Category Archives: Love

Battles, Belief, Bible, Caregiver, Compassion, Eternity, Fear, God's Will, Love, Relationships, Scripture

FEAR FOR OTHERS

GALATIANS 4:11

“I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”

Oh, how I can relate to this verse today. I know people who do not know Christ. They have not placed their faith in Him as Savior. I know without Christ that their eternal destiny is doomed. I fear for them. I know some believers who are not living for Jesus. There is no fruit in their lives. I fear for them that they are missing out on such blessings. I pray they all will surrender fully to the Lord Jesus.

Paul’s words here state the same fear for the Galatians. He had just scolded them for returning to the former things in their lives. Now, he says he fears for them. He is fearful that there are no basic principles in their lives. Has he wasted all his time with them? The word “labored” means he really worked hard. He gave his all to teach them.

APPLICATION

I have felt that way in my ministry from time to time. There have been days when I felt like all I was doing had no eternal impact on people’s lives. They didn’t seem to “get it.” When I see men, in whom I have invested months and months of time, turn back to their former manner of living, it grieves me deeply. We are warned against that. Proverbs 26:11 reads, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so is a fool who repeats his foolishness.”

How do we, as believers, deal with this fear for others? Simply put, we trust in Christ. We trust in the almighty hand of God. We pray. We continue to reach out and try to influence both our lost friends and family and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16, “‘Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’” We can all do that.

Today, let your walk with Christ be so bright that others ask you how you do it. Point them to the Word that is their guide. Point them to prayer which is your communication piece with God. Show them how, when you fail (and we all do) how you get back up in the strength of the Lord. Make an impact today. Don’t give up.

There are those in my circle for whom I fear, Lord. Help me direct them to You and Your love.

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Adoption, Bible, Chosen, Family, Joy, Love, Redemption, Scripture

ADOPTION

GALATIANS 4:5

“so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.”

I have a lot of friends and some family who have chosen to adopt children. Some did it because they were unable to conceive a child. Others did it because they wanted to give a child a home. But both chose a child. Both made a choice. Some of my friends even celebrate their child’s “chosen day” each year. I can’t imagine the joy the child feels when they have been chosen.

As believers in Christ, we have all been chosen by Christ. In today’s verse, Paul is still addressing those who have been under the Law, those Judaizers who were trying to influence the Gentile believers. He tells them Christ has saved them from the struggle of trying to keep the Law and has given all believers the joy of “adoption as sons and daughters.” What joy!

APPLICATION

What will you do with your adoption? Some children who are adopted truly flourish in their new homes. They take full advantage of every part of being in a new family. Others don’t and hang on to the past hurts and rejections from their birth families. We are the same spiritually. Some of us grow and mature as believers. Others hang on to the past and refuse to let go.

The Greek word for adoption is huiothesia, which comes from huios (son) and tithemi (to place) – to place as son. It is interesting to me that the word huios is used since that is the word used to describe Jesus every time in Scripture. We have the same sonship in the family. God has placed us as sons (and daugters) into His heavenly kingdom with all the benefits He can offer.

We have a choice to make. Will we take advantage of all those benefits, all those gifts of the Spirit or will we cling to our past and stay chained to our sins? Let me close with this passage from Ephesians 1:3-5. Then you can make your decision how you will live as adopted sons (and daughters) of the King.

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,” 

Thank You, Lord, for adopting me as Your child into Your kingdom. I want to enjoy my new family to the fullest.

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Battles, Bible, Conflict, Correction, End Times, Family, Fighting, God's Will, Home, Love, Relationships, Scripture

FATHERS AND CHILDREN

MALACHI 4:6

“‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.’”

One of the things we teach in the ministry I am serving with, Every Man A Warrior, is father-son and father-daughter time. Most men don’t spend time with their children, thus the breakdown of relationships. When fathers do spend time with their children, they need to do a few things. They need to make it safe, ask questions, make it about them, pray with them, shut up and listen and finally, speak building blocks of truth in their lives.

Isn’t it amazing that Malachi talks about father and children in his very last sentence? He is still speaking about Elijah (whom we mentioned in yesterday’s blog). We are not told how he will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children or the children’s hearts back to their fathers, but he does. Why? So the Lord “will not come and strike the land.” Let’s look closer at what this means.

