Jesus Paid the Price

Copyright © 2013 Gene Burroughs.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-0219-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0220-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0218-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013912828

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/2/2013

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

To Be Joyful In Who We Are Is To Be Grateful To God For Whom He Made Us To Be.

He Will Return Soon For He Said He Would; Do You See The Signs?

Hope Is Most Alive When We Understand The Need To Have That Hope In Christ.

With Him All Things Are Possible; Without Him Failure Is Imminent.

Great Joy Is Behind The Door, And True Humility Holds The Key.

The Tree Bearing Praise Of Man Has Shallow Roots.

Anyone Can Judge Others, But To Love One Must Purpose To Obey.

To Live For Him Takes A Plan And A Purpose To Do So; Any Fool Can Run Through Life.

Paralyzed By Sin Or Freed By The Blood Of Jesus—We Can Decide.

In Order To Grow We Must Learn To Let Go And Allow Others To Lead.

There’s Nothing I Will Face That He Has Not Conquered.

The Sweet Taste Of Mercy Can Be Drowned By The Bitterness Of The Law.

The Condition Of The Soil Will Shine Bright In All We Do.

Consider The Influence Before You Promise.

Political Correctness And Hypocrisy Are Dangerous Bedfellows.

Signs Always Lead To Something; The Question Is, ‘What Signs Do We Follow?’

His Power Will Always Overwhelm Our Flesh.

Some People Think They Are Smarter Than God; However, They Are Too Ignorant To Know It.

The Fall Begins When We Neglect The Word.

Trusting God Can Never Be Considered Failure; Failing To Always Is.

Opulence And Excellence Should Never Be Confused Nor Should Taking And Giving.

Blessings Are Not Disguised; We Just Often Overlook Them.

If I Must Look Down To See You, Then I Have Placed Myself Above You.

Heavenly Plans Are Not Based On Earthly Conditions For They Are All The Will Of God.

Go Ahead And Give The Foolish Your Oil If You Like; I’ll Keep Mine, Thank You.

Evil Has No Rules; Therefore, Against Evil Neither Do I.

If You Don’t Want Others To See It, Don’t Waste Time Trying To Hide It.

Trusting God With My Loved Ones Leads To Hope, While Not Trusting Leads To Frustration.

Epilogue—Jesus Paid The Price

About The Author

I dedicate this book to four people who have always prayed for me, believed in me, and taught me often by example about Jesus.

To my Mom Barbara Burroughs Gaboury and the memory of my now-deceased Grandparents, Leo and Audrey Bruner and Vesta Burroughs. You all have faced adversity with faith, anger with love, anxiety with patience, and trials with perseverance.

You are my heroes and my greatest champions, and I love and honor you!

Foreword

Gene Burroughs is a great nonfiction storyteller weaving fascinating life experiences into the explanation of God’s Word; making the meaning and inferences easier to understand.

Gene is a friend and mentor, evangelist and pastor, husband and father, and a grandfather passionate for all things of God. Seeing God glorified and lifted up more than anything else on this earth is his passion. He lives with his wife and family in Navarre, Florida, with life revolving around serving our God, his family, our families, and the widows and orphans, not to mention the extended family members in his home and those who have been in the past. Gene’s life experiences as a man of God has led him many places; giving him great insight to our earthly endeavors and much more in the spiritual realm.

Jesus Paid The Price is an appropriate title. Wow! Amazing grace. This journey has been a long time in the making, and after countless readings the message is finally starting to sink in. But it did scare me some when I first read it. Ouch! I’m in trouble was my first thought. I’m not really sure why. It’s like the newest addition to our family, Winston: a Bengal cat; truly an in-your-face cat, but one of patience, love, and waiting, until … Is this not what Jesus does for us and more? God is good; He loves me, even though I am so small. I am guilty; I have skirted around talking about Jesus, but this so much shows me He is a forgiving God and He loves me.

Thank you for the opportunity to go on this incredible journey with you, as I have often wondered why you would trust me enough with something so precious.

