December 24, 2013
It's a terrible thing to admit, but truth compels me to do so: I'm easily indifferent toward the wicked who are on the road to hell. A smug self-righteousness easily reasons that they've made their choice, and they alone are responsible for the consequences. That, however is not how our Creator views His creation.
The reluctant prophet Jonah, having repented of his disobedience while contemplating it in the belly of a great fish, hit the ground preaching a message of impending doom to a wicked city. Much to his dismay, this large city en masse repented - king and servant alike. Repentance that averted judgement - the outcome that Jonah least desired - provoked his ire:
"it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, 'Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.' " (Jonah 4:1-2)
Retreating a safe distance in hope of God's wrath - "until he could see what would happen in the city." (Jonah 4:5) - God sought to reason with Jonah concerning His mercy and grace:
"Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" (Jonah 4:11)
Our Father has a heart of compassion toward all that He has created, and desires the same from His people. The sense of His question to Jonah is, "how could I feel and do otherwise?" Indeed; He calls us to the same.
According to God's searching question to Jonah, those without biblical moral bearings don't know "the difference between their right and left hand". Often, those outside of Christ are blind rather than willfully disobedient. Those, then, who are blind desperately need the light of the gospel that has so illuminated our lives.
Like His Father, Jesus would have us develop a "harvest mentality: "lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest." (John 4.35) Granted - as the apostle Paul said - "evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse" (2 Timothy 3.13), but those who are "innocently unsaved" have responsive hearts and minds that can be reached by compassionate believers. These are the harvest, and these are those who should seek an increasing burden for.
Jonah's "anti-example" compels us to align ourselves with our compassionate Father, and His great desire to reach the lost. May our prayer and desire today be that the God of compassion direct us to those who will genuinely repent through knowledge of the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
paperback print copy of book - https://www.createspace.com/4500045
Monday musings
Although written many years ago, there is an uncanny parallel to our times and circumstances:
"Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!" (Psalm 43.1)
The rapid erosion of morals and values in this land leaves Bible-based believers in an uncomfortable position, to say the least. Growing opposition to Judeo-Christian values emboldens godless voices to speak more forcefully against conservative Christians and their values. As such, our urgent plea and prayer is that of the Psalmist:
"O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me?Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God." (Psalm 43.3-5)
Amidst the growing darkness of an evil and perverse nation is the urgent need for divine light and truth to lead the people of God. In the absence of this light and truth, the people of God are in perilous danger of accommodating and succumbing to the godless values that so permeate society today. This light and truth alone will guide us to uncompromising praise and worship, and will beat back the despair that we are easily prone to as we survey a decadent society.
The call to the people of God in these dark days is to let the candle of truth burn brightly in how we live and in what we say. While we will not all agree as to the contemporary response to all that is wrong in today's society, all of God's people can agree that nothing short of a wholehearted embrace of timeless biblical truth is the only true solution for all that is wrong.
May we carry that candle into our dark world, and may God grant that the hearts of godless people still reserve a responsiveness to their Creator, while there is yet time.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
December 18, 2013
I never truly knew thirst until I moved to a desert region. With humidity sometimes as low as five percent, and summer temperatures hovering around the one hundred ten plus degree mark, thirst is a nearly constant condition. It's as if you can feel moisture being sucked from every pore in your body. The quest for quenching water is almost a passion.
"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1)
If physical thirst illustrates spiritual thirst, then those living in this desert region ought to be more spiritually driven than any people anywhere. We who know thirst ought to truly know thirst for our Father. But, honestly, is our pursuit of our Father comparable to the passionate pursuit of a parched soul in a hot and dry desert? I'll dare say it's more of a casual encounter than a passionate pursuit.
Too often I find myself more of a kindred spirit with a lukewarm church, mentioned in Revelation 3.14-22. Whether verbalized or not, this assessment resonates more than I wish: "you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked' " (Revelation 3.17). True spiritual thirst has been falsely assuaged by the fountain of this world.
There is a general principle in life that we crave that which we develop an appetite for. That's the problem with modern diet: if we regularly feed on junk food, that's the food we crave. The same principle surely applies to our spiritual appetite and thirst. The solution, it seems, is to drink deeply from the true fountain of life; the living water. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me" (John 5.39)
The great irony of the spiritual life is that we are never truly satisfied until we are most needy. Jesus' famous Sermon On the Mount begins with a series of "congratulations" to those who are poor in spirit, mourning, meek, and hungering and thirsting for righteousness. The broken ones are the blessed ones because they truly need the LORD, and are seeking him as a deer panting for water.
The urgent need is for us to cultivate a sense of need for the LORD. I suggest the following prayer to help facilitate this:
"Lord, I acknowledge that I'm easily indifferent toward You. I know that materialist has potentially insulated me from a deep thirst and desire for You. Stir up a true passion for you, and remove from me that which falsely satisfies. Drive me to Your word, and to my knees in prayer. Stir up a true passion and thirst within me."
