An Undivided Heart

Do you ever struggle with a divided heart? I do. I want to serve and love God but then slowly, sneakily, sin creeps in. It may be just little things that are easy to excuse. Respectable sins. Everyone does that. It’s no big deal. Does it really matter if I just eat whatever I want without exercising self-control? It’s my money right? It’s okay to buy whatever makes me happy! I’m tired, I just want to relax and watch a video, there’s nothing that bad about this one; a few little things? Well I can overlook that. And the list goes on and on. But the truth is. You can’t serve two masters. 

Jesus Himself says this very clearly in Matthew 6:24: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

And Joshua states: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

Who are you obeying? The lusts of your flesh? The world? Satan? In Romans 6:16 it says: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Everything you do, say, think about, eat, and spend your time on matters. Are we walking in obedience in every aspect of our lives or are we giving the devil a foothold? In Ephesians 4:27 Paul warns us by saying: Neither give place to the devil.

Are you feeling convicted? Jesus calls all those who feel burdened by sin and enslaved to Satan to come to Him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

And when we come to Him and put our faith in Him, He never turns us away.  Instead He makes us new. 

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

Romans 6:6

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Romans 6:18

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

But following Jesus means saying ‘No’ to sin, saying ‘No’ to the world, and saying ‘No’ to our own selfish lusts.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24

Following Jesus means we need to deny ourselves, and that’s hard sometimes. And the more we give in and compromise, the harder it gets. But remember, all the tantalizing pleasures this world and Satan have to offer lead to death.

For the wages of sin is death; Romans 6:23

Satan is a liar and a thief. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: John 10:10a Will we fall for his tricks? Will he be our Master? Will we pledge our allegiance to him?

Jesus came so that we might have life.  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (Jesus) John 10:10b

Come to Him. Believe in Him, Follow after Him and you will find rest for your souls. You will found hope and peace, joy and love, and an abundant life that you could never dream of.  You may experience hardships and struggles, impossibilities and trials, but He will guide you through it and nothing can ever separate you from His perfect, all encompassing, incredible love! (Romans 8:31-39)

So look to Him. Come to Him. Believe in Him. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6b

Yield yourselves to Him. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Romans 6:13

Submit to Him. Draw near to Him. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. James 4:7-8a

Ask Him to teach you and give you an undivided heart. Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalm 86:11

You will never regret it.

Look to Him

I haven’t written for a while. I wanted to but simply couldn’t, or wouldn't; I don't know. This morning when I was reading through my Bible study book I was suddenly very convicted. One of the things I read about was the sin of wasting time. When I read it, it felt like a slap on the face. I really had been wasting my time lately on useless things. I had also become very good at excusing my time wasting. But there was no excuse. And the truth is that time wasting is a sin and:

Sin steals joy (Psalm 51:12)

Sin removes confidence (1 John 3:19-21)

Sin brings guilt (Psalm 51:3)

Sin gives Satan the upper hand (2 Cor 2:9-11)

Sin quenches God’s Spirit (1 Thes 5:19)

Sin brings physical damage (Ps 38:1-11. 31:10)

Sin causes an ache in the soul (Ps 32:3-4)

Sin breaks God’s heart (Eph 4:30)

Sin opens the door to other sins (Isaiah 30:1)

Sin breaks fellowship with God (Isaiah 59:1-2)

Sin produces fear (Proverbs 28:1)

Sin makes me its slave (John 8:34, Romans 6:16)

Nancy L.DM

Things needed to change. Now.

So after lunch instead of turning to other sources of entertainment I turned on my audio Bible and felt compelled to start with the book of Revelations.  God knew exactly what I needed to hear.

Revelations 3:19

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Revelations 2:4-5

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Revelations 1:3

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Revelations 1:7

Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Getting up, I quickly went to my computer and found the verses God had directed me to weeks ago, but I never finished working on. The verses about how Jesus compares Himself to the brazen serpent in the wilderness.

John 3:14-15

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (Jesus)

Numbers 21:4-9

And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

“The people were saved not by doing anything, but by simply looking to the bronze serpent. They had to trust that something as seemingly foolish as looking at a serpent on a pole was enough to save them. Surely, some perished because they thought it too foolish to do that.” David Guzik

As it says in Isaiah 54:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

“We might be willing to do a hundred things to earn our salvation, but God commands us to only trust in Him - to look to Him.” David Guzik

So I beg you, don’t waste your time. Time is precious and you don’t know how much time you have left. Look to Jesus and be saved. Come to Him, He will never turn you away. If you aren’t sure, be like the Bereans. Search the scriptures for yourself and see if these things are so.

Acts 17:10-11

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

For, How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; (Hebrews 2:3a)

The Greatest Gift of All

Christmas time is here and in our commercialized world it’s become a season of gift giving, but have you ever really thought about the Greatest Gift of all?

