The new believer is like a newly discovered multifaceted diamond. When the diamond is discovered, it does not resemble that which it will be one day.

When a person becomes a part of God’s family, through personal faith in Jesus, that person is like a rough diamond that must be cleansed, chiseled and polished. This process in Scripture is referred to as the spiritual growth of the new believer.

1 Peter 2: 1-3 describes this process: ” Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking as newborn babies, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

Be careful and do not misinterpret the reference to babies. These are spiritual babies and not physical. The person beginning a new life in Jesus may be 10 years old or 70 years old.

When beginning the new life In Christ the new believer must be fed with the milk of the word. Milk here refers to those biblical concepts which are most basic to growth, and which may be easily understood and practiced. One does not feed meat to a newborn baby.

If you are a new believer in Jesus there are several things I would suggest that you do.

1) First, and most important, pray and ask your Heavenly Father for help and He will help you.

2) Seek out someone that you know to be a mature Christian and ask for personal help and guidance. Spend time with that person, pick his brain and apply the Scriptures to your life.

3) Find a time each day when you can be alone and read your Bible. If you have questions write them down and share them with that person who is willing to help you.

4) Make every attempt toward consistency in your quiet time with the Lord!

And remember, these are only suggestions from an older man who has been where you are and who wants you to be where God wants you to be!

“My house is full” by Lanny Wolf is a poem that captured my attention many years ago.

There is peace and contentment in the Father’s house today, Lots of food upon his table and no one is turned away. There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by … but a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries:

” My house is full, but my field is empty—Who will go and work for Me today? It seems my children all what to stay around my table, but no one wants to work in my field. No one wants to work in my field.”

Push away from the table, look out through the windowpane. Just beyond the house of plenty lies a field of golden grain. And it’s white unto harvest, but the reapers, where are they? In the household, as the children hear the Father sadly say:

” My house is full, but my field is empty— Who will go and work for Me today? It seems my children all want to stay around my table No one wants to work in my field, No one wants to work in my field.”

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, “ The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers’ are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9: 37, 38)

You and I have the same commission that Jesus gave to his disciples just before his ascension into heaven:

“… but you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts1:8).

We are told to be witnesses of all that we have received from our Heavenly Father.

And do not overlook the sequence of this commission. These words were spoken by Jesus in Jerusalem.

At this moment, where you live is your “Jerusalem” and you should first work there if you are to move into Judea and Samaria. Keep in mind that we are not speaking here of activity, but rather of productivity, and there is a world of difference. If you are not producing fruit in your “Jerusalem,” why should you expect to produce fruit in Judea or Samaria? Notice also that those in the father’s house were very active, but not in the harvest field.

Just as the disciples were given the responsibility of spreading the good news throughout the then known world, you and I have those same marching orders.

The church of today is replete with hard working, loving, loyal family members. God may want you to be that family member who will step up and volunteer to work in your “Jerusalem” and you will then be prepared for Judea and Samaria. Your Jerusalem may be your neighborhood, your place of employment, your campus or your personal sphere of influence. Just say to the Lord: “Here am I Send me.”

If you feel that God is speaking to you, I encourage you to go to your parents or to your pastor and seek guidance. May you be a future laborer in the harvest field.

And God will bless you as you seek Him and his will for your life.

By definition a gauntlet is a piece of armor worn on the hand or wrist of an ancient warrior. To take the gauntlet off and throw it down at the foot of an adversary is to make a challenge to fight or to accept a challenge to fight.

In Matthew 4:3 our adversary the devil, in effect, threw down the gauntlet before the Lord Jesus when he asked the Lord to do three things: (1) to make bread from stones to satisfy his hunger (2) to perform a miracle to demonstrate his power, and (3) to denounce his loyalty to the Father and to the Father’s plan which was to redeem mankind.

Did Jesus have the power and the authority to do these things? the answer is yes, he did. As we are tested, so Jesus was tested. Jesus passed this test as he did every test. We have failed the test many times and Jesus knows, forgives and loves us still.

