their Savior, will be reconciled to God (Rom. 3:21-26; Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 1:3; 2:23-25; 3:23-24; 4:2, 15; 5:1, 5).

Redemption Leads to Imaging

Those who are redeemed by Jesus Christ are able to shine forth God’s image to their neighbors and the nations. They are able to show others God’s love, grace, mercy, justice, wisdom, etc. As well as, and more importantly, they are able to share with others God’s gospel. The same gospel that saved them from eternal destruction.

Our Purpose is Fulfilled

When we image God to others by our actions and our words, we are taking up God’s mission to reach the nations with His gospel. When we take up God’s mission, then and only then are we accomplishing our purpose in God’s story, which means we have found our purpose in this world.

A Purposeless Life

If our purpose is to image God, and the only way we can image God is by first being reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ, then those who do not believe Jesus is their Savior are living a purposeless life because they are not on mission for God.

Questions For Reflection:

  1. Do you see it as your purpose to image God to your neighbors and the nations?
  2. Do you desire to share God’s gospel with others?
  3. Do you share the gospel?
  4. How are you doing with imaging God through your actions? Do you love others, show grace to others, seek God’s wisdom in your actions, practice justice in your dealings with others?
  5. Do you believe purpose is only achieved when we are on mission for God?

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