Be Lovers of God

As the scriptures predicted, we truly live in perilous times.  Some people wonder if we are in the "last days," and it is clear we are in them based upon Hebrews 1:1-2 which says, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² 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..."  The revelation of God through Jesus Christ was the beginning of the last days which have continued until now.  The rapture of the church, the great tribulation, the judgment of the world, Christ's millennial reign, final judgment and the establishment of the new heavens and earth has yet to occur.  Let there be no doubt Jesus is alive and will return for His church and will judge the nations He will rule with a rod of iron.

Paul wrote this to 2 Timothy 3:1-5:  "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"  I hail from a generation where self-esteem has been paraded as the greatest need of young people rather than the love of God.  The corrupt fruit borne of this distorted view demonstrates what Paul warned Timothy about:  people, being lovers of themselves, money and pleasure rather than God, fall into grave sin and error.  It is seen by some as a triumph these days to break off marriage vows made before God due to adultery, file for divorce, and leave children to a spouse to pursue a "true love."  Those who claim "Love is love" must omit God's love from this equation, because God's love is not at all about Him but is selfless, righteous and continually extended to all.

As believers, we can easily fall into the trap of looking at others to identify the faults listed here and give ourselves a free pass because our faults are not as evident.  But Paul pulls no punches, for he says those who are guilty of these sins have a "form of godliness but denying its power."  Through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, He has provided victory over the power of sin.  The presence of the Holy Spirit empowers us to walk uprightly and put off the lusts of the flesh.  Having received the love of God through the Gospel, we are to be the antithesis in our hearts, minds and conduct of what Paul describes:  lovers of God and others, generous, humble, giving praise and thanksgiving to God, obedient to parents, submitting to one another in love, speaking words to edify others, exhibiting self-control, gentle, lovers of what is good, faithful, teachable and loving God completely.  This is the manner of character and people Christians ought to be, and we should join ourselves in fellowship to those who seek to thus honour God with their lives and future.

The only person you will be required to provide an account for before God is you.  We will be required to give an account before our KING Jesus for the words we say (Matthew 12:26), our stewardship of the authority given to us (Hebrews 13:17) and our conduct.  Instead of standing in judgment of others, we are called to examine ourselves as it is written in Romans 14:10-13:  "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹ For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." ¹² So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."  The result of judging others is to look down on them, to view them with contempt.  Everyone who is standing today can potentially fall, and thus we ought to be clothed with humility and in love avoid doing what can trip others up.  If we aren't loving God above all, we will ultimately fall into the sins Paul warned Timothy about.

God's Intended End

The child of God can rest in the knowledge God is good and has complete oversight of our lives.  We experience perfect peace when we realise everything we experience--good or bad--is with His knowledge and consent.  God is faithful to accomplish His redemptive purposes for all things in the life of a believer. What Joseph's brothers meant for evil by selling him as a slave, at the same time God intended the situation for good and saved many people alive.

I have witnessed many Christians who feel hopelessly "under attack" by Satan because circumstances of their lives are difficult.  I wonder:  how might these same circumstances be viewed if we knew they were God's doing?  The Bible tells us plainly Job faced attacks from Satan himself, yet Job never credited Satan for doing anything.  Part of Job's wondering and struggle was because he was convinced God was behind the good and evil he experienced.  In profound grief of grave personal loss Job 1:20-21 says, "Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."  Job did not see himself at the mercy of Satan but of the almighty God.

After Satan plundered Job of his wealth and children, he acquired permission from God to afflict Job's health.  God's only restriction was Job's life be preserved.  Satan covered Job with boils that itched terribly, and when he was miserable his wife scornfully told him to "Curse God and die."  Consider the response of Job in Job 2:10:  "But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips."  Job did not blame Satan, even though he was directly involved in his suffering.  He saw his pains and suffering as from the hand of God Himself, and in faith remained submissive before God in worship.

