Recent Lessons

Links

Categories

  • 23May

    Only One Way

    by Drew in Seeking Things Above.

    One of the more amusing stories in the book of Acts is found in chapter 19 where Luke recounts Paul’s adventures in the city of Ephesus.  While there, Paul made quite an impression on the Jewish exorcists who “undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’”  Perhaps they thought there was power in the names they invoked.  They were wrong.  Luke paints the following picture, which puts these so-called exorcists in a compromising position:

    Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.  But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.  (Acts 19:14-16)

    This example tells us something interesting about the demonic world.  It would seem that the defects of men, especially when they are moral in nature, are mocked and despised by the demons, not appreciated.

    Many of us misunderstand the nature of evil.  We have a dualistic view of morality which says there are two independent divine beings or eternal principles, one good and the other evil.  We may acknowledge that the devil and his angels are subservient to God, but practically speaking we see evil as an eternal principle on an equal plane with good.  In other words, some of us have this idea that Satan is promoting an alternate way of life in opposition to God’s.

    But there is only one way.  Satan’s way is a negative of God’s, not an alternative.  Satan says, “God is love?  I am indifference, the absence of love.  God is truth?  I am the father of lies, the absence of truth.  God is righteous?  I am the transgression of righteousness, the progenitor of sin; I stand for all that is not righteous.”

    The demons have no respect for those who follow their path.  This is the absurdity of Satanism.  Satan worshipers seek to earn favors from the devil because they oppose God, when in reality he does not respect people who choose his path.  There is no camaraderie among evil spirits.  Demons have no love and affection for their own.  Neither do they feel any fellowship with the wicked members of the human race.  There is no “friend of the devil.”  Satan is the Accuser (Rev. 12:10), our Adversary (1 Pet. 5:8).  He seeks to “devour” us, not recruit us.

    Whose side are you on?  There’s only one winning side.  “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

  • 16May

    Neil’s Niche

    by Neil in Neil’s Niche, Seeking Things Above.

    I have a friend who lost someone very close to him, and as a result began a blog to describe the process of coping with grief.  His words are very powerful, and today I would like to share one of his entries that I think that we can all learn from:

    This world is full of expectations.  People are full of expectations.  You’re full of expectations.

    It wasn’t too long in the grieving that I realized people were beginning to expect me to be ‘better’, that it’s about time to be normal again.  Soon I realized people’s expectations were becoming my own.  Days had gone by, then it was weeks, months followed soon behind, and I was still in pain.

    I went to my first grief counseling group session (yeah, a year and a half after she passed away).  Tonight the counselor said something; he told me I can’t expect too much out of myself.  There is so much pressure on us, to be the people that other people want us to be.  So many expectations, some realistic, some not.  Expectations do influence who we are as people, but should they?  I can’t expect that today is the day that I find the new norm.  I am where I am.  I have to accept that.  We have to start accepting people for who they are, not who we expect them to be.  Maybe then could you see the real new norm.

    I hope you have a blessed week.

  • 16May

    As You Make Plans for Summer Vacation

    by Drew in Seeking Things Above.

    May, that prelude to summer, is halfway over.  Soon many of us will be heading out of town for our favorite vacation spots.  Vacations are good.  The principle of rest and recuperation has always been in God’s plan (Gen. 2:2; Ex. 20:8-11).  However, vacations also involve special temptations for Christians.  In the interest of preparing for the summer season, allow me to share the following concerns with you.

    You may be able to leave town, but you cannot escape from the Lord.  Jonah learned this the hard way when he boarded a ship in Joppa that was headed for Tarshish.  He thought he might be able to sail out of God’s reach, but he was wrong.  The Lord sees everything, even our secret sins (Ps. 90:8).  Just because you are away from your family members and your church, that doesn’t mean you should act differently.  Your true character is measured by who you are when you think nobody’s watching.  Christians don’t take a vacation from decency and self-control.

    Don’t forget to worship on Sunday while you are away.  Interestingly, the passage we often cite in support of partaking of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week has to do with a group that was on a long trip (Acts 20:7).  Worship should be a part of every Christian family’s vacation.  Praising God is not a chore; it is privilege to express our love and admiration for our Creator, who sent his only Son to die so that we might live!

    When you’re out of town, visit one of the congregations of the Lord’s church in that area.  I know that many families like to hold private worship services while they are on the road.  But in many of these vacation spots, the church is very weak.  Your family could be a great encouragement to brethren in these areas, just by showing up to their worship services.

    Relax, but don’t let down your guard.  Christians need to be even more vigilant when they are on vacation.  Alcohol abuse, gambling, and immodest apparel are just some of the many sins that tempt Christians when they take some time off.  This may sound old fashioned, but life for the Christian should be about discerning the will of God.  I believe that fun and relaxation are a part of God’s will for our lives.  But many of the things that go on at the beaches and resorts are not.  Heed the words of the apostle Paul: “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17).

    The important thing is to remember that, as a Christian, you are a child of God ransomed by the blood of Christ—this is true whether you are at home or away.

  • 25Apr

    Toil, Solitude and Prayer

    by Drew in Seeking Things Above.

    In an age when we are equipped with every imaginable gadget and buckets of advice covering every subject known to man, we are just as lost and unproductive as we have ever been.

    Perhaps the answer to success is not in the latest organizational tool or in time management techniques.  Paganini had a formula that he claimed was the secret of his creative power: toil, solitude, and prayer.  In the end, there is no better way to excellence than to unplug from all of life’s distractions and spend time in meditation and prayer. Continue reading »

  • 18Apr

    Neil’s Niche

    by Neil in Neil’s Niche, Seeking Things Above.

    I really like Paul’s final words to the recipients of 2 Timothy.  First off, let me admit something to you: I admire the apostle Paul, I admire the strength and courage that he produced, and the fact that he was able to take so much abuse from every one around him (2 Corinthians 11) and still maintain the strength to worship the Lord.  Now back to 2 Timothy.  This book was Paul’s last; it’s as if he realizes that the end is coming, and so he packs the letter with emotional exhortations.  When reading this piece of history, one can almost see the tears streaming down Paul’s face as he pleads all those reading to stay strong, even when it seems that everything is out to get them.  He realizes that his time has come and that this is probably the last bit of communication he would have with those whom he loved in his earthly life, and so he adds one final benediction, a way of giving comfort and solace to those who would be left on Earth after he was called home.  He writes, “The Lord be with your spirit.  Grace be with you,” (2 Timothy 4:22).  This final prayer was so that the people receiving Paul’s letter (and the subsequent news of his death in the coming months) would take heed in the fact that the Lord would not abandon the people since Paul was gone.  The Lord does not care for one individual person more than another, but He wishes to be with all mankind all the time.

    What say you of yourself?  Can you say the same thing?  Does the Lord dwell within you when you are outside the friendly confines of church?  Or does it embarrass you to think that the Lord continues to be with your spirit, even when He sees a sin.  Let’s all determine this week to remind ourselves of the presence of the Lord in our lives, so that we may seek righteousness all the more zealously.

« Previous Entries   Next Entries »