Tag / God

by The Monahans

Life Goes On

Life Goes On 4  My life prior to the day I came to Christ was a train wreck of sin, addiction, and self-centeredness. I have written some of the details about this phase of my existence previously and won’t recount them again here (but feel free to read through my older blogs, maybe start with This is Real). In Luke 7, when the woman comes in and anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume, he uses the opportunity for this teaching moment: “Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much.” (Luke 7:47) I can tell you that I truly identify with this, for I know I have been forgiven a lot. I love Jesus because he has forgiven me for so much!

But what, then, about my life after that day I came to Christ? Was I suddenly perfect, never to sin again? The Apostle John wrote these words: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” (1 John 1:8) And certainly, this is the case for me. In fact, in many ways my life after I came to Christ could also be described as a train wreck. While my conversion had a profound effect on me – the change was surely dramatic – but I could not escape the very thing that caused my need for Jesus in the first place: self!

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul described himself as the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). This is a Bible verse with which I can truly identify. I have been a Christian for nearly 30 years and I am still sometimes surprised God hasn’t just cast me into the lake of fire.  But that is just the thing: when our dependence on Christ is genuine, we can’t be so bad as to out-sin God’s grace.  Paul wrote these words in Romans 7, verses 21-25: “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”

So what can we understand from this? Indeed, this has been something I have struggled to comprehend. Let me take a shot at summarizing: when we are saved through grace, and we are forgiven much, the Holy Spirit comes into our very soul and we start to be recreated. This is very well-stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” So at the moment of our salvation we start a journey called “sanctification” in which we grow more and more Christ-like. We seek His truth in the Bible and we start making earnest effort to please him by the way we live, but we are not yet perfect.

I suspect for some, this journey of sanctification proceeds more quickly than it does for others. I wish I could profess that my journey took the fast track, but it did not. My battle with self-will often sent me spiraling backwards, and there surely have been times in my Christian walk where my life may not have looked that much different than the unsaved. This is something for which I am certainly not proud, quite the opposite; but it reminds me daily just how much I have been forgiven and just how deep and wide the grace of God truly is.

This principle is also summarized nicely in Paul’s prayer for our spiritual growth: “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19)

And this grace of God can be yours, too. If you are already a believer, I encourage you to study the Word of God daily, to regularly attend a strong, Bible-preaching church, and to be active with other believers in a small group or Bible study setting. And if you have not yet made the decision to place your faith in Jesus, why not do so right here, right now. Just admit to God you are a sinner, and ask for his forgiveness. It is that simple!

The Bible tells us that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart!

May God bless you richly as you seek Him. For all those who earnestly seek, shall find.

To learn more, please click here: KnowGod.org

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

The Narrow Road

Narrow Road 2 Jesus said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13) This is a definitive statement from our Lord and clearly indicates not all roads lead to heaven. Indeed, to have assurance of heaven we need to enter through the “narrow gate”.

So how do you know if you’re on the wide road that leads to destruction or the narrow road that leads to life? It’s actually a pretty easy question to answer. We can start with a broad statement: if you are adhering to any religion or spiritual path (or no religion at all) that is not Biblical Christianity, then you are on the wide road and your destiny is not good. The Bible says, “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)

Easy enough, right? But, you say, “I was raised in a Christian home” or “I’ve been a Christian all my life” or “my parents were Christians” or “I go to church every week”. What then? Is that assurance you have entered through the narrow gate and you’re on the right road? In a word: no! Jesus said, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) So we better dig a little deeper to see if we’re on the narrow road.

Paul instructed us this way: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV) And Jesus went on to say, in Matthew 7:21, “Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” We can know we are on the narrow road, and I believe there are some simple questions we can ask ourselves to help us know.

  • Do I hold the Bible as the highest authority in my life?
  • How often am I opening the Bible and reading and studying it?
  • Do I believe God’s Word is absolute truth?
  • Can I remember a specific time I repented and trusted Jesus?

There are certainly many more questions we could ask ourselves or reflect on, but these would be a good starting point. And please know that the Christian life is not always an easy one. Jesus said “the road is difficult” and in John 16:33 Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” So, especially in these days, if your current path is comfortable, that in itself could be a sign you’re on the wrong road!

Jesus went on to say, in John 16:33, that we should “take heart, because I have overcome the world.” And that is great news for those of us who have entered through the narrow gate. And for those of you who want to enter through the narrow gate, it is not too late! “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” (Romans 10:9-11)

May you find the narrow gate and enter through it, if you haven’t already. God bless.

To learn more, please click here: KnowGod.org

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

Understanding Grace

Grace 1   “Until we come to that point of understanding what wretches we are; we will never understand the amazing grace of God. It takes a wretch like me to experience the amazing grace of God.” (A.W. Tozer)

Grace. We talk about it, we sing about it, pastors preach about it, writers write about it, but do we really understand it? Do we truly appreciate how amazing God’s gift of grace really is? “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8) There is no more valuable nor miraculous gift we will ever receive than the gift of God’s grace and, as Tozer noted, to fully appreciate it we must recognize why we need it.

Paul wrote in Romans 7:24, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” The word translated in the NLT as “miserable” is the Greek word “talaiporos” which means enduring trials, afflicted, wretched. When we grasp the definition of the word in the original Greek it helps us understand the terrible condition Paul was writing about; and it makes clear his words that follow: “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Ephesians 7:25a)

The other thing we should understand, to fully grasp God’s gift of grace, is the holiness of God. The believer understands his or her own wretchedness in direct proportion to how clearly he or she understands the holiness of God. “No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2) “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)

Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” This is an impossible standard, one we can never attain, but God is holy and can set no lower standard, because he is perfect. So it is the marvelous wonder of the Gospel that Jesus met this standard for us! And that was what Paul was pointing to when he exclaimed, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Chris our Lord.”