Hebrews 4:15 ” We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. “

Notice how Jesus countered this challenge of Satan. He did not argue, and he did not debate. He simply quoted Scripture.

When you are tempted by Satan to do or say something that you know is wrong, how do you respond? Do you argue, rationalize or make excuses? Don’t do any of these things. Satan is deceitful and smarter than you or me. If we argue with Satan, we will have a real problem.

Jesus knew the trap Satan was setting for him and refused to debate the issue. He simply quoted what the Scriptures had to say about each issue. and Satan immediately left him (vs 11). And this is our example to follow.

The word of God is the Christian’s offensive weapon in our spiritual warfare and is very well described in Hebrews 4: 12 which says: ” For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Scripture memory takes time and effort but will pay great dividends, if you persevere. It has been said that there are three keys to successful scripture memory, and they are: Review, Review and Review. Some people can memorize a verse of Scripture in 5 to 10 minutes and quote it word perfectly and yet tomorrow can only remember a few words of the verse. So, focus on the three Rs.

There are excellent programs for scripture memory on the market and I would encourage you to select one and get started. And one more thought, Scripture memory alone will not change your life, (example Satan) but application of memorized Scripture will. James 1: 2 2 is very clear: ” But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. “

Let me encourage you to begin right now by memorizing these verses from Psalm 119: 9- 11

” How shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: 0 let me not wander from thy commandments, Thy word have a hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”

And remember the three letters I mentioned above!

Let me encourage you to throw down the gauntlet and take up the challenge of Scripture memory! You will never regret it!

Florence Chadwick was the first woman to swim across the English Channel both ways. In 1952, she challenged the channel again. Alongside her in a small boat was her mother. After 15 hours in the water, she was exhausted physically and mentally, and the boat was in a dense fog. She told her mother she could not go on and tried to get out of the water. Her mother encouraged her to stay in the water and to continue, but she was exhausted and refused to go on.

She climbed out of the water and got into the boat. Just after getting into the boat the fog began to dissipate and within minutes it lifted completely, and she could see clearly. To her dismay she saw the English shoreline less than one mile away. She knew immediately had she not gotten out of the water she could have finished the race. But once in the boat her race was over.

Now Florence Chadwick had been in this position of discouragement before but had finished every race. She was a great champion, a great swimmer and a great person, but this time she failed, and she knew there was no recourse. There would be no way to reverse the consequences of this decision to give up.

As I read this account of this wonderful woman, I realized immediately the lesson to be learned: “It is always too soon to quit!”

In the Christian life, as in the secular world, when we find ourselves in a desperate situation, we either quit or push on. However, there is a third option to resolve this dilemma and believe it or not It comes from the United States Marine Corps. You won’t find it in any official manual, but it is often practiced in the field. It is called ” An orderly advance to the rear for reorganization and strategy.”

One of these days as a believer, you may find yourself in a similar position financially as did Florence Chadwick physically. You just cannot go on. You are exhausted physically, mentally and financially and you see no light at the end of the tunnel. And you are tempted to just disappear physically, and some men do this.

Years ago, a dear friend of mine did precisely that. He just disappeared with no trace and was never heard of again. Resist this temptation and take heart; you are not alone. This is all too normal in a person’s life. Look to God in prayer, claim the following verse and look for the way of escape. This next verse is “my go-to” verse.

"There has no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. " (1 Corinthians 10:13)

That way of escape may take several forms such as financial, physical, or emotional counseling or an appointment with your pastor. Believe me, there is a way of resolution, and the Lord wants you to find it.

Also, consider these two verses:

Psalm 32:8 " I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." 

Proverbs 3: 5,6 " Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

However, if you choose to solve this dilemma on your own, the first step is to sit down with pencil and paper and think through on the content of the mess and put it all on paper.

The second step is to make decisions based on what you can pay off or what you can throw away, etc.

And finally, the most important step is ” just do it”. Make a list and just do it! And you will smile in satisfaction!