Like all who suffer pain, Job did much soul-searching during his season of manifold torment.  He had lost his children, wealth, health and support of his wife and friends.  It seemed God Himself had turned against him and for the life of Job he could not figure out why such terrible things had befallen him.  Job claimed the arrows of the Almighty had pierced him, and the terrors of God were set in array against him (Job 6:4)  Not once did Job attribute any of his pains to satanic attack because he realised his life, health and future was entirely in God's hands.  At the end of the book of Job God revealed Himself and did not answer the questions which burned in Job's mind about why he was made to suffer so.  In the end Job was restored to health and his many remaining years were more blessed by God than his beginning (Job 42:10-13).

It is in the new Testament where we gain insight into God's purposes behind the suffering He allowed Job to endure in James 5:10-11:  "My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. ¹¹ Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."  Job's friends imagined God was punishing Job for sins he committed in the past, but God allowed Job to suffer so he and we could see the "end intended by the LORD" all along, that God is compassionate and merciful.  Satan was an instrument who intended to harm and destroy, yet God intended all Job's temporal suffering to accomplish His glorious, enduring purposes.  Instead of seeing painful circumstances as satanic attacks, how much better to view the painful situations of life as from the hands of a compassionate and merciful God who blesses all who endure in faith.

Appointment for Salvation

Continual prayer to God is God's will for the life of a follower of Jesus, that we would boldly venture into His throne room of grace in times of need.  Like the scent and wisp of smoke rises continually from incense, so our prayers are to be lifted to the LORD believing He will hear and answer.  One thing I love about God is He knows all and can do everything, and thus we do not need to know anything about what He should do.  Knowing and trusting Him is the main thing, and when we pray God moves according to His will.

One of the things we must be on guard of is leaving the way and timing of His actions in His plans.  If we trust Him to pray, we ought to also entrust what follows to Him.  He knew about needs which would arise before we became desperately aware of a need to seek God in prayer, and what is an emergency for us is already resolved according to His redemptive design and power.  King Jehoshaphat on the cusp of battle prayed to God, rehearsing all God said in the house of the LORD in 2 Chronicles 20:6-12:  "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? ⁷ Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? ⁸ And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ⁹ 'If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.' ¹⁰ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them--¹¹ here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. ¹² O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

Isn't it interesting how Jehoshaphat asked God several questions he already knew the answers to?  The threat of defeat was imminent, so Jehoshaphat fixed his eyes on God with the expectancy of His favourable answer.  He made no demand of the almighty God yet was so sure of God's word through the prophet he sent the worship leaders to lead the march the following day because the battle was the LORD's.  King Hezekiah also provides a good example of how to pray in times of trouble, when it is easy to be overwhelmed by powerful enemies.  Hezekiah brought a threatening letter and spread it before the LORD and 2 Kings 19:15-19 reads, "Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: "O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. ¹⁷ Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, ¹⁸ and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands--wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. ¹⁹ Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone."

Hezekiah had not been reproached, but he recognised God had been reproached by the Assyrians who placed the living God of Israel on the same level with dumb idols.  They could not see or hear or act because they were nothing, yet God was aware of the proud boasting against Him.  For God's sake Hezekiah said, "O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone."  It is wise to make God our last resort when by His grace we are reminded to seek Him, yet how much better is it when we seek Him first!  When we are overwhelmed, God has all in hand.  He is able to save and protect us when none others have withstood the trial, and praise the LORD this is true for eternity.

We don't even need to pray perfectly for God to do His wonders.  When David heard his chief advisor Ahithophel had defected to side with usurping Absalom he prayed in 2 Samuel 15:31, "O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!"  It turned out this was not the way God chose to deliver David from the hand of his murderous son.  Ahithophel continued to give sage counsel Absalom would have been wise to heed, but God caused Absalom and all his men to prefer the advice of Hushai David's friend over that of Ahithophel.  God had already made an appointment to defeat the schemes of the conspirators in 2 Samuel 17:14:  "So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel." For the LORD had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring disaster on Absalom."  God purposed to defeat sound advice from Ahithophel rather than make it foolish, and God receives the glory for the salvation rendered by His grace.

