For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).
A truth that is suppressed is a truth that has addressed itself to someone, but they do not want to be confronted by it. They do not want it to force them to change, so they keep it down and refuse to look at or deal with it.
What kind of a truth is it that men suppress? Romans 1:19 tells us,
Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
People are suppressing a knowledge or truth about God. Where did they learn that truth about God that they are suppressing? Verse 20 tells us,
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Creation speaks of a Creator. God is understood, it says, by the things that are made. There comes a point in every human's life as they observe nature, where a voice whispers to them, "This didn't just happen. There has to be a hand behind this."
At that point, each person has a choice: Whether or not to suppress that truth. If they do not suppress the truth, I believe God will move heaven and earth to get the knowledge of the gospel to that person.
This is so profound because even on Judgment Day no one is going to be able to stand and say, "Well, I never heard. I didn't have a chance." They will be without excuse, because God is going to take them right back to that experience where He spoke to them through nature.
Good...All the Time
John 10:10-11 gives us a great truth,
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
Is your concept of God that He is good sometimes, but not all the time? That sometimes He is blessing you; but other times, He is the source of your troubles? If so, I want to put that notion out of your heart and mind today.
Jesus came to give us abundant life, while the devil, the thief, wants to steal, kill, and destroy. God is always a good God, and the devil is always a bad devil.
I remember, as a young Christian, I ran into another new convert in the park one day. He looked troubled, so I asked him what was up. He told me he was sick and had just received some bad news as well. Then he went on to tell me that he was at a Bible study the day before and they told him that God was doing all of these things to him.
It had shaken him to think that God was the source of his troubles, and that He was responsible for all the troubles in his life.
A lot of people tend to think that way, but it is just wrong. God is good all the time. The Bible says in James 1:17,
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
There is not the slightest degree of variation in this. God is good. And the gifts He gives are good and perfect gifts. I am glad they don't just stay in heaven. God sees to it that they make their way down to you and me.
God is good... all the time.
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
Is your concept of God that He is good sometimes, but not all the time? That sometimes He is blessing you; but other times, He is the source of your troubles? If so, I want to put that notion out of your heart and mind today.
Jesus came to give us abundant life, while the devil, the thief, wants to steal, kill, and destroy. God is always a good God, and the devil is always a bad devil.
I remember, as a young Christian, I ran into another new convert in the park one day. He looked troubled, so I asked him what was up. He told me he was sick and had just received some bad news as well. Then he went on to tell me that he was at a Bible study the day before and they told him that God was doing all of these things to him.
It had shaken him to think that God was the source of his troubles, and that He was responsible for all the troubles in his life.
A lot of people tend to think that way, but it is just wrong. God is good all the time. The Bible says in James 1:17,
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
There is not the slightest degree of variation in this. God is good. And the gifts He gives are good and perfect gifts. I am glad they don't just stay in heaven. God sees to it that they make their way down to you and me.
God is good... all the time.
Faithful to Another
Jesus, in Luke 16:12, makes a very interesting statement...
one that provides a perspective on faithfulness you would not expect,
"And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s,
who will give you what is your own?"
Jesus makes it clear.
You have to be faithful in something that is someone else’s
before He will fulfill your dream or open doors for you.
God gives each of us opportunities to help others.
And He looks for us to faithfully help others before He blesses us.
For example, Joseph had to help Pharaoh with his dream,
before God allowed Joseph’s dream to come to pass.
Maybe you have a dream to be super rich for the purpose of spreading the gospel.
You would like to see the gospel go around the world.
Or you would like to pay off the debt on your church’s building.
Or you would like to fund a certain missions organization.
I think the Kingdom could use a multitude of very wealthy people
who have a heart for the lost and a desire to see God’s work succeed and expand.
But first you need to be faithful working for that person who has hired you.
You have to be faithful in that which is another man’s.
God is not going to open a door for you to fulfill the dream you have
if you do not show up for work on time,
or if you do not put in a full day’s work.
Why would God open the door for you to lead your own successful business
if you have not been faithful working for someone else?
You must serve that other person with all of your heart,
or that other company you are working for first,
before God will prosper you.
It is a Kingdom principle.
one that provides a perspective on faithfulness you would not expect,
"And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s,
who will give you what is your own?"
Jesus makes it clear.
You have to be faithful in something that is someone else’s
before He will fulfill your dream or open doors for you.
God gives each of us opportunities to help others.
And He looks for us to faithfully help others before He blesses us.
For example, Joseph had to help Pharaoh with his dream,
before God allowed Joseph’s dream to come to pass.
Maybe you have a dream to be super rich for the purpose of spreading the gospel.
You would like to see the gospel go around the world.
Or you would like to pay off the debt on your church’s building.