And remember: “It is always too soon to quit!”

For weeks now the proper greeting among friends has been “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

I have a question for you. Are you going to have a happy New Year or a blessed New Year?

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk dealt with this question in Habakkuk 3:17,18.

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines.

The labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat.

The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

The question arises then how did the prophet deal with difficulties in his life, some of which we may face in this coming year?

He put them in their proper place: subservient to the God that he loved and that loved him.

The flip side of this coin is the question, how do you deal with the difficulties and near tragedies in your life? They are all there or will be there in one form or another until you take your last breath!

The answer is very clear. All of these good things we enjoy are transient, and they could all be gone tomorrow. If you cannot side with the prophet and rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of your salvation as he did, even in loss, then you have a real problem. Because the same problems he faced, as noted above, might be just around the corner waiting for you. You face them as did Habakkuk and renew your trust in God.

The issue here is not whether we have or do not have, God really wants us to have, but to have things in their proper place and to have God in his proper place.

You can have a happy New Year, or you can have a blessed New Year! The call is yours so put God in his proper place! If he is not there, put him there today and you will never regret it!

The prophet Habakkuk suffered, yet he won the victory, as noted above, and so may you.

My prayer is that you will have a blessed and happy New Year!

January: a time to reflect and redirect

January, the first month of the year, is named for Janus, a mythical Roman god. Janus was the god of doors and gates in Roman mythology and is usually represented with two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward.

The Bible teaches that we should learn from the past but live for the future.

January is a time for reflection. a time to evaluate the past year.

For example :

Did you use the last 12 months wisely? and step over failure and move on to success?

Did you reach out and love others? and share resources with the less fortunate?

Did you forgive those who offended you? did you seek forgiveness from others

Did you seek for and pray to God? thank God for the good you have enjoyed?

We cannot change the past, but we should make every effort to learn from it.

January is also a time to look forward and set goals. for example, this year:

How can I honor my parents? How can I show my love to my family?

How can I make my home more attractive? How can I reach out and love my neighbor?

How can I be more faithful in my pursuit of God? How can I become involved in my church?

Who has offended me that I can forgive? What decisions have I been putting off that I can make this year?

However good this year has been, I encourage you to make this new one even better. Even if we look back and evaluate or look forward and plan, remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “But seek first his kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6: 33)

Seek God, He will be found, and He will bless you

The righteous and the unrighteous

In Scripture the horn is used as a musical instrument and also as a means of getting attention. In the animal kingdom the horn is also used as a weapon, a symbol of power and might and strength. In Psalm 75 the author speaks of two horns with two purposes: the horn of the unrighteous and the horn of the righteous.

The horn of the unrighteous is described as an instrument of fools, foolishness, and of the wicked (Psalm 75: 4). The horn of the unrighteous also evidences a stiff neck of arrogance and insolence, and with the attitude which says: ” my way or the highway.”

The horn of the unrighteous, described here in Psalm 75, is totally unaware that every attribute or ability of an individual is not the result of personal effort, but rather the exercise of gifts and abilities given to that person by the creator God. Most people living today are totally unaware of this very basic truth, and they also reject the counsel given in scripture which says:

“Lift not up your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck, for promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. but God is the judge, He puts down one and sets up another.” (Psalm 75:6-7),

The horn of the unrighteous is best described as self-serving: me, my, mine and stay out of my way.

However, the horn of the righteous Is very well described by David in 2 Samuel 22:2-3

“.. the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust, my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Savior”

This principle is also stated very clearly in the book of Proverbs 25:6,7:

“ Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king and stand not in the place of great men; for better it is that it be said unto thee, come up hither; than that thou shouldst be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.”

The modern axiom here is very simple: don’t toot your own horn. If tooting is necessary, and appropriate, let someone else do it for you! Just keep working, trusting and serving and let the chips fall where they may!

Question: Since promotion does not come from the south, east or west where does it come from?