Yours in Christ,

With your inspiration and guidance, your friend and editor,

Patricia Cole

PS FROM GENE:

My dear friend, you bless me! I wonder why God has blessed me with people like you who give so much of themselves so freely. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement through the entire process. This truly would not have happened without your help, inspiration, and gentle prodding.

If I may, I would also like to take a moment to address gender-specific language. For my younger readers, I pray you can be flexible with gender specification. The terminologies cited are God’s words: His Words in the Bible. When man or mankind is referenced, please know that it encompasses all humanity. He is used as opposed to he/she, him/her, and so on. No offense is intended, as more can be a clutter bug. Also, when the common man is referenced, know that it relates to the average person or ordinary citizen. The purpose of this devotional, and my prayer, is that you will walk away with a greater understanding and the ability to embrace the truth of Jesus Christ, the God of all creation, the One who calls Himself I Am.

Father, may You be the center of our existence. May You, Lord, be our all in all, what we live for and who we serve, for in such living lie the greatest of all rewards. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Acknowledgements

I first of all thank My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for allowing me to be a small part in His service and for sending to me the Holy Spirit who has led me to write. My wife, Deborah Officer Burroughs, has been my biggest cheerleader, my best friend, my partner, and more than I can describe. Your patience with me is amazing, your love for me unconditional, and I can never thank you enough. I want to thank our dear friend Patricia Cole who has taken an idea, some chicken scratch, years of study, and more, and compiled it into the very book you read today. She has been an amazing inspiration, friend, coach, and editor. Thank you Pat, and thank you Robert for allowing your wife to spend so much time and your patience through this adventure!

All Scripture has been quoted from the New King James Version of the Bible. We thank Merriam-Webster Online and the creators of great Bible study tools such as Strong’s Concordance, Logos Bible Software, and Libronix Bible Software for placing years of study at our fingertips!

Introduction

It has never been a mystery to me why I wrote Jesus Paid The Price for, you see, I take no credit for the words you are about to read. I do not see myself as an author, but I see myself more as a scribe: one who puts down on paper the words of another. I truly pray that every word, every phrase, every prayer you read has been inspired by the Holy Spirit. If not, then I gladly take all of the blame, and if so, I gladly give our God the glory, for only He is worthy.

This book is meant to encourage believers, both new and old alike, and those who are pre-believers, to get to know who Jesus is. By knowing Him, His purpose, His sacrifice; by understanding how He has directed us to live, we will be better equipped to be a testimony to the world, better equipped to face the challenges that lie ahead, and maybe, if we try hard enough, we can actually fall in love with our Savior!

My personal recommendation and desire is that you will use this book in addition to your daily devotion. Perhaps after reading a page, you will then pray and ask the Lord how it applies to you. Another possibility would be to use it in a study group: read a page, and, again, discuss how it applies to each of you and how you can grow from it.

The bottom line is this—it is not fiction. It is not a novel. No, this is a book dedicated to making disciples of those who choose to follow Jesus Christ. I pray you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

The Lord is good: blessed be the name of the Lord!

Join us on the Web at: www.JesusPaidThePrice.net

or on Facebook at: Gene Burroughs

TO BE JOYFUL IN WHO WE ARE IS TO BE GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR WHOM HE MADE US TO BE.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez, and Zarah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations (Matt. 1:1–17).

Reading this passage, I am struck with the significance of why the Lord has led me to write about Jesus from the book of Matthew as opposed to one of the other gospels. The primary purpose of this study guide is for each and every reader to come to a greater understanding of his or her Savior, Jesus Christ. Matthew makes it clear in his first sentence this is truly about one person, Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the Son of God, is the best example any believer could ever follow. He was God, yet man; tempted as we are and flesh as we are, yet victorious as we can be because of and through Him. When we look at the genealogy of Jesus, we may wonder why it really matters from whom He was descended, but to the fulfillment of prophesy and viability of who He is, it means everything. If Jesus had not descended from the line of David and back to Abraham, it would be impossible for anyone to believe and verify He was the Messiah. All through the Old Testament there are prophetic utterances stating that the Messiah must come from the line of David (Isaiah 9:1–7, 11–15 and 2 Samuel 7:12–13 are just two examples) and David from the line of Abraham; both fulfillments of promises made by God to each of these men. Had Jesus not been traced back through this genealogical line, it would have been reason enough not to believe He was who He said He was; after all, God cannot lie. Since this is true, we begin with the factual and provable understanding that Jesus meets the genealogical qualifications to be the Son of God, the Messiah.

