“¹The fool says in his heart, ‘There is not God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good…³They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” – Psalm 14:1&3 (ESV)

The “fool” is not referring to those that are lacking in intelligence, but those that are willfully acting against wisdom. Those that actively denounce God are those that are not followers of Christ and are “corrupt” and do no “good”.

“²The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” – Psalm 14:3 (ESV)

Notice that those that are the “fool” and “corrupt” and do no “good” are the children of man. These are those that have not accepted the grace and salvation provided by God. These are those that are intent on going it alone. Again, they willfully act against wisdom.

⁴Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord?” – Psalm 14:4 (ESV)

See here that they actively work against children of God. They persecute us that are acting willfully to accept the wisdom and understanding provided by God. We are those that are not “corrupt” and certainly do “good”.

I have to be careful as I go about this world and remember that those that are not of God truly do not understand. It is my job as one that does understand, to bring the gospel to those that do not. Remembering that they act out of a lack of knowledge and that it is not personal against me.

Are you one that understands? Are you like the “fool” who says, “There is no God.”? Are you a child of God whose job is to bring understanding to those that do not understand?

I consider myself to be quite intelligent. I am also not very smart. Let me explain. I know a good amount, but really how much do I use on a daily basis. And, how much do I claim to know without the benefit of true understanding.

“³’Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” – Job 42:3 (ESV)

Job confesses to God that he may know some things, but his understanding of them is limited. Here he begins the act of repenting for his lack of understanding and sets the stage for seeking that understanding.

I have been writing for almost 4 years and where I have learned much, I still have so much more to learn. I have gained so much, yet have so much more to gain. I have explored much, and yet there is so much more to explore. I am in a place where I need to be humbled so that I can learn and that humbling may have just started this morning as I have read “Job’s Confession and Repentance”.

How much more have I to learn? How much more have I to understand?

What about you, what have you learned lately? Have you expanded your understanding of what you learned? Are you in a place to confess and continue learning to understand?

“¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1 (ESV)

How is it that I test and how will I know? These are certainly questions that I should be asking in order to learn. I have a duty to know and understand what I am up against and the only way to truly do that is to ask questions and seek to understand.

“²By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” – 1 John 4:2-3 (ESV)

Thank you John for the instruction and insight. I have to say that this is a simple test. When confronted, I should be looking for the confession that Jesus did walk the earth as man and is from our Lord God.

I have to be careful that the “silver tongues” not “help me understand” as they confuse the truth with their words. I have to trust in God to provide vision into the truth. Those that are not from God will be deceptive and cunning and deliberate in what they say and how they act. It is up to me to seek the wisdom and guidance from God to see through the deception and find the truth.

I know that the struggle is and will be real when it comes to the world. I have an uphill battle ahead of me to find the truth. But, I have the God in my corner and He only wants my success and will reveal the truth. I am thankful for all of the guidance I receive.

When you are confronted are you seeking the truth? Are you being confused and deceived into believing the lies of those not from God? Are you using the guidance and wisdom of God in your discernment?

“²³And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” – 1 John 3:23 (ESV)

I sorely needed this verse this morning. I have found myself bitter with the state of the world. I am angry, frustrated, and distant as I look out into the world around me.

Our world is hurting today and there seem to be minimal voices of reason and love. I need to be one of those voices. I need to be more bold as I “believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another”. I am just as much to blame as others as I sit and do nothing. I have to be a stronger voice of love. I have to understand the hurt and actively lift others. I am the silent one that needs to speak out.

When I am in my own world, just God, me, and my family I feel secure. But am I doing the Lord’s work in remaining secure? I have to step out and get in the world and stand for Christ and lift others and love. I may not have all of the monetary capabilities to provide for the physical needs of others, but I can provide for the emotional, social, and cultural needs with love and care.

I should demonstrate the marks of a true Christian and noted in Romans 12:9-21. That is where I am able to make a difference. I must believe and love and maybe, just maybe, someone else will do the same.

