What trips you up every time?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

…and the sin which doth so easily beset us... Hebrews 12:1b

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Imagine someone trying to run a race with a long flowing robe entangling him or some rope around his feet. He wants to be free so he can run, but he’s trapped. The word beset means “to entangle.” Weights load us down. Sin trips us up. Either one makes a poor runner. They keep us from running the race.

We’ll never fulfill the destiny God has for us if we refuse to let go of the sin that so easily trips us up. What is the sin that so easily trips us up? Each individual knows what those sins are.

The whole race we’re running is the race of faith. Hebrews 11 and 12 say we live by faith; therefore, we run by faith. Most of us wish we had better, stronger faith. Do you know the reason you don’t have more faith than you have? Sin. You say, “Now wait a minute, pastor....” No, friend, the Bible says, “Beware, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.” Unbelief is not a mental sin; it is a moral sin. It doesn’t come out of the head; it comes out of the heart. 

ACTION POINT:

Lay aside what weighs you down. Identify that sin in your life that so easily entangles you. Then lay it down!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

How to Defy Sinful Desire

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24–26)

Or, boil it down to the essentials: “By faith Moses . . . [left] the fleeting pleasures of sin . . . for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24–26).

Faith is not content with “fleeting pleasures.” It is ravenous for joy. Joy that lasts. Forever. And the word of God says, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). So, faith will not be sidetracked into the deceitful pleasures of sin. It will not give up so easily in its quest for maximum joy.

The role of God’s word is to feed faith’s appetite for God. And, in doing this, it weans my heart off of the deceptive taste of lust.

At first, lust begins to trick me into feeling that I would really miss out on some great satisfaction if I followed the path of purity. But then I take up the sword of the Spirit and begin to fight.

I read that it is better to gouge out my eye than to lust (Matthew 5:29).

I read that if I think about things that are pure and lovely and excellent, the peace of God will be with me (Philippians 4:8–9).

I read that setting the mind on the flesh brings death, but setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace (Romans 8:6).

I read that lust wages war against my soul (1 Peter 2:11), and that the pleasures of this life choke out the life of the Spirit (Luke 8:14).

But best of all, I read that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11), and that the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8).

As I pray for my faith to be satisfied with God’s life and peace, the sword of the Spirit carves the sugarcoating off the poison of lust. I see it for what it is. And by the grace of God, its alluring power is broken.

John Piper 

Are you ready to set those weights down?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…. Hebrews 12:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

If you’re going to run a race, how do you prepare yourself? First, you’ve got to lay the weights aside. Athletes run in very light clothing. The less weight, the better. One thing you’ll never see is someone in the Olympics, running in an overcoat. It’s not going to happen. They get as light as they possibly can. You have to lay aside every weight.

The Greek word weight does not mean something that’s sinful. It just means something that burdens you, that holds you down. There are some things that are not bad in themselves. Nothing wrong with an overcoat. You just don’t wear an overcoat when you’re running a race. Paul said: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Friend, it may be some recreational habit you have. It may be some cottage in the woods. It may be some acquaintance, some hobby, too much television, too much sleep. Paul is saying, “Something may be lawful for me, but if it’s not expedient, if it doesn’t speed me on my course, then I need to leave it alone.”

ACTION POINT:

Ask yourself, “Is there something in my life that’s hindering my walk with Christ? Something holding me back? Something that’s excess baggage? Keeping me from being all I ought to be for the Lord Jesus Christ? Whatever it is, if you want to win the race, lay it aside. Good things become bad things when they keep you from the best things.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Preach to Yourself

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

We must learn to fight despondency — the downcast spirit. The fight is a fight of faith in future grace. It is fought by preaching truth to ourselves about God and his promised future.

This is what the psalmist does in Psalm 42. The psalmist preaches to his troubled soul. He scolds himself and argues with himself. And his main argument is future grace: “Hope in God! Trust in what God will be for you in the future. A day of praise is coming. The presence of the Lord will be all the help you need. And he has promised to be with us forever.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones believes this issue of preaching truth to ourselves about God’s future grace is all-important in overcoming spiritual depression. In his helpful book, Spiritual Depression, he writes,

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. . . . Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says, “Self, listen for a moment. I will speak to you.” (20–21)

The battle against despondency is a battle to believe the promises of God. And that belief in God’s future grace comes by hearing the word. And so preaching to ourselves the word of God is at the heart of the battle.