APPLICATION

When family units breakdown, society crumbles. I am not just talking about the single households. I am talking about the extended families – Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Parents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins. The biggest breakdown today is faith, or should I say lack of faith. When one person in the family is walking with the Lord and others are not, it can cause extreme division.

Lest we be surprised, our Lord talked about this in Matthew 10:21-22. “‘21 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Another passage is in Luke 5. Verses 51-53 are Jesus’ words again. “‘51 Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

Now, before you decide to throw in the towel, look back at today’s verse. The Lord says through Elijah He will draw families back together in faith. I believe that. I know faith unites. May we all pray that for all of our families. May we be united in the love of Jesus and rejoice in what He has given us.

Father, thank You for this final promise in Malachi. Praise You for families and what they mean to You and eachother.

P.S. For my frequent followers, I will be taking a short break after today’s blog. I will pick back up on January 1. Pray that the Lord shows me where to go to next in our daily study. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Bible, Divorce, Emotions, Fighting, God's Will, Home, Love, Relationships, Scripture

I HATE DIVORCE

MALACHI 2:16

“‘For I hate divorce,’ says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘and him who covers his garment with violence,’ says the LORD of armies. ‘So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.’”

Through my 40+ years of ministry, I have dealt with a lot of divorced couples. Some I knew quite well, others I did not. But the pain and suffering visible in these couples was terrible. Sometimes the suffering was self-inflicted. And other times it was pretty one-sided. I am no counselor, nor do I pretend to be, but I am sure of one thing – Jesus can heal broken relationships.

The topic of divorce and marriage continues in today’s verse. This was obviously a major issue in the lives of these priests whom Malachi is still addressing. The Hebrew word for “divorce” is shalach, which means to send away or to push out. That’s very descriptive because many times that is exactly what happened to these wives. They were physically put out of their homes. And the word for “violence,” which was commonly used for injury to a wife, is hamas. Isn’t that interesting?

APPLICATION

How should we as believers deal with this subject of divorce? How should it be addressed? May I suggest two books for you to read? They are not exactly easy reads, but they are in-depth looks at this topic from God’s Word. The author is the late Spiros Zodhiates, who was a Greek scholar known for his writings. The two books are entitled “What About Divorce?” and “May I Divorce and Remarry?” Both are available on Amazon.

I only suggest those books because there are so few books that look at this subject biblically. Most simply throw divorcees on the heap pile and move on. Dr. Z looks at Matthew 5:27-32; 19:3-12; Luke 16:18 and Romans 7:1-3 in the first book at 1 Corinthians 7 in the second. If you desire a thorough study of divorce according to God’s Word, take a look at these two books.

Okay, enough book selling, lol. It is my heart that you get rid of the world’s view of divorce and rely on God’s Word to guide you as you deal with this difficult subject. Whether you are going through a divorce, have gone through one or know someone who is going through a divorce, take the time to read God’s Word on this. That is the only truth you can rely on.

O Lord, it is so easy to get pulled into the world’s view on issues that face us daily. Help me to keep my eyes on You.

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Admonished, Apologies, Battles, Bible, Confession, Family, Forgiveness, God's Will, Hurts, Love, Power, Reconciled, Restoration, Scripture

SIN IN THE FAMILY

MALACHI 2:10

“Do we not all have one Father? Is it not one God who has created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?”

Family dynamics are hard. Some families seem to have no troubles at all from the outside. But if you were able to peer into the real family, you would see hurt feelings and squabbles. Why? Why do families, who share the same blood, fight and not get along. It’s simple – it’s called sin. Period! Exclamation mark!

Look at today’s verse. Malachi points out the failure of the people. When he says, “Do we not all have one Father,” he may be thinking about the Shema Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” They were in the same family – God’s family. God had called them His people. But they were sinning against each other which was in effect sinning against God.

APPLICATION

Isaiah 6:5 says, “Then I said, ‘Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of armies.’” That is why we sin against each other. Isaiah saw it. We are all sinful creatures. In our case, as believers, we have the solution to all this sin – Jesus. He has covered our sins. He has given us the power to stop blaming our sins on someone else.

I believe Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:26 applies here. “And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.” Just as we all cheer for our family member who gets that award or makes the game-winning score, we also all suffer when one family member is fighting with another. This kind of in-fighting can kill a family.