Growing up, I was often mistaken for a person of Hispanic descent. I had the dark skin, the short build, and I could even fake a pretty good accent. No matter what people thought or how I pretended to be of one race, the truth, however, is because of my heritage, I am more American Indian than any other race. In fact, I have no known Hispanic heritage. Therefore, I can never be Hispanic, Asian, English, Inuit, or anything other than what I am no matter how hard I may try. Jesus was of the house of David. That fact is now history, and no one can change it no matter how hard he may try!

Father, I pray each one of us would be able to accept our heritage and be proud of who we are. After all, You did choose our race, and You cannot make mistakes. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

It is better to be unknown than to be known for unfruitful works.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name

JESUS

, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:18–21).

Joseph and Mary, at the time being spoken of, are in the one-year betrothal period prior to living together and consummating their marriage. Mary is living at home with her parents, and Joseph, more than likely, is preparing their future home. Upon hearing of Mary’s pregnancy, the natural and lawful course of action would be for Joseph to publicly announce Mary’s unfaithfulness and more than likely leading to her death by stoning according to Mosaic law. Yet on his own, prior to the angelic visitation, Joseph displays his true character by purposing to keep Mary’s condition silent, an action that displays Joseph’s deep love and affection for Mary. It is possible Joseph was considering a quiet divorce from Mary; however, this was, of course, not to be so as an angel appeared to explain the need for this union to take place.

Ever since the writing of this story, there have been countless efforts to extol the virtues and qualities of Mary. She was obviously a very special woman to be chosen by God to bear His child, but what about Joseph? Here is a man who, by all worldly accounts, has been shamed by his bride. Mary, by similar worldly accounts, has been unfaithful or at the very least surrendered herself to Joseph, both culturally shameful acts on her part. Yet he remains by her side. The fact is Joseph, by his actions, has shown himself to be a godly, faithful, and compassionate man—one determined by God to be worthy of rearing and providing for His Son. Little is said of Joseph in the Bible, and over the years, many have speculated about the character of this man. However, by his actions, he has shown himself to be a man of God, a man willing to be publicly humiliated for the sake of mankind.

I would suggest Joseph is a man many of us would do well to emulate, and I look forward to the day when I can shake his hand or whatever it is we will do in heaven. To be a person of few words, faithful, humble, and unassuming is an admirable goal for each and every one of us. I don’t know about you, but as for me, I could stand to be a little more like this man.

Father, I do ask that You would help me to be short on words, long on thought, and capable of trusting You in all things. I ask for these attributes in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Old and mundane or fresh and new, either one will get us there but only one has clean ears.

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, God with us (Matt. 1:22–23).

In Isaiah 7:14, the people are told God will give them a sign in order that they may know the one born would be the Son of God. This child would be born of a virgin, and His name shall be Immanuel. Now, here’s the thing, there are no documented or recorded occurrences other than that of Mary where a virgin has given birth to a child named Immanuel. This very fact alone should be enough to cause some to wonder, Could it be this Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah? Most did not wonder nor did they care. They went about their daily duties completely missing out on the greatest blessing ever presented to mankind.