Or you would like to fund a certain missions organization.
I think the Kingdom could use a multitude of very wealthy people
who have a heart for the lost and a desire to see God’s work succeed and expand.
But first you need to be faithful working for that person who has hired you.
You have to be faithful in that which is another man’s.
God is not going to open a door for you to fulfill the dream you have
if you do not show up for work on time,
or if you do not put in a full day’s work.
Why would God open the door for you to lead your own successful business
if you have not been faithful working for someone else?
You must serve that other person with all of your heart,
or that other company you are working for first,
before God will prosper you.
It is a Kingdom principle.
Deep Fall
Proverbs 27:2 gives us very wise words of advice,
Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth.
There are so many people, including Christians, who think God cannot get along without them. They think they are the reason they experience so much success.
It has been said that a man wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package.
When God grants you success and blesses you, you have to remain humble if you are going to retain your usefulness to God. The Scripture says pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
There are plenty of men and women who at one time or another were on top, but today are on the bottom. I know examples inside and outside ministry. One story in particular comes to mind when I think of this principle.
There was a minister who once said, while making a plea for money, "No one is doing what we’re doing throughout the world, and God needs us to carry on this work. The world cannot be reached without our ministry."
Granted, he was doing an incredible work in a lot of different countries. But the moment he said, "God can’t get along without me," I thought of Humpty Dumpty. I just thought, "Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!" I knew he was headed for a fall!
And you know what? That man is no longer in the position of prominence that he once was. And God seems to have gotten along fine without him.
Do not sing your own praises. Let others congratulate you if they will, but at the end of the day offer those praises to the One who really deserves it—the Lord.
Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth.
There are so many people, including Christians, who think God cannot get along without them. They think they are the reason they experience so much success.
It has been said that a man wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package.
When God grants you success and blesses you, you have to remain humble if you are going to retain your usefulness to God. The Scripture says pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
There are plenty of men and women who at one time or another were on top, but today are on the bottom. I know examples inside and outside ministry. One story in particular comes to mind when I think of this principle.
There was a minister who once said, while making a plea for money, "No one is doing what we’re doing throughout the world, and God needs us to carry on this work. The world cannot be reached without our ministry."
Granted, he was doing an incredible work in a lot of different countries. But the moment he said, "God can’t get along without me," I thought of Humpty Dumpty. I just thought, "Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!" I knew he was headed for a fall!
And you know what? That man is no longer in the position of prominence that he once was. And God seems to have gotten along fine without him.
Do not sing your own praises. Let others congratulate you if they will, but at the end of the day offer those praises to the One who really deserves it—the Lord.
Humility
Philippians 2:8-11 shows us how humility precedes honor,
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
If God’s good pleasure and His plan are to be worked out in our lives, we must walk in humility. It is a prerequisite for us to pass the test of humility. As we see here, because Jesus humbled Himself, God highly exalted Him. And at that point, no demon in hell could do a thing to prevent it.
When God promotes you, no person, no demon, no ungodly system can hold you back. God’s exalting power is irresistible. It is undeniable, and it is undefeatable.
But a humble heart must come first. It has been said that no man stands taller than when he is on his knees before God. Let us humble ourselves and be obedient to God in every area of our lives. If we will lower ourselves, God will lift us. God’s job is to exalt us, and our job is to humble ourselves. If we try to do God’s job for Him, He will have to do our job for us.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
If God’s good pleasure and His plan are to be worked out in our lives, we must walk in humility. It is a prerequisite for us to pass the test of humility. As we see here, because Jesus humbled Himself, God highly exalted Him. And at that point, no demon in hell could do a thing to prevent it.
When God promotes you, no person, no demon, no ungodly system can hold you back. God’s exalting power is irresistible. It is undeniable, and it is undefeatable.
But a humble heart must come first. It has been said that no man stands taller than when he is on his knees before God. Let us humble ourselves and be obedient to God in every area of our lives. If we will lower ourselves, God will lift us. God’s job is to exalt us, and our job is to humble ourselves. If we try to do God’s job for Him, He will have to do our job for us.
It's All Mapped Out
One of the great truths revealed in Scripture is that the end is determined from the beginning. What I mean by that is God sees the end from the beginning. He already has a plan for you. He has already got the whole thing worked out.
Consider what God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Before Jeremiah was ever born, God had his destiny, a plan for his life, all worked out. That truth applies to you and me, and that helps me rest at night. It is great to know I do not have to figure this whole thing out. Sometimes we see through a glass darkly. But you know what? God sees everything perfectly.
This same truth is echoed in Ephesians 1:4,
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.
Did you know you were chosen before God laid the foundation for this world? That was a long time ago. God knew you before you ever existed. He knew you before the world was here. You were chosen in Him. You were not an accident. God knew you.
