The only opinion that matters

Friends,

There is a true word of God. But because it's not always what we want to hear, we might - in a time of weakness - seek out a second opinion. Or a third. We do this when we are looking to justify sin and rationalize evil. Not one of us is immune.

It may seem fairly obvious, but it's worth repeating: God is not amused or pleased by this:

Her heads judge for a bribe,
Her priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on the LORD, and say,

"Is not the LORD among us?
No harm can come upon us."

Therefore because of you
Zion shall be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And the mountain of the temple
Like the bare hills of the forest.
Micah 3:11-12, NKJV

The men and women who bribe their pastors to condone their sin are in for a rude awakening. You ask how a pastor could be bribed? It's easy, and shameful. But a big donation for that new program or building fund. It takes two, of course ... that pastor must be willing to value the contributions (tithes and otherwise) more than obedience to Christ. And of course that pastor is headed for disaster, as well.

And after all of that, everyone involved expects ... even demands ... that the LORD smile and bless and approve of such abominable behavior!

Rather than belabor the point, let's go to the solution.

As true believers, we have an obligation and a freedom to obey Christ Jesus. We are now able to hear His word and know His voice. Do not waste that gift by foolishly and sinfully looking for ways to disobey Him. Do not ask a brother to condone sin. Do not ask a sister to rationalize and justify sin.

Instead, stop the sin. Heed the voice of Christ!

Be encouraged, Jose

We do well to heed

Friends,

With so much competing for attention, it is imperative that we be reminded that the Lord is speaking to us. And we He does, it is critical that we listen, hear and obey.

2 Peter 1:19
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; [NKJV]

It's far too easy to be distracted, to allow the voice of God to be drowned out. No one is immune from this. So be purposeful and intentional about hearing the Lord's word, seeking out His wisdom, and demonstrating your devotion to the Savior.

Be encouraged, Jose

He is not kidding around

Friends,

Are you taking the LORD lightly?
Have you allowed yourself to believe that God's command to "Be holy, as I am holy" no longer applies to our generations?
Are you operating under the belief that Almighty God isn't paying attention?

There will come a day when the word will go out across all nations ... and ALL will turn to hear...

Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.
Isaiah 34:1-2 [NKJV]

These are sobering words, brothers and sisters. The voice of the LORD will call all nations to account. The believers and the non-believers will hear Him and be required to acknowledge Him.

We who are counted among His people will see the victory of the mighty LORD of Hosts.

Be encouraged, Jose

Value His words

Friends,

The Lord's words to us demand a response. He speaks to His people ... and His message is one of peace and reconciliation.

I will hear what God the LORD will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to folly.
Psalm 85:8 (emphasis added) [NKJV]

The great temptation is to go back to our old ways. It is so hard to change the habits formed over a lifetime. It takes energy to speak, to think and to act in a new way. And the old patterns of the flesh are familiar and easy to revert to.

But the LORD calls us to a higher way. It is the way of eternity and of holiness.

What are you doing today that is the way of man, and not of God? What needs to change in your words and deeds and thoughts in order to demonstrate that you are not turning back to your folly?

Answer these difficult questions, brothers and sisters, and be renewed in your transformation into the image of Christ.

Be encouraged, Jose

When it's hard to listen

Friends,

Even those who are seemingly deeply devoted to Christ Jesus will find it difficult to hear a rebuke. No one likes to be told that they are doing something wrong. Few enjoy being corrected. And it is the rare man who seeks out criticism ... constructive or otherwise.

For this reason, it is easy to tune out the one comes as a prophet. It is so tempting to dismiss them when they do not have a credential or a title. It is a simple exercise to ignore the fact that the LORD uses whom He will, regardless of what the world calls them.

Micah 2:7
You who are named the house of Jacob:
Is the Spirit of the LORD restricted?
Are these His doings?
Do not My words do good
To him who walks uprightly?

The prophet is not speaking to non-believers. He is not rebuking the world or Satan. Nor is he addressing his words to false professors and hypocrites.

These words are given to those who are named the house of Jacob ... those whom the LORD has adopted into His family and kingdom. We are the ones who, by Christ's grace, walk uprightly.

The Spirit of the LORD is completely unencumbered. He can speak to and through whom He pleases. And when He does, the words do good. Therefore, we must not ignore those words. We must listen. We must heed them. And only then will be in a position to experience the blessings of Almighty God.

Be encouraged, Jose

Break from the pattern

Friends,

Each moment represents a choice. We can take this opportunity to continue doing good or to allow weariness to have its way. We must make a decision: perpetuate the cycle of sin and disobedience, or change my direction. We must, therefore, examine each moment and all the history that leads up to it. Judge that history not by man's low standards, but by the standards of the Almighty and Perfect God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Return to Me," says the LORD of hosts, "and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds."'
But they did not hear nor heed Me," says the LORD.
Zechariah 1:3-4 [NKJV] (emphasis added)

Over and over, Zechariah reminds the reader that it is the LORD of Hosts who is speaking. And yet, even with His undisputed authority, the leaders did not hear or heed Him. Are we doing the same as those who went before us? Are we repeating the same mistake and expecting a different result? Have we even taken a single minute to ask ourselves that question?

Today is a new day. A new morning. God's mercies are fresh and new. Do not waste this moment by continuing the deadly pattern of sin and disobedience.

Change direction.

Return to the LORD, and He will return to you.

Be encouraged, Jose

The false conspiracy

Friends,

Do you know how long a fad lasts? Is popularity long-lasting, much less eternal? Will the crowd's roar of approval last beyond this moment?

These questions answer themselves, do they not? We know, through our years of experience, that the multitude is fickle and trying to please them is an exercise in exhaustion. We know it ... and yet we still need a reminder:

For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:
"Do not say, 'A conspiracy,'
Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
Isaiah 8:11-12 [NKJV]

The non-believing masses will mock our beliefs and our faith. They will follow one trend after another, calling our steadfastness a plot to undermine their supposed rationality. Our LORD calls us to be strong in our obedience to His voice. He reminds us that we need not fear their mockery, nor their schemes. Their plans will not prosper. For the LORD is already victorious!

Be encouraged, Jose

Listen to wisdom

Friends,

These days, it seems as though the only people who have any chance of being heard are the most obnoxious, sarcastic and insulting of the lot. One need to simply observe the politics of the last 5 years to see the damage this kind of living can do. Good and honorable people have had their names horribly tarnished by outlandish accusations. Entertainers and athletes seem to have more credibility than our leaders.

Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
Ecclesiastes 9:17 [NKJV]

Truly, this is nothing new. Perhaps it seems more prevalent with the plethora of communication channels we now have. And of course, information - truthful and otherwise - now travels at incomprehensible speeds.

Even so, do we not have a responsibility to truly and patiently listen to what is being said? Shouldn't we at least attempt to understand the full consequences of our words, our decisions and our actions? Do we not owe it to ourselves and our children to consider whether we are actually fulfilling God's commands?

The LORD does not shout. He does not hit His people over the head with blunt objects. Yet He speaks. He is speaking to you and to me.

Stop.

Listen.

Be encouraged, Jose

The imperative of listening

Friends,

The world believes that God is distant and disengaged. They believe that He has spoken, but that He is done talking. That the Lord has nothing more to say. Nothing could be further from the truth.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
Hebrews 1:1-2 [NKJV]

Notice that these words are translated from the Greek into the present perfect tense. This indicates not only an activity that began in the past, but one that continues into the present and beyond.

And what is that activity? It is the Lord's determination to make Himself heard in every age, including the present one.

The world will mock anyone who claims to have heard from God. They will accuse us of mental illness, or of simply making things up. But we can ignore their ignorance. We know that our Redeemer lives. We know that He speaks still.