Are you filed away in your own security? Are you looking to do more? Are you able to “believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another”?

“⁶For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ ⁷So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ ⁸and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.” – 1 Peter 2:6-8 (ESV)

Stone masons would spend a great amount of time choosing the right stones to be placed for a building. And no stone was as important as the cornerstone of a structure as it was there to support the entirety of the structure. Imaging God as the ultimate stone mason and as He chooses stones for his church, He is determined to choose just the right stones.

When I read this scripture, I am reminded of how important I am to the growth and building of God’s church. I am just a man, but you can see that with my belief, I have been chosen as a building block of the church. I with all of my flaws and failures and imperfections, am still chosen by God to be a part of God’s plans. God chose me as a stone for His church.

The choice of me is rooted in my belief. As I have believed, I have been chosen. I look at the second part of verse 7 and verse 8 and realize that my belief determines my use or not. You see, when I choose not to believe, I am cast aside for a structure not as important as God’s church. I then become a stumbling block for others as I lay in the street without a purpose.

My purpose is to glorify God and through that glory, I am counted as a building block for the church. My belief gets me there and my continued belief, faith, and works in and for Christ gives me the strength to continue in my walk with Him.

Where is your belief? You to can be chose, will you believe? Will you allow yourself to be a building block of the church, or a stumbling block for those around you?

What is belief and faith without works?

“²⁶For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” – James 2:26 (ESV)

As a follower of Christ, I inherently believe. But that is not where it stops. I am to also be working for the glory of God. And that work is the demonstration of my faith and belief. I am justified in my faith by the work I do.

“²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?…²⁵And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?” – James 2:21 & 25 (ESV)

I am accepted by my faith and I am justified by the works done in and through that faith. And all of the acceptance and justification is done through Christ and not of the world. The judgment of this world is not what I am concerned with. It is my duty to work for my Lord and Savior and allow Him to receive the glory of my work. If I am not accepted by those around me, I do not concern myself with that.

My belief in Christ is where I begin and once I believe I am able to enact my faith. My faith is where I get my direction and strength and with that direction and strength I am led to the work for and that pleases God.

Are you able to believe? Is your belief allowing you to enact your faith? Is your faith providing the direction and strength that lead to your work for God?

Is it possible to grow closer to someone or something without knowing or believing. I have to qualify that statement with this. I understand that things can get closer in proximity based on the laws of physics. What I am speaking of is in the heart. Is it possible to draw nearer without truly knowing of the existence?

“⁶And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

NO, it is not possible. I can see how one might think that they know of God and that will suffice in the knowing, but I have to go back to the thoughts of having information and having knowledge. Information can be found anywhere, and it is there for me to locate when I am looking for it. Knowledge is there when I need it and is a part of me.

I have to be willing and able to grow in knowledge of God in order to grow nearer to Him. In order to grow in knowledge, I have to first believe in Him and seek Him out. Waiting for God to come to me will only end in frustration. I have to go looking for Him and believe that He is there. I have to find Him through belief in Him. I have to use my belief in Him to learn more about Him. When I learn more about Him I draw closer to Him. When I draw closer to Him I believe in Him even more. When I believe in Him more, I seek Him more. When I seek Him more, I draw closer to Him.

What a wonderful cycle to be in with God. I have every opportunity to draw nearer to God through my belief in Him.

Are you seeking God? Are you drawing nearer to Him? Are you believing in Him?

I know, the title is a bit simple and seems to go without saying.

“¹⁰For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” – 1 Timothy 4:10 (ESV)

For the non-believer, there may be a sense of confusion with the verse above. Although the letter is written by Paul to Timothy as encouragement and instruction, when read by the non-believer, the words are not as clear. I even have to take a double take and based on the notes in my bible, I have read through this passage a number of times and must have missed this little nugget of wisdom.

