Contingent Promises from the Consistent Promise Keeper

Yesterday, I was the substitute teacher in the ladies' class. We were winding up the lesson on John 2 when someone made a comment that sent me down a rabbit trail. It's been on my mind ever since.

The comment was about our tendency toward criticism, which reminded me of Isaiah 58. The prophet's words make one thing clear. God hates a judgmental, critical spirit. He wants us to be rid of it so much that He's made promises for those who let it go.

IF we replace our critical, judgmental spirit with a spirit of generosity and giving...

THEN God will give: 

- clear direction

- hope even in difficult situations

- refreshment

- strength

- restoration of what seems utterly hopeless (repairer of breach, restorer of streets)

IF we honor the Sabbath and treat it as a delightful, holy day...

THEN God will give:  

- delight in Him

- honor

- satisfaction with the inheritance He has promised

These are perfectly clear IF/THEN promises. They're contingent upon us doing our part, but the requirements are not too difficult. 

quit criticizing and judging

honor the Sabbath

What's too hard about that?

What's not to like about God's promises of peace, hope, direction, refreshment?

Today, let's take a close look at God's promises. Are they something we want? Then let's do what it takes to have what God promises. 

Honor His day. Honor His way. Simply obey.

"Stop pointing your finger... Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength..." Isaiah 58:9-10 nlt

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In case you missed it, here's the link for yesterdays post: When Our Lives are Utterly Transformed 

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Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

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A Month of Gratitude: The One Who Always Keeps His Promises

In Sunday School this past Sunday, we went around the room and introduced ourselves by saying our name and some characteristic that mattered to us or makes a difference in how we live. For some, it was truth. For me, it was "keeping my word", or keeping a promise. I know I'm not perfect at it, but it matters to me.

Afterward, I realized that's one of the things that matters to me about God, too. He keeps His promises. It's been my habit to write about the things for which I'm grateful during the month of November. Today, I'm starting a month of gratitude by giving thanks for the promise-keeping, the faithfulness, of God.

This morning, I opened the book of Matthew, where I'm currently studying. Matthew, a Jewish man, wrote about Jesus as the promised Messiah. Over and over, he presented a part of Jesus' life as fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. I've highlighted those promises in my Bible.

When I opened Matthew 2, I saw five highlighted promises. Jesus was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, taken to Egypt as a child to escape the infanticide of Herod, and grew up in Nazareth. There was weeping in Ramah when Herod killed the baby boys.

As I looked at those pages and the red highlights of promises made and kept, I was reminded of the faithfulness of our God. 

When God makes a promise, He keeps it.

It's that simple. It may take hundreds of years, but He does what He says He will do.

Psalm 105:8 tells us, "He remembers His covenant forever, the promises made for a thousand generations."

We may forget, but God never does.

That's a good thing, because I've staked my life on the promises of God. Here's just a few:

- God has a plan for my life, and it's for my welfare, not for calamity. Jeremiah 29:11


- Even when I'm weak, even though I'm weak, He will give me all the strength I need. Isaiah 40:29-31

- He will provide for my needs. Every single time. Philippians 4:19

- Nothing can separate me from the love of God. Romans 8:37-39

No matter what we face today, we can be sure that our God knows and cares. He will be our strong tower of support and defense. He is with us.

We may have serious concerns about what the future holds, but God already knows. He's already there. He already has a plan. He already has a way through. 

What He has said, He will do. What He has promised, He will fulfill.

Take courage today and hold to the One who is faithful and true. Our God can, and will, carry us through.

"Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." Psalm 23:4 KJV
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(I've added links to a couple of prior blog posts about the promises of God. I think they'll be worth the read.)

In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: When Good Comes from Evil

To support this ministry: Leanna Hollis  Account #4841#hope #faithful

Occupying the Life God Intended

"So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, 'How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?'" Joshua 18:3 nasb

The children of Israel had made the decades-long journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. They lived in tents and traveled on foot. They were accustomed to the nomadic life, but it wasn't the life God had intended for them. He had fields, cities, and houses they hadn't built just waiting for His people to occupy them.

They reached the Promised Land and hesitated. They stayed in their tents rather than take the cities God had for them.

There were sturdy houses with stone walls. No more wandering. No more carrying possessions as they traveled. 

They would have stability. Prosperity. 

With all the abundant blessings God had promised just a few battles away, the people pitched camp and stayed in their tents. 

It took prodding from Joshua to get them to what God had intended.

It seems like a foolish decision to stop short of the blessings they'd spent years pursuing, but I wonder if we do the same thing. 

When I look at the first century church, I see something vastly different from most churches to which I've belonged. There was unity, community, connection. There was the presence of the Holy Spirit, miracles, powerful prayer, strong, godly leadership. 