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
December 18, 2013
I never truly knew thirst until I moved to a desert region. With humidity sometimes as low as five percent, and summer temperatures hovering around the one hundred ten plus degree mark, thirst is a nearly constant condition. It's as if you can feel moisture being sucked from every pore in your body. The quest for quenching water is almost a passion.
"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1)
If physical thirst illustrates spiritual thirst, then those living in this desert region ought to be more spiritually driven than any people anywhere. We who know thirst ought to truly know thirst for our Father. But, honestly, is our pursuit of our Father comparable to the passionate pursuit of a parched soul in a hot and dry desert? I'll dare say it's more of a casual encounter than a passionate pursuit.
Too often I find myself more of a kindred spirit with a lukewarm church, mentioned in Revelation 3.14-22. Whether verbalized or not, this assessment resonates more than I wish: "you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked' " (Revelation 3.17). True spiritual thirst has been falsely assuaged by the fountain of this world.
There is a general principle in life that we crave that which we develop an appetite for. That's the problem with modern diet: if we regularly feed on junk food, that's the food we crave. The same principle surely applies to our spiritual appetite and thirst. The solution, it seems, is to drink deeply from the true fountain of life; the living water. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me" (John 5.39)
The great irony of the spiritual life is that we are never truly satisfied until we are most needy. Jesus' famous Sermon On the Mount begins with a series of "congratulations" to those who are poor in spirit, mourning, meek, and hungering and thirsting for righteousness. The broken ones are the blessed ones because they truly need the LORD, and are seeking him as a deer panting for water.
The urgent need is for us to cultivate a sense of need for the LORD. I suggest the following prayer to help facilitate this:
"Lord, I acknowledge that I'm easily indifferent toward You. I know that materialist has potentially insulated me from a deep thirst and desire for You. Stir up a true passion for you, and remove from me that which falsely satisfies. Drive me to Your word, and to my knees in prayer. Stir up a true passion and thirst within me."
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
December 17, 2013
I've never run in a marathon, but I've been a dedicated jogger much of my life. Living in Michigan several years ago, there was a "country square" I used to run regularly - four half-mile sections of gravel road. Back then, I weighed about 155 pounds, and was fairly light on my feet. Now, about twenty-five pounds heavier, three miles on a treadmill - alternating between brisk walking and jogging - is a bit more challenging.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
The scene portrayed here is that of an outdoor stadium, with running track and grandstand seats. You are running a race with other runners, and a huge crowd is enthusiastically cheering. Earlier, you had a warm-up suit on, but now you're running the race with light-weight running clothes and shoes.
Standing at the finish line is a legendary runner - someone unsurpassed in both speed and excellence. His presence alone compels you to run your absolute best; fully committed to run in such a way as to emulate his example as best as you can.
The enthusiastic crowd in the stadium is figurative - comprised of all the people throughout the ages who have lived and run by faith, as recorded in Hebrews eleven. Although long dead and asleep in their graves, their example still speaks as though they were in the stands. And, the legendary veteran standing at the finish line is Jesus, urging us on in the race by his example.
The challenge before us is to run "with endurance". Anyone can sprint with a short burst of speed, but the race is not won by the fastest runner out of the block. This race is a marathon, so it's more about endurance than speed. It's persistence that counts. And, there are obstacles along the way - sin that can entangle our feet like loose twine. As we run, we deliberately "lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us".
Whether a rookie or seasoned veteran, you and I are today running a marathon that requires vigilance and endurance. Along the way, we need the encouragement of others, because sometimes the race is so hard we're strongly tempted to quit altogether. Shout out a word of encouragement to your fellow runners today, and remember both the figurative "cloud of witnesses", and the "author and perfecter of faith" whom we must never lose sight of.
Running the race with endurance with you,
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
December 11, 2013
Appealing as running away is, it rarely resolves anything. It's what a young child threatens to do when things don't go his/her way at home. Adults often choose the same course of action by disengaging from responsibilities. And, many choose to run away from their Creator.
"Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD." (Jonah 1.3)
God called a man named Jonah to a particular task, but Jonah made the futile choice of fleeing rather than obeying. The results were a three day and three night retreat in the belly of a great fish at sea (Jonah 1.17); no doubt offering plenty of time for introspection.
Fleeing is a much-too-common human response. Call and responsibility seem too harsh and demanding, so withdrawal often seems the better option. But, fleeing from responsibilities to family, work, and our Creator, never solves anything. Sooner or later, a type of fish's belly becomes the place and time for confronting what we desperately try to avoid.