Every day, each and every one of us is faced with incredible and often unseen opportunities to experience the blessings and glory of our God, yet more often than not, we are too busy or too preoccupied to even know it. We go about our daily routine caught in the rut of existence, never looking up to see what is going on around us. In recent days, there have been a number of people I am fellowshipping with who have purposed to seek the Lord ever more diligently in their daily existence. Rather than doing things the way they always have, they are instead asking the Lord what He would have them do, and wow is it having an impact! One brother wanted a magnolia tree for his yard, but rather than just make the purchase, he asked the Lord what He would have him do. That night, the neighbor gave him a magnolia tree with no prompting or knowledge of the desire. Another sister, at the prompting and with the assistance of her younger siblings, took a Bible and the leftovers usually left in the fridge to die a slow death and went in search of someone who had need. That evening, they were able to bless a woman who had been asking the Lord for a Bible. All they did was stop as they drove by because they felt prompted to do so by the Lord. Later, they were able to bless a street couple with a home-cooked meal, and yes, you guessed it, that was exactly what they were in need of. Another brother washed a young man’s windshield simply because the Lord led him to, and in the process, he shared the love of God by his actions as well as by his later words of encouragement.

You see, sometimes we just need to ask the Lord what He would have us do rather than assuming we need to do things the way we always have. You never know, He may just have something He wants to say—like there’s a Messiah coming. Anyone care?

Father, may we always be ready to hear Your voice. May we wait upon You and obey Your promptings. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

When what God asks begins to make human sense, God can become mighty small.

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took him to his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS (Matt. 1:24–25).

Oh, how many times have I been told by the Lord to do some particular thing in a particular way and not been 100 percent obedient? Far too many, I have no doubt. I tell many stories of miraculous events that have happened in my life simply because I obeyed a command that often made little sense. You see, when we, in our humanness, do something that makes absolutely no sense but sensible things happen as a result, we are greatly moved.

One time, the Lord told me to cross a street and walk up a particular sidewalk. Not knowing why or questioning, I did as He commanded. As I approached the sidewalk, a man began yelling at me and hit me full force with his fist. I felt nothing! As I stood there in utter shock, the man cried out, What are you, some sort of preacher? I answered, still in shock, and might I add, no pain, Why, yes sir, I am. The man immediately went to his knees and professed Jesus as Lord as he confessed to every imaginable sin. Now I ask you, did it make sense for me to cross the street, be struck and feel absolutely nothing? Of course not, while my macho side would like to have said it was because of my superior strength and stamina. However, the reality is God did a miraculous work. I was simply the puppet. The question remains, however, How many times have we missed out on such miraculous events either out of disobedience, fear, guilt, shame, or some other completely unjustifiable excuse?

I believe Joseph’s obedience was key to why God chose him. He knew Joseph would obey, even when it didn’t make sense. I would like to ask you today to believe Jesus can use you. If you have been saved one hour or a hundred years, He can, and will, use you for His glory. He is looking for willing servants—those who care not what man thinks; those who are adventurous enough to do things others say should not or could not be done. Why, you ask? Because, if man can accomplish something, then man is able to explain it away, but when God moves, you never know what is going to happen, and isn’t that miraculous?

Lord, may we always be more willing to obey and answer than we are to hide and wonder. May we no longer make excuses but rather make memories of the miraculous things You have done. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

HE WILL RETURN SOON FOR HE SAID HE WOULD; DO YOU SEE THE SIGNS?

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him (Matt. 2:1–2).

This passage has been made famous by the nativity scenes, plays, and stories that have been told all over the world regarding Christ’s birth and traditionally celebrated as Christmas. Now would be a good time for me to make it clear that it is not my desire to crush anyone’s perception or understanding of the birth of Christ; however, I may, unfortunately, be the first to tell you our traditions have truly inaccurately depicted these events. The truth is the wise men, or Magi, which means in loose terms astrologers, arrived when Jesus was about two years old, and He had long since moved out of the manger. It is also more likely than not what the Magi had seen was not a star that continued to remain in the sky but rather a comet or some other terrestrial event that was a sign, which they had long since been waiting for, possibly even generations.

You see, for generations before the birth of the Messiah had been foretold, we see prophecy upon prophecy (Zechariah 9:9, for example) that foretells these events. Wouldn’t it make sense, if the Lord were providing signs through men, He would also have foretold this to the Magi; after all, where would God have His chalkboard? The Magi came because of what had been foretold. They came to worship the King, and can you imagine how surprised they were when they realized no one else had recognized the fulfillment of prophecy? I would imagine they expected to see great fanfare and celebration. After all, the deliverer had come. People should be rejoicing and excited about their future, but no, they were not; they were rather continuing on as if nothing had changed. How could they be excited about a King born in a manger, running around in diapers, living in a common home with common parents? But, you see, they didn’t know the truth. They had not heard the prophecies or read the scrolls. They only knew what they were told, and far too many had no desire to seek out the truth.