People in the community who were not believers called the believers Christian, or "little Christ", because they acted so much like Jesus. That tells me the first-century believers lived the kind of God-loving, neighbor-loving life to which they were called by Our Lord.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; 

and greater works than these he will do, because I go to the Father. 

If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

John 14:12-13 nasb

If those verses are true, and they are, why don't we see that kind of power in the church today? Maybe it's because of the verse that comes next. 

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15 nasb

I am confident we could have a more vibrant faith, a deeper prayer life, a more Christ-like church if we did what Joshua called the children of Israel to do. 

Occupy that which God has promised.

I look at my own life and wonder why I don't see what Peter, John, Paul, and Silas saw God do. I want to experience the miraculous workings of God they experienced. 

But... I stop short at the imprisonment they endured, the beatings that threatened their lives, the martyrdom they accepted. 

The disciples were "all in", all the way to their deaths. 

I don't know if I could do that or not. A part of me wants to be that committed. A part of me wants to be faithful to the end. An equally strong part of me recoils from danger, embraces safety and comfort.

Just like the children of Israel.

But what if we decided to embrace our faith with everything in our being? What if we decided to occupy the promises God has given us?

Our circumstances might change. Life would be different, but, according to Paul, it would be infinitely better.  

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, 

and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3:8-9 nasb

If I want what God has promised, I must make a choice. Occupy the promises.

If we, as the corporate body of Christ, want all God has promised for His bride, the church, we, too, must occupy His promises. The land of Israel wasn't gained in day, but it wasn't gained at all until they made a start and began occupy it. 

May this day be the one in which we make a start and do more than claim the Promises of God. May this be the day we take possession and occupy them.

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In case you missed this: Life After the Cross: Encounter on the Way to Emmaus

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Diabetic retinopathy, part 3: Following Recommendations

"No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays." (Luke 11:33-36 NASB)

We are currently taking a detour through a few eye diseases to help us understand the concept of "clear eye" and to make spiritual applications. We have previously considered Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Detached Retina, Cataracts, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Diabetic Retinopathy #2. You can click on the links to see those.

When I was reviewing information about diabetic retinopathy a few days ago, I came across a sentence that astounded me. "People with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 95% with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care."1 The risk of blindness is not completely eliminated, but carefully following the recommendations of skilled physicians can decrease the risk of blindness tremendously. Considering how many times a day I "see" with my eyes, it seems foolish not to do what is recommended, yet diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness. Even though blindness can be prevented, we often fail to do what is needed to prevent it.

I don't have diabetes, and I don't want it. One of the things I fear most about diabetes is the business of following recommendations, "doing what I'm told". As an adult who was once a strong-willed child, I still want to understand "why" and "why not". The one diabetic recommendation I don't think I would have trouble following is the one about treating eye disease and preventing blindness. If we don't want blindness, we must do what it takes to protect our eyes. I can embrace that.

The world is full of recommendations and guidelines.  Lists of "twenty things you should do", "ten things you should never do" abound, and some of them sound good. How do we sort through all the information available today? How do we know what is true and what is not? Wouldn't it be nice to have a standard of truth against which everything else can be judged? 

It turns out that there is a standard. As followers of Christ, the Bible is our plumb line and everything else can be judged against it. If we obey the instructions God have given us in His Word, we will have a life that is filled with love, joy, peace. That does not mean we will be rich in material things, but in those with eternal significance. The Bible has many if/then promises. They are a little like the 95% reduction in blindness, but they are 100%. If we do what God says, He will do a certain thing.

Here are a few of my particular favorites: (an implied 'then' is in parentheses)

2 Chronicles 7:14 - "IF My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (Just to be sure we're clear, this is a directive for God's people, not the ones who don't know Him.)

Isaiah 1:19 - "IF you consent and obey, (THEN) you will eat the best from the land."

John 15:10,14 - IF you keep my commandments, (THEN) you will abide in My love.

Matthew 6:14-15  IF you forgive men when they sin against you, (THEN) your heavenly Father will also forgive you..."

Matthew 17:20 - IF you have faith as small as a mustard seed, (THEN) you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Those are not simply good recommendations, they are promises from Almighty God. If we do what He says, then we will have such good results as He promises. As encouraging as the 95% prevention of blindness is, these verses should be even more encouraging because they are 100% sure. If we obey, God will respond in ways that will astound us. It only makes good sense to obey.

If we need wisdom for today, we don't have to turn to a "twenty things to do" list that we download from the internet. What we need is TRUTH that stands the test of time, and that truth is readily available. Let's be sure we turn to the One who IS truth when we seek truth.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; 

no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6 NASB

1. https://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy