Meditation: April 9

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:6-7). 

His promises would have been mere empty words without power if the tomb had contained His Body without interruption. His Words would have faded off the scene as snowflakes in the heat of a warming sun if they were only good for the moment in which they were spoken. He said many things and made so many promises that built the faith of His followers and raised their hopes and dreams. They lived by His Word, but if the most dramatic and complex were false, then the least and the simplest were merely impressive conversation. The test would be the place where He was buried on the day on which He said He would rise from the dead. They arrived there with trepidation. But the tomb was empty validating the promise He made. “He is not here.” If He is absent from this place, then where could He be? “As He said to us with words to confirm all others spoken; now all that He has said can be trusted.” What else did He say? “Whatever He said I now believe because the empty tomb speaks of promises fulfilled.” Look at the place that now speaks loudly against all skeptics and critics. He is not here. The tomb is empty for all to see! 

Meditation: April 8

“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ’Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’ ” (Luke 23:33-34). 

The blinding and paralyzing effect of sin restricts one’s view and motion towards the right prerogative. It is blindness that causes those who engage in destructive activities to see no harm in them. It is there but without foresight, the immediate benefits outweigh the ultimate consequences. Jesus was placed between two common criminals as one among them. To see Him there, none would question why One with such a significant mission as to save humanity from the vice-grip of sin would be placed there. He did not accept the opinions of the authorities; therefore they felt justified in removing the blasphemer who defied their beliefs. Sin also has a paralyzing effect upon its victims. Since they could see no further, they could move no further than to condemn and mock Him. How many times has this scene been played out in the lives of those whose sense of reasoning does not allow them to embrace God’s agenda? But Jesus loved even those who vented their hostilities against Him. He prayed to the Father, “Forgive them.” His appeal was because of their ignorance and blindness, “they do not know what they do.” How will what we are doing effect our future? Do we care or just do not know what we are doing? He prayed for us on the cross that our eyes be opened in order to see and know the Father through Him. Then we would be willing to do what pleases Him. 

Meditation: April 7

“ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him” (1Thessalonians 5:9-10). 

The love of God has been directed towards all mankind, but not all know the depth of His love or the greatness of His power. He alone has the power to save us from the judgment that is measured against all ungodliness. He is angry at all things that may interfere with the peace of His beloved. We are saved from sin, but we are also saved from the wrath to come. God will eliminate all things that work against His divine plan, that is, the evil works of darkness. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners to provide a way of escape from His wrath. Love cannot be expressed without hatred being measured against the enemy of love. It is the opposite side of the same. He will ultimately make all things new. Adversarial things and competing values will soon pass away for Jesus died to abolish sin. It has already been judged through His awesome act of love. Now we can anticipate a life together and forever with Him whereas even death cannot hinder or alter His plan. 

“Are Fathers Raising Their Children?”

The study of genetics provides evidence that each of us has behavioral traits that can be traced back to our ancestry. We are the product of many centuries of cultural attributes and evolving modifications of cultural norms. It is easy to accept ourselves as we are and expect others to do the same if we are completely satisfied ourselves and see no need for change. Can we be blamed for what dwells within us as a part of our lineage? Our desires and passions form our emotional frame and our personal agenda, the things that we pursue in life. The propensity towards a particular thing, if we research the history, will be discovered within a relative who was of the same persuasion, even if the trait was expressed differently. The origin of our genetics generated from first cause. The word “pater” in Latin means first cause or brought forth from. From this word we have paternal or father. Our first father, Adam sinned against God which set in motion a course of rebellion against Him. His rebellion was not part of his original formation but was introduced to him by another in whom it originated. Satan, who rebelled against God, appeared in the form of a serpent who deceived Eve and his rebellion incubated in the heart of Adam. When he validated the deception of his wife by deliberately yielding to her offer, he set in motion a course of sin for every successive generation. Sinning is an insult to the Father whose intentions are for the good of His sons and daughters. It is a statement through actions that speak of wisdom in contradiction to the instructions and disciplines originally provided. Yielding to words spoken from another source changes the genetic structure of the individual. The renouncing of father is the entryway of adopting another as father instead. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You are of your father, the devil.”