Much like the story we have all been told and the pictures seared in our mind from what we have seen and believed regarding the wise men, we simply accept things for what they appear to be. After all, why would anyone lie? Now, mind you, I do not want to make a big deal about the story of the wise men; however, I do challenge each and every reader of this passage and these writings: Are you looking at the signs? Are you seeing the fulfillment of prophecy? Are you preparing the way for your King in your heart and in your mind? Or, will you, like many of the people of Jesus’ time, be caught not knowing, not recognizing, and not participating in the joyous celebration of His return?

Father, I pray we would not miss the signs of the fulfillment of prophecy. May we be found ready and waiting at the return of our Savior Jesus Christ, Your Son. It is in His name we pray these things. Amen.

The pit of power lies at the dead end of a bumpy road.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah, For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel’ (Matt. 2:3–6).

Herod’s troubling would best be described here as one who is undone or terrified, losing sleep from anxiety. Herod was a man filled with fear. Why so, you ask? Herod was a king who had been appointed by the Romans. He was not of the line of David, and, therefore, he knew he was sitting on a throne that was not rightfully his. Yet the power and the perks of being king were of far more value to Herod than human life; hence, his command to kill the children.

The allure of power and perks is a pit one, dare I say, far too many men and women have fallen into over all of time, and the results to our society and others around the world have been unbelievably devastating. Let’s take a look at a few, beginning with the first. The Bible tells us satan was the most beautiful of angels, yet his desire for power caused the first great fall, which has consequently led to all others. Next, we have the fall of Adam and Eve and their desire to have the knowledge of good and evil, or power, which led them to disobey and fall. We could go on and on: we know the history. Yet we tend to overlook the modern-day victims of the pit of power as I call it—our children, our marriages, our joy, our futures, our eternal lives. The lust for power has ruined far too many.

When I was in the corporate world, a man of great power, I learned to despise it. You see, I saw what it made me do and how it made me think. I recognized the influence of the power, and I despised it with all that is within me. I made far too many decisions based upon the power rather than upon the Word or will of God. For me, the best thing to do was walk away, and so I did. Some can handle the power. Many have been lulled into believing they can or are, while, in reality, they have no control at all. Let me ask you these questions, if I may. Are your decisions based upon the outcome you desire for your business or your ministry and what is best for the people God has placed to serve with you? Or, are your decisions and actions driven by profit, pride, or numbers? (By the way, the statement being a good steward is overused and overrated.) If your honest answer is the second statement, I daresay you have missed the mark, and let me encourage you to get things back in order. God’s order is always His people first, including you. Please don’t let it get overturned. Isn’t doing His will His way a better path than the pit that waits for the unwary on the road to power?

Father, I pray for all of us to keep watch and pray, that we might avoid the pit of power, that we might always remember You are about Your people, as we should be. In Jesus’ name I ask these things. Amen.

God’s will is to help us, not harm us, and all things work toward His will.

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way (Matt. 2:7–12).

In this section of Scripture, we see a well-defined picture of God’s ability and desire to have His will and His will alone be done for His people. I strongly believe, while this portion of the Word is referring to the protection of Jesus, our God will and has done the same for each and every one of us—His children, as well. Here, you have the enemy (Herod) plotting to stop the will of God by killing his rival, the rightful heir to the throne. The enemy has formed a plan to locate this threat in the form of a child. He even uses the unsuspecting and innocent through manipulation to assist him by lying and deceiving them. Then, he waits and watches while his best laid plans are carried out; all the while thinking he has been successful. However, on the other side, we have the Lord of Hosts who has His own plan and is well aware of His enemy’s trickery and lies; hence, He uses it for His good. God in His infinite wisdom leads the wise men to Jesus, has them bless His family with great gifts and earthly provision, and makes them aware of the trickery of Herod.