There is only one solution to this – return to the foot of the cross. Forgive one another. Reconcile the family. When we “deal treacherously” with each other, whether it was intentional or accidental, the wounds are real and must be dealt with. Come together to Jesus. He can heal all wounds because He was wounded for us.

Father, forgive our in-fighting as family. Help us show love and compassion to each other daily.

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Belief, Bible, Covenant, Fear, Love, Reverence, Scripture

WHAT FEAR

MALACHI 2:5

“‘My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name.’”

There have only been a few times in my life when I was truly fearful. One of those times was on a very wet, muddy road up a mountain in Kenya. Another time was when I faced my first stem cell transplant. During both of those times I did not doubt the Lord or His presence, but for a fleeting second or two I began to rely on my own strength and not His.

The Lord reminds the priests that His covenant with Levi (specifically Aaron) was “one of life and peace.” It was everlasting. Then the Lord uses three different words that could be translated as “fear.” “Reverence” is mora which refers to a deed that should be feared. “Revered” is yare which means to be afraid, to hold in awe. And finally, “awe” is chathath, which gives us the picture of being prostrate on the ground. Do you think the Lord meant to say something about fear here?

APPLICATION

Fear still applies to us as believers, but not in a scary kind of way. No, our fear of the Lord rests in the love of Christ. Listen to these words in Isaiah 8:13. “Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself, and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.” Proverbs 13:13 says, “He who feareth the Lord will be rewarded.” And I love Ecclesiasticus 1:11. “The fear of the Lord is honor and glory and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.”

What is your fear based in? Do you fear life and all the uncertainties it brings, or do you fear the Lord and trust His protection and guidance? When we have that spiritually healthy fear of the Lord, we are able to rest in His goodness. If things are not going the way we want them to, we can still reverence Him and fear His name.

God does not want us to be scared of Him. That is not the kind of fear He is talking about. But He does want us to have a high regard for Him and His commands. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to believe He will do what He says. Do you fear Him that way? Try it this week. As you pray, tell Him how much you honor and trust Him. Then let your reverence build.

Father, I fear Your name and hold You in the highest reverence and praise.

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Allegiance, Bible, Blessing, Commands, Fatherhood, God's Will, Honor, Love, Scripture

HONOR THY FATHER

MALACHI 1:6

“‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the LORD of armies to you, the priests who despise My name! But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’”

I had a great dad. My dad was not a perfect father, but I never doubted for a second that he loved me and would have done anything in the world for me. I showed my dad honor by visiting him, by listening to him, by listening to his advice. In fact, as I got older, I would often run something by him just to give him the opportunity to give me advice, whether I needed it or not.

In verse 6 today, the LORD is beginning a chastisement of the leaders of Israel, the priests. We will see in the following verses in the days to come how they were dishonoring the LORD. But in today’s verse He just reminds them of their obligation to honor Him, just as they would honor their earthly father. The word “honor” is a Hebrew word that means numerous, rich, honorable, to make weighty. Interesting definition, huh?

APPLICATION

I am instantly reminded of the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12) which says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the LORD your God gives you.” Do I need to remind you that this is a commandment, not a suggestion. And this commandment is the ONLY commandment that comes with a promise, a promise to prolong your days. That’s a pretty good reason to honor your parents, isn’t it?

How do you show honor to your father? So many families are fractured today because of dishonor. So many fathers are wounded because of it also. Did you realize when you dishonor your father you grieve his heart? When we dishonor God through our sins, it grieves His heart. Our earthly father relationship is supposed to mirror our relationship with the Father.

You may be estranged from your earthly father right now. You may even feel justified to do that. Biblically speaking, unless your father has abused you in some way, you are still commanded to show him honor. Listen to the Lord. Ask Him how you are supposed to honor your father. That will also honor Him.

I show You honor, my Lord, by honoring my father here on earth. Now, that he is with You, I show him honor by thanking You for him.

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Belief, Bible, Exalting, Joy, Love, Praise, Scripture, Worship

THE LORD BE EXALTED

MALACHI 1:5

“And your eyes will see this, and you will say, ‘The LORD be exalted beyond the border of Israel!’”

The Lord never ceases to amaze me. He has done such incredible things in my life these past almost 63 years (hint, hint! I’ve got a birthday this month). I shouldn’t be amazed. I know His character, but it seems every time the Lord “shows out” in my life, I stand amazed.