The good in the psyche of an individual, even before he or she is spiritually converted, is the result of training and discipline. Laws and prohibitions had to be established and enforced unless the hearts of rebellion inbred within the souls of men would run unrestricted. Their inhibitions would lead to self- destruction without parameters or the setting of standards. Sin is a reproach, or leads to God’sdispleasure and rebuke, but it also leads to death. God historically spoke to fathers through the prophets because the fathers were the closest to the children as authority to which they could identify. The fathers were given the role of instructions and discipline to their families. They were also held responsible if their assignments were neglected. Today the need for good home training is desperately wanting. Families need someone to speak what is right and wrong so that the line is drawn in the sand. For fathers to rightly instruct their children oftentimes it requires them to reach beyond the ways in which they were trained. Permissive fathers allow their children to literally raise themselves. They allow the popular opinion of a degenerate society, expressed through the media and the miseducation of a corrupted educational system, to determine their course. To raise our children rightly, the objective must be to set a higher standard than the one that was set for us, not just in the area of career choices, but including all the true essentials of life. Many of our children have lost their purpose for living while endlessly trying to make a living.

The original intent of the Father from which all fathering originated was to relate to His family inclusive of us. His desire remains to father through us. This is why He sent His only Begotten Son that through Him the order for life that never ends can be restored. God has given every father a job far greater than bringing home the bacon. We are to know the Lord and make Him known for the sake and safety of our children and our children’s children. Then generations can be restored as the path is paved by and through the testimonies of godly fathers.

Meditation: June 1

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke 12:48). 

God expects a return on His investments. The gifts of God are given to each person in order for all to profit as the result of His distributions. It is not based on what most would consider as the criteria for God’s judgments. God is not equal in His judgments, but He is equitable. Grace is freely given, but God determines who will receive what is being distributed. Yet we may covet what we deem as necessary, but it must only be for the advancement of His kingdom and not our own. When our hearts yearn to do more for God and we feel powerless to fully participate with Him in what He wills to do, it is in order to seek Him for the empowering gifts that would further qualify us. Yet in our earnestness to receive, it does not obligate Him to any measure to give us what we consider to be necessary. He will give us what He knows is best for us as well as what’s best for others. But, the warning is not to frustrate the grace of God. What God gives must be used as He wills for it to be used. God requires faithfulness of His servants. Only then are they obedient and not wicked.

Meditation: May 2

“For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1Timothy 4:10). 

Those who trust in the living God labor with a goal in view that is different from the activities of others. There are luxuries not afforded the faithful for he must live his life with purpose. Every day must have a degree of significance that further sets him aside as God’s representative on the earth, maintaining the course leading to a destination. Kingdom business is his primary business. Now the world system will notice the difference but will not know how to interpret it. His strangeness will be repulsive to many who would much rather he be silent than speak. His activity appears to run counter to values of his contemporaries. Yet he has fully embraced his call and to suffer reproach because his life is not his own; he has been bought with a price. Therefore he trusts in the living God who is his constant companion to guide him through this maze of life to his eternal home. His life is a gift to the world so that others who would come to believe that Christ suffered for a reason. That reason being the very ones who do not understand. 

“The World Stands at Attention”

“Blow the trumpet…. Sound the alarm!” (Joel 2:1) The whole world is currently hearing a singular sound. When the unexpected happens and shakes the entire planet earth, fera, doubts and questions grip peoples’  hearts. The insecurities were not created by the crisis, but more people became aware of them when the unexpected happens. What about the future, if there is to be a future? How widespread is this dilemma and are there other occurring tragedies to follow after this one? This pandemic, the coronavirus, has required the entire population of the planet to be quarantined. It is as if all the world has been placed on house arrest. When motion is restricted the economy suffers loss. When the economy suffers loss, necessities that sustain life are in limited supply. Where there is limited supply the demand is greater, crime increases. Safety and security are compromised, leaving people vulnerable to every vice known to man. 