First of all, the Scriptures must be fulfilled speaking of this event so God saw that they were; all the while not forgetting about the earthly and physical needs of this family. The Lord knew soon they would need to leave their land. He knew in a foreign land Joseph, as a stranger, could have trouble providing for his family. Trips are and even then were expensive. This was not a wealthy family. There were deposits and rents to be paid, food to be purchased, and so on; again, all things the Lord cared about. Hence, He brought forth wise men bearing valuable gifts: ones that could be used, if needed, to more than provide for this family while in exile. All of these things this family was not yet aware of. All they knew was some wise men dropped by and gave them gifts, hoping to see and welcome the Messiah.

The point here for us is the need to realize God is in control. He by His will does not allow the scheming of the enemy to affect His plans for His people. And, if you’re worried about trusting Him or believing that He has great things in store for you, just look at His Word. There is never a case (even Job) where the end result for those who were faithfully following Him was not in the very best of their interest. God always has been and always will be faithful. Even when it seems like the enemy has robbed us of every blessing, we must remember this very fact: He, our Lord, will have the last word, and His will will be done in all our lives!

Father, I pray that we would have the faith to believe, the strength to stand, and the ears to hear when faced with life’s trials. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

The war rages on whether we choose to believe it or not.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I called my Son (Matt. 2:13–15).

Can you imagine you’re sitting in your home, nestled in your chair reading a good book, when all of a sudden there is a bright light, and this glowing dude in white is standing in your living room! Then, as if that were not enough, He tells you to pack up your family and head off to a foreign land until the king dies because it’s no longer safe for you and your family in your home.

This family has had a rather rough start. They travel a long distance to meet the census requirement, then the baby comes, and there’s nowhere but a stable for Him to be born in. Then, just about the time they get settled, this guy shows up and tells them to run for their life! If this all happens to the King of Kings in just His first two or so years of life, what are we complaining about? Anyone who has ever said being a Christian is easy either has not been one for long or is living in total denial. This life is hard, and that is the truth! It was hard for Jesus and it will be hard for us, and the sooner we get a grip on it and stop complaining, the sooner we can get on with winning some of these battles.

The fact is, the day we became a believer our lives were turned upside down. At confession, we opened a floodgate of turmoil that directly causes conflict with every being of our soul. To proclaim the truth means to expose the untruth or lies—and they do not desire to be exposed. The spiritual battle begins at that point and increases with every truth we proclaim, as it should. Is it easy? of course not. Is it right? absolutely. Is it worth it? yes, eternally so. All these things being said, how are we to survive? Let’s go back to the passage at hand. The angel directed them when and where to go, and then he told them at what point to return: At the death of the king. You will notice he didn’t say how long that would be nor did God kill the king. For whatever reason, God wanted them to be in Egypt until He wanted them out of Egypt (very similar, by the way, to the Jews in earlier history).

The point truly is this: things are tough all over, and when God is ready, He will deliver us to safety, peace, and security. Until then, we obey and wait, for by doing so, we remain under His covering and surrounded by His blessings, whatever they may look like.

Father, as You know, we are an impatient people. Waiting is not our greatest of virtues nor more than being satisfied with where we are is. Therefore, please be patient with us, speak clearly to us, and be gracious as we fail. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!

Satan lays the traps, God provides the escape—whom do you blame?

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachael weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more (Matt. 2:16–18).