The verse above is packed with a lot, and the commentary in my ESV Bible gives some insight as to the meanings of the last part of the verse. “could seem to teach universalism, that every person will eventually go to heaven…There are several other possible explanations for this phrase: (1) It means that Christ died for all people, but only those who believe in him are saved. (2) It means he is offered to all people, though not all receive him. (3) It means ‘the Savior of all people, namely, those who believe’. (4) It means ‘the helper of all people,’ to refer not to forgiveness of sins but to God’s common grace by which God helps and protects people in need. (5) It means ‘the Savior of all kinds of people, not Jews only but both Jews and Greeks.’ In any case, the emphasis is on God’s care for the unsaved world, and in the flow of the letter Paul is stressing once more that God’s will that people would be saved is the basis of the universal mission.”

There is a lot to unpack in that comment, but what I get out of it and the verse is that regardless of who you are, what your background, where you come from, God’s mission of bringing salvation to you is my/our central purpose. I come back to the Great Commission in Matthew:

“¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

Just as Paul indicated to Timothy, I have a job to do and that job is to bring the gospel to ALL. I am to provide the way to salvation at every turn and to every one. I should not concern myself with whether or not they accept the gift of salvation, only offer to everyone and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work on them. That work could be exactly what I bring which is love and care, or it could be to convict them of their need for salvation and allow them to join the ranks of us as believers.

What are you tasked with doing each day? Are you “picking and choosing” who to present the gospel to? Are providing the opportunity of salvation to all, especially believers?

Ever wonder how things will play out when Christ comes again? I was reminded this morning and began thinking and studying what happens.

“¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” – 1 Thessalonians, 4:14-15 (ESV)

“Asleep”, here Paul is referring to those who have died. The Thessalonians were likely concerned for those that had died before the 2^nd coming. Their concern was valid based on the newness of their faith and the ignorance in their belief. Paul assures them that those Christians that had passed from this world would not be forgotten, in fact, they would “awake” and rise even before those still alive.

As Paul refers to the dead Christians as “asleep” indicates that they will again awake and their bodies will be called up. I have no doubt that at death in this world, Christians went to be with the Lord and are in fellowship with Him now. What I am reminded of is that simply their bodies are still here.

I have to think of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died and in three days rose again. When Jesus died, he went to be with His Father, our Lord in heaven. Then, three days later He returned to wake His body that we all may have an example of what is to come. We have/will die here on earth and our bodies will be left behind. Until the 2^nd coming and our bodies will “wake” and we will be reunited with them in Christ.

I am encouraged by the words written by Paul. I know that my fate has been sealed in my salvation. I have no reason to fear being left behind, as I will indeed return to claim my body with Christ in His return (if He returns after my body has gone asleep).

What are your beliefs related to your passing or the passing of those you love? Are you aware of the impact that the 2^nd coming will have on the bodies of you and your loved ones? Are you able to believe that all Christians will rise at the 2^nd coming of Christ Jesus?

As a Christian I am in prayer. In prayer I do my best to follow the model that Jesus gave to the disciples. Giving thanks is a great part of my prayer each day for that which God has blessed me with. Well, what about those that came before me and are with me in Christ today?

“¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,” – Ephesians 1:16 (ESV)

Paul made it a point in his letter to the Ephesians that he was in constant prayer of thanks for them. A bold declaration that he was praying for them constantly, that gets even bolder in the verses that follow.

“¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” – Ephesians 1:17-21 (ESV)

Paul not only tells the Ephesians that he is thankful and praying continuously for them, he tells them why and for what exactly he is praying. It is one thing to indicate that we are praying for someone, however giving them the intimate details of what we are praying brings life and real empathy and love to the prayer and the interaction with the person.

I look back at the times I have told others that I am praying for them, and when I have told them what exactly I am praying for and really see the difference in the eyes and feel the difference in the hearts of those I pray specifics over. Yes, God does know what the person needs, but as a Christian, stating it to the person, especially a fellow believer, I am able to connect them more firmly to the love I have for them and the love that God has for them as His child.

When you pray for others, are you generic? Will you pray for the specific item of need for the individual? Are you bringing love and prayer directly to your brothers and sisters in Christ?