The takeaway?  Let us pray, whether it been at appointed times or moment by moment as needs arise.  Keep your eyes looking to the LORD, and realise He is LORD alone.  God will accomplish His good and redemptive purposes despite our suggestions, for He is a Saviour and a Redeemer of all who seek Him.

God Changes Us

Have you ever wanted someone else to change?  Whilst our motivation can be anything but pure, there can be very good reasons to desire to shift the perspectives of others, for them to cease destructive behaviours, to recognise and acknowledge their faults or take responsibility for their decisions.  I have learned a truth which prevents me from worry, fears, schemes and manipulation:  I cannot change the heart or mind of anyone else.  Many times we would be content with areas of reformation when God aims at nothing less than supernatural transformation.  My rest, hope and confidence is not in a person changing but in God's goodness and power to accomplish His will in His time.

I imagine there are times our desire to see someone else change directly correlates with our stubbornness to resist changing ourselves.  And here is the rub:  even should we agree to and want to change, we find ourselves incapable of the willpower, discipline or strength to do so.  Anyone can, for a season, modify their behaviour or habits.  A big takeaway from what Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount is the only way I can see clearly to remove the speck from my brother's eye is to remove the log from my own first.  My judgment will always be faulty until I first submit before God in faith and obedience.  I must be the first to change.  A husband who identifies a need in his wife to change needs to realise God plans to change him more than he can fathom, and God might employ the process and time to further His divine work and purposes in him.  I am convinced there is more work God wants to do in the heart of one who knows Him than all the faults and inconsistencies in others you become aware of.

The only One who does not need to change is the God who is immutable and already perfect in all His ways!  Think of all the ways God changed people who trusted in Him:  He changed their names.  Abram became Abraham and Sarai become Sarah.  Through faith in God Abraham and Sarah had a son in their old age named Isaac.  Physical deadness and barrenness made way for new life and the birth of the Hebrew nation.  By faith in God Jacob became Israel, Moses tended his father-in-law's sheep and was chosen to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt, and David was taken from the sheepfold and made king over Israel.  What can be overlooked is the fundamental change God worked in the hearts, minds and character of God's people over decades.  Going from tending sheep to governing God's people was insignificant compared to the work of the Holy Spirit did within David as a sheep of God's pasture.  God turned Saul of Tarsus the Pharisee to Paul the apostle and bondservant of Jesus Christ.  God changed names, caused people to be born again with new hearts, and changed their eternal destination from hell to heaven.

When we are born again by faith in Jesus Christ, we are changed on the inside and our lives are in the ongoing process of submission to God.  2 Corinthians 3:17-18 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."  Our relationship with God results in transformation we humble ourselves to embrace.  And guess what?  When our lives on earth reach their divinely ordained conclusion, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 says we will be changed:  "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."  No matter how much we change on this earth, our bodies will remain corruptible.  A day is coming when this will change permanently and we will see God as He is.

Proverbs 24:21-22 says, "My son, fear the LORD and the king; do not associate with those given to change; ²² for their calamity will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin those two can bring?"  Receiving Jesus by faith is not one change among many others but is the crucial, necessary relationship for all other good changes God desires to be possible by His grace.  As much as Israel desired to see a "change at the top" with the removal of wicked kings or desired victory over oppressive enemies, they were to remain grounded in the fear of the LORD and in submission to His rule.  No doubt there were people (like Absalom!) who started movements to resist and undermine those God placed in authority, but may that man's ruin be a warning of departing from the fear of God and working towards change by schemes and manipulation.  Be assured of this:  God desires to change me, and He desires to change you.  Acknowledging God desires to change you ought to be of infinitely greater importance than changes you desire to see in others.