The God of the universe has a plan and path that ultimately works best. Like Jonah, that path and plan often involves bringing us into position to administer His grace and mercy to others. Whole-hearted participation and cooperation ultimately works best for all involved.
Are you fleeing today from responsibilities your Father has called you to? Perhaps His call seems too difficult. But, as the saying goes, if He brings you TO it, He will bring you THROUGH it. The call always involves the resources.
May He find us today, not running from Him, but fully participating with Him.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
December 4, 2013
It's a sobering fact: we're all destined to one day die. In fact, we literally have an appointment with death: "it is appointed for men to die once" (Hebrews 9.27). I don't like that fact any more than you do, and another truth is equally troublesome: "after this comes judgment" (Hebrews 9.27). We have both an appointment with death, and one for judgement before our Father. These two truths cast a huge shadow over our mortal lives, and would easily leave us pessimistic and negative. But, a greater truth overarches these: "Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." (Hebrews 9.28) Death need not be final, nor judgment a condemnation.
There is One who was born to die, so that you and I might truly live. He who has paid the price for sin and destined to "appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin". For those whose sin problem has been solved through Christ, there is eager expectation of the gift of immortality, and life in the age to come on a renewed earth.
The great truths contained in Hebrews 9.27-28 are worth sharing with those we know and love. It is imperative that every person face the fact of mortality and judgment, and embrace the only solution to this universal dilemma. The problem of sin, resulting in death and judgment, is solved through faith in the Christ who paid the price. The priority, then, is to live so as to "eagerly await Him." This means living a dedicated life of sacrifice and service to and through the One who has paid the price for us. It means living supernaturally through the life of the Spirit - unconditionally loving others, humbly serving, showing preference to those in the family of God, and actively sharing our great hope. In essence, we live life now according to the standards of the age to come.
May these great verses in Hebrews 9 cause us to see the true reality of life, and more fully appreciate our Father's solution through His Son. As those who "eagerly await Him", may we be about His important business today.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
December 3, 2013
Age is no excuse. Some would say they are too old, and that the younger ones should serve. Youth, on the other hand, can easily say they are too young and inexperienced, and should wait until they are ready to serve. This passage is especially applicable to them:
"Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.' Then I said, 'Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth. But the LORD said to me, 'Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak.'" (Jeremiah 1.4-7)
God chooses, and age is not an excuse. Moses, when called of God at a much older age, offered up plenty of excuses. None were valid in the eyes of Him who called him. Jeremiah, a young man, offered similar excuses; also equally invalid. What God said to him, he says to all who might beg off in the face of His call: "everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak ... Behold, I have put My words in your mouth".
God's call is not so much based on our ABILITY as our AVAILABILITY. Historically, He has called some unlikely people, and performed His work in unlikely ways. "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong" (1 Corinthians 1.27) His call is always designed to uplift our Father's reputation, not ours.
It is easy to put too much stock in our personal abilities, and how they might translate into effective service. The greater concern ought to be for that which He truly is calling us to. Ironically, His call might be to an area of service that is personally our area of greatest weakness. Remember, it's about His glory and reputation, not ours.
In moments of stillness in His presence, what is He impressing upon you? What is He calling you to? It may be something way out of your comfort zone, but remember; it isn't about you - it's about what He wants done, and where.
Age really is no excuse. Nor is lack of experience. Or speaking ability. Or the myriad of other excuses we might offer. I know from personal experience. I've spent my adult life serving in an area of personal inability. But, it's worked out so much as I've relied in His resources instead of mine. The same is true for us all.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
Monday musings
Why do bad things happen to good people? No question has haunted humanity more than this one. The cynic argues that this enigma is evidence that a just and powerful God could not - and does not - exist. But, there may be another explanation. Consider:
"I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them." (Ecclesiastes 9.11-12)
As the writer of Ecclesiastes states, there is a "time and chance" factor in an imperfect world that accounts for much of the tragedy and suffering that exists. The sobering truth is, "the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them." In short, bad things happen to good people. Were this the final reality, all would have ample reason to be cynical and disbelieving. But, consider the ultimate triumph brought by a just and perfect God:
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8.28)
If we look for ultimate vindication and justice in this age, we'll be sorely disappointed. The God who is at work and "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God" will not complete that cycle this side of the coming kingdom. The ultimate good is yet to come, and can now only been seen through eyes of faith. It is for us to KNOW in this age, but not to fully SEE.
Perfect earthly paradise was our Father's initial creation. But, through unfortunate choice by our progenitors, perfect paradise was lost. How thankful we are to know that our Father has not abandoned His broken project! A new age is dawning (Mark 1.15), and is destined to bring ultimate justice and vindication for all God's people. His coming kingdom, inaugurated at the return of His Son, offers the only hope for a unjust and broken world. With this as our focus, we live today in hope, and walk by faith.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