The Greatest Gift of all is Jesus.

John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:18

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

According to God’s Word there are only two responses to God’s unspeakable Gift. Either you receive Him or you reject Him. There is no neutral; no middle ground.

John 1:12

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:

John 12:48

He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (Jesus)

Matthew 10:40

He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent me. (Jesus)

Mark 6:11

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. (Jesus)

Some will argue and say, but how do I know if The Gift is for me? Let’s look at what the Bible says:

Luke 2:10-11

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:18

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

The argument: Jesus was not given to me will never stand on Judgment Day. Instead Jesus will say: He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:48

So how are you responding to the Great Gift? And I mean responding because the truth is you are responding to Him right now. You are either receiving Him or rejecting Him and the answer is really the difference between life and death.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:12

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15

Ignoring the Warnings

“Hey stop!" We’re up in the mountains, far from home, when a fellow motorist waves us down and points to our front tire. Jason stops the van and we both jump out. Sure enough our front tire is very flat!

“Oh no!” I sigh! “This is my fault!” The tire light has been on for months but I’ve just been ignoring it. I even noticed the front tire was getting quite low a few days ago, but still I forgot to mention it to Jason. This is what happens when you ignore the warning signs, I think to myself.

As Jason gets to work on tire, I wait in the car and try to keep the kids entertained as we wait. The following day I can’t shake the thought of ignoring the warning signs and how that applies to something much greater than a tire that’s going flat. How many people out there are ignoring the warning signs of upcoming death and the eternity that follows?

Hebrews 2:3a How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;

We know we won’t live forever and we even hear of people dying around us and yet so many of us go on as if there is no death or eternity. The Bible also warns us that Jesus can return at any time; but are we ready?

1 Thes 5:2-3 says: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. Luke 23:30

I think of the story of the rich man and Lazarus who both died. In Luke 16:23a it says this: And in hell he (the rich man) lift up his eyes, being in torments,

He was in a place “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Jesus (Mark 9:44)

He soon realizes it’s too late for him so he asks Abraham if Lazarus could be sent to His father’s house to warn his brothers.

Luke 16:27-28

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Abraham responds by saying: …They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:29-30) 

Suddenly everything was so clear to the rich man. If only he would have listened to the warning, if only he would have sought God while He was to be found and called upon Him while he was near. If only he had forsaken his ways and thoughts and turned to the Lord; God would have had mercy on him and pardoned him, but now it was forever to late.

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Don’t let the simplicity of the gospel be a stumbling block for you. Don’t be like Naaman who thought it was too easy and to humbling to dip seven times in the Jordan River.

Our human nature resists simply believing because it’s humbling and we don’t want to submit to God’s way and God’s plan. We think and tell ourselves it must be more complicated that that; we are proud.

There is something very simplistic and humbling about putting our faith in Jesus Christ, and that’s why Jesus says “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3)

So don’t ignore the warnings. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Instead listen to God when He says:  Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 33:11

For how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Hebrews 2:3a

PS: If anyone has questions or would like to talk feel free to email me at jwkrul@gmail.com

Not a Super Woman

 Monday, October 31, 2016

6:46 a.m.

All is dark as I maneuver our charcoal van through the curvy streets that lead to the airport rendezvous spot. Three sleepy eyed, rosy-cheeked boys nestle in the back as Jason and I share a few final words.

The serious mini bus rollover accident he was involved in in his last trip to Haiti has left its mark on our lives. Every moment we have together as a family has become just that much more precious. Knowing that we can’t add a single moment to our lives fills with me peace; our heavenly Father is completely trustworthy and in control.

Before long we’ve reached the parking area and I help unload Jason’s backpack and carryon. Another HFL staff member is already waiting and when she peeks into the back of the van full of boys she remarks how I must be some superwoman. I laugh and shake my head.

After saying our goodbyes I head back home and think about her comment. I’m definitely not a superwoman but I do serve a super God! Because of who God is, when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10b) He grants me wisdom; making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7) And He renews my strength; Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31) He never leaves me or forsakes me and upholds me by His righteous right hand.  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)

How great is our God!

Repent and Believe

“If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” Charles Spurgeon.

Heaven is for real, but so is Hell. It’s not something pleasant to think or talk about but that doesn’t mean the topic should be avoided. There are serious consequences for those who willfully refuse to believe and obey the gospel and as a believer we need to take this seriously. But don’t just take my word for it. Instead lets look to God and His Word for the truth.

2 Thes 1:8-10

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Matthew 13:50

And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Revelations 14:11

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Isaiah 66:24

And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Ezekiel 18:23

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

Ezekiel 33:11

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Isaiah 65:2

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

Isaiah 55:6-8

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 4:10

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Mark 1:15

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Romans 10:9

 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Acts 16:31 

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Hebrews 13:15

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Hebrews 3:13

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

“We are not called to proclaim philosophy and metaphysics, but the simple gospel. Man’s fall, his need of a new birth, forgiveness through atonement, and salvation as the result of faith, these are our battle-ax and weapons of war.” Spurgeon

“If there existed only one man or woman who did not love the Saviour, and if that person lived among the wilds of Siberia, and if it were necessary that all the millions of believers on the face of the earth should journey there, and every one of them plead with him to come to Jesus before he could be converted, it would be well worth all the zeal, labour, and expense. If we had to preach to thousands year after year, and never rescued but one soul, that one soul would be full reward for all our labour, for a soul is of countless price.” Spurgeon

“God save us from living in comfort while sinners are sinking into hell!” Spurgeon

Joy in Abiding

“You can come over anytime!” I tell my friend as I say goodbye to her on our front step. “I don’t get out much!” I add jokingly, but it is true. Other than church, Bible study and groceries I find it easier to simply stay home with our boys.  And maybe from the world’s perspective my life may seem boring, ordinary, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth!  What joy and contentment can be found simply abiding in Christ, walking with Him everyday and following His directions! No wealth, fame, excitement or anything else in the world can compare to finding my daily contentment, peace, hope, joy, and love in Him!

Jesus says in John 10:10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Spurgeon says “There is no joy in this world like union with Christ. The more we can feel it, the happier we are.”

Jesus says in John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. And Paul writes in Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

How do you abide in Christ? James 4:8 says Draw night to God, and He will draw nigh to you.  Psalm 86:12 says I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. And Proverbs 3:5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Lately God’s been impressing on me that it only takes a small spark to start a great fire. You don’t have to have any great talents, or be special in the world’s eyes to be used by Him to draw others to Him. Jesus says in Matthew 4:19b Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And how exciting it is when God allows you to play a small part in drawing others to Him and you gain spiritual brothers and sisters! Jesus says in Luke 15:7a I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,

And finally, abiding in Him we can look ahead with confidence. And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.1 John 2:28 We don’t have to fear the future, instead as we abide in Him we long for the time when we will see Him face to face.

Glory to God!

I look up as I feel the first raindrops land on my face. I’d better hurry! Quick as a flash I plug in the extension cord and then start the weed eater. I really want to have the yard all done before Jason hopes to return tomorrow. Ignoring the water droplets that are now beginning to soak through my T-shirt I make quick work of clearing up the grass around the garden boxes. Right as I’m finishing it makes some strange noise and quits. I flip it over to see that its run out of string. Good timing! At least I’m finished! I quickly put it under cover and grab the lawn mower. As fast as I can I mow the final patches that I hadn’t finished this morning; then emptying the grass clipping in the compost bin I quickly park the lawn mower back in the shed.

Noticing a few stray weeds in my garden I slip on my garden gloves and get to work. Not minding the rain now, I let the wet drops cool my warm face. I know it doesn’t have to look perfect, but I still want everything to look nice for Jason when he comes home. Lately he’s taken over the yard work, but I didn’t want him to come home after 3 weeks to knee-deep grass and weeds!

Just today, I had bought his favorite food and snacks and stocked the fridge and pantry so he could just come home and relax! I really can’t wait to have him home again!

Looking up from the dirt between my gloved fingers I suddenly notice a beautiful double rainbow.  

Looking at it I’m reminded of God’s covenant promise in Genesis that He would never again destroy the earth with water. How awesome to still see that same token in the sky today! It’s like I can almost hear His voice say, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.”(Gen 9:13)

Standing in wonder, I’m reminded of my recent devotional study on our purpose in life; one of them being to bring glory to God. C.S. Lewis said. “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.”  “God wants our worship to be motivated by love, thanksgiving and delight, not duty." (R. Warren) J. Piper notes, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

And it’s true, I really feel like I’ve been looking to God for everything lately, especially these last three weeks when I haven’t had Jason to lean on. God gives me joy and peace and wisdom. He’s the one I turn to when I struggle. He refocuses me time and time again. 

Earlier today when I was wandering around Walmart with my 3 boys doing my grocery shopping I was suddenly reminded of the words: and afterwards….into glory. But I couldn’t remember what that middle word was! Was it lead me into glory? No, that wasn’t it! Finally I remembered! It was receive me into glory! How beautiful it is that when our journey on earth is over that God will receive us into glory! (Psalm 73:24)

And how awesome it is to glorify Him here during our short time on earth!

R. Warren says:  “Worship is far more than praising, singing and praying to God. Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, loving Him, and giving ourselves to be used for His purpose. The Bible says, yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Romans 6:13b. When you use your life for God’s glory, everything you do can become an act of worship."