Again, this truth is affirmed in Ephesians 2:10,
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The beforehand is before the foundation of the world. Just like God knew you, He prepared specific good works for you that you should walk in them long before you ever came into existence.
He has your life mapped out. What a great comfort!
Consider what God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Before Jeremiah was ever born, God had his destiny, a plan for his life, all worked out. That truth applies to you and me, and that helps me rest at night. It is great to know I do not have to figure this whole thing out. Sometimes we see through a glass darkly. But you know what? God sees everything perfectly.
This same truth is echoed in Ephesians 1:4,
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.
Did you know you were chosen before God laid the foundation for this world? That was a long time ago. God knew you before you ever existed. He knew you before the world was here. You were chosen in Him. You were not an accident. God knew you.
Again, this truth is affirmed in Ephesians 2:10,
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The beforehand is before the foundation of the world. Just like God knew you, He prepared specific good works for you that you should walk in them long before you ever came into existence.
He has your life mapped out. What a great comfort!
Power
In Acts 9:32-35 it says,
Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Two entire cities turned to Christ because of one display of God's power! One man who had been paralyzed was healed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and two cities came to God.
We have the same gospel. It is the same Holy Spirit; we serve the same blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We have to pray that God will, if necessary, do the miraculous to save people.
Paul, writing in the book of Romans, says he fully preached the gospel with miracles, signs, and wonders. People will respond today just like they did then. But we need to be bold, step out, and pray for things to happen.
When I was living in Oregon, there was an Indian girl who was very sick and actually at the point of death. The doctors told her she was going to die. She came to a small meeting one night and the evangelist prayed for her. She was healed and then gave her life to Christ. As a result, her dad, a famous rodeo rider, got saved, and her mom was saved also. Then a large group of people from her tribe came to Christ as well.
Evangelism through power. We need to trust God for the supernatural.
Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Two entire cities turned to Christ because of one display of God's power! One man who had been paralyzed was healed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and two cities came to God.
We have the same gospel. It is the same Holy Spirit; we serve the same blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We have to pray that God will, if necessary, do the miraculous to save people.
Paul, writing in the book of Romans, says he fully preached the gospel with miracles, signs, and wonders. People will respond today just like they did then. But we need to be bold, step out, and pray for things to happen.
When I was living in Oregon, there was an Indian girl who was very sick and actually at the point of death. The doctors told her she was going to die. She came to a small meeting one night and the evangelist prayed for her. She was healed and then gave her life to Christ. As a result, her dad, a famous rodeo rider, got saved, and her mom was saved also. Then a large group of people from her tribe came to Christ as well.
Evangelism through power. We need to trust God for the supernatural.
Liberty!
Look at Isaiah 30:21,
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
The idea this verse is conveying is that if you get off-course with God,
He is going to let you know you are making a wrong decision or a wrong turn.
The Living Bible puts it this way, And if you leave God's paths and go astray, you will hear a voice behind you say, "Not this way. Walk here."
What I have come to realize is that you and I have far greater liberty within the parameters of God's will than I previously thought.
It is important that you stay open and keep things laid out before God. But I have discovered, as I said, that we have far greater liberty than I previously thought. Let me give you an example.
Not long ago, my wife and I were very seriously considering selling our house and moving. Real estate had gone up so much that the equity in our house had more than doubled since we bought it. So we got to thinking that it might be a good time for us to move.
I did not have a word from God about moving. But I just know God well enough to know that I could make a decision like that. If I was getting into an area where we were going to make a mistake, God would let me know!
Some people get so uptight about everything. But as long as you stay open to God, you can make those kinds of decisions, because He will be there to direct you if indeed you are making a mistake.
That is true liberty!
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
The idea this verse is conveying is that if you get off-course with God,
He is going to let you know you are making a wrong decision or a wrong turn.
The Living Bible puts it this way, And if you leave God's paths and go astray, you will hear a voice behind you say, "Not this way. Walk here."
What I have come to realize is that you and I have far greater liberty within the parameters of God's will than I previously thought.
It is important that you stay open and keep things laid out before God. But I have discovered, as I said, that we have far greater liberty than I previously thought. Let me give you an example.
Not long ago, my wife and I were very seriously considering selling our house and moving. Real estate had gone up so much that the equity in our house had more than doubled since we bought it. So we got to thinking that it might be a good time for us to move.
I did not have a word from God about moving. But I just know God well enough to know that I could make a decision like that. If I was getting into an area where we were going to make a mistake, God would let me know!
Some people get so uptight about everything. But as long as you stay open to God, you can make those kinds of decisions, because He will be there to direct you if indeed you are making a mistake.
That is true liberty!
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