Judah is being addressed here by Malachi. In today’s verse, he tells them to stand back and look at what the Lord has done for them. And goes on to say that they should be praising and celebrating Jehovah God “beyond the border of Israel.” Guess what? That is being done. The Lord is being praised all over the world.

APPLICATION

How are you exalting the Lord today? I don’t know, Carl. I save all my exalting for Sunday at church. No, no, no! We are to exalt and praise the Lord every day. Psalm 104:1 says, “Bless the LORD, my soul! LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty,” How about Psalm 33:2? “Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.”

Nowhere in those two verses do you see any mention of only praising the Lord on Sundays. Every morning in my Quiet Time, I have a time of Worship as part of my prayers. I praise Him in words, in song and in silence. When we lift praises to the King of kings, He is pleased. Don’t you want to please Him?

Read Psalm 100 today. Meditate on each phrase. Take the time to dig in a little deeper. Then you can praise Him. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He often does that as we are lifting Him in praise. I am reminded of the hymn that says:

Praise Him! Praise Him, Jesus, my blessed Redeemer. For our sins He suffered and bled and died

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Access, Battles, Bible, Deliverance, Evil, Fear, God's Will, Hate, Love, Scripture

JACKALS EVERYWHERE

MALACHI 1:3

“‘but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness.’”

I was leaving my home the other night, when out of nowhere this coyote ran across the street. Mind you, I don’t live out in the rural area of town. I live in a very urban area, surrounded by interstates and houses. Where did this little bugger come from? Better yet, where did he go?

In verse 3 of chapter 1 of Malachi, the Lord is pronouncing a judgment on Esau. Remember him, the twin brother of Jacob? The word “hate” is a strong word which we take in a very negative way. The fact is God had chosen Jacob in the womb to be the father of Israel. Esau could have done nothing to change that. His region and people would be destroyed five years after the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem.

APPLICATION

We make choices in life. Esau chose to go in another way. But after the story of him reconciling with Jacob, there isn’t much mentioned of him. It’s almost as if he just wandered into the wilderness where those jackals lived. The Hebrew word for “jackal” comes from the Hebrew tan, which means hideous monster or land creature. Are you living among the monsters? You don’t have to.

1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” The Lord wants to bring you in from the wilderness. There is no reason to fear. There is no reason to live among the jackals. He has made you a home, a safe home, a refuge.

I love Psalm 18. Verse 2 says, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” So, come in from the wilderness of sin and strife. Put your full trust in Jesus, Who came to give you peace.

Father, You are my rescuer. You have delivered me from the wilderness and the jackals.

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Bible, Chosen, Covenant, Emotions, God's Will, Heart, Love, Relationships, Scripture

I LOVE YOU

MALACHI 1:2

“‘I have loved you,’” says the LORD. ‘But you say, “How have You loved us?” Was Esau not Jacob’s brother?’ declares the LORD. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob;’” 

I honestly don’t remember the first time I told my wife, “I love you.” Before you start sending me emails (lol), it was a quick courtship. She knew she was going to marry me after our first date. I knew after the second, and I asked her to marry me on the third. God told us both to commit to each other. Our love blossomed quickly. I tell her daily that I love her because she needs to hear it and I need to say it.

I just love how the Lord starts his message to Israel by saying, “I have loved you.” In the Hebrew that is only two words, but two finer words could not have been written. The Hebrew word for “love” used here is the same word used in Deuteronomy 6:5. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Just as He loves, we are to love.

APPLICATION

1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love, because He first loved us.” Of course, we love Him. Look what He has done for us. He created us in His image. He gave us the Law to point us toward loving Him and loving others. He sent His only Son to die for us to show His love. What else do people need to see in order to see His love.

You have probably heard people say, “How could a loving God send anyone to hell?” The bottom line is – God does not do that. He is loving them and offering them a way of escape. Only their unrepentant hearts lead them to hell. God is love, we are told in 1 John 4:16. “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

Do you know His love today? I pray you do. If you have not experienced the depths of His love, come to Him. Perhaps there is someone in your life who needs His love. Show them His love by the way you love them. God still uses people to perform His works. Love well.

God, You are love, and I want to dwell in it.

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