I sing because I’m happy

I sing because I’m free

For his eye is on the sparrow

And I know he watches me

This is a verse in a song written in 1934 and speaks a truth about God’s wonderful love for us. This love is so inclusive that God notices even when a single sparrow falls to the ground. Therefore, He is also observing both you and me. And this is a comforting thought. He knows when we are hurting, He knows when we are sad, He knows when we have needs that others know nothing about. In a word our Heavenly Father knows all about us. Isn’t that a wonderful truth!

Yes, it is a wonderful truth, but the flip side of that coin is somewhat sobering. He also watches us, and he also knows of all those things that other people know nothing about. Things if brought to light would be quite embarrassing to us as children of our Heavenly Father. Now let me be clear, I am not talking about sins confessed and forgiven, of which we all have many, but I am referring to those areas in our lives that we may look on as being “gray,” but in our hearts we know otherwise, and that they should be dealt with before God and man. The Bible is very clear in this matter when it says ……. “Therefore, to him that knows to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” What “gray” areas are you dealing with and have been for many years? Make a decision to deal with these areas and trust God for the ability to do so and I believe that he will be excited to help you

Always remember that when you confess something to your Heaven Father you are telling him something He already knows and has been waiting in confident anticipation for you to communicate with him about this.

I would encourage you to make a short list of things to do in order to be an effective disciple and check them off as you do them.

Yes, we are both happy and free in Jesus when we walk with Him in confident obedience.

Blessings on you as you follow Him

By definition there is a small difference between concern and worry.

Once a concern gets out of hand it becomes a worry and there is a world of difference in the two.

By definition concern is an asset since it sees a problem and allows the one involved to search out an answer, while at the same time, worry realizes that a problem exists and cannot see a solution. Every person whether a Christian or not must discern between the two and if worry dominates that person has a problem.

The author of Psalm 37 provides instructions on how to deal with worry. The word used for worry in translation is the word ” fret” which means to be discontented; to cause corrosion; to gnaw into something.

The Psalmist says: (1) there are things we ought not to do, (2) things we are to do.

First, we are not to be concerned or worried about people who do bad things. And, when bad people do succeed and are prosperous, we should not envy them, that is God’s business not ours and He will take care of His business. ” Fret not yourself because of evil doers, be not envious of wrong- doers for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb” (vs1,2)

Second, we are to trust in the Lord when we face a perplexing problem. ” Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (vs 3,4)

The Christian should always be concerned about negative events in life, but to worry about them indicates they have not been prayed over.

A new year of 365 days is coming. A new year for new opportunities for success and prosperity—- and failure and suffering.

To face the new year realistically, we must realize that there will be both success and failure——- prosperity and suffering.

Sometimes success and prosperity can be as devastating to a person as does failure and suffering. Money, prestige and success do not spell lasting happiness. These may all be gone in an instant.

So, how do we face this new year, knowing that we’ll have all these experiences both good and bad?

First, be certain that God has a prominent place is in your life and in your plans.

           "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." [Psalm 127:1]

Remember, that God comes into and works in your life only with your permission through prayer:

         " Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in....."[Revelation 3: 20]

Second, having done this, trust in God’s care for you as His child. In the following verse all things mean exactly that— ALL— things, good and bad, pleasant and not so pleasant.

       "...And we know that in all things God works for good to them who love God, who have been called According to his purpose." [Romans 8:28]

Finally, do not dwell on the past, whether good or bad, but trust God for your future.

         " .... but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  [Philippians 3:13,14]

Whatever success and prosperity you have experienced in the past, thank God for it, but don’t dwell on it, just press on.

Whatever failure and suffering you have known in the past, learn from it, forget it, and press on.

Remember and do not forget, that God loves you and has a great plan for your life, but only by your permission.

Right now, bow your head and say “Lord, I give you permission to change my life for the better and I thank you for doing this.”

And then do not be surprised when you see good things happening in your life! Give God the credit and share these blessings with those around you, and they will be blessed also.

Just keep on keep’n on.