John Piper 

Are you ready to pay the price?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, that I might finish my course. Acts 20:24

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you pay a price—some extra time in the morning—to get into the Word of God? Do you pay the price of being ridiculed because you keep your Bible on your desk in the office or bow your head and thank God for His gracious goodness to you when He gives you a meal? Are you willing to be different? Will you finish your course? 

When you’re running this race, you’re going to find out that you’re running right against the grain. There’s the broad way, where most are traveling, and here you are, going the other way. Against the grain.

You see, what we believe is the opposite of what the world without Jesus Christ believes. Our faith in Christ

starts at a different source

follows a different course

ends at a different conclusion

…and there is a price to pay.

ACTION POINT:

Frankly, we don’t like that idea of a “price to pay.” We say, “Well, I’m saved by grace, and so I’m just going to float into heaven on flowery beds of ease.” No. A disciple is one who follows his master, obeys his master, and there is a price to pay.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Living for God in a godless Society

The 10 Commandments used to hang in our schools.

We used to pray in our schools.

We used to have no alcohol sales in some counties.

Abortions were done far and wide.

Now, no prayer, no commandments, liquor available everywhere and to our shame, abortions are actually encouraged!

Suicide rates are high, lawlessness abounds, respect isn't taught but disrespect is applauded.

Murder, theft, child abuse us the norm!

We need revival!

This country is about to spiritually collapse!

This is not the first time that the world has turned from God!

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. - Hebrews 11:23

How do the people of God navigate in these godless times?

1. Moses refused!

He was Pharaoh's grandson.

He chose to be with God's people.

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, - Hebrews 11:24

2. Moses chose.

The world's pleasure is fleeting!

God's joy is eternal!

Sin is fun for a season.

Sin will make you a slave.

You must repent!

Feelings have replaced truth.

God's truth is the authority!

I can disagree with you and still love you. 

34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. - John 8:34-35

choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. - Hebrews 11:25

Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. - James 1:15

"And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD.  - Isaiah 59:20

3. Moses regarded!

He was looking ahead to his eternal reward!

He weighed sin against God's truth.

Your home is not here!

We are just passing through!

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. - Hebrews 11:26

4. Moses left!

He stood up!

He stepped out of sin into the light!

Do the right thing even when you face persecution!

Satan's fate is sealed!

By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. - Hebrews 11:27

5. Moses kept!

They were saved by the blood of a lamb just as we have salvation in the blood of Christ!

By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. - Hebrews 11:28

18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. - 1 Peter 1:18-21

We have lost our salt!

We need repentance!

Seek God!

Thanks Pastor Kevin!!

Models for Combating Discouragement

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

Literally the verb is simply fail, not “may fail.” This God-besotted psalmist, Asaph, says, “My flesh and my heart fail!” I am despondent! I am discouraged! But then immediately he fires a broadside against his despondency: “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

The psalmist does not yield to discouragement. He battles unbelief with counterattack.

In essence, he says, “In myself I feel very weak and helpless and unable to cope. My body is shot, and my heart is almost dead. But whatever the reason for this despondency, I will not yield. I will trust God and not myself. He is my strength and my portion.”

The Bible is replete with instances of saints struggling with sunken spirits. Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” This is a clear admission that the soul of the saint sometimes needs to be revived. And if it needs to be revived, in a sense it was “dead.” That’s the way it felt.

David says the same thing in Psalm 23:2–3, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” The soul of the “man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) needs to be restored. It was dying of thirst and ready to fall exhausted, but God led the soul to water and gave it life again.

God has put these testimonies in the Bible so that we might use them to fight the unbelief of despondency. And we fight with the blast of faith in God’s promises: “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” We preach that to ourselves. And we thrust it into Satan’s face. And we believe it.

John Piper