 The alarm has been sounded. The prophetic Word of God is being fulfilled. The prophet Joel further says, “Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand!”  The quality of character is being exposed among both the righteous and the ungodly. When the Lord Jesus Christ was born, the prophetic words of Simeon were spoken over Him. He said to His mother Mary, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35) The closer we are to the return of Christ the clearer we see ourselves as we really are. The objective of the prophetic Word was to build confidence in the hearts of those who would believe on Jesus once He was presented to them. His objective in coming was to redeem them from their sins and direct them on the path leading to eternal life. The beginning of His journey was to fulfill the promises made to Abraham, the father of faith. Then from those who are of the seed of Abraham, every nation on the face of the earth was to be blessed. But the majority of those to whom He was sent rejected Him. They considered what they had already attained as being sufficient. Their hearts were filled with pride because of their possessions and their misunderstanding of God’s promises.  His coming was a disruption of their peace. It was as a sword to them, an erupting disturbance that needed to be put in its place. Therefore, they put Him in His place. It is called the Cross.  

The decisions and positions of this generation as a whole are no different or perhaps even worse than they were. At least in the past, many were religious, while today Christ, along with religion in many arenas, is completely rejected. Unbelief and disbelief do not change the Truth of God’s Word. There are those who do not know the Truth, and others who would not retain the Truth in their knowledge for the sake of expediency, often for social and poltiical reasons. The alarm is sounding to call the world to attention. It is a call to prepare for judgment. God, the Righteous Judge will judge all creatures both rich and poor, according to what resides within the heart. What we see today are merely the symptoms to alert us all that an adjustment towards correcting the error of humankind is inevitable. If the very purpose for which the Lord came as a Child to the earth is to be completely fulfilled, He will have to bring about radical changes first among those who are grafted in, then He will make known to the children of Abraham His original intent. The earth is trembling at the sound of His Word through the clarion call of the trumpet. The Lord is coming soon. May all the peoples of the earth make room for His return!

Meditation: May 1

“So, when you pray in your private prayer language, don’t hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy” (1Corinthians 14:13 MSG). 

True love is never selfish. It takes pleasure in giving more than receiving. God has called us into deeper levels as our hearts are in sync with His own. Our thoughts and His thoughts become the same. Our passions and His passions align. Only then will our hearts soar beyond our intellect, or our abilities to articulate what is burning deeply within it. It is from the overflow of our hearts that a language that is not our own is given expression. Our prayers are in private and our language is privately expressed. Yet we are provoked by the Holy Spirit not to be ascetic with the pleasures of our private devotions. Pray that we may be able to share with others what we have privately shared with God. God is able to unleash within us the abilities to give expression to what He imparts so that all may benefit from the divine impartation. 

Meditation: April 30

“We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6). 

The language of the Spirit of God rings differently in the ears of unbelievers than it does in the ears of believers. Those who have rejected God have an affinity towards things pertaining to the flesh. Any other message seems not to have any relevancy to them for their hearts are drawn in an opposite direction. When the Holy Spirit enters into one’s heart, He makes room for the truth. Only then can it become sensible and for passions to rise within him to embrace a level of teaching beyond what is commonly understood. What God has to say to us is uncommon to mankind therefore it requires more than mere common sense. In his natural state it is foolishness. But when the spirit of truth replaces the spirit of error, he will seek out teachers that will teach him things that he did not see because they cannot be seen without divine assistance. 

Meditation: April 29

“As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near” (Matthew 24:32). 

One major sign of the return of Christ will be the renewed courage and strength among those who carry the testimony of the Lord. As it was in the days of the prophets and later the apostles, so shall it be among individuals who will stand for truth without compromise. They will be among a people who have relented to casual Christianity, but will not allow the pressures brought to bear against them to discourage them nor diminish their faith. There will be new life within the Church as both young and old will boldly face persecution if required, for righteousness sake. The sign will be an awakening spreading to the ends of the earth. The Kingdom of God will be their message, the cross will be their standard, and the zeal of the Lord will totally consume them. Professor Martin Scharlemann of Concordia Seminary said, “As soon as the missionaries are no longer welcome to do their work and their host countries begin to expel them, look up.”