Someone who does not have a clear perspective or understanding of God could easily read this passage and get mad at God for allowing the killing of these children. After all, would a God of love allow someone to kill so many in order to protect His own Son? To the world, this makes absolutely no sense. Truthfully, to most believers, it makes no sense either, no more than to any others who have had loved ones murdered or suffered a wrongful death. However, in order to completely understand these things, we must adopt a heavenly perspective. We must not look at tomorrow as a goal to achieve. We must be thinking more eternally. We must purpose to live each day, each moment as just another day in eternity; after all, none of us will die: we will simply change locations. Once we accept Christ and are born again, or if we are under the age of accountability, our lives are eternally with Him. Therefore, if one passes from this life, our hope and belief is in the fact that we will see him or her again, and in the grand scheme of time, we will see them very soon. If we live for an eternity and the average lifespan is seventy-six or so years, where do those years fit in the line of time? Are they a dot, a speck, or even a microbe in time? The enemy loves to distort our thoughts and cause us to be angry with God by placing so much emphasis upon our earthly time; after all, that was his intent with Adam and Eve. The only way satan can turn people from the Lord is to get or keep them in an earthly mindset regarding time and eternity.

When my wife of thirty-one years was diagnosed with terminal cancer and went to be with the Lord, my biggest fear was my children would be mad at God. I am happy to say, since their mother’s passing, this has not been the case except on short occasions (something we should all expect). However, maintaining an eternal mindset has helped keep them focused on the big picture: the reality of the frailty of life on earth. Praise God they understand His sovereignty and are willing to accept the path He has chosen for them and their loved ones. Others may say, If this is all there is, why not live it up? After all, you only have one life.

While I believe we have three phases to our lives—our pre-Christ days, our earthly days in Christ, and our resurrected life—all are different, yet all connected, and all eternal. I don’t want to sound calloused and hard toward those who hurt at the separation of a loved one for I too have suffered pain. The question, however, remains the same, Is He your sovereign God, and do you trust He is in control and knows what is best in all things? I pray you do or soon will be able to.

Father, I pray for those who have blamed You for the loss of loved ones. May we all learn to be daily grateful for the escape You have provided for all who choose to believe. Amen.

Faithfulness leads to a lonely road, yet those who are will be there with you and He.

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead. Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene (Matt. 2:19–23).

Our God is one of amazing detail. He leaves nothing to chance, and even though, at first reading, one might wonder if God had made a mistake when He told Joseph to go to the land of Israel. Further investigation, again, reveals the sovereignty of our God. Jesus was never meant to be anything less than one of lowly reputation. The Lord never allowed nor wanted Jesus to appear in any way to come from royalty or a place of elevated status. His life begins with His birth in a manger, and now, as a child, He will live in a town where the inhabitants are despised and looked upon as compromisers who cater to the Romans. Remember Nathanael’s reaction in John 1:46 when speaking of Nazareth, he said these words: Can anything good come from there? The Lord knew what He was doing. He had a plan and, thankfully, Joseph was a faithful and obedient man who waited to hear from the Lord and then obeyed.

Faithfulness is truly not something we hear enough about today. Somehow, the idea of being faithful has been transformed into a sign of weakness rather than one of strength. When you hear someone describe another as self-made or successful, there seems to be a connotation of joy and pride that accompanies the statement. However, when you hear of one being described as faithful, it can often come across more like an excuse or more apathetic, something like: Well, he hasn’t accomplished much, but he sure is faithful.

Yes, while you often hear people being praised for being self-made or successful, you rarely hear praise being lavished upon those who are faithful to hear and obey God. However, as it is with most things in this life, the world truly does have this one backwards—the greater strength and honor truly does belong to the faithful. You see, talented and confident people can succeed in almost any situation they see opportunity, and they seize it. Their confidence and pride will not allow them to fail: they continue on until success (in their eyes) is achieved. Faithful people end up in towns like Nazareth or Sodom and Gomorrah. They tend to be unpopular or, at the least, hang out with those who are, and not many will stand beside them. They are misunderstood and sometimes, to a certain degree, they are even feared because few can relate to them. While many are more than willing to offer advice to them, that advice is rarely acceptable; after all, it comes from a heart of those seeking or admiring success. Truly faithful people of God are hard to find: an oddity worth seeking out, people worthy of admiration. If you are one, may you be blessed, and if you know one, bless them. You may find their faithfulness somewhat addicting. They do tend to be rather close to our creator.

Father, may we all be found to be faithful to You Oh, Lord. Teach us, Father, to hear Your voice and obey, especially when it