Paul teaches us plainly that we cannot attain God’s standard of perfection, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” (Romans 3:20) So it is by understanding this principle that we can see ourselves in stark contrast to God’s holy perfection. And from there we can find the generous gift of grace he offers us: “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:22-24)

And that, friends, is grace. Praise be to God! “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.” (Titus 2:11) “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Truly the Lord is full of grace and he longs to offer you his gracious gift. I pray that today will be the day you accept it, if you haven’t already.

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37-38)

To learn more, please click here: KnowGod.org

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

To Be Counted Among The Wise

Wise Guy 1  Solomon succeeded David as king of Israel about 970 B.C. We do not know with certainty his exact age when he became King, but a study of Scripture suggests he was born around 990 B.C. which would make him about twenty years old when he took the throne. Think about any twenty-year-old you know right now, and you can imagine that becoming the ruler of a nation at that young age would present certain challenges. Solomon saw this, too, and described himself as “being like a little child” in his conversation with God in 1 Kings 3.

I do not think many twenty-something young men these days are too quick to see their own fallibility, so I think it is a safe assumption that it was an act of great humility for a man so young to recognize the limitations of his youthfulness. And as we shall see, the Lord agreed. Let’s look at Solomon’s conversation with God in its entirety; which is found in 1 Kings 3:5-14.

‘That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!  And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

Solomon knew what to ask for but maybe even more importantly, he also knew who to ask! And the result was that he became the wisest mortal person to ever live! These days, we have self-professed “gurus” seemingly on every corner. From our own friends and family, to talk-show hosts and Hollywood celebrities, to authors and motivational speakers, we are inundated with advice. Some might be good, some is clearly bad, and most of it, perhaps, is just what our itching ears want to hear.  The  Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.” And the prophet, Jeremiah, warned us: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Because we really can’t trust ourselves to always discern correctly between good advice and bad, we need a source that has been proven trustworthy; and that source, as Solomon so famously knew, is the Word of God. When Solomon asked God for wisdom, he got more than he ever imagined and his wisdom became legendary. The Bible says “God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.” And that “kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.” (1 Kings 4:29,34)

Fortunately for us, we have the entire Bible to turn to when we need wisdom. The Bible has this to say about itself: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16) James wrote this, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5) And in the book of Job, “But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13)

I simply cannot say it better than God, so I think it more sufficient to simply share a few of my favorite verses on wisdom:

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24)

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! (Psalm 111:10)

Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:2-6)

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. (Proverbs 3:7,13,14)

Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. (Proverbs 17:24)

No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord. (Proverbs 21:30)

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom. (Isaiah 28:29)

He said, “Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. (Daniel 2:20)

But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. (Luke 7:35)

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. (1 Corinthians 1:30)

In him (Christ) lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colassians 2:3)

It is our prayer you will grow in understanding as you turn to the one true source of wisdom, the Word of God. For those who are saved, God also gave us the Holy Spirit to help us with understanding and discernment. When we pray first, and read his Word daily, we find that God will transform us into new people by changing the way we think. (Romans 12:2) And if you do not yet know Christ as your Lord and Savior, now is the perfect time to seek him. For all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. For more information, please click this link:

KnowGod.org

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Or follow us on Twitter: @ReignDropsBlog

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
by The Monahans

In the Shadow of the Almighty

Protector2  In today’s world, there are many situations that are difficult to face or that leave us feeling distraught, alone, and hopeless. It could be the health of a loved one, our financial situation, the loss of our employment, or any number of personal dilemmas. For some of us it could be where our next meal is coming from or whether or not we will have somewhere to sleep tonight. Still others among us might see the crumbling moral and social environment around us and experience fear over speaking Biblical truth. Still others face severe persecution just for worshipping our Lord and Savior.

Whatever situation you are in at the moment, if you are a followers of Jesus Christ, then God is at your side through it all. As human beings, we like to think of God’s protection as a magic force field that keeps us from all harm, but we must remember that we live in a fallen world where people have free will and sometimes God works in ways that we do not understand. The protection God promises us sometimes comes in the form of His peace in the midst of difficulty; other times we may feel His peace and strength as an ending because God sees things on the horizon that we cannot see.

You can rest assured, as a believer in Jesus Christ, that our new life is promised to come with His protection and there is nothing that can separate us from His love. So no matter what hardship you face, God is your provider and protector. I know well and good that there are plenty of times we are in the midst of crisis and do not immediately feel His nearness, but I am confident that we can find comfort in His Word and I want to share some verses in particular that can serve to remind us that God is with us:

2 Thessalonians 3:3 – But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Deuteronomy 31:6 – So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

Isaiah 41:10 – Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Psalm 5:11 – But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.

Psalm 12:5 – The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”

Psalm 23:4 – Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalm 34:19 – The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Psalm 57:1 – Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.

Psalm 91:1-6 – Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Psalm 121:1-4 – I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

Psalm 138:7 – Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

2 Samuel 22:3-4 – My God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

John 10:28-30 – I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.

These are but a handful of the verses you may choose to read during difficult times or you may wish to memorize. The Bible is rich with God’s assurances and the truth of his love for us, from which the believer can never be separated. And if you have not come to faith in Jesus yet, perhaps this is the perfect time to turn to Him, to trust in His great love for you. Find a Bible and immerse yourself in His Word, start with the Gospel of John and I am confident you will begin to feel His love wash over you.

May God bless you and keep you in good times and in bad.

Here at Reign Drops, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.