Be encouraged, Jose

To greater wisdom

Friends,

Wisdom is a most precious thing. Only with real wisdom can a man truly understand and appreciate the peace of grace and repentance. Only the wisdom given from the Lord will open up the scriptures to reveal the true character of Christ.

Proverbs 9:9
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. [NKJV]

A man might have great worldly wisdom, but that will not give him the ability to discern Jesus' voice. When someone lacks real wisdom, then the teachings of Christ will have no lasting impact, except to make them all the more accountable for their disobedience.

However, when they possess true, godly wisdom, then when Christ reveals Himself, it leads to even greater understanding. The teachings of our Lord then have lasting, edifying impact. The scriptures yield insight upon insight into the heart of Almighty God.

Be encouraged, Jose

Weight Loss

Friends,

One of the most insidious side effects of sin is the weight that it brings. Guilt. Condemnation. Self-recrimination. They are crippling. They are an unseen burden that can eventually bring to an end all progress and growth, leaving us paralyzed even as we walk through the motions of life. We go to work. We fellowship with the church. We read our Bible everyday. But they are empty motions, taking us from place to place but never actually going anywhere.

Luke 5:24 [NKJV]
But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins — He said to the man who was paralyzed, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.

Just as Christ was making a point to the religious leaders of that time in this passage, He is making a point to you and me. The weight of unforgiven sin had paralyzed that man. He blended in with the world around him. On the outside, his situation was bad, but on the inside it was debilitating ... and no one seemed to care.

Well ... One cared.

Jesus, who sees past all of our acts of kindness and acts of cruelty, sees past this man's paralysis. He sees the broken heart. He sees the scars left by years of sin. He sees the elected creation, crying out for forgiveness.

The Lord is speaking today to you and to me.
He says, Arise!
Your sins are forgiven you.
No more shall you be crippled by sin.
By My grace, you shall be holy ... as I am holy. .

Be encouraged, Jose

The Good Purpose

Friends,

Almighty God is calling you and me to serve Him. He does not call us to serve a religion, a profession, a cause or even a country. He calls us to be available and obedient to His voice. When we hear it, we may wonder how it could be possible that we could fulfill what He has called us to do. But take comfort knowing that you and I are not the first to have such a question.

Exodus 3:11-12 [NKJV]
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Of course, the LORD used Moses, flawed as he was, in many a mighty way. He can do the same for you and for me. It may not be as dramatic as parting a sea or defeating armies of giants. But He will use us for no less glorious a purpose ...
Advancing the Kingdom of God.

Be encouraged, Jose

The yoke of our Lord

Friends,

The path to true rest and peace is Christ Jesus. When burdens are heavy and the circumstances of life become overwhelming, we know that we can rest in Jesus. We know that we do not walk alone.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. [NKJV]

We quote these famous verses so easily, but have we stopped to examine what our Lord is really saying? What is this yoke that He calls us to take?

Luke 9:23
Then He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. [NKJV]

The only way to find the relief that we so desperately seek is to take up Christ's yoke ... the cross. Deny the self and live only for the Lord. Obey His voice, and not the voice of the world. The Law that Jesus has fulfilled is not a heavy burden for those who walk according to the Spirit.

Be encouraged, Jose

A great calm

Friends,

Unless you are a commercial fisherman, it is difficult to imagine the kind of storm that Jesus and His disciples encountered on the way to the Gadarene country. They were in a small boat, crossing a deep and open sea. When the wind picks up, there is nothing slow it down. And the seas crash together with a ferocity that will shake even the most hardy of men. The wind whips the rain into your face so hard that it stings; it blows so hard you can't even hear your own voice.

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea,
Peace, be still!
And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:29 [NKJV]

And there was a great calm.

Ponder that for a moment.
In one moment there was Terror. Fear. Opposition. Chaos. Pain. Uncertainty.
In the next moment... there was a great calm.

That is the power of Christ's voice. His power has not diminished since that day 2,000 years ago. And no matter how violent and terrifying the storms are in your life today, a single word from our Lord will have the same effect.

There will be a great calm.

Be encouraged, Jose